Beloved Son, A Narrative of Falling in Love

I expected you home by 4 PM and it is now 5; My worry alarm has gone off. Not a good thing for an 8 month pregnant woman in these days before cell phones.

I know you’re in high school now and being my stepson, I’m not allowed to step over the “Mommy line”. But now it’s 5:30 and I’m calling the school of course, no one answers.

At 6:00 I’m beside myself, I’m certain you’ve met with a horrible accident, and by 6:30 I’m in tears sitting on the steps crying my eyes out!

We’ve always been honest with one another over these past 4 years. I’m not your Mom. The best shot we have in a relationship is to be friends. We get it. A fragile, precious friendship. Totally breakable.

But damn it, it’s 6:30 and you’re not home, and I’m 20 months pregnant and worried beyond all reason. I sat waiting like a very large, round spider sitting in her web waiting and waiting and waiting to attack.

6:45 you walk in as if nothing happened, la-di-da. I don’t think you even saw what hit you!

“Where have you been?”, I growled out. I didn’t even give you a chance to answer, because all I needed was an opening to engage the fray. I ripped into you like a bolt of lightening smashing into the ocean.

As I took a breath, you finally responded, shouting at me, “I was on a bus with the team! What did you want me to do? Tell the bus driver to pull over because I had to call my mommy?” I could only stomp upstairs without another word spoken. Fuming.

Before I even reached the top step I was feeling remorse for my violent words.

Calming down I realized I owed you a profound apology, Then, out of the blue, like a hot skillet to the face, I was struck by the thought, that I loved you. I had fallen in love with you!

Quietly I waddled back down the stairs and apologized to you profoundly and sincerely.

Then the tears welled up into my eyes and with trembling lip I confessed to you, “Jeffrey, you don’t understand. If anything ever happened to you, I would have to go and stand in

front of a bus!”

Jeffrey was dumbfounded, as was I. We hugged and I quietly said to him, “Son, I love you”.