Mommy knows best

Chapter 6

"Baby? Are you ok?"

"Well, yes, I suppose," I said, trying to moderate my scrutiny a little. Leering at my own mother? What the hell was up with that?

"Do you want a coat?" I asked.

"No thanks, honey. I'll be fine like this."

I smiled. "You certainly will! Honestly, mum, you took my breath away. You are totally gorgeous and I never noticed before. What is that all about?"

She giggled again. "Nice to know I can still pull the odd surprise out of the wardrobe," she said.

The cab got us to the restaurant in good time. I had called a few friends and got a few suggestions of good restaurants. I had then phoned around to see which ones had a dance floor and music. I'd never been to The Oaks before, but I had heard of it. Like the place we had gone at my last birthday, this was supposed to be a pretty classy establishment. I was gratified to see my mum's eyes widen when she saw where we were going.

"Honey, are you sure?"

I offered her my arm, which she took. "I suppose we could go to KFC instead, but there will be a queue at this time on a Friday evening. I reckon we're stuck with this. Sorry."

Mum laughed and allowed me to escort her inside.

Our table was in a nice quiet corner but with easy access to the dance floor. Music was provided by an elegant middle aged lady at a grand piano. We ordered wine and perused the menu. I suppressed a chuckle as I scanned the prices.

"As it's a slow tune I thought you might be willing to risk crushed toes again," I said.

My mother beamed up at me and got to her feet. She shed her shawl and we moved out onto the floor. I'm afraid my technique hadn't improved, but I hoped that it was the thought that counted. Mum searched my face as we danced in our slow, unimaginative circle.

"Andrew, I really don't know what to make of you," she said. "You're a lovely young man and I've always been proud of you. You never been a rebel or a pain in the bum. You do fine at school... I just don't understand the sudden change. Why you've suddenly taken to paying me such a lot of lovely attention. It's just a little bit weird."

I must have looked alarmed or upset. I certainly almost stumbled.

"No, don't get me wrong," Mum said quickly, tightening her arms around me. "I'm most certainly not complaining. I'm very, very happy with our new closeness..." She hesitated. "In fact, I think I am only just now starting to realise how happy it has made me. My goodness..." Her eyes filled up and she pressed her face against my chest. We danced for a couple more minutes and by the time we returned to the table, Mum had regained her composure.

A couple of times as we ate and chatted I found myself gazing at my mother's cleavage.

"Think it's too much?" she asked, looking down at her chest. "I usually keep them under wraps." I felt my face redden. Damn, she had noticed me looking.

"Sorry, mum. I... I'm just not used to you looking like that. And no, I don't think it's too much. You are beautiful. You are really beautiful."

"And you are a handsome fellow," Mum said. "I know you hate dressing up, so I really appreciate this."

"Well," I said. "I'll do it for you, but no one else would get me to wear this stuff."

"Hmm. Perhaps if you knew how good you looked..."

"What?"

"Well, I think you'd find it impressed the girls if you made an effort more often. I don't want your head to swell, honey, but you are exactly what a lot of girls dream of: tall, dark, handsome and a natural gentleman,” Angela said as she kissed the top of my head just like she always did.

"So much for not swelling my head," I laughed.

We decided to have one more dance before dessert. Between tunes I went over and asked the pianist if she would play another slow number. She smiled and nodded. Our "dance" was basically a long hug set to music.

As we left my mother stopped on the step above the one upon which I stood. This brought her a little closer to my altitude. She pinched a cheek in each hand and pulled me towards her, planting a quick, firm kiss on my lips with a deliberate and audible "Mwah!" for emphasis.

"You will never know how much I loved tonight. To be taken out and treated like a queen by my handsome, grown up son... Honey, you made me the happiest mum in the world. The happiest woman in the world."

"Fancy doing it again sometime?" I asked as I held the cab door for her.

"Oh, honey, I'd love to, but you have a life of your own. You don't want to spend it consoling lonely old women."

I slid into the seat beside her. "Are you lonely, mum?" I asked, concerned.

"Just a figure of speech," she said. "What I mean is that there must be hundreds of girls out there who would scratch my eyes out if they thought I was keeping you to myself."

I laughed and held my arm up so she could snuggle into me.

When we got home I started some coffee. As I came out of the kitchen into the sitting room I heard music.

"One more dance with my handsome prince before he changes back into a frog?" Mum held her arms out. I shrugged and wrapped her in my own arms.

We swayed for a while. I kissed Mum's hair, enjoying her fragrance. I couldn't resist lifting a hand to stroke her rich dark chestnut hair.

"Mmm," she murmured, snuggling closer.

As the music finished we parted a little and looked into each other’s eyes. There was a brief silence and then I said, "I love you, Mum."

"Oh, I love you too, baby."

Silence again.

I knew that she was lonely. She had been taking too much of her time for work and taking care of me and Alice until she went off to college. I mean, it was all fine that she was such a great mother and had always done her responsibilities perfectly even though we were not her own. But she had not paid attention to herself at all. Not going out on dates, not trying to mingle with people at party. It was all work and no play for my step-mom Angela but now I think that it was time that this particular fact changed.

I shook myself. "Well, I hate to break the spell you've cast on me tonight, but if I don't get out of this monkey outfit I'll go mad. Please may I go and change into my bed stuff before coffee?"

"Go on then. I'll do the drinks."

I showered and changed into the sweatpants and t-shirt I used for pyjamas. When I got back downstairs Mum had changed and was in her robe.

"Want to watch TV, she asked."

"Not really," I said. "Why not just leave the music on."

We sat on the couch with our drinks. When we'd finished I sat back and did the thing that had become a reflex whenever I was sitting with Mum: I lifted my arm and she scooted up to snuggle. I wrapped the arm around her and pulled her in close, burying my face in her hair again and kissing her head. She sighed happily. For a while we just wallowed in the warm coziness of the embrace. My hand stroked up and down Mum's side. I became aware of the contours of her waist and hips. My hand paused.

"You okay, honey?" she asked, her voice muffled by my sweatshirt where her face was pressed to my chest.

I didn't answer for a moment. I felt her begin to move to look at me, but I held her to let her know that I wanted her to stay where she was.

"I think I'm going a bit nuts," I said.

"Really? More than usual?"

"Definitely."

"Why's that?"

"I love you, Mum."

"I know, honey, and I love you."

"I love you so much, Mum. Sometimes I actually think I'm in love with you." Again she shifted. "No, please don't look at me. I'm blushing like a girl and I need to finish talking."

"Okay, baby. Go ahead." Her voice was gentle, reassuring.

"I think about you all the time, Mum. The closeness, the love... Nothing in my life has ever been so perfect. I just don't have the words to tell you how much I love you with all my heart."

"Oh, baby..."

"Tonight... This is hard to say... When I saw you in that dress it was like meeting a new person, but one I already loved. Mum, you really, literally took my breath away. You're not just Mum, you're a woman. The hottest, most gorgeous woman I've ever seen. I am totally in love with you. Okay, you can yell at me now."

For a moment neither of us moved. Then my mum's arm that had been draped across my waist reached further around and hugged me. She didn't say anything for a while, just pulled me tightly to her. I kissed her head again and tried to blink my eyes clear of tears. I couldn't believe what I had just said. It had come out of nowhere - surprising me as much as I expected it had surprised my mother - but as I replayed the moment in my mind there wasn't a single word I wanted to take back. Eventually she sat up. I could feel the heat still reddening my cheeks. I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

Mum looked into my eyes. Her expression was soft, concerned, searching.

"How could I yell at you, my beautiful boy?" she said softly. "Things have certainly changed. I don't think a little confusion is all that surprising, do you?"

"I don't think I'm feeling any confusion, Mum." I kissed her cheek and hugged her to me.

"Once again the wine takes its toll," she said. "Time to turn in, honey. If things look different in the morning we can put the weirdness down to the booze and just remember our lovely evening. On the other hand if you still feel a little nuts, as you put it, then we can talk more."

"You don't think I'm creepy, do you?" I asked.

"At this moment, baby, I don't know what I think. But I know what I don't think, and I don't think you are creepy. I don't think there's anything wrong with you at all. You're just a beautiful person bursting with love. I'm as proud of you now as I ever was."

She knelt up on the sofa and put a finger under my chin. Tilting my face, she kissed me, gently and chastely, on the lips. It wasn't a peck, but a firm, warm pressure. A confident, deliberate expression of love from my mother and my very best friend.

"Off you go," she said. "See you in the morning."

"'Night, Mum." I clambered a little unsteadily to my feet and wandered off up the stairs. My head was buzzing, but I knew that wine had nothing to do with it.