She also knew that she had succeeded in taking over my young mind, filling it with a great passion for her. One part of her head was thrilled by the power she now held over me, the other feared the tsunami of lust she had created and wondered if she had the defences to withstand it’s landfall?
At that moment, fate decided to turn it’s wheel, her hand went to her stomach and she buckled slightly, eyes wincing in pain.
“Sorry to spoil this moment love,”she said anxiously, “Women’s problems. My period has come a few days early.”
Then she went into the toilet in search of tampons.
I didn’t know what to do. She had never actually mentioned her menstrual cycle to me before.
But I was aware of the changes in her for a few days each month.
I slumped onto her bed, my head in my hands, unable to take it all in. Tears of frustration were just beneath the surface.
My heart rate gradually slowed and my mind cleared into sanity.
After a few minutes I heard the toilet flush but she didn’t come out for another 20 minutes or so.
When she did she had washed off her makeup, combed out her hair and changed into sober working clothes. She looked pale and in some discomfort.
“Get me a couple of ibuprofen and a glass of water would you please Jack, my stomach cramps have started,” she said, one hand on her stomach, the other holding her blue dress.
I hadn’t realised that another seismic shift in our relationship had just occurred, she was talking to me as if I were her husband. Nevertheless my heart went out to her and I quickly switched from would-be rapist mode back to loving son without thinking.
Mom finally gets what he wants
The bathroom now clear, I showered, shaved off my overnight growth, changed for college and made my way downstairs. There was a lot of stuff fogging my thinking and those 20 minutes helped restore my sanity.
I found Mum sitting at the table holding a heated pad against her stomach. I sat opposite her, feeling a mixture of sadness and concern.
“Y’never said why you were all dressed up this morning,” I said softly, handing her a cup of hot coffee.
“There’s an important lingerie photo shoot at the studio today, so I thought I would ask the art director if I could be considered for some modelling work,” she said, sipping her drink.
I reached across, placing my hand on hers in an act of pure love and concern.
After a couple more sips of coffee, she continued, “But I always feel so rotten on the first day of my period and don’t think I could face him today.”
“How long do they last,” I said without a hint of embarrassment, “Your periods I mean?”
Mum looked relieved that I was prepared to talk openly about her menstrual discomfort and gently squeezed my hand.
“I’m one of the lucky ones, I get one day of bad cramps and a heavy bleed, then it’s gone within 2 or 3 days. Not like my mother who suffered terribly for 7 or 8 days,” she said.
“So I should be back to my old self by Thursday night of Friday Morning at the latest.”
She had almost finished her coffee by then and glanced anxiously at her watch.