Mary and Andy were relaxing in her apartment. They had enjoyed a wonderful day together at a football game and going out for pizza afterward. Although they had been seeing each other for several months it had never actually been exclusive, but they had both come to a point where they just didn't care about dating anyone else. However, it had still gone unspoken along with those three little words. Andy leaned in to kiss her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I had a wonderful time," Mary said as their lips parted
Andy smiled, "Sure you did." He said knowing she was not the sports type
"I really did." She assured him, "It doesn't matter what we do. I just love being with you."
"You do?" He asked, "I…I feel the same way."
"Well, well lucky me." She said leaning in to kiss him again, long and deep
"Hmmm, so what does this mean for us?" He asked
She played with the buttons on his shirt, "Oh, well, I think it means, at least for me, that I am hopelessly, completely and totally in love with you."
"Well, what do you know about that?" He quipped, "I also feel exactly the same way."
"Lucky me again." She said smiling
"So what do we do now?" He asked then kissed her neck
"Ah, I think since it's getting so late." She observed, "That there's only one thing to do." She said, "You have to spend the night."
"Are you sure?" He asked. He was more than willing but she was special and he didn't want anything to ruin what they had
"Oh, I'm very sure." She said as she started unbuttoning his shirt, "I mean we can't have you driving home this late and in your condition." She rubbed his chest and kissed him hungrily again
"Yeah, and what condition is that?" He asked as his hand made its way under her shirt
"Complete exhaustion." She said quivering at his touch
Before they knew it their clothes were on the floor and so were they, wrapped in the blanket Mary had on the back of the couch. Their bodies moved in perfect rhythm until they collapsed together having achieved what they were aiming for. At some point they did get up and pull out the sofa bed because that's where the morning sun found them as it filtered in through the curtains.
Mary stirred moving closer to him and rested her head on his chest, "Good Morning."
He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "It certainly is."
"So, do you have plans today?" She asked rubbing her hand across his chest
"Not a thing." He told her, "Did you have anything in mind?"
She pulled back and looked at him, "I thought we could stay right here." She kissed him sweetly on the lips
"Hmmm, that's very tempting." He agreed, "But we probably need to eat."
"I could make us something." She suggested, "Maybe some omelets."
"How about I run down to that baker y on the corner." He offered, "You're always saying how much you love their pastries. I'll get a newspaper, too."
Mary pouted, "I don't want you to leave."
He broke their embrace and swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Mary smiled, admiring his physique, "I'll only be a few minutes."
He began to get dressed but Mary pulled him back down on the bed, "I'm holding you to that." She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and kissed him behind the ear
He turned around to face her, "Yes, Ma'am." He quipped, reluctantly pulling away from her
Andy returned a short while later with muffins and Danishes to find Mary cutting up some fruit. He joined her in the kitchen setting the bag down on the counter.
"If I'd known you looked this good in the morning I would have made my move week ago." He said coming up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist
Mary sliced a banana and put it in the bowl with strawberries and blueberries, "And here I thought you were just shy." She quipped, "You wanna put the fruit on the table?"
He reluctantly pulled away and took the bowl and the bag, "So did you come up with any other ideas of how we could spend the day? Not that your first idea wasn't a good one."
Mary walked out of the kitchen with two glasses of orange juice and joined him at the table, "Well, it's a beautiful day why don't go to the…" She began but was interrupted by the phone. She got up and answered it, "Hello...oh, Hi Lexi…no you're not interrupting anything." Andy came up behind her and started kissing her neck, "Dinner tomorrow…no I'd love to." She waved her hand at Andy to stop, "Okay, I'll see you at the station tomorrow afternoon…bye."
Andy moved his hands to her shoulders, "You mean I'll be all alone tomorrow night?"
She turned around and smiled, "You're a big boy. I think you can handle it."
He pulled her close, "Well, when you look like that, I'm awfully glad I am."
MONDAY NIGHT
Mary and Lexi pulled into her driveway shortly past seven. Lexi was dreading this but had no way to get out of it. Her mother had been asking her to invite Mary for dinner and she had run out of made up excuses as to why Mary couldn't come. She just hoped her mother wouldn't say anything that might give her away, inadvertently of course. They walked in the front door and Lexi sat her book bag down on the floor.
"Mom." She called out, "We're here."
Susan James came in from the kitchen, "Hi, Honey."
"Hi," Lexi replied, "Mom, this is Mary."
Susan extended her hand, "Mary, it is so nice to finally meet you. Lexi talks about you all the time."
Mary smiled, "Well, I'm sure there are more exciting things to talk about." She said, "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. James."
"Please call me Susan." She told her, "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. My husband is running late
but he'll be here soon."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mary asked
"Oh no, you're our guest, but please come into the kitchen and we can talk while Lexi and I make the salad."
After dinner Mary insisted on helping clear the table and Lexi excused herself reluctantly to do her homework. She didn't want to leave the two of them alone. But if she acted suspicious it would only attract attention
Mary sat the salad plates in the sink and rinsed them out while Susan put the glasses in the dishwasher, "So Lexi tells me you've had to move a lot over the years. That must hard on her."
"It is." Susan replied, "But she's a strong kid. She usually adjusts quickly. I hope she can finish high school here."
"I bet when you moved from California to the East Coast it was quite a culture shock." Mary observed handing the plates to Susan
Susan took the plates and put them in the dishwasher, "Yes, it was and it was hard with an infant."
"I hear Palo Alto is beautiful." Mary said, "Lexi was born there wasn't she?"
"Yes, but we didn't live there." Susan explained, "We lived in San Bernardino."
Mary was puzzled, "Oh, then how was Lexi born in Palo Alto?"
Susan looked at Mary, "Didn't she tell you?" Susan asked, "Lexi's adopted."
Mary froze for a moment, "Adopted?" She repeated, "No, she didn't tell me that."
"Yes, we got her when she was just a few days old." Susan explained
"Do you know anything about her birth parents?" Mary asked, Dear God, it can't be, it just can't be
"No, not really, just that a young girl wanted to give up her baby. You know, back then they didn't tell you anything. We have the papers but we've never opened them. It's up to Lexi to decide when she's older."
"Susan, when is Lexi's birthday?" Mary asked hoping she was wrong
"January twelfth." She answered, "Why?"
"Oh, I just want to be sure and get her a little something." It was true, she thought, Lexi's known all along, but how?, Mary looked at her watch, "Oh, you know, I hate to do this but I need to run. I'll just go say goodbye to Lexi. Thank you, Susan, it was a wonderful dinner."
"Well, you are welcome here anytime." Susan said as Mary excused herself
Mary made her way upstairs and knocked on Lexi's door, her heart pounding in her ears.
"Come in." Lexi said
Mary opened the door, "Hi, Lexi." She said, "Can you and I talk for a minute?"
Lexi was sitting at her desk and turned to face Mary, "Sure, what about?"
Mary sat on the edge of her bed, "About California."
Lexi got up and walked over to her dresser pretending to look for something, "I told you I don't even remember living there."
"You didn't want me to know you were born there did you?" Mary's asked
She couldn't do it,"No, I just don't consider it to be where I'm from."
Mary exhaled, "You didn't want me to know you were adopted either."
Lexi shrugged still not able to look her in the eye, "No, I just don't go around announcing it."
"Lexi, look at me." Mary's voice was laced with a mix of compassion and pain, "You've known all along, haven't you?"
Lexi turned to face her, tears forming in her eyes, "Known what?"
"That I'm your mother."
TBC…The truth is out and what impact will it have on Mary and Andy?