“I just happen to stumble onto them.”
“You sure stumbled onto the perfect spot to picnic.” reaching for her drink. I placed mom’s food in front of her and my food in front of myself when, mom said, “I want to know something. Are you thinking about looking for another girlfriend or maybe start getting out with your friends again very soon?”
“No, I haven’t thought about it any at-all. All my high school friends have gone on to college or some other state to live and work. The guys at work all have girlfriends or wives to go home to. The only times they all get together maybe is during the holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or some company party.”
“Have they had any company parties since you started working with them?”
“No but they do have one coming up soon from what I understand.”
“And what kind of party is it? A Halloween party, that is the next big holiday.”
“Yes but it’s not a sure thing as of right now. Halloween is still how far off, a month?”
“Yes one and one half months from now.” mom and I ate in silence for a little bit before mom asked, “Will they ask you to bring your girlfriends and wives with you to the party?”
“The way they talk about last year’s party they will. Why?”
“Whom will you be asking if you don’t get out and find a girlfriend by then?”
“I guess no one but, I doubt I will go unless it is in my best behalf to go. That being the case, I will just go alone I guess, unless I ask you or April out that we saw at the mall today.”
“You need to find someone a lot younger than we are. Everyone will think we are your mom if you take one of us.”
“You two do not look old enough to be my mom. The only way they’ll think you are my mom, is because we have the same eyes maybe.”
“April made the comment that it looked like you and I were a couple and not a mother and son.”
“I wish.” I breathed real low, then asked, “When did she say that?”
“While you were getting our drinks at the mall. Now what do you mean by you ‘wish’?”
“You weren’t supposed to hear that. I’m sorry.”
“Mark, tell me, I want to know what you mean by that.”
“Well… I’m proud to be your son, and you are so beautiful and I have not found a girl that can live up to your level. You show me more love than any other girl has ever showed me. I keep finding girls that only had time for me as long as I had money that I seemed to be short on until graduation and found the job I now have. Now that I have money, the girls I meet want nothing but my money.”
“How do you know that April or I don’t want just your money?”
“For one mom you are my mom and you are so reluctant about taking my money to pay the bills. The other is… I have to come clean about… I heard you and April talking at the mall today when I went after the drinks. I came back and as I was about to give you and April your drinks. I heard you two talking about me and April asked you if you had been able, to entice me into your bed yet. I’m sorry for not letting you two know I was there before you got carried away in that conversation. Please forgive me.”