Mary was an older middle-aged woman who hated visiting the city. It was a horrid place where sin was a corrupting factor in everybody's life. She believed in the holy word of God and did her best to live by His word.
Mary only wished that her eldest daughter did the same thing.
She loved Hannah with all of her heart, but she chose to go off and live in a sinful and unnatural life with Rebecca. It hurt Mary, seeing her daughter like that, but she did what she could to try to bring Hannah back to a sin-free life. So every so often she would come and visit, and try to talk some sense into her.
Rarely did the visits go well, and this visit was just like all of the others.
As frustrating as it was, Rebecca strongly encouraged Hannah to continue speaking with her mother. For that Mary really did like the woman. It was just... it was so sinful what they did together. They even claimed to be getting married, even though that's not something physically possible for the two of them. That's just not what marriage was.
In the end, the conversation descended into an argument like usual. Neither of them were willing to budge. "I just wish you'd open yourself up to God again, Mary," she said. "Come home and leave this unholy place."
"Mother," she sighed. "The city isn't that bad. Plus I haven't left the faith. I just don't agree with everything, and it's not like I can just change my mind on this. This is who I am. Why can't... what the-?" The look of confusion on Hannah's face caused Mary to turn around.
Through the open window of the apartment right behind her, she saw a man who might had been a police officer, run down past on the fire escape.
"Any you say this place is safe," Mary said with a smirk.
"It is!" said Hannah. Sounds of some commotion were going on upstairs.
"Not if you keep the window open," muttered Rebecca as she got up. She shut the window and latched it closed.
Mary sighed. It ended the one good breeze in the room. "Come home," she begged her daughter. It was so lonely there since her husband passed on three years ago. It was getting unbearable.
Hannah bit her lip. "I... I'll visit," she said. "I just want to avoid more fights."
Mary smiled and gathered her things. "God will show you the way." She leaned down and kissed her daughter on the cheek. Hannah didn't return the kiss, even with Rebecca signaling her to do so. Mary said good-bye to them and stepped out into the hall.
To her surprise, a man who looked like a police officer was stumbling by, heading down the stairs. "Gas leak! Everybody out! Gas leak!"
Mary stopped and sighed. One more sigh this city was rotten. You weren't even able to breath here. She quickly headed back to the apartment and told Rebecca and Hannah. "God dammit," Hannah swore.
"Language!" Mary said. Oddly enough Rebecca said the same thing at the same time. Rebecca knew Mary was going to say that and did it out of humor. Still, the woman gave a smile to Mary and a wink. Mary bit back a laugh and smiled. Inwardly she sighed. Maybe it would had been better if Hannah were born a boy, and she admitted to God that it would had been for the best in her mind. She really did like Rebecca.
Hannah and Rebecca quickly grabbed some of their things and headed out the door. "Come on," said Rebecca. "There's a hotel downtown we can grab a room from. It's nice, but I don't see them booked this time of year."
A thought struck Mary. "Or you could come back to the farm," she said. Regardless of everything else, charity was important. Giving them a place to stay, even Rebecca, would be the Christian thing to do. The thought even made her feel warm.
"Oh no," said Hannah. "You're not tricking me into-"
Mary blinked at her. "It's not a trick. I just..."
"No, I mean... I have work."
"It's Friday, dear," said Rebecca, smiling, as they headed down the stairs.
"I..." Hannah stammered.
"In all honesty, hon," said Rebecca, "Saving some cash wouldn't hurt."
By the time they got to Mary's car, they had agreed to come. Mary smiled. With them out of the sinful city and back in Lord's country, things win finally start turning around.
Just after they pulled out and headed down the road, Mary glanced in the rear view mirror and could see more police, many heavily armed, storming into the apartment. Even Hannah noticed and was giving an odd expression, "Are you sure they said gas leak?"
Mary nodded. "That's what he said." She shuddered, even though the warmth of the Lord was in her. She didn't know what was going on in that building, but she was glad to be gone from it.
Three hours later they were pulling into the old farmstead. There weren't many who worked the farm after Richard died, but Mary did what she could. A few of the neighbors came over to help from time to time, but there was only so much Mary could do on her own. She had been slowly selling the livestock when she had to, and things have become more manageable over time. It was getting dark when they pulled in.
Hannah smiled and leaned over to Rebecca from the backseat. "Just a warning, Mother doesn't have television."
The smirk on Rebecca's face fell. "What?"
"Liberal trash," Mary said. "I trust the word of my neighbors, not some strangers sitting behind a news desk in Hollywood." She opened the door and stepped out. They other two did the same and they head inside. Without missing a beat, Mary went to start cooking some dinner. Hannah led Rebecca up to her old room, passing by the cat Joseph on the steps. "Rebecca," Mary called after them. "You can use the guest room on the right!"
She didn't hear anything and frowned. She could picture the two of them together in Hannah's room, and it made her shudder. A part of her would had preferred it if Rebecca wasn't there, but.... She sighed again. "I mustn't judge. It is not for me to judge. It's not for me to...." Suddenly her body started feeling much warmer. The thoughts of her daughter with the other woman together, physically, came into her head. It was repulsive, and yet....
Suddenly, Mary felt herself feeling aroused.
Very aroused.
With a gasp, Mary quickly went to the refrigerator and got herself some water. No, she thought. That's a horrid thing. Think on something else.
Her mind went to Richard, and her heart ached. He was a good man. He was a strong man, but even he cried when Hannah left. He had passed on from a heart-attack 10 days later, but until then he was loving and... impressive, physically. Her mind quickly went into the nights they had spent together. Oh, how she had missed that. She really missed him now.
Mary's hand slipped down into her own dress, and she felt herself. She really missed Richard.
"Oh God," she moaned.