Perfect Summer by Bethany Lopez
Mitch
“Mom, you home?” I called as I entered the small one-bedroom home she’d moved into a few years back.
After years of trying to maintain the house I’d grown up in and hold on to the memories of my dad in that house, I’d finally talked her into selling and moving into something that made more sense. Not just financially, but she didn’t need to kill herself trying to keep a three-thousand square-foot house, especially after I’d moved out and she was living there alone.
This house was much more manageable and was only a few houses down from one of her best friends, so she was really happy living here.
When I didn’t hear her reply, I wandered into the kitchen. Usually, if she wasn’t in the living room watching her shows, she was either in the kitchen baking something or in the backyard gardening.
The kitchen was empty, so I looked out the back door, only to find it empty as well.
“What in the world?” I muttered, starting to get worried.
Thinking she was sick or worse, I rushed down the hall to her bedroom and opened the door.
I was not prepared for what I stumbled upon.
“Holy shit! What the hell?” I managed before I brought my hands up to cover my eyes and spun around.
My mother and Mr. Locke were in her bed. Together.
“Oh, calm down, Mitchell. We’re decent,” my mother said, but all I could think was, Yeah, now…
“I’m going to go to the kitchen … make some tea,” I said a touch too loudly and got out of the room as if I was being chased by ghosts.
I thought I may have heard some laughter following me down the hall, but I did my best to pretend nothing existed in the house beyond the kitchen.
Once the tea kettle was on the stove, I grabbed the box filled with assorted tea bags out of the pantry and placed it on the counter. That’s when my mother came in, tying her robe and shaking her head.
“Really, Mitchell, you act as if you’ve never seen two people share a bed before.”
“In my defense, I’ve never seen those two people … er … you and anyone other than Dad, share a bed before,” I replied. “I thought you two just started seeing each other.”
“It’s been a few months now and we actually just got back from a trip to the hot springs. It was really lovely, you should go sometime … very relaxing,” she said, giving me a look that said I needed to relax.
“Wait, you went on a trip with him and didn’t even tell me?” I asked, completely taken aback.
“I didn’t realize I needed your permission,” my normally sweet, non-sarcastic mother said dryly.
“That’s not what I meant. Of course you don’t … I’m just in a little shock here.”
“I’ll make you some chamomile, that’ll help calm your nerves,” she said, moving to grab the cups off of the hanging rack I’d build into the wall.
“I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you … you were out of town and preoccupied with Mr. Locke.”
She sighed and said, “Call him Sam. He’s not your teacher anymore and I’d like you two to get to know each other better.”
I thought about the fact she’d been alone since my father passed. Sam was the first man she’d shown any interest in, so I pushed my feelings to the side. Sure, the thought of my mother having sex with my algebra teacher gave me the willies, but I did want her to be happy. I simply needed to not think about them in that way.
In my mind their relationship would remain strictly PG.
“Okay, Mom, sure … you bet,” I said, accepting the mug she offered. “Speaking of relationships, have you heard anything about me and Faith?”
Her head shot up and she asked, “No, should I have? I wasn’t aware there was a you and Faith any longer.”
I couldn’t quite gauge her tone, so I treaded lightly.
After clearing my throat, I said, “Well, we ran into each other a few weeks back. Then again. And she came by my place with her daughter to pick out one of the kittens I told you about. Things kind of progressed organically from there … I bid on her basket at the festival and won, and then last night we went out on our first official date.”
“Wow,” she said, putting down her cup a little too forcefully. “I hadn’t realized … I honestly thought you were still upset with her and had been avoiding her since she came back.”
“I was,” I agreed. “But we talked and hashed through all of that, and I decided to leave the past in the past and see what happens now.”
“With Faith,” she surmised.
“Yes. With Faith and Hope,” I amended. “And I know it may take you a while to be okay with us seeing each other again, but I hope you’ll give her another shot.”
She took a sip and glanced at me thoughtfully.
“She really hurt you.”
“I know, but she had her reasons. I hope you’ll let her tell you about them one day.”
“You’re sure this is what you want?” she asked.
I nodded and said, “I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about her. That hasn’t changed. I thought it would have, with everything that happened, but it hasn’t. We both want to get to know the people we are now and see what happens.”
“Hmmm,” was all she said.
“Can you do that? Please?” I asked, taking her hand in mine.
“I can, if you’ll do the same with Sam,” she replied, and I couldn’t help but wonder when my mother had gotten so devious. “In fact, he’d like to take you golfing.”
“Wow, that’s how you’re going to play this? Blackmail?”
“Whatever works, sweetheart. Whatever works.”