After Mom left to return to Elaine's, Jenni and I both said she would be back quite soon. It was obvious that she was torn by the decision she had to make but it wasn't as simple as where do we go for dinner. It was a commitment to a lifestyle change and we didn't feel that she was able to do that. Hopefully, they could part as friends, and perhaps occasional lovers but that remained to be seen.
With Jenni's upcoming graduation, we too would see a major change in our lives. Other arrangements would have to be made for my transportation to and from school and our income would take a big jump since she had already accepted a position at the new regional cancer and cardiac center.
I talked to my doctors about driving again but they were not encouraging at all and they had legitimate concerns, but when they talked about a specially equipped car, it hit me hard. I didn't feel all that bad. I mean, I had some occasional pain and all, but I was getting around without so much as a cane, albeit a bit wobbly, and to hear them say that was an emotional setback. Their concern was that in case of a panic stop or even a mild front end collision, my legs and hips would simply collapse under the strain. They didn't rule it out completely, but they weren't willing to agree for at least another year.
A lot of changes in everyone's lives were just around the corner but we didn't know it yet. For one thing, as expected, Mom came back home, an event that was celebrated with an all night sex fest which left us with extremely irritated clits from the Hitachi, tender anus from the strap-ons, and total exhaustion. Thank god we all had a day to recoup from that one.
After a few days to rework schedules and all, we slipped back into our old routines except that graduation began forcing us to change some things, including the fact that I had to make other arrangements to get back and forth to school for the last three weeks of the semester. Fortunately, I was able to find at least a partial solution when I was introduced to one of the professors that taught in the evenings that might be able to help me out. Her name was Linda Walters who taught in the advanced math department.
I was immediately impressed with her whole persona. About mid thirties, shoulder length chestnut brown hair and blue eyes. When she smiled, yo couldn't help but like her.
After reviewing my class schedules, she highlighted the days she might have a conflict and I told her I would get with Jenni and see if we could work something out. We exchanged phone numbers and as we talked, I casually took several pictures of her to show to Jenni in hopes that she might know more about her.
As it turned out, Jenni knew quite a bit about her work but not a lot about the person. What she was able to report though, was enough to convince me to trust her to get me to my classes on time and back home at the end of the school day. As we were talking about her, I noticed that Mom was looking at her picture with a little bit more than a casual interest, but I didn't say anything at the time.
It was during the trip home one evening that I invited Linda to have dinner with us that Friday. She started to decline but I talked her into it and when I told her there were no men living with us, she smiled and accepted.
When I walked into the house, Mom was just putting dinner on the table and Jenni came in right after I did. I told them of my invitation and suggested that we do a spiced cider pork roast with sweet potatoes and a salad.
"I don't have classes on Friday," I said. "I can start the roast early and do a slow roast so it's nice and tender."
"I'll pick up some wine on the way home," Mom said. "How about some sauvignon blanc?"
"Oh, get that one you got a couple of weeks ago," Jenni said. "That was so smooth and dreamy."
"Jenni, why don't you stop by the deli and get a plain cheesecake?" Mom said. "We'll doctor it up with some blackberry brandy sauce."
"It sounds like a romantic dinner for four," I said. "Are you checking our new friend out, Mom?" I asked.
"Just keeping an open mind now that I'm not in a committed relationship," she said.
"I saw the way you were checking out her picture," I said.
"I thought I might know her," she said, "and I'm still not sure. She's younger than I was thinking I believe. She's what, in her thirties?"
"Thirty three, I think," I said."Where would you know her from?"
"I suspect that I actually knew her mother," she said. "That would make more sense. I know I've seen that face before. She's quite lovely."
"Down girl," I said, "You don't know anything about her."
"That doesn't mean that I can't have certain thoughts though," she said.
When they finally met that night, she remembered Mom being at their house with another woman for some kind of club planning session.
"The women's challenge," Mom said. "It was a fund raising event about ten years ago. We raised a lot of money for women's programs as I recall."
"Well over a hundred thousand dollars I believe," she said. "Mom said it was the last time she'd work that hard while others sat on their hands and watched."
"I think we all felt that way," Mom said.
One thing led to another and right after dinner, Mom went with Linda to visit her mother since they hadn't seen each other in years. After they'd left, Jenni and I were doing homework when she went to get us something to drink.
"Is it just me, or did you sense some chemistry between those two?" she asked.
"Oh boy, I'd say," I said. "When you went to the bathroom, I was watching them and Mom was almost drooling. I'm not sure but I think they were holding hands under the table most of the time."
"What do you think the chances are that Mom will be moving again?" she asked.
"About fifty-fifty," I said, "but there's also the possibility that she will be our new housemate soon."
About a week later, Linda was giving me a ride home from school, when she gave me a clue of why Mom had been late getting home several times.
