Stan rubbed his eyes and blinked as the mid-morning sun streamed through his curtains. He reached over but found the other side of the bed empty. Clicking his tongue in disappointment, he sat up and held his knees to his chest. Looking down at starting his day turning twenty-eight completely naked. The romp in the car turned into a stop at a diner, a tryst in the bathroom at Denny's had turned into going home and doing it in every room of the house. They couldn't keep their hands off each other until they both passed out, exhausted into Stan's bed. Stan looked down, his clothes strewn along the floor, he poked at Wendy's bra on the bedpost. At least she didn't go too far.
A light knock at the door and Wendy entered. She wore Stan's old faded Broncos shirt as she carried in two cups of coffee. "Hey there." She smiled. "Happy birthday." She handed him a cup and climbed in the bed with him.
"Thank you." He took the cup gratefully, kissing her on the lips. "You might think I'm crazy, but you're at your most beautiful dressed down with no makeup. I always thought that but never said it before." He put an arm around her as he sipped his coffee. "Mmm good."
"I had a good teacher. Finally figured out that coffee maker." She kisses him again. "You're handsome no matter what, kind, caring, brave….sexy." A smile curled her lips. "Happy birthday, Stan."
"Thanks, again." Stan smiled back, giving her another kiss. He set his coffee on the bedside table. Hands going to her waist and laying her down gently, putting a trail of kisses from behind her ear, to her mouth and down her neck. He wanted to explore under his old shirt some more but caught a glimpse of the clock. "Aw dammit." He grumbled.
"What's wrong? Don't stop." Wendy cried out, Stan's hand almost up her shirt.
"I told my mom I'd meet her for lunch for my birthday. I know, it's lame but I didn't have plans for the day before. I don't know if I could cancel. I haven't seen her in a while." Stan dropped down next to Wendy in mock defeat, taking her into his arms.
She kissed him on the cheek. "Go ahead. Be a good son and have lunch with your mom. I have some things to do around here before dinner tonight."
"There's so much I'd rather be doing." Stan sighed, running his hand up her thigh. "I should probably go take a shower."
"Of course." Wendy gave a mischievous smile. "I'll join you."
Stan stepped into the classic steakhouse and saw his mom sitting there waiting for him. "Hi, mom." Stan went up to her and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
Sharon Marsh beamed at him. "Stanley! Happy birthday, sweetie. I already put in a table for two."
Stan gave a sigh of relief that she seemed to be alone. "Good, glad to just have lunch with my mom, no one else."
"Stanley, one day you'll have to give your stepfather a chance. We've almost been married for a year." Sharon shook her head.
"Mom!" Stan complained. "Don't call him my stepfather. It's weird."
Sharon shook her head. "You need to get along." She said firmly.
"Sharon Kimble-McCormick? Party of two?" The hostess called out.
"Come on sweetie, it's your birthday, let's have a good time." Sharon grabbed her purse and a wrapped package and card and made her way through the restaurant.
Stan sighed but nodded and followed. It had not been a shock Stan's parents eventually divorced, but his mother remained single for years after while Randy went through a series of girlfriends. Each one Stan liked less and less. He felt some relief when a few years ago his mother finally announced she had a new boyfriend and had been awfully secretive about the new relationship.
Stan was happy for his mom. Karen had just started working for him, Kenny seemed happy with his first serious relationship. Then a bomb had been dropped that his mother was dating his childhood friend. Kenny had always said Stan's mom was his dream woman and joked he wanted to marry her when he grew up. Stan mostly shrugged it off, not thinking he would have to worry about this when he went off to college. He didn't realize Kenny had been serious.
He took it as a fling. He was pissed off and disgusted. Kenny was so reckless with who he dated and slept with. His mom had tried to date the hologram of Tupac for a while, but said the sex was good but relationship was going nowhere. (Gross mom!)
So things were strained with Kenny for a good year, especially when Kenny popped the question for Sharon's 57th birthday and they eloped for a New Year's Eve wedding.
Stan had rebuilt his friendship with Kenny. Hehad to, seeing as his family seemed hopelessly entertwined with the McCormick family. Karen thought it was odd at first, but accepted when she saw how happy Sharon made her brother. A sister-in-law older than her own mother. Stan's relationship had become strained with his mom, but knew he'd be on the road to forgiveness, this lunch one of many peace offerings. He knew he couldn't hold it against his mom or his friend forever.
Stan sat across from his mom and they ordered drinks. Stan considered a beer but seeing as his mom ordered iced tea, he got himself a Dr Pepper. He looked over the menu, trying not to balk at the prices. His mom could afford this on her retirement and Kenny's salary? Stan reached for his pants pocket and cursed to himself quietly. He must have dropped his wallet, at home or in Wendy's car he hoped.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Sharon asked.
The waitress approached to take their order, making Stan slightly anxious.
"Oh don't worry." Stan told her, looking for something cheap on the menu.
"Help yourself to whatever you want, Stanley. It's your birthday. Treat yourself."
How did moms always know? Stan nodded and let out a breath. His mom was just as sweet and generous as ever. Not his fault she had terrible taste in men. "I think I'll get the cowboy ribeye, mashed potatoes." Stan said, looking over the menu.
"That sounds good, I'll get the same. But a side of veggies. Two sides of macaroni and cheese." Sharon says, holding a hand up to Stan's protest. "Don't worry, it's a special occasion. It's my son's birthday." She winked at the waitress.
After their order was taken, Stan buried his head in his hands. "Awww mom. They're gonna sing happy birthday and embarrass me now. But thank you for the Mac and cheese."
"I know. It's cute and I want you to feel special. I want to take pictures." Sharon laughed good-naturedly.
Stan shook his head, knowing this steak dinner would have a price after all. He knew what was coming next from his mom.
"So anything new going on?" Sharon asked.
Someone from the past, but not meant to be. Stan shook his head. "Not really." He started.
"You know Shelly has been married for a few years already. Been waiting for a grandchild." Sharon said casually.
"Good for her." Stan sipped his drink.
"Stanley, you work so hard and are such a good man. Any woman would be happy to have you." Sharon says.
Stan sighs. "I know. I'm just waiting for the right one." She's here. He thought. But the timing is wrong.
"Just don't wait too long." Sharon said.
Stan is quiet for a moment. He doesn't want to ask but also doesn't want the focus on him. "How's it going with you?"
"Going great. I'm redecorating the new house, putting in new tile in the bathroom, painting the bedrooms, and getting ready to start a garden when spring hits. Keeping busy in my retirement. Doing what makes me happy."
"Yeah, I guess." Stan sighs and looks out the window.
"Stanley, when's the last time I've seen you happy?" Sharon says.
"I'm happy. I get by." Stan insists.
"Stanley, you've always been an honest person. I can tell when you're trying to cover something."
Stan looks at his mom, she was too good at this stuff. "Fine. I'll tell you the story." Stan opens his mouth to start but stops when the waitress comes down to set their plates of food in front of them. Stan looks down at his huge plate. "Thank you." He says to the waitress, "and thank you, mom."
"Go ahead, dig in. I want to hear." Sharon says, sipping her drink.
Stan cuts into his perfectly cut steak and takes a bite, mulling it over. "Remember my childhood girlfriend, Wendy?" The last bit of the sentence is a whisper.
"Oh yes, the one who got into politics. She was always a smart one. Shame what happened, that wasn't fair." Sharon says, biting into her own mac-and-cheese. "This is a treat to have actual cheese."
"Yeah…thank you." Stan said gratefully. "Well she showed up to my house the other night, no where else to go…so I…"
"Oh Stan. You didn't." Sharon says.
"No, it's not like that, at first." Stan takes another bite. "She's staying in the guest room until she can get out of town. Her parents retired to Florida, so she's waiting for them to get her a ticket out there."
Sharon's fork pauses in midair. Stan is worried she's going to be upset at him for helping Wendy. "The milk tax was not her fault, they scapegoated her to the media. I know for a fact the demand for plant milk has it so farmers are collecting milk and dumping it after."
"Huh. So Wendy was doing right and the media skewed it." Stan took a deep breath. "So rumors travel fast thanks to your….sister-in-law, and my friends have been ragging on me for helping her." Stan looks down. "Saying not to develop feelings again."
"Oh Stanley, wasn't I just saying I wanted grandchildren." Sharon sips her drink. "What do you feel and what does she feel? You can take it from me, and you'll hate it. I married a much younger man for my second marriage. He used to play with you when you were kids, I've gotten lots of backlash over that….including from you." She gives him a hard look before softening again.
"That's different. It's wrong, it's gross." Stan frowns. "You married Kenny!"
Sharon shakes her head. "You never stopped to think that it's the best relationship I can ask for, he's my husband and he treats me like a queen. I have my own son mad at me but when you're in love, you know it."
Stan thinks for a moment. "Kyle, Cartman….your husband have all ripped on me, but yes. When I'm alone with her the world is pleasant, things are brighter, food tastes better, I'm happy to just be around her. If she's upset I want to do anything to see her smile again." Stan drops his head in his hands. "It's why I'm letting her go, helping her escape. Because it hurts me to be apart again after all these years, but it's safer for her."
Sharon wipes her eyes. "That's beautiful, Stan. I'll talk to Kenny about picking on his step-son. But if you feel that with Wendy, it's too special to let go. I was going to wait until dessert to have you open your gift, but here." She hands Stan the wrapped gift and envelope. "I think this might help you, I won't be offended if you exchange it."
Stan looks at her curiously. He starts to unwrap the brightly colored wrapping paper. "Hmm a toy boat, and a new hat. Thanks mom, I appreciate it." He looks it over. Why his mom would get him a child's toy? "You knitted this hat yourself."
"Yes I did sweetie. The boat opens up. Go ahead." She smiles now.
Stan nods and carefully takes it out of the box, snapping open the lid. There's an envelope in there. Curious, he grabs it and opens it up. "Oh wow…a gift card to Disneyland...or any Disney theme park. Thank you. I'd need to make the time."
"Stanley, when's the last time you had a vacation?" Sharon scolded him. "I want you to go and enjoy yourself. I know you're not allowed in San Diego so maybe you and Kyle can go to Disneyland. I know you miss him. Make sure you're happy for once. This also might help." She passes him a card now.
Stan opens it, smiling at the silly Mickey Mouse card his mom got for him, he rolls his eyes to see Kenny signed it too. But he opens it to find a ticket. "First class ticket. Thanks, mom." Stan lifts the knitted hat to see it has mouse ears on it and lets out a little laugh.
"You can easily switch that out, one first class trip to Los Angeles for two business class tickets to….what part of Florida did Wendy's parents live in?"
"Cocoa Beach." Stan smiles. He gets up and gives his mom a hug. "How do you always know exactly what I need?"
"This is a major coincidence, but if it's for your happiness and Wendy's safety, you know the right thing to do." Sharon hugs him back. She can spot out of the corner of her eye, a bunch of serving staff on their way to their table with a cake and lit candles. She better have her camera ready to catch the look on Stan's face.
Wendy thanked herself she got the food she ordered in prepackaged refrigerated containers. It hadn't spoiled when they had their romantic tryst on the side of the road and the Denny's women's room.
She did her best to clean the kitchen and get the food ready to be warmed up for that evening. It still didn't feel festive enough for her taste but she was worried about being harassed again. She looked online, seeing she could do a pickup at the local Walmart. It still made her nervous but she wanted to make the house look nice for Stan, and she'd never be able to bake a cake herself. She got ready and slipped on her coat, patting the pocket for her wallet and headed out the door.
She pushes the basket along the aisles of Walmart, picking up balloons, streamers, and a banner to decorate the house. She looked over the liquor aisle and picked up a bottle of champagne. Toast Stan to being twenty- eight.
She walked by the bakery, to her dismay the normal cakes seemed to be sold out. "Hi," she said shyly to the young man behind the counter. "Any birthday cakes still available?"
"No ma'am. The regular cakes are sold out, all we have is ice cream cakes but no one is buying those these days."
Wendy expected the man to say something bad about her, but he just shrugged. "I'll take a cookies and cream ice cream cake, medium sized. The one with the Denver Broncos logo."
The guy cocked an eyebrow at her, but nodded. "I'll get that ready for you right now." He went to the back.
Wendy sighed and pulled up her wallet, dropping twenty dollars into his tip jar. This was the kindest she had been treated in public in a long time, probably because the guy didn't know who she was. It would be nice to leave Colorado and get to be normal for a bit. But she'd leave her hopes, dreams and love back with Stan. She sighed and pushed those thoughts aside.
She felt something else in her pocket and pulled out a worn leather wallet with a John Elway logo carved into it. Stan must have forgotten his wallet. She flipped it open, seeing the dairy allowance card in the front. She closed it quickly as the young man came out and showed her the rather large ice cream cake. But the logo looked nice and it had Happy Birthday Stan in cheery blue letters. She smiled and thanked him as she made her way to check out.
Wendy went up to checkout, the woman giving her a look with all the party items she put up on the conveyor belt. She scanned Wendy's items quickly. "That's going to be one hundred and thirty, fifty six."
Wendy nodded and opened up her wallet, cursing to herself seeing she only had one hundred in cash remaining and her credit cards still not working. "Hold on one moment." She dug into her pockets, embarrassed as the cashier rolled her eyes at her. The people in line behind her starting to get restless.
"Sorry, Stan." She pulled his wallet open, no cash in it. She didn't want to use his credit card. She thought for a moment and pulled out the dairy assistance card for Stan's allergy. She could see the ice cream cake was nearly twice the price it would normally be. She scanned the card quickly and was able to pay the remainder with her cash. She gathered her items and got out of the store as quickly as possible. Her only thought was to make sure she paid Stan back when she got home.
Little did she know, a reporter for the South Park gazette had been behind her in line, and managed to discreetly take some very damning photos if seen out of context.