As riveting as his mother's story was, nothing else what Marie had revealed to her son was mentioned by either of them again that night. However being extremely tired as he was, Steven ventured off to bed, and woke feeling refreshed early the next day. After his morning shower, he left for work a little earlier than usual, not wanting to be late for his very important eight o'clock meeting with the rest of his team.
On the other hand, the same couldn't be said of Marie. When she finally dragged herself out of bed with a slight headache, she knew it was due to the mixed drinks she'd had while sharing her intense account with Steven regarding his dad and grandma from the night before.
Reconciled that someone else had finally found out about her husband's fornicating with his mother, it had been something she hadn't been able to completely get out of her mind since the very first night it happened.
And as it was for Steven, his day at work hadn't been uninteresting. Because of the things his mother had told him, what he'd found out his father had done with his own mother kept coming back to him in various ways.
But doing what he could to keep his mind centered on the things he should, and the importance of their first product launch coming in the short months ahead, he more or less succeeded to push it to the back of his mind. At least for right then.
In the late afternoon, when Steven arrived home, he was thankful his mother had dinner waiting. And only on her second day being there, he was delighted, after a long wait to get one of her home-cooked meals.
As they sat and enjoyed dining together, Steven couldn't push the thought out of his head about what his mother had told him the night before. But, with him so anxious about bringing up the subject or mention anything else about it, he didn't.
But a few hours after they'd eaten, about eight o'clock that night, Steven worked up his courage and said, "Mom, I'm not sure if I should ask, but I'd like to find out more about...Dad and grandma, and what you saw them doing. I hope you don't mind."
"Well, I guess that's understandable, honey. I know you can't help but be curious about it. What else would you like to know?"
"Well for one thing, did you ever see them doing that again? I mean, was it just a one-time thing, or...?"
"Steven, every single night while we were there, I know for a fact they had more
get togethers
. And every one of them happened after I'd made your dad believe that I'd gone to sleep. I think it had only been another half-hour later until they were going after each other after they'd thought I was out of it."
"Mom, are you saying they had sex every night, and you watched them doing it again?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Every night at about the same time...and definitely the same place, his mother's bedroom. And each time, the door was slightly open."
"And you're saying you never once asked either of them anything about what they were doing? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around that one. Why wouldn't you at least stand up to one of them about it?"
"I'll tell you why, Steven...because I was afraid to, that's why. And there's another reason, too."
"What's that, Mom?"
"Your dad and his mother, they always seemed to have a great relationship. From the time I met him, and when he first took me to meet your grandparents...he and his Mom were almost like...
bosom buddies
. It's difficult to describe it. But your dad was always so attentive to Libby; very protective like, and even babied her. she got a special kind of attention from him I don't ever remember him giving me...his own wife."
"Were you afraid of what kind of answer you might get from them? I mean, c'mon, mom, I don't think you were afraid that dad might do something bad or get violent, like hit you or something, right?"
"Absolutely not Steven! Your dad's never been like that with me. I've never had to be afraid of him that way. And I still don't think even today that he's got a mean bone in his body."
"Then what can it be, mom? I really think part of yours and dad's issues are about unanswered questions, hurts and resentments that the two of you just haven't worked out yet. Wouldn't you at least want to find out what those are, and take care of them so you and dad can be happy?"
Listening to her son give his opinion, Marie thought he sounded more like an old and wise experienced marriage counselor than a computer tech wiz. So she trusted him enough to say, "I really can't remember the last time I thought I was happy, son. I know I'd like to be, I really do."
"When's the last time that you and grandma talked, mom?"
"If you're referring to the woman who screwed her own son, and my husband, then that would be when we visited. The time I saw them having sex in her bedroom. Yeah, it's been a few years, Steven."
"You should call her. You owe it at least to yourself to clear the air, Mom. And think of it this way...what have you got to lose? I mean, she really can't deny it, can she? You saw, what you saw. And even though I don't know her personally, I'd like to think that she'd think enough of you to give the answers you're looking for."
"Do you really think it would do any good? It's literally been years since we've had anything to do with each other."
"Like I said, what can it hurt?"
"Yeah, I guess I should do it. Maybe I'll call her tomorrow while you're at work."
"That's good, mom. Now...I've got some new hardware diagrams to look over, and then I'm going to lie down for the rest of the night. How about I tell you goodnight now, because I'll be checking them out in my room until I go to sleep."
"Okay, honey. I'll probably stay up and watch TV for a while before I go to bed."
Marie and Steven went ahead and exchanged a standard mother and son hug and then she looked up and said, "I want to thank you for talking to me about this. I know this has to be a sensitive subject for you..."
Due to how she sometimes talked down to him in the past, unfortunately Steven completely misinterpreted his mother's meaning. To him he took it that she thought he was immature. Overreacting to what she said, he raised his voice, telling her...
"Dammit Mom, you've got to stop treating me like this! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"Steven, you need to let me finish...please? Don't you realize because of what I've told you, and from what I've seen already, you're definitely a man now."
"Okay Mom, sorry."
"Like I was trying to say, you've got an insight, to be honest, I've never seen before. Even when it comes to mine and your dad's problems. It's as if you're twenty years older than you were only a few months ago.
"And when I tell you I never thought I'd see you having that kind of worldly wisdom, maybe that sounds at first like a putdown, but what I mean is, honey, you
are
all grown up now.
"And you're not my little boy, anymore. You've got important responsibilities, along with a high-paying job, and people who respect you, who work for you. I'm just...in awe of you. Steven, you've made this old mother so proud of you."
"Mom, would you
stop
with this talk of you being
old
? The lady I see standing here's a very beautiful woman, who's very much still in her prime. And the truth is...I've been in awe of
you
, for a long time now."
When Steven declared to his mother how beautiful she was, accompanied by the genuine smile he had on his face, Marie had a euphoric tingle spread out inside her, loving how good it felt to be fawned over. But the more that prickly sensation swept through her, it reminded her of an attraction she had for her son that she, as in times past, tried to suppress, to the point of denying it was there.
Gazing up at him she saw how handsome he'd become. And for Marie Dickinson, it was never difficult for her to notice a handsome man. Especially, one as good looking as her Steven.
As her eyes scanned over him, Marie wasn't quite sure if she could hide the emotions trying to overtake her. But no matter what was going on in her own mind, she wasn't exactly sure what kind of thoughts were going on inside her own son's head. And rather than venturing a dip in those uncertain waters, she decided it best to just tell him, "Honey, it's been a long day, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to lie down now."
"Yeah, sure thing Mom. Thanks for going all out like you did in feeding us tonight. I appreciate all of your meals. Lori's not a bad cook, but I hope it's okay if I tell you..."
"You like my cooking better, don't you Steven?"
"Ha-ha, yeah...I do. Goodnight Mom."
And with that she gave her son an affectionate kiss on the cheek as she'd done for many years, and took herself off to bed.
But as she sauntered toward her bedroom, Marie had a sudden impulse to give a seductive swing and sway to her hips, twerking her ass as provocatively as she knew how. Before entering her bedroom she turned around one last time. Standing there was Steven, unquestionably gawking at his mother, his mouth gaping open with an almost hypnotic look on his face.
Flattered that she had drawn his attention like that, she wasn't quite sure what to say. So she simply puckered her lips and blew a mock kiss telling him, "Goodnight son, sweet dreams."
**********
That next morning a few hours after Steven had left to go off to Celestion, Marie remembered from the night before about making that phone call to her estranged mother-in-law.
