Hermaphrodite

"How was your day, mom?" Luke asked.

"You mean besides trying to run a business with no power or trying to get home with half the red lights out?" She asked in return.

"Yeah, the power was out here also," he replied and grinned at Janet.

"So what did you two do to pass the time?" Mary asked.

"I gave him a royal stomping at gin rummy and we talked a lot," Janet replied.

"Janet is going to college this fall to the same school I'm going to," Luke added.

"What are you going to major in, Janet?"

Janet grinned. "I'm still working on that. Something to do with counseling or maybe something in the medical field."

Mary nodded. "Either one is in high demand." She walked over to stand behind her son. "Luke can't decide if he wants to be a Fireman or an Astronaut," she added with a grin as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Luke grinned up at her and whispered, "I've changed my mind again. Now, I want to be a Forest Ranger."

"So why do you have so many engineering courses lined up?"

"Do you think those trees grow straight on their own?" He asked in return with a wink.

Mary chuckled and shook her head. "I need a shower. Without the air conditioning, that store gets hot. No windows that open. I almost came home early."

Janet shivered and squeezed Luke's hand. He grinned at her and gave her a wink. "Yeah, it got a little warm around here also," he said as his mother went up the stairs.

Both turned to watch Mary disappear down the hall. Janet sighed and gave Luke a crooked smile. "That went better than I thought it would."

"I told you that mom would be cool about it."

Janet tried to suppress a giggle but only half succeeded. When Luke gave her a funny look, she grinned and whispered, "Wet mat in front of the shower, her shower, and two damp towels in the hamper. Add the small amount of hot water and...."

Luke groaned softly. "I, uh, hadn't even thought about that, except for the hot water."

Janet grinned and leaned over to kiss Luke on the cheek. "I think I want to go shopping tomorrow and I want you to go with me."

Lie looked confused and asked, "What for?"

"I think I want a bikini or a swimsuit so you can teach me to swim."

"Uh, how about the, uh, fit?"

"I don't know, I've never tried any on. I've looked but that was all."

Luke groaned softly. "You in a bikini? That would be killer."

Janet chuckled and shook her head. "In more ways than one. Maybe a bikini top and some kind of shorts might be safer."

"Safer for or from what?" Mary asked from the top of the stairs.

Two heads snapped around to look at Luke's mother. "Uh," they both said and Janet felt herself blush.

Mary grinned as she came down the stairs. She had on a bathrobe and her feet were bare. "It seems someone used all the hot water or at least most of it."

"Uh, yeah, mom—" Luke started to say but his mother held up her hand.

"I didn't ask for an explanation, I was just pointing it out. Two in a shower by candlelight is always fun."

Janet grinned at Luke and said, "Make that lantern light."

"I didn't even know you two were dating," Mary said as she went to the kitchen.

"We, uh," Luke started to say with a look in Janet's direction. She winked at him and he smiled. "It's a new thing."

It was silent for a few minutes and then Mary appeared at the kitchen door with a glass of wine in one hand. "I'm happy for both of you and I do hope it works out. Just, please be careful and take it slow and easy."

Janet grinned at Luke and said, "Slow and easy is the only way we can go."

Luke chuckled and nodded. "I think the main part of her message was the careful part."

Janet shook her head. "I may be crazy about you but I'm not stupid. We have forever and two days."

Mary looked at Janet and said, "I knew you had a good head on your shoulders."

Janet laughed looking at Luke. "One of us has too."

"Hey now," Luke said with a wink at Janet.

"Keep him in line," Mary said as she turned and headed for the stairs.

They watched Mary climb the stairs and go into the hallway.

"I think, she thinks, we had sex," Luke whispered.

"Well, duh!" Janet said with a big grin.

"But," Luke said and then groaned.

"Yeah for both of us until I get to the doctor and setup my birth control," Janet whispered.

Luke groaned again and Janet chuckled as she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. She stood up and said, "I think I'll let you think on that until tomorrow." She walked over and picked up the sack with their dirty shorts in it. "Call me early," she added and headed for the front door.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," Luke said as she opened the front door.

Janet grinned at him and said, "Yeah, I'm still as bossy as ever."

Then she was out the door.

*****

As she cut across the wet yard, she had a big smile on her face. Things had worked out even better than she ever thought they would and in more ways than she ever imagined.

She stopped at the front door to her home and sighed. Now she had to decide how much she should tell her mother if anything. Maybe she should wait and see what the future would bring.

Janet was still thinking it over as she opened the door and went inside.