Audre stared at herself in her rearview mirror, dabbing on more lip gloss.  She gazed at her reflection, studying it. There wasn't a hair out of place. Her skin flawless, radiant. She was enjoying the low maintenance makeup regimen.  Audre picked a small piece of lint off her black sheath dress and settled her Jackie-O shades over her eyes before stepping out of the rental car.

Her arrival was a few hours earlier than expected. Meetings she had planned for the day got canceled so she took an earlier flight. But instead of heading towards the house to see her mom, she decided to take a detour instead.  She pulled up in front of a sign that read Davis, Highsmith & Associates.  She breezed through the glass doors, glad to take quick refuge in the air conditioned building, escaping the blistering sun of the day.  As she got on the elevator and headed up to the top floor, she thought about the weekend that lay ahead of her, she was sure that her mom would have her running around like crazy in the short span of time she was home. 

"Hi Mrs. Soloman."  Audre smiled warmly at the silver haired lady sitting at the front desk.

"Audre!" Her surprise arrival added shine to the woman's eyes and polish to her cheeks. She immediately stood and came around her desk, pulling Audre into a gut busting hug.  She had been her dad's secretary for the last 20 years. Thanks to her help the modest two person law firm her dad founded with his best friend flourished into one of the most prominent small sized firms in the state.  In high school, Audre would spend her afternoons ‘working' alongside Mrs. Soloman to earn extra money. She loved listening to Agnes Soloman's animated musings about everything from politics to books to her church knitting circle.

"How are you Mrs. Soloman?"

"Holding up the world as usual.  Your father's been talking about you all day, so excited little tiger lily is back in town.  He's always perkier than normal when he knows you're coming." 

To this Audre beamed, she had always been an unrepentant daddy's girl and his ‘tiger lily'.

"Oh, I brought you something." Audre said reaching in her bag.  Mrs. Soloman immediately perked up at the mystery.

"You didn't."  She gasped.  Audre produced a box of Frango chocolate mints, they were Mrs. Soloman's favorites and Audre always brought her box whenever she was in town.

"Of course I did." 

"Oh, you always were a sweet child."  Mrs. Soloman said pinching Audre's cheek affectionately.

"Only to you Mrs. Soloman, only to you."  Audre looked towards the back of the office at the closed door.  "Is my dad in a meeting?"

"Yeah right, they're avoiding me.  Go on back there dear."   Audre headed towards the back, stopping to greet people along the way.  She knocked at the door.

"Um. . .we're not to be disturbed."  Abram Highsmith's voice bellowed from the other side of the door.

"It's me daddy." 

A second later the door opened Bobby Davis stood on the other side smiling sheepishly. 

"Hey Uncle Bobby!"  She said as she reached up to hug her dad's best friend and her godfather-he warmly greeted her.  She moved over to her dad, who swept her into a bear hug.

"Hey baby."

"Hey daddy.  Playing with the golf putting set again I see." Audre eyes dropped to the rolling ball as it made its way into the little portable putty cup. A soft chuckle escaped her. 

"Everyone needs a break, Agnes is gonna run us into the damn ground."  Bobby replied. 

"Oh Robert, stop your bellyaching."  Mrs. Soloman said from behind Audre. "Come on out here so you can sign these documents, then after that we need to go over your schedule for next week, oh and I have a list of phone calls you need to make asap, and--"

"Can I spend some time with my goddaughter please?  Besides, it is possible to be too good at your job you know." 

"Audre will be in town all weekend, but come 5 o'clock, I'm gone and this needs to get done before I leave." 

Bobby rolled his eyes."It was nice seeing you for 20 seconds."  He mumbled as he followed Agnes to his office across the hall.  Audre and Abram laughed.

"So you came in early, and you came to my office?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Or you wanted to avoid being interrogated by your worrisome mother."

"Two birds, one stone."  Audre said slyly. They both sat.

"Your mom just worries about you Audre."

"Well she shouldn't, I happen to be doing pretty well for myself.  If the worst thing you can say about your kid is that she's 29 and single you should consider yourself lucky."

"It's not just the you being single thing.  It's you being so far away.  We worry about you, it's not like if something happens to you we can hop in the car and be there in a couple of hours.  And then you never call.  The first time you got a taste of freedom, you shot out that door and never came back."

"That's not true daddy, I'm here every Christmas--"

"For 3 days at the max, you're always gone before New Years Eve."

"I always have plans. I always call at midnight though."

"I know, it's about the only time we're guaranteed to hear from you."

"I call when I can, I'm just busy..."  Audre protested weakly.

"Yes...yes..I know, but 15 minutes out of your day to let us know you're still alive shouldn't be too much of a burden.  Your mom and Adrienne talk everyday and that girl is always on the go."  Audre just barely managed to stifle the urge to roll her eyes. 

"Is she here yet?"

"Yep they called me earlier; her and Mattie went to get pedicures."

"Oh, I assumed they would be at the house, mom didn't tell me that was the plan." 

"I think it was spur of the moment, you know how those two get when they're together."

"Yeah, I know."  Audre said staring out of the window.  Her phone beeped, indicating she had a new text message.  She retrieved it barely able to contain the smile on her face when she saw Christian's name pop up.  "Sorry daddy one second."

HEY YOU.  DID YOU MAKE IT SAFELY TO NC?

Her dad resumed practicing his putting game while Audre sent a message back to Christian.

YES I'M HERE, JUST TALKING WITH MY DAD.

OK, WON'T BOTHER YOU, ILL SEE YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK TO CHI

NOT A BOTHER!  SEE YOU NEXT WEEK :)  Did I really just type a smiley face?  Audre frowned.  She put her phone away.

"Sorry what were we just talking about?"  Abram arched a brow his eyes trained on the golf ball.

"Maybe what we should be talking about is who this new fellow you're seeing is and why you haven't told your mother." 

"New fellow?"

"Yeah, the one that just made your face light up like it used to whenever the Reading Rainbow theme song came on."

"Oh God, am I that obvious?"  Audre asked feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

"I know you better than any one in the world. . .even your mother. You like this guy huh?" 

"Yeah I do."  Audre admitted.  "I like him a lot actually.  He's smart, he's funny, he reminds me a little of you, but he reminds me a lot grandpa Delaney.  He even drives this really cool classic car that he restored himself.  It's weird because I never would've thought I'd like someone like him, I mean we seem so different on paper.  But I do daddy, it's like when I'm with him, something just clicks, I feel almost like I'm more myself than when I'm by myself.  And that was really cheesy wasn't it."  Abram looked up, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I don't think I ever heard you gush this much about that ex of yours like that."

"It's different."

"I know it is.  I guess what I'm curious about is why you haven't told your mom about Mr. Wonderful, especially since you know it would get her off your back if she knew you were seeing someone and happy.  So what the hell is wrong with him?" 

Audre took a deep breath.

"Well, he's white for one."

"You've dated a white guy before."

"And I have distinct memories of you saying he wasn't even allowed on our grass." 

Abram chuckled.

"Awe hell Audre times change, people change. Plus he smelled like patchouli and was wearing back out shoes."

"What?"

"He was wearing back out shoes; I don't trust any man that walks out the house wearing back out shoes, just not right no real man wears shit like that." 

Audre tried not to laugh.

"Well first of all daddy, they're called clogs.  And secondly what do back out shoes have to do with anything?"

"Clogs?" Abram said shaking his head in disgust.  "And that's what the hell I'm talking about men don't wear clogs.  Boots, gym shoes, wingtips but clogs, can't do that baby."

"Dad."

"Didn't he make you cry?" 

Audre thought back to her first college boyfriend, and the fight they had because she wasn't ready to have sex.

"Maybe."

"Patchouli smelling, back out shoe wearing bastard.  I didn't trust him for a second, he's probably off smoking dope as we speak."  Audre couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, possibly.  Probably."  Abram put his putter down and sat next to Audre, she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against him.  There was nothing quite like the comforting arms of a father.

"Audre, your mom and I just want you to be happy, if that happiness comes with a white boy well, maybe I won't love it.  But if he treats you right, knows how to take care of my tiger lily, and doesn't make me have to break my foot off in his ass, that's what's important."  He paused.  "Does he wear back out shoes?" 

Audre snorted. "No, not that I know of."  Abram nodded approvingly.

"Then yes, happiness.  That's all that matters."

"He may not exactly fit mom's vision of ‘upwardly mobile' though.  His parents aren't exactly members of Jack and Jill." 

"Audre, no one knows more than me how obsessed your mom can be about status, security, gainful employment, health benefits, stocks, bonds, retirement funds."

"Owning property."  Audre added.

"It's all important.  You know how poor I grew up, that I didn't know my father that we moved from place to place because my mom couldn't afford the rent.  When Mattie met me, I was some snot nosed kid who had nothing but a pocket full of dreams and ambitions.  My parents weren't members of Jack and Jill either.  But Mattie saw something in me, maybe the same thing you see in this young man and we fell in love. We had you all and I know for a fact that neither one of us would trade one moment of our lives together.  But we struggled. We struggled a lot and I understand why it is that Mattie doesn't want to see any of you all having to do the same thing.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul, swimming in debt, trying to make a dollar out 15 cent.  We went through all that, so you guys wouldn't have to.  She just wants what's best for you guys."

"I know daddy, you're right."

"Contrary to popular belief she isn't perfect, she's human like everyone else.  So cut her some slack okay?  And CALL home."

"I'll try to be more patient, and call home more."  He patted her shoulder.

"Good girl.  Now let's go, I promised Mattie I'd pick up some porterhouse steaks to throw on the grill tonight."

xxx

Flashback

The North Carolina late afternoon heat was sweltering by the time Audre got home, her clothing was stuck to her damp skin.   She self consciously pulled on her tight t-shirt (thanks to having gained "the freshman 15"- though in her case it was more like the freshman 17.5).  She had taco bell, middle of the night vending machine raids, and Fried Fish Fridays at the school cafeteria to thank for that. Her flat ironed hair was already starting to frizz up thanks to her recent decision to grow out her perm and go natural-the ends of her hair were too straight for her to rock a nice afro but the new growth was wildly resistant to any straightening method that didn't involve chemicals or a magic wand.  She glared hatefully at the sprinkle of zits on her forehead, before college her skin had been almost perfect.  She probably also had her afore mentioned eating habits and the stress of college to thank for her less than stellar complexion. 

You look a hot mess and you know it. . .

She brushed her hair back as much as she could before giving up the chore. She turned to stare at the stretch of road leading back to the highway.  If she hauled ass back to Sweet Briar she'd be back to her dorm room and could get the TV plugged in just in time to catch Dawson's Creek.  Audre's eyes travelled to the house nervously.  Was coming home for break supposed to be stressful?  Didn't matter, the dorms were officially closed for the summer and she had already turned in her room key, so any fantasies she had of fleeing the scene and going back to Sweet Briar were just that, fantasies.  She sighed dramatically and climbed out of her car grabbing her bags, just before she could get her key into the lock the knob turned and the door flew open, her dad standing on the other side staring sternly at her.

"Tiger lily, why are you lugging those heavy bags up here, you know I could've gotten those for you."  He said in his booming voice with a smile tugging at the end of his lips betraying his faux anger, she dropped the bags as he swept her up into his arms.

"Hey daddy.  It's only two bags you guys drove up and got everything last weekend."  She replied, smiling as she hugged him tightly. "How did you know I was outside the door, you must be psychic or something."

"I heard you pull up; I've been watching you sit in the driveway talking to yourself for the last 10 minutes." 

"I wasn't talking to myself. . ."  Audre said quickly, her dad looked at her skeptically.  "Well at least I didn't answer myself."  She added.

"That's a relief."  He said, biting back a laugh.  "I'll take your stuff up to your room, your mom and sister are in the kitchen."  He grabbed the bags with no effort and headed towards the stairs while Audre began to slowly move towards the kitchen.  She heard her mother and sister Adrienne laughing loudly and talking animatedly.

"Well you should definitely wear your hair up with the spaghetti straps on the dress, you're hair will just look gorgeous up."

"I know it would, wouldn't it?  But then again maybe I should wear it down, I've been growing it out forever and now that it's gotten down my back I want to show it off."

"Hmmm but it won't look right down when they put the tiara on after you win prom queen.  I think we should curl your hair and pile it on top of you head."   

"You're right, up would definitely look best with the tiara.  I just hope the tiara isn't too terribly ugly and cheap looking. Either way though I can work it."  Adrienne shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly while Audre stood in the doorway and used every ounce of will power she had to not roll her eyes and make a sarcastic comment.   

Adrienne and their mother had always had an exceptionally close relationship, mainly because they were so much alike, they walked alike, they talked alike, they even had the same hand gestures and facial expressions.  Audre couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy just thinking about it.  Audre had always been somewhat shy, plain, and bookish, whereas Mattie and Adrienne were outgoing, glamorous and social butterflies.  Audre was so different in fact, that more than once she had been asked (sometimes more subtly than others) if she was adopted. 

When Mattie looked up from the catfish she was frying and noticed Audre her eyes lit up.

"Audre baby, you're home."  She pulled Audre into a hug and kissed her lightly on each cheek, French style.

"Hey mama."  Audre said hugging her back.  She turned to Adrienne, the two sisters hugged, though it lacked the warmth she had with her parents.  "What's up little sister?"  Ever since Adrienne had hit the age of 13, they had had something of a combative relationship.

"Nothing, what's up with you?"  Adrienne responded as she chopped up vegetables.  Audre grabbed a bag of chips from the counter and dropped down on to a bar stool, watching the other two working in the kitchen.

"How were finals?"  Mattie asked.

"Fine, I'm pretty sure I aced feminist theory, statistics kind of kicked my butt but so I'm thinking I'll probably only end up with a B, but I definitely did well in Art History with Professor Dupree."

"Is that the Professor who is supervising your trip to Italy?"

"Yeah."  Audre popped another chip in her mouth.

"You could help with dinner ya know instead of sitting around crunching on chips."  Adrienne cut in, irritation in her voice.  She seemed to always get annoyed whenever the conversation turned to Audre's good grades or, most recently, her trip to Italy.

"I've just been driving for the last four hours, scratch that I drove for three hours and sat in traffic for one hour."

"So?"

"So, can I have a couple of minutes to relax before I have to be annoyed by your scrunched up face scowling at me?"

"Well I think it's fair since I have to be annoyed by those gross zits on your forehead."  Audre subconsciously raised a hand to her head, as her sister smirked triumphantly.

"HEY! You two, that's enough.  Adrienne, apologize to your sister right now."

"She started it."

 Mattie stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed.

"And I'm finishing it, you know we don't talk to each other like that in MY house."  Mattie turned to give them both the death stare and they knew that she was not playing.

"Sorry I said something about your zits."  Adrienne muttered, Audre rolled her eyes as she reached for another chip. 

"I accept your apology.  I'm sorry I said something about your scrunched up face." She replied before popping the chip in her mouth.  Her mom cleared her throat purposefully, Audre didn't have to look up to know what that meant, it was Mattiespeak for are you really going to eat those chips?  Audre didn't feel like acknowledging Mattiespeak.

"When do you fly out?"  Was all Mattie asked instead.

"Next Thursday."  Audre responded, barely able to keep the glee out of her voice.

"Next Thursday?  You're not even here a full week before you're gone for the summer?"  Her mother asked the disappointment clear in her voice.  Audre shrugged in response.  "Well are you going to stay here before school starts in the fall?"

"Probably not, part of my credits for doing this program is a major final project, I'll probably just stay on campus to work on it, and then school will be starting less than a week after we get back."

"Well we never get to see you Audre, it's like you couldn't wait to get away from your family."

"It's not like that mom. . ."  Audre protested weakly.  Except that it kind of was.  "This is an amazing opportunity you know, only 10 students were invited to participate in the entire College.  We're going to get to see the Sistine chapel, and we'll get to see the Last Supper.  In person.  Do you know how big that is?  Nobody's seen it for the last 21 years.  This is going to be the best trip ever."

"Yeah it sounds great honey."  Her mom said softly.  "I just was hoping that I'd get to see my daughter this summer, that's all.  I know this trip is going to be good for you, I'm happy for you."  Audre thought she saw a flash of sadness in her eyes but as soon as she saw it, it was gone.  "Maybe you'll go to Italy and develop some style." 

Adrienne burst out laughing but promptly stopped when she caught the serious look Mattie shot her.

"I didn't mean it in a derisive way."  Mattie said quickly.

"What's the matter with my style?"  Audre asked defensively looking down at her slightly too tight tee shirt, bamboo bracelets and gypsy skirt.

"I think the problem is you don't have a style."  Adrienne said, snickering.

"Shut up Adrienne."  Mattie interjected sharply.  "Audre I'd call your style. . ."

"Bohemian?"  Audre asked hopefully.

"No I wouldn't say Bohemian. . .more like. . .Mother Earth."  Mattie finished hastily.  Adrienne turned towards the refrigerator quickly, trying her best not to laugh. 

"Mother Earth?"

"Yes I think that says it."

"What does that mean?"

"Just kind of thrown together, Birkenstocks, boxy skirts, big, weird jewelry, you know. . .Mother Earth."  Audre couldn't shake the feeling that "Mother Earth" was a nice way of saying bag lady chic.

"I like my style, I think it's eclectic, I think it's me."

"Well it's definitely a bold choice."  Adrienne said, her voice dripping with barely concealed sarcasm.  "I mean in a way it's kind of chic. . . in a weird sort of way.  Like, now the 70s are back in fashion but you were dressing like that WAY before it became cool again, so you know, that's something."

"Audre, sweetie."  Mattie jumped in, attempting to stop the train before it completely derailed.  "It just sometimes seems like, you don't try very hard.  You're such a beautiful girl, beautiful eyes and amazing mouth."  Her mom said smiling wistfully at her.  "And you're so tall, you could practically be a model at least you don't slouch as much as you used to.   I just wish you would know these things about yourself and embrace it.  There's nothing wrong with being brilliant and dressing to impress to you know.  How are you going to find a man when you don't take time to groom yourself?" 

"Mom I was just coming home, sorry I didn't dress up to come home but I didn't think it was that big of a deal.  Besides I'm not like the two of you, I can't be bothered to spend hours primping in front of the mirror."    

"I'm not asking you to ‘primp' Audre.  You can do the little things, pull your hair back a little more neatly, iron your skirt."   Her mom said gesturing towards her outfit, her perfectly manicured fire engine red nails gleaming under the sky light. 

She knew her mom meant well.  But she also knew that mothers only tell their children they're beautiful because they have to.  The truth was that no one stopped her in the street to tell her how gorgeous she was, like people did with her mom.  Audre, unlike Adrienne, didn't know the feeling of dressing to match her prom tiara because, after all, who wouldn't vote for Adrienne as prom queen.  Audre reached for another chip, staring down at her clothes. It was a hell of a lot easier to ‘dress to impress' when you felt impressive, as opposed to bloated and unattractive which is what Audre was feeling at the moment.

"My skirt wasn't this wrinkled when before I drove up here."  She said finally. 

"Yeah well nothing wrong with wearing a shirt that fits either.  And for the record black is more slimming than neon."  Her sister said looking pointedly from her stomach to the bag of chips in Audre's hands.

Audre was pretty sure that secretly Adrienne was some sort of superhero.  But her power wasn't the ability to fly or travel faster than a speeding bullet.  No, her talent lies in her remarkable ability to hone in on whatever physical characteristic Audre happened to be feeling the most subconscious about that day and then needle her until she was a great big ball of raging insecurity.  Audre rolled up the bag of chips and set them back on the counter.

"I'm going to grab a quick shower."  She announced as she headed up stairs.  She took a relaxing hot shower staring down at her most offensive body parts, and attempted  in vain to scrub them away her- stomach pouch, her thick thighs, her elephant knees, her too big ass.  She swore to herself that she was going to shed those extra pounds she'd gained over the past year if it killed her.  When she got out of the shower, she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror for a long time, examining her forehead critically.  Audre tried to focus on all the things her mom pointed out, but her "amazing mouth" looked too wide to her, instead of seeing the beauty of her eyes she could only see the bags.

She wondered if there would ever come a day when underneath it all she wasn't just an insecure little girl fighting to measure up to some invisible standard.

xxx

"Mom you look amazing!"

"Yeah mom absolutely beautiful."

"Gorgeous Mattie Pearl, you know us Delaney girls can work the hell out of some red." 

Audre, Adrienne and their aunt Dottie Jo, gathered around Mattie, ooing and aahing as she turned in the mirror looking at her wedding dress from every angle.  It was a strapless ball gown with a fitted bodice and full skirt, the red satin material set off her beautiful skin and made it glow.

"I still can't believe you're wearing a red wedding dress mom."  Adrienne said.

"Well after this many years of marriage and three kids, I know I can't wear white and keep a straight face walking down the aisle."

I know that's right."  Dottie Jo said laughing. 

"In Asia many of the brides wear red wedding dresses for good luck and auspiciousness."  Audre added.

"Auspiciousness.  I like that Audre, not that we need it at this point."  Mattie turned to look at her two daughters.  "You two look so beautiful, my husband and I did some good work."  She said proudly.

They all turned and looked in the mirror, Audre, Adrienne and Dottie Jo were all wearing dark silver circle skirt knee length dresses, each with a different neckline that was most flatter to their figures.  They certainly were a striking family. 

"And Audre I can't get over how stunning you look, just so much more relaxed and happy," Dottie Jo said.  "Are you sure you don't have a man up there in Chicago that you're hiding form us?"

"I'm dating, but. . .nothing serious."  It was true.  Technically she and Christian weren't serious.  But part of her wondered why she still was holding back from telling them about him - if for no other reason than to shut her sister down.  She missed no opportunity to brag about her fiancé and their ongoing wedding plans.  Still despite the pep talk her dad gave her, she knew Mattie Peal Highsmith well enough to know that she wouldn't just welcome Christian and all his tattoos into the fold with open arms, no matter how well he treated her.

Audre looked over at Adrienne, who was turning and looking at herself from every angle and nodding approvingly.  She never seemed to have hit that awkward phase known as puberty; Adrienne went straight from being a cute kid to a gorgeous well manicured young woman.  Audre's transformation on the other hand had taken a little work and a lot of grooming, she gazed at herself in the mirror, she had come a long way from the self-doubting teenager she once was, though she still felt like a work in progress.  They went into the dressing rooms to change; her and Adrienne shared a large one.

"So you look good.  Have you been working out?"  Adrienne said, still eyeing her own physique, but watching out of the corner of her eye as Audre slipped out of her dress.

"Yeah I've been taking kickboxing and yoga." 

"Well it's working, whatever you're doing you should keep it up."

"Thanks."  Audre said smiling.  In the last few years her and Adrienne's relationship had gotten much better, they talked on the more regular basis, and they had outgrown petty bickering.  Still, there was always that undercurrent of competition between them, an incessant need to one up each other. 

Audre silently counted down in her head knowing it was only a matter of time until her sister found a way to move the conversation back towards herself, in 5. . .4. . .3. . .2. . .

"I should be working out more, just don't have time you know, between work, wedding planning, house hunting and spending quality time with Jason, I barely have time exercise.  Good thing gravity hasn't OH MY GOD."  Adrienne turned fully towards Audre with wide eyes, she jumped slightly out the unexpected yelp.  "What the hell is that?"  She demanded looking at Audre's hip in the mirror, Adrienne grabbed her waist and turned towards her looking in disbelief at the tattoo.  Audre, grimaced she completely forgot that it was there.

"It's a tattoo Adrienne.  And keep your voice down."

"Yeah I know what it is, what the hell is it doing on your body?"  She said in an exaggerated stage whisper.  She ran her finger across it, as though thinking if she rubbed it hard enough if would disappear from Audre's skin.

"I wanted a tattoo, so I got one, end of story."

"Mama's going to kill you when she finds out."  Adrienne said, her voice still louder than it needed to be.

"Yeah, well she's not going to find out from you.  Not unless you want her to find out from me that you and Jason have been living in sin for months."  Audre replied, her own voice raising in volume.  Adrienne quickly looked towards the top of the stall before lowering her voice to a real whisper.

"We're engaged."

"I'm sure she'll understand."  Audre said sarcastically. 

"Even if you tell her, moving in with the love of my life will be an indiscretion forgotten by our wedding day.  You on the other hand are going to be that old ass lady that has to look in the mirror when she's 70 and be reminded of some spur of the moment decision she made 40 something years ago when she was probably too drunk to know better."

"I wasn't drunk, I was completely sober."  Audre snapped.  "And as a matter of fact I'm already thinking of getting another one."

"Why would you want to mark up your skin like that?"  Adrienne's noise wrinkled up in disdain.  "It's so tacky."

"You sound just like mom."  Audre rolled her eyes.

"Well mom is right about a lot of stuff you know." 

"Well I happen to think it isn't tacky at all."  Audre turned towards the mirror, looking at the lily, since it had completely healed she had come to love it even more.  "I think it's beautiful." 

Adrienne looked at it.

"It is pretty."  She conceded.  "But it should be up on a wall not stamped on your ass."

"It's not on my ass it's on my hip."

"I know that smartass, you know mom's going to find out eventually and she's going to totally rip you a new one when she does."

"I'm grown so I can do whatever the hell I want to do."

"So then why are we whispering?"

"Because it's none of her business what I put on my body."  Audre replied, feeling a little bolder than she actually was.

"I don't know why I'm even surprised.  This is so totally a you thing to do."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You always march to the beat of your own drum; you've just always been weird that way."

"Are we still talking abut a silly tattoo?  Or do you have something you've been waiting twenty years to get off your chest?"

"You've always done whatever the hell you've wanted to do, no matter how fucking stupid it is or how much it hurts everyone else.  It's like you're in some perpetual state of secret rebellion or something." 

Audre almost laughed at the irony of being labeled the "rebel" of their model family, she could only imagine what Christian would say if heard their conversation.

"Well we can't all be little Mattie Pearl mini-me's like you Adrienne.  Maybe you're just upset because you didn't have the guts to be your own person." 

Adrienne rolled her eyes.

"You're so clueless."

"Then enlighten me."

"GIRLS!" Mattie called out cheerily, oblivious to the fight that had been unfolding on the other side of the dressing room door.  "We've got reservations for lunch at 12:30 so hurry up."  That signaled the abrupt end to the conversation, the two quickly got dressed and left, the tension and unsaid thoughts still hanging in air.