"Congratulations, Mrs. Bates," smiled the Mayor, "I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the council. We're lucky to have you."
Norma blushed a "thank you" as she quickly left the office and headed toward her car. Things had finally been looking up for she and Norman. With her son the star of the hockey team and her new position on the city council, they had finally earned their place in White Pine Bay. Norman... If she drove fast enough he'd still be practicing.

Walking in she observed her son skating around the rink, a huge smile across his face as he passed the puck to his teammate. "Norman!" She called out when he looked in her direction. Their eyes locked and she hurried toward the rink. Feeling the bottom of her heels slide on the ice, Norma reached her arms out to her son to help her.
"Mother, no" he laughed, "stop or you're going to fall. Don't move. I'm coming to you." The bulky protective gear making it harder for his Mother to hold onto him as they made their way out of the rink. "What is it Mother?"

"I'm on the council!" she exclaimed before jumping up and falling into his arms. Their smiles wide as they held each other for a brief moment before pulling a part, unsatisfied with the short affection. Norman reached up and removed his helmet. "That's wonderful mother." He sat down and removed his skates. "I have to go change out of my uniform."
"I'll come with you" Norma offered playfully as she followed him into the empty hallway.
"Don't you think that would look suspicious?" He turned to her and guided her backward until she was up against the wall. Norma ran her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck and smiled at her loving son.
"Norman, I'm your Mother. It's not like it's weird or anything." She tilted her head up toward him, daring her son to lean in the extra inch and kiss her. Norman smiled knowingly and slowly moved forward, only for his mother to suddenly evade his advances. She sharply pushed him away, hearing Norman's teammates coming around into the hall and nearly catching them.
"I guess practice is finished," he sighed.
"Don't forget your bag, sweetheart" his mother's sincere disappointment as evident on her facial expression as it was on his own.
"Hey! Norman" his teammates taunted as they herded into the locker room. "You owe coach extra time next week for bailing early today." Norma slipped passed them, leaving toward the car to wait for her son. Gazes followed her until she turned the corner. His teammate's attraction didn't go unnoticed by Norman. He hated it.

"Norman..." She turned in her son's arms to look into his eyes; he had been rubbing his hands up and down her back so she knew he was awake;" I don't think this is a good idea..."
The harmonious look disappeared from his face at his Mother's words. "Well, I don't think it'd be a good idea to spend nearly 3 days away from each other. Do you?"
"No but-" he cut her off, getting out of bed and heading toward the bathroom before she had the chance to argue. Norma got up and wrapped herself in her robe following her son out of her room. She waited in the doorway, watching him as he splashed water on his face.
"Mother," he looked up into her eyes in the refection of the mirror, "if you don't want to come with me to the championship game then I'll just have to ask Bradley to drive me."
"Bradley isn't even going to the game, Norman. There aren't cheerleader halftime shows on ice," Their eyes never leaving each other's as she came up behind him.

His Mother's hands soothed his tense shoulders, "I want you to know that I love you and it has nothing to do with that. I love you as much as ever, in more ways than one… but I've just been selected as a council member and making me jealous..." Her arm reached around forcing him to face her, "isn't going to change how much work I have to do."

"How much work you have to do…" he scoffed, "Bradley's Father, Mayor Martin, is going to the game, he sponsors the team. The whole town is going to the game. Well, except for you, I guess."
"Norman, I just-" She didn't budge when he moved away from her and out of the bathroom.
"You 'just' do this every time because you're afraid," the words passed clearly through the wall that separated them "You're afraid that someone will find out but they won't know. They'll never know. I won't let them know..."
Norman emerged from his room, dressed and with his school bag in hand. Norma stood in the hallway just outside of his door. "I thought you weren't going to school today? You only have a half day"

"My crazy English teacher scheduled a test today. . ." they both knew he was lying, she understood they both needed the space. "I've got to go."

"Okay, Norman" she sadly kissed his cheek and letting him go.

"I thought your Mom was driving you and staying for the weekend with the team? That's what my Dad says; he's kind of excited she'll be there. It's disgusting." Bradley Martin was the closest thing Norman had to an actual friend, outside of his hockey team. They appreciated each other's indifference, company and occasional advice.

"Nah, she has a lot of work to do at the motel."

"Doesn't she have someone to do that for her?" Bradley asked. He liked that most about their friendship, they didn't buy into bullshit excuses, didn't sugarcoat advice or care enough to judge. "If you and your Mother are fighting, Norman, you should really just forgive her or whatever…I've been to your house before and I've met your mom. You guys are like the same person…You need her. It's weird." She got up and left for class, "I'm not going to the game, Norman."

Classes felt longer than usual that day, even if he had only half as many as usual and he had only been in one. He thought of what he could have been doing, ignoring the movie he was supposed to be watching and instead imagining this morning happening differently, normally. Waking up slowly in the warm bed he shared with his mother, getting dressed and walking downstairs to have breakfast with her…

"Norman!" Reality in the form of a wad of paper hit him across the face. The entire class was turned to him; Miss Watson was walking over to his desk to hand him a slip of paper. "The office sent a note, your mom's here for you. Good luck with the big game tonight."

Norma and Norman walked out of the school office together, neither of them saying a word to each other until they reached the back of the lot where her car was parked. He leaned back onto the driver's door blocking her from it and forcing her to be the one to break the silence.

"Norman, what are you doing?"

"Why'd you take me out of class, Mother? I hadn't even finished my test."

"I know you didn't have a test, Norman." She turned her head to be sure no one else was around before stepping closer to him. "Because… I missed you" Norma's hands moved up her son's arms, "and I know you missed me, too."

"It's only been two hours, Mother," his hand reaching for her hip to pull her in closer.

"I don't like the way we left things this morning and you were right. Not being with you and knowing we weren't on good terms, it drives me crazy. So, I'm going with you to the game. But you have to promise to behave when we get to the hotel, Mayor Martin is going to be there and I know you don't like him…" Norma pulled away from him, locking his gaze to let him know how serious she was. "You have to promise me you won't get jealous whenever he comes around. We work together and we're chaperons at this thing…"

"Jealous?" Norman laughed, he knew she liked whenever he stepped in between her and men that showed interest in her, "No. I just like to make it clear how insignificant they are to us."

"You're an ass," she laughed, pushing him out of the way so they could get home.