"Goodness gracious, Nicky." Kate pushed her son away from her. "Ew. You ... kissed me with your tongue." She slapped him across the face. "That's so, so far beyond the pale." She watched him turn and run upstairs. "You're lucky your father isn't home." She called after him. Her husband was out with his buddies watching the game. Kate shook her head. What was she going to do with her troublesome eighteen-year-old son?
~~
Thump!
Nick sat up in bed with a start. Something had hit the window hard. He knew exactly what he'd find if he looked outside his window. That same dead chickadee. Nick pulled himself out of bed, dressed for soccer, and walked downstairs. Every repeated day, his mom had some sympathy for him when he came home after losing the game. And his dad would be pissed if he skipped it. And when his dad was pissed, he wouldn't go out with his friends that night. So, most times, Nick played the soccer game.
"Morning, Mom." Nick knew his mother would be washing dishes in the kitchen sink. Her hips shaking in her green dress as she hummed to herself.
"Morning, Nicky. I was about to come wake you. Wouldn't want you to miss the big game." Kate turned and fixed her eighteen-year-old son with a warm smile. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail, and she looked radiant without any makeup. "There's a stack of waffles keeping warm in the oven."
"Already on it." He removed his waffle from the oven and headed out to the game.
Twelve hours later, his drunken mother was pushing him away. "What are you doing, Nicky? You can't kiss your mother like that. You should go see Jess if you're all riled up."
"We broke up. Sort of." Nick watched her closely. Her face softened at the news. This was interesting. Maybe he should have been telling her that all along. They stood in the hall outside his room. He could see from his mother's heavy lids and wavering body that she was more than tipsy.
"Well, I know you're a teenager and confused. So, let's just forget the whole thing."
"Mom, you look beautiful tonight." Nick was a bit startled to realize this was totally true. With her heart-shaped face, flushed cheeks, and wild hair, she looked gorgeous in an innocent sort of way.
"Compliments, compliments. You're all compliments today, Nicky." Kate slurred her words a little. "Now go to bed. If you're lucky, I won't tell your father about what you did."
"But Mom ..." He looked at her full, parted lips stained by red wine. He leaned in and kissed her again, thrilled by the press of her boobs against his chest. She relaxed for a second, but then shoved him back against the hallway wall.
"Good grief. What has gotten into you?" She stormed off down the hall, stumbling as she went. "Gonna have to tell your father now," she mumbled. "Your father ..." She slammed her bedroom door and disappeared.
~~
The next today, Nick convinced his sister again for the umpteenth time what was going on and tried to get her help. She knew their mom as well as anyone.
"Well, it sounds like you're doing everything right." Alyson pondered her old and tattered Hermione Granger poster. Sometimes it was odd staying in her old room, but mostly comforting. What would a Gryffindor do in this situation? Probably not help her brother seduce her mom. Good thing Alyson wasn't Gryffindor. "It's still early. Mom has Yoga Saturday mornings. Maybe offer to do that with her when she gets back from her class. And then hang around her. Help her. Compliment her. Did you tell her about your breakup with Jess?"
"Yes." Nick scowled. "And that did help."
"Okay, well tell her early. And get dad out of the house. And get her drunk." Alyson thought things over. She really did hope a kiss would be the end of this for Nick. But, of course, that's not how Enki's story went. She'd have to do some research into who made the replica of Enki's puzzle that she now possessed.
"Okay." Nick didn't want to tell her she'd already suggested all those things on previous days and he was still here.
"And you lose the soccer game?" She watched him nod. "Well, that starts in a half-hour. Go do that. She'll feel bad for you." She leaned back on her bed and thought things over. She wondered if her life would keep going no matter what happened to Nick, or if she was stuck in the same day without even knowing it. That thought chilled her. "Oh, and I've seen Mom get all flushed and squirmy during sexy scenes in movies. Maybe get her to watch something with you tonight. I'll be sure to get out of your hair. You should watch The Hunger."
"What's that?"
"It's a vampire movie from before you were born. Totally horny. It'll work." Alyson nodded matter-of-factly. "Now run along. Don't miss your game. I'm going to call Chris and get him to look up some things for me." She absentmindedly twirled the engagement ring on her finger.
"You always do." Nick stood and headed for the door. "Mom made waffles today, they're really good. Pick one up before Dad gets back from golf and eats them all."
"How do you know ... oh, right." Alyson was still amazed.
"Wish me luck."
