"What the fuck?!" I screamed out in anger.

What I did next might well change everything in the future, but I just couldn't help myself. I had just come through our front door to see Ma punching Carol in the face.

All I saw was red.

I ran as fast as I could to Ma, tackled her to the floor, and proceeded to make sure she wouldn't hurt Carol ever again. I didn't even think twice about what I was doing. I was running off pure adrenaline. All I saw was the initial impact and that was enough for me.

Yes, I punched my Ma. So many times, in fact that she surely would be laying unconscious and bloody on our nice wood floor.

This was my normal though. I had fought with Ma so many times over the years that it just came naturally now. I didn't like to fight, but I just couldn't let Ma do this to Carol. It didn't feel right. You were always supposed to stand up for family, but what if it was your own family causing the harm? That was an awful dilemma for young me to go through.

Abuse is abuse though, no matter who was doing it.

Some people would wonder how I could fight my own mother. Well... This wasn't my first choice. Ma had forced my hand. If people judged me for it then they could fuck right off. They were heartless motherfuckers anyway.

I had tried everything else. Talking. Therapy. Threats. The 3 T's, but nothing ever got through to her. She just went back to the damn bottle. Getting drunk was her problem solver, but instead of solving the problems, it created more.

Did I mention she was an alcoholic?

And a cheater.

And an abuser.

So even if she was my mother, the things she did made my blood boil. Wouldn't anyone's?

I probably also have to mention that Ma is a veteran. And don't think I don't respect what our troops go through. I saw all the dog shit that went with being a part of our military. I saw how it affected Ma's buddies and their families. But Like I said before, I tried everything with Ma. Multiple times. I didn't just do it once and when it didn't stick gave up on her. I tried and I tried and tried. I've repeated this god-awful cycle since I was 13. 13!!! So, no one and I mean no one gets to judge me. Do you know how all of this has affected me? Seeing the person I lo-

"Jo. Jo!"

Hearing my name snapped me out of whatever anger-fueled haze I was in and I finally stopped what I was doing. I looked down to see my hands bloody and bruised. Shit. That will definitely hurt in the morning.

My eyes moved towards the body laying underneath me which looked like- like- a mess. A bloody mess.

"Wha-?"

"Jo, it's over. It's done sweetheart. You don't have to keep going." Carol said with a slight quiver to her voice.

I moved to look at Ma - I mean really look - and realized she was right. Ma wasn't moving. She wasn't a threat to anybody anymore. I just hoped I didn't kill her. Even if she was all those awful things, I said she was that didn't mean I wanted her dead. So, I checked her vitals and found she was still breathing.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I got up off the floor and turned to see a teary faced and shaken up Carol looking at the carnage with wide eyes. This had to have been traumatizing to see. Our fighting had never been this bad. We both usually bowed out after a couple of well-placed blows. I don't know what was different this time. I just snapped. Maybe I was tired of it all. Tired of the abuse.

Time seemed to slow when our eyes connected. I didn't know what thoughts were going flowing through her head, but I was sure they were not the same as mine. Actually, I knew for certain that they were way different.

You see, I was in love with my stepmother.

I don't know how it happened, how it started or how Carol made me feel things I had never felt before. But I knew I was in love. People might find this fucked up or weird, but I also don't really care if anyone had those type of thoughts on my love. I never had thought of Carol as my mother or my stepmother. She was just Carol. I would always have only one Momma and she was gone.

"I'm so sorry Carol." I said. "I just couldn't let her-"

Carol interrupted what I was about to say and surprised me by wrapping me in a big hug. I was taken aback at first, but I gave in and hugged her back with some force. We both stood there for a moment and baked in each other's warmth. This was supposed to be a bonding moment between me and her, but I couldn't help feeling the butterflies in my stomach when I could practically feel everything right now.

Especially her... breasts.

Carols were... big and being in this position... Well, there really wasn't a way to avoid them. But I still held firm and pushed my arousal to the back of my mind. I needed to just be here for her. I would do anything for her and I meant that. She's been through too much with Ma and deserves nothing less than someone's utmost attention.

Shit!

I had to release Carol and back away from her quickly. Apparently, this much contact was too much for my body to handle. A certain thing started to bulge in my pants. It seemed to have a mind of its own. What an awful time to get hard. Carol just went through something traumatic and my Ma is on the floor unconscious. I didn't really believe people when they said that this would happen at the worst possible time imaginable, but here we are...

Ok, ok. This is happening. Fucking- Ok. Wait. Wasn't there something that could stop this? I swear I had read something online... Yes! I remember. I just have to think about things that are unsexy. Hairy chests. Donald trump in a speedo. Our half-dead science teacher... Ok, I think its working. Thank fuck.

"S-sorry." I stammered. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute.

Carol looked a little confused at my confession, so I guess she didn't feel what had just happened.

Thank God...

"Are you ok Carol? Do you need anything?" I asked when I got myself under control.

"I don't thin-"

Carol was about to do that thing she always did, but I was having none of it right now. She needed someone to finally put her first. Someone to put her needs above her own. Someone to finally give a damn about her.

That had always made me angry. Here was this beautiful woman who was perfect in every way imaginable, but Ma could only berate and beat her for her troubles. I stood up to Ma every time she did it. Every. Single. Time. And it royally pissed her off. I could only laugh though. Why the hell should I have cared if she got mad? It wasn't like she could manhandle me like she did Carol. No, I was pretty big and muscular just like Ma. I had gotten most of my genetics from her. Ma told me that people used to say I was a mini-her when they saw us together.

"I'll get you an ice pack from the freezer and then I'll handle Ma." I said, cutting her off. I put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her and then I was off to go get that ice pack.

It might seem like I was all cool and collected, but I had no idea what was going to happen. I definitely needed to get Ma some medical attention. The only question was what would happen after she recovered. Would she kick me out? Would she press charges? If she did both of those things... would Carol take my side or hers? I wish I knew the answer to any of those questions, but I just had no idea what would happen.

I shook my head to clear those thoughts and headed back to Carol with the icepack in hand.

I found Carol in the living room helping Ma up. I heard Ma groan in pain when Carol finally got her to sit upright and against the wall for support. Seeing her help Ma didn't exactly stir up positive feelings in me. I didn't understand why she had to. Sure, she might've loved my mother, but Ma was an abusive asshole. How could someone keep going back to the person that hurt them over and over?

I handed Carol her icepack. "Is Ma, ok?" I asked. I could honestly care at this point, but I knew Carol still cared.

"She's pretty banged up sweetheart. Did you have to go this far?" She asked.

Did I have to? No, I didn't have to. I just wanted to. That thought was a little scary, but considering all things Ma had done... I didn't really feel guilty.

"Carol she was hitting you. Again. I just couldn't let her do that to you." I said a little annoyed.

"I-"

But before Carol had a chance to respond it seemed like Ma had regained consciousness.

"You hit like a pussy." Ma said, her voice hoarse.

My eye twitched. It literally twitched at her words. Just like that all the rage that had dissipated was right back front and center. The fuck was wrong with her? My knuckles were turning white at my sides because I was clenching them so hard. I wanted to knock some more sense into her, but I held back. I held back for Carol's sake and not because Ma was my mother. Ma had lost all those rights a long time ago.

"What did you say?" I said with a low tone.

"I said-"

"How about you take a breath outside, Jo?" Carol interjected.

I huffed my annoyance, but the suggestion was sound. The two of us being in the same room right now was probably a bad idea. Even though Ma really wasn't a danger to anyone right now. I smirked at that particular thought. I just so happened to swivel my head to see Ma's frown. I raised my eyebrow to her in challenge.

"Oh, just fuck off already." Ma retaliated in anger.

Whatever. She can't do shit anyway.

I turned my back on them and headed for the front door. The sun was still high in the sky, but there was luckily a breeze in the air as I sat down on our front porches' steps. I felt my body relax. The tension leaving the longer I basked in the sun's rays. The adrenaline in my body seemed to be gone now.

What a fucking day...

School was already shit. I didn't really fit in there. I was made fun of and bullied on a daily basis for the things I couldn't control. It seemed like I was doomed from the start. The bullying started when the girls found out that I wasn't exactly like them. It was almost cliché. I had been carless and they had got a glimpse of mini-me in the locker room. What was I supposed to do about it? It was my body for fucks sake. They didn't seem to care and from then on, I was labeled the school weirdo.

This was my final year. I was supposed to do what I had to do and just get through it, so I could finally be free of that godforsaken place. Things were supposed to be getting better not worse. School hadn't gotten better, but my home life seemed to get better. That was until I found Ma beating on Carol. I still couldn't believe she was putting up with Ma's shit. Helping her. It was a crazy sight for sure.

"Stop! STOP!" Someone yelled.

I was immediately upright again and racing for our front door. I wasn't stupid to think the screaming came from anywhere else. Ma really must've got some brain damage from those hits because this was just dumb. I slammed open the door and searched the first story of our house. Shit. Not here. They weren't down there, so I took the stairs two at a time and raced towards their bedroom. If Ma didn't learn her lesson from before then she was going to learn it this time.

I threw open their bedroom door and found Ma choking Carol on their bed. That would have already made me want to beat her black and blue, but they were naked. They were both naked and Carol was yelling for her to stop. This must've been some type of nightmare I was living. Ma might've been an abusive asshole, but rape? I don't give two shits if some fucking bozos on the internet think that rape isn't possible if its your partner. It is. No means no regardless of circumstance.

I really was going to kill Ma this time.