Tale The 91

Posted by Adminh, Released on March 5, 2025

91: Classy Claws Part 1

+8 Paints

91: Classy Claws Part 1

Easton

As soon as the screaming began, I told Luci and the girls to stay with Cole and Barrett.

Banning was on the phone regarding his next job and I shook my head at him so he’d stay too. In case whatever is shrieking makes it here, he’ll protect the five of them.

I never expected to find my mother, Lorelei and Vivienne all screaming at each other about

who should and shouldn’t be there.

“I came to show my family I want to be here. You are not welcome in my house.” Mother

shouts.

“Then why did you invite my daughter? Thought you’d steal her from me like I tried to take your husband?” Vivienne fires back. Is she drunk?!

“I wanted to talk to Lorelei about helping Easton with Cole. You only want him for your film

career.”

“And you only want him to get your cushy life back!” Vivi shouts. “Which, news flash, Imogen.

Lorelei also wants him for her film career”

“Do we break this up or let them kill each other?” Jackson mutters behind me.

“I vote we push them outside at least. Easier to hose off the blood.” Kingston adds.

I am keeping my eyes on Lorelei who glares at her mother. “You know you weren’t invited

Mother. Why follow me?”

“Because why should you two get to benefit without me?” Vivienne snaps at Lorelei.

“We aren’t selfish like you. You’ve never done anything for Cole. I know he doesn’t want to see

you.” My lovely mother pipes in.

“He’s my son. I’ll decide who he sees.” Lorelei informs her and I bristle. “He’ll be traveling with

me to LA soon.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. He barely knows you Lorelei. Unless Easton is going too.”

Mother has a sliver of sense I guess.

“He barely knows you too Imogen.” Lorelei yells.

“I lived with him for four years! I know my grandson. I didn’t ask you to come here so you could try to take him away from us.”

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I scoff lightly at that. From us…

“I’m his mother. I have a right to him.”

I shake my head. That’s enough of this. I catch Dad’s eye and he nods.

“I have as much right to him as you Lorelei!” Vivienne shrieks.

A sharp,loud whistle pierces the air, causing the three women to stop bickering and shouting. We turn as Luci steps in. Her hands are clenched into fists. She is enraged. “STOP THIS!

ENOUGH!”

Sydney and Stormi reach for Cole behind her, stopping him. Syd tugs him back toward her

brother. Banning lifts Barrett and Cole up in his arms, but remains where he is. “Listen boys.”

He whispers loudly.

“Take them to the playroom.” Luci throws over her shoulder firmly. Banning backs up but

doesn’t leave.

“Do you hear yourselves? Do any of you even care about him instead of what it means for

you? What he’ll do for your life or your careers?” She steps closer to them. I start for her, but

Dad puts a hand on my shoulder, shaking his head. Syd and Stormi move in closer to her, her

wall of strength I note, as Syd squeezes her arm and Stormi puts a hand on her shoulder. She’s

shaking in her fury, but her eyes don’t waver. She is always so strong for Cole and Barrett.

She looks at Mother first. “You have lived with that little boy since he came here, yet you never

loved him the way you should have. Being a grandmother should be a gift. Not something you

exploit and ignore to appease your revenge. You claim you want a relationship with your

family again; want to prove you’ve changed. You’re not demonstrating it right now. You are

locked in thinking you’re being noble, but all I hear out of your mouth is “I want,” I know“. I, I, I

is all that is coming out of your mouth. Try the words “Jason needs“, “Cole needs“, “Jackson

needs“…..those work better if you truly want to show them you care about THEM. Otherwise,

how dare you suggest or demand they allow you back in. You know nothing about that little

boy! NOTHING! How about you ask him what he wants? You need to make things right with

yourself first. Repair your shortcomings before you revisit them upon your family. Learn to

recognize your irreparable faults and admit them. Experience and demonstrate remorse for

what you did, for the relationships you sacrificed. You hurt your own children and grandson to

take petty revenge. Stuck them in the middle of a fight they didn’t even know was happening.”

Vivienne gives a little satisfied snort which draws attention away from Mother. Luci faces her

down, and I’ve never seen her so angry. Her eyes are almost glittering with hatred. “You, I have

absolutely no use for, nor does anyone else in this world it seems. Even your own daughter

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91: Classy Claws Part 1

that you obviously have no maternal feelings for. You bring nothing to anyone’s life under this roof. I feel sorry that Lorelei grew up with you! Though she could have used you as a lesson for everything not to aspire to as a mother, woman or human being. Maybe one day you’ll do something useful with the oxygen you are stealing from people who truly deserve it. Cole

should never even know you exist and I don’t say that lightly.”

“I wish I’d never brought her into our lives.” Imogen says with disgust.

“But you did and you need to own up to the fact you can’t differentiate a snake from a

butterfly, your judgment is so damn poor. Do better with the people you surround yourself with.

Otherwise, I don’t see a reason for your family to ever forgive you.” Luci dresses her down

firmly.

“She’s right Imogen. You can’t blame my mother for all your problems. You chose to treat my

son coldly. You weren’t a real grandmother to him.” Lorelei crosses her arms over her chest

and lifts her nose at Mother. Her self–righteousness is nauseating.

Luci whirls on her next. “And you….you have no room to talk. No pedestal to put yourself on.

You carried that little boy for nine months next to your heart. You fought for him allegedly. Yet

you dropped him like a hot potato and didn’t seem to look back. Your motherly declarations

are absolutely galling considering your behavior all the way up to this moment. Your actions

clearly show you don’t love him. If you did, you would have acknowledged him to his father for

the last two years. Even if it supposedly hurt you so much to look at him, you would have done

something. And you are now trying to take him from the person he loves the most…”

Lorelei cuts in “Oh you think awfully highly of yourself, you interloper.”

“I wasn’t talking about me!” Luci says with cold steel. “I was talking about his father! Easton,

who stepped up and was terrified to have a small baby, but he did it. He jumped in and took

care of the little boy who stole his heart the minute he saw him. Did you not have that

moment? When he was born, did you feel any connection to him?” Luci pauses, pain written

all over her face. Lorelei can’t hold her gaze. “Cole loves Easton more than anything in this

world. He’s the one Cole turns to when he’s scared and when he needs someone. Along with

his grandpappy and his uncles who also put parts of their lives on hold to help raise their

nephew. Most guys at their age would never do that! Easton is all he’s known as his parent.

Now tell me where does that leave you?”

“You are not his mother. I am!” Lorelei shrieks at her angrily. I growl at her but refrain from

talking. This is Luci’s moment and she is owning her fury like a queen.

“I never said I was. You throw that declaration out like it will make it more true in your

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91: Classy Claws Part 1

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desperation to convince everyone of it. Which, if you truly gave a damn you’d need to. But you don’t actually care beyond claiming ownership like he’s an object! You have to earn that title beyond just giving birth. Prove you care about him beyond using him as a pawn or stop saying it. Call yourself what you are, an abusive manipulator. Because what mother does that? Uses

an innocent child as a weapon to get what she wants. To use them against the other parent

as blackmail. You’d take him from the only parent and family he’s ever known for your film

career. His safe ground and home is here. That’s despicable. And take note, he will never forget what you do. The things you say about the family he loves, that will stick with him. forever. Children do not forget truly harmful words even if we learn to manage them.” Luci’s voice is colder than I’ve ever heard it. Her own pain still grips her, but instead of letting it paralyze her, she weaponizes it to help her fight for Cole.

“And you are trying to turn him against me! You used him to get to Easton. You found a golden goose and went for it.” Lorelei jabs her finger at Luci.

“No I’m not. I told him he gets to set the pace and tone for your relationship. Not that he shouldn’t have one with you. You biologically are his mother and he has a chance to have both parents in his life. That’s a dream for some kids. Do you realize that if you’d given him one answer on Friday that showed you loved him or cared about him, he would have given you a chance to be his mom? He was testing you to see if you answered or acted like his mom.”