I sat at the table looking out at the drive way through the kitchen window. My 21 year old son Craig would be visiting from his college any moment now. He was actually my step son, but I had married his father, Jim, when Craig was just 6. I was the only mother he ever knew as his real mother gave up her parental rights to his father when they got divorced. When I married Jim, I adopted Craig as my own.
I stared down at the coffee cup I held in my hand. My light lipstick was smudged on the top rim.
Now I had the "duty" of telling Craig that Jim and I were getting a divorce. I discovered that Jim had recently started an extramarital relationship with one of his co-workers. I confronted him once I had some hard evidence, ei emails, in hand. Jim just cried and told me that he would end it right away and that he loved me more than he loved himself. If he loved me, he would have never done such a thing, so I told him that we were getting a divorce. He told me that he was sorry and he moved out the next day. This was a month ago. Craig had no idea.
I lifted my head just in time to see a burgundy Xtera pull into the drive. It was Craig. As I watched him pull his bags out of the SUV, I felt a lump rise in my throat. This wasn't going to be easy.
I swung the door open and smiled at my son as he walked up the drive. I am always shocked to see how much more of a man he became since the last time I saw him. He was no longer a boy, but a big handsome man. Craig looked very similar to his father: dark hair, bright blue eyes and a mischievous grin. However, Craig was taller and much more muscular than Jim. "Hello, boy."
"Hey mom!" He dropped his bags and picked me up in his arms. Such a strong fellow he was too!
"Put me down, Craig!" I laughed like a giddy school girl and he put me down, kissing me lightly on the cheek. His facial hair scratched my face. "Ow!" I looked at him and realized that he had grown a goatee. "What's this scruff on your face?" I grabbed his chin and pulled a few of the hairs.
Craig ran his hand down his chin and smiled. "You like?"
I just looked at him for a moment. I had always loved goatees. "You're father could never grow one. Makes you look a lot older."
He gave me an evil look. "Yeah, chicks dig it."
I shook my head at him. "Typical. Get your bags in the house, Mr. Frat boy."
Craig laughed and followed my inside. "Hey, do you have any good beer? Can you make me a sandwich? I'm parched!"
Even though Craig was being trying to be cute with me, I said nothing and just went to the kitchen to make him a sandwich. My mind was on telling him about Jim and I.
Craig came to the kitchen and leaned up on the breakfast bar just as I was finishing the sandwich. "Hey, it's Saturday, right? Where's Dad?"
My heard raced and the lump came back to my throat. I quickly opened the fridge and pulled out two Hefe Weizens. I twisted the tops off and handed one to Craig along with the sandwich. "Here, you're going to need this. Hell, I'm going to need this." I took a big pull of the cold, unfiltered beer.
"Mom?" The playful smile had vanished from Craig's face.
"I....don't uh..." I stuttered and took a deep breath. "Honey, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I found out he was cheating on me and we are going to be getting a divorce. He moved out a month ago."
He stared. Craig slowly lifted the bottle to his lips and took a drink, a really big drink, an almost half the bottle drink. He sat the bottle on the bar and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why didn't you tell me," he said quietly. "I tell you everything." Craig picked at the beer label with his thick fingers.
I had been afraid to tell him, but I couldn't say that. "You didn't tell me you grew a goatee..." I fake laughed in a poor attempt to lift the mood.
"Mom, I'm serious." He lifted his blue eyes to mine. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have come home sooner."
"I didn't want you to worry. You're young, I want you to have fun and enjoy being young. It's your summer break." My eyes were watering, but I managed not to bust out into a crying fit.