This one is for lovecraft, who mentioned he likes this kind of story. Hope you enjoy! ~~BrettJ
*
Daniel Talbot grabbed his final suitcase from his father. It pained him to see the sad look on Robert's face; his father was a good man who had been dealt a very bad hand.
"Dad, are you sure I can't stay here and help out?" Dan asked. The look in his father's once-happy eyes told the whole story. He appeared weary and beaten down, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Hands that had once felt like they could bend steel girders were placed on Dan's shoulders as he began boarding the train.
"Son, I want you to go to university and get the education you worked so hard for," Robert told him. "Staying here would only cause hardship and stress; you don't need all of that at your age."
"It isn't fair, you shouldn't have to deal with Mom's issues all on your own," Dan protested. Robert shook his head.
"I understand how you feel son, but your mother's beyond either of our helping her now," Robert told him. "She needs help, professional help and intend to see that she gets it or ... well, you know my intentions, I discussed them last week. Her drinking and the rage it fuels, it's beyond anything I'm prepared to deal with now. I'm only 44, if it comes to that ... I can still have a life, I'm not letting her drag you or I down with her."
Dan's heart felt as if it had been weighed down by lead. How had it come to this? He adored his mother, who 10 years earlier had been a vibrant, loving, ash-blonde high school teacher that everyone adored. She and Robert had been married for 21 years and had two children, Dan and his older sister, Denise. Denise was already at university. 3 years ago, his mother had began acting in a peculiar manner and acting secretive. Dan and his father noticed that Penny's one drink before dinner had turned to a drink before and a drink after. Then it was a drink before, during and after. When Denise left for school, Penny's manner worsened and it was hard to tell how much she was drinking. Her behavior became increasingly erratic. Robert began finding hidden bottles all over their house and it was no longer just wine she was drinking, it was hard liquor. He had received calls from her work and finally she had been suspended. Robert and Dan thought it might snap her out of it and motivate her to change, but no. It had given Penny no motivation to do anything; she just sat around drinking all day, cursing and staying in a fury. When Denise came home for Thanksgiving, she was stunned to see her mother's downfall. She spoke with her father and brother and was so pained upon learning what they'd had to endure.
Denise had a private conversation with her father and they concocted a plan. When it was time for Daniel to go to university himself, he would go and stay with their Aunt Katrina while attending university. Aunt Katrina had done the same for Denise the previous year until Denise had found a roommate and moved in with her.
"Your aunt will likely like having a man around the house again," Robert told his son about his long-divorced sister. "Do anything she asks you to do. I'll send you money from time to time for whatever you need," He said. "Don't worry about finding a job, I can afford to pay for your schooling, just buckle down, get good grades and help out your aunt. Keep on making me proud." Robert said as he slapped his son on the back and said goodbye.
Dan intended to do just that, he still couldn't understand what had caused such a dramatic change in his once-vibrant mother. As he began his 6-hour train ride, he tried to remember his aunt, but it was difficult. It had been 10 years since he had seen Katrina Talbot -- then Katrina Pearson -- but he remembered her as tall, elegant and somewhat aloof. He knew she had been a dancer and he remembered her being a commanding presence, but that was about it. Denise had complimented their aunt by referring to her as a lovely, giving person and Dan intended to do whatever he could to pitch in. It was very kind of her to take in a relative she hardly knew and expect nothing in return.
Dan sketched in his books, happy that his father had approved his choice to become an artist. It had been one more thing his mother had raged about in one of her drunken stupors, how useless being an artist would be, even though she herself had started him on that path. She wanted him to pursue athletics, like his successful father or perhaps take over his father's sporting goods franchises. Business was Denise's forte, he intended to be happy. He was a good athlete though, having excelled in track, basketball and swimming. At 6'2" tall, his body was lean and muscular and he moved like a dancer, which he thought his aunt might appreciate. The sandy-haired Dan had women flocking around him, partly because he was young and gorgeous and partly because he moved like Astaire on the floor. His portrait of Astaire and Rogers had won him the art show last year, a prize of $2000 he had stashed in the bank at his father's advice.
He stepped off the train a little before 5 PM and looked around. Walking towards Dan was a stunning, leggy brunette who was wearing an overcoat, hip-hugging black jeans and stiletto heels. Her hair was wavy and long, a gorgeous shade of auburn and her eyes were brown and warm. "Are you Daniel?" The woman asked. "I'm your Aunt Katrina; your sister E-Mailed me a picture so I'd know what you looked like. Come on, the MG's over there."
Dan was floored, first at the fact this tall, 5'10" stunner was his
aunt
. She looked to be in her early 30's and moved like a supermodel. Second, she drove an MG? Very cool, he loved classic cars and hers was a 60's model that had been painstakingly restored. As they were putting his luggage in the trunk, Katrina noticed him giving the car the once-over. "Hubby # 2 did all the work, he lost it in the divorce," Katrina smiled at him. "He was none too happy about that."
This smiling, sexy older woman contrasted greatly with the image he'd had of her. How had he gotten it so wrong? As the drove back to her ... now his as well ... home, he wanted to ask her a million questions, but found himself at a loss for words. She was still a commanding and somewhat intimidating presence.
"You're very quiet over there," Katrina smiled as her car pulled into the gated community in which she resided. "You don't seem much like your father or Denise."
"I'm like Dad in some ways, but Denise and I are very opposite," Dan admitted. "I'm more like Mom in a lot of ways."
"I was sorry to hear about that, I don't understand what happened at all," Katrina told her nephew. "Penny used to be such a vibrant, talented woman and she was always so happy, she loved you kids, she loved your father ... do you have any idea what it could be?"
"No Aunt Katrina, we've all been trying to figure it out," Dan sighed as the car moved up the long driveway. He loved the sound of the engine and how sleek the lines of the car were.
"No more `Aunt', please Dan? I think of myself as a young woman and you're the man of the house now," She told him. "As long as you live here, you're an adult and you'll be treated as one. I have a nice beef stew ready but if you'd like a shower, it can keep for 30 more minutes and I'll warm up a few nice crusty rolls."
"A shower sounds like heaven and stew ... how did you know, that's my favorite!" Dan exclaimed.
"Your sister called me last night and clued me in," Katrina grinned. "I love to cook but haven't had the chance much lately; it's no fun to cook for just one. I miss Denise since she moved in with Deborah."
Dan nodded; his sister had been notoriously tight-lipped about her new roommate. All the family knew about Deborah was she was Japanese-Hawaiian and a journalism major. His sister and Deborah shared a condo about 30 minutes away.
Dan went upstairs to shower and was barely under the spray when he heard the door open. "Clean towels," His aunt's voice called out. He was glad she hadn't come in a minute or so earlier or she would have gotten a good view of his naked body. He wasn't embarrassed about his physique, but he doubted his aunt wanted him displaying it all about.
He put on clean clothes and walked downstairs. On the walls were several photographs of his aunt dancing, some of them were ... sexy! She was wearing very revealing costumes; even the dresses she wore in the ballroom competitions couldn't hide her stellar beauty. There were several awards as well; his aunt's talents as a dancer were quite prodigious.
"I saw all the photos of you dancing, you were good," Dan complimented Katrina as she ladled out the stew.
"I still am good, I just don't get to dance much anymore," Katrina sighed. "Your uncle -- number one -- was my best partner until he traded me in for a younger model. I got the last laugh though -- she's nowhere near as good a dancer as I am, I move much nicer." There was a sly smile that made Daniel wonder if his aunt was referring
only
to the dance.
"I'll make you a deal, any time you want to go dancing, give me a bit of notice and I'll go with you," Dan smiled as he broke open his roll to butter it.
"You like to dance?" Katrina's brown eyes opened wide. "Your father used to love dancing."
"He and Mom used to do that, too," Dan said in a sad tone. "Yeah, I love to dance. You can get a chick ... sorry, you can easily find dancing partners if you love dancing and I took it seriously."
"You're your father's son," Katrina laughed. "All right tiger, you're on. Your old auntie will take you dancing some night."
"Listen to you. You're not old, I mean, I know how old you are, but you don't look it," Dan told her.
"What a line," Katrina chuckled. "How old do you think I look then?"
Dan decided to fudge things a bit, for the sake of valor. "I don't know ... late 20's, maybe? You're a beautiful woman Aunt ... Katrina. I bet when you go dancing, they're lining up to dance with you."