By her normal habits I know that my wife will sleep till at least eight o-clock. Me? I wake at six whether I wish to or not. So when the footsteps in the hall outside wake me, I know I won't get back to sleep.
Sliding out of the too hard bed I give my back a stretch and my neck a pop. I slip back on my socks against the chill of the floors and make my way out the room.
As I descend the steps I can hear water running. I know that my Mom's in the shower. I decide to make us coffee.
The kitchen hasn't changed since I left. First for college, then for the life of a married man. I find the coffee where it was always kept. As I get the pot filled I think back to my life here. Things that I've forgotten, scents, smells, old half remembered things.
Like the smell of Mom's shampoo and body wash. I notice it about the same time I notice that the water has stopped.
Turning I see my Mom walking into the kitchen in her white terry cloth robe and her head in a towel turban. Her feet are in the slightly worn slippers that I got her two years ago for her birthday. I place a reminder to get her a new pair for Christmas in my in box. Smiling I get her down a cup.
"Good morning." She says softly.
I smile
"Yes it is." I open my arms to her and with a smile she comes over and gives me a hug.
It's amazing what being with a woman for a few years will do for your perspective about other women.
Not a thing.
My mom is still the most beautiful woman I've ever known.
Her face is warm against the side of my neck. Her skin flush from the shower.
"It's good to have you home." She says still talking softly. "Is Julie still asleep?"
I nod.
"Yea she won't wake up for at least two more hours. Not the early to rise type."
Mom chuckles.
"Want your favorite for breakfast?" she asks opening the cabinet door in front of me to display the pancake syrup.
"Been awhile since I've had your waffles. That would be wonderful."
"Will she fuss over the calorie count?" She asks with a mischievous smile that I have always loved to see on her face.
I nod.
"Good." She says turning me lose. "You're getting too skinny anyway."
I chuckle at my Mom as she moves over and get the old waffle maker from the cabinet. I grab the mixing bowl and the flour for her. I soon feel like a little kid again helping her in the kitchen.
Other times comes to mind as well. The years before I left when the fact that women are sexy and that you know what? My Mom is one of them had hit me. Those mornings had been a whole lot different. At least for me. Her habit of taking a shower every morning to help get woke up. The fact that she has on only her panties under that robe...back then and now... was a thing that had begun to fascinate me. The occasional slips when her robe would part and I would see the side of her breast. The one time I opened the fridge for her and she leaned in to get the milk and I actually saw her nipple.
A beautiful pink cone. I can still picture it. I watch her move about the kitchen and remember fondly those mornings. I would quite often have to go take care of a raging hard on. It did not take long back then; I would be so worked up.
I watch her hip shake as she mixes batter in the bowl. She looks like a belly dancer. Hell Shakira wishes she could move this well.
The spoon stops suddenly. I look up to see her looking at me. A slow smile and a little shake of her head show me caught.
"You still do that?" she asks with a chuckle. "I would have figured married life would have made you finally see your old mother for what she really looks like."
I chuckle.
"What?" I ask with a not comprehending smile.
"When you were a teen you use to watch me like I was Marilyn Monroe. I just figured that having a wife... to see to you... would have gotten you to see that I'm not a big screen starlet, just a fat butt old lady." She shakes her head and goes back to mixing.
Sitting down my coffee I walk over and place my hands on her hips. I love the way they sway for a half-second before they stop. I make mental note of the fact that they are half again as wide as Julie's.
Mom turns her head to look at me with a puzzled frown.
"You're still the most beautiful woman in the world." I tell her.
Mom gives a half chuckle at that.
"Wish you Step Dad thought that. He's constantly after me to lose a few dress sizes. He say my butts getting too big." She gives her hips a shake in my hands.
I notice how warm and soft she feels through the terry clothe robe. I also notice something else. I don't feel the inward curve where a panty line would be.
She stops mixing and looks back at me again.
"Are you going to hold onto my butt all morning? I though you wanted your favorite for breakfast?"
"Well I've got nothing better to do." I say jokingly. Then with a final squeeze I turn her lose.
Pulling a stool out from under the island I go back to watching her cook breakfast. She gets out a package of the little sausage links I haven't gotten to taste since before my wedding. Just the smell of them sets my mouth to watering as she gets them rolling in the pan. Then that beloved scent of warm waffles starts to fill the kitchen.
As the food cooks she steps over to the window and unwraps her hair. The long brown mass of wet falls shorter than I remember it use to but I still love the way it looks. She leans forward and with the dry outside of her towel starts to dry her hair. She pulls it back from her face and then wraps it back up again.
Leaning over I give the sausages a roll in their pan.
Her hand touches mine on the handle of the pan.
"I'm fixing breakfast here young man." She say giving me a raised eyebrow. "Just because you learned how to cook don't mean you do it here."
"But I learned from such a wonderful cook I though I would share some of her techniques." I say jokingly.
Mom waves that off.
"Oh I already know all that she knows."
We both laugh.
Memories of working here with my mom to get dinner ready. The little brushes against her, as she would direct me in how to fix the family dishes.
Things I've not been allowed to cook in years. Suddenly I have a want for them again. From the simple things like pan fried potatoes all the way up to the masterpieces of buttery pasta, cheese and meat that can pack the pounds on your butt and the fat around your arteries in a single meal.
I also feel a want for other things then, watching my mom opening the griddle and pooping out a hot waffle. The butter melts on contact to fill the center wells and then she drizzles it with syrup. Three of the links and the plate is in front of me.
"You want milk?" she asks getting down a glass.
Looking down at my empty coffee cup I debate for a half-second and decide.
"Yes please." I say.