The Frustrated Teenager and the Embarrassing Parent

Maggie makes a confession

Getting back to the village was even tougher than the outward journey and Alice was very tired and dehydrated when she staggered back to the room.   Her mother was just getting dressed after a shower.  “You were gone a long time,” she said.

“Yes,” said Alice, “it was harder than I expected but good.  Have you had a good day?”

“Fine,” said Maggie.  Alice thought that there was something different about her mother but couldn’t put her finger on it.  But since her experience on the beach she was seeing everything in a different light.

“I’m going to have a shower Mum and then lets hit the town,” said Alice

The next day was Monday which was the last full day of their holiday.  After breakfast the two of them went to their usual spot on the beach and settled down on a couple of sun beds.  Alice was just about to put on her bikini top under her T shirt; looked at her mother and just took her top right off.  Maggie looked at her in surprise.  “What are you looking at,” said Alice, “haven’t you seen a woman sunbathing before?”

Her mother smiled.  “You’d better put some cream on,” she said, “sunburnt nipples are really uncomfortable.”  Alice and Maggie were both sad that their holiday was coming to an end because they were just starting to feel happy and relaxed with each other but Alice was getting impatient to get back to Leo.  As they lay there they talked frankly about Alice’s feelings for Leo and Pieter and Maggie’s break up with Alice’s father Martin.  It was sometimes painful, sometimes embarrassing and sometimes enlightening.  By the end of the day they felt closer together than they had ever been.

When they arrived back in Manchester on Tuesday afternoon Alice was delighted to see Leo waiting for them.  She approached him a little cautiously put her arms around him and felt a wave of pleasure and togetherness sweeping over her.  She pressed her body against him wondering how she could even have thought that it was over between them.  He only had one arm around her and with the other hand he produced a bunch of flowers from behind his back.  No one had given her flowers before, tears welled up in her eyes and she kissed him.  “Thank you they’re beautiful,” she said although they were just a cheap bunch bought from the nearby kiosk.  Maggie watched from a safe distance.

“Hello Leo,” she said when they had finally disentangled themselves, “how did you get here.”

“I came on the train,” he said.  “I’ve got a return ticket.”

“You shouldn’t have bothered.  You can home with us if I can find my parking ticket that is.”

Maggie then several minutes fishing around her handbag and Alice imagined then wandering like refugees around the vast expanse of T1/T3 long stay car park until the end of time. “Oh, here we are said,” Maggie at long last, “we’re parked near bus stop 11.  It’s a good job I noted it down”

When they got home Alice and Leo immediately disappeared up to her room and a little while later Alice came into the kitchen where Maggie was trying to make dinner.  “Mum, is it OK if Leo stays the night?”

“That’s fine,” said Maggie, “but don’t moan and scream too loudly.”

“Mum, I thought you’d stopped being an embarrassing parent but you always manage to rise to challenge.”

“Sorry, I assume he’s staying for tea I’ve already got three chops out of the freezer.”

“Thanks.  Mum, you know you can say what you like to me but don’t say anything the slightest bit suggestive to Leo please.”

Later that evening Alice and Leo were lying on her bed kissing and talking.  They were down to their underwear but both a little nervous of going further.  “Leo,” said Alice, “I want to tell you something that may be a bit shocking so I hope that you won’t be angry with me.”

“I’ll try,” he said.

“When we were in Greece I met this Dutch guy and went out with him because I thought that we weren’t properly back together again.  We even went skinny dipping and if I’d let him he would have had sex with me.  But I realised at the last minute that I couldn’t do it because I was already in love with someone else.”

Leo’s face fell, “Who?” he said.

Alice tapped him on the head, “You, dimwit.  I’m half naked in bed with you.  Who do you think I’m in love in?”

“Oh, Alice I love you too.  It’s been so horrible since that weekend we went away together.  Getting that text from you while you were in Greece was one of the best moments of my life.”

“I think I know what went wrong last time,” said Alice, “I was just wrapped with having sex and losing my virginity and I think you were too and when it didn’t quite work out we branded ourselves failures and gave up.  All that never happened.  I did a lot of thinking while I was away and I realise that having sex and losing my virginity isn’t important.  It’s making love that really counts and I want to make love with you.”

“I just don’t think that we were ready to have sex,” said Leo.

“I’m ready now,” she said quietly.

Maggie came down to the kitchen in the morning to find Alice cooking a fried breakfast.  Alice skipped up her mother and kissed her on the cheek, something she didn’t often do. “My, you’re in a good mood,” said Maggie, “I assume everything went OK.”

“Well,” said Alice, “the first couple of times were a bit uncomfy and a bit quick but the third time was amazing.  I understand now why they call it making love.”

“What happened the fourth time?” said Maggie with a glint in her eye.

“Fourth time?  We did do some sleeping as well,” said Alice.  “It was so nice to be cuddled up together even if it was hot.”

“So you’re trying to build up his strength again with a cooked breakfast are you?” said Maggie

“Embarrassing parent alarm quivering,” said Alice.

“While I’m in that mode,” said Maggie “I feel it’s only right for me to tell you something.  You’ve been very open with me and I appreciate the way that you have trusted me but I’ve kept back something important.  You remember the day you went out for that long walk?”

“Yes,” said Alice sounding doubtful.

“Well not long after you’d left I ran into Jan and we went back to his place and… erm ...we had sex on his patio in the sunshine.”

Alice stood open mouthed.  “But Mum you said there was no chemistry there.”

“There isn’t,” said Maggie, “but we did some amazing physics and biology and we agreed to meet up again when he’s in London later this month for an exhibition of his work.”

“I thought that there was something different about you when I got back that day.  Are you in love with him?”

“Absolutely not,” said Maggie, “he’s just a very nice man who’s very good to have sex with.”

“Are you telling me that you’re Jan’s you-know-what buddy?”

“Yes, as you put it, I am Jan’s you-know-what buddy.  Oh, watch out you’re not paying attention to the frying pan you’re burning Leo’s sausage.”  Alice rushed to the cooker and then they both broke down in helpless laughter when they realised what Maggie had said.

At that moment the phone rang.  “Oh hello Jan,” said Maggie answering it.  “We were just talking about you.”

The End