"Mom." Eric spoke softly, waking me.
He was standing in my bedroom doorway, smiling. "Don't bother to get dressed, come on down, I fixed breakfast for us."
He was gone before I could answer. I raised my hands over my head and yawned. My shoulders ached, so did my arms. I pushed off the covers, swung my feet and legs off the bed. My whole body felt sore, like I had been working out the day before. Why was I so achy?
I stepped into the bathroom to pee. I flushed the toilet and started to wash my hands. There was a wash cloth with makeup stains on the counter. I picked it up thinking, how did this get here? I looked at myself in the mirror. For a brief instant, I saw a masscara tear stained image of my face staring back at me. I took a step back, looked again and saw my makeup free reflection, showing all 40 some years. There was a strange, bitter, taste in my mouth. I brushed my teeth to get rid of it. Ran my tongue over my teeth after I rinsed, announcing to myself that felt better.
My thoughts flickered. What happened last night? I was watching a movie, drinking wine. oh yes, I pilfered one of Eric's joints. I laughed out loud as I slipped on my slippers and headed down the hall. Oh God, what did I dream? The word, "BITCH," echoed in my head as I walked into the kitchen. Eric was putting my coffee mug on the kitchen table, looked at me and sighed, "Mom, you look gorgeous. Sit, have your coffee. Your eggs will be ready in a minute."
I sat down, looking at my boy's back as he worked at the stove. He had on a blue, long-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. I lifted the mug, blew away some steam and took a sip. The taste bit into the minty flavor of the toothpaste.
Eric turned and put two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, jellied toast and hash browns on the table. He grinned, "Hope they're okay."
I cooed, "Oh honey, it's perfect," as I took my first bite.
He rambled on about his gaming day at Bens. I didn't pay much attention to what he was saying. I was to busy looking at his young maturing face. How handsome of a man he was becoming. A tinge of anger and jealousy flashed through me as I thought of some girl getting her dirty, filthy claws into him.
"Mom? Earth to mom." Eric's voice brought me back to the kitchen. "You okay? I'm a little worried about you."
I smiled, "I'm fine, I'm fine, just thinking about a trip I have to finalize for a client." It was a lie, but a good one.
We finished eating. "Mom, you take your coffee and go relax in the living room, I'll cleanup in here."
I asked, "You sure?", hoping he was.
"Get out," he said playfully as I left.
I sat on the couch looking blankly at the dark TV screen.
I felt Eric behind me, leaning on against the couch. He had a concerned edge in his voice, "Mom, you've been acting, I don't know, not yourself lately. You sure you're alright? Is something bothering you?"
I shrugged, looked overy shoulder at him and said, reassuringly, "Yes dear, I'm fine, it's just work." I rolled my head from side to side, trying to relax my tight neck muscles.
As if Eric knew what I was doing, he said, "Here mom, let me help." His hands were on the top of my shoulders. His fingers rubbing around my collar bone, his tumbs digging into my back above my shoulder blades.
I shut my eyes letting my son's fingers absorb the discomfort around my neck. I sighed as he continued his tempered assault on my discomfort.
He whispered in my ear, "Mom, I'll be right back."
I laid my head on the back of the couch, eyes closed, missing my boys touch.
I heard him say softly, "Here mom, lay on the floor."
I opened my eyes to see him spreading towels out on in front of the coffee table. I stood, walked around the table, went to my knees. Eric instructed me gently, "Take off your pajama top and lay on your tummy. I won't look."
I glanced at him, his back was turned. I pulled off my top and lay on the white cotton towels. My breasts smashed into the floor. i could feel them spilling out on each side of me.
Again his soft voice, "Raise your head just a little mom." As I did he slid a rolled up pillow for me to rest my forehead on.
I closed my eyes. My arms stretched tight against my sides to conceal the exposed bulge of my squashed breasts.
Eric knelt beside me. I could feel his jeans rub against my arm. He brushed the hair off my back and neck. Then his hands massaged my shoulders. They were warm and slippery. My darling boy, had put body lotion on his hands, warmed it by rubbing his hands together and now coated the skin around the base of my neck. I knew the scent of the lotion, he must of retrieved it when he went to get the towels from my bathroom.
He pressed his palms hard into the fleshy muscle between my shoulders and neck, twisting them ever so slightly. "Gee, mom, you're really tight. You need to relax, not take work so seriously."