I heard male mumblings but I’d located Max’s shirt from last night on the floor and snatched it up. I shrugged it on, buttoning it at the same time I was running across the room and down the stairs.
I hit the bottom and saw Mom standing, looking out the window, her arms up and straight out at her sides as if she was calling to the Mountain Sun God to shine his blessing on her. Max was standing a few feet away from her smiling, wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms. Steve was standing as close to her side as he could get with her arms spread wide, also smiling. Steve’s smile was indulgent to Max’s entertained.
“God’s country!” Mom declared loudly.
“Mom, what on earth?” I asked, walking toward them and Mom whirled.
“Neenee Bean!” she screeched and rushed up to me, throwing her arms around me and giving me a fierce hug.
I forgot to be shocked by Mom’s surprise visit when I felt her arms around me. Mine went around her and I hugged her tight.
“This feels good,” I whispered into her hair.
“Oh yes, sweetie, the best,” Mom whispered back.
I felt her hands gather up my hair and she pulled away, holding my hair at the back.
“I like your hair this long,” she observed, her eyes doing a Mom Scan.
“Thanks, you look good,” I observed, my eyes doing a Daughter Scan, seeing Mom looked fit and healthy, her skin tan, her hair perfectly dyed the blonde she declared she’d never let go and pulled softly back in an attractive, mature-lady’s ponytail at her nape. Her turtleneck and slacks were trim, neat and fashionable.
All pure Mom.
“Swimming three times a week, gardening, golf and a good diet. And you have to moisturize, Neenee Bean, day and night. Don’t forget.”
“I don’t.”
“I know, sweetheart, your skin is flawless, always was. Though, Nina,” she admonished, her eyes narrowing on my face, “you shouldn’t go to bed with your makeup on. If I taught you nothing, I taught you that.”
“You wanna let the big, bad stepdad get a hug in or are you gonna keep her all to yourself?” Steve’s rumbly voice asked from close and I stepped back and looked up at him.
Steve was big and tall, had gone only slightly soft, not losing his lean physique or his broad shoulders. His hair was all gray and he didn’t care most likely because it was a thick, silvery gray and it suited him. Unlike Mom, who was dressed for lunch with the girls, Steve was wearing jeans, comfortable walking shoes and a flannel shirt. He’d been a maintenance engineer and before he retired he’d supervised a complex of eight buildings.
He was also a lovely man.
“Hi Steve,” I said and slid into his arms for one of his deep, tight, bear hugs.
“Good to see you, doll,” he said to the top of my head.
“You too, Steve.”
“Oh!” Mom cried and Steve let me go so we could turn to her but he kept an arm around my shoulders. When we faced Mom, we saw she was addressing Max. “We get to know each other I’ll get to hug you.”
It was then I remembered to be shocked by Mom’s surprise visit. And at that moment, I added horrified.
“Mom!” I snapped and Mom turned to me.
“I get to do it when he doesn’t have a shirt on too. I’m calling it now,” Mom declared.
“Speakin’ of that,” Max muttered, grinning broadly but heading to the stairs. “I’m gonna get dressed.” He looked at me when he passed and said, “Babe, can you start coffee?”
“Um… yes,” I replied.
His eyes dropped to my shirt and I caught them darkening before he turned his head away and went up the stairs.
“Nina, sweetie, this house, that view, that man. My God!” Mom cried.
“Nellie, darlin’, this place is open plan. Max can hear you,” Steve informed her.