I don't usually write a preamble, but please review the tags to see if this is for you before devoting your time. Thank you.
*
"Would you grab my drink Mark?" Mom tentatively asked as I helped her down off the trampoline, my hand only leaving hers when she was safely back on two feet.
"You're serious Natalia?" Richard interjected shaking his head. "You don't think you've embarrassed yourself enough for one day?"
I scowled at my stepfather before looking back at Mom, the 'accident' hard not to notice. The crotch of her white linen pants saturated, the inner leg of one whole side as transparent as her groin and buttocks.
"No offence Mom, but maybe you have had too much," I stated. "I mean..." looking down at her urine-soaked pants, I let my statement trail away.
"Oh, Sweetheart this has nothing to do with the alcohol," she explained though her speech was somewhat slurred. "No, I think I need a drink now more than ever," she reasoned, her cheeks rosy.
"Pfft," Richard scoffed, looking at one of his friends. "You see what I have to put up with?"
When the adults commandeered the trampoline, the few children at the party had looked for other adventures and the only other female of the small group gathered came forward to assist Mom as I went for her wine.
"Come on Natalia," the woman whose name I didn't know but I immediately took a liking to, offered. "Let's see if we can find you a towel."
"Better call a cab," one of the other partygoers commented as I took Mom's glass from the table and glaring at him, I followed the direction the two women had taken back toward the house.
Mom and I were out of our comfort zone at the party. Acquaintances of my stepfathers, it was attended by the social elites of the city and Mom had dragged me along as insurance if she couldn't find anyone to talk to. Looking at her wet bottom as I came up behind, I was admittedly starting to wish we hadn't come at all.
The woman assisting Mom (whom I found out was a close friend of the host) skirted the main gathering of the party and took us through a side entrance of the house to a bathroom, offering a towel.
"I'm sure we can find you something else to wear," the woman offered.
Mom, finding the towel did little to soak up her pants, politely declined the offer and looked at me as I was beginning to feel more than a little uncomfortable in her presence.
"Actually Honey, I think I'd like to head off," she understandably admitted. "Could you go and see if Richard's ready?"
*
I looked across at Mom in the passenger seat as I drove back down the long driveway of the estate, careful not to sideswipe the array of luxury vehicles parked either side. Sitting on the towel we'd taken from the house, (the helpful woman having admitted, 'they won't miss it') I could see Mom was still embarrassed about the incident.
"I can't believe Richard didn't want to leave!" I changed the subject.
"Well there are a lot of contacts there," Mom defended him. "He's thinking about his business."
"And not about you," I quickly sniped and Mom didn't respond.
I dialled up the air-con, the day becoming progressively hotter and turned on the radio in the process, a news report warning of fires in the Hills.
"That's near here," I acknowledged before turning the volume down, again eyeing Mom who seemed to be taking no interest.
"You know you shouldn't be embarrassed," I offered after minutes of silence. "It's those idiots back at the party that should be."
"What?" Mom looked in my direction before smiling. "Oh no Honey, I'm not. I'm just disappointed I ruined the day."
"No, you didn't," I adamantly replied. "I was happy to get out of there."
She laughed and I was glad she was starting to cheer up.
"Wasn't really our scene, was it?" She smiled.
I finally hit the highway and looking back toward the Hills could see evidence of the fires the radio had discussed.
"I think Richard'll be leaving that party sooner than he expected if that fire flares up," I stated and Mom also looked back at the smoke without commenting. "Hey, you are alright, aren't you?" I asked, referring to her wetting.
"Oh, yes of course," she confirmed. "There's nothing for you to worry about," she added, her hand reaching across and touching my thigh in a sign of reassurance and I guess, affection. "It can happen. Women my age. The problem with childbirth I suppose," she laughed, though strangely it made me feel a little guilty.
"I've never noticed before," I casually commented, all of a sudden wondering if her toilet habits were an acceptable form of conversation between mother and son?
"Well it doesn't happen all the time," she giggled, slapping my thigh before removing her hand completely. The absence of her contact noted and weirdly missed. "When I sneeze, laugh sometimes; when I cu..."