“Why do you hate Bill?”

“Oh, mom...” She’d yanked me into some slight less noisy hallway of the crowded and smoke filled Carpatho Club where we were attending the end-of-the-season banquet for our bowling league.

Inches in front of me and a half a foot shorter, she bobbed her head, coaxing my answer. “Well?”

“I don’t hate him - it’s just ... weird. For eighteen years it was always you and Dad and now - you’re with another guy.”

“There’s no way I was spending any more time with that son of a bitch.”

“I get that. Just ... give me some time. It’s new.” She lifted her bottle and took a long swig of Rolling Rock. I bit my lip. “Don’t you think you’ve had...”

He index finger shot up in front of my face. “Show respect. I’m your mother ... don’t you ever ... forget about that.”

“I just worry about you.”

“I love you too, baby.” She took another drink then blew all the air out of her lungs. “Bill asked me to move in with him.”

I fell back against the wall. “You mean you guys are ... you’re not even divorced from Dad yet.”

“On paper, but that marriage was over a long time ago.”

I tried to think of the last time I heard them making love, late at night through the bedroom walls, listening to her grunt and squeal with each one of his thrusts. Happier times. “Still, it’s one thing that you’ve got your own place, but ... trying to think of you with another man.”

“It’ll save me the rent and...” She leaned close and ran her hand down my arm. “A woman has ... needs. I’m not even forty yet, you know.”

And so close, looking up at me with puppy dog eyes, through the dark and haze that made it easy to forget she was the woman who’d given birth to me. I felt an itch and a stirring that I prayed she wouldn’t see. “C’mon, it’s not easy, talking to your own mother about her ... sex life.”

“Ha! We’re all adults here.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

She threw back her head and finished the bottle, then reached down and took my hand. “I love you, honey. I don’t want ... to lose you, but I gotta ... have a life. Bill’s been good to me.”

“I’ll try.”

And with that she reached around to hug me, bottle still in hand. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders in return, gave a squeeze, and with her face against my chest kissed her lightly on top of her head as I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

An hour later I was clutching my trophy in one hand as the other held her arm, Bill on the other side, as we steadied her steps out to his truck. The pickup only had a front seat, so after we helped her up she scooted to the center and patted the spot to her right. “C’mon, sit ... next to your mom.”

I slid in and closed the passenger side door, pinning her tightly between us. As soon as we were out of the lot and acrossed the bridge, Bill glanced over and asked, “You gonna be alright, Judy?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I got my two ... men.” Suddenly I felt her hand on the inside of my thight, rubbing and squeezing above the knee. I looked over to see her other hand doing the same to Bill. By that time I was at full staff and praying she didn’t look over and notice. He rhand stayed put most of the way back to her place while I tried to will myself down.

Bill pulled up to the curb in front of the house she was renting, only a few blocks from his. I helped Mom down and he came around to help her up the front walk and onto the porch. He opened the door and was about to follow us in when I looked back and said, “Thanks, but I got this.”

He stared for a second then said, “Hey, I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night.”

Mom grunted as she walked with my arm around her. The door closed behind us. We took it slow up the stairs and then into her bedroom on the right. She stood by the side of the bed, rolled her head and yawned. “Damn, I’m so tired. Would you help...”

I took a step forward from over by the dresser, but stopped when she slipped her blouse over her head and tossed it on the floor. She reached behind her back, trying to find the latch on her bra, then turned to face away from me. “ ... get this for me?”

“Yeah ... sure.” After another step forward, I reached out and felt my fingers slide acrossed her warm back before my index fingers and thumbs worked to get the hooks undone. After the bra got tossed in the direction of the blouse, she unsnapped her jeans and pushed them and her panties down past her knees. Losing balance, she spun and fell backwards on the bed.

“Mom?” She didn’t answer, but at least I could see chest moving.

“Shit.” She was out, but I couldn’t leave her there, legs over the edge with pants and panties still around her ankles. If she woke up like that she’d trip and kill herself.

“Mom?” Still nothing. I knelt down in front of her, first taking off her shoes and socks, then working her jeans off each leg. Then, as she was fully naked, my face was practically between her knees and her musky aroma was strong. It was so quiet, just the sounds of each of us breathing. I just sat and stared, the thick bush of matted reddish-brown hair that could not contain the scent of her womanhood.

I felt flush and my heart pounded faster. I was so hard it was becoming painful. After everything that happened that night, I needed release - but right there? Could I wait until I got home, or maybe on the couch downstairs?

I stood. Her breasts were soft with age and spread out over her chest but nipples were hard and thick as my thumbs.

“Mom?” I lowered my zipper and slipped my hand through the fly of my boxers, but in it’s rigid condition my six-and-a-half inches wasn’t coming out easily. I unsnapped my pants, kicked off my shoe, and slipped off the pants and boxers. There I was in just short and socks, standing between her knees as I slowly caressed my erection, praying that I didn’t cum right there, leaving a mess for her to find.