I have to admit that coming home for my sophomore Christmas break wasn't thrilling me. I did briefly toy with the idea of just not coming home, but I knew that would be wrong. With Dad and Mom's divorce now final she would probably need me through the holidays. I knew this wouldn't be the merriest Christmas I had ever spent.
I hadn't been home except for a couple weeks here and there in close to a year. During last year's Christmas break, I could tell things were tense between my parents. They only spoke to each other when I was in the room, and then only when they had to. I wasn't surprised when Mom called the following February to tell me they had separated.
She tried to explain that they'd been together since they were teenagers, they'd married when Mom got pregnant at seventeen, and now that they were alone to pursue their own lives as adults, they seemed to be moving in different directions. I knew that what she really meant was Dad had moved in a different direction. He worked almost constantly at his successful business and I have to admit that Mom had let herself go a little over 19 years of marriage, so it didn't seem to be a surprise to hear that Dad shacked up with his much younger secretary. The hurt and betrayal practically dripped through the phone as she told me.
I spent spring break in Panama City last year and was only home for a couple weeks after the spring semester, having opted to take some summer courses. And during those couple weeks I spent as little time as possible at home, not wanting to deal with the whole scene.
So here I was, headed home, finally having to deal with the situation. I got in late the first night and after dropping my things in my old room, I found a note from Mom saying that she would probably be out late. I was glad she was out, maybe she'd started working on a new life while I was gone and wasn't just moping around the house. Maybe things would be better than I thought. I was exhausted from my long drive and collapsed in my bed. I never even heard Mom come in.
I woke up fairly early, being used to a semester of eight am Bio. I was surprised to hear sound from downstairs. Since Dad had just wanted out, Mom got a very generous settlement in the divorce. She got the house as well as enough alimony to keep her comfortable without working. I figured Mom must have gotten in late last night and with nothing to do, she would sleep in. I stumbled downstairs in my t-shirt and running shorts and then to the kitchen.
I could tell something was different as soon as I came into the kitchen. First of all, Mom's formerly frumpy, short housewife hair was now just past her shoulders, with a little wave, and seemed to glow like an ember in the morning sunlight. The real difference, however, was immediately apparent when she heard me in the kitchen and got up to greet me. The shorti nightgown she wore clung high on her thighs under her unbelted silk robe. This woman could not be my mother. The woman who had been my mother when I left was a sullen, soft, doughy housewife carrying around an extra thirty pounds. This woman had a tiny waist, full hips, and very firm, large breasts. Mom had obviously kept herself busy while I was away.
"Dean, it's so good to have you home. You have no idea how much I've missed you," Mom said, kissing my cheek.
"I missed you too." I said, disengaging myself from her.
"Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Sure."
We chitchatted, catching up, while Mom whipped up some pancakes and bacon. I offered to help, but she told me that I'd only just gotten home and to relax. So I concentrated on not checking her out. I know how that sounds, but she was just changed so much it was hard to think of her as my mother. She looked a good ten years younger, with a body at least as good, no better, than half the girls I knew back at school did did. It was just…weird.
I told Mom that this past semester had gone pretty well and that I'd gotten the chance to play in a couple junior varsity games. And yes, I did have a girlfriend, her name was Heather. All pretty normal stuff, run-of-the-mill for your average nineteen-year-old college student.
Mom told me that she was pretty busy too. She was taking classes at the local community college and she got to the gym about four times a week to workout and play racquetball. I told her I'd have to challenge her to a game. She suggested that afternoon and I told her she was on.
"Why don't we make it interesting?" Mom asked with a sly smile.
"What do you mean?"
"Loser is responsible for breakfast tomorrow."
"You're on." I said. I had to be able to beat my own mother.
Over breakfast she told me she'd had a few dates, but nothing that really amounted to anything. She asked if I was okay with that and I said, "Sure, why wouldn't I be." When we finished, she said she was going ahead to the gym to workout and I should meet her there around noon. I told her it was a date.
* * *
I got to the gym a little early, but Mom had left my name at the desk and the girl said it was okay for me to just go in and find her. I wasn't familiar with the place and it took me a few minutes to find her in the weight room.
Mom was on her back on a narrow weight bench, with a blond mountain of a guy leaning over her, spotting. She just finished a set as I approached.
"You're a regular iron-woman, Mom," I said. She sat up and flexed obviously sore arms. All she had on was a black leotard that contrasted nicely with her light olive skin. If I thought she looked good that morning, I would have creamed my pants watching her in the shiny, skintight little outfit, with legs spread on either side of the weight bench, if she was not my mother. The mountain started massaging her arms.
"Hi, honey," Mom said, obviously enjoying the massage, maybe a little too much, as her nipples were plainly visible.
"Mom? He can't possibly be your kid. You're way too young." The mountain said.
"Afraid so. Guess I'm not the chippy you thought I was. Still love me, Bill?" Mom said with a light in her eyes I had never seen before. She seemed really happy.
"How could I not?" He replied.
Mom stuck out a hand and I helped her up from the bench. She pulled her auburn locks back with a scrunchie from her wrist and said, "Are you ready to get your butt kicked?"
"Let's do it." I said.
And to my amazement, get my butt kicked I did. Not to take anything away from her, Mom was good, but I was playing a little distracted. She played in the same outfit, just adding knee and elbow pads. I felt a little ashamed, checking out my Mom, and I realized that not all of the possessiveness I'd felt seeing the mountain's hands on Mom was of the Mother-Son variety.
Mom needled me about my loss as we sat panting on the racquetball court floor, passing a bottle of water between us. "Sure you don't want a re-match?" Mom sighed. God, she was in shape. The last two games she'd swept me in almost killed me.
"No, it's okay, I concede defeat." I said. We were both covered in sweat and I was consciously trying not to stare at Mom's breasts, which heaved under the wet leotard that clung like a second skin.
"Well then, I'll expect breakfast in bed, nice and early." Mom teased.
"In bed? Jeez, I didn't know that was part of the bet."
"Yep and I want my OJ freshly squeezed." She laughed musically.
"Of course."
Mom got up off the floor. "I have plans tonight. It's just a movie. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
I immediately pictured a clutch of bitter divorcees bitching about their ex's and politely declined.
"I'm sure you have your own friends to hang out with anyway."
As it turned out, I was the first one home for winter break and there was no one to hang out with. I got a six-pack and spent the evening with Must-See-TV, finally going to bed around midnight, bored with the lameness of it all. I couldn't believe I was in bed before my mother.
A banging and then giggling downstairs awakened me. I rubbed my eyes clear and saw that it was almost three am. Half asleep, it didn't even occur to me that it was my mother stumbling in and I got out of bed to check things out. Indeed, it was my mother, and she wasn't alone.
I knelt in the dark at the top of the steps, looking down on the living room. Mom was just coming out of the kitchen with two beers. She handed one to someone sitting on the couch and sat beside him. It was dim and their backs were to me, but I could see them pretty clearly since on of our living room walls is mirrored.
"Thanks, Janine." The guy said. I looked closer. Jeez! The guy couldn't have been much older than me! Actually, I could almost swear he'd only been a year or two ahead of me in high school.
"Shhh, try to keep your voice down, Ty. I told you, Dean's home, and I saw his car outside. He must be asleep upstairs." Mom wasn't very quiet herself.
"Good. As long as he's asleep." Ty said with a laugh. He set his beer down on the coffee table and took a thick joint out of his pocket. He slipped an arm around my Mom and pulled her closer.
"Oh my. I haven't done that in years." Mom giggled.
"It's not something you forget how to do." Ty busied himself readying it and fumbled for his lighter with his free hand.