"Mom, are you all right?" Cassie asked.
"Yes," Ann said. "I just wasn't prepared for such an announcement. When did you get married?"
"Saturday night," Eric said. "We're on our honeymoon."
"Except for Tuesday night when he had to go to work for a while," Cassie added.
"One of our clients had a quarterly report that had to be finished. Anyway, Cassie insisted we stop by. I'm very happy to meet you, Mrs. Harper." Did he mean 'meet' or 'meat'?
"Please call me Ann."
"And I'm Tom," I said. "Let's not just stand here. Have a seat."
"Yes," Ann said. "This calls for a celebration. Cassie, why don't you put your bags in your room? We'll get some wine. Tom, would you give me a hand?" We went to the kitchen. Ann pressed the door closed behind her. "Sit down." There was desperation in her voice. "I have to talk to you."
"Does it have to be now?" I asked. "We have a marriage to celebrate."
"Yes, it has to be now. You have to hear this from me." We sat down at the table. "Don't interrupt me; just listen.
"Tuesday night I didn't stay home. I went out to the place we went to last night. I can't believe I'm saying this. I picked up a man and brought him home. Please believe me when I say I'd never done it before; I hadn't. I bought an outfit just like the one I wore last night. I was so horny, and when you called to say that you weren't coming home, I couldn't help myself. I needed to be fucked right away. I picked him up, brought him home, took him outside in the grass where you wouldn't find any stains, and screwed him. In the middle of it, I had him take me in the ass. I'd always wanted to try it, and I figured it was the only chance I'd get. I had no idea he was our son-in-law." I pressed my hands to my mouth and let out a big sigh. I had to respond. I already knew everything she had said. I didn't expect her to admit the butt-fucking. Should I tell her my side of the story, or keep quiet? Should I admit everything, or just the part about having seen them? My silence had to end. "Say something!"
"What do you want to hear?"
"Anything. You hate me. You want a divorce. Something."
"Was he a good fuck?"
"I don't believe you. I tell you I cheated on you, and you want to know if he's a good lay."
"It's the only way I'll ever know if Cassie has gotten herself a good lover. She certainly isn't going to tell me."
"You're unbelievable!"
"Ann, I love you. Nothing will ever change that. But why are you telling me all this?"
"Because he's probably going to threaten to tell Cassie unless I agree to keep fucking him."
"What would he tell her? 'Honey I wasn't working on our honeymoon. I was screwing your mother instead.' She would divorce him in an instant."
"You don't seem the least bit surprised."
"You've been a lot hotter the last couple days. I can't complain about that."
"I think you're turned on over it. Or have you been screwing around too? Have you fucked another woman since we've been married?"
Confession is supposed to be good for the soul, but it doesn't always work for a marriage. At that point I didn't seem to have any choice. How else could I explain my seeming indifference? "Yes."
"I thought so. When?"
"Tuesday night."
"I guess Eric isn't the only liar in this family."
"I did work late. We finished sooner than expected. I figured you would have eaten dinner, so I stopped to get a sandwich."