Chapter 4: “I miss those days, too, Auntie

When she asked me if I was taking her to the prom, I simply said, “I don’t think I’ll go this year. Maybe our time has come to an end.”

She almost seemed relieved and said, “Okay, see ya.” She happily skipped away, and that ended my dating career.

I never sought female companionship after that, knowing I’d never find anyone equal to Mom or my aunt.

Finding myself with more free time, I began to wallow in self-pity, but fortunately, Dad unintentionally came to my rescue. With the economy declining, his business demanded more of his time. Not only did he switch to swing shift to help out his crews, but he also spent some of his weekends at the office. This left Mom free to devote more time with me. The hours I’d spent with Carol had been replaced with Mom.

In addition to helping me with my homework each night, we prepared the evening meal together and took turns selecting the shows to watch at night. She always found a project or outing to do on the weekends to keep my mind off my short-lived dating stint. Mothers have an uncanny way of knowing when something’s bothering their children and know how to make up for it.

A few weeks later, Mom and Dad helped Dave and Aunt Paula celebrate their fourth anniversary. Paula insisted Mom wear the same dress she’d worn for Paula’s wedding while Paula elected a similar one. I remained home while the four of them took off in Dad’s car for a romantic evening at a restaurant, that also included a dance floor.

Being a Saturday night, I had some time to watch a sci-fi that Mom wasn’t really interested in. After finishing that, I just surfed on my phone to pass the time. Around eleven, I received a call from Mom.

“Jimmy, your father and Dave had to leave for an emergency at their business. Could you come pick us up?”

“Of course, Mom,” I replied immediately, more than willing to escape the boredom at home. “Be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, sweetie. Don’t worry, we’ll make it worth your while,” she replied, giggling.

I wondered how much they’d had to drink and what she meant by making it worth my while. Obviously, it wouldn’t be the same thing I was thinking of, but nonetheless, my heart beat faster, fantasizing about her coy remark.

I knew the restaurant where they went, but wasn’t sure if they had a dress code. Not taking a chance, I threw on my best set of clothes and took off. After entering, I informed the hostess that I was there to pick up my mom and aunt, so she allowed me to go in and find them.

I found them at a booth near the dance floor, and as I approached the table, I noticed they were busy rebuffing a couple of men standing next to the table. I slid in across from them.

They smiled in relief and Mom told the men, “We’re with my son now, so please don’t ask us again. We’re leaving in a bit to go home.”

Once they’d left, Mom turned to me, grinning. “Whew, you came in the nick of time. Ever since your dad and uncle left, men have been hounding us.”

“Glad to help, Mom. Are you ready to leave?” I asked.

“Not until you get your reward we promised,” she mischievously snickered.

They both smiled, on the brink of giggling, watching my confusion. Their gazes focused on something behind me, and before I knew it, a personal-sized sausage pizza was placed in front of me.

“Wow!” I blurted in surprise. “My favorite. This is the best reward ever. How’d you know I’d be hungry?”

Mom giggled and replied, “You’re always hungry.” This caused my aunt to laugh, too, knowing only too well how right Mom was.

I dug in, enjoying the savory taste of the delightful pie, my eyes darting to the beautiful women across from me.

When finished, my plate was whisked away by the waitstaff, and when I thought we’d get up to leave, Aunt Paula stood and held out her hand to me. “Jimmy, would you please dance with me, like we did on my wedding day. I want to relive the memories of that night.”

“I still don’t know how to dance, Auntie,” I stammered.

“I know, just do like we did before. Please?” she begged, her pouty face breaking my heart.

Not wanting to show my eagerness to embrace my shapely and beautiful aunt, I slowly rose and guided her a few feet away from our table. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me to her, pressing her head alongside mine. After a few moments, I felt her body trembling, as she sniffled. I leaned back and seeing her reddened puffy eyes, I asked, “Is everything all right, Auntie? Why are you crying?”

She sighed, leaned into me, and buried her face against my shoulder for a moment to dry her eyes. “I just remembered what it was like before my marriage. It was the happiest time of my life, spending time with you and your mom. I miss it so much and I feel so lonely now. I know I shouldn’t feel that way as Dave has been wonderful, but I still ache for our time together, especially now, with Dave and your dad having to put in longer hours.”

When another tear escaped, I gently brushed it away with the edge of my thumb. Her smile and warm eyes sent a shiver through me. “I miss those days, too, Auntie,” I assured her. “You helped me so much in school and I still remember the places Mom and you took me to on the weekends. I’ll talk to Mom and see if we can include you again, now that we have more free time.”

Her face brightened as she pulled me close again. “Thanks, Jimmy,” she whispered in my ear. When the song ended, we walked back to the table, where Mom was already standing.

“My turn, just like before,” Mom said, playfully seizing my arm, dragging me back to the floor. As her soft body melded against mine, my heart raced, feeling her chest heaving against mine. After a few moments she asked, “I remember four years ago during her wedding, I consoled you through your sadness of losing your aunt. Tonight, I saw her crying. What did you say to my sister to upset her?”