Discovering Mum Ch 23

The day after Granny passed, I took on the task of going through her phone book and calling anyone that I felt should know. Mum was busy dealing with the shock and her grief while trying to organise a funeral. The house felt oddly empty and so strange. The presence of Granny was all around us in everything we looked at and touched, yet what was missing was her. It was the little things, like the sound of her breath, her slightly strained laughter, or a cheeky comment here and there. It was her essence that was missing, and I suddenly felt like an intruder in her home without her here. On top of that, it was also strange not to have Chilton around, too. I realised just how much we had come to rely on his strong, quiet presence.

He would be back later in the week after the funeral to sign off on the paperwork and collect the last of his things. He had made a point of making sure we both had his phone number and asked that we get in touch if there were any questions or even if we just needed to talk. He was genuinely saddened later that week at her funeral, and I wondered, not for the first time, what toll this job was taking on him. If all his clients got as much of him as Granny did, then it had to be a painful process.

I called as many people as I could think of, and when I finally got to talk to Peter, he was very upset that he couldn't be there for us. It was probably the most upset I had heard him since the beginning of his trial. All I could do was let him know that we were as okay as we could be under the circumstances. I told him that we love him and that we miss him and asked that he focus on getting better and getting out.

When he calmed down a bit, he asked how Mum was doing, and I knew he meant more than just with the news of Granny. I told him all that I could and that, away from Dad, she had become a much happier person. That she was pursuing the lifestyle that she had wanted since she was young, but it did make me wonder just how much he could know. I felt guilty that we were keeping such a big thing from him, but what could I say?

It forced me to think about what would happen when he eventually got out. How on earth do you tell your brother that you are having an affair with your mother? I know there was time to think about it, years in fact, but how would he take it if he found out? I doubt it would go well. I was becoming more and more convinced that this thing between us couldn't be a long-term affair. That it would serve a purpose for us both, but its season would come to an end sooner or later.

I had spoken to Richard, and he apologised that he wouldn't be able to go to the funeral. I asked if it was a matter of transport and explained that I would be willing to come and get him if it was.

"That is incredibly kind of you to offer, Jeff. The thing is, I don't know how well I would cope being there. It broke my heart to say goodbye last week, but I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to tell Liz how I felt about her and to say goodbye properly and in person. I will always be grateful for that. I'm afraid I'm just not up to it."

"That's okay, Richard. I do understand."

He sounded somewhat sceptical as he responded.

"Do you?"

"As much as anyone can understand someone else's point of view. The truth is, I know what you meant to each other. Granny and I had a long talk about it. That's what led to me calling you in the first place."

There was a long silence as he tried to understand exactly what I was trying to tell him. It was with a tremulous whisper that he responded.

"She told you... Everything?"

"I doubt she told me everything, but she told me that she loved you, that you spent some very formative years together, and that, yes, you were lovers. She loved you, perhaps as much as she loved her husband. I know it's not conventional, but I will never judge either of you for being in love. That would make me quite the hypocrite."

It was the closest I came to telling anyone but Susie about the relationship that had developed between Mum and me. I don't know if he put two and two together, but if he did, he had the grace to not say so.

I decided that it would probably be the right thing to do to let Dad know as well. He would know as soon as he talked to Peter anyway, and things seemed to be sewn up pretty tight as far as the will went. I didn't see that any harm could come from letting him know, and, as I said, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I was very nervous, though, because there hadn't been a word spoken between us since the whole "Goldilocks" incident, and I knew that would be eating at him.

My heart was pounding as the phone rang, and I didn't know if it was better if he did or didn't answer. It rang four times, and I was just beginning to think that he wasn't going to answer, knowing it was me calling. I had begun to release a sigh of breath that I hadn't realised I was holding, so it took me by surprise when he answered. I wasn't surprised by the animosity, though.

"What?"

I guess I just couldn't resist being just a little bit of a smart ass.

"Good morning to you, too. I am calling you as a courtesy to let you know that Granny has passed away."

"What makes you think I would care? We didn't like each other."

Well, he still knew how to be a hurtful prick, but I guess I had that coming.

"Like I said, it's a courtesy."

"Well, you've done your bit now; I'm busy, and quite frankly, I don't want to talk to you. You and your slut mother have started your own lives away from here, so show me the same courtesy and leave me alone."

He leaned into the word courtesy with a strong sense of sarcasm.

"Okay, my pleasure."

I hung up the phone and didn't know how to feel about it. I was angry at him for being such a massive asshole, but more than anything, I was angry at myself for thinking it would go any other way than his heartless response. There was a part of me that still felt that burn of shame that I had let him down; it was almost an inbuilt response to his constant disapproval, and feeling that way just made me angrier at myself. The whole conversation, short as it was, made me feel like a fool, and I silently vowed that it would be the last time I ever spoke to him.

The funeral went about as well as funerals go. There wasn't a huge turnout, but those that came all had wonderful things to say about Granny, and it was obvious that she had had a very positive impact on the lives of those that she knew. There were faces there I hadn't seen in a very long time--those family members you only seem to see at funerals, as well as many that I didn't know.

There was a group of women all standing together aside from the family members. I went over and introduced myself and was soon joined by Mum. They introduced themselves as the women that Granny used to work with, and again they told funny stories of her antics and her friendship that they had all carried since those years when Mum was a teenager.

The day after the funeral, Susie sat us down and told us that the whole process had given her a lot to think about. That she felt that she needed to at least try and mend the bridges with her mother. She left two days after the funeral, but not before Mum had told her that she was welcome to come and live with us if things didn't work out and that she was welcome any time.

It had been several weeks past the date of school going back, and I was considering giving it up as a bad joke, but at Mum's insistence, I re-enrolled in school and found that working online was a very good option for me. I didn't have great expectations because of the turmoil, the changes, and coming back to school partway into the next term, yet, despite being behind, I managed to study my ass off and pull together the best marks of my entire education in that final year.

That spring, I got work in a local auto parts store, about two months before school finished for the year. I worked there part-time, then went full-time once school finished. After being there a while, a local mechanic who was a regular customer offered me an apprenticeship, which I jumped at.

Since those days, I have completed that apprenticeship, and, as Granny had hoped and Mum had spoken of, I did eventually meet a woman who changed my life.

Emily is a gorgeous girl who, it turns out, has some kinks of her own. As Mum once famously said to me, everyone has a kink, and we should all explore them. Well, something like that anyway. It turns out that Emily had a kink for exhibitionism as well, that she had fantasised a little about but never explored until she met me. I guess you could say that I have corrupted her, but to be honest, she seemed pretty keen to explore it herself, especially with someone who wouldn't judge her for it.

We explored and played a lot, and I believe she is a kindred spirit. I have never told her what happened between Mum and me, but those two are like best friends when they get together. I have even found them sunbathing naked together in our backyard a couple of times when the house was free and Mum was visiting. They both act like it's the most natural thing in the world to do, and to be honest, it was a real thrill to join them out there. No comments were made about my erect cock when I did, but I enjoyed them both watching me as I sat there in the yard with them, admiring the two women I love the most in their naked glory.

Emily and I have been married for five years now, and we have two kids. I suspect Mum may have told her some things about our past, but if she has, then Emily hasn't let on at all. I have noticed, though, that Emily is even more excited about exposing herself when Mum is around. She wears even more exposing clothing, and she is more flirtatious with other people when she is visiting. If she knows anything beyond the fact that Mum is a free spirit, she is happy to keep it to herself. She has never questioned how close Mum and I are, and she loves the relationship we all have. She is more conservative around her own family, but she loves them dearly, and they are a wonderful family who I get along with very well.

Mum and I spoke about our relationship a few months after the funeral and decided that it would be best for all concerned if we looked back on our time together as a wonderful learning experience for us both. Not that there haven't been moments where we almost weakened to temptation, but we both love Emily, and the thought of hurting her is too painful to consider. I love the life we have built together, and that includes all of my family.

Peter got himself clean in prison and did as many courses as he could while in there. As much to keep himself occupied and to help the time go faster as to improve himself. He was genuinely remorseful for what happened and served his time without complaint and any major trouble.

When he was released, he had to live under a set of rules set out by the court. It meant that he spent the next twelve months living with Dad. Things were never the same between them after he came out, though. At first, I think Dad was glad to have his number one son back, but Peter had changed and grown up while he was away. He had also learnt how to stand up to bullies without it escalating to violence. He was no longer the boy eager to please his dad anymore.

He was polite to Tracy, who, surprisingly, had stuck around, but she resented him being there and began to play silly mind games, pretending that she was scared of him and accusing him of threatening her. In the end, the courts were happy for him to live on his own, provided he wore an ankle monitor and didn't try to leave the state. This, of course, meant that he couldn't come to us, so we spent a lot of time travelling back and forth to him. It wasn't that big of a deal to us as we had been making monthly trips to see him while he was in prison, so we just continued the tradition.

The big difference was that we got to spend more than just an hour or two with him, and we could go out for meals. Sometimes, we would stay for the weekend and go on small road trips. The travelling back and forth was a time that Mum and I both cherished and always offered some fun conversations recalling previous trips until things became serious between Emily and I. The tension in the car on the first trip where Emily came with us was quite uncomfortable. Emily put it down to the fact that we were all nervous about her meeting Peter. The truth was, Mum and I were mentally replaying all the adventures we had had along the way in the past, and it was driving us crazy.

The next time we all went, Susie came with us as well, and she was a great distraction for all concerned. It wasn't long after that that Peter had his ankle monitor removed, and he was free to travel interstate. He came to visit the following weekend and never went back. He stayed in touch with Dad, but it was a very cool relationship, and I think they were both glad of some distance between them.

I have stayed true to my word, and I have never uttered another word to Dad since the day after Granny died, not even to tell him he was a grandfather for the first time.

Susie eventually moved away from her mother. She stayed for almost a year and tried to mend their relationship, but her mother continued to hero-worship her father and refused to confront the truth of their relationship. Susie decided it was healthier for the both of them if their relationship had a bit more geographical distance to it. She packed up her bus, hooked her car up to it again, and arrived on our doorstep that evening.

With the exception of the yearly road trip that she and Mum began to take, it stays there permanently now, and Susie stayed in what was Mum's old room. I suspect she spends as many nights in Mum's bed as she does her own, but they each insist that they have their own space.

We hear from Chilton now and then throughout the year, and there has become somewhat of a tradition that every Christmas, we all get together. Chilton and his mother, Mum and Susie, Emily, the kids and I, and of course Peter. We all get together and celebrate the strange but happy little family we have created.

At some point throughout the festivities, we all share a moment of silence to remember and appreciate Granny, the tidal force that brought us all together with love.

There is often a special moment, just between Mum and I, where we remember our favourite memories of that special time we shared and how we truly got to know each other on a level that most people never do. It's always with a smile and sometimes a giggle. Nothing but happiness and none of the pain that brought it all about.

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This is the final chapter in this series. I know it's been a long one, and I would like to thank those of you who have stuck around to the end. I appreciate all the positive feedback I have received.

Yakboy69