A Mother Returned Pt. 03

All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!

Penelope woke to an empty bed the next morning. Before her sorrow at her husband's early day could mount, she noticed something. His side of the bed wasn't quite empty. Her heart pounded as she took in the details of a small velvet box with a red ribbon. It was right on her husband's pillow. "A gift from my beloved!" She squealed. Wearing her nightdress, she sat up in bed and carefully placed the box on her lap. He knows that I miss him when he's at work. He wants me to be happy.

The anticipation filled her with such joy that she delayed opening it. "You knew this would be a hard day for me, and you brightened it," she said to the empty room. She was a good wife, and she was suffused with gratitude. Everything was as it should be. She couldn't have wiped the smile off her face if she'd tried.

"Okay, I'll open it." She untied the ribbon carefully with bare fingers and opened the lid. "Oh!" Her hands went to her face. Tucked perfectly in velvet inside the box was a platinum band exactly like her lost wedding ring and a small note. With a trembling hand, she lifted the note and read: The world may not know what you lost. But I will return to you whatever I can, starting with your ring. Keep it under your glove, close to your skin, a symbol of my once and forever devotion to my beautiful wife. Felix.

Such was the thing with wedding rings. A woman wore hers under her glove, so only her husband would see it after the wedding. It was a symbol of their shared secrets, she supposed. She picked it up and studied the well-crafted loop. It bore none of the small marks and scratches that her old one had. So, he hadn't found her old ring, but had reproduced something better than the original. It was a lovely symbol of their marriage. She slid it onto her finger and gazed at it from all angles. And it was beautiful. She couldn't wait to press it to the skin of her husband's penis that night after the party. Oh, drat. The party. She wasn't looking forward to hosting that evening. But she would do her very best. Felix certainly deserved it.

She stood, stretched, and checked the time. She had slept in again. She couldn't show the ring to anyone, but she could talk about it. She smiled at the thought of sharing her joy as she walked into the bathroom, disrobed, and stepped into the shower. I will tell Winnie and... whom else? Her smile faded as she scrubbed her body clean from the dried detritus of sex left by the night before. Victoria? We're not close enough for that. She tried to think of other friends. Surely, there must be a woman she was close with. A good wife and mother is a devoted and caring friend. Then why was this particular cupboard so empty?

A thought dawned on her, and she stopped scrubbing her body. She had not cultivated a thriving garden of relationships. Her own parents were passed. She had no siblings. She had had friends, but they often had the life span of cut flowers. A quick energetic blossom, and then a withering quicker still. She pressed her lips into a thin line and scrubbed her legs hard. That would change. Starting that night, she would build a splendid network of friends.

Suddenly, the dinner party was looking less like a chore and more like an opportunity.

~~

"Good morning, Mom." Theodore walked into the dining room where his mother and Winifred were hanging decorations.

"Well, good morning, Teddy." Penelope stopped what she was doing, smoothed out her pinafore, and smiled brightly. A thrill ran down her spine. Her son had greeted her of his own will. "You look very handsome today. Doesn't he look handsome, Winnie?"

Winifred continued working, but gave them her mechanical smile. "He does indeed, Penny."

Penelope nodded her agreement, thought about offering Theodore a hug, but decided they weren't ready yet. "What can a do for you, lambkin?"

"You can stop calling me 'lambkin.'" He frowned at her and slouched against the wall.

"But... that's what I called you when you were little." Penelope rubbed her gloves together with anxiety.

"Am I little?" A storm moved over his countenance.

"No... you're big." The image of his massive, mushroomed penis burst into her mind. "You're nineteen, a man grown." Penelope took a deep breath and tried to dismiss the butterflies in her stomach, her clammy palms, and her thrumming vagina. "May I still call you that sometimes?"

"Um..." Theodore rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure." He nodded but his brow remained furrowed. "I was wondering, can I use the sensorium with Victoria?"

"Oh... I don't know." Penelope put her hand to her chest. She badly wanted to give her son this. Would he use it to hump his girlfriend? That image flashed before her, and she blinked it away. She was going to need to relieve herself in the bathroom very soon. She rubbed her thighs together and scrubbed the glove on her left hand with her right, as if she was burnishing her remade ring. "What does your father say?"

"Felix says no." Winifred had stopped working. Her robotic face was impassive, her hands were on her hips. "He made that clear, Teddy."

"So... my mother can meet with my girlfriend in there, but I can't?" Theodore moved off the wall, his posture erect. "Is that fair, Mom?"

"I didn't mean..." Penelope's mind turned over the soothing mantras that so often came to mind. A good mother is giving. A good mother is caring. A good mother does what's best for her son.

"You're my parent, too. You can overrule Dad." Theodore glanced at Winifred's passive, disapproving glare.

"I'm... sorry. If your father thinks it's best not to, then..." Penelope blinked back tears. Why was being a mother so hard?

"I'll pay for Victoria to rent a sensorium out of my allowance." Theodore's hands balled into fists.

"I'm sorry..." A mother is strong. So, why do I keep apologizing? Penelope tried to gather herself. She was horribly distraught at denying her son, but also impossibly horny at the same time. It was enough to make her go mad.

"Don't talk to Victoria again." Theodore pointed a finger at his mother and turned for the door. "And you may not call me lambkin. Not ever," he said without turning back.

The waterworks burst forth when he was gone. Penelope found herself sobbing and clutching to Winifred. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She blubbered.

"You have to understand that Teddy is very lonely." Winifred's voice was soft and gentle. "He's taking a gap year, but his girlfriend and friends have all left town. He doesn't mean to be cross with us. He's feeling alone."

"That... makes... two... of us," Penelope said between great, shaking sobs.

~~

After she dried her tears, Penelope went to the kitchen. She rummaged through the refrigerator until she found a carrot that was about the same girth and width as her husband's wonderful tool. She then hid it under her bodice and retired to her bedroom.

If she was going to get through the rest of the day, some of the pressure on her libido would have to be relieved. She could only be pulled in so many emotional directions at once. Trembling with anticipation, she locked the door and quickly undressed. She put a towel on the bed and positioned herself on her back on top of it. In all her years of self-exploration, she had never been driven to try a dildo, vegetable or otherwise. She didn't know if her husband was right that it was because she was forty-two and in her sexual prime, or maybe it was because of her trauma. Whatever it was, she found herself with her legs spread, greedily thrusting a carrot into her vagina.

"Ohhhhhhhh... Felix... I can almost feel you... with me. I wish we were... uuuugghhhhh... never apart." With the hand not devoted to frigging herself, she pushed her breast up to her chin and grasped her nipple in her teeth, just the way her husband loved it. Sparks shot through her nerves as she rolled her nipple with her tongue.

The first orgasm was easily attained by dreaming of Felix. But as she worked her way to a second, her mind wandered like it had before. She found herself climaxing to the heart connection she was building with Winifred. And then, a third, splendid orgasm was spurred by the thought of sharing her life with new friends. The fourth release was the most powerful, and she couldn't help that it was to the image of giving her loving son his heart's desire and watching him mate with his pretty girlfriend in the sensorium.

After she was sated, she stayed on the bed. Under her was a puddle of sweat and excitement. Her chest heaved as she sought penance for thinking untoward thoughts again. "I'll tell Felix everything... after... the party. He'll... know... what... to do," she panted.

~~

The Nisha family worked through their final preparations before guests were set to arrive. Even Theodore was present and accounted for, sweeping an already clean floor.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gelling are still scheduled to arrive tonight?" Penelope worried her dark bottom lip with her even, bright teeth.

"Don't you fret, she's not so bad. The Gellings are decent neighbors. We've always invited them to these parties. Should I stop now?" Felix chuckled and patted his wife on the rump.

Theodore watched his parents out of the corner of his eye.

"I... I don't fit well with your friends." Penelope helped Winifred count champagne flutes, although the AI needed no help at all. I never fit in.

"We've been given a splendid chance to start everything over." Felix pulled his wife into a tight embrace, feeling her luxurious curves press against him. "You're brave, smart, and funny. They'll love you."

Theodore snorted.

"Something to say, Teddy?" Felix released his wife and glared at their son.

"The Gellings are... trouble." Theodore stopped sweeping and leaned on his broom. "Reginald spews nothing but insults at me. I hate him."

"He was always bigger than you." Felix hadn't overlooked the way the Gellings's son had bullied his son over the years. Reginald was four years older than Theodore and had lorded that advantage over him. Felix and his wife had never involved themselves so that Theodore might learn how to deal with cruelty. The world wasn't as forgiving as the Nisha household. "Do you know what we have here, Teddy?" Felix clapped his hands together and smiled, continuing on before his son could respond. "We have agreement between you and your mother. I hope your common cause will bring you closer together."

Theodore's brown cheeks turned darker, and he dropped his eyes. He continued sweeping.

"I do feel brave, Felix." Penelope stuck out her chin. "Tonight will go splendidly."

~~

"Oh, yes I see." Penelope maintained a tight smile on her lips. Her husband's seat at the dinner table was still empty next to her. Felix and two other gentlemen from work had suddenly retired from the room in the middle of the second course and had been gone for fifteen minutes. "But... if your children are being tutored by an Alternate, how can you be sure of their education? An AI is so different than a person." She glanced at Winifred, who was stationed by the wall to assist anyone who might have a request. "I mean, my best friend is an AI. They're lovely. But not... human."

Gertie Gelling giggled and elbowed her son. She waited for Penelope to glance in her direction, and she mouthed the words "best friend?" to her son. He laughed along with her.

Theodore, seated with his father's empty chair between him and his mother, stared daggers at Reginald. Reginald rolled his eyes and gave him a mocking smile in return.

"I said nothing of AI." Alvin shook his head, sending his jowls quivering. "Ms. Y-IOJ is an excellent tutor. She's more human than human, as they say. And what's splendid is that she is a wonderful, intelligent woman, but she's also property. She is perfectly happy being useful in all things around the house. She even gives me pleasant company."

Penelope's false smile faltered. Is he implying that he has taken sexual liberties with this tutor? She consoled herself that despite the slogan, Ms. Y-IOJ was certainly less than human, and no doubt couldn't suffer like one. "Excuse me. I must go find my husband." Penelope pushed her chair back and stood.

"Do come back dear," Gertie said across the table. "Your supper will cool if you're gone another two years." The woman smiled like she meant no harm.

Penelope glanced at the Gellings. All three were watching her closely to mark her reaction. Father, mother, and son were all rotten. Penelope held back her tears. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She looked around the table, seeing who would come to her defense, but no one did. Not even Theodore, who sat rigidly, his food untouched. "I'll be right back." She was grateful for a reassuring pat on the arm from Winifred as she exited the dining room.

"What do you think, Nisha?" Reginald addressed Theodore directly. "Do you have a brother or sister out there?" Reginald laughed, but the smiles slipped off his parents' faces. There were gasps about the room. Emboldened as he was, Reginald didn't take notice of the change in the atmosphere. "How many men do you think she grappled while she was away? My friends and I have a bet on the cause of her disappearance. Can you settle it for us? A lover or..." Reginald stopped talking when his mother gripped his arm tightly with her gloved hand.

Theodore stared Reginald down. He reached for his champagne flute, his fingers trembling with rage. He worked hard not to toss it at the wall. "Behave... yourself... Gelling," Theodore growled.

~~

Penelope found her husband in the study. His face, and those of his business associates, looked grim. "What's wrong, darling?" She imagined her own face was quite despondent, too. No matter how brave and loyal she was, the party wasn't going well.

"You're excused." Felix said to the men. They immediately departed.

"What's... wrong?" Penelope watched her husband close the door and kneel before her. He took her left hand, removed her glove, and kissed her new ring. "When I'm gone, I want you to look at this ring and remember our mutual devotion. Even death can't part us."

"Even death?" A sickness moved into her belly. She practically collapsed into an armchair.

"Forgive me. But I thought if I led with something melodramatic, a short business trip would seem relatively tame." Felix smiled, mustering all his formidable strength for his wife. She looked dazed and nauseous. "We sent Pham-Brock drones ahead in order to assess the situation, and it appears that things are worse than our clients let on. I just received the news tonight. The company needs me to be on-site for a least a few weeks."

"Few weeks?" A pit of despair opened under Penelope, and her mind went into shock. I am brave. I must support my family in their endeavors. She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, but was happy to find it dry upon inspection. She wasn't sobbing. That was a help to him, she was sure of it.

"That's my brave, beautiful blossom." Felix caressed her cheek. "The time will pass quickly. I'll be home before you know it. With this success under my belt, the sky is the limit for the Nisha family. We'll celebrate in style upon my return."

"Yes, just a few weeks. How selfish of me to be concerned. I made you and Teddy wait more than two years. I can wait this short time." She tried to smile and failed. "When do you depart?"

"I've sent word to Winifred to pack my bags. I'll leave tonight." Felix nodded his head. This wasn't the reunion he had hoped for with his wife. He wanted to get her established back in the family. But the situation was out of his control. "You're being wonderfully brave, darling."

Penelope tried to gulp, but it seemed her throat was constricted. She put back on her glove, stood, and followed her husband out of the study. The house seemed to spin about her. Her feet were unsteady in her garlanded, ballet slippers.

Felix and Penelope arrived back in the dining room just in time to see Theodore pull Reginald from his chair and slap him open-handed across the face.

"I accept... you... fat, fuck." Reginald looked down at the younger man. He was half a foot taller than Theodore and quite a bit trimmer. There was no doubt in Reginald's mind what the outcome would be. "Swords to first blood. A week's time?"

"You say what you want about me, but my mother's name stays off your tongue." Theodore glanced at his father who nodded his approval.

"From what I've heard, there are very few parts of your mother that avoid a man's tongue." Reginald backed up, just in case Theodore might take another swing at him.

"I must leave on business tonight," Felix said. "If the Gellings agree, I would ask for the duel to happen tonight on our front lawn."

"Agreed." Gertie nodded her head. So much the better to see Theodore humbled that very night.

Oddly, a calm entered Penelope's heart. This should be one more disaster on a calamitous evening, but it didn't feel that way. The world was no longer spinning. Her son had stood up for her virtue. He would duel for her. A pleasant warmth spread through her. He really did love her despite all her shortcomings. She might have missed all those concerts and baseball games, but she would cheer loudly for him to spill Gelling blood.

~~

Theodore held his short broadsword by his side. Reginald held his up before him, as proper technique dictated. They had both removed their jackets, ties, shoes, and socks.

"On my mark." Winifred stood between them on the lawn, her shadow, long and thin, cast by the lights of the house behind her. Her arm was raised, and her face was even more impassive than usual.

All the dinner party was gathered in a circle around the young men. Some with brows furrowed in worry, like Penelope. Others, with smiles on their lips, like Gertie. And others, almost as expressionless as Winifred, like Felix. All were in half shadow.

The crickets hummed merrily.

"Commence." Winifred lowered her arm and stepped back behind the circle of people.

Theodore's face was pure and simple rage. He moved sideways, keeping his sword low.

"Did you not pay attention in your dueling classes?" Reginald allowed himself a chuckle, and shimmied forward, keeping his feet moving with little steps as he'd been taught.

"I devoted too much time to baseball practice." Theodore lifted a long, lazy swing toward his opponent.

Reginald easily parried and lunged. His blade barely missed Theodore's shoulder. This went on for several minutes. Theodore was sluggish with his attack, and Reginald was quick and finessed with his counters. Neither drew blood.

Shouts and cheers sprung up from the crowd here and there. A buzz of conversation competed with the crickets. Most people expected Reginald to make short work of the younger man. Nisha honor would go unavenged.

"We spent so much money on those classes. Where did it go?" Penelope whispered to her husband.

"Our boy is bigger than this moment. Have patience." Felix patted her shoulder.

"Come on, Teddy!" Penelope clapped her gloves together. "Show him the strength of Nisha steel." It was the most peculiar thing. Even as her son was in harm's way, and their honor hung in the balance, saying those words sent her body into one of its swings. Her stomach flipped, her palms became even more clammy, and her vagina thrummed. She had seen true Nisha steel in the ugly form of her son's penis, and it was both terrible and magnificent. If only people knew her son was so gifted, perhaps they would all cower before him. Perhaps the Gellings would have kept their cruelty to themselves. Her heart fluttered in her chest.

"He'll be okay." Felix held her arm, mistaking her wavering body for increased nerves.