Chapter 29

It wasn't until much later in the day as mum sat beside me holding my hand that I realised what had been staring me in the face all day and my heart sank.

I knew I'd have to be very careful how I asked, so I suggested that we could go for a walk in the corridor,

"All right darling" she said quietly, "But you're still very weak so we can't be long"

Just along the corridor from the ward, was a smoking room for patients only so we went in and sat down, mum lit two cigarettes up and handed one to me,

"Thanks mum" I said and squeezed her hand, "You've lost it mum, haven't you?"

She nodded and her eyes filled with tears,

"Yes, I'm sorry darling"

"Oh mum" and we cried together for Jill and two unborn babies,

"What caused it mum, the stress, the shock or what?"

I could hardly hear her whispered reply,

"I don't know Tommy, I rang Jill's mobile just to say that I'd spend the evening with Fred, but that his idea of an exciting night was to sit in the pub playing darts and dominoes with his mates and I think I was supposed to sit there watching and pretend I was enjoying it"

"Oh shit mum, I'm sorry"

"Don't be silly Tommy" she said and kissed me, "You weren't to know and besides, he may not be the answer to a maiden's prayer, but he's a genuinely nice man, it's just one of those things, when I rang, I heard the bang and Fred drove me straight there, I found Jill..."

She began to get all choked up, so I suggested that we leave it, but she shook her head vehemently,

"No darling, we both loved her, help me through this"

"Take me home mum" I said softly, "I'm ok, stay in my room tonight with me and we'll make arrangements to go home in the morning"

"It's just me and you Tommy" she said, very quietly,

I leaned in towards her and kissed her cheek,

"I've never wanted it any other way mum"

Dr Francis wasn't too pleased about us both discharging ourselves, when we told her, but she accepted it and said that all we needed now was time.

We had all the time in the world!

Fred very kindly came to the hospital and drove us home the following morning, he winced when he saw my face although it was only slightly burnt.

"Tommy" he said as we got out of his car, I looked round at him and he gave what passed for him as a smile,

"Anything son, anything at all, ring me"

"What I want more than anything now Fred, is for the work to start on the chalets"

"It's all in hand mate" he said, "You've been out of it for a couple of, but if you're ready, I've got a team ready to start tomorrow"!

"The sooner the better Fred, see you in the morning"

Mum kissed me as soon as we got into the house, but it made me wince a bit and I pulled away,

"What?"

"My face is sore mum" I protested, so very, very gently she held my face in her hands and touched her lips to where I'd been burnt.

"Make love to me Tommy"

"Mum you're, well you're. Er you know aren't you?"

"Yes I'm still bleeding a bit, does it bother you?"

"Hell no mum, but aren't you sore?"

"No darling, not at all why?"

"I just think that after the funeral, we should have a week or so away somewhere you know to gather our thoughts and I could do with some sun on my face"

"I'd have thought you'd had enough heat for now!"

But she said it without any malice of course and we both smiled as we went hand in hand upstairs.

We did make love and I have to say it was beautiful in spite of it not being the most hygienic session we'd ever had, mum was a bit unsure at first but then so was I with my burnt face and chest, we managed though and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Practically the whole village turned out for Jill's funeral, which we found very moving, we'd only been there for a couple of days and yet they'd taken time off work, closed their businesses or whatever, all to pay their respects to someone they hardly knew. Every single one of them shook my hand and muttered condolences as they filed out past mum and I and for that little show of respect, we both sat down and wrote out thank you cards to them all when we got home with a list from the local vicar and the help of Fred who was turning out to be a valuable friend!

We flew out three days later to Spain leaving behind a mass of diggers and earth movers beavering away under Fred's watchful eye, mum had stopped bleeding by then but I was still concerned for her mental state, I realised that the embryo was unborn, but, well I don't know enough about it so I just kept quiet.

I knew she was okay when, on our first night in the hotel, she announced that we should explore the nudist beach as soon as we were able, I wasn't too sure about that, after all I still had vivid red burns on my face and chest, so I said so and she giggled,

"What?"

We were in the dining room at the time, so she had to lower her voice,

"When you're naked Tommy, believe me it won't be your face people are looking at, or your chest either!"

"Behave" I laughed, but like every other man in the world I was secretly pleased at her flattery, "Ok you win, we'll go tomorrow morning"

We did too, I'd kind of hoped that she might have forgotten about it, but there was absolutely no chance of that, she woke me mid morning with a coffee and a view of her gorgeous hairless pussy right next to my eyes.

"Come on lazy bones" she said with that old sparkle back in her eyes, (not that I was looking anywhere near her eyes) "Time to get up"

I realised I'd awoken with my usual morning erection throbbing away down below and her eyes widened with delight when I turned onto my back!

"Ooh yes" she said as she climbed aboard, "Definitely time to get up"