The car finally packed and gassed up, Nikki was ready to head home for the holidays. After her first college finals week, she was so glad to be done and heading home for a break and to spend some time with her mother. She had slept very little over the last week and was feeling it now that the stress of finals had ended. She had already said goodbye to her roommate and a few friends, many of whom still had finals left to take before they were done for the semester. She tossed her last bag in the backseat, climbed behind the wheel and headed for home.
She checked herself in the rear-view mirror as she started to drive. She looked like hell. She was paler than usual thanks to four months in lecture halls and libraries coupled with a week without much sleep. Her normally pin straight blonde hair was disheveled and her eyeliner and mascara that she only wore because she thought her nearly colorless eyelashes looked 'creepy', was smeared and gave her racoon like eyes. Someone who didn't know her would think he was some kind of goth-girl.
The drive was about three hours and she could usually do it without a stop, but this time she decided to pull off after an hour to grab a cup of coffee and a snack, afraid she would nod off during the trip. She pulled out her phone when she stopped and sent a text to her mother letting her know what time she thought she'd be home. Her mother Susan responded, telling her to drive carefully. Had she known how exhausted Nikki was she would have been so worried that she would have been miserable for the next two hours, part of the reason Nikki didn't call and just texted her.
Her concern for her mother was based on their relationship. They were more like best friends than mother and daughter because of the trials of their life since Nikki was a young girl. Her father Mike was very successful, owned his own business and worked a lot, or more accurately wasn't home a lot. A lot of the time Susan had thought he was at work she later discovered he was with one of his many mistresses. One morning when Nikki was three years old he had told Susan as he left the house that he was going to the west coast on business and wasn't coming back.
The shock of her husband leaving with no warning was multiplied six months later when the Sherriff arrived to evict Susan and Nikki from their home. Her husband had stopped paying the mortgage. She had never seen a letter or anything since all the bills went to Mike's new address, and the separation agreement they had required him to pay the housing expenses. Obviously, he wasn't, which was an indication of how things would go for the next fifteen years. Susan managed to scrape the money together to get the mortgage caught up and the bank allowed them to move back in after three days in a hotel. Through all of this, Nikki was never aware that anything was wrong because Susan did everything possible to protect her.
That didn't change as Nikki grew up. Through never ending battles with Mike over money and anything else that Mike could find to fight with her about, Susan made sure that Nikki never wanted for anything. Susan renewed her nursing credentials and returned to the career that she gave up when Nikki was born. She scheduled her shifts to ensure that when Nikki was not at school or asleep she was there. Her life became the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter and she never regretted it for a second.
Susan never missed a game, recital, or anything in Nikki's life. She never dated because she did not want to have anything in her life that took away from her focus on her precious daughter. In this loving and stable home, Nikki blossomed into a wonderful young lady with lots of friends and had her choice of some of the best schools in the country when it came time for college. She chose a state university close to home though because by now she had figured out that money was an issue despite all of Susan's attempts to keep her sheltered from the realities of life.
Even without knowing the condition Nikki was in, Susan paced as she waited. The last four months had been a huge strain on her. After fifteen years of having a total focus on her daughter, not having her there had been a shock and she worried constantly. She knew that Nikki needed to grow and experience life on her own, so she kept her smother instincts to herself but some days it was a challenge not to get in the car and drive the three hours to check on her.
When Nikki's car pulled into the driveway Susan rushed out the door to meet her, grabbing her and holding her tight as soon as she got out of her car. Other than the petite and slender body and perfectly round breasts, she was virtually unrecognizable. "Nikki, you look like you haven't slept in forever. Why didn't you stay at school and get some sleep?" Susan asked.
Nikki looked at her sweetly and replied, "I couldn't wait another day to see you mom, I've missed you so much." To many, her response would sound like a typical attempt by a teenager to talk their way out of trouble, but Nikki was absolutely serious. She was homesick and missed her mother. Several times during that first semester she had cried herself to sleep and told her mom she wanted to come home, but Susan forbid it, in spite of wanting nothing more herself.
Susan responded with a big hug and helped Nikki bring her bags into the house. Dinner was ready and just needed a quick reheating. They chatted about school and life here at home while they ate. Eventually Nikki asked her mom the question that had been front and center in her mind for the last few weeks, "So Mom, you seeing anyone?"
Blushing, Susan looked away and answered, "Yes, I've been out with a couple men. Nothing serious though."
A big smile crossed Nikki's face. She had asked her mother to take advantage of her newly found free time and have some fun. Go out with a few men and get back into the dating scene. She wondered if any of her dates had ended up in a bed, but didn't want to embarrass her mom so she kept her curiosity to herself.
"Why don't you go lie down on the couch and rest while I clean up sweetie," Susan said as she softly kissed Nikki on the head.
Nikki wanted to argue but was so tired she just said, "Sure Mom, thanks for dinner it was delicious." She headed for the couch where she stretched out and turned on the TV. She was asleep by the time Susan finished up in the kitchen. Her mother carried Nikki's bags upstairs and started a load of laundry from her laundry bag, then sat down on the couch and slid Nikki's head up onto her lap. She watched TV, softly stroking Nikki's hair feeling the rise and fall of her baby's body as she slept peacefully beside her.
After a couple hours Nikki woke up from her nap. She sat up and they continued their catching up until it was well after midnight. They got up and said goodnight and headed off to bed after a warm hug and Nikki telling her mother; "I'm so glad to be home Mom."
In minutes Nikki was sound asleep, curled up in the bed she had grown up in, surrounded by the memories of her life. An amazing life that had been made possible by the wonderful woman who was sleeping down the hall.