The Final Choice

56

I was finishing up my toast with apple jelly, when Ben finally made an appearance. He was wearing the same wrinkled shirt that he had slept in, but was now wearing his Senior year joggers, instead of jeans. His blonde hair was sticking up in places, even though he was running his hand over it, trying to smooth it down. His sleepy eyes lit up, when they met mine. 

He walked straight over and leaned down to give me a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder and hugged him back, tightly. "I missed you," I murmured. "Missed you too, Momma," he replied, quietly. He leaned back and looked at Colby. 

"Hey Man," he said, holding his fist out to Colby. Colby grinned and bumped his own fist against Ben's. "What are you doing here?" Ben asked, raising his eyebrow, questioningly. Colby shrugged. "Just spending more time with your mom. Wasn't ready for her to leave me, just yet." Ben rolled his eyes, but gave him a half smile. 

"How long are you staying?" he asked Colby. "I don't know, yet. Just going with the flow right now," Colby replied. "Stop asking so many questions, son," Mom told him, waving her hand towards the only free chair at the table. "Sit down and eat, before it gets even colder." "Yes ma'am," Ben muttered, his cheeks flushing a little at being chastised in front of Colby, I was guessing. 

When he was finished making his plate, I stood to start clearing the food and cleaning the kitchen. "Where's Aunt Minnie?" I asked, glancing back at my mom, who was once again, lost in conversation with Colby, with Ben's occasional input. My brain kind of paused, when I took in the image. Colby, Mom, and Ben, all sitting around the kitchen table, eating the food that I had just made, having easy conversation. Like a family. Like he fit right in. Like he was supposed to be there. 

"She's at home, Honey," Mom replied. "Remember, I told you that she was going home at night and coming back in the mornings. Ben has the alarm, in case I fall or anything, hooked up in his room. It's loud enough to wake him. We figured it out. She will probably be on her way back soon, though. I should call her and tell her that she doesn't need to come." 

"Yeah, you can do that," I replied, nodding my head, before I turned back to cleaning the pots and pans out. "Ben, you have work today? At 2?" I asked. "Yes ma'am," he replied. "Like always." "Okay, well, your 18th birthday is coming up, so we need to talk about that. About what you want to do to celebrate. That's a big one," I said, a little morosely. My baby boy was about to legally be an adult and I wasn't doing well. 

"You're gonna be 18?" Colby asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Damn, doesn't seem like it's been that long." "Language," Mom chided him. "Sorry," he said, looking at her sheepishly. I bit my lip to hold back my laughter. I loved seeing her reprimanding him. It was just so funny and cute. 

"Yep, finally an adult!" Ben exclaimed. "I can do what I want and I don't have to answer to anyone." He side eyed me, waiting for a reaction, so I cocked one eyebrow at him. "Is that right?" I asked, wryly. "Yup. That's what being an adult is, right?" I laughed and shook my head. "Not at all. Being an adult is listening to even more people, working, paying bills, hardly even having fun, because of responsibilities, and realizing that the world is much more vast than simple high school drama. Besides, you're gonna listen to me for the rest of your life." I shrugged and blew him a kiss.

"Just the way it works, kid. When you move out, that's when you have the option to take the advise she gives you, or not," Colby told him, smiling. "You'll still have to do whatever she tells you to do, when you're here, or whenever she's around. When I see my mom, I'm still respectful and I do whatever she asks of me. They're the most special women in our lives, right? They raised us, took care of us, and taught us right from wrong. It's the least we can do."

I felt tears prick my eyes, as I turned my back to them again, and started washing the dishes. Damn it, Colby really didn't have to say all that. I was too soft to deal with that, especially talking about Ben moving out. I knew it was going to happen, but I never realized how hard it was going to be, not having him around.