My Mother's Best Friend

Katherine greeted her with a smile. It might have been Monday morning, and more than a few people would be grumpy. Katherine loved her job and her role, liked most of the people who worked for her, and always greeted people with a smile each and every morning.

"Morning, Christy," Katherine replied, "Have a good day yesterday?"

"It was rather relaxing."

"I'm glad you say that because it's going to be one hell of a week. The head honchos are pushing us to get everything finished before we head into the holiday period."

"Guess that means the end of November?"

"True. We've got around six weeks to either finish off any major projects or at least make sure they're in the right position for when we restart operations in January."

"And we have three weeks until your birthday," Katherine stated, "I know you're not a big fan of surprises, so I'll let you know that I'm sorting things out."

"As long as my close friends and family are around for the night..."

"What would you like as a present?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure."

Katherine leaned back in her chair as Christine sat opposite her. It was still early in the morning, the pair always arriving earlier than nearly everyone else. Even those in senior positions to Katherine were rarely in the office before her. Christine sipped at her mug of tea, watching her friend deep in thought. A smile appeared on her face before Katherine leaned forward.

"I think I know the perfect thing."

*****

John

"How are party plans coming along, Mum?" I asked as we sat down for dinner.

"I'll do a big shop a night or two before the big day. I'm trusting you know what to buy regarding alcohol," Mum replied.

"Slab of beer for the old blokes. Wine and liquor for the ladies." I then glanced at my sisters sitting to either side of me, Mum sitting opposite me at the table. "And virgin cocktails for my little sisters as you're too young to be drinking yet."

"And what will you be drinking?" Mum asked.

"Probably get a couple of packs of cider or something. It's going to be baking hot given it's near the end of November."

"You'll be okay operating the barbecue?"

"It'll be fine, Mum. The idea is for Christine to have a fantastic time with close friends and family."

"How many people are coming, Mum?" Anna wondered.

"A few girls from the office. A couple of friends she's kept in touch with from high school and her personal life. Her parents and a couple of cousins. Your grandparents are coming as she loves my parents as much as she loves her own. You girls can invite two friends each, so you've got some company too. Want to invite a friend along, John?"

"Might invite Mark and Mike over though I won't trust either of them around Christine." Mum gave me a look as my little sisters giggled. "I just know what they're like. They'll get a few drinks down their necks and start hitting all the women including the birthday girl. Badly, I might add."

"I'm sure Christine will see the humour in it," Mum assured me.

I was always up later into the evening, Mum was a bit of a night owl herself. My sisters would usually disappear into their bedrooms or would hang out together in the same bedroom, usually on their phones, hearing them giggling away. Mum was nursing a glass of wine as she relaxed back in her armchair.

"Are you giving any thought to getting back into the dating game, John?" she asked me rather suddenly.

I made her laugh as I definitely had a look of surprise on my face when I looked at her. "What on earth made you ask that question, Mum?"

"Well, it's been a few months now. Just wondering if you've joined up on Tinder or something similar."

"I could ask you the same thing, Mum."

She laughed at that. "I think you know me well enough by now that I have absolutely no interest in being with a man."

"But aren't you... You know..."

"I'm sure you don't need to know about your mother's private life."

"Probably not, but I'm not oblivious to the fact that everyone has needs."

Mum sipped at her wine before she looked at me. "And that's what toys are made for, John," she stated with a smirk, "I know I'm affectionate with my children. I will always show them love. Same with my friends. But I don't need to go to bed each night and feel the urge to snuggle with someone. Frankly, I love sleeping alone in my own bed. No one else taking up half my space."

"Guess I'm a little different in that regard," I admitted.

"John, I never had a problem with you bringing girls home. Most of the time, they were nice girls. Pretty. Polite. Friendly towards me and your sisters."

"Okay, let's be honest, what did you really think about Laura?"

"I didn't think she'd end up cheating on you. That's being completely honest. I did think she was a bit of a gold digger though. You studied your arse off through high school and university. You now have the career you always desired and you're being financially rewarded for it. I was a little wary on your behalf, but I didn't want to involve myself too much."

"Yet I'm living at home now..."

"I want you living here until you feel like you're in the right space to find your own place again. But considering how expensive it is living alone anyway, I'd rather you stay here with your family."

"As long as you don't mind me hanging around, Mum."

"You contribute to the household both financially and by helping out around the house. The girls and me look after the inside, you look after the outside."

"Just as long as I don't overstay my welcome."

"That won't happen though I do hope you meet a nice girl and end up with her in the end."

The next few weeks passed quickly as always. I swear it seemed life sped up the older you got. I remembered days in class when they just seemed to drag on and on forever. Now the days just flew by. It probably helped that I absolutely loved what I was doing, and I was getting paid a bloody good wage for it.

My sisters loved having me back home. I'd moved out of the house during my third year at university to live with a couple of friends and then moved into an apartment with my best friend upon graduation. I'd lived with my ex-girlfriend for two years. Mum had insisted I move back home after she learned what happened. Granted, she learned within an hour of me discovering the truth as I'd called her while packing my shit. Though she didn't mind me living at home, I still felt like I needed my own space in the end.

Christine visited every second or third weekend, and Mum would invite her around for dinner at least one night during the week. My sisters adored her, and I'd always nursed a little crush. I still remember the first night Mum had brought her home. I was immediately infatuated, remembering how tongue-tied I'd been when trying to talk to her, and things only improved slowly over time as I learned how to deal with my rather obvious crush. My sisters were oblivious, but my mother loved to tease me. Christine would smile and I have no doubt she understood at the same time.

But as I matured, grew more confident in myself, and enjoyed more experiences with other women, I felt that I did become friends with Christine at the same time. Not as close as my mother was to her, but I'd been to her house plenty of times and I felt like we got to know each other rather well. I certainly knew enough about her to know what to get her for her birthday, for example.

It was a week before the birthday party. I'd bought a couple of things for Christine and also had an idea in mind. I knew Mum probably wouldn't be too worried about the idea though it might still be awkward.

"Mum... What have you bought Christine for her birthday?" I asked one evening during the week, sharing a drink after my sisters had headed off to bed.

"Nothing big, to be honest. She was honest about just wanting to spend the day with her closest friends and the few family members she has." Mum paused and a smile formed. "She's my best friend, John. After everything that happened, so many people didn't want to involve themselves, even after he raised his hands towards me more than once. I was rather vocal that their silence was almost tacit approval of what he was doing."

"If I'd been older, Mum..."

"I know, sweetie. I know... I'm just glad your sisters either don't remember or it's just something they don't like to think about. Anyway, Christine is like the little sister I never had in many ways."

"I know you haven't got her anything, but I've bought one item in particular that... um..."

"John... I've never been oblivious to the fact you like Christine. I'm going to put it rather simply for you to understand. You're now twenty-five years old. You are a grown, mature, adult male who just happens to be my son. You are an incredibly responsible young man at the same time. You have a kind heart and I know you want to find love again. And I know there is a part of you that does want to start dating again, and you will hopefully find the woman you've been looking for."

"Yeah, but Christine is..."

"Christine is a nearly forty-year-old woman who is more than capable of making her own decisions as well. If you were to take Christine out on a date, I would not find that weird. You are both adults. Adults of large age gaps date each other. Older women dating younger men is not taboo."

Mum stood up and moved across to sit next to me on the couch, taking my hand in hers as she snuggled against me. That had become a more common occurrence since moving back home. Sipping at her wine, she remained silent for a few more seconds as I had a feeling that she was processing her thoughts.

"I'll be honest, John. I think she needs to be taken out by a handsome young man of an evening. I'm not sure what you've got her, but I'm aware that you know her quite well. I know you've done some favours for her over the years. You're quite the handyman around the house, and I know I've basically offered your services to more than just Christine."

"Anyone would suggest that sounds a bit naughty, Mum."

She laughed out loud, cuddling into me a little tighter. "I think Christine could do a hell of a lot worse than dating my son," she said lightly.

"Want to know what I got her?"

"No. I'd like to be as surprised as she will be."

A couple of days before the big event, the four of us headed out to do a big shop. Mum made sure there was enough food to feed an army, my sisters were busy filling up the trolley with as many sweet things as possible, while I stopped at the butcher's and spent way too much money on all various types of meat and chicken. The last stop was the grog shop, where I picked up plenty of bottles of wine, two slabs of beer, a couple of packs of cider for me, and some bottles of liquor.

Waking up early on the morning of the party, I quickly ate breakfast before I went outside to mow the front lawn. After moving the back lawn, I cleaned the pool and set up a couple of umbrellas, chairs and tables for when our guests started to arrive. Mum was watching me, walking outside once I was done and giving me a tight cuddle.

"Go shower and get ready, sweetie," she said before leaning up to kiss my cheek, "And thank you for getting everything ready. Everything looks fantastic."

After a cool shower, I dressed in a light-coloured shirt and a pair of shorts, thongs on my feet (thongs to Australians, flip-flops to the rest of the world). Mum was wearing a vest top and a tiny pair of shorts, happy to spend most of her time barefoot whenever she was outside. Asking if she was going to get out her bikini later, she winked at me and smiled without saying a word.

Guests started to arrive early afternoon. The birthday girl was eventually one of the last to arrive. It wasn't a surprise birthday party, Mum insisted that I greet her at the door. Her face lit up when I opened the door, and I couldn't help smiling when she immediately gave me a cuddle, her head resting against my chest. She was wearing a bikini top and pair of shorts, sandals on her feet, caressing her skin as I felt her relax against me.

"Happy birthday," I whispered, "Are you sure you're forty?"

"I am though I'm not upset about it."

"Well, I wouldn't have put you a day over thirty-five."

"And you're just a real sweetheart, John," she said softly, leaning up to kiss my cheek, "Thanks for being here today."

"Wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Gentle warning about my friends. They'll probably try and hit on you and every woman here. Including my mother."

That made her laugh out loud as I took her hand and led her out to the backyard. I let her hand go as she was greeted by my mother, our families and then all of her friends. I stood back near the grill as I warmed it up, wanting to get cooking as early as possible so I could sit back and relax later.

We had a couple of buckets full of ice for all the beer, cider and wine to keep everything chilled. My sisters were already having a wonderful time with their friends, jumping in and out of the pool, and making more than enough noise for everyone else. Christine's mother and father were both in their late sixties, and it was obvious that they still doted something fierce on their only child.

The grill was soon firing, and I had steak, chops, ribs, various flavours of sausages, chicken wings and drumsticks all cooking, my two friends ensuring my other hand was never empty of a cider. Mum, Christine and their friends were having a wonderful time nearby, their laughter echoing around the backyard.

"Mate, are you finally going to ask her out?" Mark asked quietly, noticing his eyes glancing in the direction of where Christine was sitting.

"Depends."

"Depends on what?" Mike wondered, "Mate, you've crushed on her for the past ten years. You're both adults. Age gap means fuck all at our age."

"And she's now forty... Trust me on this, women hit that age and boom!" Mark exclaimed, Mike laughing away as Mark's arms made a rather grand gesture.

"We both know that you've only ever been with older women, mate," I stated.

"I slept with a sixty-two-year-old when I was nineteen," Mark admitted.

"Fuck off!" Mike exclaimed, "You serious?"

"She was fucking hot," Mark exclaimed, "And you get a woman of that age, even if she's been married forty years, there's experience that can't be replicated. And given I was nineteen and perpetually horny, and she still loved to fuck, it was almost perfect. She was a real teacher as although I loved to fuck beforehand, I was like most young men. Selfish and clueless."

I looked at Mike. He shrugged before stating, "Fifty-two. She was my manager at the first full-time job I got. She was divorced, and lonely though wasn't looking for love. She just wanted to have some fun. Banging her over her desk was a rite of passage it seemed."

"Okay, I have to ask... I had no idea about this. I know we don't talk about our sex lives in great detail, but..." I paused to collect my thoughts. "How long were you with them?"

"Six months," Mark replied, "She eventually told me to go and spread my wings, take what I learned with her and pleasure some other women. Thing is, I remember her fondly and she still gets in touch with me from time to time. We meet up for lunch every so often. She's met a man far more age-appropriate, and they seem happy together."

"To be honest, the only reason I stopped seeing Melanie was that I moved on with my career," Mike admitted, "The sex was fantastic, and we worked well together, but we were honest in that we actually had little in common otherwise. We'd spend all night having sex, but conversation was always a little awkward."

Everyone filled themselves with food once I was ready to dish up the meat. Mum and my sisters had prepared a couple of salads, a large potato salad, a delicious coleslaw, and a cheese platter to accompany all the meat. No surprise that my sisters preferred the chicken over the red meat, and we had plenty of bread rolls for those who wanted to throw a steak and some onions into a roll with a little tomato sauce.

"Think it's time for presents!" Mum finally stated once everyone had clearly finished eating, quickly clearing one of the tables of food so the small pile could be placed in front of Christine.

She received the usual gifts one would expect even on a fortieth birthday. Booze. Clothing. And I knew she loved books, so she received quite a few of those. There were birthday cards with gift cards within. Then she came to my gift, watching her eyes move towards me as I'd bought her a birthday card and there was a present for her as well.

Mum was smiling at me as Christine tore off the wrapping paper to reveal an oblong case, Christine gasping as she slowly opened it to reveal the necklace and earrings that I'd bought her.

"John," she whispered, "These are beautiful."

"That's just part one," I stated.

Mum couldn't stop smiling as Christine opened the card and read what I'd written, Christine raising her eyes again to see hers were glistening. I hadn't exactly laid my heart out on the line with what I'd written. She just knew that she was as important to me as my mother, sisters and grandparents.

And then she noticed the small envelope in the larger one. "John... What have you done?" Mum asked, smiling away at me.

Christine opened the small envelope and practically screamed, getting up and rushing around the table to almost leap into my arms. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" Christine practically sobbed into my chest, giving her a cuddle in return.

"What the hell did he get her?" her mother asked.

"Tickets to Miss Saigon at the Sydney Opera House," Mum replied, "How the hell did you get your hands on these, John? This was sold out within hours of going on sale?"

I gestured with my head towards Mark and Mike. "I had a couple of friends help me out in making sure we didn't miss out," I replied, "I knew how much Christine wanted to go see it."

"Two tickets... Who am I taking?" Christine asked.

Lifting her chin with my fingers, I met her eyes and smiled. "Well... I was hoping that we could have dinner and drinks before attending the performance. I mean, you can take whoever you want but..."

"Are you asking me out on a date, John?"

"Absolutely."

"It's about bloody time, mate!" Mark exclaimed, Mike laughing loudly as the smile that formed on Christine's face made my heart flutter. I'd rarely seen her so happy as she was in that moment.

The rest of the night was spent lazing in and around the pool, continuing to nibble at the sweets that we'd bought. Christine hadn't wanted a cake though had suggested she wanted ice cream, so Mum made sure we had numerous flavours available. We had music playing in the background, and a few people enjoying a dance. I wasn't surprised that Christine eventually grabbed me and dragged me over to the lawn, both of us barefoot.

Things only wrapped up around midnight. Christine's parents and my grandparents had long disappeared. All our friends started heading off around that time as Mum and my sisters started to clear things up. Once the last couple of Christine's friends said goodnight and disappeared, that left me alone with my mother and Christine as my little sisters disappeared to bed once the clocks approached one o'clock in the morning.

With only the lamp beside my mother's armchair providing any illumination, she was sitting back with a last glass of wine, Christine snuggled up beside me on the couch.

"Christine, I'm going to ask a blunt question. Are you taking the guest bedroom or are you going to cuddle up with my son?"

"Option B, if John likes the idea."

"You can come cuddle with me," I stated.

Mum finished her glass of wine, walking over to kiss my cheek before Christine got up and cuddled her friend, no real surprise that she needed a little cry, the two women having no problem stating how much they loved each other. Getting to my feet, Mum hugged me before she disappeared towards her bedroom, Christine then looked at me and I didn't miss the colour in her cheeks.