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As the week drags on, I find myself counting down the days until the weekend, longing for a break from the suffocating atmosphere at work.
Excited at the prospect of spending some quality time with my mom, I make the necessary arrangements for my trip to Bennington.
With the weekend off from work, it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her and escape the hustle and bustle of city life for a while.
The journey to Bennington is uneventful, but filled with anticipation. As I pull up to my childhood home, a rush of nostalgia floods over me. It’s been too long since I’ve been back, and I can’t wait to see my mom.
As I step through the front door, I’m greeted by the familiar warmth of home. The comforting scent of my mom’s cooking wafts through the air, instantly making me feel at ease.
“Jessy, is that you?” My mom’s voice echoes from the kitchen, and I can’t help but smile at the sound.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me!” I call back, kicking off my shoes and making my way towards her voice.
When I enter the kitchen, she is standing at the stove, stirring a pot of soup. She turns to face me, her eyes lighting up with joy at the sight of me.
“Oh, sweetheart, it’s so good to see you!” she exclaims, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“It’s good to see you too, Mom,” I reply, returning her hug.
“Where is Ben?” I ask, referring to my stepdad.
“He is away for the weekend on work. Something came up, and he had to go to Cape Crystal. He hates that he won’t be around for the period of your visit, but he said he will try to get back before you leave on Sunday. But for now, it’s just us girls!”
Grateful that it’s going to be just Mom and me, I hug her again. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ben, but I just want to have my mom to myself right now.
Later that evening, while seated with my mother watching a movie, she brought up the topic of the retreat.
“So, how was the retreat, dear?” she asks, her eyes fixed on the screen but her attention clearly on me.
I take a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. “It was...eventful, to say the least,” I reply, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“Eventful?” she echoes, turning to look at me with a knowing smile. “From the way you’re talking about it, it sounds like you had quite an adventure.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly feeling like I’m under interrogation. “Well, there were some unexpected twists and turns,” I admit reluctantly.
Her smile widens as she leans in closer. “And did anything...interesting happen during this retreat?”
I hesitate, unsure of how much to divulge. “Well, there was this one incident where I got stuck with my boss in a cabin during a storm,” I confess, hoping to downplay the significance of the situation.
My mother’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You got stuck in a cabin with your boss? How... intriguing.”
I go on to tell her about everything that happened and how Ethan and I got trapped in a cabin, leaving out the sex part, of course.
“Hmm, sounds like a very interesting story.”
“I know what you are thinking, Mom, but it was purely coincidental. There’s nothing between Ethan and me.”
She raises a skeptical eyebrow, clearly not convinced by my protestations. “Are you sure about that, dear? From the way you talk about him, it sounds like there’s more to your relationship than you’re letting on.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, feeling like I’m being interrogated by the FBI. “Mom, I assure you, there’s nothing romantic going on between Ethan and me.”
My mother’s gaze drifts back to me, her expression soft but discerning. “You know, Jessy, it’s okay if you like him,” she says gently.
I feel a surge of protest rising within me, and I quickly shake my head. “Mom, I don’t like him like that. He’s just my boss, nothing more.”
She tilts her head slightly, studying me with a thoughtful look. “Are you sure about that, honey? Because from where I’m sitting, it seems like there might be something more between you two.”
I can feel my resolve crumbling under her gentle scrutiny, but I refuse to give in to her insinuations. “Mom, please. Trust me when I say there’s nothing romantic happening between us.”
