It was raining when I woke up Sunday morning, and the lousy weather fit my mood. I laid awake quite a while the night before trying to figure out a way to move Mother from my father's bedroom to mine but I couldn't come up with any answers that didn't involve committing a crime that would get me a life sentence in prison. I discarded all of the ideas because I didn't want to win the battle and lose the war. When I did fall asleep, I slept fitfully so I woke up a little tired and a lot grumpy.
I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt; then I went to the bathroom to take a shower, shave, and generally make myself as presentable as I could. I could hear Mother working in the kitchen and smelled the things she was cooking. Actually, it smelled a little like she might be making corned beef hash. That helped my mood a little. I love the homemade hash she makes.
After I'd finished in the bathroom, I went out to the kitchen and was surprised to find Mother there alone. She was wearing another of her faded housedresses and had an old apron tied around her waist. She heard me coming, turned around, and smiled at me. "Good mornin', J.J.," she said.
"Good morning," I replied. "Where's he?"
Mother knew I was talking about my father. Her smile got brighter. "Gone," she said. "Believe it or not, he came home sober - at least sober for him - last night. He got up early, had a cup of coffee and took off."
I wanted to let myself feel excited, but I wasn't sure I should. "He say when he's coming home?" I asked.
Mother's smile got brighter. She turned down the burner on the gas stove, set the spatula she was holding her hand on the stove, and started toward me, wiping her hands her hands on her apron as she walked. When she reached me, she wrapped one arm around my waist, grabbed my head with the other hand, plastered her body against mine, and gave me a kiss that resulted in my getting an instant erection. After the kiss ended, she leaned back and grinned at me. "He said he wasn't sure he'd be home tonight," she told me. "I wonder if he's sick. He looked really shaky this morning."
"It's probably because he didn't have enough to drink last night," I said. I grabbed her around the waist, hauled her into a hug, and kissed her just as hotly as she'd kissed me.
"Looks like you're awake," she giggled, rocking her hips against my erection.
"How could I not be, finding a gorgeous woman like you in the kitchen waiting for me?" I retorted.
Mother flushed a little. I knew she liked when I complimented her on her looks, but I also knew she wasn't totally comfortable with the compliments.
I kissed her again. "You are one hot lady," I said.
Her face got even redder. "Oh, yeah, sure," she said. "This old faded dress is a real hot item. I seen the kinda stuff women wear on some 'a those web sites on your computer. I don't look like they do."
I hugged her against me. "Maybe I should get you some sexy new clothes," I said. I chuckled. "Some fancy underwear, too."
I looked down at her and saw that she was blushing. "What good would stuff like that do me, livin' out here the way we do?" she said. "And how'd I explain havin' fancy undies to your daddy?"
I laughed. "When was the last time he saw you in your underwear?" I asked.
Mother looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then she smiled. "Been a real long time. Maybe ten years, give or take."
"So how would he know if you were wearing sexy underwear, then?" I asked.
Mother continued to blush. "Just the same, you don't need to be wastin' your money on stuff like that," she said softly.
I hugged her against me and kissed her on the forehead. "OK," I said. "Not now. But maybe..."
Mother pulled out of my arms. "Come on," she said. "Breakfast is going to get cold."
We sat down at the table and ate.
"What are we going to do today?" I asked as I ate. "Weather being like it is, we sure can't do much outside."
"I got plenty of stuff to do here in the house," Mother said. "You don't need to help me do anything, though," she added quickly.
I reached across the table, laid my hand on hers, and gave it a squeeze. "You know I like helping you," I told her.
"I know you do," she replied. "Thing is, I have a hard time with you helpin' me do housework."
"Why?"
"I guess it's 'cause I was raised up to believe women're supposeta do that stuff, not men."
"That's bull," I said. "Men should help with housework. Cooking, too."
"I guess you're probably right," Mother said. "But I can't quite get useta the idea, you know?"
"You will, eventually," I said. "Because I'm going to keep helping you, whether you like it or not."
Mother smiled and nodded. "I know you will," she said. "You're a good son."
We ate for a while, not saying anything. I was just about finished when I looked up and saw Mother looking at me. Her smile had faded and she had a very serious look on her face.
"What's the matter?" I asked her.