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Life: Altered 03.32 ~ By My Side
Quin gave her mother a look as she hung up the phone on Alice, and Peggy slid the small phone back to her. Just a bit of a smile on her mother’s face and Quin took the cell phone and pushed it into her pocket.
“Darling, how are you today?” Her mother asked; and Quin shrugged. How was she? Her mother had called an emergency meeting in New York after seeing her sister. What was wrong now? Was her sister finally going to let go of the vendetta she had against their mother, or was she upping the ante?
“Missing Alice I’m taking it?” Her mother inquired after seeing the look on her face only moments before. Quin nodded, her stoic face held no sign of emotion now; it was as if she could turn them off. Her green eyes saw the thick folder her mother had brought with her. Business, she hated business. She’d avoided any type of business since she’d been 18, and now, look where it had gotten her.
“Now as you know, I’ve handed over the art collection to your sister…” A low growl from Quin, who thought her mother’d lost her better judgment in the last few weeks. “Stop it, Helena is very good at what she does.”
“As long as it suits her.” Quin said with distaste. She grabbed her glass of water and downed it in one quick swallow; Peggy looked at her daughter with reproach. Quin had never been the one to be interested in money, which made her all that more appealing to Peggy as a child.
Quin had never asked for excessive toys, for more than any other child had. She’d been given a corporate credit card when she’d turned 15, and there had never been a charge on it. Save for her first guitar; Peggy never knew just what to make of Quin. She was most certainly her child, she remembered the 12 hours of labor. She remembered her first melodic cry; her first steps, taken towards the grand piano in the dining room. She’d always been drawn to anything artistic. Finally settling on music and nothing could have made Peggy happier than that.
“I want you to take over the rest of the business.” Peggy blurted out; and Quin coughed hard, saying a silent prayer that she’d already swallowed the water. She held onto her chest, and then looked up at her mother, licking her lips. Had her mother just said what she’d thought she’d just said?
“Huh?” Was all that she could muster and Peggy smiled,
“I know you want nothing to do with it, but I want Helena to have nothing to do with it? I’m the mother, so I get to choose. I think you are the natural choice because you don’t want it. You want to do some good in the world this might be the way. You ran away from home and lived off the land….” Peggy began and Quin cut her short.
“I lived of the 5 grand I stole from your wall safe…” Quin corrected and Peggy rolled her eyes, and Quin had to smile. When she’d disappeared for over two years, her mother had gone slowly insane not knowing where her youngest daughter had been. Yet she’d never reprimanded her for her rash action. Quin often thought that her mother had envied her, being able to walk through the world without anyone knowing your last name.
“You made your own way for over four years. Odd jobs and living your life, without my money. You proved to me that you can learn on your feet, that you can feel the pulse of the businesses.” Peggy said, taking the tumbler and taking a sip of whatever she’d ordered. Quin shook her head, her hair not tied up, loose and flowing in a blonde mane of think wispy hair.
“Mother, stop. I don’t want it. I want to play with my cameras, work at Chase‘s shop, and play music.” Quin said in a soft almost childlike voice; seeing instantly how cowardly and unfair that seemed. Perhaps it was time for her mother to walk in the world without her last name, is that what her mother wanted, a chance at her own freedom?
“And love Alice.” Peggy finished and Quin looked down, blushing as she nodded, not able to say the words. “You can do that, and you can do this. I have faith in you, in the love you have hidden inside of yourself. In the mind that you keep cloaked…” Peggy began, reaching out to touch Quin’s trembling hand that rested on the table.
“No.” Quin said softly, not able to look at her mother, standing up and taking the linen napkin off her lap, her hands shaking as she did so. “I can’t. I’m not Helena… I’m not Hamilton…” She shook, and Peggy stood up, moving closer to the one child she’d never been able to reach. The child that she longed to be closer too, yet Quin always held her just that arms length away, teasing with glimpses of her true self.
“Yes. Yes. I won’t live forever…” Peggy began, and that make Quin’s blood boil more than Peggy could ever imagine.
“Don’t talk like that…” Quin said, turning and walking towards the door of the restaurant, Peggy hot on her heels. She grabbed her purse and followed her daughter. Trying to explain her reasoning, trying to make Quin see that she could have and do it all. Not because she was a Peabody, but because she was Quin.
“Quin, I’m not dying. I… I’m just tired of it all, the meetings the gut wrenching decision. Appoint someone to take care of it all, I just need my children to do this for me Quin…” Peggy said, taking in a long haggard breath.
“I…” Quin began, and Peggy pulled Quin close, hugging her and Quin held back, not able to wrap her arms around her mother.
“You can have a wonderful life with Alice; I think she’s a dear. I’d have chosen her for you that are how much she compliments you. I know she will love you for who you are, because she met the true Harlequin Peabody. The one who plays music from her soul like her brother taught her too. The one that can out think, out maneuver her sister without batting an eye.” Peggy said, and Quin looked up at her, hot tears in her clear emerald eyes.
“Did she threaten you…?” Quin asked, anger brimming on the periphery of her emotions, hating her sister just a bit more each time someone spoke her name.
“No dear, she knows much better than that, money makes people do things that they normally wouldn’t do…” Peggy began and Quin took in a deep breath, steadying her nerves and focusing on her mother.
“That is exactly what I am scared of.” Quin admitted out loud, slapping the elevator button and Peggy looked confused,
“Quin…” She began, shaking her head and putting a comforting hand on her daughter’s arm.
“I don’t want to turn into Helena… Wanting more money, more power, nothing is ever good enough. That’s why her wife cheats on her; no matter what she does right, it’s never enough. She has two wonderful kids and she doesn’t even know that Braden wants to learn to play the piano or that Eden loves to finger-paint….” Quin said, stepping into the elevator. Peggy stopped, wondering how in the world Quin knew those things. As far as Peggy knew, Quin had never even met Helena‘s children.
“I don’t need your money to be happy mother, do you not see that? I’m finally getting to that place… I just… I can’t…” Quin said, shaking her head and looking down at her sneaker clad feet.
“Yes, you can Quin. Don’t you see you are ready…?” Peggy said, getting into the elevator and putting an arm around her. Quin shrugged off the touch without offending Peggy; she leaned up against the elevator wall.
“Why now?” Quin asked in a begging manner, and Peggy sighed.
“Because if I don’t, your sister will start to plot my demise…” Peggy admitted, and Quin let out a primal growl from the back of her throat.
“Once again…” Quin interjected, licking her lips as the elevator went up to the roof, where the helicopter pad was. Quin had the helicopter waiting for her, the pilot having been told to wait for her and Peggy.
“Give me one day; I have to talk to Alice about this.” Quin said softly, pushing a strand of white blonde hair from her eyes, looking up and seeing her mother smiling knowingly.
“Ah, so that is what this is all about.” Peggy said with a smile, and Quin scoffed. She’d never been in a true relationship before, and it was a taxing effort.
“Mother.” Quin threatened and a soft laugh from Peggy as Quin tried not to smile. She failed, she smiled, a soft dimple showing up on her right cheek.
“She seems like she’s wonderful in bed darling…” Peggy said off handedly and Quin turned, pushing her face against the wall of the elevator, unbelieving that her mother had just said that.
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I really like Peggy Peabody, and she’s really nice to Quin. I think Quin should take her mother’s advice. And well..huh huh..afterwards…fuck that was sooo hot!