Chapter 5

“Have you ever thought about us having sex?”

Martin experienced the delightful sensation of his sinuses being flushed out with the water he had been sipping. “What brought THAT to mind?” he sputtered as he fought to clear his head.

“You know, us. Undressed. Naked. In bed. Make love. Sex.”

“I think that at our age, that is sort of pushing the boundaries. Why are you asking about this?”

“Mom and I had a conversation.”

“Gina? You and Martin have been seeing each other for a few months now. How are things going?” Ester Cosgrove pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket and found a spot for the car. “I know that he’s your first boyfriend and I can imagine that you might have questions about relationships. Can I help you with anything?”

Gina blinked, unsure where her mother was headed with this conversation. “I can tell you that when we spend time together it’s wonderful. He knows me so well and we always seem to understand what the other person is thinking. You know how I sometimes get a PTSD flashback from the dance? Martin sees me tense up and get a look of panic on my face, and he will just pull me into his lap and hold me and rock me, whispering to me that it’s all okay and soon I feel better.” A shiver ran down her body. “He’s so special to me.”

“Have you been intimate yet?” Ester dreaded the answer, but felt she needed to know.

“MOM...!!!” Gina felt her face flush bright pink, because even knowing the actual dynamics of their relationship, she did have a few private fantasies about Martin. He was, after all, a very handsome fellow and he had featured in many of her late night dreams.

“I know this is awkward and I’m sorry. It’s just,” Ester paused, “I remember being your age and it was all so confusing. Your grandmother was no help at all, with her reply of ‘Just tell him no!’ about everything. When I met your father in college, I was so clueless. He had his work cut out for him when we started to date and...”

Gina shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hands. “La-la-la-la-la ... I can’t hear you!”

Ester waited for Gina to stop. “I’m serious, young lady. I’m sure you are familiar with the assorted birth control options available. Do you want me to set up a doctors appointment for you?”

“We’re on our third 12-pack of condoms right now, and so far, so good.”

Ester felt her heart lurch. “Well, condoms are a good start. But I figured...”

“Mom, they’re not just good, they’re great! You can blow them up really big and make gigantic twisty balloon animals with them! Use a marker for the face and there we go! A giant balloon bunny!”

“Balloon animals. Are you serious?”

“Very!” Gina then proceeded to tell her mother about how she and Martin would secretly create one or two balloon animals from blown up condoms and decorate them with a face, to be hidden in random, semi-secluded spots around the school to be found. The bright colors and designs were a source of amusement with the students, and even some of the faculty. They did this at least twice a week. One never knew when a random closet or supply room door would open and out would drift a giant ‘wiener dog’ in bright purple.

Ester was silent a moment, biting her lip. A snort of laughter escaped and soon she was gasping for air between howls of laughter and cries of “Oh my god!” that filled the car. Shaking with amusement, she wiped the tears from her face. “Who came up with that idea?”

Tilting her head and opening her eyes as wide as possible, Gina answered in a sweet and innocent voice. “What idea would that be, mother?”

Ester rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Okay seriously. All we have done is kiss, hug and hold hands. Nothing else. Mom, the night we met, we had a long conversation about our past and hopes for the future. When we decided to see if we could date, we set up parameters that would help us stay on track with each other. I know it seems weird, but for us it’s working. All I can say is that I’m really lucky to have Martin in my life. He’s a sweet, gentle, kind person and I do love him. Not ‘love’ like burning passion crazy love, but more like someone who is more than just a friend to me, who fills in a part of my life like nobody else can.” Holding her mother’s hand, Gina smiled. “Mom, I’m fifteen. I got lots of time to figure this stuff out. There’s no big rush. Okay?”

Martin nodded as Gina finished her brief narrative. While he had no way of knowing the thoughts that she had for him, he was well aware that there were ever increasing thoughts about her that crossed HIS mind. Taking Gina by the hand, they headed out to the next class.

As they got closer to the science wing, there was a bit of a crowd outside one of the chemistry labs. One of the popular teachers was Mrs. Silver. Since science was her focus, she would laugh and use “Ag” as her signature or name tag since that was the periodic chart designation for the metal. Today was her birthday.

On her desk she had found a “flower” made up of several inflated condoms in assorted colors, twisted together. It looked like a mix of a rose and daisy. Sort of. Maybe. Well, it’s the thought that counts? “Happy Birthday!” was written along the stem in marker pen. Standing in front of the classroom door, she held the ‘flower’ to her blouse and was laughing. “The one time I finally get flowers here at school, and this is it!” People laughed and congratulated her as they passed. Martin smiled and decided that the extra time it took to make the creation was well worth it.