It was precisely three years to the day since my father died in an unfortunate car accident. Returning home would be an unpleasant experience again. Mom would be in a terrible mood and cry often. My job would be to sit by her and console her.
Don't misunderstand me - I love my mom, but repeating the same ritual yearly became a burden. It was time for her to get over it and try to rebuild her life. She had to be more active in searching for a suitable mate.
Mom saw me from the window and rushed to open the door, "Terry, I missed you so much!" Her smile didn't fool me. Her eyes were red and puffy. Minutes earlier, she was crying. I stared at her. Her hair was messy, and she wore an old robe on her overweight body.
"Mom. I am happy to see you too. Let's go in; I'm famished."
She smiled. Her face lighted, "Honey, I made your favorite steak with mashed potatoes." I loved her cooking. Compared to my junk food at the college cafeteria, hers was gourmet. Mom hardly touched her food. Her eyes inspected me lovingly, "You lost weight. You need to take care of yourself. I am not there to remind you when it's time to eat..."
"Mom, I didn't lose weight. In fact, I gained 5 pounds. I play football and have to keep in shape, so I may have lost some fat but gained muscle."
I saw tears in her eyes, "Your father is gone, and now you are away for a week at a time. You have no idea how tough it is to be by myself..."
I hugged her, "Mother, It's been years now. I loved Dad, too, but he won't come back. It's time to think about the future. Do you want me to help you connect to match.com, eHarmony, or another dating website?"
"I am never going on one of these sites. I heard men are tricking women into sex or even stealing their money."
"Just like everything online these days, one has to be careful, and before agreeing to anything, you need to correspond and chat before meeting a potential candidate."
"Terry, your intention is commendable, but I am not in the mood to screen men for a date. Dad started courting me when I was in high school. He was the only guy I ever went out with. I have never interviewed people for jobs, and I won't be able to tell if a guy is truthful or not."
"Mom, let's talk about it again some other time. It was a long drive home, and I need to take a shower. Be out soon."
I grabbed clean clothes and went to the bathroom. The jacuzzi-type tub was tempting after 2 hours on the road, and I sat there for almost an hour before drying and getting out. I felt refreshed.
I didn't see Mom around. Her bedroom door was open, and she was sound asleep. I covered her with the thin blanket, closed the door, and returned to the living room.
Memories of my father's stories about his college football days resurfaced. I went to the attic and opened the wooden box with all his memorabilia. His uniform shirt with his 31 number, old shoes, and two medals. I opened the small plastic bag in one of the pockets. I saw pictures of him and Mom from when they first met until a year before his death. These were his favorite photos that he kept for himself, apart from our family albums, which were arranged nicely on a shelf in the family room.
I noticed another tightly sealed envelope. I carefully opened it, and my eyes widened. It contained topless and nude pictures of Mom, the latest from two years before his death.
Initially, I was shocked. Watching her in her birthday suit was an unexpected surprise. I felt like a voyeur... But I couldn't take my eyes off the photos. Mom looked smiley and happy to pose in each of the pictures. More importantly, she was gorgeous! Mom was pretty and had the body of a Playboy bunny!!! How times changed her...
I left the attic with a heavy heart. Feeling sorry for my mother was not enough, but I had no clue what I could do to change things.
I took Mom to a good restaurant and a movie during the weekend. When I left, she cried again, "Terry, come again next weekend. I promise to be more cheerful."
...
Meeting my mates in school was a relief. Here, I could be myself and not serve as a leaning shoulder to my grieving Mom. All six guys have been my friends since the first year. We went to the movies together and often got drunk at bars.
Friday night, we went to a bar and sat looking for girls. The beer was flowing, and the chat became more graphic. I recall Jerry blurting, "Look at that chick; I'd love to put her on my knees and spank her cute tushie." Lance asked, "And what then?" Jerry laughed, "If she screamed, I'd clog her mouth with my cock. If she didn't, I'd take her home for a night of wild sex." Everybody laughed.
I noticed Dan ogling a woman sitting alone in a faraway corner. From a distance, she looked good. I told him to check her out. For some reason, he was too reluctant to do it. Jerry stood up, "I'll go to the bathroom and tell you what I think."
He returned and announced, "The lady looks fantastic. She is older than I thought, but not bad for her age. Dan, go ahead and see if she would be interested."
Dan hesitated, but a short time later, he approached her. We saw her smiling at him and pointing to a man playing pool with another guy. Dan returned to our table, "She said I was handsome, and she might be tempted to accept my offer, but she is married to the guy at the pool table... And Jerry, you were right, she IS older."
Jerry, "I love older women. They know exactly what they want and do not play hard to get." He turned to Michael, "Your mother is a classic MILF."
Michael smiled, "Yes, she is. She keeps in shape." Jerry blurted, "Hey, guys, let's rate our mothers on a MILF scale, from 1 - An ugly frog to 10 - A heavenly creation."
We visited each other's homes a few times and met every mother several times before, so we knew the seven mothers quite well.
We were too drunk to think it over, and soon, everybody filled out his scorecard. Jerry went to a nearby board and made columns with the individual scores. It was no surprise Michael's mother got the highest score. With D-cup tits, butt enhancement surgery, and bleaching her hair blonde, she was a bombshell. However, to my dismay, my mother got the lowest overall score. Nobody commented about it or even gazed at me, but the verdict was clear - Mom was the least attractive among the mothers. I was devastated. I found the first excuse and left the bar.
I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned the whole time. I had to do something, but I had no idea what.
The following day, we had a test. I was too tired and distracted and screwed it up. For the first time in my life, I failed a test. The rest of the week, I was so depressed that I ignored my friends' request to go out after class.
...
Friday evening, I drove home, still thinking about Mom's poor scores at the bar and my below-par results on the test.
Mom was happy to see me. However, it didn't take her long to realize my bad mood.
"Terry, honey, what's wrong? Are you sick? Your team lost the football game?"
"No, Mom. Let's leave it. It's a private matter."
"Terry, please, I don't see you often enough. At least tell me if I can help you."
"Unfortunately, you can't."
She was teary-eyed, "Honey, all week long, I survive with the knowledge my dear son and I will enjoy the weekend together, and seeing you in such a sour mood tears me apart..."
I gazed at her hesitantly and blurted, "Mom, remember you asked, even insisted, I tell you what it was all about." Then I told her about the MILF contest at the bar, the sleepless night, and failing the test the following day.
She stared at me for a long time and then said in a tone I never heard her use before, "Terry, I need to know if this story is true."
Now I had tears in my eyes, "Mom, last weekend I saw Dad's private pictures of you. You were beautiful! Since Dad died, you neglected yourself, and I can't take it anymore. I love you, and seeing how my friends do not appreciate you is insulting. I cannot concentrate on my studies..."
She approached me, "Terry, you are right. I leaned on Dad for too long. I do not plan to look for another man, but there is no reason to embarrass you. I am sorry you had to go through a humiliating situation, but I'll make it up to you. Please, give me a chance."
I didn't understand, "What are you saying?"
"Dear, I want you to focus on school. Please stay in the college dorm and not visit me for a month. Ensure your scores improve. I promise you next time you visit here, everything will change."