Any sexual activity involves characters 18+.
***
I looked over my shoulder at the kids in the backseat of the SUV. "What do you mean you don't want to come? I thought you wanted to see Uncle Scott and Nanny."
Tyler was first to respond, shrugging his shoulders. "We don't even know where this place is, it sounds boring and Dad just got the new Xbox."
"Yeah," Jessie added, feeling emboldened that her big brother had spoken first. "Daddy said we could stay with him if we wanted this weekend."
It was a typical asshole play by my ex-husband. Buy the latest games console the weekend I had something planned with them. I gripped the wheel harder than was necessary. "It's your grandmother's birthday, I wanted you guys to see where she grew up. Me and Scott loved going there!" It was my final attempt but I knew it was futile. The Xbot-whatever was always going to defeat me.
"But Mom, Dad said he really wants us to stay with him."
"Yeah, he said he never gets to see us!" Jessie concluded.
I rolled my eyes. "That's because he spends all his time with his new wife. You know he only bought it to get back..." I cut myself off. What was the point? I'd keep playing the role of bad parent while he gave them sugar and games consoles. "Fine. Is he at least going to come and pick you up?"
"Dad said you could drop us off after basketball!" Tyler replied as he looked up momentarily from his phone. Jessie leaned across the seat and seemed equally as enthralled in the game her brother was playing.
I thought of Scott and I at their age. We would have been swinging from a tire into a river; playing hide and seek in the woods; fascinated by books and boardgames. We've lost a generation to technology, I thought. Turning right instead of left I headed to their father's house across town.
* * * * *
I hated lying to Mom. I could still have gone up there on my own. I could have dealt with Mom's disappointment at not seeing the kids, made up some other lie why I hadn't brought them. I really had wanted to taste that Chateau Margaux. Spend time with Mom, Scott.
I poured another glass of a cheap riesling and lay back on the couch. My phone beeped to indicate a text message and as I read the content I laughed ironically. "Thank you for the wine darling. Scott and I will open immediately. Kiss kiss mom." Great timing Mom. I mused. What an amazing present though. That and the house. I looked over at the unwrapped Barbra Streisand and the latest season of Outlander dvds and shook my head. He always was thoughtful though wasn't he? Even before the money. My little brother. Used to follow me around like a bad smell when we were little. Even more so when we were teens. Why couldn't I have married someone like Scotty, I thought. Scotty. I closed my eyes. My little brother...
* * * * *
I woke up and the house was in darkness, my empty wine glass lucky not to have fallen from the couch. My neck ached from the position I'd been lying in and sometime during the night I'd decided to put a hand down my jeans, my fingers coming away wrinkly from between my legs. Why was I so wet? Oh yeah that's right. I put the thought out of my mind, denying myself the memory and looked at the time. 4:45am Sunday morning. I wouldn't get back to sleep. If I showered now and got on the road I could be there just after breakfast. Excited, I ran to the bathroom to get ready.
* * * * *
Having driven up with Scott a few days previous, the roads were familiar once off the highway. Even so, apart from a whole lot less trees, the country side hadn't changed much in twenty five years. God twenty five years. I was only fifteen. So full of ideas and ideals, hope and hormones. That final summer would've been my last anyway. I couldn't have imagined whiling away the long hot days in the country with my little brother when my friends were partying and dating boys. We did have fun though, Scott and I. Scotty. My little brother...
My mind wandered and I nearly missed the change of speed as I entered the town. Slowing to match the limit I looked around the deserted Sunday morning streets. "Jesus we'd thought it was quiet the other day. This is death!" The rain began and reminded me I needed to use the bathroom. Passing the Town Hall and a newly constructed toilet block I thought of stopping but with only minutes to go I decided to hold on, driving through towards the turnoff to the house. It was only then that I remembered to drop by Mom's to pick up her stuff. "Fuck!" I yelled. "You're an idiot Natasha."
* * * * *
I loved the sound of the tires on the gravel driveway, one of my fondest memories of the house from my childhood. I parked my SUV beside Scott's new Aston Martin and retrieved my bag from the rear, wine bottles clinking together inside as I did so. The rain had slowed to an annoying drizzle as I dashed to the front porch of the house.
For an awkward moment I debated as to whether I should knock or just walk in through the open screen door but my growing need to pee and the smell of freshly cooked toast told me someone was up so I marched on in with a loud, "hello!"
The kitchen was empty. Two plates remained on the table with uneaten toast. Strange, I thought. Hearing the shower I headed down the long hallway. I stopped at a bedroom and peeked inside, "hello, Mom?" Her dress was on the floor and I picked it up and placed it back down on the bed, dropping my bag in the process and startling myself at my reflection in the large gold framed mirror as I turned to leave.
I thought of the last time in the room. Lying beside my brother for only a moment or two. His strong hand lifting me from the bed. Stop it Natasha, I told myself. Why are you even having these thoughts? With the room empty I reasoned it was Mom in the shower but was proven incorrect as I headed back out and walked into her in the hallway.
"Natasha!" She screamed as we both jumped. "My god you almost scared me half to death."
"You and me both!" I concurred.
"What are you doing here?" Mom asked, more out of shock than welcome surprise. She had her hair in a towel and another wrapped around her body. It wasn't a large towel by any means and as she moved in to accept my kiss, her breasts strained to be released. "Where are the kids?" She added, looking over my shoulder as if they would appear.
"Actually Mom, I came alone. They're with Brett." I confessed.
"Oh. Let me guess, he's offered to take them to Disneyland because he knew you wanted them to come up here?"
I smiled, she knew my ex-husband too well. "Close. He bought a new Playbox or whatever it's called. I can't compete with that!" Mom held my hand as she led me back into her room. "It's alright though, before I drove up I emailed him that he can take them to school tomorrow morning as I plan to stay up here. You're staying another day aren't you?"
As I spoke, casual as you like, my mother undid the towel around her body and dropped it on the bed beside her dress. I'd seen her fully naked in the past, just that last year we'd shared a dressing room and shower at the local pool but her willingness to disrobe with the door open and Scott in the house seemed a little cavalier. She picked up her dress and I noticed, put it on without underwear and a bra. I again remembered about her things.
"Shit Mom I'm sorry. I forgot to get your stuff. You can borrow some of my knickers if you like?"
"Oh it's not important." She smiled. "I've made it this far without them, a little longer won't hurt."