Derek was surprised by the news that his mother was having another child. It didn't bother him much that Tom, the man his mother had married, was ten years her junior. It didn't even bother him that his mother didn't wait more than two years after his father's death to make Tom her husband. What did bother him was that he was no longer "the baby."
After the announcement, his mother rarely spoke of the child that was growing inside her and wreaking havoc on her moods. Instead, she focused their talks on his college studies, his plans for internships and if he would make it home for fall break. Luckily for Derek, the baby was born a week before fall break began. Tom had phoned him to let him know his mother was in labor, but she insisted that he remain at the university and not miss any of his classes.
Because his mother spoke little of the baby, he had no idea until he arrived at home for fall break that the tiny bundle he held for the first time was going to be such a lovely little girl. Her weight seemed almost nothing in his strong arms. She was a blind wriggling little thing that made him feel awkward and in awe at the same time. Derek handed his baby sister back to his mother. As he watched the two together he felt envy invade his body. The way his mother's face softened and her voice rose to a sweet octave when she spoke to the baby girl made him feel ill. He turned his attention to Tom and engaged him in a conversation about the ball game set to air the following evening. It was an effort, but Derek was almost able to ignore the gentle caresses and soft kisses exchanged between his mother and sister.
"I apologize, Derek. I haven't had the energy to cook. I've been unable to prepare your favorites."
"It's fine mother." Derek said without turning to face her.
"No. It's not." In a small space of silence he felt her gaze. When his eyes met hers she said, "But I promise for Thanksgiving. No holds barred."
"It'll be quite a spread," Tom said. He rose to his feet and took their child into his arms. The baby made a soft cooing sound at the agitation. Tom exited the room, leaving Derek and his mother alone for the first time since he had arrived.
Without the infant's weight in her arms, his mother allowed herself to relax on the cushions of the sofa. The image of his mother had always been that of a young vibrant woman. She was girlish and fresh of face with sparkling hazel eyes. Looking at her now he saw her as haggard and aging. It made him feel sad to see the way sleep deprivation was taking their toll on her beautiful face.
It was uncomfortable, this new association they now had. Normally he'd be next to her on the couch engaging in an animated conversation about school and campus life well into the late night hours. Now Derek watched his mother's lids grow heavy and her head bob from left to right as she fought with sleep.
"Mother."
"Yes, Derek?"
"I'm going to go out for a while." He walked over to the couch to stand over her. "Why don't you lay down here and get some rest?"
"No. No. I wanted to talk with you. Catch up for a while."
"We'll have time for that. Here. Lie down." He pulled the afghan from the back of the sofa and tented it over his mother's body until she obeyed and stretched out. He covered her then tucked the edges of the afghan under her.
By the time he lowered his head to kiss her on the cheek, her eyes were already shut and her breathing was slow and even.
* * *
It was some time after three in the morning when Derek returned home. He slipped in through the kitchen door that let him in from the garage. Getting out of the house helped Derek's mood a little bit. He caught up with some friends from the neighborhood. He allowed them to divert his attention from the strangeness that had befallen his childhood home. Derek hadn't expected the arrival of a baby to change everything. There was no welcome home meal, the baby now occupied his old room and there wasn't the warm comfort of his mother.
Derek made his way to the refrigerator, thinking that there might be some of his favorite ingredients for a sandwich there. A sliver of light from the baby's room sliced down the dark hallway and caught his attention. He ignored his craving for a sandwich and walked down the hall, hoping his mother would be inside.
His mother was seated in the rocker with her feet up on an ottoman. She had apparently taken a shower sometime since his absence. Her brown hair was glossy and luxurious. It fell in soft waves, signifying a natural curl which he had inherited. Her legs were crossed at the ankles atop the ottoman but were covered completely by a fluffy turquoise robe. The fabric fell open at her naval to expose a very full breast at which his baby sister was nursing.
He stood in the doorway for a long moment and gazed at the pale flesh of his mother's breast. He hadn't taken notice of her breasts before, but then again they hadn't been exposed in this way until now. Her breast was pale and full and tremendously larger than it had been when he'd left for school that summer. His eyes moved over the surface of that breast. He wanted to see more, more of that lovely breast that disappeared into a round apex inside his baby sister's mouth.
"Derek." His mother's whisper startled him. "I didn't hear you come in."
Derek stepped into the doorway. His eyes fluttered from his mother's face, to her breast, to the girly dΓ©cor and back to her breast. "I used the garage. I didn't want to wake..."
"Oh. She's divine. She wakes to be fed and goes right to sleep." His mother caressed the dark spiral of fine hairs on top of the baby's head. "So unlike you at this age."
"How so?" Derek felt offended at the comparison. He walked further into the room. The new point of view confirmed his mother's breasts had tripled in size. His baby sister's hungry mouth pulled greedily at the nipple and made the engorged flesh of his mother's breast jostle a little with every suckle she made.