"Anyway" Brianna said, interrupting Suzanne's thoughts. "This isn't bothering me so much anymore. If you, Mom, are with me, this is what matters, you know?"
"Oh, Bree, that was so sweet!" Suzanne couldn't help it but hugged her daughter again with tears in her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon, Mom! You're not gonna cry, are you?"
"Well, you do not say these things so often..."
Once again, Suzanne was struck by how the interaction between them in their new roles was natural. Anyone watching that scene would have no doubt that they had always been mother and daughter.
"Umm... Would you like some tea, honey?" she asked, more to distract herself than anything else.
"Tea?" Brianna exclaimed, making a face. "Yuck! This is old people's drink! But I would drink a coke."
"Brianna Kathleen Patterson, are you implying that your mother is an old woman?" Suzanne asked with her hands on her waist, trying to sound angry, but soon they were both laughing.
"Of course not! In your case, I guess it's because you're English. You English people drink tea all the time."
"I see... That was a close one, young lady! You almost got in trouble. And you know you should avoid soda. This is not good for your health."
"I know, Mom!" Brianna said, rolling her eyes.
"But now that you talked about it... Umm... Don't you think I'm looking a lot older these days?"
"Oh, really?" the girl crossed her arms. "You're asking me that just because you want to be praised, aren’t you?"
"I'm serious, Bree. Look at my face. I think I have more wrinkles than before. Also, the skin of my whole body seems more flaccid..."
"It makes no sense at all, Mom! You look much better than a lot of women in their thirties, even twenties!"
"You're not telling me that just to make me happy, are you?"
"I would, like, never do that! I wish I look as great as you at your age. I see the way guys look at you. I've even caught some of my male friends saying you're a MILF!"
"Thank you, sweetheart! Although I have to say that these friends of yours aren't very polite" they laughed again. "But to look good when you're older, you know you need to stop drinking soda, right? Or you will have a lot of cellulite and…"
"Again, Mom? Yeah, I kinda got it" Brianna said, as impatient as any other teen girl when receiving advice from her mother.
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Brianna left the room a little later because she had an appointment at the beauty salon. Despite her daughter's words, Suzanne was still not convinced. She was sure that she was aging rapidly these days, though no one else seemed to notice it.
She was still undergoing that treatment performed by Dr. Reid, with many needles and weird substances, and she knew she was supposed to look older. However, it was the speed with which this was happening now that was frightening her.
As she had been doing daily, Suzanne got undressed in front of her full-length mirror and analyzed her reflection. Looking carefully, it was undeniable that she had changed even more. Her body seemed heavier. It wasn't like she was getting fat or something – She just had a curvier and more voluptuous figure.
Her hips were wider, her thighs thicker, her butt bigger, and her boobs were heavier and a little saggy. Her skin didn't have the same elasticity as before, and her face definitely looked older, especially around the eyes and mouth.
She had a new appointment with Dr. Reid scheduled for the beginning of the following week, and this time it wouldn't be just the continuation of that treatment. The doctor said that he would finally perform the other aesthetic procedures requested by Suzanne. She wasn't sure what procedures he was talking about, even though something in her mind said that it was okay. She had even written about it in her diary.
Still, she asked the doctor to explain everything to her, but the man vaguely said that he would only do what they had previously agreed, and she didn’t have to worry about that. If it weren't for the fact that Mrs. Larsen trusted Dr. Reid fully, Suzanne would have got even more worried.
She was also feeling a little distressed because she hadn't seen Mrs. Larsen since she had received that diary. Samara explained her that the clinic owner had to leave town for a few days, but she would be back soon. Suzanne didn't like it. Without Mrs. Larsen's advice, she felt lost. She hoped the older woman would return before those mysterious procedures…