A Rose's Thorns Ch. 01
Jade's mother Marla had been in a rut for the past two years since Jade's father Alan had divorced her and run off with a skinny young thing to God knows where. Alan was an excellent lawyer with a pack of excellent lawyer buddies. Not only had he humiliated Marla with his abrupt divorce filing, but he had taken most of their money and weaseled out of paying alimony, leaving them with only the house as a consolation prize. Marla was now working as a low-paid receptionist for an accounting firm and as a cashier on weekends, while Jade waited tables to try to make ends meet.
Jade sighed. It wasn't enough. Their savings had carried them for a while, but the house payment and bills were more than the money they earned. They wouldn't be able to keep it, much less put money toward Jade going to college, and they might not be able to afford their two cars either.
"Mom..." said Jade, her voice breaking, "I'm sorry, I don't think we can keep the house. I don't know how we're going to afford it." She looked toward her mother, who was sitting in the dining room, devouring a frozen dinner.
Marla was not the woman she had been before the divorce. She had been tall and a little on the heavy side then, but two years of eating her feelings had caused her body to balloon. Under an amorphous purple sweater, Marla had a huge belly, over which her pendulous breasts lazily spilled. A pair of black pants stretched to their limit covered her fat thighs and enormous butt, which practically threatened to swallow the dining room chair.
While Marla had let her body expand, she was still attentive to her appearance, as the accountants she worked for required that employees look presentable. Her face still looked young, with the fat of her jaw giving her a soft, nurturing appearance. She kept her long brown hair well-groomed and curly, skillfully applied makeup on her heart-shaped face every morning, and made sure to greet clients with a warm smile.
At the moment, though, Marla wasn't smiling -- she looked resigned as she continued digging into her pre-packaged lasagna. "We'll find some way to make it work, honey," she said, though she didn't sound so sure. "We always have."
Jade tried to keep her voice from shaking as she shook her head. "Not this time, Mom. We've spent down the money that Dad left behind, and we have so much credit card debt..."
Marla pointed her fork at her daughter angrily. "That was never Alan's money to begin with, it was ours. I gave everything I had for years to your father -- not that he still deserves to be called that."
Marla had a point -- Alan hadn't so much as called his ex-wife or his daughter for two years. Jade didn't even know the name of the woman he had run off with.
Marla dropped the fork onto the table, her angry expression giving way to worry. "I don't know how we'll do it, baby, but we'll find the money. I can ask for a raise at work, or I can get more hours at the store..."
Jade shook her head. "Mom, you've told me a million times that your boss at the firm is a bastard, and you said they're trying to cut hours at the store."
"I'll...I'll get a different job, that pays better, and where the partners aren't a bunch of psychos who play grab-ass with the younger secretaries..." Marla said, but there were tears at the corners of her eyes.
Jade stood up, walked to the dining room table, and sat across from her mother. "Mom, you'd have to make so much more money for us to afford it. Dad's money was what kept us in this lifestyle. I don't know what we're gonna do."
Marla stared at her daughter sadly. It wasn't fair that a woman who had just reached adulthood should have to deal with this burden. "I'm so sorry, Jade," she said, "you deserve so much better than this, honey. You should be in college right now, but instead you're dealing with all this crap.
"Mom, we're a team, I want to help..."
Tears began flowing down Marla's cheeks as her enormous chest began to heave. "Oh Jade...honey...it's all my fault...if I had been a better wife...if I had kept him from chasing that hussy...if I hadn't become such a fat cow..."
Jade held her mother's hand. "Mom, it's not your fault! Alan chose to be a son of a bitch, it had nothing to do with you!"
"I l-let you down, honey..."
"Mom, no you didn't. He chose to leave his wife and daughter." Jade sniffled. "But I'm not going anywhere. Not yet at least. We can make ends meet. But mom...we might have to sell the house."
Marla wiped her eyes. "I love this house. It's the last good thing your dad got for me."
"I know, but..."
"I know too, honey. We have to sell it. We can get an apartment somewhere closer to my work, that'll help for a while..."
"I know, mom. I don't know what we're going to do after that, though. Even apartments are expensive right now."
"We have other things, things we can sell. Your grandma's jewelry -- it's not much, but it will help..." Marla wiped her face with a napkin. "But that doesn't get you college money, and I feel so bad about that..."
"I can get another job," said Jade. "I can make time, I can take the bus to work, maybe."
Marla shook her head. "Jade, I showed one of the accountants at work our bank statements. I've got so much debt that we'll be shoveling our way out of it for years."
Now it was Jade's turn to shed tears, but she tried to put on a brave face. "I can wait! Or I can figure something out." She smiled at her mom, "Hell, mom, I'm still young and hot -- I could always be a pornstar!"
She only meant it half-jokingly. Jade wasn't the hottest young woman in town, but she knew she had assets. While she was less than half the size of her mom, she was 5'4" and curvy -- well, maybe a little chubby -- with a cute face, sleek chestnut hair, perky boobs, and a thick butt. And though her mom wasn't fully aware of it, Jade had some sexual experience under her belt -- with both guys and girls.
Marla scowled. "That's not funny, Jade. My daughter is not going to be some slut for disgusting perverts to watch."
Jade couldn't be surprised by her mom's reaction. Marla had always had somewhat uptight views on sex, which were likely worsened by two years without seeing anyone and even longer than that without fulfilling sex. Marla wouldn't admit how much she missed it, certainly not to her daughter, and her scorn was a means of coping.
"I'm just joking, Mom," said Jade.
Marla's face softened. "I know, honey. I just don't ever want to see you exploited by a man like I was."
"I won't be, mom, I promise. But what are we gonna do?"
Marla took another bite, then put a hand on her double chin. "There has to be someone who could help us, or maybe a service that would cut down the debt..."
"What about family members? What about Aunt Helen or Uncle Bruce?"
Marla waved it off. "My sister's got no money to spare after putting four of your cousins through college, and Bruce is the biggest cheapskate I know -- he didn't even help pay for his own daughter's wedding."
Jade weighed whether she should say what she wanted to, and decided she had nothing to lose. "What about Aunt Rose?"
Marla dropped her fork again and her eyes lit up, but not with excitement. "That bastard's sister? Seriously, honey?"
"Well it's just..."
"Honey, she hasn't talked to us for more than three years. And Alan always said she was a vindictive bitch. So why would she help her brother's ex?"
"I don't know. But, like, she lives in the area, and I thought she had a lot of money, so..."
"Yeah, she's a lawyer like your father," said Marla. "And we know how trusting a lawyer turned out."
"I get it, Mom," said Jade. "But what choice do we have?"
"Quiet! Just let me think!" Marla took several more bites of food in rapid succession, staring down at the table. After about a minute, she looked up at her daughter. "I guess the worst she can say is no, huh?"
"Worst she can say is no," echoed Jade. "Do you still have her phone number?"
Marla nodded, sighing. She looked weather-worn and tired, with her mascara smudged by her tears. "I don't mean to put this on you, baby, but I think it would be better if you called her. You're her flesh and blood, while I'm just yesterday's bad news."
Jade smiled sadly and squeezed her mom's hand. "You're not bad news, Mom. You've always tried your hardest for me. I love you."
Marla smiled back. "I love you too, honey."
Later that evening, Marla sat in the living room watching TV, her enormous frame taking up most of a loveseat, while Jade stood in the kitchen, thinking about what she would say to her Aunt Rose. Rose hadn't seen her niece for more than five years, and would likely not remember what she even looked like. Jade remembered that her aunt always looked somewhat intimidating, with blonde hair, a tall, curvaceous body, and striking brown eyes. Jade found that picturing someone always made cold-calling them easier, so she pulled up Rose's law firm's website and found a recent picture. In the photo, Rose was wearing a blue pantsuit that managed to give her a professional appearance while still accentuating her curves. She was a large woman, though not nearly as fat as Marla, and she looked like she could eat weaker lawyers for breakfast. Jade was more intimidated now than she was before, and regretted looking.
Jade practiced what she would say, then plugged the numbers into her phone and hesitated for a moment before she hit send. The phone rang only four times before it was picked up, and Jade held her breath.
"Rose Hendricks," said the confident female voice on the other end. She had the same last name as Jade and her mother, one of the only things her dad had left them. The voice continued sternly, "If this is related to a case, kindly hang up and call my office tomorrow -- I keep my work and personal life separate."
"It's not related to a case!" Jade blurted out, then felt like an idiot. "Sorry, I mean, this is Jade Hendricks, Aunt Rose. Your niece?"
There was a pause, and then the voice continued warmly. "Jade? My God, it's been so long, how are you?! I haven't heard your voice in so long!"
Jade held the phone away from her face to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you remembered me, Aunt Rose!"
"Of course I did! I always liked you, Jade," said Rose. "You must be what, 19 years old now? I haven't seen you since you were a girl!"
"Right, it's, uh, been a long time," said Jade, stumbling over her words. "I'm really sorry we haven't talked in so long, it's just that, well..."
Rose shushed her gently. "I totally understand, Jade, you and your mom have nothing to apologize for. My older brother was a bastard to both of you and I'm sure you needed some space. Let me tell you, when I heard about the settlement, I was so furious at that little shit! If I hadn't been working abroad at the time -- and it wasn't a conflict of interest -- I would have represented your mom myself. What he did was terrible."
"Oh, I'm so relieved to hear you say that, Aunt Rose," said Jade. "I mean, I don't want to speak too bad of him, he is my dad and your brother, after all..."
"Screw him, he's always been a shit. He tried to swindle your grandmother into leaving everything to him, you know, but I put a stop to that, and she's still kicking." Rose laughed. "Alan the Asshole, that's what all the other lawyers in this state call him. Not very creative, but accurate. But anyway, I felt so bad about it. But I didn't want to reach out in case you needed space to heal. I would love to catch up with you and Marla!"
Jade walked to the dining room and flashed her mother a thumbs up. Marla looked at her incredulously. "I think we would both love that!"
"Perfect! Tell your mom that I know a great place in the city where we can get dinner. This Friday, seven o'clock, my treat!"
"That sounds awesome, Aunt Rose!"
"Love it. I'll text you the address and see you ladies then. But I do have a pie in the oven, so I've got to run!" Rose didn't wait for a goodbye before hanging up.
"Well," said Marla, "It sounds like that went better than I thought!"
Three days later, Jade and Marla had driven downtown, feeling somewhat self-conscious driving Marla's old minivan on a ritzy avenue. Marla had googled the restaurant before hand and discovered it was the kind of place that had a short menu and a long waiting list -- well out of her price range under normal circumstances.
As the two women entered, they couldn't help feeling underdressed. Marla had been to many upscale parties with her ex-husband, but had bought an entirely new set of outfits since then, keeping her old clothes despite having no hope of fitting into them. For this occasion, she wore a conservative green dress and blazer and her mother's pearls. Jade was dressed flashier in heels and a black cocktail dress that hugged her curves, though she noticed that most of the women present had much more expensive gowns.
The hostess seemed mildly offended by their presence when they walked in, but her demeanor softened when they mentioned that they were in the Hendricks party. She led the two women through the floor of the restaurant, where Marla reddened self-consciously as she struggled to keep her ample bottom from bumping into chairs and tables.
Rose was already seated at the table when they arrived, and was dressed to the nines in a blue gown and diamond earrings. She stood up to hug them warmly, then told the hostess to send a server on the double.
"Marla, Jade, it's so wonderful to see you!" said Rose.
"Oh, likewise, Rose, it's been so long!" said Marla.
"Far too long! I'm glad we could make this happen. I hope seeing me doesn't dredge up any bad memories of my moronic brother, though I think it's fair to say that I got the looks of the family!"
"Of course not!" said Marla, and she couldn't dispute it -- while ex-her husband had aged poorly, at least in her opinion, Rose was still quite beautiful in her mid-forties.
"So let's start with something less depressing!" smiled Rose. "I'm going to order us some appetizers and a bottle -- or bottles -- of wine for me and Marla, and you tell me what the two of you have been up to! And don't you dare think about offering to pay for it, this is my treat!"
Jade and Marla couldn't help but be in a good mood after that, and Rose was good to her word -- soon, the waiter brought them shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, and multiple bottles of white wine, moving quickly at Rose's command. The blonde woman's charisma was infectious, and while the stories they told weren't particularly happy, Marla and Jade found themselves laughing anyway. Rose told her own stories of idiot clients and bosses she had outsmarted on her way to the top, and assured them that they could order whatever they wanted.
Midway through dessert, Jade was quite full, while Marla was attacking a bowl of tiramisu with joy, rather than sadness. Rose was enjoying a small pudding when she said, "I'm sorry to bring it up again, but it seems like Alan the Asshole left you up the creek without a paddle, Marla." She lowered her voice. "You don't need to tell me if this is too forward, but...are you doing okay...financially?"
Marla savored a scoop of tiramisu, then shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, Alan left us with an expensive house and no way to pay for it. If I'm being honest, Rose, we...I'm in a little debt." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I don't want you to think that we came to you looking for money!"
Rose waved her hand dismissively "Wouldn't dream of it! And if you did, we're family, gals!" She looked at Jade. "You ought to be starting college soon, right Jade?"
"Well, I would love to go, and there's some great schools right here in the city, but I just need to find a way to pay for it!"
Rose smiled at them both and took a long sip of wine. They had gone through three bottles by this point, and Rose's cheeks were as red as her name. "Marla, you should have come to me earlier!" The waiter came by to offer another bottle of wine, and Rose sent him away with an evil look.
Marla's eyes widened and she paused mid-spoon, "What do you mean?"
"I want to help you out! It's the least I can do after my brother screwed you!"
"Rose, we can't just accept a handout!"
"Well, I've got great news for you, it's not! Let me be honest with the both of you. I live in a big, empty house that's really only useful for the occasional party or impressing a date. I have one daughter who's out on the East Coast for college, so it's a little lonely, and it's a drag to take care of by myself.
"I own the place outright, so there's no mortgage to be paid. If you come live with me -- at least for a while -- you'll pay a fraction of your living cost. Marla, you can stick to working just one job, Jade can start applying to colleges, and I won't have to spend my evenings alone with my feelings and a bottle of rosè."
This was not what Marla was expecting, and she nervously swallowed the rest of the tiramisu, thinking rapidly. Her eyes caught her daughter's, and she saw that Jade was both surprised and excited. This was her chance to make it to college and do something with that terrific brain of hers. Marla wasn't one to take charity, but this wasn't about her alone. "Rose," said Marla, "I don't know what to say, but that's incredibly kind of you! Jade?"
Jade nodded emphatically, "Aunt Rose, that sounds amazing! How could we ever repay you!"
Rose waved her hand dismissively, her eyes twinkling. "What's family for? What's the point of having a nice house if I can't help my niece and sister-in-law get the life they deserve?!"
The next few days were a whirlwind that was made easier by Rose, who made all the arrangements. She brought a realtor to Marla and Jade's house and aggressively badgered her until the poor woman agreed to seek a more aggressive price than she first suggested. A moving van came to the house each day to bring Marla and Jade's things at their leisure, with Rose occasionally showing up to bark orders at the movers. Most of the items were brought to storage, as Rose assured them that she had numerous creature comforts.
On the last day of the move, Marla took one last picture of Jade standing in the now-empty house, a bittersweet smile on her face. The large woman then walked into the master bedroom, her daughter not far behind, and said, "One last fuck you, Alan!"
"Mom!" Jade giggled. Marla hardly ever dropped the F-bomb.
Marla giggled back. "He treated me like shit, and he took just about everything, but we don't have to let him win!" She hugged her daughter, and the two of them walked out to their car.
As with so many of their previous interactions with Rose, Marla and Jade's move into their house made them feel like fish out of water. Though their old house was a decent one, Rose's was in a different league -- it was a small colonial-style mansion with a large garden concealed behind a privacy fence. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were the same, and the place exuded wealth. The cars were luxury brands, the gardens were immaculate, and most of the women and some of the men looked as though they had undergone cosmetic surgery.
When Marla and Jade arrived, numerous residents were enjoying the warm June morning by out jogging in expensive exercise wear. On the front porch of the house, Rose was walking around in a red blouse and white shorts that showed off her ample legs, ordering the movers in her typical authoritarian manner. She smiled behind her sunglasses as the two women arrived. "Here they are, my fellow Hendricks ladies!" She walked down the steps and embraced Marla and then Jade. "I think we have all you ladies' stuff here, though it will be a miracle if they didn't break anything." Behind Rose's back, a young man in a mover's uniform scowled slightly.r"
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