"We're here" Stanley announced, interrupting the backseat discussion.
Dana looked out the window to find that they were now in a suburban neighborhood. It was not a totally unfamiliar sight to her as when Natalie first told her about Stanley finally buying a house for himself Dana took it upon herself to look into it. Her research involved going through the realtor's website and using google maps. The results were shocking to say the least but also heartening.
After Stanley cut ties with her and dropped out of college his initial stint at independence wasn't exactly smooth. He lived on the couch of his sister's apartment for a while, worked a minimum wage job until he could afford to move out into an even cheaper apartment for himself all the while living on the poverty line.
So when he came into a financial windfall Dana was understandably worried. Nowadays it wasn't uncommon for young people to become millionaires practically overnight and with most of them posting on social media Dana had literal dozens of examples of how things could go wrong.
Luckily for her, Stanley seemed determined not to emulate his online peers and instead of splurging on nonsense he bought a nice home and took steps to maintain his wealth. She wasn't too keen on the details but clearly whatever he did or is doing was working.
They pulled into the driveway just as Stanley pushed a button on the dashboard to open the garage door.
After stopping inside and closing it Stanley said "Ez, get mom settled inside, I'll take care of the stuff."
"You can go ahead without me Ezraphel" Dana counter ordered.
There was a pause as mother and son met each other's gaze in a silent battle of wills. Meanwhile Ezraphel looked between the two before ultimately deciding that discretion was the better part of valor and removed herself from the car with a few words.
"Okay, I'll just leave these in the living room for now."
After one last glance she stepped out of the car holding the boxes she kept on her lap and left the garage at a fast pace.
After she left Stanley decided to break the silence "okay, was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Maybe I just wanted to help you unload these boxes."
"Come on mom, I think we already established I'm a lot stronger than I look."
He replied with a grunt as he unbuckled the seatbelt strapping the boxes in the passenger seat down.
"Is this about Lana?" He asked with deceptive casualness.
"Stanley…"
"We've been over this mom. Nothing's changed on that end" he retorted before leaving the car and walking over to the passenger's side.
Dana's frown became more pronounced as she followed him out the car but said nothing. Meanwhile Stanley began stacking all three boxes in the passenger seat on the ground before pausing to glance at his real mother.
"I get that you might be hoping me and Lana could hash out our differences like the two of us did and have a relationship but I don't want to. Not because I hate her or anything, I just don't see the point, she had her chance back at uncle's funeral and decided to act like I don't exist. Clearly she's moved on and I'm not the kind of guy to bother strangers over nothing. But hey, if you want to reconnect with your sister or if you already did, more power to you, but I'm not interested."
Stanley's words ended with the finality of someone who was not expecting to revisit this topic again. He then lifted the stack of boxes with a grunt and motioned for her to follow him. Dana picked up the box that sat beside her, finding it to be a lighter one and the two moved towards the only door in the garage that was left open.
The silence was awkward between them and Dana fought to find a way to fill it. Eventually she settled on the only topic of note that could be used at this point.
"Ezraphel is very…" Dana trailed off having not actually thought through her words before uttering them.
Luckily Stanley was willing to grab onto the hook she cast and replied with "odd? Peculiar? Weird?" He listed out.
"Eccentric."
"That's just a polite way of calling someone weird, mom."
"And you're okay with that?"
That got him to pause his walk and look at her over his shoulder with an almost hesitant expression.
"You don't approve?" He asked carefully.
"I wouldn't say that."
He kept her gaze for a moment before looking away and continued walking "yeah well, you'll have plenty of time to vet her without me around so…enjoy doing that I guess."
With his piece said they finally made it into the house proper and Dana fought not to gape at the sight. She followed him into the living room where they placed the boxes next to the ones Ezraphel already left.
"You can sit wherever" he muttered before walking back out.
Dana watched him leave for a moment before she started looking around. She heard Stanley entering from the garage and saw him with some containers but instead of going to the living room he went somewhere out of view. She heard a door opening and closing. A moment later he walked back into the garage.
At that point Dana sat down and reached into her handbag to take out the old album of her family. An album she thought lost but was apparently just sitting in her brother's storage unit gathering dust. She spent the next few minutes turning pages and getting absorbed into the memories and nostalgia of her youth.
'Collin you idiot.'
She remembered asking about this specific album before only to receive excuses. Either he forgot he misplaced it or he lied about not having it in the first place. It could be either or really, especially with-
"Oh!" A familiar voice exclaimed from beside her.
Startled, Dana turned to find Ezraphel standing much too closae.
'When did she get there?' Dana wondered.
For a large woman Ezraphel was surprisingly light on her feet.
Her thoughts must have shown on her expression because Ezraphel offered an apologetic look "sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's fine" Dana waved off before she noticed Ezraphel's eyes drifting to the open album in her hands.
Seeing this Dana quickly closed the book and placed it aside on the sofa, out of view. The action brought a slight frown to Ezraphel's face but before she could even think about breaching the subject Dana spoke.
"Do you need something?"
Clearly she did but Ezraphel was considering how to phrase it. Dana watched her come to a conclusion with patience as the silence stretched.
"I didn't expect us to take so long at the storage unit nor did I expect a guest to be joining us so what I originally had planned for tonight has become somewhat untenable I'm afraid. I admit I am at a bit of a loss as to what I can prepare on such short notice."
Dana blinked "I see."
The mother of three regarded her for a moment, wondering which part of her story, if any, was true.
"I am open to suggestions," Ezraphel added.
That got an eyebrow raised from Dana who pointedly asked "do you want my recommendation or my help?"
As if that was the question she was waiting for, Ezraphel smiled brightly and answered "I would love to have your assistance Dana, perhaps we could exchange recipes?"
Just then Stanley walked into the room putting down a hefty storage container before wiping his hands.
"You two are gonna cook together?" He asked, having apparently overheard their conversation.
Dana recognized something laying underneath his otherwise casual tone.
"I'm not sure" Ezraphel answered before their gazes went to Dana.
The matriarch almost laughed at their expressions which were a combination of anxiety mixed with anticipation but in contrasting doses.
"I wouldn't mind helping you in the kitchen."
Ezraphel gave a small clap "excellent!"
Dana heard Stanley mutter something as she was led to the kitchen but couldn't quite hear it.
The sight of the kitchen gave Dana pause. Heavy duty refrigerator, marble countertop with a built-in induction stove, an assortment of high tech kitchen appliances some of which she didn't even recognize, utensils carefully arranged and so much more. It was clear to Dana that this was far removed from the kitchen one would find in the typical suburban household.
'She said Stanley indulged her hobby but this is a bit much.'
During their first private conversation Ezraphel admitted that she liked to cook as a hobby but this kitchen setup went beyond someone indulging in a hobby, it genuinely seemed like a professional setup she'd seen on TV shows and some YouTube videos.
"Is there something wrong?"
Ezraphel's voice cut through her astonishment and she turned to find the other woman sporting a mildly concerned expression but Dana could practically feel the satisfaction rolling off of her.
'Is this supposed to impress me?'
It was something she really wanted to say out loud but held her tongue. Not only would it be childish to engage in such perceived competitiveness but also disingenuous because despite everything Dana was impressed though not for the reason Ezraphel might think.
"So, what do you recommend we make this evening?" Ezraphel asked with visible anticipation
Dana disregarded her earlier thoughts as she focused on the task at hand.
"I want to see what I'm working with first."
A few minutes later Dana learned some things about how Ezraphel ran her kitchen.
First, she kept it clean, orderly and well stocked. There were a lot of ingredients here, from various types of meat to fruits and vegetables, spices and so on. It was a lot more than what Dana expected, making her spoiled for choice on what to make that evening.
Second, quality was king when it came to said ingredients. There were no cheap products in her kitchen nor was there an excess of famous and/or expensive brands. When Dana pointed this out Ezraphel's response was to point out that what separated the expensive brands from the cheap 'knockoffs' was a label and superficial changes to the ingredients list for the sake of technical legality.
Third, her solution to maintaining said high quality was to just make the things herself. As such, there were a surprising number of ingredients in the kitchen that were homemade, in fact most of anything that could be bought in a store were instead made from scratch.
It sounded simple on paper and reaped a lot of benefits but Dana knew it to be difficult to consistently maintain in practice for those with a busy schedule. Ezraphel managed to pull it off which shouldn't have been surprising since she was seemingly unemployed but the execution was done with such elegance and the ingredients preserved with such expertise that Dana couldn't help but to approve.
How did she manage to pull it off though?
"I was taught to do this as a matter of course so I have a discerning eye for these things" Ezraphel answered.
"You were taught this?" Dana repeated in mild shock.
Of course she was surprised, after all this was the first time Ezraphel mentioned her upbringing.
"I tried to shop at the local supermarket for all our groceries because Stanley did but I found a lot of their products to be subpar" her brow then furrowed "and I only want the best for my Stanley."
The two women were prepping the ingredients. Thanks to the abundance of foodstuffs present Dana could prepare something special for the occasion. Still this didn't stop her from interrogating Ezraphel, starting with the kitchen.
"I'll be honest Ezraphel, this seems a little excessive for a hobby. Are you hoping to become a chef by any chance?"
"Well I won't say that I don't have such lofty aspirations, I just don't see the need to make it official. I just let my cooking speak for itself and so far I have not heard any complaints."
"Really? Stanley never complained?"
"Only because of the initial cost but I managed to convince him that the additional expense was worth it."
"Did you do the same for the decor?" She asked while gesturing around her.
"Oh yes, Stanley doesn't exactly have an eye for interior decorating. You should have seen what this place looked like before I got my hands on it, absolutely droll."
Dana chuckled at that knowing how Stanley could be "well, I can only assume you had your work cut out for you."
"You have no idea," Ezraphel chuckled.
"How did you end up living together?"
"I brought up the topic after we went on a few dates. Naturally, he was hesitant to do this but I insisted." She added with a sideways glance.
Dana paused at that "you insisted?" She repeated.
"Stanley wasn't taking care of himself properly." She stated flatly with a serious expression. "He spent most days sitting around his computer, he only eats fast food and when it comes to the house he will occasionally hire a cleaning service once in a blue moon." She shook his head "The only saving grace he had was that he didn't leave actual garbage strewn about the place."
'He better not have!' Dana thought heatedly. She was quick to shut that down before it became a habit and even if he became neglectful of his hygiene the garbage would find its appropriate place and be taken out to the curb.
It was a small comfort though as Natalie's updates painted a grim picture of her son's lifestyle over the years and hearing it from Ezraphel only reaffirmed her disapproval. Though that took a backseat as Ezraphel went on to describe the process of how she transformed her son into the person he was today.
Dana already knew it was coming, both Natalie and Stanley himself informed her that Ezraphel was the driving force behind his change but just like the story of how the two met, hearing it from the woman herself was engaging to say the least.
Ezraphel was a very good orator.
The story practically picked up where the last one left off. After a series of dates and getting to know each other Ezraphel had convinced Stanley to let her move in with him. Since she was not working she made herself useful by doing domestic work. She cleaned up the house, cooked meals and even washed his car which she implied was important for some reason.
Dana didn't know why, Stanley wasn't into cars as far as she knew.
She also mentioned giving him comfort and constant positive reinforcement which was something that he sorely needed in his daily life even if he would never admit or acknowledge it.
For an entire month she played the part of a girlfriend that acted more like a stepford wife. Her excuse was that she was repaying her son for letting her live in his house rent free while covering for her expenses. Dana knew better and the next phase of her plan showed itself after Stanley became comfortable with the new status quo. Because at that point she had endeared herself enough to start making demands of him.
The first thing Ezraphel did was to put a ban on takeout and fast food in general forcing him to only eat meals prepared by her. Said meals being homemade and high in nutrition. From there she, in her own words, transformed his body which Dana took to mean putting him on an exercise regimen to add to the diet he was on.
She also got him to go out more which took a lot more effort than everything else and only really saw progress recently. According to Ezraphel she was still working on getting him to socialize with other people off of the internet but at the very least she could confirm that Stanley was no longer a recluse.
She took over his wardrobe, choosing which clothes he bought and which one he wore when going out. She claimed that she wouldn't have done it if not for the fact that when left to his own devices Stanley would literally put on anything so long as it looked relatively clean and didn't smell.
At face value Ezraphel painted a strange picture because for all intents and purposes she came off as a woman who inserted herself into a man's life and was blatantly manipulating him to her own ends. At the same time Dana did not believe for a moment that Stanley wouldn't be aware of what was going on.
Given their current dynamic it wouldn't be farfetched to believe that Stanley allowed Ezraphel to do as she pleased and went along with it because she had his best interest.
Take the wardrobe situation she described for example, you can't convince Dana that her son didn't recognize his own inadequacies and gave Ezraphel permission to pick his clothes out for him.
But what does Ezraphel gain from this?
It certainly wasn't to acquire control of his wealth. Ezraphel didn't seem to really know what Stanley did for a living and that wasn't an exaggeration. Her answers to questions on the subject were vague and unsure at times and ultimately she just dismissed it as not her concern.
"I just let Stanley handle that stuff."
Not exactly the attitude of a woman wanting to seize control of her partner's assets. In fact, Dana would have genuinely feared for her if she were with anyone else. At least Dana was sure Ezraphel won't be taken advantage of by her son for being financially dependent on him.
Then again Ezraphel wasn't exactly helpless either and even if she wasn't interested in directly controlling his money there was still the danger of her just wanting to indulge in a lavish decadent lifestyle. But if that was the plan then Ezraphel had an odd way of going about it.
Dana didn't know any woman with such goals that would throw themselves into doing domestic work with such apparent zeal if they could afford not to and with Stanley's income she could afford not to do it. Hell she not too long ago admitted that Stanley hired people to clean his house every once in a while.
From what Dana gathered through their interactions Ezraphel seemed content with her current lifestyle and outside of indulging in her hobbies, didn't really bother Stanley for material things.
Owning a mansion?
Ezraphel liked the current house, neighborhood and the people living there and saw no reason to move.
Expensive cars?
Ezraphel didn't drive.
Jewellery?
She found them largely unappealing.
Clothes and shoes?
Her other hobby was actually fashion designing and she made her own clothes. She even offered to make some for Dana who reluctantly accepted after being pressed with her pleading for eyes.
So if money or the high life wasn't the goal then what did her manipulations really accomplish then?
It all came back to her son, everything she did was for Stanley proving that what she observed in the car wasn't a clever act. Ezraphel was down bad for him and the same could be said for Stanley with Ezraphel. It seemed obvious to anyone that would be the case just looking at Ezraphel, what straight man wouldn't be head over heels for her?
Well apparently her son was of a different sort as these changes she made did not go uncontested and at some points created enough friction that a breakup seemed inevitable. Fortunately he would come to his senses or in the rare cases she would back down and give him room to breathe.
Eventually he stopped putting up a resistance. No longer would there be arguments about the growing expenses or the less convenient locations for better quality food ingredients.
He would even begin to take initiative when it came to uplifting his quality of life. He started putting more effort in his appearance, kept himself well groomed even when not going out and no longer looked like he just rolled out of bed any given time whether in public or private. His social skills and temperament also took a sharp increase in quality. He could hold a conversation without coming off as awkward or rude, he was more patient, empathetic and more comfortable in social scenarios.
Dana didn't just take Ezraphel's word for it, she could see the changes, and have been seeing the changes both obvious and not. There was one singular thing she already noticed about Stanley that was the most consistent since she first laid eyes on him in that cafe.
He was happy.
Not just content but genuinely happy. Not even the reminder of her sister, his biological mother, could keep him down. All it took was a few minutes alone with Ezraphel for him to bounce back with minimal issues to show for it. Never would she have expected for him to have such a calm and reasonable reaction towards the possibility of reconciling with Lana even if it was just to reject the idea.
So with everything now more or less laid out, Dana had finally come to a conclusion in regards to her assessment of Ezraphel.
"Ezraphel?"
"Yes?"
She waited for the taller woman to look at her before continuing.
"Are you hiding any secrets that could cause trouble for my son?"
After asking Dana paid attention to the other woman's reaction. For her part Ezraphel stared in mild shock and confusion for a moment before her brows furrowed and her expression became one of utmost seriousness.
"I am no longer keeping secrets from Stanley."
Dana latched onto the words, wanting to press her for an explanation but ultimately made a decision.
'Whatever kind of troubles they had in their relationship I will not let into unless it becomes a problem later on.'
With that thought she gave a small smile of relief and appreciation and said "I'm glad he met you Ezraphel. Thank you for taking care of him."
"It was my absolute pleasure."
And with that the two most important women in Stanley's life went back to preparing a meal for the most important man in their lives with a newfound sense of relief.
-To Be Continued-