Hannah thought it strange that David wanted a webcam for his birthday. But it was cheaper than a new car or a Sony Playstation, so she went shopping for one. There were so many makes and models with different features and resolutions that Hannah felt overwhelmed. Luckily, within minutes of arriving in the store, a young sales associate, no older than David really, came to her rescue.
She still had it, she thought to herself. She was 45 and here was a young man explaining the ins and outs of every webcam to her. After she had picked one out and had paid for it, she saw the young sales associate again in the parking lot. He had followed her out.
"I know this is embarrassing," he said, scratching the back of his head, "but I was wondering if you'd like to go out some time."
Hannah blushed. She didn't get asked out much anymore, but when she did it was almost always by a younger man.
"You're cute," she said, "but I'm old enough to be your mother."
David loved his present. He made as much known to Hannah by giving her a full-bodied hug that pressed her copious mounds up against his chest.
"Easy there, soldier," she said, pushing David away.
"Sorry mom. I guess I got carried away."
"That's okay. Just be careful. Your mother's very sensitive around there, especially during that time of the month." David wasn't sure what she meant but he didn't say anything. He was just happy to have his present.
Almost as soon as she gave him the webcam, Hannah regretted it. Every night, immediately after dinner, David would lock himself up in his room with the webcam. They were spending less and less time together. When Hannah suggested they go out and do something, his response was invariably, "I think I'll stay in tonight."
Hannah had no idea what he was doing in his room with the webcam. It was like Myspace, she thought, one of those new fads that she didn't understand and precluded anyone over thirty. She'd see the light on under his door into the late hours of the night. She couldn't believe it, but she was getting jealous—of a gizmo no less.
One night, after David had excused himself to go up to his room, she knocked on his door.
"David?"
"Just a minute."
She waited at his door for what seemed like eternity before he finally answered the door. His cheeks were flush and he was only wearing the bottom half of his pajamas. The computer was still on, the webcam perched above the monitor. Hannah was surprised to see how muscular David's chest was and she made a point of looking away. Also, she perceived what looked like the start of an erection in his pants.
"What is it?" he said.
"Oh nothing. I was just seeing what you were up to. How do you like the webcam?"
"It's all right," he said.
"Would you like to come downstairs and watch a movie? I made some popcorn."
David shook his head.
"All right, good night," she said. "And don't stay up too late on the computer."
"I won't."
Hannah was both surprised and saddened that he had declined her invitation. She wondered if he would have accepted had she been wearing a more revealing outfit. "Get a grip of yourself woman," she later said to herself. "He's your son for Christ's sake."
The following night she put her plan into action and knocked on her son's door wearing nothing but a black silk teddy that left little to the imagination. Again, David turned her down but not before staring her up and down and saying she looked great.
"Why thank you. Are you sure I can't change your mind?"
David shook his head.
Nothing could describe Hannah's sense of frustration. What man would turn down that body? She took care of herself, ate right and exercised. She was no stick figure—she had curves in all right places—but she sometimes felt unattractive compared to younger women who seemed to subsist on a diet of salad and cottage cheese.
The next couple nights she tried staring under his door and pressing her ear up against the wood to find out what he was doing. But to little avail. Finally, she took actions into her own hands and knocked on the door.
"Hang on," she could hear her son say through the door. But rather than wait, she pushed open the door. What she saw shocked her: her son standing naked before the webcam, his penis erect.
"I'm so sorry honey," she said and slammed the door.
So that's what he did with that webcam, Hannah thought. Still she had no idea why he did it or who he did it with. She was amazed by the length and girth of her son's penis. She had no idea it had gotten that big. The head was purple and thick and fat, and the shaft long and shiny. It was one of the most beautiful penises she had ever seen with one glaring problem; it belonged to her son. Even as she went to sleep, she tried to picture it and how it would feel inside her.
The next morning was awkward. David didn't say a word to her. Finally Hannah broke the silence.
"David, I don't care what you do in the privacy of your own room. But."
He looked up at her with a mixture of shame and anger in his eyes.
"But," she said, "there are a lot of bad people on the net, people who wouldn't think twice about hurting you. It's your safety I'm concerned about."
David said nothing and left to go the school. While he was away, Hannah went up to his room. The computer was on. He was still logged into his email account. She was about to turn off the computer when one of the subject lines caught her eye. "Hey big boy, your mother's here."
Which was strange: she didn't remember writing any emails to her son that week. Even though she always said she respected her son's privacy, she opened the message anyway. It was from a 40-year old woman who called herself Dianna. The message was the most pornographic thing Hannah had ever read. Dianna said how much she had enjoyed chatting with David and hoped he'd be on again tonight. Dianna had also included some revealing snapshots of herself, one of her squatting on the camera, the other showing off the wide and dark areolas of her nipples. The strangest thing is that Dianna signed off the message as "mom."
Hannah had heard about young men role-playing with older women who they imagined as their mothers, but this was too much. Besides, Dianna wasn't that attractive compared to Hannah herself. She resented the fact that David was spending more time online with that woman than with her. Hannah turned off the computer and waited for her son to come home from school.
Her son was his usual quiet self at dinner. He gave one-worded answers to Hannah's questions. "How was school?" "Fine." "Do you have a lot of homework?" "No." "Have you any plans for this weekend?" "Not yet."
Finally, Hannah crossed her arms and said, "Listen, I know what's been going on."
David's cheeks turned crimson. "You do?"
"Yes I do. I know that you've been chatting with older women, old enough to be your mother, and that you have been camming and role-playing with them. How am I doing so far?"
David didn't say anything to correct her.
"Well, it's disgusting and it's got to end. Tonight, I'm confiscating your computer and webcam."
