'They are... feeding each other?' Violet screamed internally. 'Like a couple? Like newlyweds?! I am sitting right here! I am the mother! I cooked this carrot! Why isn't he feeding me?!'

She chewed her meat furiously. Chew chew chew.

Then, Alex wiped a speck of gravy from Marine's lip with his thumb. Swipe.

"You are messy," Alex teased.

"Stop it~" Marine whined playfully, swatting his hand away. "You are embarrassing me!"

"But you are so cute when you are embarrassed," Alex said, his voice dropping to a lower, huskier tone.

Violet felt her blood pressure rising. Boil. Her face was getting hot. She felt paranoid.

'Wait a minute,' Violet thought, her eyes narrowing. 'Why is he treating her so... tenderly? And why did he say she was a "helpful nurse"? Nurse? Does he mean... the ointment?'

Her mind flashed back to the morning. The butt massage!

'Oh my god! Did they... did they do something else? Is that why they are so close now? Is that why he is ignoring me?'

Violet's mind started inventing scenarios. She imagined Marine rubbing the ointment... and then after that Alex grabbing her... and then...

"By the way, Marine," Alex said, interrupting Violet's dirty hallucination.

He leaned in close to Marine. He looked her right in the eyes.

"Tomorrow morning," Alex whispered, but loud enough for Violet to hear. "I want you to wake me up again. Okay?"

Marine blinked. "Wake you up?"

"Yes," Alex smirked. "Just like today. Come to my room. Be 'energetic'. Jump on the bed if you have to. I really liked your... energy... this morning. It really got me going."

Marine, innocent as she was, just thought he meant she should be a good alarm clock.

"Okay!" Marine beamed, nodding her head. "I will be your super alarm clock! I will jump on you!"

But Violet?

Violet heard something completely different!

'Wake him up?! Like today?! Energy?! Jump on him?!'

Violet dropped her spoon. Clatter.

She seethed. She was vibrating with rage and jealousy!

'He wants her to go to his room in the morning? To jump on his bed? To get him "going"?! That is code! That is definitely code for morning sex! He wants my daughter to give him a morning ride!'

She looked at her innocent daughter who was blushing. She looked at Alex who was smirking.

'He chose her!' Violet thought, feeling despair. 'He prefers the bear pajamas! He doesn't want the sexy older woman! He wants the bouncy young energy!'

She felt paranoid. She felt replaced. And most of all... she felt a burning need to stop this "morning alarm" at all costs!

Violet couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't sit there and watch her "duty" being stolen!

If Alex wanted a morning wake-up call... if he wanted someone to jump on his bed... it had to be her! She was the woman of the house! She was the one wearing the black silk!

"No!" Violet blurted out suddenly.

She slammed her hand on the table. Bam! The silverware rattled.

Alex and Marine stopped eating. They looked at her with surprised faces.

"Mom?" Marine asked, holding a piece of bread. "What is wrong?"

Violet realized she was acting crazy. She quickly fixed her hair and forced a stiff, painful smile onto her face.

"I mean... no need for that, Alex," Violet said, her voice trembling slightly. "You don't need to trouble poor Marine. She has... she has schoolwork! Yes! She needs her sleep!"

She looked at Alex with desperate, pleading eyes.

"I am feeling good now!" Violet declared, puffing out her chest again to show off the cleavage. "My back is fine! The ointment worked wonders! So, tell you what... I will wake you up tomorrow. Just like always. I will bring you your morning coffee in bed. I will open the curtains. I will take care of... everything."

She emphasized the word everything. She gave him a look that said, 'I will do anything you want, just pick me!'

She waited. She waited for him to say, "Okay, Violet. You are the best."

But Alex? Alex just looked at her. He looked at her trying so hard in her sexy nighty.

And then, he smiled. It was a polite smile. It was a gentleman's smile.

"Oh, Violet," Alex said softly. "You are so kind. Always thinking about others."

He reached out and patted her hand which was resting on the table. Violet's heart skipped a beat! He touched her!

But then, he opened his mouth and destroyed her life.

"But I can't let you do that," Alex said, shaking his head gently. "I politely decline."

"W-why?" Violet whispered.

"Because," Alex sighed, looking at her with pity. "You need to rest, Violet. You hurt your back today just by falling, right? That is a sign."

"A sign?"

"A sign that you are... well... getting old."

...

CRACK.

Violet heard a sound. It was the sound of her self-esteem shattering into dust!

"O-old?" she squeaked.

"Yes," Alex continued, talking as if it was a medical fact. "You are not twenty anymore, Violet. Your bones are getting brittle. Your stamina is fading. You shouldn't push yourself so hard. If you try to climb the stairs with a tray of coffee... you might break a hip! And I would feel terrible."

He patted her hand again, like he was comforting a grandma!

"But Marine?"

Alex turned his head to look at the beaming step-daughter.

"Marine is young," Alex grinned. "She is fresh. She is full of energy. She can run up the stairs without getting tired. She has that... youthful bounce. That is what I need in the morning. I need that young vitality to get my day started."

Violet felt like she had been stabbed. Twice.

'Old?!' she screamed internally. 'He called me OLD?! I am thirty-six! I am in my prime! I am wearing silk! I have curves! And he wants the "youthful bounce"?!'

She looked at Marine. Marine was glowing with youth. Her skin was tight. Her energy was boundless.

And the worst part? Marine agreed with him!

"Yeah, Mom!" Marine nodded vigorously. "Step bro is right! You are getting old! You complain about your back all the time! You should rest! Leave the hard work to me! I have lots of energy!"

"See?" Alex smiled innocently. "Even your daughter agrees. It is settled then. Marine wakes me up. You sleep in, Grandma... I mean, Violet."

Violet seethed. She was vibrating! Smoke was practically coming out of her ears!

'Grandma?! He almost called me Grandma?!'

She looked at the bear pajamas. Then she looked at her sexy nighty. She felt like a clown. A sexy, old clown.

"I... I am not old!" Violet hissed through her teeth. "I have plenty of energy! I can bounce! I can bounce very high!"

"Sure, sure," Alex waved his hand dismissively, turning back to his stew. "Just eat your carrots, Violet. They are good for your eyes. You know, eyesight goes first at your age."

"ARGH!"

Violet stood up. She couldn't take it! The chaos in her heart was too much!

"I... I forgot the salt!" she shouted a lie.

She turned around and ran to the kitchen counter, burying her face in a towel to hide her tears of rage and humiliation.

Alex smirked at Marine.

"Your mom is funny, isn't she?"

"Yeah!" Marine giggled. "She acts weird lately!"

Dinner was finally over. The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a knife, mostly coming from Violet who was aggressively washing dishes in the kitchen while muttering about "wrinkles" and "calcium supplements."

Alex stood up and stretched. "Well, I am going to bed. Goodnight, everyone."

"Wait! Step bro!"

Marine jumped up. She wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"I... I have a question! About... about the homework! From this morning!"

Violet's ears perked up. "Homework?"

"Yes! School stuff!" Marine lied quickly (she was getting better at lying, thanks to Alex). "I need Step bro to check my... oral presentation!"

"Go ahead," Violet grumbled, scrubbing a plate so hard it almost broke. "Go get some 'youthful wisdom'."

Marine followed Alex up the stairs. They walked down the hallway and entered his bedroom.

Click.

Alex closed the door. He locked it.

The room was quiet. The moonlight streamed in through the window.

Marine stood in the middle of the room, fiddling with the hem of her bear pajamas. She looked nervous. She looked shy. But mostly, she looked excited.

"So," Alex sat down on the edge of his bed, patting the space between his legs. "Ready for your lesson, student?"

Marine nodded eagerly. She walked over and stood right between his spread knees.

"I... I practiced in the mirror like you said," Marine whispered. "But the mirror is cold. It doesn't kiss back."

"That is why you have a teacher," Alex grinned. "To correct your mistakes. Now, show me. Show me the 'French Swirl' technique."

"Okay..."

Marine leaned in. She closed her eyes. She puckered her pink lips.

Chu.

Their lips met.

At first, it was soft. It was innocent. But then, Alex decided to grade her properly. He opened his mouth. He invited her in.

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