Around mid afternoon the Harden family sat down to dinner. It was a strange affair; both women behaved unusually. Mary kept pretending that nothing strange was going on, but the more she pretended, the more her husband could see that something was troubling her. She was observing Billy with a strange look in her eyes. Doctor Harden could not comprehend what was behind this look, but he was certain that he had never seen his wife look at their son this way.
Billy noticed it as well. His mom turned her eyes elsewhere every time their eyes locked, but he noticed that she was studying him.
"
What's with mom
?" he asked himself in his thoughts. "
Did I do something? She mentioned something about something in the kitchen
."
Poor young man tried very hard to recall anything bad he might have done, especially anything that involved kitchen, but no matter how much he forced his brain to think, nothing came back to him.
And as if Mary's strange mood was not enough, now Nancy started to act weird. Doctor Harden noticed that she kept sending him funny looks. She also touched him. Nancy was sitting next to him and on few occasions she put her hand on his shoulder or leg. The contact was very brief and the girl quickly removed her hand, but her touch was strangely warm and intimate; too intimate for a daughter touching her father.
Doctor Harden kept telling himself that he was imagining things, but he could never completely convince himself. And although he was not sure, he thought that at one point he caught Nancy staring at his crotch. No. That was impossible. Why should she do such a thing?
After the dinner was over, the kids were tasked with cleaning the table and taking care of dishes while Steven took Mary to another room.
"Honey, I'm worried about you."
She smiled, but it was not a very convincing smile. "I'm fine Steve. Everything is ok."
He looked deep into her eyes. She tried to withstand his silent examination, but after few seconds Mary had to turn away.
"You are lying to me." It was a stern statement of an obvious fact and not a question.
"Don't be silly." She giggled nervously. "I'm just tired. And I have many things on my head."
"Like what?"
"Oh, you know. Things back home. Things at work."
Doctor Harden knew his wife well enough to know that he won't get the truth out of her through hostile confrontation and questioning. It was preferable to help her relax and wait until she was comfortable enough to tell him on her own. It was time to change tactics.
Doctor Harden came to her and encircled his arms around her waist. "You worry too much sweetie." He planted a loving kiss on her forehead. "Let all these things go. That's why we came here; to relax and forget our problems. It is a vacation after all."
Mary smiled. This time her smile was sincere. "You are absolutely right. We should have some fun."
"That's the spirit," doctor Harden answered jovially. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. You pick something."
"Hmm. How about we go swimming? That pool outside looks huge."
His wife took a second to think it over. "I don't feel like it."
"Very well. How about sauna?"
"Yes. That sounds great."
"Then lets go."
***
The sauna was, like most saunas, hot and steamy. Doctor Harden was sitting on a bench. His wife was lying with her head resting on his knees. They were making small talk when Billy walked in. He was naked, except for the towel wrapped around his waist.
"Hi. Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," his father replied.
Mary sat up and made sure that her towel was wrapped tightly around her. Although her towel covered all the intimate parts of her naked flesh, and even though Billy was right now unable to see any part of her that he was normally not able to see in everyday circumstances, Mary felt very uncomfortable being seen like this by her son. After her experience in the kitchen she was wary about exposing any part of her body before him.
"Where is Nancy? Is she going to join us as well?" asked doctor Harden.
"I think I saw her near the pool," his son replied. "I don't know if she's coming here."
The two men, or rather the boy and the man, started talking about school, doctor Harden's work, sports and other subjects. Mary threw in few words here and there, but for most part she sat quietly. At first she listened to what was said, but her attention soon switched to her son's half naked body. As far as she could tell, he looked exactly the same as he did in the kitchen. Of course, her examination could not be totally complete because of the towel he wore.