Carol was getting dressed for her date. This would be her first date in years. She had had offers, but had always politely declined. Thank you, but no. She and her husband, Paul, had been divorced for 3 years. They had been married for 19 years, when Paul decided that he just wasn't happy anymore. It happens. People stay together for years and then somewhere along the way, they simply fall out of love.
There were tears, harsh words were exchanged, and then there was acceptance. Paul moved out on a Sunday morning and she hadn't heard from him since signing the divorce papers, two months later. He hadn't even bothered to call his son, Josh, who still lived with Carol. The child support arrived on schedule every month until Josh turned 18. And then there was nothing. It was as though he had divorced them both.
Josh had been 17 when his father left. He was now a handsome young man of 20 years, in his second year of college. He still lived at home with his Mom. They lived only a half hour drive from campus, and besides, he couldn't bring himself to leave her there alone. He wasn't going to be like his father, he would be there for her as long as she needed him.
Carol came out of her bedroom. She was wearing a dark blue dress that came just above her knees and low heels with stockings. She walked into the living room, where Josh was watching TV.
"Well, how do I look?" She asked.
"Wow! You look great, Mom." Josh said.
"Really?" She asked.
"I mean it. You look really great." Josh said.
He was happy that his mother was finally going out. She had been living like a Nun, ever since his father left. She deserved to have some fun and meet people.
"Thank you, son." She smiled. "I'm so nervous."
"You have no reason to be nervous. You're going to enjoy yourself. You deserve it." He said, getting up to give her a hug.
"I don't know. Maybe I should just call Bill and cancel. I'm too old to be dating." She said.
Josh pulled back from her. "No. You're not going to cancel. And you're not old." He said.
"I'm 46 years old. I don't think I even remember how I'm supposed to act on a date." She said.
"Mom, 46 is not old. Look at yourself. You're hot." He smiled.
He wasn't saying that just to make her feel good. She was hot. Sure, she had put on a little weight over the years, but she wasn't fat. In fact, the weight had settled in all the right places. She still had a great figure. He would have considered himself lucky to have a woman who looked as good as his mother.
"And as far as how you're supposed to act? You don't act. Just be yourself and everything will be just fine." He said.
She laughed. "I can't believe my son is giving me advice about dating."
"Do I need to have a talk with this gentleman, when he gets here?" He asked, jokingly.
"No." She laughed. "Are you going to give me a curfew, too?"
"Should I, young lady?" He smiled. "I'm just kidding with you, Mom. I want you to have a good time, tonight. And you really do look great."
The doorbell rang.
She took a couple of deep breaths and went to the door.
****
Josh was in his bedroom, surfing the web, when he heard the front door close. He looked at the clock, it wasn't even 10 pm. He got up and went into the front room. His mother was wiping tears from her eyes.
"Mom? What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.
"Nothing." She said.
"Something. You're crying." He said.
"It's nothing, son. I'm just a silly old woman who should have stayed home." She said.
"What happened? Did he do something to you?" He was getting upset.
"No. Nothing like that." She said. "It's nothing."
He put his arm around her, leading her to the couch. They sat down.
"Tell me." He said.
"It's nothing, really." She said, taking another tissue from her purse.
"Then tell me." He persisted.
She dried her tears and took a deep breath, looking at her son. She smiled at him. He was such a good son.
"Everything was going fine. We had a nice dinner. We were laughing and talking. When we finished, I excused myself to go to the ladies room." She said. "And when I came back, he was..."
"He was what?" Josh asked.
"He was asking the waitress for her number." Another tear rolled down her cheek. "I know it's silly. It's not like we have any sort of commitment. It was just a date. But it was...he was..."
"An asshole." Josh said. "He was an asshole."
"Yes. He was an asshole." She said.
"All men aren't like that, Mom." He said, hugging her.
"I love you, son." She said.
"I love you too, Mom." He said, standing up. "Come on."
"What? Where?" She asked.
"Miss Carol, I would be honored if you would accompany me for a walk." He said.
"What are you talking about?" She smiled at him.