Bouncing Back Ch 02 1

BOUNCING BACK

-- CHAPTER TWO

The week seemed to go slowly for Cathy. It was the rainiest July on record. Mabel and James were meant to be at a summer camp, run at their elementary school. But the surrounding roads had been flooded, and they had spent two days at home indoors, driving her crazy with their constant squabbling. And she had had to take two PTOs. Of course Wayne was far too busy to help out.

Cathy had tried not to think of Sarah too much, more than aware that she was building things up, when there was probably no basis for this. But still... Still the words she had silently mouthed, mid-orgasm, bothered her. Love? How could she love a woman she had met only once, and in difficult circumstances? Cathy put it down to a bump on the head and middle-aged foolishness. Nevertheless, she found herself counting the hours until the next trampoline park visit.

Saturday morning, she was wide awake at 5am. There had been a time, long ago, when she would have roused Wayne. They might have made love as the sun rose. Now? Now he was snoring obliviously. Instead she spent way too long scrolling through her Facebook mom group, getting depressed at image -- after image -- after image of happy families with well-behaved kids. What had gone so wrong? At least it stopped her obsessing about Sarah.

At 6am Cathy decided to do something positive and went downstairs to make coffee. As it was bubbling away, she heard the thud of James coming down the stairs. How could a six-year-old boy make so much noise?

"Mom, I wanna muffin. And an O." James had used O to mean orange as a rugrat and the term had stuck.

"How about the magic word, Jamie?"

"Please!" The little boy did a fair impression of a petulant teenager. Cathy was scared to think what he might be like at fifteen.

She gathered the requested items, added a glass of water and placed them on the kitchen table. James already had his headphones on and was watching something on Disney+. He was always the early riser, Mabel was unlikely to appear for another two hours.

The coffee was ready and Cathy slumped onto the couch in the family room. She looked around her before opening Sarah's Instagram. Sure she was a stalker. Yes she had set up a fake IG account just to check her out. But that didn't make her a bad person, did it? Cathy knew the answer to that question, but still she scrolled.

It was one particular photo that she was looking for. Ah! There it was. Sarah with Izzy at a beach bar. It looked like Mexico maybe, the caption wasn't helpful. Both had oversized cocktails, but it was not the drinks that had caught Cathy's attention. It was the tiny, blue bikini that Sarah was wearing. That and the athletic body it revealed.

What she was doing was an invasion of privacy. A betrayal even. And it was obviously as creepy as fuck. Still, it was hard not to look at the shape of Sarah's nipples, clearly outlined beneath the top's tight fabric. Even harder to ignore was Sarah's bikini bottom, which left little to the imagination about the curves and indentations of her vulva. Cathy shifted her position, aware of a tingling starting deep within her.

"Mom! I want Cheerios." She jumped. That was James, either a herd of elephants, or as stealthy as a ninja. As she filled his plastic bowl, James continued. "Was that the nice trampoline lady you were looking at?"

Cathy hastily stated that of course it wasn't, and even more hastily made a vow to be more aware of her surroundings going forward.

Feeling rather guilty, Cathy decided to make chocolate waffles as a penance. It was therapeutic chopping the bananas and mixing the batter, something random to fill her overactive mind. The smell of them cooking brought Mabel out of her room and the three of them sat munching, Cathy now on her second coffee of the morning.

Wayne joined them just as they were finishing. "Any for me?" Cathy pointed to a plate on the counter. Wayne gave her a perfunctory kiss and went in search of coffee.

Cathy called after him, "we have to get going soon, can you help getting the kids changed?"

Wayne waved a hand without looking round. "Sure, just let me have my breakfast first."

"But I need help now... oh never mind. Mabs, Jamie, upstairs! No leave the plates. Daddy can at least do something... for a change." If Wayne even heard her barbed comment, he showed no sign, head in his 'phone as he ate and drank.

At least the kids were excited to go, and so more cooperative than normal. James even dressed himself, which was close to unheard of. Twenty minutes later, they were in the minivan, and on the road.

+ + + + +

As new members, they could skip the line. Looking at the length of it, Cathy was happy that she had signed them up. Now checked in and taking off their shoes, she scanned the gym for Sarah, but there was no sign. She contemplated asking one of the other employees, before deciding this was a really bad idea.

Mabel and James zipped off, leaving Cathy to finish changing into her trampoline socks. She paused for breath after pulling on the right one. It didn't use to be this hard to bend down. Maybe she needed to start yoga again.

There was still no Sarah. Cathy tried to ignore the sinking feeling inside. She focused on playing with James, and trying to stop Mabel from crashing into other children, so frenetic was her gleeful embrace of bouncing from one end of the gym to the other.

The time passed and Cathy resigned herself to not seeing Sarah again. It was probably for the best. She was such a fool to think that their time together last week had meant as much to the younger woman as it had to her. She was embarrassed. Still, the kids were having a great time and burning off lots of energy. They'd probably settle after lunch and she could have a nice relax.

Then, just as she had told Mabel and James that they needed to get going for the third time, she heard a voice. "Cathy, oh Cathy!"

It was her. Smiling and looking apologetic. "Hi, so glad I caught you. A child clashed heads with another and I was... well I don't have to explain, do I?"

"Oh dear, are they OK?" Cathy tried her best to sound genuinely concerned, but her heart was racing at seeing Sarah again.

"Yeah, all good. I'm sorry I wasn't around. Oh! Hi Mabs."

Mabel had bounced into Sarah. It was intended as a hug, but her momentum made it more like a tackle. Sarah laughed it off.

"So, the competition trampolines? That will have to wait until next week. Sorry if you are disappointed.

Force majeure

, I'm afraid."

Cathy said it was no problem. Compared to her relief at seeing Sarah, it really was no big deal.

Something else was clearly on Sarah's mind. Her face even looked a little troubled. "Anyway, Cathy. I wanted to ask you a favor. It's OK if you are too busy. And it's really none of your business. I just... I would really appreciate talking to someone. Someone..."

Cathy finished her sentence. "...older?"

Sarah laughed. "No. Not that, you're not exactly ancient." Cathy felt her cheeks redden. "Let's say, more experienced. It's Izzy, she's being difficult and I'd just like to get some advice."

Cathy struggled to keep her voice steady. "Of course. Like... now? Or...?"

"Oh, thank you!" Sarah threw her arms around Cathy and hugged her tight. Stepping back, leaving Cathy breathless, she continued. "But not now. Are you free at all early next week, maybe Monday or Tuesday? We could get coffee. I'll pay."

"Yes, of course. Anytime. I can be free anytime." Cathy felt like ramming her fist in her mouth, so eager was her reply. But Sarah seemed unfazed.

"OK, thank you so much. Monday then. Is 11am OK for you?"

"Perfect, see you then."

Sarah looked at her quizzically. "Um.. don't we need to exchange contacts and... you know... agree where to meet?"

Cathy was sure her face must look like a strawberry by now. "Oh, yes. Silly me. Of course."

The two women exchanged details, Sarah suggested a place, and Cathy quickly agreed.

"OK, Cathy. I have to get back to the kid. See you Monday."

She gave Cathy another hug and the older woman didn't want to let her go. But eventually they parted and Sarah gave a cheerful wave as she headed back to her patient.

Cathy couldn't stop beaming all the way home. Wayne even noticed for once and commented that she was in a good mood. Good mood didn't really capture it for Cathy. She felt like she was walking on air. Though a nagging voice kept telling her not to read too much into things. Not to get carried away. 'Fuck that,' thought Cathy. 'Coffee is a start.'

+ + + + +

Cathy's happiness had lasted through the weekend and into Monday morning. Even Mabel refusing to get out of bed and missing her school bus didn't dent it. As she drove back from the school, she asked Amazon Music to play Montell Jordan, and spent the rest of the trip singing 'This is how we do it' at the top of her voice.

Cathy had a work meeting until 10am, then had booked the next few hours out as being devoted to monthly reporting. A few hours should be fine. And her June management update was indeed overdue. Still, she'd worry about that some other time. Today was much more important.

At home, Cathy managed to negotiate her Teams call without doing or saying anything embarrassing. But her mind was on coffee, not work. The ordeal survived, she showered and then had the usual dilemma of what to wear. At least the rain had finally stopped and it was forecast to be a warm day. Maybe a Summer dress. She still had two that kinda fit, but didn't get to wear them very often. Staring in the mirror, she held first one and then the other to her body, then jumped a little as Wayne asked, "what are you doing, going out?"

Cathy was flustered, she should have laid some groundwork with her husband, but had been too preoccupied. A version of the truth seemed best. "Just meeting a friend for coffee. She's been having some relationship problems."

Wayne grunted in a vaguely uninterested manner, then said, "wear the pink one, you always look nice in that."

It was an unaccustomed compliment, and Cathy couldn't help but follow up on it. "Really? I... I didn't think that you thought about me like that. Not... not anymore." She felt her eyes moisten and her heart beat a little faster.

"Sure, honey. You've still got it."

Without even thinking why, Cathy embraced Wayne, and held him close. Their lips met almost unintentionally and the kiss was both familiar and warm. Then a chime rang out. Wayne pulled his 'phone out and checked it. "That was nice, honey. I've missed that. But I've got a meeting soon. Maybe we could pick up later...?"

Cathy was struck by the note of pleading in her husband's voice and -- after he had left -- stood silently, thoughts racing.

Wayne had never figured in her thinking up until now. But what was she doing? What was she thinking of doing? This was crazy, right? Foolish, that word yet again. Maybe it would be best to cancel. Yes, she needed to think. She'd tell Sarah something had come up.

Cathy found her own 'phone, and was looking for the details that Sarah had shared, when it buzzed. Still on silent, she thought. It was Sarah, saying how much she appreciated Cathy meeting her and that she would see her soon.

Soon? Cathy checked the time. Shit! Thoughts of cancellation evaporated. She thew on the pink dress, dried her hair, and put on a little make up. As she assessed herself in the mirror, Cathy figured that she would think about her and Wayne later. It was just coffee after all.

+ + + + +

It was pleasantly warm as Cathy walked down the drive to the minivan. She decided her sweater was superfluous and threw it in the back. The place that they had agreed to meet was only ten minutes away. Sitting in the driver's seat, she felt a little disoriented. There were so many things competing for attention in her head. Cathy took a few deep breaths, told herself that it would be OK, and pushed the ignition button.

The parking lot was close to empty. As Cathy was getting out of the van, an Uber swept in and deposited Sarah. It occurred to Cathy that -- bikinis aside -- she had never seen Sarah in anything but gym kit. Today she wore a simple pink T shirt and a denim skirt. It wasn't a mini, but was still quite short, and Cathy had taken note of Sarah's long, toned legs as she got out of the car. She looked impossibly young to Cathy. A reflection of her own lost youth and fitness.

Sarah stepped forward, saying hi, and embraced Cathy. It was strange how quickly this intimacy had developed between them. Cathy also reflected that a woman she hardly knew was about to rely on her for relationship advice. The thing was, with Sarah, it didn't feel odd, it felt natural. As if they were old friends. Together they walked to the café, and Sarah held the door for the older woman. Cathy hobbled self-mockingly and Sarah's laughter rang out.

There was table service and the two women browsed the menu in silence for a while, sitting on opposing benches. Cathy ordered a chocolate muffin with her latte, Sarah clearly had more of a 'my body is a temple' vibe going on and stuck to a skinny flat white and a glass of water. They talked about not much for a while, Sarah asking about the kids, Cathy inquiring about the other woman's family. But, when their drinks had arrived, and Cathy had taken a few sips, Sarah launched into her Izzy-related difficulties.

To Cathy, nothing seemed that big of a deal. She tried to remember being Sarah's age. Had she really got so caught up in little things back then? Laughing inwardly, she reminded herself that she was definitely getting caught up in things right now. Sarah's issues seemed so everyday, banal even, but they clearly hurt her. Also, sitting one on one with her, was... well distracting, to say the very least. Other thoughts kept forcing their way into her head. Ones that weren't terribly conducive to concentrating on what was being said. Ones involving long legs and taut stomachs. Partly as a way to suppress these feelings, Cathy began to focus on Sarah's green and amber eyes. But then she got lost in their bright beauty. Her reverie was broken only when she saw tears form in them, and her instinctive reaction was to reach out.

Cathy's finger-tips touched the back of Sarah's hand, and the younger woman's words became a background drone, so intense was the sensation of this little intimacy. Cathy noticed that she was holding her breath. The room had turned to frozen gray around them.

Sarah must have felt something too. Her eyes had been downcast, now they met Cathy's directly. Her voice petered out, and the two of them simply stared silently at each other for minutes.

It was Sarah who broke the spell. "I'm so happy that I have a friend to talk to."

Cathy extended her other arm and held Sarah's hands. The word friend had sounded so magical to her. The warmth of its single syllable had bathed her. Sarah broke eye contact and began to sob. Again, without conscious thought, Cathy moved to join Sarah on her bench and put an arm around the younger woman's shoulder. Sarah leaned her head sideways and nestled into the crook of Cathy's arm, her body trembling with emotion.

Cathy was more that aware of their closeness. Of Sarah's cheek against her breast. But now her feelings were dominated by caring. Maybe Sarah's issues were minor in the grand scheme of things, but they mattered to her and so they mattered to Cathy. She raised a hand and stroked her friend's hair.

A waitress brought Cathy's muffin, placed it on the the table, and turned to leave. Apparently overcome by the human tendency towards empathy, she stopped and asked, "is your daughter OK, can I get you anything?"

Cathy's initial horror was swept away by Sarah's giggling. "I'm fine, thanks.

Mom

is looking after me."

With that the two women dissolved in laughter. Sarah sat up straight, tears still running down her cheeks, but now overtaken by mirth. Cathy felt an almost uncontrollable desire to kiss her. Almost. With extreme effort, she restrained herself.

Once they were alone again, Sarah spoke. "So what do you think I should do?"

Cathy had absorbed maybe half of what Sarah had been saying, but she assembled some generic response, to her mind, devoid of any insight. But it seemed to be what Sarah needed to hear. She took the older woman's hand and squeezed it, mouthing, "thank you."

Sarah collected herself. "I'm sorry. I'm such a mess. But please, have your coffee. Can I have a bite of your muffin. I think I'm allowed a bite?"

Reluctantly, Cathy returned to her own side of the table and they talked about less emotional matters for the next forty-five minutes. After that, Cathy had to go. Sarah insisted on paying as she had said. She hugged Cathy tightly and once more thanked her for the advice.

Sitting back in the minivan, Cathy felt rather a fraud. She didn't think that she had done much to help. Then maybe all that Sarah really needed was someone to listen to her.

The thoughts that filled Cathy's head as she drove back were of tantalizing physical proximity and of that word: friend.

+ + + + +

After she had read James a story and Wayne had done the same with Mabel, the two of them sat down together. It had been so long since they had had a heart to heart. Wayne had asked. Cathy had agreed, partly motivated by the guilt that was creeping into her conciousness.

Wayne spoke first. "So, I guess it's obvious to say that things haven't been going so well with us. I suppose that's a lot of things. Work, the kids, different interests, I dunno, maybe we are growing apart or something."

Cathy felt a constriction in her chest. What Wayne was saying was pretty much true. She took a breath and tried to be an adult about it. "Well, yeah, it's tough being parents. It seems to have driven us further apart, not closer together. But, I said further. I think maybe it's exacerbated things, not created problems."

Wayne was paying more attention to her than he did during the average month. "Problems, what problems?"

"Well, it's hard to think you even like me anymore. Half the time you ignore me. Half the time you're pissed at me. And..." dare she say it? "...you seem to prefer the computer or your 'phone to me. Is there someone you like talking to more. Someone... someone better than me?"

Wayne looked shocked. "No. Not really. Listen, we've not clicked in -- shit, it feels like years -- I feel frustrated, sexually frustrated. I feel... fuck, I'm just going to say it, I feel like you never want me, can't stand the sight of me."

Cathy stared are her husband, not knowing what to say. He filled the vacuum. "So, yeah, I watch porn. Not always, but sometimes. I feel like crap when I do. And... I signed up for OnlyFans. I liked this girl. I know it's as creepy as fuck, but she reminded me of you. You back when you were interested in me. Nothing, nothing really happened. I jerked off to some of her vids, but that's it. I talked to her, but I just ended up saying how I wished my wife liked me more. That's it, I swear! I cancelled the subscription. It made me realize that I don't want some woman on-line. I just want you. And there has been no one else, not ever. Just you."

Wayne's eyes filled with tears and -- for the second time that day -- Cathy went into comforter mode. As she sat next to her husband, and put an arm around him, she was acutely aware of earlier with Sarah.

Wayne swivelled and buried his head in Cathy's chest, sobbing. He was from a generation where guys sucked it up, didn't cry. That only made his tears more heartbreaking now.

Cathy was a mess. Her anger had evaporated. The guilt had forced it out. She really was in no position to judge. She felt bad for Wayne. But -- and this thought would not shift out of her head -- she had felt more about Sarah. She had wanted to comfort Sarah more. What was wrong with her?