Student gets back to home cooking and more.
Eric had been away at school since September except for a few days at a time during holidays and spring break. His first year of college was over and he was looking forward to spending the summer at home.
Susan Anderson was happy at the prospect of her only son being home for more than just a few days. It had been just her and Eric for the last three years since her husband John was killed in a snowmobile accident. When Eric left for school, she felt abandoned in their large house. She had plenty of friends but in the evenings and early morning hours she felt totally alone and longed for another person to talk to or just share a meal with.
John's life insurance had paid everything off and left her enough to be comfortable and not have to work. The last job she had was selling popcorn and candy at the local theater when she was in high school. There was also a college fund for Eric so that wasn't a worry.
Eric thought to himself as he made the five hour drive home how glad he was to be going home for a while. Before school started he couldn't wait to leave his home town and be on his own, but soon after he realized how much he missed his mother, her soothing smile, home cooking and all the little things she did for him. He didn't want a maid he missed her as a friend too. They had become very close since his dad had been taken away, closer than most mothers and sons.
Eric pulled his old Mazda into the driveway and jumped out, only to be nearly tackled by his mother. She was only a few inches shorter than his 6"2 and had a statuesque figure owing to their shared Nordic blood line. Sue had heard his old beater coming half way down the block. It was old and needed a muffler but Eric liked it and it ran good, besides his father had bought it for him on his sixteenth birthday so it was a link back to him. Eric picked her up in a hug, "Hi Mom how have you been, you look great."
"Put me down and I'll tell you. You look pretty great yourself. I've missed you Eric, I'm glad this is more than just a few days like last time." She felt secure in his arms.
"I missed you too Mom."
Sue dragged him into the house by the hand, beaming with joy at having the love of her life back home. "I made you a welcome home treat. Come into the kitchen."
Eric could smell the treat as soon as he stepped through the door. "Oh boy, fresh baked cinnamon roles. You didn't have to do that Mom, but I'm glad you did."
"Anything for my baby boy, I don't want you to starve. You might not stick around if I don't feed you. Come sit down and eat, I bet you're hungry after that long drive."
Once they got Eric settled in they spent the evening chatting and watching TV. It was good to have someone with her in the evening again. Sue felt whole for the first time in a long while.
Eric slept late and finally got up about 10:00. "Good morning sleepy head, I thought you were going to sleep the day away. Ready for some breakfast? I've got eggs, bacon and hash browns, or would you rather have pancakes or both if you like." Sue loved to cook for her son.
"Just bacon and eggs thanks, but no potatoes, I don't want to get fat."
"Fat. I don't think you have to worry about that, you're anything but fat son."
After breakfast Eric left to see if he could hook up with some of his high school buddy's and spent the rest of the day chumming around with them. About 6 Pm he came home for supper, and spent the rest of the night with his mother, since he didn't have a steady girl friend at the time That was pretty much the schedule for the next week or so.
One evening while they were watching an old movie, Eric said, "Hey Mom is it ok if I have a couple of the guys over for a pool party and do some burgers or something, tomorrow afternoon?"
"Sure son, you know your friends are always welcome here, but you probably have to clean the pool and the patio up before they get here, there are a few leaves in it. I'll fix some potato salad for you. You can have beer as long as no one is under 19, and if anyone gets too tipsy they will have to have someone pick them up or stay the night."
"No problem Mom, I'll clean it in the morning, and don't worry, nobody's going to get drunk. We just want to swim and chill-out, maybe get some girls to come over if that's ok?"
"I was wondering when you were going to start seeing the girls. That's fine, but remember, no beer under 19."
The next morning Sue busied herself in the kitchen making the potato salad and other trimmings for the cookout. As she stood at the sink, looking out the window into the back yard, she was filled with pride at what a handsome young man her son had grown into. She didn't remember him resembling his father this much. A year away at school had transformed him from a gangly kid into a near carbon copy of his dad. Sue found her mind drifting into the past and longing for her husband as she gazed out the window at her son, cleaning around the pool, shirtless in a pair of cutoffs. All too soon she was pulled from her reverie by a pot of potatoes boiling over on the stove.