A.C. Delaney stared up at the tree that had been the bane of his teenage years. Not many blocks in this part of Brooklyn had trees like this, so a lot of activities had circulated around it. It was home base for playing hide and seek. It was the place you all hung out under on a hot summer day. Most importantly, it was the site of "the dare". Ten years ago at the age of twelve, that had been the focus of the most terrifying moment of his young life. That was the day he'd completed one of the neighborhood rites of passage and had climbed to the top of the old oak tree.
Funny, the tree didn't seem so imposing now. Then again, the last decade had seen him go from a skinny 110 pound teenager to a six foot 190 pound adult. He'd discovered a passion for baseball in high school and long hours practicing with his father had transformed him into a starting first baseman both in high school then later at State.
Sports had only been a means to an end however, a way out of the old neighborhood. The degree in business he'd earned last year had been his highest priority. For a while it looked like it was going to be a hard decision turning down the offer to turn pro, but a leg injury his senior year took that decision out of his hands. In a way he was glad that fate had intervened, it meant he'd never have to look back with regret.
A group of teenagers were playing stickball, using the manhole covers as bases. It seemed like a hundred years since he'd played that game.
"Hey mister, the ball!" one of the kids yelled as the rubber ball bounced in front of him.
In a quick motion he caught the ball on the first hop and tossed it back to the batter. The action had been instinctive. A smile came to his lips as he thought some things you never forgot.
Watching the game for another ten minutes, A.C. was glad he decided to spend an extra day here. After he came home for his father's funeral over a year ago, he decided that there was never going to be a reason to again walk these streets. But Arthur Charles Delaney Sr. had been buried over sixteen months before and it was only now that the lawyers had finally settled his estate. He'd come all the way up from Florida just to close on the sale of his family's house. He could've just left it all to the lawyers, but he felt it was something he owed to his dad to see done personally.
The block held so many memories. His own house was down on the corner. On the other end of the block was Josh Austin's house. He and Josh had gone off to State together. A grin filled his face as he looked at a second floor window across the street from the tree and remembered when it was Jenny Burke's bedroom.
How long ago was that night he and Josh Austin were using Josh's new telescope to look at the moon. They accidentally turned it right into Jenny's room - just when she was getting dressed for bed. They couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 at the time. A year older because she had to repeat third grade, Jenny had been one of the first girls to develop breasts and that had been the first time A.C. had seen a topless girl in anything other than a magazine. He laughed softly as he remembered how angry Josh had been cause he waited so long to give him a turn that Josh only got a brief glimpse.
A few years later A.C. got repeated opportunities to examine those breasts more closely. He dated Jenny all through senior year school. She was the first girl who ever gave him a blow Job, a present for his 18th birthday, and on the night of the senior prom they traded cherries. Things went downhill between them after that when they went to separate school. Last he heard, she was married and already had two kids.
"I should get something to eat." A.C. said to himself as he realized that he'd skipped both breakfast and lunch. "Might as well make the day complete and have dinner up at Mario's"
Mario's was the diner on the corner. Calling it a diner used to be a charity when A.C. was younger. The food sometimes bordered on the inedible. But it was a neighborhood classic and had been there since his father had been a teenager. Generations had brought their dates there after the movies or some other activity. That, A.C. knew, was due more to the big dark booths in the back of the restaurant than the dinner fare.
"Who am I to argue with tradition." he finally concluded as he began to walk up the block.
It came as a surprise to find that the diner was closed. He couldn't ever remember a day it hadn't been open. In fact, it look like it hadn't been opened in months. Then he noticed a small notice in the window. It looked to be well worn but he could still make out the words Department of Health.
"Why am I not surprised." the sandy haired young man chuckled. "I hope the deli over on 13th is still open."
"You weren't really planning to have dinner there were you?" asked a female voice from behind A.C.
The voice was very familiar and A.C. turned with a smile on his face.
"Hi Mrs. Austin." he grinned.
The woman in front of him was in her mid 40's, about 5'7" and weighed in at 152 lbs. Very attractive for her age, she had dirty blonde hair cut short and carefully styled. A full figured woman, her weight was pretty evenly distributed across her body as to give her a full bodied figure. The most striking feature of which was a set of 38D breasts.
"Hi Mrs. Austin..." the short blonde haired woman repeated. "That's the way you say hello? Is that what they taught you up in that fancy school?"
With that, A.C. practically picked up the smaller woman and gave her a hug and affectionate kiss on the cheek.
"That's better." Mary Austin said. "And what's with this Mrs. Austin crap. You're an adult now, you can call me Mary."
"Okay Mary." A.C. said, feeling very strange to have her first name come from his lips after a lifetime of referring to her as Mrs. Austin.
"My, you have filled out." the 45 year old noted as she took a good look at her son's friend. "And I know you didn't get that way eating at places like this."
"Well, I was hungry and..."
"And you couldn't take five minutes to stop by the house." Mary interrupted.
A.C. considered lying for a moment, saying that he'd rang the bell but got no answer. After all, she had obviously been out shopping and hadn't been home. Then he thought better of the idea. Mary had known him since he was 6 years old and always knew when he'd been lying.
"I'm sorry.." he said.
"And well you should be, I know your father raised you better than that." Mary replied.
"Can I make it up to you with dinner?" A.C. said, displaying the charm that worked his way into dozens of beds back in college.
"Only if I make it." Mary answered, ignoring his obvious charm. "What would Josh say if I let you go without bringing you home for dinner. I know he'd love to see you."
"OK, you win." A.C. surrendered. Actually the idea of seeing Josh again seemed like a pretty good idea. In fact, just seeing Mrs. Austin again made him feel pretty good.
"That's settled then." Mary grinned triumphantly. "Now make yourself useful and take some of these packages."
"Yes Ma'am...err Mary." he quickly corrected himself as he picked up the two largest bundles.
Half an hour later, sitting at the kitchen table of the Austin Household, A.C. could honestly say he was enjoying myself. How many dinners had he had at this very table. Mary Austin had been like a second mother to him. He probably spent more time in this house as a child than his own. Lost in thought he didn't hear the phone ring at first.
