"John, if your mother knew I was calling you she'd kill me; but I hate to see her this way. We've spent days talking and time after time she tells me how much she misses you and how empty she feels. Couldn't you at least spend some time over there or at least call her a few times a week? It's been a month since you left and her heart is broken."
"Aunt Dee, if this was anyone but you I'd tell them to 'jump in the lake' but you know I love you and you were always there when I had my problems with mom. I wish I could explain the situation but believe me, I call her almost every day but I had to move out or go crazy."
"Since when can't you talk to me? Johnny, maybe I can help; I've been around the block"
"Not this block…Oh Dee I don't want you to think badly about mom."
"Is it sex John?"
"Well… yeah…how did you know?"
Dee had had known John's mother Karen for almost all her life and Karen had told Dee of the dilemma she now wrestled with. Dee was a bit older, a bit wiser having been through the mill.
Karen told Dee that she didn't start out with any intention of saying all those things to her son but the night was clear, the moon was yellow and the sky was a starry dome. She hadn't seen him in three months and it was the longest she'd been apart from her son since he was born. They had just come back from dinner and too much wine and she said, " John, it's too beautiful a night to go in; lets sit on the swing in the backyard for a while."
"Sure mom. After all those sweltering days you don't know how good this feels." He was an engineer and his first job had taken him out of the country to work on a bridge building project.
"And you don't know how much your mother missed you."
"Well I have some idea," he laughed, "you called almost every night. It must have cost a fortune; but I'm glad you did because I missed you too. And I'm glad I've gotten my first paychecks so I can start helping out a little around here."
"I feel so good tonight, like a girl again, out with her young man." She closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrant air as they gently swung. "I can't believe it's been twenty years since…well anyway I'm glad you're home."
"Mom, tell me what you were like when you were a girl."
"Well I wasn't a girl for long, your father was only the second young man I ever went out with and I only knew him for three months before…everything happened."
"Mom, you never talk about it; it would probably be better for you if you did."
"What is there to say honey? One day he didn't come home and it took the police three years to find out he was killed…he couldn't have had more than fifty dollars on him…I waited so long…so long…but I had you and that's all I needed." Her warm lips on his cheek made him smile. "If insurance didn't pay for this house, I don't know what I would have done."
"How come you didn't go out more? You're pretty; you could have had a lot of boyfriends."
"Thank you sweetie. I guess I always thought your father would come back even after years had passed. Then I had work and you and everything. I guess I was shy too; we were only married for a month and he was my first…oh you don't want to hear all this."
"No, I do. I want to know what it was like for you."
"Well, all I'd ever done was kiss, your father said I was the best kisser he ever knew because…" She laughed out loud, "…of my tongue." She turned to her son, stuck her tongue out and then continued laughing.
He was so surprised; mostly because he couldn't believe he had lived with her all his life and never realized her tongue was extraordinarily long. He laughed with her, "Let me see that again."
She showed him and he said, "Wow, I guess that would make you a good kisser mom. I can't imagine…"
She laughed, "You know you look so much like him; especially with that expression on your face. I remember the first time we really kissed…"
They were sitting with their arms and legs touching when he turned to his mother, and bringing his lips close to hers he said, "show me mom."
Their lips met and opened. Her tongue found its way to every part of his mouth before she pulled back. She took a deep breath; "Whew, I must be getting a little crazy tonight, making out with my own son." As he sat back she realized he had been hard against her thigh.
"I just wanted to see what it would be like - you are a good kisser mom. You really should have a young man."
"The days for young men are over for this old lady." Her sad smile moved him.