Cold Turkey, Part 12

All characters in this story are purely fictional.  Any resemblence 
of these characters to real life people are conicidence only, and are 
not meant to cause offence to anyone.  All place names and locations 
in this story are intentionally fictional.  

COLD TURKEY
by Blackbladder

Part 12

"Mom - We need to talk!" 

Irene opened her eyes - the storm was over.  Sunlight now lit up the cabin as
a calm breeze past through the nature reserve.  The voice she heard was of her
daughter, coming from behind her.  Irene realised she must have slept at the
kitchen table.   She was still half asleep as her daughter continued to
interrogate her. 

"It is now one o'clock in the afternoon.  What did you do last night?" Denise
stated with authority.  

Irene also realised that she did not clear the incriminating evidence - the
empty pack of cigarettes lying next to her.  Suddenly, she realised why her
daughter was interrogating her with no mercy.  

"Yeh Mom, you explain everything.  Why the hell didn't you tell me about the
smoking?!" Denise shouted.

Irene mumbled"I am so sorry Denise, you must be so disappointed.  I was gonna
tell you all about it.  I don't want an argument about it."

Denise sat beside her groggy mother and stared her straight in the eyes.  

"You trying to wean me off smoking?" Denise questioned as she withdrew a pack
of Marlboros from her coat pocket.  

Irene was speechless as her daughter continued to light up in front of her
confidently.  Denise eagerly sucked the cigarette, causing the ember to glow
and the tobacco to hiss.  

"I know now we came up here to get away from Phil and the kids.  I realise now
how much Paul would take a fit if he knew I smoke behind his back..." Denise
continued, exhaling smoke through her nose.

Irene just sat in her chair, pinching herself that this was a fantasy playing
like a movie in her mind.  Unfortunately, she felt the sharp pinches though. 

"Don't act dumb on me, Mom.  You now gonna try and fool me that you don't
smoke?  I am not Paul, you know..." Denise laughed, passing her mother the
pack of cigarettes and a lighter whilst inhaling.  

Irene, nervous of lighting up in front of her converted daughter, slowly lit
up but remained silent as Denise continued to tell her of the previous night's
events.  After a few hours, and a few more cigarettes each, they both adapted
to their new roles and smoked the rest of the day.  

Irene was furious with Leo for manipulating Denise.  However, Irene, with her
love affair for cigarettes reaffirmed, was reluctant to change the course of
things now.  

"I am going out honey for ten minutes ok?" Irene shouted as she exited the
cabin.

"Ok Mom." Denise muttered, the latest cigarette bouncing between her lips as
she cleaned the dishes.

Irene stood at the queue, squinting her eyes at Leo serving a customer.  The
customer nodded to Leo and left the shop.  Irene then approached the counter.

"Good Morning..." Leo smiled before being interrupted.

"How dare you mess in my family affairs!" Irene exclaimed.

Leo realised that his love now was aware of the metamorphosis that Denise
underwent at the bar.  

"Come on, Irene.....You can't stand there and say you didn't want this.  Were
you really going to give up smoking just coz your anti- smoking family had a
problem with it?" 

"I can't now because I am addicted." Irene confessed "But you had no right to
take my daughter and abuse her like that."

"Irene - I thought this is what you wanted.  I thought you wanted the ability
to smoke without anxiety anymore.  You may laugh, but I did it for you.  I
love you." Leo pleaded.

"You love me?  If you loved me, then you would have loved the person I
was.........the person I was becoming......now you have messed with me, and
now my daughter....you don't love me, Leo.......you just love
yourself.......and just want everyone in your life to be like you.  You can't
stand anyone who is different from you." Irene cried, tears streaming down her
face.  

Leo extended his hand out to wipe away her tears, but Irene stepped back.  

"I don't want you near me again, Leo.  It is over!" Irene shouted before
walking out of the shop.  

Leo frowned, tears formed in his eyes as he knew he lost someone he truely
loved.  He was depressed of how his show of affection was thrown back in his
face.  As Leo closed the shop door and put the Closed sign on the window, he
stared in vain into distance.  Dwelving into his pockets, he extracted another
cigarette and lit up.  Inhaling, Leo realised he lost Irene forever...

"You ready Mom?" Denise stated whilst reaching for her pack of cigarettes.

"Yeh, honey.  You sure about this?" Irene replied, motioning to her daughter's
new look. Denise was wearing a short, maroon top, sporting a leather jacket
and tight black trousers.  Irene had never known her daughter to dress up in
such a revealing and outgoing outfit.  Deep down, she felt guilty about her
daughters change over the last day.  

The Mother and Daughter exited the cabin and made their way on foot to the
local bar.  This was their last night on vacation - and Denise intended to
enjoy every moment in her new life...

Epilogue - three months later...  --------

"Happy birthday Stacey!  How old is my grandchild?" Irene beamed.

"12 Gran - you should know that." Stacey replied, smiling. 

"Are your parents in?" Irene asked as Stacey led her into their living room.  

Since returning from vacation with Denise, the family had went through
numerous changes.  Irene was now more integrated with the family more than
ever.  She was amazed to look back on months passed with much hostility.  

"Hey, Irene - how are you?" Paul exclaimed excitedly.  He motioned Irene to a
chair whilst Stacey sat beside her Grandmother proudly.

"Look what I got?" Stacey asked rhetorically as she removed a bracelet from a
small black box.

Irene looked admirably at the jewelry.  "You look so pretty today, Stacey.  It
is so great to see you again."

"Grandma!" Hannah shouted, rushing into the dining room and bearhugging her
relation.  

As they all embraced, Denise leaned against the stairway.  

"Hello stranger." she smiled, beckoning her Mother to enter the sealed off
kitchen.  

"Right kids, go upstairs and watch a video." Paul stated to Hannah and Stacey.

The children rushed enthusiastically to their rooms.

As soon as the loud sound of music could be heard, Denise and Irene entered
the kitchen.  

"Aren't you coming?" Denise asked Paul.

Paul reluctantly nodded, following them behind like a sheep.  

As Paul shut the door of the kitchen, Denise approached the refrigerator.  

Paul joined Irene at the table as Denise returned with three bottles of beer.  

"I have been thirsty all day." Denise muttered as she handed each of them a
bottle.  Irene was increasingly suprised to see Paul accept a bottle from
Denise.  

As they all began drinking, Denise laughed out loud.

"Christ Mom, are you not dying for a smoke?" Denise smiled, staring at Paul.
Paul returned the look sheepishly.

To Irene's suprise, Paul extracted a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket
and offered each of them the pack.  They each accepted a cigarette from Paul's
pack, which was returned to the pocket.  

"Darling, don't be shy about it.  We are gonna tell the kids soon enough
anyway..." Denise pleaded, cigarette bouncing between her lips.

Paul reluctantly placed the pack and lighter on the top of the kitchen table.
Meanwhile, Denise extracted an ashtray from a nearby cupboard.  Irene had
admired Denise's confidence growth since their holiday.  She watched in
admiration as her daughter lit up proudly in front of them both.  Denise
sucked deep before passing the lighter onto her nervous husband.  

"This is the real reason why I wanted to get you over here, Mom.  It drives me
stir crazy when I can't smoke all day cause of the kids.  Paul has started
having cravings too." Denise boasted as Paul, to the shock of Irene, lit up
tentatively.  

"This is Paul's first time smoking in front of others.  I am honoured you are
the first to witness him." Denise stated, smoke punctuating her words.

Irene recieved the lighter from Paul as he exhaled towards the ceiling.  Only
five weeks, and Paul was beginning to relish the habit.  Paul could not
believe he had been wrong so long.

"Well, Paul first a beer then a cigarette? What happened?" Irene stated after
firing up her cigarette.

Paul inhaled deeply on the cigarette, causing the ember to hiss and glow
bright red.  After slowly exhaling, Paul's posture relaxed slightly.

"I love Denise, the kids love her too.  I never knew she had been a closet
smoker.  Five weeks ago, Denise gave me an ultimatum and I accepted it.  I
either accepted and shared her open smoking habit or she would file for a
divorce.  Apart from me not wanting to split, a divorce would also be
devastating for the kids.  So I complied..." Paul informed them, before
staring in awe at the cigarette in between his fingers.

"I am so grateful I accepted Denise's ultimatum." Paul said, transfixed on the
cigarette.

Irene beamed as she exhaled across the kitchen table as the happy couple
embraced their new habits.  Addiction had surely set in for Denise to the
habit, and Paul was almost addicted.  

After another lengthy exhale into the air, Denise smiled.

"Yeh, we called you tonight cause we want to come open with the kids
tommorrow.  Stacey is twelve.......Hannah is fourteen....I think they are
mature enough to know their parents now smoke openly."

Irene just smiled as her daughter was making responsible decisions for her
family.  After all the doubts over the outcome of her new smoking habit, they
now seemed to have been in a distant time ago.  Now she was filled with joy as
they all shared a common bond, which could only strengthen the family.  

"So who is your date, Mom?" Denise asked whilst exhaling.

"Oh, it's no big deal.....You remember Leo?" Irene replied.

It was now all happy families.

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