Gordon, who always slept naked, was just preparing to get into bed when his mother, Zena, entered the room without even knocking. He was startled because she had not done this since he was twelve years of age. Entering like that she had a full frontal view of him for a few seconds before he got hurriedly into bed and managed to pull the covers over his lower body.
He'd had a partial erection and it had been his intention to masturbate, but his mother must have got at least a glimpse of his impressive manhood.
She was wearing a white dressing gown and she came and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him anxiously and unspeaking.
Gordon, puzzled why she had come to his room unannounced, and why having done so she simply sat saying nothing, finally broke the silence.
"Did...did you want something, mother?"
She smiled wanly, reached out to touch his cheek with her hand, and said, "I just wanted to be with you, to see you darling, just look to at you."
Gordon decided not to point out that she had seen him only half an hour before. He tried again.
"Is there something I can do for you mother?"
"I...I...there's something...something I want to tell you."
Gordon could almost feel her tension through her cheek stroking hand as he asked, "What is it?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you darling, but I've got to tell someone."
The bond between Gordon and his mother had always been very strong, and rather than growing weaker, during his teenage years the bond seemed to have got stronger. He was aware of her beauty, her dark curly hair, almost black eyes, the aquiline nose, full lipped mouth and her complexion that gave the impression of a permanent sun tan.
He thought of her as "Gypsy," and he loved her dearly.
He remembered how as a child he always went to her with his troubles rather than his father, and she had always listened and comforted.
"I've always told you everything," he said, "I'm nineteen now and Aso now it's your turn to tell me."
Zena leaned forward and kissing him softly on the lips and said, "Oh my sweet boy."
Her kiss sent a frisson of pleasure through him. Had it been anyone else calling him a "sweet boy" Gordon, at nineteen, might have objected, but coming from his mother it seemed different, even welcome.
Picking up her theme he said, "And is my sweet mother going to tell me?" She kissed him again and said agitatedly, "If I tell you, you must promise never to repeat it to anyone."
"But mother..." Gordon began to say, only to be interrupted by Zena.
"Promise...please promise...swear you'll never tell anyone."
"Okay," Gordon said, "if it's so important, I promise."
"You swear you'll never ever tell anyone?"
"Mother, I've just said so."
Zena looking into his eyes hesitated for a few moments, and then as if it was bursting out of her said, "Your father and Meg."
Meg was his older sister, and although he had never really cared for her, he couldn't imagine how Meg could be part of such an apparently big secret, or his father for that matter.
"Haven't you noticed anything?"
"Like what?"
"How they behave?"
"Not especially," Gordon replied, trying to think of anything out of the ordinary he'd seen. "What about father and Meg?" he asked, are they sick or something.
"You haven't seen...haven't noticed."
"Noticed what?" asked increasingly exasperated Gordon.
"Bedroom," Zena replied.
"Bedroom, what bedroom, whose bedroom?"
"Mine, they using my bedroom."
"You mean yours and father's bedroom?"
"What used to be mine and your father's room."
"Used to be?"
"Darling," Zena said, starting to cry, "Don't you understand, it's your father's and Meg's bedroom now."
Light began to dawn; "You mean Meg and dad are sleeping together?"
"Not just sleeping," Zena wept.
"Meg and dad are fucking each other?"
"I've been sleeping in the spare room," Zena said.
Stunned Gordon said, "But that's crazy mum, I'd have noticed."
"We've tried to hide it from you, but I knew we couldn't hide it forever, and I had to tell you, I couldn't keep it to myself any longer, I feel so miserable."
Gordon was staggered that he hadn't noticed what had been going on around him, especially as it related to his mother. Trying to gather his scattered wits he said, "But why, why are they doing this?"
"It's my fault...it's all my fault," Zena sobbed, "I caused it all."
"You? Oh come on mum, how could you have caused it?"
"I did...I did," Zena cried out with a touch of hysteria in her voice.
"How...how did you cause it?"
Zena moved from the edge of the bed and laid her head on Gordon's chest. "Oh God, I don't know how I can tell you this."
Gordon put his arms round her and holding her close said, "You might as well finish it mother."
"You remember the party your father and I went to at the Harpers'?"
"Yes, a couple of months ago, you dad and Meg."
"Ed Harper, he...he..."
"He what?"