Can People Change?

"I think the happiest I ever saw my Mom was the day you moved out. I cried almost all that day and she puttered around my house like she owned it and me."

"Sometimes I'd come home from work and she would act like she had the biggest, best secret in the world. Until I saw the phone records I never knew what the secret was."

"When Adam said he had seen you at a soccer game Mom told him she would stop sending him money if he kept seeing you. He didn't share that with me until last year."

"When my Dad died I thought she would cry and mourn for a long time. About two months after he was gone she said, "I barely miss him at all. He doesn't pester me any more." I was missing you every day and every night and it had been over two years. How could she say that about my Dad?"

I kept us walking. The processing was good for her. Eventually she turned us towards my car and said, "Can we go back to our room? I'd like to cuddle with you in bed."

We went back to our room. The bed was freshly made, a plate with two big chocolate chip cookies sat on the bed. I started the fire in the fireplace and we undressed. We sat on the bed with me leaned against the headboard, Marie leaned against me and ate our cookies as we watched the fire. When the cookies were gone we still sat watching the fire.

"Nick, I apologize." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"For?"

"For tossing you aside. For believing I didn't love you when Mom said I didn't. For not finding ways to include you in the lives of Adam and Krystn."

"Before I can say I forgive you, I need to ask a question. What are you going to do about it?"

She turned around to face me. She pushed my legs together and sat on top of them, straddling me. She kissed me and her tongue danced with mine in a welcome back dance of joy. When the kiss ended she said, "I want you to walk Krystn down the aisle. I want you to give up your apartment and move back home where you belong. I want to marry you again."

"You sure about all that? You sure you don't just want a weekend at the beach once in a while?" I was smiling.

"I'm sure. One of the reasons I didn't want to agree to this weekend was that I knew I loved you. I knew when you put your arms around me I was gonna melt. I'm afraid of Momma and what hell she'll put us through but having you back will be worth it!"

"Where does she think you are?"

"I left her a note saying I needed to get away and think things through. She probably thinks I'm with Bruce and Leslie up at Big Bear Lake. When I have run away to think in the past that's where I went."

"By now she knows that's not where you are."

"I know. While we were driving down here I realized, my car is in the garage at home. She knows I'm not alone. I need to talk with Matt and Krystn and with Adam too. My brother Bill thinks he's walking Krystn down the aisle. I'm going to be on the phone for days."

"Stop, please. Our weekend isn't over. I want to pretend that the world, our world, is on hold until tomorrow afternoon. Right now there is Nick and there is Marie. The rest we'll work out, tomorrow."

"There is something I'd like to do, before we go back. May I?"

"What is it?"

She got off my lap and bent her head into my lap. She took all my cock into her mouth and started sucking. In all the years we had shared she had never volunteered for that. She had said many times that she thought it was nasty and dirty. I watched as she gave me her very first voluntary blow job. It was wonderful!

She bobbed up and down. She used her hands. She made noises and she tried to get all of me in even after I was fully hard. She kept it up until I was really close to cumming. I said, "If you keep it up you'll get a mouth full."

She kept it up. She swallowed everything I gave her. She licked and kissed me clean and then she kissed me and snuggled against me. She held my hand against her breast.

We got under the covers and held each other as we went to sleep. Sometime during the night we woke up and joined again. It was passionate, almost animal rutting as we came together in the darkness. We didn't clean up afterwards, we just fell asleep.

At nine o'clock the knock came at the door. I found a robe and put it on, opened the door and let the woman with our breakfast in. Marie stayed under the covers until she was gone. She got up, brushed her hair and joined me on the balcony.

"Think I can get used to being naked?"

"Do you want to?"

"I heard you started going to nudist places after our divorce. You must like it. I want to be with you. Do you think I can get used to it?"

"If we go slowly, probably. Taking you to a big naturist event would not be a good idea right off. Let's start by going to a nude beach. There will be quite a few people but they spread out and they respect space."

"What do you like about it? You like people looking at you?"

"No. What I like is that they aren't looking for Mr. Body Beautiful. They see my scars and they might ask about them but not like something's wrong with me. There are big fat people, people with scars. limps and tattoos. They enjoy the feeling of air on their bodies, of the water without a swimsuit, of sunshine."

"Do you get hard?"

"You mean from being at the beach? I haven't yet. If I do, I won't parade around."

We ate and watched boats, seagulls and people down at the marina. When she was ready Marie said, "Can we make love one more time before we go?"

"Out here or inside?"

"Inside! I'm not going to be an exhibitionist!"

"If we do it here where no one can watch how is that an exhibit?"

"Inside, please." I followed her inside. We went slow and we pounded against each other. We changed positions and we were noisy. When we were done the score was Marie four, Nick one. I thought that meant I won.

We showered again and got dressed for the drive home. Marie asked if I would rather she wore a dress or shorts. I picked the dress. As she dressed I asked her to leave the panties in the suitcase. She looked at me like I was very strange then she smiled and put them back in the suitcase. We packed and left the room. Marie said, "We should leave the windows and the balcony door open. It smells like sex in here."

"Be proud!" We left. I paid the bill and we loaded the car. The lady behind the desk followed us to our car and gave us two more big chocolate chip cookies, for the road.

As we drove I could tell that Marie was getting psyched up to confront her Mom when we got home. When I turned onto the last freeway we would use on our way home, I pushed her dress up high enough that I could reach her bare pussy. She looked around to see if anyone was able to see. After a few minutes she put her hand on top of mine. I stroked her slowly and gently until we were off the freeway and almost to the house.

"You know I've been thinking about what happens when we get home."

I nodded.

"Momma is going to be so angry!"

"Let's do a run through. Pretend I'm your Mom. You walk in and she says, "Where have you been?"

"I went away to think."

"You didn't say where or when you'd be back." I said, playing Elaine.

"I'm over twenty-one, Mom. Do I still have to check in with you for permission?"

"It's just common courtesy to let me know where you are and when you'll be back."

"Do you do that for me?" Marie asked.

"What?" I responded, still playing Momma.

"Do you always tell me where you're going and when you'll be back?"

"Mostly."

"I tell you, mostly. But, now that I'm back I'd like to talk to you about decisions I've made."

"Decisions you've made or decisions you want to make?"

"Decisions I've made. The first one is that I want you to move your things back to your house. You've been acting like you live in both houses. You don't live here. I do. And, I want my key back."

"If I do that, you'll be all alone!"

"My business, not yours. Can you be out by tomorrow night?"

"No. I'll need help and Bill works every day."

"I'll hire a mover to pack your things and move them back to your house. Or, maybe the Bishop can send a couple of men by who need to do some service."

"What's the hurry?"

"Someone else is moving in. I want them in as soon as possible. So, I won't be alone for more than a few hours."

"Who?" I asked, still playing my role.

"Nick."

"Nick? We got rid of him once! We got him out of your life and I thought it was for good!"

"Yes, you thought. You got him out of our lives. Mom, I know about all the phone calls you never told me about. I know about all the presents you sent back. I know how you sabotaged any chance we had of patching things up back then."

"Lies! He's filled your head with lies!"

"And he got the phone company to make fake phone records. He took pictures of fake packages with your handwriting on the boxes saying, "No such person at this address." No Mom. You did that."

"I suppose you want him to walk Krystn down the aisle too."

"Yes, I do."

"Then none of us will be there. Bill won't attend or his family. Judy and her family won't be there. I certainly won't be there."

"For all my life you have manipulated me into doing whatever you wanted. Not this time. If no one is there except Krystn, Matt, Nick and me it will be a wedding!"

I stayed quiet. I pulled over and parked.

"Marie, I want you to think about this. Matt's family can't come to the wedding. They can't afford it. They love him. How would it be if we flew to Vermont and had the wedding there?"

"Oh Nick! That solves the whole problem! Anyone who wants to attend can fly to Vermont and be there. Momma can stay here and be all righteous if she wants to. Do you think Krystn will go along with it?"

I handed her my cell phone, hitting the speed dial for Krystn's number.

"Krystn, it's your Mom. Can you sit down and talk to me?" "Honey, the whole family here is about to be very angry with me and with you. Do you think Matt's family could arrange for a wedding in their town on short notice?" "Oh Honey! Call Matt and have him call his family. Call me back on Nick's cell phone." "Yes, we're back together."

I spoke up, loud enough that I was sure Krystn could hear me. "Ask her to see if there could be a double wedding."

I heard the squeal from Krystn through the phone. They hung up. We sat by the side of the road for a few minutes and my cell rang. Marie answered. They gushed at each other for ten minutes and then promised to talk in an hour, when Matt and Krystn were at the house.

We drove to the house. I saw the curtain move as Elaine looked to see if Marie was home. She saw my car. She saw me get out of my car and open the door for Marie to get out. I got her suitcase and she said I should bring mine in too, so she could do my laundry and start moving me in.

I followed her through the door. Elaine was standing in the middle of the living room her hands on her hips and her face red with anger.

"Why is he here?" She was almost yelling.

"Is this your house?" Marie asked.

"It's your house."

"Then I can have anyone I want in my house, mother. I want Nick here. If you want to talk you'll need to wait. I need to start the washing." She took both suitcases and went to the service porch. Elaine sat in her rocking chair. It was once the chair she had in her living room, but she had moved it to Marie's living room after I moved out.

I sat on the couch. Marie came back and sat on the couch near me.

"While I was gone I solved the wedding problem, mother. We moved the wedding. There was too much anger and upset over the wedding not being your way or being your way. Krystn wants Nick to walk her down the aisle. You threaten to boycott the wedding if he's there. Well, the wedding is still Saturday at one, but not here. We're flying to Vermont and they're getting married in Matt's home town. His Uncle is the Bishop and he will do the honors. That way the wedding won't have all the negative energy that would be here."

"I won't be there!"

"I know. I will let everyone we invited know of the change of venue. They can come to Vermont or not, either way, we are having a wedding!"

"I won't be here when you get back!"

Marie looked at her mother and said, "Can you be out by tomorrow afternoon?"

"What?"

"You have a house. Can you take all your things and get there by tomorrow afternoon?"

"Are you throwing me out?"

"In a kind way, yes. We need the room for Nick to move back in. When he gets off work tomorrow he can start bringing his stuff back. The question is, can you get your things out by then?"

"He's moving back in? But, you aren't married any more!"

"It isn't against the law for us to shack up for a week."

"What do you mean, for a week?"

"Right after Krystn and Matt get married on Saturday, the Bishop is marrying us."

"This is just wrong!"

"I agree. It has been wrong and for that, I apologize. I wanted to believe that my mother would never do anything that wasn't in my best interest. I believed that your love for me would motivate you to always be looking out for me. When you told me I didn't love Nick, I believed you. When you hid his attempts to stay in touch and stay involved I believed you when you said he hadn't called. I was wrong and I have apologized." Tears ran down Marie's face as she spoke. Elaine sat in her rocking chair looking very much like she had been slapped.

"I have always loved you. Everything I have ever done has been for your benefit."

"You decided before we were ever married that you didn't like Nick. I knew it. Nick knew it. Everyone in the family knew it. How is that being supportive? How is that helping my life to work?"

"He's never been good enough for you. He still isn't."

"The church says I should be married, have children, raise them to be good adults and stand by my man. My Mother says I should only marry a man she picks, only have children with him and stand by the man she picks. Did you let your mother pick your husband, mother?"

"My Mother approved of Curt. She liked him. She thought we should wait until he got out of the Army before we got married, but she liked him."

"Did you love him?"

"Of course I loved him!"

"Really? While I was away this weekend I thought a lot about what I saw of you and my Daddy. I never saw you walk holding hands with him. I never saw you kiss him. I saw you peck him on the cheek a few times but never saw a kiss between you. I saw you tell him what to buy you for Christmas and then tell him he got the wrong thing when you got exactly what you told him to get. How did you show him you loved him? What was the example you gave Bill, Judy and me for how to show a spouse love?"

"I took good care of him! I cooked and cleaned and raised his children. I'm not good at being outgoing with affection. I loved him!"

"You told me that Nick was too open with his affection. You made me feel like Nick was doing something wrong when he kissed me in front of the kids. You told me I shouldn't like sex with him. You said sex wasn't for enjoyment, it was for making babies. Well, you were wrong, Mother. Sex is one way Nick and I show each other affection. It helps bond us together. One of the reasons I want you to move out is so Nick and I can have more sex without wondering if you're listening. I want to walk around the house naked, because Nick likes looking at me naked."

"I don't want to listen to this! He has corrupted your thinking."

"You don't need to listen to this. You can pack you things and go home, Mother. If it's too big a job for you we can call the Bishop and he'll send a few men from the congregation to help pack your things and move them to your house. I don't want you to sleep here tonight. I want Nick to sleep here tonight and tomorrow night and every night from now on."

"If you do this you will lose your Mother!"

"Remember in the Bible where it talks about when you get married you trade the bonds with your parents for the bond with a spouse, and you should cleave to the spouse? That's what I'm doing. If you want to be in my life, in our lives, you need to be supportive, loving and allow us to love each other as we see fit. If you can't do that, then we'll miss you. If I have to choose married to Nick or having you in my life, I choose Nick."

"You'll regret this! You shouldn't treat your Mother like this. I brought you into this world. Now you're throwing me out!"

"No! You are choosing to leave. I want a loving, supportive Mother. You say you can't be loving and supportive. Your choice. I choose to be Nick's wife. He is the father of my children. He loves me. I love him. We are willing to love you and have you be in our lives, but only if you can be loving and supportive. You wouldn't even be supportive of Krystn's choices about her wedding! So, she gets married almost three thousand miles away from you. That is your doing."

The washing machine dinged, announcing that the load was ready to transfer to the drier. Marie got up and went to handle the transfer. Elaine sat quietly for a few moments then stood and picked up her purse. She said, "I'll have someone come to get my things tomorrow."

"Will you be here to show them what to take?" I asked.

"Marie knows what things are mine."

"I'm sure she does. However, your things are your responsibility. If you are involved we eliminate the possibility of you not getting all your things and then blaming either Marie or me for what's missing. Please, be here with whoever you send and then you will be sure you get everything that's yours."

"God! Ok, I'll be here!"

"I'll be off work at five and here by six-thirty. Does that give you enough time?"

"I'm sure it does." Marie came back into the room and saw her mother holding her purse and standing.

"Leaving? What time will you be back in the morning?"

"I'll call before we come for my things. I would guess we'll be here at about nine or ten."

Marie went to the front door, opened it and opened her arms to offer her Mother a hug. I had never seen them hug, ever.''

Elaine walked past Marie's open arms and said, "I don't hug."

"I know. I've wanted a hug from you since I was a little girl."

Elaine went out the door and we watched her get in her car and drive away. Marie stood next to me and I held her as we watched her mom drive away.

We drove to my apartment and I packed enough things so I had clothes for work the next day. We stopped at a store and I bought some boxes for my things and some boxes for Elaine to use as she moved out of Marie's house.

We went home and for the first time in almost ten years Marie made dinner for us. We sat at the table and ate, did the dishes afterwards together and we talked. At eight or a little after, the phone rang. I felt the urge to answer it, but I didn't. It couldn't be for me. Only two people knew I was back and Elaine wouldn't be calling to talk to me.

It was Adam. He had been called by Elaine and he was angry. Marie talked to him for almost half an hour. For the first fifteen minutes of that time I sat on the couch and she sat in the chair by the front door. Then she moved and sat in my lap with my arms wrapped around her. Tears dropped on my chest. Adam told her how wrong she was to love me. Adam told her all the lies that Elaine had willingly told him over the years. At the end of the half hour he was clear that he was invited to the wedding, that we were back together, and that we loved him. Marie was sure he wasn't coming to the wedding and that he said he wasn't coming home for even a visit as long as I was living in the house.

At a little after nine the phone rang again. It was Marie's brother Bill. She was still in my lap from the call from Adam. I heard Bill as he spoke to Marie. He told her about the call he got from Elaine and his reaction. He talked about how he felt lucky that Momma hadn't decided he was her target and how bad he felt for what happened to us.