The Widow with her (Now) Older Son – a conclusion
As always, this is a work of fiction and the characters are imaginary, existing only within the confines of the story and my imagination. It is intended for the enjoyment of my audience and should not be copied or distributed, in whole or in part, without the author's permission. A special thank you to my proofreader for his patient work.
For the reader to flamed me about writing multiple chapters of the same story line I have two answers. One is that I prefer to read the shorter stories with only one our two couplings in them so that is what I tend write. Two is that if I waited until the entire story line was done, I would likely never finish.
I hope that all of you enjoy this final chapter, I know the ending is a bit unusual, but I wanted to have the senior moment and then close the door to further age issues. If you do not like it...sorry but it's my story. Write your own (please).
As the C-17 rotated for takeoff, Wesley was pressed into the seat, but found himself able to relax knowing this was the last time he would be leaving Afghanistan. Over the last 12 years, the constant deployment cycle had really worn on him, but now he was being pulled out three months early because his mother's husband had died and Mary requested his presence. So much had happened since those days at the end of high school when their relationship had changed so drastically.
It was during his senior year in high school that his mother's second husband had died, leaving her very depressed. After months of depression, she had fallen into a sexual relationship with his step-brother, Carsten. Carsten was three years older and had taken a year off from college after his father's death. When Wesley had discovered the relationship and confronted his mother about it, it was not because he was angry, but because he wanted the same treatment. Wesley had jerked off to fantasies about his mother and now it was real. The next six months were a whirlwind of sexual activity, including his mother taking on both son and step-son at the same time.
It settled down when Carsten finally went back to college. Wesley chose to stay local and went to community college for two years, effectively moving into his mother's bedroom. For those two years, they were regular sex partners, and tried just about anything the two could try. It was a trip of discovery for both of them. Mary knew that she wanted more for her son, and she had pushed Wesley to look for a college program he liked and a way to fund it. He had finally selected Florida State University with the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. It was rough on both of them, but Mary knew they had to be apart for Wesley's own good.
Wesley knew it was those two summer active duty periods that determined the rest of his life. He was found to be an excellent shooter with both pistol and carbine, and even a reasonable long distance shooter. He also understood how small unit tactics contributed to overall strategy like no one else in his training groups. Instead of becoming involved with aircraft, he was side tracked into Special Tactics and Combat Air Control, working with special forces units on the ground, establishing remote air bases and drop zones, and maintaining security for those facilities.
After 9/11/2001, the demand for his unit's abilities exploded and the community had to triple in size over a short time period. This resulted in fairly quick promotion cycles and he was now a new Lt. Colonel, working with in-theater command in the utilization of these specialized Air Force personnel, and maintaining a command reporting presence since many were attached to other forces. At the same time, the grueling deployment and training cycle had been too much for his wife, and she had left after six years, tired of being a housekeeper instead of being a wife. There had been other women since then but his constant deployments had prevented any long term relationships. Wesley was finally due to rotate back to a staff job in six months, so the last two days since the Red Cross notification had been a frantic effort to turn over all of his duties in two days to his relief who had just arrived expecting the full six months to complete the turnover.
Wesley was eager to see his mother as well. She had eventually re-married, this time to Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant. Ken was a great guy and he took care of his mother quite well, apparently including her sexual needs. The only problem Wesley had with him was his "Semper Fi" all the way enlisted attitude. There was a constant set of jabs at the Air Force and at officers any time Wesley was around Ken. At first, Wesley laughed it off but Ken never stopped so Wesley found excuses to shorten his time around his step-father.
Ken had done very well upon retirement. He bought a dry cleaners near Camp Lejeune and set it up specifically to cater to the service members there. He added a team of part-time seamstresses working from home and able to do alterations, sew on insignias, and do everything the personnel needed for their uniforms. His prices were usually reasonable, but he charged extra for fast turnaround, and that was where the money and the market was. He could beat the Post Exchange turnaround by 3 days, and that gave him a lot of business. Five years later, he had three shops near the base, and had just branched out to establish one in Fayetteville, North Carolina near Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.
The business had made him considerable money, and until the last few years, Ken and Mary had lived in a large house and taken some good trips. Ken's health began to suffer about three years ago and he decided to semi-retire, working as he wanted but gradually shifting responsibilities to his son. They had moved from the big house to a retirement community with independent living condominiums along with full care facilities.
Now Ken had died, and Mary wanted her son to come home and be with her. With the long flight, he would be able to get there about one hour before the funeral, if there were no problems. And that was only because this flight would be stopping at Charleston AFB before continuing on. He leaned back and tried to sleep; it was the best way to pass the time and the best way to deal with jet lag flying half way around the world.
********
Wesley arrived at the Chapel in his Air Force dress uniform with medals just 20 minutes before the start of the funeral. He had stopped at the Marine Corps Exchange to change from his traveling clothes and just made it. As he walked up to the chapel, he returned the salute of all the Marines arriving and waiting to go in. Removing his cover as he went in the doors, a chaplain saw him and moved quickly to greet him.
"Colonel Wilkins?" he asked a bit breathless. "I'm so glad you made it. Your mother told me to expect you. I'm Chaplain Stowe."
"It's good to meet you, Chaplain," he responded, shaking the offered hand. "Where is my mother?"
"She's in that room to the side over there," pointing to the left. "Are you going to escort her up to her seat?" Wesley nodded. "Okay. You will follow the son and his wife, and then your step-sister."
