Chapter 10

Again, I took the lead, and again, I went with habit, going out the back door, and leading the whole party to Gloria's back gate.

"I wondered why you always went out the back door," muttered my mother.

"I had to, after Mrs. Abernathy tattled on me," I said, grinning.

"I remember that!" said Suzy, almost skipping along in her excitement. "You mean she was your girlfriend way back then?!"

"No!" I defended myself. "I was just doing good deeds back then. I didn't think I should have to stop doing good deeds just because Mrs. Abernathy was a snoop."

My mother made a sound in her throat, but she didn't say anything. My dad just grinned, for some reason.

Gloria was obviously embarrassed that guests were in her house without it being made ready for guests, but her personal daily habits obviously met my mother's expectations. Of course Gloria didn't have two teenagers around to mess things up, so everything was already neat and clean. She had pretty good taste too, and the money to indulge it, though nothing was really flashy. Suzy wanted a tour, and the Ebay room got a lot of attention. Thank goodness her portrait had been put away.

That notion was disabused when Gloria tried not to show them her bedroom.

"That's just my bedroom," she said. "You don't want to see that."

Suzy barged on in anyway, over the objections of my parents. Her squeal of surprise got us all in there.

The portrait was on the wall above the headboard.

My dad's eyes got a little glazed, while my mother shooed my sister out. All the while, Suzy was craning her neck, trying to get another look at Gloria ... in all her glory.

"Sorry," said Gloria, her cheeks stained red. "Bobby liked that portrait, and I put it up while he was gone ... to remind me of him."

My mother looked all tense again, and, when Suzy was out, went back to get her husband. He looked guilty when she dragged him back out into the hallway. He also looked like he was trying not to smile.

Gloria insisted that I go spend some time with my parents, and I think that helped. I'm sure my mother still thought this woman was trying to steal me away from them. It was a rocky start, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. I think I have my father to thank for that. On the way back to our house, Mom and Suzy got ahead of us, and Dad walked along beside me.

"I thought I told you to be careful," he said softly.

I blushed. "Yeah ... well ... I guess everybody's entitled to one mistake."

"That's a heck of a mistake, son," he said. He grinned, though. "Your mother's going to have to get used to being called Grandma." He was smiling about that, for some reason.

"You're going to be a Grandpa too," I said.

"That doesn't bother me," he said. He looked sideways at me. "She seems nice."

"She IS nice," I said. "Nobody ever gave her a chance to show that."

"Yeah," he said. "Well, that's life. You're going to have to get used to the idea. I don't suspect a lot of other people will embrace this."

"I don't care about them," I said heatedly. "but I want you guys to get along with her."

"Give it time," said my father. "Just give it some time."

"You'll keep an eye on her?" I asked.

"As much as your mother will let me," he said. "She may come around too, once she starts thinking about her granddaughter."

"I hope so," I said softly.

"Your mother is stubborn as a mule," he said, "but she's not stupid. If I could have been so wrong about Mrs ... Gloria ... then she'll realize she was wrong too ... eventually."

"I hope so," I said, again.

My mother appeared to "come around" a lot sooner than I thought she would. When we got back home Mom did the dishes, while the rest of us sat around the table talking, mostly about Americorps. An hour into that Suzy got bored, and wandered off to her room.

Maybe ten minutes later Mom looked at me and said: "We need to take you shopping for a ring. If you're not going to marry her this week, she at least needs something to show your intent."

My dad looked as shocked as I probably did. "Don't you think she ought to be the one to pick it out?" he asked.

My mother darkened. "Well ... yes, I suppose so. It's just a shame the baby will be born without your name ... don't you think?"

"When you told me she was pregnant, I went over there and demanded that she marry me today," I said. "She's a stubborn woman."

"They all say you pick a woman just like your mother," said my dad, grinning.

My mother shot him a dark look.

"I'm just saying what they say in all those journals," he said, holding up his hands to fend her off. "Besides, she's almost as pretty as you are, darling."

It's amazing how a woman can be disarmed by a good compliment. My mother was quite aware that Gloria had spectacular looks. That's one of the reasons all the wives in the neighborhood disliked her so much. Believing she was a tramp just justified their dislike.

"I saw how you looked at that portrait," said my mother, unwilling to let him off easily.

"We should find out who did that, and have one done of you," said my dad, wistfully.

My mother blushed like a new bride. "That will be enough of THAT!" she stammered.

"I'm just saying..." said my dad, smiling.

"I know what you're saying, you old goat," sniffed my mother, but she looked pleased.

"That's how I feel about her." I threw in my own two cents worth.

"I do NOT need to hear how my son lusts after some ... woman," said my mother.

"I'm just saying..." I said. My dad grinned at me.

"You two are peas in a pod," my mother snorted.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," said my dad, sagely. "It's only natural he'd pick a woman almost as good looking as his mother."

"You're laying it on a little thick," said my mother, putting her hands on her hips.

"I was hoping I might get lucky ... later," said my father, innocently.

"George!" said my mother, flushing again.

"He knows the deal," said my father. "Remember?"

"You are INSUFFERABLE!" squealed my mother.

"Let's go to the bedroom and talk about it," said my father, smoothly.

My mother objected vociferously ... TOO vociferously, if you ask me, seeing as how she stumbled along with him as he took her hand and led her toward their bedroom. She wasn't resisting all that much, and she was beet red.

"I'll just go see Gloria," I called out.

My mother put her free hand over her eyes. "GEOOOORGE!" she wailed.

Gloria was pacing when I got back. She looked up in surprise as I walked in.

"I didn't think you'd be back so quickly," she said.

"I think seeing your portrait put ideas in my father's head," I said grinning. "He just dragged my mother off to their bedroom."

"Oh!" she said, bringing her hand up to cover her open mouth.

"I've never made love with a pregnant woman," I said softly.

"Ohhhh Bobby," she moaned, rushing to me. "I was so worried."

"Let's think about something else," I said, pulling her toward her bedroom, copying my father.

It was interesting. Her bulge was much more prominent naked. All her curves were much more visible. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sexy as she was, rounded like that. Just cuddling was hard, so she got on top of me. That worked really well. She had a lot of time to make up for, and she rode me for over an hour. I spurted, of course, but she just sat and rubbed anyway, until I got hard again. She quoted from my letters. She knew all my poetry by heart.

Her breasts had swollen some, and her nipples were even more sensitive. She could have an orgasm just from me sucking them, if I did it just right. Finally she wound down, and we spooned, her back to my front, and my hand resting on our child.

"I should have gone on the pill or something," she sighed softly. "But I really DID plan to wait until you were actually eighteen. I thought it would be just that one time, and I even planned it for when I knew I'd be safe. Then you showed up that night, and I found out you were leaving so soon, and I couldn't think of anything except how badly I wanted to make love with you."

"I wouldn't have this any other way," I said into her hair. "I love you, and I love her too." I stroked her belly.

She twisted around to face me.

"I never wanted children," she said. "I think something deep inside me knew I'd made a mistake, even in the beginning, when I married him. And I think that made me not want children, because that would complicate things."

"I'm sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say. "I can't help but love our baby, though."

"No, you don't understand," she said, kissing my nose. "When I missed my period, I just thought it was nerves. Then there were ... other signs, and I missed another one. I went almost crazy while I waited for my doctor's appointment. I couldn't bear to use a home pregnancy test, because I read they're not always accurate. And the whole time I was hoping, almost begging that the doctor would tell me I WAS pregnant. I wanted to be pregnant with your baby more than anything else in the world, Bobby."

"Why in the world didn't you tell me, then?" I asked.

"I didn't know how YOU would feel," she said softly. "You're so young. I think I still didn't really believe you'd come back to me." Her eyes were wet. "But I knew that if I had your baby, I'd always have a little piece of you. I didn't plan this, but if I'd have taken time to think about it ... I probably WOULD have."

I gave it another shot. "Are you sure we can't get married while I'm here? Just to make it official. I wouldn't have to adopt the baby then ... and you could still have the ceremony later, when I get back."

"It's tempting," she said, kissing my nose again. "I'd love nothing more than to have your last name."

"Maybe there's time," I said, hopefully.

"I'll think about it," she said. "I'm horny again, thinking about being your wife."

We tried it doggy style, this time. It was fantastic. Not only could I play with her hanging breasts, I could stroke our baby too. I don't think it was quite as good for her. She could reach her clit, though, even though I couldn't, and she shuddered under me twice before I came as hard as I ever did in my life.

I couldn't wait to be able to do this any time we wanted to.

That afternoon we went shopping for rings. I didn't care what kind I had, and I didn't care which one she picked. Her tastes were simple. I learned later that her first ring had been garish and flashy, like her first husband. She wanted simple this time, because our love was simple, and straightforward. Maybe she was thinking about cost too, and the fact that I wasn't making much money. I paid five hundred up front, and put the rest on a credit account. I didn't tell her the five hundred came from her graduation gift to me.

When we brought the ring home, and showed it to my parents, my mother nodded. My dad took me to one side, got the information about where we'd bought it, and the terms, and said I could pay him back. He went down there the next day and paid it off.

We didn't get married that week. It would have been possible, but it would have been hectic, and we didn't want hectic. We also found out she could list the father's last name on the birth certificate. We were able to file a paper with the court that would allow the baby's last name to be listed the same as mine, and for me to claim parental responsibility. Gloria was ecstatic about that, because she really wanted a formal wedding, rather than some hasty legal joining.

I spent the first two nights at home, and about half of each day. On the morning of the third day, my mother sat down across from me after breakfast, looking uncomfortable.

"I don't approve of sex before marriage," she said solemnly. "But you're engaged, and she's carrying my grandchild." She looked even more uncomfortable. "You should spend more time with her."