We're Done! Six

The Conspiracy of Tackling Mom & Dad.

My thanks to CaptainChaos again for allowing me to use to Mason children to correct the timeline from previous.

Thank you for all the reviews and support. Your feedback and observations are invaluable.

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'Dad slept in the spare room again last night.' Lily Mason whispered as she put the juice back in the fridge.

Perry Mason Junior looked through the kitchen doorway to see if anyone else was about. 'I know,' he sighed. 'He was coming out of there when I was going to the bathroom. He said some nonsense about getting clean towels.'

'Why would he go in there for clean towels?' Lily's brow wrinkled. 'That's the lamest excuse he's used this week.'

'Exactly. They think we don't notice.'

'Yeah, when two people who normally can't keep their hands off each other suddenly stop putting their hands on each other, they think the kids won't see it!' The toast popped up with a 'ping'.

'Pass me the butter while you're at the fridge please Lily. So what do you think's going on?' Lily passed over the butter and shrugged.

'Not too sure of the finer details but I heard a bit of the conversation between mom and Aunt Mae last Friday, you know when mom came back from the hotel unexpectedly. It was something about mom not being able to compete with her. Whoever heris.'

Perry's eyes widened in surprise. 'You think dad's got another woman?' He looked visibly shocked. Lily merely shrugged again.

'Dunno. Sounded a bit like it. Aunt Mae was threatening to hand dad his, and I quote 'balls on a silver platter' when she saw him. Maybe that's why he didn't come home all weekend and mom wasn't herself. She tried to hide it, but I caught her with tears on her face Sunday night. She denied it of course, tried to say she had an allergy.'

'Mom doesn't have allergies.'

'I know.'

'But how could dad do that to mom? They've always been so…..so..'

'Loving? Horny?'

'Yeah that too.' Perry smirked. 'I was going to say something else!'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'I bet you were.'

'So what do we do? Pretend nothing's going on?'

Lily looked thoughtful for a moment. 'No. We talk to them.'

'We what?' Perry gave his best 'you must be joking' look.

'Which one do you want to talk to? I think I should take dad. I'm his little girl after all.'

'But I'm his firstborn, he might want to talk to me. You know guy talk, men of the world.' Lily gave a short snort of derision.

'Men of the world my ass! You've only ever had one girlfriend.'

'So?'

'You're Captain of the football team for heaven's sake. You're six two, built like the side of a house with smouldering movie star looks. And when it comes to romance, you're as dumb as a door stop!'

'What?!'

Lily tried not to sound exasperated. 'Girls literally swoon at your feet when you walk down the school corridor and you have no idea.'

'Hey,' Perry protested. 'I like my girlfriend Sarah and she likes me. I'm a one woman guy. Mom taught me to respect women like that.'

'I know what mom taught you. I'm glad you listened. Sarah is a science major. She's a bookworm, plays the piano and wants to be the next Marie Curie. You're supposed to be dating a self obsessed girl with big breasts who can't stop throwing herself at you or something.'

'I've been about the block.' Perry protested.

'Why did we lose the cat?' Lily mocked, then continued. 'I mean jeez Perry, what are you going to do with a girl who has a brain?'

'Hey, don't talk about her like that. She's sweet, talented and intelligent and I happen to like her….a lot.' Lily smiled in triumph. She'd got her older brother riled. It was just too easy sometimes. Man of the world hah!

'Oh calm down Don Juan. I like that you like her. She's good for you….and she helps you with your homework! Now back to the business at hand. You can take mom and I'll take dad.'

'Oh,' Perry whined in frustration. 'Do I have to?'

'Yes. You know you can wrap mom around your little pinkie. Just flash those baby blues and dimples at her, she'll be putty in your hands.'

'There's only one problem with that plan.'

'What's that?'

'In case you hadn't noticed I am literally a younger version of dad.'

'So?'

'Who's to say I flash my baby blues and it reminds her of dad…who we think is cheating on her…..and she decides to brain me with that small statue of Blackstone in the study.'

'You're going to have to take that chance big brother. Now, let's decide when we're going to tackle them about this.'

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Perry Mason stood and embraced his daughter as she entered his office.

'Well, well, well. What brings my beautiful girl to the city today?' He hugged her tightly.

Lily produced a takeaway bag. 'I thought I'd bring us a deli lunch and catch up.' She tried to sound nonchalant, 'That's if you have time for me,' she added hastily. Perry waved his hand towards the conference table inviting her to sit. Unwrapping the sandwiches, Perry eyed his daughter with suspicion.

'OK young lady, not that I don't love it when you drop in, but why aren't you off spending your break time with your friends?'

'Dad, I have nothing on today. Our family vacation isn't for another few weeks and I just thought it'd be nice to call in and see my old man.' She flashed him a brilliant smile. That was the moment he knew she was up to something.

'OK, what gives?' Perry took a bite of his roast beef sandwich.

Lily took a deep breath and looked directly at him, her face now solemn. 'Perry and I have noticed you and mom haven't really been….close…this last week. You're not sharing your room. I heard part of a conversation last Friday…Are you leaving mom and us for another woman?' Lily never was one for dancing around a subject. There it was right between the eyes. Perry dropped his sandwich back onto the wrapping and sat back in his chair sighing heavily.

'What makes you ask that?' His eyes narrowed.

'C'mon dad, Junior and I have noticed things haven't been right between you and mom since she came home early last Friday. You guys were supposed to be having, what do adults call it…..'a dirty weekend without the kids.' And before you ask, I know what a dirty weekend means. You're also sleeping in the spare room.'

'How do you know what a dirty weekend is?'

'I'm sixteen not six. I know biology and I've heard demonstrations of parental loving coming from your bedroom and the study more times than I care to admit to over the years. So I know that a dirty weekend is not cleaning out the garage! Don't avoid. Give!'

'Your mom and I are just working through something at the moment. It's nothing,' Perry tried to sound dismissive.

'Dad when two people like you and mom stop being handsy and necking every moment you get, and sleeping apart, then there's something very wrong.'

'It's just been busy lately. You have to remember to work on your relationships when you get older. We have been neg….' Lily put her hand up.

'Dad just STOP, please. I'm not a kid anymore. I know what I heard, and I know what I'm seeing. To paraphrase Shakespeare, something is rotten in the state of in the state of the Mason household. If you're leaving us, we have a right to know why and for who.'

Perry sighed resignedly. 'I have not now or ever any intention of leaving anyone. You want the truth?'

'It would make a nice change of pace this week.'

'I was dating a woman before your mother came to work for me. We were already drifting apart when your mother came into my life and her presence merely ensured my relationship with this other woman came to its natural conclusion a little quicker. I have met up with her for lunch, the odd dinner and drinks over the years I'm not denying that, but we're both married, and I haven't always told your mother we've seen each other when she comes into town.'

'Do you….do you and her….' Lily was trying to find the right words. Finally she sighed and asked with quiet disgust,' Have you cheated on our mother with this woman?' There was silence in the office, a tension that could be sliced with only a good, sharp knife.

Eventually the Perry answered, 'No I have not. I wouldn't do that to your mother. I have no need to go elsewhere…..for that.' When did his daughter become so grown up? What was the right phrase to use to a 16 year old?

'Good.' Lily seemed relieved. 'But what happened at the hotel?'

'This woman was there. I hadn't arranged it,' he quickly added,' She was in L.A seeing a client. We had drinks and your mother turned up and saw us together.' OK that was blurring the lines a little and creating a grey area but that was far better than telling her he'd been half undressed in a hotel room with Laura.

'But what happened to make mom so upset with you?' Perry laughed inwardly. This girl was going to make a fine lawyer one day. He was starting to feel as if he was on the witness stand being cross examined.

'I guess your mother didn't like the fact I was with her.'

'Rubbish!'

'I beg your pardon?'

'I said rubbish. Mom isn't some hysterical type. She doesn't cry over you not telling her you're having drinks with and 'old friend'.'

Perry sat forward frowning. 'When was your mother crying?'

'Sunday night. She said she wasn't but I know she was. Mom never cries unless it's something terribly sad or hurtful. Then you guys disappeared Monday and didn't come in until late. Oh and whilst making us dinner, Aunt Mae muttered something about the carving knife and removing something you were fond of if you didn't make amends. And did I forget to mention, WE'VE NOTICED YOU SLEEPING IN THE SPARE ROOM!'

'It was a misunderstanding. Your mother and this woman never really saw eye to eye, so she was more than a little hurt by what she thought I was hiding from her. I'm not blaming your mother. I was stupid and shouldn't have been in that position in the first place.'

'You got that right. Your ex and your wife in the same space. Didn't think that one through did you….You've really hurt mom you know.'

'I know sweetheart and that wasn't my intention. You guys and your mom are the last people I'd ever want to hurt. You're my life. You all put with a lot from me. I'm trying to make it up to her and I have a lot of hard work in front of me to do that. She just asked for a little time and space and I'm trying to give her that. But we'll get there. I promise.'

Lily nodded. 'I think I understand dad. At least you're in the house.' Lily got up from her seat and stepped closer to Perry. She bent forward, kissed him on the cheek and draped her arms about his neck.

'I love you dad but please make sure that from now on, I'm the only other woman besides mom who gets to hug and kiss you.'

Perry returned the embrace. 'Don't worry baby, you are the only two women in my life I want a real warm hug from these days.'

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At the same time Lily Mason was with Perry in his office in the city, Della Mason in the kitchen of her home, was putting the finishing touches to preparing the salad for her lunch. On hearing the front door open and close, her ears pricked up. Surely Aunt Mae wasn't back from visiting the beach with her two youngest already.

'Who is it?' She called out gripping the knife in her hand a little more forcefully. It wouldn't be the first time someone connected to a case had tried to invade her home, although thankfully those situations were a thing of the past.

'Only me!' Perry Junior strode into the kitchen, a boyish grin playing about his mouth. Della visibly relaxed on seeing her eldest son.

'What are you doing here, I thought you were at Paul's?' She returned her attention to making her lunch.

'Thought I'd come over while it's quiet and spend some quality time with my mom.' Perry walked around the kitchen island and gave his mother a peck on the cheek and squeeze on her shoulder as he leaned over and helped himself to some sliced tomato. Della cocked her head to one side and placed the knife on the chopping board. Turning her body, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms.

'What are you up to buster?' She asked with more than a hint of suspicion.

'Nothing, can't I spend some time with my mother?'

'You haven't bothered with that in quite some time. Normally it's eating on the hoof, football practice, Sarah and hanging out at burger joints and cinemas with Paul, why now?'

'Well you just don't seem yourself this week. Thought you might like to talk to someone other than Aunt Mae.'

'OK Mister. Sit!' Della gently pushed Perry by the shoulders to sit at the kitchen table. He knew better than to sass his mother with a clever quip and dropped into a chair, with a smile and the Mason dimples on full display. Taking a seat across from her son, she again folded her arms. 'Spill it. What do you think you know?'

Perry shrugged, 'Not much. I know you just haven't been….well YOU, all week. I think it had something to do with last Friday night. Is it because you didn't get any?'

'Get any what?' Della resisted the urge to clip him about the head for that remark.

'Down time with dad. What did you think I meant?' Della pinked a little then saw Perry grinning at her.

'OK, you win. Seriously Junior, what do you think you know? I saw your sister hanging about the door last Friday when I got home and was in the living room speaking to Aunt Mae.'

'Lily thinks dad's having an affair.' The grin disappeared and a was replaced by a mask of concern. He reached over and took one of his mothers hands in his own large one.

'You know your hands are getting as big as your fathers.' Della touched the long fingers enveloping hers.

'Don't change the subject.'

'He says he's not.'

'But you don't believe him?'

'I'm not one hundred percent I do actually if I'm honest with you. This woman….' Della faltered and removed her hand from Perry's sitting back in the chair.

'Who is she?'

'Someone he's known longer than he's known me. She was his girlfriend before I started working for him, but they parted company about five months after I became his secretary.'

'Did they split because of you?'

'Good Lord no. She wanted your dad to move to another state with her and practice corporate law.'

Perry snorted. 'That would have grated on dad. He loves a good fight, being an underdog. He'd have been bored to death in a month dealing with contracts and cocktail parties.' Della allowed herself to chuckle.

'You're right, that's some of the reason he didn't ride off into the sunset with her.'

'Tell me about her please.'

'Not much to tell. She's a lawyer, a good one from what I know. Not that anything is certain in life, but I really don't think you or your sister and brothers would be here if he he'd have gone with her. The woman hasn't a maternal bone in her body I know that much. If you did inconvenience her by arriving in her life, no doubt she'd have packed you off to boarding school and blamed you for ruining her figure for the rest of your days!'

'So what else is it with this woman?...Tea?' Perry stood and reached over to place the kettle on the hob.

'Yes please. Well she's beautiful, cultured, well educated, wealthy, successful. You need me to go on?'

'No,' Perry shook his head lightly. 'She's also probably rude, arrogant and ambitious. I mean any mother who wouldn't want a devastatingly handsome, intelligent and thoughtful son like me around must be.' He started laughing. Della couldn't help herself and giggled along with him.

'I see you are most certainly your father through and through,' she said still giggling. 'Modest and charming!'

'Seriously mom,' Perry dropped his voice to the same timber his father used when trying to coax out information from a reluctant witness. 'What happened last Friday for all this to blow up?'

'When I got to the hotel your father was with her in the room we'd booked. He said nothing had happened but….' Della hesitated debating whether to tell her son the full story. 'I just guess I'd had enough of pretending he wasn't meeting her behind my back.'

Perry's eyes widened in surprise. 'You mean he's been seeing her regularly?'

'I'm not certain about regularly but he's seen her a few times over the years, yes.'

'The Son of a b…..' He stopped himself on seeing his mothers glare. The look instantly made him feel chastised. 'Sorry ma'am.' He apologised.

'What I mean is, he's been meeting her for dinner, lunch, drinks over the years and hasn't bothered to tell me. On Friday I just felt betrayed enough to stop pretending I didn't know he'd been meeting her.'

'You think they've been having…relations?' Now it was Perry's turn to blush a little.

'He says not.'

'And what do you think?'

'That part I don't think I really care to know. But I need to be sure in my own mind he hasn't had relations as you put it.'

Perry nodded in understanding. 'Hence I bet you read him the riot act and then banished him to the spare room.'

'Something like that.'

'You guys been talking it out though or is it bad enough that you're heading into the divorce court?'

Della looked sadly. 'I'm hoping it won't go that far. In fact right now, I'm pretty certain it won't. We talked and I told him how I felt about the situation with this woman. I think he's finally getting it.'

'That's good. You and dad are just not…well I'm no expert but I think we can all tell how much you love each other. The amount of times we've walked in on you…erm loving each other in the oddest places….'He smirked then turned serious again. 'Heck, you need each other. Dad's a great lawyer and all but he'd be outright useless without you holding everything together and that includes us kids and this house, not just work. Sounds like he's been pretty dumb. Good job I don't take after him there and I'm a man of the world.'

Della looked at him doubtfully but then smiled and muttered 'Yeah sure you're a real man of the world.' Then added louder, 'Thanks baby, hopefully that woman is out of our lives after this.' Della stood and kissed her son on the forehead. 'Now how about that cup of tea?'

TBC