My Mom and Aunt Karen

I had just finished the four-hour drive home from Eastern State where I was a senior. I hated the drive and didn't go home often but it was Mom's birthday and I promised I'd go out with her and Dad.

I had turned twenty-one the week before and Dad said he wanted me to have my first legal beer with him. I laughed when I agreed. I'd already been drunk every night that week.

I pulled my laundry bag from the trunk and didn't make it to the door before Mom ran out to greet me.

"Stanley!" She shouted as she jumped into my arms. I reveled in her embrace as her petite body molded into mine.

My mom, for lack of a better term, was fucking hot. Most of my guy friends lusted for her and the only two that didn't lusted for each other. I'd even caught Mike Jackson jerking off to her while she sunbathed. We still give him shit for that, years later.

"Hi, Mom. Miss me?"

She grabbed both of my cheeks and planted a wet kiss on my lips. She tasted like strawberry.

"Of course, I missed you, Stanley. Come inside, your father made a pitcher of margaritas."

I laughed as she stumbled off in front of me dragging me by my hand.

"Hey, Stan!" Dad called out from behind the bar. "Mom wanted to start early."

I laughed. "Yeah, I can tell."

She slapped my arm and said, "Stop it, you two. It's my birthday."

"Stan, why don't you have a quick shower and get dressed? We have reservations in ninety minutes."

"Sure, Dad. How about a drink first?"

He smiled and poured me one of the frozen concoctions. He lifted his glass and said, "To my son's first drink."

"Happy Birthday, Mom."

We clinked our glasses and I took a long pull off of mine. Dad raised an eyebrow as Mom giggled.

"I'll be down in a few minutes. Casual dress?" I asked.

"Dress shirt and slacks," Dad said.

"Wear a sport-coat," Mom chided, making Dad laugh and shrug his shoulders.

****

My parents met when my Mom got a job as a telemarketer at my Dad's mortgage company. She was nineteen and he was thirty-five. The way they tell the story is that they fell madly in love at first sight. The way my Aunt Karen tells the story, Dad knocked her up while she was bent over his desk.

They married while Mom was pregnant with me, I knew that much, but they've always seemed to be in love for as long as I can remember.

Dad put on a lot of weight over the years and started slowing down, even more, when he hit his fifties but mom was still the firecracker she always was at forty-one. I didn't think she'd ever slow down. Dad's 300 plus lbs. had no chance of keeping up with her and God forbid she and Aunt Karen hang out together. Aunt Karen was forever single, and at thirty-seven could still land any guy in any room if she wanted him.

There was an incident at my sister Kelly's wedding the year before, where I was dancing with Aunt Karen and she ground herself into me. I, being the horny kid that I was, got instantly hard and she smiled at me. She continued to grind me as if she wanted to get herself off. Luckily, no one saw but she gave me several winks as the night went on.

I felt like a chicken in a fox's sight and wouldn't have minded fulfilling an adolescent fantasy by taking her into the coatroom and showing her what my twenty-year-old cock could do to her but my Mom was at my side all night.

My sister Kelly was following in my Mom's footsteps. She was pregnant at nineteen and married to her boss. I hoped she at least would have a marriage like Mom and Dad's. Her boss, well, husband was a CPA and acted like he won the lottery with Kelly, so it all seemed to be okay.

****

I dressed and splashed on some of my finest cologne and made my way downstairs.

"About time," Mom said as she looked me over. If I didn't know better I'd say she had checked out my package.

"One more drink and we're out of here. The UBER will be here in twenty minutes," Dad added.

I sipped my frozen libation and smiled at my Mom's slurred speech and Dad seemingly as buzzed. I figured it would be an early night for them and maybe I could hook up with some friends later, if not get lucky and pick up a girl at whatever club we went to. Mom always wanted to dance on her birthday and I expected that night to be no different.

We chatted about school and my classes for a while and I also got grilled about girls and my lack of a present girlfriend. I didn't have the heart to tell my parents that I had plenty of girls, along with my roommate, who called our dorm, "The Playboy Club."

We had a steady flow of friends with benefits that liked to share our beds and many times share them as a group. There was this one set of twins, Jaime and Janey—well, that's better left for another story.

****

Dinner was boring. Steak for the guys and Lobster for the birthday girl with mom getting hammered on two pre-dinner Martinis and a hundred-dollar bottle of wine with dinner. I stuck to beer as Dad made me drink Heineken with him. He said, "Miller Lite is for frat parties."

With dessert, Dad ordered himself a snifter of Cognac and laughed when I turned one down. "I'll stick with beer. You don't want to see what happens when I mix beer and liquor."

I wondered if that kind of drinking was the new normal for them. I mean they always drank, but I'd never seen them drunk at dinner. Maybe with Kelly and me out of the house, they let loose?

We ended up at—of all places—a country bar. We didn't fit in there in our clothes, but no one seemed to care. I think some of the cowboys appreciated Mom's little black dress and nylon-clad feet as she spun around the room.

The only negative was she was spinning around with me. Dad passed on dancing and was chugging Heinekens at our table. Mom said once, "You're pounding the wrong Heinie," and I choked on my drink. Dad ignored it and kept on keepin' on.

As the night progressed, Mom drank less but it was because we danced almost every dance. She did switch to Manhattans though so they were stronger and she was still plenty drunk.

She was twirling and two-stepping like a teenager. After a while, Dad waved us over and I saw six shots of whiskey on the table.

"Come 'eer, you two. Lemme do my son's first shot with 'em."

"Oh shit!" I thought. Mom smirked and was about to say something when Dad cut her off.

"I know. I know. Lemme pretend he doesn't drink at school."

I was more worried about them doing shots. I wondered when I became the responsible one?

We picked up our shots and slammed them home. The burn from the whiskey was expected but I knew Dad ordered the good stuff because it wasn't as harsh as the rotgut we drink at the dorm.

Dad's eyes got wide and I thought he was gonna toss but he composed himself and lifted his second shot. "Happy Birthday, Wendy." Before we could lift ours, his was down. He looked green and his eyes went wide again. I was sure he would lose it but damned if he didn't swallow and say, "Don't be pussies! Shooters up!"

I toasted Mom's glass as she looked at me sadly. We did our shots and she dragged me back to the dance floor.

The fast song changed to a slow one and she pulled me into her. "Your father is drinking a lot, Stan."

"I see that. He's going to be tough to drag home."

She frowned and said, "Yeah, but I mean he drinks all the time now."

"Everything okay?" I asked.

She buried her head into my chest and said, "He's getting older and with the weight..." she sniffed.

"What is it, Mom? Is he sick?"

She snorted, "High blood pressure, diabetes, hell the doctor won't even let him have Viag... well never mind that. I just miss the old days."

She pulled me tighter as we swayed to a song that seemed inappropriate for a son and his mother to dance that close to. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was being intimate with me.

Mom sang along softly, "It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now..." I looked over and saw Dad look down sadly and do another shot. He followed that by chugging a beer and slammed the empty bottle into the bucket like he was spiking the football after scoring a touchdown.

"Not all is well in the Jameson household," I thought. I wondered if Dad was depressed over his weight gain, and from what mom almost let slip, his issues in the bedroom. I'd never seen him that drunk and he showed no signs of slowing down.

"Maybe it's time to head home, Mom?"

She looked at me with a tear in her eye and smiled, "One more dance, Stanley?"

I kissed her cheek and smiled, "Of course, Mom."

She held me tightly as we danced, not too inappropriate, but I was slightly uncomfortable—until she started singing along again, then I was very uncomfortable.

"In a way, I know my heart is waking up

As all the walls come tumbling down

Closer than I've ever felt before

And I know, and you know

There's no need for words right now..."

"Oh shit!" I thought again. I was getting hard as she rubbed her perfect breasts along my stomach. She had to feel my hardening shaft as we swayed.

If she were any other woman, we'd already been in the backseat of my car or naked in my room. Not with her. She was my mother and she was singing two of the sexiest songs I'd ever heard to me as we danced. I couldn't believe she'd be singing to me, wanting me. She had to be just singing along?

After the song ended, I kissed her cheek and said, "Let's get home, okay?"

She nodded and said, "Thank you for making my birthday so special."

I smiled and noticed her sad eyes. "I love you, Mom." She smiled back and squeezed my hand.

When we got back to the table, Dad was on his last beer and Mom chugged her drink. I shook my head as I waved the waitress over to settle our tab. My parents could drink any of my friends under the table and it was making me think of quitting drinking.

Dad fumbled with his pockets trying to pull out his wallet as the waitress stood impatiently. I handed her my credit card and thanked her for her patience.

"I'll pay you back, Son," Mom said as she slipped her heels on to go to the bathroom.

I watched her stumble as she walked away and was about to help her when Dad almost fell as he tried to stand. He looked pale and was sweating as I helped him back into his seat.

"Whoa, Dad! Sit for a bit, I'm gonna make sure Mom's okay. Will you be alright?"

He nodded and said, "You're a good son, Stan. Thank you."

I walked off to the bathroom area. I found Mom leaning on the wall waiting in a short line. I touched her shoulder and she turned and slapped me shrieking, "I said no!"

I was stunned and when she realized it was me she hugged me while apologizing. The girls in line said she was hit on by a guy who had a hard time taking no for an answer.

"We threatened to call the bouncer over and he went to the bathroom," the cute blonde told me.

"I'm her son, I'll stick around."

The girls smiled and went back to their conversation. We broke our hug when she walked into the bathroom.

I was reading the upcoming event's bills when she came out at the same time as an all hat and no cattle cowboy came out of the men's room.

"There you are, baby. I'm glad you waited for me. Are you ready to see my truck?" The bastard asked grabbing her by the waist.

She looked at me frightened as I pulled him by the collar and pushed him against the wall by his throat.

"Are you feeling lucky, shit-eater?" I growled.

"No man. I didn't know she was with anyone."

He was panicked as Mom said, "I already told you to leave me alone!"

He paled and begged me to let him go. Mom nodded and I let go of him, smiling at my finger marks on his neck.

"Don't let me see you near her again!" I snapped as he rushed away.

"Thank you, Stanley. I'm sorry, I..."

"Nothing to apologize for Mom. It's all good."

"Let's get your father home," she said softly.

As we walked I saw a commotion across the room by the tables. I worried that Dad had fallen again as I rushed over.

When I got there my Dad was on his back with a guy giving him chest compressions.

"Fuck!" I thought as Mom screamed.

I knelt next to him and the guy said, "I'm a doctor. He's had a heart attack." He continued what he was doing as someone said an ambulance was on its way.

I cried as my father's seemingly lifeless body was jostled by the ineffective CPR. The doctor was doing everything he could as the crowd parted for the EMTs.

I held my mom as they used a defibrillator and then got him on a stretcher and rushed him out.

They had the doors closed and I said we would catch up to them. My mom was shaking and acting as if she was in shock.

I looked around and saw a couple of cabs sitting in the parking lot. We got in one and had him take us to the nearest hospital.

We rushed in and found out It was moot. He was already gone before we got there. Mom collapsed into me, begging for him to come back to her.

****

Six months later, I walked into the quiet house after finishing my last finals. College was over and I was going to be home permanently.

Aunt Karen was sitting in the living room with Mom and they smiled when I walked in.

"Hi, Stan," Aunt Karen said, as Mom sat quietly.

I knelt at her knees and took her hands in mine, "How are you, Mom?"

"I'm getting by," she said quietly. Aunt Karen shook her head negatively.

"I'm home now, Mom. Can I do anything for you?"

She snapped out of her malaise and asked, "Are you hungry? Karen, warm up the leftover lasagna."

"Okay, Wendy," she said rubbing her arm.

I sat beside her and he hugged me.

"Are you alright, Mom?"

"I'm fine. Now that you're home, maybe Karen will finally leave me alone and go home."

Aunt Karen moved in with Mom shortly after the funeral. She was worried about Mom who wasn't eating well and was drinking. I told her I would come home from school but she told me to finish out since I was so close to being done. I came home every other weekend and called her every other night to check on her.

She always sounded fine on the phone but Aunt Karen would tell me after that she wasn't handling my father's death well at all. It took her two months to go back to work and she barely was able to do that when she did.

She patted my knee and said, "Go eat. We'll catch up after."

"Okay, Mom."

I walked into the kitchen and said, "I'm worried about her, Aunt Karen."

"Stan, you're a college graduate, call me Karen please."

She put the plate in front of me as I sat and continued, "She's better, but not herself. Maybe with you home now, she'll come out of her shell."

She had a wry smile on her lips and I wondered about it but let it go.

****

I was putting my clothes away when my mom came in and sat on my bed.

"I'm glad you're home, Stanley."

"Me too, Mom."

"Stanley, I'm sorry it isn't much of a homecoming, I'm..."

"Mom, relax. I'm just glad to be home and I'm glad you're getting better."

"I'm fine. I miss him though. I miss him so much."

She started crying and I pulled her into a hug.

"It'll be alright, Mom. I'm here now. Karen's here, we've got you."

"Stanley, that night—the night he died..."

She started sobbing harder. I hugged her and stroked her back, letting her cry it out.

Karen came in with a glass of water and a pill, "Take this, Wendy."

Mom did as instructed and said, "I'm going to lie down."

Karen led her away and I cried for her. She seemed so frail and helpless, I was glad Karen was there. She'd been that way a few times when I was home for the weekend. She usually tried to put on a brave face for me but I could tell she was dying inside.

Karen came back and closed my door. "Stan, she's feeling guilty lately."

"For what? Surely she doesn't think his passing was her fault?"

"No, not really. Do you remember that night?"

"How could I forget? It was a nightmare."

"Yes, but before he had the heart attack?"

"Sure, he drank a lot and looked bad when I left him."

"How about your mom before that? How was she"

"Well, she seemed sad. Lonely, actually. I thought maybe it was because of Dad having health problems."

She nodded and sat next to me. Her skirt hiked up and I had to force myself to look away.

"Honey, she confessed to me that she was lonely. Too lonely, in fact. Your dad was having issues in the bedroom because of the blood pressure being out of control for too long. It caused some heart problems that made his doctor tell him that he couldn't take medication for the ED. It caused a downward spiral that led to more drinking and well, you know what ultimately happened."

"Yeah. She let it slip while we were dancing that he couldn't get Viagra."

She nodded, "Do not tell her I told you this, but she was planning on seducing you."

I frowned. I remembered how she was acting on the dance floor.

"She almost cheated on your father one night when we were out. She stopped herself, but I think she needed release badly. Her thought process was that if it was with you, she wouldn't worry about being swept away from your father or getting caught. She loved him so much, it tore her up."

"Is that why she was drinking so much?"

"I think so. She felt so guilty about it and then she was going after you, it's been rough on her."

I stood and walked to my drawer and finished putting my clothes away.

"Would you have let her?" She asked quietly.

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know if I would've or not. I think Karen expected me to shoot it down immediately. When I didn't she laughed.

I turned and she smiled, "It's okay, Stan. Hell, I almost dragged you up to my room at Kelly's wedding."

"I kinda figured something extra was going on with you that night. You were grinding me pretty good, Auntie."

She snorted and said, "Yeah, I don't know what came over me. You smelled so good and were so hard, I guess I lost control a bit. Your mom noticed and gave me hell for it the next day."

I smiled remembering my mom being at my side most of that night.

"There are some things you're going to find out about, kid. You're about have to make a blue pill, red pill decision."

She stood and took my cheek in her hand.

"When you're ready, your mom and I will tell you a story. Not now though. Not without her. Finish your unpacking and I'll see you in a little bit."

As she walked away, I wondered what she was talking about but I had a feeling it would be an interesting story.

****

After dinner, Karen and Mom had some wine while I loaded the dishwasher. There was very little conversation and I had a feeling that they were nervous about something.

When I finished, I opened a Pepsi and sat across from them. "Okay, let's hear it," I said.

They looked at each other and Mom took Karen's hand as they looked back to me.

"Stanley, your Aunt Karen is not my biological sister."

"Wow!" I gasped. I didn't expect that. I expected her to tell me they were in some kind of incestuous relationship.

Karen said, "Your mom and I found out when your grandma died. Grandpa Carl had already been dead a few years as you know."

I nodded as she continued, "I'm sorry I kinda lied to you before. I told you that your mom stopped herself from cheating on your dad; that was a half-truth. The reason was, I started to take care of her needs."

There it was. The revelation I expected. Finding out my mom was bi-sexual wasn't as shocking as I thought it would be. I was surprised, but not shocked or disgusted. Hell, I knew Karen was wild so I expected she had her share of wild sex as well.

I guess she expected some kind of shocked response from me and when I didn't say anything they got worried.

"Are you okay, Stanley?" Mom asked quietly.

"Yeah. I guess I'm glad that you were there for her while Dad had his issues. So how long?"

"About a year now."

Karen continued, "I guess it's why I didn't feel too bad about what happened at the wedding."