A Fool Stumbles Into Love Ch. 02

God had been kind in other ways. Maureen at twenty-three had almost no recollection of her bedridden and then wheelchair bound years. God had wrapped her in a protective blanket; her mom and dad had been glad of it.

They knew their daughter wasn't homosexual, they only knew she was so terribly shy and insecure that boys just stopped being a part of her milieu. Not that it particularly mattered. Maureen could be whatever and whoever she wanted, and they'd love her. She was their little girl. Sexual orientation didn't enter into it.

Her mom recalled there had been a boy in high school, but they discovered he'd dated her only to take advantage of her. Once he'd gotten what he wanted he ditched her and spent most of the rest of their high school years bragging. It had done nothing for Maureen's esteem, but it had caused a gaping chasm in her willingness to accept the attentions of other boys.

Something equally disastrous might have happened in college, though Maureen had never confided to her parents. They only knew one day she was in a sorority and starting to date, and the next she'd dropped out of that college and reenrolled someplace else. She never talked about it, and they never pressed her.

Maureen walked in and sat at one of the chairs in the kitchen, "Sit down mom I want to talk to you."

Maureen's mom, Andrea, sat down and looked her daughter over. She knew something had to be up. She was wearing the outfit she'd bought months ago, but had been too afraid to put on, "Yes sweetie. What's up?"

Maureen asked, "You and dad have been married a long time haven't you?"

Andrea answered, "All my life it seems. But you know the story. We got married out of high school, and had you almost right away. That makes it about twenty- five years I guess."

Maureen stared at her mom for maybe two minutes, long enough to make her start to worry. Then she asked, "How long was it before you knew it was Dad?"

Andrea understood the question immediately, but decided to play dumb, "Before I knew what about your father?"

Maureen knew her mother was playing her, "Don't kid around. How long before you knew he was the one?"

Her mother asked, "You found someone?"

Maureen was getting impatient, "How long for you and dad? Tell me."

Andrea gave her daughter something of a half smile, "Oh maybe two hours."

"Two hours?"

Her mother responded, "Well I knew exactly what I was looking for. He showed up, and it was a done deal, for me anyway."

Maureen asked, "How long did it take dad to ask you?"

Mom, still playing all her cards, asked, "Ask what?"

Maureen was not happy with her mother, "You know."

Her mother answered, "I don't recall him ever asking me anything."

Maureen asked, "Well how did you two get hooked up?"

Her mother got up, "Why don't we go in the living room?"

Maureen knew that meant her mother was getting into one of her warm moods. That's what she called them. They were times when her mother got extra motherly. Maureen always liked those times. They were occasions when she felt the safest, the most protected.

The two women walked in the living room and sat beside one another on the big old soft worn sofa. Maureen curled up and rested her head on her mom's shoulder and her big soft breasts. She felt a lot younger all of a sudden. It was OK though, she loved these times, and it seemed lately there were fewer and fewer of them.

Her mom picked up the conversation from the kitchen, "How did we get hooked up. I think I more or less told him."

Maureen peered around her mother's shoulder, "He didn't argue?"

Her mother responded, "Maureen your father doesn't argue with me."

Maureen knew that wasn't completely true, though she knew her mom made all the really big decisions. Her dad just worked all the time. "What you just bossed him around until he caved in?"

Her mother answered, "No you know that would never have happened. No, I think he just fell in love with me, and that was that."

Maureen was back at square one, "Howe long did that take?"

Her mom answered, "It took me about two hours. I think it took your father maybe a week."

Maureen asked, "And that was that?"

Her mom answered, "That was that."

Maureen sort of looked at the clock and sort of away, "OK."

Maureen's mother watched her daughter's time keeping. Something was definitely going on. She asked, "Do you think you've found someone?"

Maureen squeezed closer and answered, "Yeah I found him."

Her mom asked, "Does he have a name?"

Maureen answered, "Caleb Burkheim."

Her mother stiffened and flushed white as a ghost, "You mean Jared Burhkeim's youngest son?"

Maureen felt her mother's reaction and wondered what it was, "Yes, I think that's his name."

Maureen's mother didn't say anything.

Maureen asked, "Well what do you think?

Maureen's mom didn't know exactly what to say to her daughter. There was a lot Maureen didn't know. This was one of those things she needed to talk over with her dad. But there were some things she knew she could say.

Her mother asked, "Was he the reason you got dressed up?"

Maureen answered, "Yes, but mom is there something you're not telling me?"

Maureen's mom answered in a funny way, "I have to talk to your father honey. There's a lot you don't know. But I'll say this; if he's the boy you want. I think you should go get him."

Maureen watched her mother. There were tears rolling down her cheeks. She wondered what had she said that made her mother cry. Was it something about Cal? Was there something wrong?

Maureen asked, "You sure there's nothing about Cal that's wrong?"

Maureen's mom, tears flowing down her cheeks, hands wrapped around her little girl, responded, "No honey; only the best, only the best. You go get that boy."

Maureen didn't understand what was wrong with her mother. She knew she was tired. She knew she'd found the man she wanted. She also knew he was a virgin, and about as lame as they came. She got up, kissed her mother good night and went off to bed. Whatever was going on here she'd figure it out. She knew this much. She'd found who she wanted. Now she had to stake her claim. It was going to be interesting, the next few days that is; that she knew for sure.

*

From the author:

OK, maybe this isn't what you wanted, but I know who these people are, where this is going, and you don't. I've given this tale a lot of thought. I think if you hang around, you'll come to love them, that is if you have the patience. I know what I want. If you don't like it just do me two favors. One, don't start writing me smarmy little notes and label them from anonymous. Tell me who you are, and leave an e-mail address. Two, if you really hate the story don't ruin things for people who might like it by giving it a lot of one's on the voting board; that just discourages people from exploring, and I really think this is going someplace. If you want to pan it; do it using e-mail. Otherwise, just drop it and go on. By the way, by now you should know I'm not writing this stuff to titillate. You want that read my very first story, The Gold Digger.