“We’ve been having an affair for weeks now,” Sam continued. “Months, almost. All behind her family’s back. Not only because it’s extremely unprofessional of me, but because of how her mother would respond. Bianca has always been concerned about her mother’s potential response to anything besides heterosexuality. But if you ask me? I don’t think Vivianne cares as much as any of us think she does.”
“Is that true?” Ellen barked. “Does it matter to you that your daughter is dating her bodyguard? Her female bodyguard?”
Vivianne shook her head—almost too hastily. “No. Well, I can’t say I imagined my baby would end up with someone like Sam. She is a bit older—”
Sam cleared her throat, shooting a sharp look in Vivianne’s direction.
“But honestly,” she continued. “I just want my daughters to be happy. To succeed in life. I… I always thought that for that to happen, they would need to be with men. When Parker started showing the world who she is… I don’t know what came over me.” She lowered her head. “I suppose I saw myself in her, and I remembered our own struggles.”
“What struggles?” Ellen stepped closer to Vivianne, the gun pointed right at her temple. “We were happy, Vivi! Everything was perfect until that bastard came into your life!”
“You’ve painted a rosy picture,” Vivianne said with a shaky voice. “But it’s not the truth, and you know it. Things weren’t easy back then. The times were different. Your own family didn’t understand. Did you think mine would, the way they were? It had to end at some point, Ellen. It was never meant to last beyond college. And my daughter… Scarlett…”
Vivianne wrapped both arms around herself, as if she were afraid she’d never get to hold her daughter—any of her daughters—again. And at that moment, Bianca knew every word she was saying was true.
“I’m sorry I cheated on you, Ellen. You deserved an honest breakup. But once Scarlett was in the picture, I did what I had to do. I couldn’t lose my daughter. And the thought of raising her without my family, without their support, was out of the question. I needed them. More than I…” She didn’t finish her sentence. “My daughters come first. They always have. That’s why I’m here in this chair. I would die for Bianca.”
Slowly, she turned her gaze toward the gun, looking past its barrel and into Ellen’s face.
“So, shoot me, Ellen. I’ve lived my life. I’ve made mistakes that I can’t take back. I just ask that you let Bianca and Sam go. They still have a life ahead of them. And they… they have my blessing to be together. I just want Sam to take good care of my baby girl.”
Tears gathered in the corners of Bianca’s eyes. “Mom…”
“And, if you would, please don’t do it in front of her,” her mother said. “Let them go first. My daughter is traumatized enough. Please don’t hurt me in front of her.”
The gun vibrated in Ellen’s hand. “You’re lying. This is a trick.” But her voice wavered with uncertainty.
“I’m a mother, Ellen. I’m not proud of all the parenting decisions I’ve made over the past forty years, but I’ll give anything to make sure my daughters are safe and happy. I don’t care how old they are or who they’re dating. I love them with every fiber of my being. Their lives are more important than mine.”
“Nobody has to get hurt,” Sam reiterated softly. “I think you know that, Ellen. It’s better for you to let things end here before you do something you can’t undo.”
Ellen backed away, but the gun remained pointed in the general direction of the table. “You really love this girl?” she asked Sam.
Bianca held her breath while Sam answered. “Yes. I fell in love with her, slowly but surely. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”
Ellen pointed the gun at Bianca again. “You love her?”
Bianca nodded. Her life was balanced on the razor’s edge and she wasn’t certain which way it would fall. But she was certain of one thing.
“The way I feel about Sam is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. She doesn’t just make me feel safe. She sees me for who I am, and not what my family or the world wants me to be.”
Vivianne sighed. “I’m sorry, baby. This is all my fault.”
“I’m sorry, too, Mom.”
Bianca didn’t know what she was sorry for, exactly, but the feeling weighed heavily on her heart. I’m sorry that you might not get to see my wedding, my future children. Or Scarlett’s. Or Parker’s. Depending on what happened next.
“For what it’s worth,” Bianca said to Ellen, “I understand the anger inside of you. I’m sorry the things that gave you hope were taken away from you.”
Ellen backed away, lowering the gun to her side. As she held back sobs, she set the gun on the kitchen counter, her head bowed and her hand clutching her chest.
It was over.
Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. Vivianne leaned her head back against the chair. And Sam?
Sam flew across the room and tackled Ellen to the ground.
Bianca braced herself for a scuffle. But it was over before she could blink. Sam stood over Ellen, who was now out cold, the only sign of life the rise and fall of her chest. Sam raided the older woman’s pockets until she found the key to Bianca’s handcuffs, which she tossed to her mother. Vivianne scrambled out of her chair and freed Bianca, embracing her and kissing her on both cheeks.