Raised the Texas Way Pt. 01

Susie was a senior in high school, now eighteen herself. He had her mom's height and blond-haired looks, along with her father's deep blue eyes. Unlike Bobby—and much as her mother—Susie was the life of the party. She was a cheerleader and very popular with everyone she met. Terri understood her daughter, because she remembered her own high school experiences. So, when Susie needed to get home a little later than the normal curfew time, it wasn't a big deal. The Talk about birth control was two years in the past by now. Terri was proud that Susie didn't try to hide anything from her; when it was time to lose her virginity, she came to Mom for advice. Thankfully, Susie (like Terri) waited until her senior year to do the deed. Eighteen was a good time; not too early and not too late. Terri gave her all the advice she could and, although Terri knew (or thought she knew) that her daughter's first time had not been super great, at least her little girl was a woman now.

Unlike Bobby, who was still a virgin at age nineteen, as far as Terri knew. Maybe when he came back from college for winter break, they could talk about it. If he had doubts or concerns or anxieties, maybe she could help him deal with those feelings. It would be nice to be the mom, once again, even though her little boy was all grown up now. He would be 20 in January.

She also needed to talk with Bob, Senior. If her children were going to go off to college and they weren't going to be hosting any more parties, then the house was more than they needed. It was too much for two people, one of whom spent more time on the road than at home. Terri thought they needed to downsize. Find a house with no more than four bedrooms—three would be better. Something more suitable to their situation.

Terri would miss the pool and tennis court, but she would join a nice gym—one with lots of stuff to do besides weights and treadmills. She would do yoga, maybe spinning. She would keep in shape. After all, she'd promised Bob twenty years ago she wouldn't get fat on him. She would keep her part of the bargain, just as he'd kept his part.

Terri was more than a little surprised when Bob suggested they get a divorce.

*****

The Talk happened in the lull between Christmas and New Year's. The kids were up in their rooms, doing whatever they did. Terri and Bob sat next to each other in the TV room (which was more of an in-home movie theater), watching one of the near-infinite number of bowl games while Bob sipped bourbon and Terri sipped white wine.

"I've been thinking," Bob started out. "You know, about that whole down-sizing thing. Getting us a smaller place."

Terri nodded and sipped her wine. "As much as I love this home you've provided for us, Bob, it's just too big. It's way more than we need."

"Y'know, I'm startin' to agree with you on that, hon," he replied. Bob took a healthy slug of his bourbon. "So ... here's the thing. You and me? It's not really the same anymore, is it? I mean, we had a good run, right? Twenty years of happiness. But ... I'm thinkin' 'where do we go from here?' Like, what does our future look like?"

Terri was confused. "I'm not sure I'm following you, Bob."

Bob sighed. "I guess what I'm sayin' is ... maybe we need to move on from each other. It was a good run, but now it's over. The kids are grown. Susie Rose is gonna be off to Texas A&M in a few months. I bet she finds her a husband there. And Little Bobby Junior ain't so little anymore. He's over six feet now, and he's gonna do that science thing he does. Maybe get a job in Colorado. Or maybe California. Maybe get himself a wife ... or maybe a husband." Bob sighed. "Won't matter to me none, you know. I'll still love him the same ... it's just ... damn it! He's not the man I wanted him to be!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying maybe we ought to get divorced. Move on. Give each other our freedom."

Terri started to cry.

Bob looked at her. "C'mon now, Terri. You telling me you never even considered divorcing my sorry ass?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Never. You kept your word to me. You never lied. You took care of us—me and our children. Just the way you said you would. And I love you."

Bob sighed. "The thing is, I'm not so sure I love you. I mean ... I did. For sure! But things have changed a bit over twenty years."

"I've gotten older."

"Yeah, true. But so have I. Look at me: I haven't got hardly any hair left on my head!"

"That never mattered to me, you know. I still loved you."

"Right. You have a kind heart, for sure! Your heart is kind and pure and all the good things. And you still look great, you know! You'll get over me real quick. I bet you'll have you a new lover in like two weeks after we call it done."

Terri continued to cry softly.

"C'mon, now, honey. You'll always be my little filly. It's just ... I think we need to be honest here. I mean, you told me that you liked me 'cause I don't lie, and I'm not lying now. I think we need to get us a divorce. I promise I'll continue to take care of you after, you know. I'll make it real fair. You'll never want for anything ... after."

After a long time, Terri finally nodded. "If you want your freedom, then I'll give it to you. But let's not tell the kids until after Susie graduates, okay?"

"That's my Little Lady!"

Terri's tears dried slowly. She finished her wine, then looked at her husband. She looked at her husband of twenty years, who was soon going to be her ex-husband. "I suppose you'll want to sleep in the guest room," she said, flatly.

"You suppose wrong," he replied with a smile. "I still want that sweet pussy of yours as much as I can until we're through."

Terri smiled back and nodded. It had been so long since she and her husband had been intimate with each other!

Later than night, Terri was both delighted and disappointed with Bob. She was delighted that he still wanted her. She was delighted that she could still make him happy as she approached 40 years of age. He still wanted to suckle her puffy pink nipples. She could still make him hard; she could still make him moan with need. She could still take him right to the edge with her mouth and then deny him the finish he so desperately wanted.

Unfortunately, Terri was disappointed with the outcome. He pumped into her willing body for only a few minutes before he groaned, gasped, and shot his cum into her pussy. She wasn't even close to cumming herself when he relaxed and rolled off her sweaty body. He didn't even try to make her cum with fingers or tongue! He just smiled at her and drifted off to sleep, leaving her on the edge. It was so damn frustrating!

Suddenly, Terri was reminded of high school.

*****

The next day, Terri had a frank and open conversation with Bobby. Or at least she tried to. He was not very forthcoming.

Finally, Terri decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. They sat next to each other on the sofa, and she blurted out the question that had been on her mind for months. She just outright asked Bobby: "So, do you like girls or boys?"

Bobby looked at her, mouth open in shock. He just shook his head.

"It's okay with your Daddy and me either way, you know. We'll still love you just the same." Terri put one hand on her son's shoulder and used the other hand to turn him to face her, to look her in the eyes. His blue eyes—so much like his father's—looked into her own green eyes. "Tell me, Bobby. Why don't you have a girlfriend? Is it because you don't like girls?"

He sighed a deep sigh. "No. That's not it—not at all! I like girls just fine! It's just ... they don't seem to like me, you know?"

Terri felt a wave of relief wash through her body. It would have been okay if her boy liked boys; it would have been! But this way was better, easier for everybody. He liked girls but he thought they didn't like him. That was something she thought she understood.

"How many dates have you had in college?"

Bobby turned away. "It's only been one semester, Mom," he said, "there hasn't hardly been any opportunities for dates."

Terri hummed. "No dances? No parties to go to? That doesn't sound like college to me."

"How would you know? You never even went to college!"

Oh, that hurt.

Bobby must have sensed he'd gone too far. "Sorry, Mom," he said. "I didn't mean that. It's okay you never went to college. You're still a great mom!"

Terri wiped away a tear. She nodded, not having any words right now.

Bobby continued to speak. "Look, Mom. I like what I'm doing: I like hanging out with my friends online, playing games. I study all the time, you know? And when I'm not studying, I have really cool friends to hang out with." He sighed. "I don't really think I need a girlfriend at this point in my life, to be honest with you."

Terri took another deep, calming, breath. "Are you a virgin?" she asked her son softly.

His face got a little red but he nodded.

"Okay. So, it's not like you don't like girls ... it's that you don't have a lot of experience with girls, is that right? You think they're not interested in you."

Bobby nodded again.

"Okay. You've always been a little bit shy. That's just who you are. But I'm telling you, Bobby ... one day soon you're going to realize what a great catch you are! You're quiet and thoughtful and honest. You do all the right things and you're going to graduate and get you an amazing job! You're going to have a steady job and one day—one day soon—you'll look around you and realize that girls find thoughtful, honest, men with steady jobs to be real attractive. I promise you that's gonna happen!"

"Thanks, Mom," he said. "Love you."

She hugged her 19-year-old, beautiful, boy to her chest. "I love you, too, Bobby. So much!"

Before Terri knew it, winter break was over and her boy was back at college, a thousand miles away. And her little baby girl was in her final semester of high school, partying up a storm and planning her move to College Station.

The family gathered again in late May for Susie Rose's graduation. Terri and Bob waited until the day after Susie's graduation to tell their children that—after 20 years of marriage—their parents were getting divorced.

*****

Chapter 3: The Mother She Was Meant to Be

After the Big Announcement, Bob moved out. It took about a week for him to get gone. It wasn't even June before all his things were—just like that!—vanished from the house like a magician's trick. Bob kept his word, though, and the divorce settlement terms were very generous. There was no child support, because both children were over 18 years old. But there would be a decent amount of monthly alimony. Between the alimony, a large cash payment, and all the equity from their home, Terri wouldn't need to worry about money—especially if she downsized into a smaller house in a more modest neighborhood.

Terri got their—no, now her—house ready for sale. The house would hit the market in September, after Susie Rose left for Texas A&M. September wasn't the best time of year for a sale in the Dallas real estate market, but it would have to do. Her friends in real estate told her that, despite the less-than-optimum timing, she should expect to receive offers in excess of $2 million for the home. Since the house was nearly paid for, that meant most the money would go to her.

Of course, they all wanted the listing and the commission that went with it. Terri wasn't sure who should get the listing. Whoever she chose, the others would be upset. She didn't need to lose any friends, not at this tumultuous time in her life. Terri figured she would probably go with a stranger, just to keep things civil with her friends.

June came and went. So did July. July Fourth, which was Bob's favorite holiday and one on which he always threw a huge barbeque party in the backyard, passed without celebration. They all missed Bob on that special day. Then August showed up and announced that—far too soon—both Bobby and Susie Rose would need to depart for college, leaving Terri all alone in the large house.

Dallas was hot as Hell that summer, but the pool helped a lot. Terri went swimming twice a day, swimming laps back and forth while the sun burned hot in the sky. It didn't take long for Bobby to join her in the pool. Apparently, his friends were too busy to play their online games. Bobby would watch his mom swim her laps until he figured it was time to join her. They would swim the laps together, passing each other in the middle of the pool, only to kick-turn and pass each other again. They didn't have much to say to each other, but at least they shared the swimming.

As for Susie Rose, she had taken the news of the divorce hard. She wasn't home much and, when she was, she was in her room with the door shut tight. Terri wasn't really sure where her daughter was when she was out of the house, but she consoled herself with the thought that her baby girl was eighteen now, and was soon going off to college. If Susie Rose didn't comport herself with the dignity of a young lady by now, then it wasn't ever going to happen. Most likely, Susie Rose was out shopping, buying clothes and whatnot for her first year at college.

The three of them found a routine without Bob. What they had wasn't happiness: it was survival. But they were surviving and that was the important thing.

Then one day Terri caught Bobby masturbating, and everything changed.

*****

What day it was didn't matter, because all days were mostly the same. There were no fancy dinners, no parties, no weekend steaks grilled in the outdoor kitchen, that would cause any day to be different from any other. Monday was like Tuesday, and Friday was like Saturday. It was hot outside and cool inside; the house was suddenly too big for just the three of them, even though the weekly maid service kept everything clean and neat.

Terri liked to do the laundry because it gave her something to do. She'd take Susie's things from the hamper and wash them on cold, then hang them outside to dry. Terri realized she only had a couple more weeks to take care of her daughter. Since they weren't talking to each other very much after the Big Announcement, this was her subtle way of letting her daughter know how much her Mama loved her.

Terri did Bobby's things for the same reason. She took his Wrangler jeans and his shorts, his T-Shirts and polo shirts, and his socks and boxer briefs out of his hamper. She washed his things, dried them, then folded them. She would take the folded clothes to his room and leave them on his bed for him to put away.

Terri did the laundry twice a week.

Today was just another laundry day.

*****

Terri carried the basket of folded laundry in both her hands as she approached Bobby's closed bedroom door. There was no way to knock, so she awkwardly used her forearms to turn the knob, then she pushed the door open with her foot. The door opened quickly and widely, giving her a very clear view of her 20-year-old son lying on his bed, masturbating furiously as he looked at some porn that was playing on his computer monitor.

Terri stood there for a long moment, trying to take in and process what she was seeing. Her son, oblivious to the sudden witness in his room, continued to vigorously move his right hand up and down his erect cock.

Finally, Terri reacted. She gasped. The basket fell unnoticed from her hands, hitting the ground and flipping over, spilling out the recently folded clothing.

Bobby heard the sound and looked up and over at his door, seeing his mother for the first time.

"Jesus Christ!" he yelled. He quickly rolled over onto his side, facing away from Terri, and pulled the sheet over his naked body.

"Jesus! Fuck!"

Terri just stood there in shock, silent.

After a long time that was probably only about five seconds, Bobby turned his head back to his mother. Terri saw his face was beet-red with embarrassment, and he was curled into an almost fetal position.

"Mom ... get out!" he commanded.

No, said a little voice in Terri's head. Instead of getting out, she took a step forward and one hand unconsciously pushed the bedroom door closed.

"Mom! What are you doing?"

"What are you doing, Bobby?" Terri replied. "As if I didn't know."

"God, Mom! This is already embarrassing enough! Get out! Don't make things worse!"

Terri's initial shock was replaced by an unexpected calmness. Bobby was wrong: leaving now would make things worse. Leaving now would leave her son with a weird feeling that what he was doing was somehow wrong, somehow dirty, something to be embarrassed about. No. Her son was already too shy and introverted. She was not going to be a part of making his insecurities worse. No way, Jose. Instead, she had to find a way to turn this situation around, to make something positive and supportive out of this awkwardness.

Suddenly, Terri realized that what she had here was a teachable moment.

She took another step toward the bed. Bobby's face was still red and he was curled up in a ball—as if he could hide from her. But he couldn't hide and she couldn't let him hide.

"You were masturbating, weren't you?" she asked softly, gently. "It's okay, Bobby. I saw you. It's just the two of us here right now. You can admit it. Just ... talk to me."

"All right! Yes! I was masturbating! Okay? Are you satisfied now? Will you please go?"

Terri turned her head to the computer monitor. She saw a man and a woman having sex doggy style. The woman seemed to be enjoying herself, judging by all the moaning going on. Terri noticed the woman was nearly covered in tattoos.

At least it's not two boys, she thought.

Terri gestured at the screen. "Does seeing this turn you on?" she asked her son.

Bobby sighed. He closed his eyes before he nodded.

"I understand," Terri said, softly and simply. "I get it. You're a boy. You get horny. You masturbate. None of that shocks me, son. It's natural. It's normal."

"It's not normal when your mom walks in."

Terri cocked her head, considering Bobby's words. After a moment, she said, "Yes, it is. It is normal. I mean, I apologize for invading your privacy but ... I don't want you to be embarrassed. Really, Bobby. Don't be embarrassed. What you were doing is totally normal and I'm not shocked. Startled a bit? Sure. But not shocked."

Terri could tell her words were helping. She saw Bobby relax and straighten up out of that curl. She decided to keep going.

"Bobby, this is not any kind of a big deal. Not to me. And I don't want it to be a big deal for you either. You know why?"

Bobby shook his head.

"Because almost everybody is sexual, Bobby. Everybody. It's one of the strongest instincts humans have. That feeling, that pressure. The desire that sweeps through our mortal bodies—that's God's will, you know. It is totally normal and healthy to be horny—especially at your age. So ... relax about it. Let it go." She smiled at her son. "Everybody masturbates. Some more than others—true. But everybody does and anybody who says they don't is either lying or has a problem they should see a doctor about. You hear me?"

Bobby nodded and turned his body to face her. "Thanks, Mom. I mean, I wish you hadn't seen what you saw, but ... I guess it really isn't that big of a deal in the scheme of things." He ventured a small smile at her, which she returned warmly.

But Terri wasn't done yet.

"Now, I need you to do me a favor," she said.

"What's that, Mom?"

"I need you to finish what you started."

"What? Jesus!"

"Don't blaspheme, son! I raised you better than that. I need you to finish what you started so that you and I know—together—that your touching and jerking is totally normal. I need to know you don't have a complex about this, so I can rest easy."