I turned the key in the lock and trudged dejectedly inside the house. God, what a shit day! As if school wasn't bad enough already, I certainly hadn't needed double Chemistry and double Physics on the same sodding day to compound my misery! Add to that the fact that I'd been absolutely loaded down with homework, and I already had a pair of lengthy History and Geography assignments due by Monday, and my weekend was looking about as much fun as an Amish nightclub. I might not have minded even that, were it not for the fact that Julie, my supposed girlfriend, had cancelled on me for tonight, so I wouldn't be breaking up the non-stop fun and games that way either. What a bummer!
I slouched my way inside the living room and dumped my coat and bag on the table, then slumped on the sofa.
'Hi honey,' Mum called from the kitchen. 'How was school?'
'Terrible!' I called back. I stood up and unbuttoned my shirt.
'Don't forget to give me your shirt for the wash.'
'Way ahead of you, Mum,' I called back. I tossed the shirt on the table next to my coat and slumped back down again.
Mum poked her head around the living room door and flashed a smile at me. 'Where is it then?'
'Sorry, Mum. It's right here.' I started to get up again, but Mum was having none of it.
'Stay put, Mister. I've got it.' Mum fairly skipped across the room to the table, whipped my school shirt from it, winked at me, then disappeared back into the kitchen. 'I'll be right with you.'
I smiled to myself. Mum was always so pleased to see me. No matter how pants my day at school had been, it always felt great to come home and be so completely welcome! My mother's spirits simply lifted when I was around, and it was hard to stay downbeat for long when in the presence of someone who so obviously wanted me there. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't be happier to see me if I was handing out winning lotto tickets.
For as long as I could remember, my mother and I had been close. Some boys seemed to drift apart from their mothers as they advanced through adolescence and into young adulthood, but not me. If anything, our bond had grown stronger over the years. Perhaps it was the absence of a father; my own had died when I was still a baby. I had no memory of him, however my sister, being a couple of years older than me, did remember her daddy, just about. Whether because of his absence or not though, my sister and I had a great relationship too. In fact, we got on like a house on fire, as did she and Mum, so perhaps it was genetic! Just one small, but happy family.
'Did you get much homework, honey?' Mum's disembodied voice enquired.
'And the rest!' I called. 'My weekend's going to be spent chained to a bloody desk!'
'Language, Thomas!' Mum scolded; I could hear the smile in her voice though. She pretended not to like me swearing in the house, but it really didn't bother her that much. 'I'm sorry to hear about the homework, dear,' she added, coming back into the living room wiping her hands on a towel. She neatly folded it and placed on the side before bouncing over to me with her smile still in place.
I looked at her and remarked to myself yet again just how beautiful she was. At 44 she might have been wilting at least a little, but Mum really had looked after herself. She had the slim, trim figure of woman half her age, and consequently was the envy of her friends. If asked, she would politely point out that going swimming and doing aerobics five times a week might have something to do with it, but in private to me liked to add that if her friends wanted a body like hers, then perhaps they should get off their increasingly well-padded backsides and follow her example, instead of warming their sofas nightly and shovelling endless cakes and pies down their necks.
Mother's face was smooth and lovely, with just the barest beginnings of lines where crow's feet and wrinkles would doubtless one day take up residence. For now however, they were kept at bay, and her dazzling smile, bright blue eyes and flowing brunette hair made her gorgeous in my eyes. However, if there was one thing that really stood out for both of us, it was her boobs. Perhaps it was wrong of me as her son to say so, but she really did have a cracking pair of 36FF's! She certainly seemed very proud of them and wasted no opportunity to flash a little tasteful cleavage if the occasion allowed it.
'So tell me about your homework,' Mum beamed, settling herself on the floor in front of me.
'Well for starters, Mr Merryweather has set a simply horrendous set of chemistry reactions to explain!' I grumbled, reaching down to unbutton my trousers.
Mum knocked my hand away and did it for me. 'Well that sounds difficult,' she sympathised, unzipping my flies and gently tugging my trousers.
'But that's not the half of it! This is all really advanced stuff, most of which we haven't even covered in the lessons yet!'
'Lift your bum, dear,' Mum said briskly, then completed the task of removing my trousers. 'Well, that doesn't sound very fair. How are you supposed to know that?'