I was a graduate student at the state university and had finished my classes for the week even though it was just Thursday.
Mom was a professor of literature at the university and was at the library helping with a 'get kids to read' program. I had been volunteered to read for them. There were eighty little third graders in the library.
I somehow ended up surrounded by a bunch of boys reading from a book from Gerald Durrell. It had been my favorite book growing up so I was glad to revisit with him and his menagerie.
The boys were very disappointed when they had to go so I copied the book cover and handed one copy to each kid. I told them Amazon should have it.
I went outside and waved at them as their bus left then went back in to find Mom. I found her talking to a cute, tall, somewhat skinny girl. I had seen her often with Mom and had always treated her politely.
Both smiled at me then the girl began to walk in my direction. She appeared indecisive for a moment but continued towards me.
I assumed she wanted to ask me something.
Suddenly she kissed me, a full lip kiss with partly open mouth. As she began to withdraw I gently pressed my fingers to the back of her shoulder indicating to her she did not need to end the kiss.
She didn't and it was a fabulous kiss.
When it did end she said, "Thanks. Your Mom said you would not mind."
She was blushing furiously when she resumed her walk past me.
"Did you tell that girl to kiss me?" I asked Mom.
"No. I told her you would not mind if she kissed you. She did ask me. I saw you enjoyed it."
"Yes. It was a very fine kiss. Who is she?"
"My TA, Sam."
"That was Sam? I thought Sam was a guy."
"No, that was Sam as in Samantha. She has wanted to kiss you for a while and now that she is near to completing her bucket list she is getting to the interesting stuff. Your name is still on her list.
I saw that you and Durrell had the boys mesmerized. How many do you think will go look for the book?"
"All of them. It is the finest book ever written for boys.
Why is Sam in such a hurry to finish her bucket list?"
"The stated reason is that she graduates with her masters in two weeks just as you will. The real reason is that she has a brain tumor.
It is benign, so to speak, in that it is not cancerous but it is also inoperable. She had as much of it removed as they could get twice but each time they did it grew back faster than it had before and now it has penetrated where they can't reach. She may not survive another year."
A great sadness overwhelmed me for a few moments.
"Don't fall in love with her," Mom said.
"No way. Why would I do that?"
"Because she is in love with you. Even though you had no idea who she was you always treated her politely. She seemed to think you liked her. Don't tell her you didn't know she was my Sam."
I saw her walking back towards us and I forced my sadness into a mental closet. When she joined us I scooped her into my arms and kissed her. It was a loving kiss, which she devoured.
"Mom told me I could," I said to her.
"No I didn't. He's a masher, a playboy that thinks every girl is in love with him. Ignore him. Did you lock my office? He is taking us to lunch."
"Yes, but I..."
"Make him pay for that kiss."
Sam giggled and said, OK."
I shook my head as if I had been imposed upon and mumbled, "Where to?"
I was given the name of the best Tex-Mex restaurant in the city.
I drove us there and as we walked in Sammy stumbled a bit. I took her hand and helped her regain her balance.
"Where are your glasses?" Mom asked her how Moms do.
"In my purse."
"Your purse is never going to see, it does not need them."
We were being led to our table by then so I just kept holding her hand until we sat. She retrieved her glasses and put then on. They made her look even cuter.
"Son, tell her she looks cuter with them on."
"She does. You do. The only drawback is that you now can see how ugly your lunch date is."
She burst into giggles as Mom simply rolled her eyes as Mom's do.
We ordered and began devouring the chips on the table. We talked about everything but mostly about the kids we worked with that morning.
"Did you get a headache?" Mom asked Sam.
"No. Apparently I don't get headaches when I read out loud. And no I did not get a headache while reading the menu."
"I did. That thing is longer than Gone With The Wind," I said.
Mom just gave me her soon to patented blank stare as Sam giggled.
Our food was served and we ate like we were starving which we were. We were eating lunch at two in the afternoon. After I finished my lunch I got a draft beer and Mom got a red wine.
I asked Sam if she wanted one or the other and she said she didn't drink.
Mom asked her, "Why not?"
Sam's eyes widened and Mom ordered her a glass of sweet red wine. She did not like it at first but by her third sip she was OK with it. By the third sip of her second glass she was drunk. Everything anyone did or say was hilarious to her. She kissed me twice.
Mom decided she was not in any condition to go to her dorm and decided to take her home with us.
On our way out the hostess said, "Your girlfriend is funny you need to bring her back."
"Oh, I will but from now on her wine limit is one."
We all laughed, except for Sam, she had a stunned expression on her face. I could not tell if it was because anyone thought she was drunk or that they thought she was my girlfriend.
As we drove home Sam's hilarity resumed and kept asking what the people in the small square SUV had done with the hamsters.
Mom told me to put her in my bed. I decided to ask later and maneuvered Sam to my bedroom as she protested that she was not at all sleepy. About five seconds after her head hit the pillow she was sound asleep.
Mom was waiting for me at the kitchen table drinking coffee. I made myself a cup and sat with her. She did not say anything at first.
Eventually she said, "I want you to treat her as if she is your girlfriend until graduation. You have that trip to Costa Rica and she has to set up for a classroom so you only need to be her boyfriend for two and a half weeks. By the time you return she will be in teacher meetings.
