"Mom, why don't you come back home and live in Grandpa's place? We'd love for you to live here!"
"Oh, I don't know Faith. That old house needs so much work. I should have fixed it up and rented it out when he passed away, but your father and I didn't want to spend the money and now...I don't even want to think about it."
"But you and Dad paid property taxes on it every year and by not renting it out it cost you money anyway. So you either need to renovate it or finally get rid of it, right?"
"I can't argue with that, honey. I suppose I could sell the house here in Chicago and use that money to fix up Dad's place. It would be both pleasant and a little strange moving back into the house I grew up in and left 25 years ago, though," she told her 22-year old daughter.
"Mom, I know you have friends there now, but Katie and David and I all live here and so do all of your old friends, so please consider moving back home. Please, Mom?"
"I have thought about it a lot lately. When your father passed away just having you kids here to visit meant everything to me. But you have lives back in Washington and I knew you could only stay so long. I have to admit I do you miss all the time—a lot."
"Look, Mom. David and I have talked about this and you can stay with us while you're having Grandpa's house remodeled. We'd love to have you. And Katie said the same thing. I'm not supposed to tell you, but I think her boyfriend is about to pop the question any day now."
"Seriously? Oh Faith, that's wonderful! He's such a nice young man. And I didn't say this, but he's very good looking."
"Well I didn't say this, but...yeah! He really is hot! I love David, and he's a very handsome man. But Troy is...yummy!"
"Faith, you're terrible," her mother said with a laugh. "But he is very cute. Doesn't his family own that business out by our old place?"
"Yep. That's them. Porter Homes. They do pretty much everything from new construction to extensive remodeling and their work is top notch. The dad owns it but Troy and his older brother, Dax, do all the work now. Well, the two of them and a bunch of other very talented guys. Oh! And speaking of cute...his brother is even better looking than Troy. Dax is too-die-for hot! It's kind of sad, but he has a beautiful 12-year daughter growing up without a mom."
"Yes! I heard about that. What a tragedy. Poor thing. How long's that been? A year or so, right?"
"No, that was well over two years ago," her daughter told her. "But to get back to something less difficult to talk about and just in case you're interested, their dad, Troy, Senior, is divorced now and still a very good-looking guy, himself, Mom. I'm sure Katie could introduce you."
"Oh, stop!" she said only half pretending to be put out. "I've been on three dates in the last three months and honestly? It just isn't worth the effort."
"Mom? Dad's been gone nearly a year and a half. And while we're on the topic of 'hotties' you're...pretty hot yourself, you know. And don't tell me you're not aware of it."
At 45, Olivia Roberts really was still a very attractive woman. Not living around her two daughters who were now 23 and 21, respectively, after having moved to Chicago with her late husband three years ago due to a big promotion in his advertising business, she was no longer ever asked if she were their sister or friend rather than their mom. But it had happened often enough once Faith turned 18 that it couldn't be mere coincidence that different people who didn't know them said something similar wherever they'd went.
She'd always taken excellent care of herself, and her husband, who appreciated having such a beautiful, youthful-looking wife, had always made sure she had access to a spa and any kind of beauty treatments or products she wanted. The truth was she looked great even without makeup, but anytime she wanted to she could knock it out of the park by putting just a bit on and stepping into a killer outfit.
Unlike most women her age, she could still wear her silky blonde hair shoulder length or in a youthful-looking ponytail. That said, she was finally getting tired of the time it took to wash, dry, set, and style it anytime she did want to dress up nicely.
On top of all that, Olivia's smooth, flawless skin was the envy of every woman at the spa or the country club, a place where her membership came as a perk of her late husband's big promotion. Those same women also told her it just wasn't fair that after having had two children that she could still be a size 6.
"I bet her boobs don't even sag yet!" was a common catty remark often spoken behind her back. The truth was they were a perfect full C and...they didn't.
Olivia didn't know any other widowed women her age so she couldn't compare notes, but then she really didn't care how well other women might be coping with having lost their husband and best friend. All she knew was she desperately missed everything about him from his warm smile to their passionate lovemaking. She'd never tell her daughters but after a very healthy love life when they'd lived at home, it had really blossomed once they became empty nesters. No longer forced to hold back or be quiet because the girls might hear, Olivia became the initiator most of the time, something her husband loved almost as much as her. Now, she was alone and...lonely...night after night.
That first year, nothing had interested her and especially not the thought of sex and most definitely not dating. But the last six months and particularly the last three, she'd found herself well, horny, nearly all the time. She'd been asked out no less than 20 times in those six months and said 'yes' to just three men—the only ones she found attractive enough to date. And of those three, she'd said yes to just one of them.
He was 48 and by far the best-looking man who'd asked her out, and he was also a true gentleman who was intelligent and someone capable of stimulating her intellectually and later—physically. Or at least she'd believed he could and he'd given it his best shot. The problem was he had a serious um...shortcoming.
Olivia had heard the pejorative term 'size queen' before and laughed it off as so much silliness. And why wouldn't she? Her husband was more than adequate in that area and of the three men she'd had sex with before marrying him, all of them had been roughly the same size as the others, so size really hadn't ever mattered. It was a non-issue.
But this man, this still very attractive man, was so small it really did make a difference. She hated that she couldn't get passed this seemingly unimportant issue, but she couldn't. He 'tickled' her rather than satisfied her, and she wasn't ready to throw in the towel on sexual satisfaction no matter what else he brought to the table. His looks and intelligence aside, she didn't need a husband or money and she'd be damned if she'd marry someone she felt she was just settling for in any area that mattered. No thank you very much.
She'd also never admit to having broken down and bought a vibrator for the first time in her life with the worst part of it being that her tiny little 'friend' did a better job than her own handsome male lover. If he was the best she could do, maybe staying single wasn't such a bad thing, especially when the thought of spending the rest of her life with someone she didn't find either attractive or, frankly, big enough, was so completely unacceptable.
"Mom? Hel-looo! Are you listening?" Faith said.
"Sorry, honey. My mind was wandering. What is it you kids say? My bad, right?"
Faith laughed then told her mom, "I guess people used to say that—ten years ago."
"Oh, gee. Thanks a lot, Faith. Way to make me feel really old!"
Both of them laughed before Faith said, "You're not old Mom. Like I said, you're hot. But enough of that. You need to move back home, and please don't make me beg—again. And don't make me have to resort to a conference call with Katie begging you with me, either."
Olivia sighed then said, "Are you sure David doesn't mind or did you twist his arm and tell him not to mind?"
"Mom! Stop! David loves you, too. You know that. Both of us want you to move back home. And don't forget we'll be having your grandchild some day down the road."
Olivia knew she didn't have to physically be in Chicago to sell their home. One of the best friends she'd made in their suburban neighborhood was a real estate agent so all she'd need to do is give her Power of Attorney to sell it and have a moving company pack up her stuff and put it in storage back in the Seattle area until her dad's place was renovated.
"Okay, Faith. I'm in! I'll get the house on the market this week and the movers in here as soon as possible."
"Really, Mom? Oh, my goodness! I am SO happy!!! I'm hanging up so I can call Katie right now, okay?"
