Northern Light

"Did George keep you up at all?"

"Actually, no. I talked Caroline into smothering him with a pillow when he snores. I hope he's still alive."

Julia laughed. "Yes, he survived. He and Will took Brad out pike fishing this morning."

"Oh," said Lori, hiding her disappointment. "I hope they catch dinner for us tonight."

"George sounded pretty confident when they left. I hope your knife is sharpened."

Lori was the resident filleter of fish. Not that she really loved doing it, but she had a knack for removing the pesky Y-bones from the tails of northern pike. The kids wouldn't even eat it if Aunt Lori wasn't the one who cleaned them.

The guys returned from fishing that afternoon with the best haul of the week so far. Lori saw the men talking around the back of the pickup truck and went out to meet them. Laid out in the bed of the truck were eight nice sized northern pike, including a very large one, and a couple of walleye.

"Who caught the big one?" she asked.

George clapped two hands on Brad's shoulders. "Our new pro angler here. Ten and a half pounds!"

"I scooped it in the net!" implored Brad's younger cousin, Will.

"And Will caught the two walleye," noted Brad.

"Looks like we have our dinner, don't we?" Lori declared. "I'd better get started now if they're going to be ready by dinner time."

Brad and Will hauled the fish over to the cleaning table while Lori filled a large plastic tub with water. While she worked, the three fishermen got some lunch. After eating, Brad sat down in a comfy bag chair near the ashen remains of last night's campfire and closed his eyes. Spending the day in a small boat exposed to the sun and wind of the Georgian Bay was draining.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Lori asked her son as she worked on the fish.

"I did. I was so tired. I'm sorry I didn't say goodnight." He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her hair was pulled back and she looked as beautiful as she had the night before while she labored away at the same unsexy chore.

"It's okay, honey. You had a crazy long day. But you'd better tonight!" she said brandishing her fillet knife at him. "And I expect a goodnight kiss for your mother as well."

Brad jumped up and walked over to her. He put two hands on her shoulders and gently massaged her while she slaved away. "Did anybody ever tell you you're the hottest fishmonger that ever lived?"

Lori giggled. "Well, we all have to be known for something!"

Brad leaned in from behind her and kissed her gently on the cheek. "That was for last night. I'll have another one for you tonight. Deal?"

Lori felt him press against her behind when he kissed her and thrilled at this unnecessarily intimate contact. She felt the urge to turn around and hug him, but her hands were literally covered in slimy fish guts. She smiled without looking at him. "Deal," she replied.

"Are you going on a run again tonight?" He was aware of her new workout habit thanks to the two oglers he ran into yesterday at the restroom.

"Do you want to come with?" she asked, partially turning around.

"Yes. Very much so."

"Oh, that makes me happy!" she said. "It's such a beautiful place to run. You'll just love it!"

"Then it's a date."

Lori felt overjoyed the rest of the day knowing she and Brad would be working out together, on their 'date' as he put it. Later on, she found Caroline's camper empty and quickly took off her clothes. She changed into a pair of powder blue spandex running shorts, removing her panties before putting on the shorts. She hated how underwear rode up on her when she ran, and besides, she was well aware she looked smoking hot in those shorts when they hugged her bare skin. She slipped on a white sports bra and tied her hair back.

Brad was tying his shoes when Lori emerged from the camper, ready to run. For several seconds he was unable to take his eyes off her. She looked just as hot as she had the day before. Her ass was perfect in those shorts! Her tummy was flat and was peeking sexily out between her waistband and her bra. How did she get that way? Lori noticed him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

Brad shook himself out of his stupor. "I'm sorry," he said instinctively.

"For what, honey?"

Brad was embarrassed. He didn't even know what to say. "Nothing," was all he could muster.

Lori smiled. She didn't let on the vibe she was feeling and just played it off. "Okay, how far?"

Brad shrugged. "Up to you, but you might leave me behind."

"I doubt that. My favorite loop is about two miles," she said, bending and stretching.

"Lead the way."

Brad was thoroughly impressed at his 43-year-old mother's stamina. She had been working hard! He was in the best shape of his life, at least for hiking and climbing, but he knew by the first half-mile that Lori was going to need to run a slower pace to accommodate him. He did his best to maintain stride with her, but he had a motivation to lag behind a bit.

He couldn't take his eyes off her pretty ass. The thought that he was trailing his mom never left his consciousness, but it did nothing to stand in the way of his lustful thoughts. It was literally weakening his knees. It was no surprise to him that his mother was attractive; his friends always let him know that in high school. But what he was seeing now was an attraction altogether different. She was hot! There was no question. She had a jiggle inside those spandex shorts that was probably more pronounced than it was in her twenties, but it didn't diminish her sexiness. In fact, it augmented it.

"You okay back there?" she asked when she hadn't seen him for a couple of minutes.

"Just admiring the view," he said before he could catch himself. Jesus! She wasn't a coed he was jogging with on campus; it was his mother he was lusting after. He hoped that she took him to mean the beautiful conifers that lined the roadway.

"It's so pretty here," she said, ignoring his double entendre. She secretly hoped he was being cheeky with her, but she was too embarrassed to play along.

Lori slowed down to force him to run next to her so they could talk.

"Are you enjoying your summer?"

"Been very busy. It's why I haven't been to see you."

"Any other reasons you haven't been to see me?"

"Are you asking if I have a girlfriend?"

"You're going to make me ask?" she laughed.

"We broke up after the spring semester."

"Oh, I'm sorry, hon. Was it okay?"

"Well, she's from Burlington. A long distance relationship just wasn't going to work for us over the summer. I'm okay with it. There are lots of fish in the sea."

"That's what I like to hear," she said, clearly relieved that he wasn't in a serious relationship. "And plenty of time to find them."

"What about you?" he asked.

"A boyfriend?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I mean, you're still a woman, even though you're my mom. I get that."

"Honey, thank you for your understanding, but men are definitely not in the cards for me."

"Why not?"

"After 23 years of marriage, it's hard to give your heart to another person just like that."

Brad suddenly felt bitter about his father leaving her. He had been very angry with his father over his indiscretions, but seeing how profoundly it had affected her left a decidedly rotten taste in his mouth. He resolved he would not defend his father in this matter.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be, baby. It's not your fault."

They jogged in silence for a while. Brad was feeling a need to console his mother and her broken heart, even though she wasn't asking for pity. He tried to imagine every possible scenario that would lead his father to leave her and not a single one made sense. Who could leave such a sweet and loving woman? How could anyone be more perfect? He felt like punching his dad.

"Can we talk more later?" he asked.

Lori felt a surge of gladness at the suggestion. Close, intimate time to reconnect with her son was exactly what she needed. "I'd like that," she said simply.

"I promise I'll stay awake," he said with a grin.

"Well, that's the least you could do for your mother," she commented wryly.

Brad saw the two dudes he'd run into yesterday at about the same time in the evening. He gave them both a big wave and a smile as he and his mother passed by. He hoped they were watching her ass again today. He almost felt a kinship to those knuckleheads. The shorter one waved awkwardly before looking at his hand and shoving it in his pocket.

The fish dinner was stupendous as expected, with everyone in the family congratulating Brad on feeding the masses with his amazing angling ability. Lori didn't even mind that she hardly got a mention for spending all afternoon cleaning the fish.

The night grew late and Brad and Lori both got showers after dinner. Brad beat her back to the campsite. He was in his tent, stowing some of his gear when Lori came back from the showers wearing her sweats and flip-flops. She saw he was in his tent. "Brad?" she called quietly.

Brad peeked his head out and smiled. "Do you want to watch the Perseids?" he asked. This was the peak night for observing the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.

"Oh! It is August eleventh, isn't it?" she said. "Wait, I know just the place to do it. Let me get a blanket." She went into the camper and came out with a fluffy blanket tucked under her arm and a flashlight in the other hand. "It's about a ten-minute walk to the lake, but it's totally dark there."

Brad had watched the Perseids numerous times, but never in an environment this dark. This would be a special treat. They made their way to the banks of a good-sized lake adjoining the campground and Lori spread the thick blanket on some flat, smooth rocks. Not a hint of light could be seen on the horizon, save for a few campfires dotting the landscape. The sky was as black as Brad had seen the night before. They lay on their backs, head to head and stared up at the sky.

"Goodness, I can't believe how many stars there are," noted Lori. The cold wash of the Milky Way sprayed across the black dome of the sky and waited patiently to be disrupted by the streaking, bright flashes of light. "There's one already!" Lori exclaimed. In the extreme darkness of Northern Ontario, even the dimmest meteors could be seen on a clear night.

Brad could feel his mother's head very close to his and quietly scooted a little closer to her so the tops of their heads were touching. "There!" He pointed futilely in the darkness.

"Oh, this is going to be a good night," observed Lori. They lay in silence for a while, waiting and watching. They saw a shooting star about once every minute or so. At length, Lori broke their silence.

"So, how's your dad?"

"He's very busy. I haven't seen him much. This trip to Ontario was the most I'd talked to him in months."

"I think he offered to take you just to quell his guilty conscience," Lori noted.

"Yes," he agreed.

"And then he got to just drop you off and be done with you." Lori was bitter about how he'd treated both of them.

"Yes, I know," Brad responded

"And what do you think of Roxy?"

Brad knew this was coming. He'd met his dad's new girlfriend, but only on the trip to the trailhead. She was a pretty, blonde-haired, smoking hot piece of ass; of that there was no question. But that's all she was—not a lot of stimulation above the waistline. He decided to answer his mother truthfully. "She's hot."

Lori sighed. "Yeah; I've heard."

Brad continued. "But only because she's young. I really don't know what Dad sees in her. She's got nothing on you, Mom. When she's 43 she'll look like a tramp trying to hang onto her twenties, because that's all she has going for her. Her beauty is nothing compared to yours."

Lori felt a surge of love for her son for complimenting her so ravishingly. "You think I'm pretty?"

Brad laughed. "Do I think you're pretty? Have you looked at yourself? How could I not?"

"I don't know, maybe because you don't look at your mother that way?" She knew she was being disingenuous after the covert flirting that had been going on between them.

Brad didn't respond. They lay quietly for a while.

"Is he happy?"

Brad thought for a moment. "He seems happy. He's different, though."

"How so?" she asked.

"Well, he's just totally into her. He didn't really talk to me a whole lot."

"Son of a bitch," she growled. "He's abandoned us both emotionally."

"We'll be okay," he said reassuringly. "We have each other, and that's all I care about."

Lori reached back and felt his face, caressing and scratching him lightly with her fingernails. "I love you, baby."

Brad took her hand and kissed her palm. He held it while he put his other hand up, hoping to find hers. Lori grabbed his other hand and they held each other by the hands for a while, still staring up at the brilliant sky.

"I think your aunts have the hots for you," she said, caressing his hands with her thumbs.

Brad gave an embarrassed laugh. "Especially Caroline. Did you see her grab my ass?"

Lori gasped. "She laid a hand on my sweet boy's ass? She's lucky I don't kill her in a jealous rage!"

Brad laughed. "They're sweet, but they're not my type. They're not beautiful and refined like you."

"Aw, that's sweet! Do you think I'm your type?" Lori immediately wished she could take the question back. What kind of thing was that to say to her son?

"You're my perfect type. You're beautiful, smart, loving, and sexy. What more could a guy want?"

"Your dad apparently wanted more."

"Dad's a fucking moron."

Lori laughed, squeezing her son's hands when she caught a bright flash out of the corner of her eye. "Oh! Look at that!" They both immediately sat up. To her right and Brad's left a bright meteor shot from the horizon and glided smoothly overhead, traversing the entire sky in a long, bright streak. Its reflection could be seen bouncing off the mirrored surface of the lake and revealing its rocky banks. For a moment, the brightness softly illuminated the smooth, flat rocks and blanket upon which they sat, briefly revealing each other's face, until it finally disappeared on the opposite horizon, leaving them once again in total darkness.

Brad took her hand again and turned himself towards her, knowing her face was close by. He'd just admitted to his mother that he found her attractive. It wasn't something he ever thought he'd say to her, but telling her made him feel like a man.

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better," she said softly.

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I meant what I said."

Lori turned to face him and held both his hands in hers. "But you do. I don't know what I would do without you. I missed you so much this summer."

"I missed you too. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you."

"Baby, that's not what I mean. You're starting your career and your life; I wouldn't have you doing anything different."

Brad truly felt sorry for his mother. His heart was broken for her. She was tough. She didn't complain. She was as far from needy as a woman could get, maintaining her stoic demeanor even after a humiliating desertion by her husband for no obvious reason. But he knew she was hurting. "I still wish I could have been with you more this summer."

"Me too," she said, squeezing his hands.

"Will you forgive me?"

Lori gave a silent nasal laugh. "There's nothing to forgive, honey."

An overwhelming impulse to kiss her sweet son settled over her. She leaned in very tentatively and touched her nose to his. Brad felt her breath and the touch of her nose and instinctively leaned closer. She kissed her son quickly, gently and motherly and then pulled away. A gentle charge of electricity pulsed through her body from her mouth, down her spine to her feet. What a perfect kiss that was!

She squeezed his hands again. "Did you just call your mother sexy?" Lori felt a guilty wave of pleasure wash over her body at asking him such a seductive question.

"I did," he answered. "It's true! No man with a heartbeat could look at you and not think you're attractive." That got a giggle out of Lori. "Does it make you uncomfortable to hear that from me?" he asked.

"A little. But it makes me feel—" she trailed off. Her motherly instinct stepped in and slammed her mouth shut before she said something regretful.

Brad waited a moment, then jiggled her hands. "Makes you feel what?"

"Oh, god," she sighed. Lori gave an embarrassed laugh to fill the void. She had trapped herself.

"C'mon!" Brad implored. "You have to tell me now." His heart was pounding. His mother was about to admit something that might affirm what he was feeling. But she had to be the one to say it. If he could see her, he would have implored her with his eyes, but he could do nothing but hold her hands, feeling them tremble.

"How does it make you feel?" he whispered. He caressed her hands lovingly, comforting her.

Lori took a deep breath and spoke quietly. "To hear you say that," she began nervously. "It makes me feel...desirable. Is that weird?"

Brad smiled into the darkness. "No. And you are. Desirable, I mean." He immediately began to lean in again. He wasn't sure about what he was doing, but he hoped to find her lips again. He tilted his head a little. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss his sexy mother. He could think of nothing else.

Lori felt his head tilt and almost drew back. Something was happening that she felt was beyond her control. But she stayed where she was, the excitement of touching his lips again outweighing the fear of making a mistake. She leaned in ever so slowly until their lips gently touched again, affirming that this was going beyond their familiar love.

He slightly opened his mouth, silently inviting her to do the same. Lori put her trembling hands on his face, not knowing whether she was going to push him away or pull him into her. She could feel the wetness of his mouth. She hesitantly opened her mouth to him, their lips lightly touching, testing their new kind of kiss. She told herself what they were doing was okay. They loved each other. It felt so good to show him her love this way!

She felt him taste her lips with his tongue and whimpered almost inaudibly. She breathed into his mouth in an involuntary sigh and fought the urge to uncurl her own tongue. But motherly instinct was rapidly dissolving in the solution of her liquescent female desire.

Slowly opening and closing her mouth with her son, Lori allowed herself a slight taste—just the tip. She whimpered again as the overwhelming desire took over. It was just a little taste, but suddenly she knew a little taste was not going to be enough. Lori pulled Brad's face tight against her and slipped her tongue deep into his mouth, caressing him, tasting him with tender lust that she wasn't even aware she had. It was her son she was kissing, and he tasted better than her sweetest lover.

His head tightly in her grasp, Brad eagerly accepted his mother's tongue, feeling it with his own, caressing and tasting her lips and chin. He felt the blood shift in his groin and his cock begin to grow erect. He had an impulse to hide it with his hands, even in total darkness. He was getting hard for his mother! His conflicted mind both reveled and abhorred the growing arousal. But ultimately he had to just let it happen. Kissing like this gave him no choice. He let go of his inhibitions and secretly grew to full size in his pants.

Realizing the kissing had turned sharply sexual, Lori's conscience caught up with her in a hurry. "Oh, oh Brad," she said into his mouth mid-kiss. She desperately wanted to see him, to look into his eyes and know what he thought of her now. But the darkness prevented it. "What are we doing?"