Taking Care of Family Pt. 09

Chapter 9 - Confession and Confrontation

Friday after my last class, I headed back to the apartment to pack a weekend bag for my trip home. Kacie insisted on driving home with me and she was already packed and waiting when I got there. Thirty minutes later, we were on the road. I had spoken with Carrie every day and we had worked out how and what we wanted to tell my mother about our relationship. Thanks to Kacie, we already knew that she was aware of what we had been doing, but that she was waiting to let us tell her "officially" rather than confronting me directly about sleeping with her best friend.

I mentioned to Carrie that I found out that my parents and my aunt and uncle had apparently been involved with a small group of people who seemed to be in the swinging lifestyle before I was born, but didn't know if that was helpful. Carrie was silent for several seconds. I guessed that she was wondering if I had discovered that she and her ex-husband were part of that group as well. "That's probably not something you should bring up," she advised. "I think we are better off accepting full responsibility for the decisions you and I made and not try to somehow imply that whatever your mother did or did not do in the past has bearing on our relationship. Agreed?"

"You're right," I answered. At some point, I knew Carrie and I were going to have a discussion about her own past involvement with that group, but I planned to leave the decision to have that discussion up to her.

Kacie drove and I sat up front with her saying little. She and I had already gone over things almost every day since her revelation and to her credit, Kacie was very supportive to me, and by extension, Carrie. I saw a mature side of Kacie that I never knew existed and was grateful she was with me. The short times I was in the apartment alone were absolutely depressing and lonely.

I opened up to her about Carrie and described how we accidentally fell into our relationship. As Carrie and I grew closer, I found myself craving to be with her and not just for the sex. The difference in our ages caused some obvious differences in the things we enjoyed, but we found more points in common than differences. We were both looking forward to the time when we could be open about our love and do things together publically instead of limiting ourselves to what could be done in private. Kacie asked about Carrie's two teenage children and I agreed that my potential relationship to them was a complication we had not figured out yet.

I also had time during the week to review the things Kacie had said about her feelings for me. I explained that if I had not already found Carrie, I would have been much more receptive to her advances and desire for a taboo relationship. I don't know that I made her feel any better about my rejection after the one time we slept together, but at least she understood that I still loved her.

When we arrived at Carrie's house, Kacie offered to stay in the car, but I told her I wanted her next to me. Carrie opened the door and if she was surprised to see Kacie standing with me, she didn't show it.

"Carrie, I'm sure you remember my cousin, Kacie," I said by way of introduction.

"Of course, Come on in, both of you," she said with a gracious smile. Once inside, I embraced Carrie and kissed her tenderly. "I've missed you," I whispered. Her eyes grew moist.

"I missed you, too," she said. Then her eyes moved to Kacie who was still standing quietly behind me.

"I've told Kacie all about us," I said. Carrie gave a weak smile and then moved over to hug Kacie. She held my cousin close for several seconds and whispered something in the girl's ear. Kacie's arms wrapped around Carrie and gave the older woman a big squeeze. All I heard was Carrie saying, "Thank you for everything" before they moved apart. Carrie led us into the living room and we sat down on the couch with me sitting between the two women.

"Does your mother know you're here?" Carrie asked.

"I told her I needed to come home for the weekend and Kacie was bringing me, but I didn't tell her why or when I was getting here," I said.

"She didn't ask?" Carrie said in surprise.

"She did, but said I'd tell her when I got there," I admitted.

Carrie sat still. "She knows why you're coming to see her," she said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because yesterday, I told her that I needed to speak to her about you and she got snippy. 'You mean to tell me you've been sleeping with my son?' I believe were her exact words," Carrie said. "I told her there was more to the story than that, but she just said, 'Fine!' and hung up. I'm afraid our meeting with her is not going to go as well as I had hoped," Carrie sighed.

We sat quietly listening to the clock ticking on the wall before Kacie stood up. "Let's just get this over with. Sitting around worrying isn't going to make anyone feel better."

Carrie looked up at my cousin and then to me. "Is she always that bossy?" she asked.

I couldn't help but to grin. "You should see her in our apartment. Since she's a year older than me, she orders me around like she was a Queen," I said with a short laugh.

"No," Kacie corrected. "I'm the Queen because I'm the woman of the house."

Carrie laughed. "I like this girl more and more!"

After that short break in the otherwise serious mood, we all got up and headed to the door. "I'll just follow you," Carrie said to Kacie and me.

"No way! We're all driving over together," Kacie declared. I nodded my agreement and after looking at the two of us for a few more seconds, Carrie gave in with another sigh.

When we arrived at my home, the three of us filed up to the front door and I opened it to let everyone in just as my mother arrived in the foyer. Her eyes quickly scanned over us and paused briefly when she saw Kacie standing by Carrie and me. "Come on in," she said in a neutral voice. As we walked to the living room, Mom's eyes kept glancing back at Carrie and me.

"Kacie, why don't you wait in the kitchen or Tom's room," my mother suggested. Kacie started to object, but Carrie joined in to agree with my mother. "We'll be fine, but could you give us some time alone with your aunt?" she told my cousin.

Kacie strode off towards my room in a huff, but I thought I saw her fighting back tears of anger for being dismissed from such an important discussion.

"I assume that you're both here to tell me that you've been secretly seeing each other for the past couple of months," my mom began. "Or has this been going on longer?" she said accusingly.

"Now, Donna,..." Carrie started to say before I cut her off.

"Mom, stop being such a dick!" I blurted. Both women turned to me with shocked expressions. "Look, neither Carrie nor I planned to fall in love with each other, but it happened and I'm glad it did. You can make all the snide comments that you want, but the fact is, we're all adults and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions about my life. She and I always planned on telling you about our relationship, but we wanted to wait until we understood it better, ourselves. I had hoped you would have been happy that I found someone who I love and who loves me. I know that Carrie's been your best friend since you were little kids. She's also a beautiful person and a single mother with needs just like you. Instead of treating her like shit, you should be happy for her finding the love she deserves."

None of that was part of what Carrie and I planned to tell my mother, but something inside me snapped and everything came rushing out of me. My mother's face immediately went red and her eyes looked down. Carrie just stared at me with her mouth hanging open.

"Tom!" she cried out. "You shouldn't talk to your mother like that!" she said in a quiet, reproving voice.

"No, it's alright," Mom said heavily. "He's right. I'm sorry, I should be happy for both of you. You are a wonderful person and you haven't done anything bad," she said to Carrie. "And he made me realize that he is an adult and is capable of making his own decisions. I'm just not ready to let go of him, yet." My mother looked up at me. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have behaved like I did. But can you understand that your relationship is unusual and will have problems that more typical couples don't have to deal with?"

"We know, Mom. We've talked about some of those things. A lot. We know there will be problems, but giving up on love because things may get hard is stupid," I answered. I had calmed down and spoke in a slow, reasonable voice and saw my mother nod in understanding.

"Can I come back in, now?" we heard Kacie's pleading voice coming from the bedroom hallway.

"You know she's been standing there listening the whole time, don't you?" Carrie whispered loudly to my mother, who nodded with a smile.

"Okay, you can come back," my mother relented. Kacie's face came into view moments later as she struggled to act like she had not heard what transpired.

"What did I miss?" she asked innocently.

"My guess is you didn't miss anything and heard every word," mom said dryly. "Anyone up for a drink? Lord knows, I could certainly use one!" she said while standing up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"A beer would be good for me," I said.

"Me, too!" called out Kacie.

"I'll just have whatever you're having, as long as it's strong," Carrie said tiredly.

Kacie followed Mom into the kitchen to help bring in the drinks and when we were alone, I looked at Carrie. "That went about as well as could be expected, don't you think?" I quipped.

She gave me a look like I was crazy and then broke out in a smile. "It certainly could have been a lot worse," she agreed. We leaned together and kissed just as Kacie came back carrying two bottles of beer.

"Eww! Aunt Donna, they're kissing. Make them get a room!" she called back to the kitchen. Mom returned a minute later carrying two tall drinking glasses. "I hope gin and tonic is okay with you. There may not be much tonic water in them, though," she warned Carrie.

"Perfect," Carrie said as she took a glass from my mom. Taking a sip, she made a face. "Holy shit! Is there any tonic water in this?" she exclaimed.

Mom sat back down in the chair next to the sofa where Carrie and I sat close together. Kacie dragged another chair closer to the rest of us and sat down to join us. "Is there anything else I need to know," Mom half-joked as she looked around at us. Carrie and I automatically looked at each other and looked back at my Mom. "No," we both said.

Mom sighed. "That's good. I don't think I could handle any more good news," she commented. Everyone laughed. "Wouldn't it be cool if Carrie was pregnant?" Kacie interjected excitedly.

"NO!" came the immediate and simultaneous responses from Carrie and my mother. That drew forth another round of laughter before Carrie added, "My child-bearing days are long over," she asserted before taking another sip of her drink.

We stayed and visited with my mother for about thirty minutes longer when Carrie stood up and said she needed to get back home before her kids returned from after school activities and pigged out on snacks before dinner. "I'll take you," I said standing up. Kacie gave me her car keys and I escorted Carrie out the door, but not before she and my mother shared a long, loving hug.

As we pulled up in front of her house, Carrie looked at me. "You really surprised me back there," she said.

"How was that?" I asked.

"The way you jumped in and stood up for me in front of your mother, and still managed to not offend her in the process," she said.

I blushed. "It wasn't anything I worked out ahead of time. I found myself getting really upset with her attitude and it just sorta popped out of me," I replied.

"You did well," she observed. "But, if you ever talk to me that way, I'll handcuff you to the bed and have my way with you," she warned with a smile.

"Promise?" I joked back. We kissed and I felt all the tension and pent-up emotion of the day release from me and my heart felt lighter. I gave her another quick kiss on her lips before she turned to get out of the car. "Any plans for tomorrow?" I asked before she closed the door.

Carrie stopped and looked back in the car. "Only waiting for you to call!" she replied. She gave me a brilliant smile and closed the door. I watched her waking up the walkway to her front porch and the bounce in her step was unmistakable.