The process of divorce is never easy. Lawyers, negotiations and arguments always wear both parties down, and it was no different for me.
I had been married to Albert for almost 20 years and we had a beautiful son named Chris. He was already in college and living in another state, so at least the custody issue wasn't a problem.
My ex-husband and I were already doing poorly during Chris's last years of school, and since he was always a boy focused on his studies, we decided to postpone this issue until he went to college, as we were afraid it would get in the way. Even after he was already there, studying dentistry at the same college where his father and I graduated. I didn't tell my son about the divorce until it was all signed, and as soon as he found out by phone, he made time to spend at least one weekend here at home, but he didn't come alone.
It was a hot Friday when Chris and his new friend and roommate, Patrick, arrived from their trip. As much as I thought the friendship was too new to take him on a trip to his mother's house in another state, I would never say no to my son. It was his first few months abroad and I missed him terribly. Besides, I was feeling so lonely that I thought it would be great to have a little extra company to liven up this house that had been so quiet.
I'm a 44-year-old woman, but aside from my modesty, my appearance makes many people believe I'm not that old. With brown hair and eyes, I'm considered tall by the average woman. My body is beautiful due to the years I've dedicated to exercise and good nutrition; my belly is slightly toned, my butt is large, and some muscles like my triceps and quadriceps are visible even when I'm resting. My breasts are medium sized and I'm really happy with them, so much so that I turned down a gift of silicone from my ex-husband.
When they arrived around noon, I went to the stove to cook Chris's favorite dish. That day I wore a green knit dress that reached halfway down my thick thighs and had a thin strap that left a good part of my back and breasts exposed. I look beautiful in it, but that wasn't the intention, I just wanted to wear something light on that hot day.
*Ding Dong*
I had barely finished turning off the stove when the doorbell rang. I smiled broadly, knowing it was my son, and quickly took off the apron I was wearing to avoid getting my dress dirty while cooking, hung it on the wall, and walked to the front door. I was nervous and anxious, so I stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath and finally opened it.
"Hi, Mom!" Chris smiled when he saw me.
He is a little taller than me, still looking like a teenager, with no beard, short blond hair like his father, but with his mother's brown eyes. Speaking of his father, it was Albert who picked them up at the airport and brought them to our... my house.
"Darling, I miss you so much..." I replied, hugging him tightly and then turning to his friend. "And you must be...." I froze not because I'd forgotten his name, but because I was overwhelmed by what I saw.
Patrick is a very handsome, strong young man, taller than Cristiano and me, with white skin, green eyes and black hair. Despite the lack of a beard, he looked like a man, even though he was the same 19 years old as Chris. He had a broad smile, and as a dentist, I couldn't help but notice his well aligned, white, but natural teeth. I'd seen a photo of him with my son on Instagram, but meeting him in person was different.
"Patrick." He said in his thick voice when he realized I wasn't going to finish the sentence. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Patrick. Sorry, I'm terrible with names." I tried to hide it with a smile.
We greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek and I felt his big hand on my waist.
"It's a pleasure, Ms. Lemos." Patrick made a point of using my last name and not my ex-husband's, even though my son is better known by it, and that immediately won him points with me.
"You can call me Claudia, you don't need all this formality." Before they could say anything, I pointed to the door and said: "Please come in! Lunch is ready and you must be hungry."
"I won't lie to you mom, I'm starving." Chris said as he walked through the door.
Patrick entered soon after without saying a word.
"Son, I made the fricassee you love." I closed the door and followed them in.
"Wow, that's delicious, Mom." Chris walked down the hall, looking for something on the walls.
It was his first time home after the divorce, so I imagine he was looking for the family photos we had there.
"Tell you what, Chris, show Patrick around the house while I set the table for lunch." I said to distract him and keep him from thinking about it.
"Sure!" He replied and started the tour with his friend.
As for me, I went back to the kitchen and got everything ready; tablecloth on the table, plates, cutlery, and food resting on rests so as not to ruin the tablecloth. When everything was ready, I called for lunch and they both burst out laughing.
It warmed my heart as I remembered the times when Chris would bring his friends. It was chaotic having so many boys together, but my son's happiness was always worth the effort.
"That smells good, Mom!" Chris said as he entered the kitchen and smelled the food.
"It looks great, Ms. Claudia." Patrick didn't follow my request to just call me Claudia, but I let it go, I understood that he wanted to be respectful to me.
"Thanks, kids. I hope you like it."
As the two of them sat down at the table, I realized I was missing a drink, so I went to the fridge, opened it, and leaned over to grab a soda from the bottom.
When I turned around, I had the impression that Patrick was looking at me.
"Coke, Patrick?" I asked holding the drink in my hand.
"Yes, please." He replied a little embarrassed.
"Great, Chris has loved it since he was a kid, even though we try to control him so we don't drink too much." I set the bottle down on the table.
"It's the best drink in the world. Next to the drinks Clara makes at college parties." My son said as I sat down.
The two boys looked at each other and laughed.
"So you go to those parties a lot." I said with a smile and poured myself a glass of Coke. I usually avoid drinking soda because I watch my diet, but since it was a special occasion, I decided to make an exception.
Patrick took the lead and said, half laughing, "Oh, it's good now and then."
"Yep." My son agreed in the same tone.
I know very well that their "now and then" means every weekend, I studied at the same college as them, where I even met my ex-husband at one of those "now and then" parties.
"Kids, I was your age once. I know how it works."
Like any college student, I've had sex with a few guys at these parties and even kissed a girl or two, but as soon as Albert and I met for the first time, everything changed. This overwhelming passion, meeting of souls. He asked me to marry him a few months before graduation, and right after graduation we exchanged vows at a beautiful party. It didn't take long for the fruit of our union to arrive and we decided that we would only have one child so that we could give it everything we could. So right after giving birth, I ran to my gynecologist and started taking birth control.
"Mom??!!!"
Patrick and I looked at each other and laughed at Chris's reaction.
"What's the problem? Did you think you were the only ones having fun in life?"
"I don't even want to imagine what that was like."
