Jon Reskind: Little eddie_s mother

Goddamn it, what was there for her to do? Sure Eddie had seen Albert with some woman, screwing like animals in the living room… but it was only his word, the word of a relative child against that of a grown, seemingly responsible man. No judge would believe it if she, Lily, tried to go to court to open a new fight for Eddie's custody, not without more concrete evidence… they would think the boy was lying.

Concrete evidence…

Suddenly, Lily stopped pacing as an idea took shape in her mind, became full-blown. Suppose she did have concrete evidence? Suppose she had proof that Albert was having an affair with some woman, blatantly screwing her in full view of an impressionable fourteen year old boy? Would a judge rescind the restraining order against her, Lily, and allow the mother to have her son? There was a chance… a good chance, especially when Lily could prove she had led a virtuous existence the past two years, living in this small town without a hint of a scandal of any kind. Goodness, people in Mill Valley even tended to make fun of her because she was such a prude…

A private detective, that's what she needed, an investigator to follow Albert, find out about his other life, get definite evidence of his sexual activities with women – the more graphic and potent evidence the better. Albert wouldn't have a leg to stand on to fight a new custody trial, not with that hanging over his head, and if she knew Albert, he'd back down without a legal battle because his impeccable reputation was the most important thing in the world to him. To expose him as the hypocrite he apparently was, in a court of law, would really hurt him.

Lily felt excitement coursing through her veins. She knew it could be done… and it was worth any price she had to pay to have her son. But she needed time and she didn't have that. Albert would have the police up here to take Eddie back, and she couldn't allow the child to be returned to the environment he had left in New York, especially not with an investigator prowling around. She had to buy some time – but how? Did she dare call Albert, lie to him, feed him some kind of story that he might believe…? Yes, yes, it might work; if she sounded properly frightened at what Albert could do to her for harboring his runaway son, she could convince him that she hadn't even seen Eddie, perhaps that he had called from somewhere in Florida to tell her that he'd run away and was never coming home…

She turned abruptly, her eyes fevered with anticipation. Eddie was staring at her. "Mommy," he whispered. "What is it? Have you thought of something?"

"I think so, Eddie," she said. She went to her son, caught him in her arms and held him close. He snuggled against her for comfort, pressing against the full roundness of her breasts, feeling warm and safe in his mother's arms. "It's a long-shot but it just might work."

"Mommy, tell me about it, please!" he breathed against her ear.

Her hands moved convulsively on her son's slender yet muscular back, following the strong curve of his spine, stopping just short of the tight swell of his buttocks pressed hard against her thighs. Then she broke from him, took his hand in hers, looked down into his shining, trusting face. "I'll tell you over dinner, Eddie my love, and then you can sleep peacefully tonight."

He looked up at her with pure love lighting his eyes.

"Gee, Mom. You're the most wonderful woman in the whole wide world!"

Lily awoke the next morning in high spirits. After dinner she had made two phone calls to New York City. The first one, to an old friend from school who was a private detective, elicited the promise of a discreet, careful investigation that guaranteed results – one way, or another. Then Lily had called Albert, found him home, and went into a long, ingratiating, subservient dissertation before he could say much of anything; she had told him about a non-existent phone call that had come from someplace in Florida, that very afternoon, and how afraid she was for her son's safety, et cetera. Surprised to hear from her, then suspicious, then haughty and mean as only Albert could get, he had apparently believed her when she assured him in the most fearful voice she could muster that she hadn't seen Eddie, would have called Albert immediately if she had. She thought for a moment that she had laid it on too thick, but it had turned out to be just right. Albert had warned her about the consequences of trying to help a runaway, and told her that he would have the police look for Eddie in Florida and the south. He hadn't bothered to offer to let her know if the boy was found, nor, Lily thought with momentary bitterness, had he even seemed particularly concerned that his son might be in trouble. The heartless bastard deserved anything he got, and then some. She hoped the detective would catch him in some really good compromising poses and get some really incriminating pictures.

Now she smiled lovingly at Eddie as he sat across from her at breakfast, savoring the flavor and aroma of the bacon, eggs, hotcakes, fresh coffee and orange juice Lily had prepared. She forked the last bite of egg into her mouth, put the utensil down, and sighed, contentedly; she had to marvel at what a wonderfully handsome youth her son had become, a slimly muscular boy with all the assets of the handsome man he would soon fully be.

"More coffee, Eddie?"

"Mmm, yes, please! You brew a farout cup of coffee, Mom."

She laughed, delighted at the compliment, and rose to her feet. Her firmly voluptuous body jiggled slightly as she moved to the stove to get the coffee pot, her tautly rounded buttocks straining hard against the thin material of her cutoff bluejean shorts, her full ripe breasts clearly defined beneath the loose cotton shirt from India she wore. Eddie watched his mother with joy. How wonderful it was to be back with her again.

Lily poured more coffee into his cup, a little more into her own, and returned the pot to the stove. When she had seated herself again, Eddie said: "Mom, will you show me around the town today? I didn't get much of a chance to see it yesterday. And I'd kind of like to see San Francisco too."

"Oh honey, I'd love to, but… well, I've got to get these chokers and bracelets done for the fair. If I don't I'm going to be flat broke. You know your father didn't give me a cent of alimony!"

Eddie pouted briefly, then brightened. "I understand."

"That's my boy! We'll go for the deluxe tour once I've finished this project. And I do mean deluxe!"

He grinned happily. "When will that be?"

"Early next week probably."

His smile faded and a look of worry replaced it. He bit his lip. "Oh, Mom, I just hope I'm still here with you early next week."

Lily stood and went to him, kissing his forehead lightly as she put her arms about his shoulders. "Don't worry now," she said, putting full reassurance into her voice. "Everything's going to be fine from now on, you'll see."

"I hope so," he whispered fervently. "I don't want to leave you, Mommy – ever!"

"And you won't have to," Lily promised, thinking: I'll never allow you to leave me again, my darling little boy… She lifted his chin and smiled into his face. Then she kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"You get to work, Mom. I'll clean things up in here."

"Okay, honey."

Lily went into the living room and picked up the necklace she had been working on… it was an intricate interweaving of seashells and straw-colored string and she knew it would bring a good price. Her fingers were just getting into the rhythm of macrame knotting when she heard a car pull up outside.

"Damnit," Lily cursed under her breath. She got to her feet and went to the door, in time to see Cindy Bradley walking up the dirt path to her door. The attractive blonde wore skin-tight blue jeans and a white cotton halter top that barely cove red her generously rounded breasts. She was smiling in a friendly way but in her eyes was something calculating that Lily did not like.