“I know, Baby.” Mom said, matching my low volume. “I know we screwed up. It was wrong of us to pile all of this onto your shoulders. I know how much damage we caused you.” She paused, and started lightly scratching the back of my neck. “We only have to get through this divorce. I swear to you, Baby, I will make up for everything I did! Whatever it takes, I will help you heal. And I will take care of you instead of being a burden!”
“We both will.” Ava added with conviction, before kissing my shoulder.
I didn’t know if I could believe them. Not because I questioned their sincerity or intentions, I was past that weeks ago. I simply had no idea if it was even possible for them to deal with whatever came up in the future, because they had relied on me to deal with the real hardships. I didn’t know if I wanted to do this anymore. But, at that moment, I chose to cling to that hope of them stepping up. I pulled myself closer to Mom, followed by Ava pulling herself closer into my back.
“My beautiful Baby Boy.” Mom softly cooed while stroking my hair. “Sleep now. Tomorrow it’s going to be better. I promise.”
I don’t know if it was the physical exhaustion, the muscle relaxation my orgasm had caused, or the emotional drain I was under, but I did just as Mom told me to and was asleep within a minute.
When I awoke alone the next morning and the memories flooded my mind, I noticed three things.
First, I felt strangely liberated. I had no idea why, but I felt even better than after that epic thanksgiving-blowout, where I finally, after years, had the chance to air out all my grievances with the entire family.
The second thing I noticed, however, was that, despite the positive side effect, I was fucking embarrassed! I was a working, self-reliant man who takes care of shit ... and I cried like a damn child in my mother’s and sister’s arms because daddy was mean to me. Fuck. My. Life! I would have loved to simply sneak out of the house and avoid Mom and Ava for the following few weeks, but I had to take Mom to the college campus and enroll at some point.
Finally, after I came to terms with what I did, my third realization set in. Guilt.
Just a few mere days ago, I had told John how I don’t see sex as a casual recreational activity, how it actually meant something for me, and how I would stay faithful to my girlfriend. And then I went ahead and fucked my Mom. Somehow I didn’t think Mia would just accept that, even after she gave me permission to do it with my sister.
Shaking my head, I got out of bed and collected a few clothes. While I was in the closet anyway, I also packed a sizable amount of cash into my sports bag for my meeting with John later that day. Then I snuck into the bathroom to take my shower and get dressed.
I felt mildly relieved when I realized that I wasn’t just alone in my bedroom, but that I was actually alone in my apartment. I had no idea where Mom and Ava went so early on a Saturday, but I suspected they probably just went shopping, so I grabbed the sports bag full of money, as well as my barely touched toolbox, and drove to the condo.
Four hours of lifting, carrying, and assembling IKEA furniture had me sweating like a pig, even in spite of the relatively mild late march temperatures. Staying true to the safety standards I had established during my apartment’s renovations, I had managed to rip my shirt full of holes already, so I simply discarded it. So, when the family suddenly walked through the door, answering the question of Mom’s and Ava’s whereabouts and allowing them to see me shirtless and covered in a sheen of sweat, the first thing I heard was Maggie whistling at me.
“I have to say, little cousin.” she said while sauntering over to my side, where she wrapped one arm around my waist and started trailing the scars on my torso with her extended index finger. “Seeing you like this, with those scars giving you that bad boy look ... Maybe we should get together some time.”
She looked up at me with a suggestive smile, which I initially returned with a grin.
“Yeah? You know who else thinks that?” I replied with a raised eyebrow, that dropped before I continued with a firm and clearly unamused voice. “My girlfriend.”
She looked rather rattled as she quickly backed away, but I appreciated that she got my meaning without a need to explain any further. Maybe that reaction was harsh, but the guilt I felt over what I did with Mom the night before had returned with a vengeance as soon as Maggie put her arm around me.
And, honestly, while I may have forgiven her parents, that only happened because they actually put in an effort to earn my forgiveness. Just like the new feelings I developed for Mom and Ava only existed now because they redeemed themselves by reversing the damage they had done and continuously showing that they cared for me. Maggie, however, was still the same superficial bitch I had come to know her as.
