The 5 words.
"I know it's a big ask. But you have been my best friend forever, and I trust you. I trust you enough to ask this."
Judy looked at me, at her salad and at me again and said, "I really don't know. This is way outside of what I have ever imagined doing. I want to help, but you are right, it's a big ask. I mean I have known him since he was a baby, he played with my children, slept over at my house, I even changed his diaper. It's a little creepy, he is like a son."
I jumped in, "that's the point! You are 'like' a mom, but not. You love him, you will care for him, and that's what this is all about, that's what I need. Someone who will care for him like I would, but able to do the 'other' stuff." Judy was clearly conflicted and I feared that this was a bad idea.
"I don't know, the whole idea feels like a big taboo." She stopped at that point and a wicked smile formed. "But.... then again, as you say, he is not my son, and I have all the things that he needs."
Hmmm, maybe this will be a little easier than I thought....
I had come to Judy for this because we have been friends forever, because she would never break my confidence and because she had always been adventurous. In college she had always had more boyfriends, as a wife she had a few affairs, and now as a middle-aged widow, I knew she would be able to rationalize what I was asking for, and the very good reasons I had, and maybe be able to do what is necessary.
I really had no idea what to do with this problem, but she seemed to be the only possible way. I had really thought about it. I considered "professional" help, but I was so worried that the experience with an escort and such a young man would mess him up even further. I also worried that it would be unclean and unsafe, that he might catch something, it just felt dirty. But mostly, I just really felt that someone close to him, someone who knew him, would get the best results. Knowing that he would be cared for was the only way I could proceed with this plan.
That lunch started off with me being as nervous as I have ever been, and then completely embarrassed by what I had asked her, and then strangely interested as we talked about her actually doing it. The past year with Jon had been the most stressful in my entire life. The day in day out concern for his mental health drove me to the edge numerous times.
For such a physically healthy and beautiful young man, he seemed to have zero ability to interact with people. He was always alone. The frustration his life was for him was nearly unbearable for me. Each evening to look into his eyes and see the confusion and sadness that made up his day forced me to consider every option out there, no matter how extreme. I was certain that if I did nothing, he would be a suicide waiting to happen, and there was no way I was going to let that happen.
What I asked Judy to consider was that he needs physical attention and affection, the kind that a mother could never give. That even his doctor is recommending more physical interaction as a way to help him deal with his condition. The research I have been doing clearly documents that physical touch and intimacy, and the connection that those can create, is very powerful for people with Jon's condition. That without that kind of intervention, he could withdraw further into himself and get lost. I pleaded with Judy that I cannot let that happen and begged her to consider helping Jon, helping me, to be with him in a way I cannot and help bring him back to me. I was trusting her with the most important part of my life.
Ever the practical one, she asked "what should I do with him?" She seemed to think I would give her a set of instructions.
I could not go there, so I just said "whatever you usually do with a guy, just don't freak him out", which caused her to laugh a little louder than she intended, drawing attention from the nearby patrons. Nerves, I assumed.
She was silent for a long minute and then simply said, "ok, I guess".
Like I said, it was a big ask for a lot of reasons.
As we completed our lunch, my begging finished and Judy somehow convinced, the deal was done and a plan worked out. I would have Jon go to her house to perform some chores, and Judy would take it from there. Well, seduce from there more like it. She promised to be gentle and caring and make the experience as perfect for him as possible. It's not that unusual,l I told myself, for an older experienced woman to introduce a young man to love. At least that is what I told myself.
It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but I also had an odd feeling, a sensation I could not quite place about the entire experiment, like I was being sucked into something I should stay out of. I wrote it off as just the general strangeness of being this involved in something so intimate between two people who should not be being intimate at all. I hoped this would not affect our relationship because I needed her more than ever, to help Jon and to help me sort out my confused thoughts. She was suddenly the most important person in my life besides Jon.
When Jon returned home after his 'chores' at Judy's he went directly to his room and I did not see him until dinner. At dinner he was actually warm to me, and caring and interactive, a side of him I had not seen for a year. We talked about a lot of things, school, plans for college, but absolutely nothing about his afternoon. I casually asked how it went, but all I got was 'ok' and an immediate change of subject. But that did not matter as his whole outlook was improved beyond what I could have ever hoped.
A part of me did not want to know what had happened, but another part, mostly repressed by my stuffy morality and my motherly role, did. I put it off for several days, for as long as I could, enjoying my son's renewed spirits the whole time until curiosity won out. I called Judy and asked her to meet me for lunch again, for a debrief. We set up a time at our usual quite spot for the next afternoon.
I was distracted the rest of the day and the following morning to the extent that I could not concentrate or work on anything. I just had this anxious feeling, a buzzing in my head, like I was going to find out something that I did not want to know. I knew that if she got into too much detail I could stop her, but a part of me wanted to find out why this new 'therapy' worked so well.
Judy was dressed in a beautiful light summer dress and seemed to float to the table when she came in. I mentioned right away how nice she looked, how happy, and she just gave me a curious smile and sat down.