The Daughter in Law (4 page)

When she realized there were no
fireworks forthcoming she went back to looking like she was passing a
gallstone.

I was getting settled into my bouillabaisse when momma the shit
stirrer really did it.

“So when are you guys coming
out to New York, what day I mean? I hope you’re not just
gonna
come up Xmas eve. Your father and I are looking forward to having at least a
week with you guys this time. We can go shopping a few days before and
Dami
we can take you ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza,
you’ll love it.”

“Wait what?
what’s
going on?”
Haggie
had her hackles raised. “You’re
going to be gone for the holidays?”

“Yes mom, I thought we talked about this before. We spent
Thanksgiving with you this year and we’re spending Xmas with
Nessa’s
parents.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t think
anything was settled. Our family has always spent the holidays together. I’m
sure Jackie and Dan wouldn’t mind if you came later; would you?” She looked at
my mom. This lady really is ass stupid.

Before mom could answer I felt
Damien tense beside me. “No mom, it’s settled, we’ve already made our plans.”
Cue the hostile glares in my direction. I kept my head in my bowl because it
was too soon to laugh in her horrid face, but the strain was killing me.

“Well now my dinner’s been
ruined. I can’t believe you’d spring a thing like this on me just a few short
weeks before the holiday. It’s very inconsiderate, and after all the trouble
I’ve gone to
to
make it special.”

“Leave it alone Mabel, the kids
have their plans set already. No sense in spoiling everyone’s evening.” Poor
Clarence, he tries.

“Oh stuff it Clarence, don’t
expect me to sit here and watch my family being destroyed and say nothing.
She’s been nothing but a headache ever since she came along. Nothing’s ever
been the same and now this. My own son is deserting me on the most precious day
of the year.” Cue the waterworks. Was this bitch high or had they upped her
meds? Usually she never showed her ass in mixed company, she usually saved that
shit for our special alone time. Like when we used to take bathroom breaks
together. I’d wised up to that shit quick though and soon started finding any
excuse not to be alone with the demon spawn.

Clueless was wearing a curious look
on his face like he still didn’t get it. I guess mom had schooled dad, because
although I could see the vein popping in his forehead, he held his peace. I had
yet to say a word edgewise, this was the Mabel Spencer show for one.

“I don’t appreciate your sneaky
underhanded tactics young lady. You know how important it is for me to have
family around me for the holidays, I thought we understood that. But I see I
was wrong. You waited until my back was turned and worked your wiles on my son
to get your way. I guess that’s to be expected from your sort. Now my family
will be torn apart for the holidays, something that’s never happened before.
The only good thing about this is that I won’t have to have you in my home. I
won’t have to spoil my holiday by sharing it with the likes of you. I hope
you’re pleased with yourself you selfish little home wrecker.”

Oh shit, here comes Mrs. Hyde.
Where the fuck is my camera? You have got to be shitting me. Things were
getting so good I almost forgot the whole purpose of this exercise. It was like
watching a train wreck in slow motion. Momma was right; just a few strategic
moves at the right time and this bitch would detonate.

“Mom what the hell? What are you saying? Are you for real?
This is my wife.”

“Yes and I’m your mother…”

“Yeah that’s right my mother,
not my woman, not my owner nor my keeper. I can’t believe I didn’t see this in
you before. Is this what the fuck you’ve been doing while I was away? After I
asked and you promised to look after her like one of your own?”

“I’ll thank you not to speak to me
like that Damien, I’m still your mother.”

“Yeah you are and I’ve never been more disappointed in you
than I am right this minute.”

“Disappointed in me, how dare you. If you hadn’t married
beneath you…”

 
“ENOUGH.” Get the fuck out, did he just?
I think I just came on myself no joke. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it Vanessa,
sorry it took me this long.”

“This is all her fault, she’s been
filling your head with lies and…”

“No, no she hasn’t; in fact
until I came back from my last deployment I never even knew there was anything
wrong between you two. How the fuck far did you push her to make her finally
stand up for herself? How could you? I trusted you with her. Have you any idea
what you almost cost me?” Oh shit, he was halfway out of his seat.

“Honey calm down.” I tried soothing
him because in all seriousness I did not expect this to turn into a Jerry
Springer moment. And though the tables were situated in such a way that the
patrons had relative privacy, I didn’t want things to get out of hand.

“No fuck that, I’ve been
fighting with you, trying to get you to be… and all the while she…” Poor thing
he couldn’t even speak.

“I don’t know what you’re getting
so upset about it was just…”

“It was just you being a royal
bitch to my wife in front of others, who the fuck do you think you are lady?
You think because you wear the title of mom that that gives you the right? Come
on Vanessa we’re out of here you don’t have to put up with this shit. I’m sorry
Jackie, Dan. You guys are more than welcome to follow us back to the house. Dad
I’ll talk to you later.” Momma and daddy got up and daddy dropped some bills on
the table. He was fighting a smile now so there was no danger of him gutting
anyone. Did I mention that my dad’s Italian?
From Brooklyn?
Nuff
said.

Honey boo
boo
opened her mouth to add in her two cents and caught some of that nice wrath
hubby had working. “You shut the fuck up. I might draw the line at hitting my
own mother but I’d have no problem popping you one. You disgust me. You talk
shit about my wife, trying to imply that she was meeting up with other men? She
has more class in her pinky than you do in your whole sordid life. The whole
lot of you get
this straight. Anyone and I mean anyone who
tries to fuck with my marriage I will destroy you.” He glared at his mother
before taking my hand and dragging me out of there.

Momma and
daddy declined the invitation, I think momma knew what was up she’d been there before.
I wish she’d have clued me in. First came the speeding. Damien never speeds.
Then as soon as we walked through the door he slammed me up against the wall
and lifted me so he could fit between my thighs. His mouth came down hard over
mine as he fought with his zipper. I barley had a chance to catch my breath
before he was surging up inside me. My hands were fisted in his hair as he
worked his dick in me so good I wanted to sing an aria.

I could tell he was pissed but all
I got were grunts with each thrust.

I guess my dress was in the way
because he tore the top of that shit down the middle so he could get to my
tits. Swallowing them one after the other until I was mewling and keening like
a cat in heat. When he took me down to the floor I thought for sure he was
gonna
kill me. He’d never fucked me so hard in his life and
Damien fucks hard sometimes.

I barely had time to hold a thought
before he was turning me this way and that. My heart was racing a mile a minute
and I was soaking the floor beneath me. When he started biting into my flesh
that’s when I finally screamed.

“I love you, look at me.” He held my hair back and looked
into my eyes, eyes that I could hardly keep open because of sensory overload.
“I love everything about you, you’re perfect.” I tried to climb his dick after
that because hey, action speaks louder than words, but sometimes the words can
be sweet too.

We finally
made it to the bed and we had yet to say two words to each other. Other than
grunts, moans, squeals, and the slapping sound our bodies made when he pounded
into me, not a peep. Every once in a while he’d call my name like I was leaving
for a year, but other than that, it was all action. It was as though he had a
point to prove, what that point was I wasn’t entirely sure but I was enjoying
the hell out of it.

When he’d off
loaded in me for the third time we just laid there with his body pressing mine
into the mattress and his face buried in my neck. When he started kissing me
again I thought he’d lost his mind and was going back for more but he slipped
out of me as we shared the softest kiss. “I’m so sorry baby.”

Isn’t it
weird? This is exactly what I wanted, for him to grovel at my feet for being a
clueless shit for so long. But somehow the victory felt a little hollow because
I realized that she’d hurt him too. He really had no idea. I think some secret
part of me had wondered if he’d known and just not cared. Or if maybe he’d been
of the mind that his mother was always right and that as his wife I should just
go along. It was still left to be seen what tomorrow
will
bring. I know that barnacle wouldn’t give up that easy. But for now this was
good, this had hit the spot.

We didn’t talk
it to death but he wanted to know everything that she’d ever done to me. I told
him every word and watched his face turn purple with rage. The good thing was,
not once did he accuse me of making it up or question whether or not I’d
misunderstood. The best part was when I told him about overhearing her with his
ex. I thought he would lose his shit for sure then.

That night my
husband held me like he thought I would disappear in the night. It was sweet,
it was even sweeter when he rolled me to my back in the predawn hours and made
sweet love to me. I was a little sore from the night before but I’m a smart
girl. Never turn down a Damien Spencer slow ride.

I still hadn’t
told him about the baby. I was waiting on two things, one to be absolutely
sure, and two for the dust to settle. I was enough of a princess to want the
news of my impending motherhood to be received with much fanfare. Then again
this might just be the kind of news he needs now after learning his mother was
the serpent from hell.

“You sure you’re gonna be okay here
by yourself?”

“Huh?” What the hell?

“Well I know your parents left early this morning and…just
don’t answer the door to anyone okay baby.”

Oh shit, he was trying to protect me from Genghis Khan. That
was so sweet.

“Stop worrying honey I’m fine.”
He was so cute I almost shared my news. His phone rang with her tone just as he
was going out the door and my stomach started to hurt. He closed the door and I
ran to the window to look out. He looked at his phone, shook his head and
turned it off. Hot damn.

I did a happy
dance as I made my way up to the master suite to take my bath. I needed to soak
some of the knots out. Now what to do with myself? I’m a trained interior
designer but since moving from New York a couple years ago I’ve just been
taking jobs here and there as the mood strikes. Damien was one of those ‘I
don’t want my woman working outside the home types’. Another thing his monster
hated. She thinks he coddles me and has said as much on more than one occasion.

With her out
of my life and not having to be her errand girl, my days were once again
entirely mine. What in the world was I going to do with myself? I had a great
idea as I climbed out of the tub. I felt excitement bubble up inside. Just
because I wasn’t ready to share my news didn’t mean I couldn’t do stuff for the
baby. It would be fun to just go look. I could do it on line but the weather
was so nice for a fall day in the south and I could do with some fresh air.

Damien’s
warning was ringing through my head and I wondered what exactly it was that he
thought might happen. I wasn’t afraid of
haggie
or
her spawn, but he seemed genuinely concerned. Oh well, I wasn’t going to let it
bother me. I got dressed and headed out the door. My step was lighter and I
hadn’t a care in the world. My man loved me, that’s all I’d wanted to know and now
that I did, wasn’t nothing
gonna
stand in my way.

I spent the
day flitting in and out of every children’s-boutique in the city. I don’t know
why I was bothering, Jackie
Spinelli
will never let
me hear the end of it if I went baby shopping without her. I had lunch alone at
an outdoor café and then headed home to get started on dinner. Tonight I was
going to make my baby something special to say thanks.

As soon as I
hit the door I knew something was off. Things looked strange. It wasn’t that
anything was missing but things seemed out of place. I made my way up the
stairs to our room, not sure if I should just turn around and head back out,
but somehow I didn’t feel like there was anyone here.

My lingerie
drawer had been gone through and pieces were missing. Someone had rifled
through my jewelry case and my nana’s ring was missing. I felt tears prick my
eyes. Only one person I know who would bypass the three big ass flat screen TVs
and all the other expensive shit we had
laying
around
to do that shit.
I’ma
have her ass arrested.

I called the cops don’t think I
didn’t. I wasn’t about to give an inch. They were there when Damien showed up
looking all flustered. I was standing at the top of the landing when I heard
him barking at one of the cops. “Where’s my wife?”

“Up here
Dami
, I’m fine.” He
rushed up the stairs and grabbed me. “Baby
are
you
okay?”

“Just a little shaky.”

“What the hell happened?”

“Someone took nana’s ring and some of my underwear.”

“What?
that’s
nuts, that doesn’t make any sense, why would someone…” He got it too.

I’d made sure the cops printed the
drawers, the doorknobs any and everything she might’ve touched. Her prints
might be expected in certain parts of the house but not on my panty drawer the
perv.

After the cops left I could see
him pacing back and forth like a caged animal. I knew what she wanted she
wanted contact. I say let the cops deal with it.

I moved about the kitchen making
dinner while he ran his hands over his head over and over again. “This is nuts.
Why would she do this?”

“To get a rise out of you. It’s a power play.”

“Power for what?
for
fuck’s sake
what is going on? Why would anyone do a thing like this? This is not my mom,
I’ve never known her to be this vindictive, this…”

“You never had a wife before.”

“That’s it, we’re changing the
locks and if it turns out that she has the ring well…fuck this is crazy.”

You said it buddy, bat shit cray
cray
;
the way only the south can do it.

“I hope you know that she’s crossed the line. I was willing
to stay out of it and let you two handle your thing your way but she took my
nana’s ring. If I see that prune faced bitch
I’ma
Hoffa her ass.”

“Vanessa…”

“Babe just let
me handle this okay, you don’t have to deal with any of this any more. Since I seem
to be the bone that’s being fought over I think it only fair that I be the one
to deal with whatever this is.” He’s so cute; he has no idea what he’s up
against. But if he thinks he knows the rules to this game let him at it, we’ll
see how long that lasts before I’m back to wanting to nut punch him again. He
really doesn’t get it. Her fight’s not with him, of course she’s
gonna
be all sugar and spice with him, she’ll save her shit
for me.

“Fine, if
Cujo
stays in her kennel and leave me the hell alone I’m
all good.” I turned back to stir the pot of sauce I had simmering just as the
phone rang. We both headed into the other room just as the machine picked up.
“Hello Damien this is your mother, your REAL mother. I’m just calling to let
you know I forgive you for last night. I know that wasn’t your doing and I
understand. When you’re ready to talk just know that your mom’s here for you. I
love you sweet boy hope to see you soon.”

“Cracked, all the fucking way
cracked.” I could only shake my head. Bitch was off her meds again.

He actually looked surprised,
like maybe he’d expected her to call him with an apology. “What the hell was
that?” I shrugged my shoulders; she’s his mother if he didn’t know how the hell
should I?

I studied him for a hot minute.

“What, what’re you looking at?”

“I’m wondering if we should have you tested?”

“Tested for what? I’m not sick.”

“Yeah but that brand of cray might be hereditary, I think
that shit needs to have an end by date. Can’t be spreading that shit.”

“You’re funny,”

“’I think so.” He smacked my
ass as we headed back to the kitchen to finish making dinner.