Single Mom - Date Night

Single Mom - Date NightIt was Friday, mid-morning. and the five-nine, slender, yet curvy Dr. Rochelle Stewart had been off since Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. She was due back on duty Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. Today, she was taking it easy while the boys were at school. The only item on her itinerary was an early afternoon appointment with her ther****t. The cleaning lady, Mirella, had left only ten minutes earlier. She employed the Ecuadorian to dust, sweep, mop, vacuum, and tackle the baseboards every two weeks. Once a month, she had the domestic whiz to give the the three-and-a-half bathrooms a deep clean. She did not touch Coree or Jere?s rooms. Rochelle was adamant those be kept in decent order by her sons.Mirella was a saint. She usually brought some kind of culinary masterpiece. Today, she shared roasted ?cuy?, or guinea pig, empanadas with spinach, peppers, onions, and queso blanco. Rochelle had tasted one and it was incredible. The sweet, old woman left a tin containing eight of the treats. ?For boys,? she had indicated. Rochelle tried to pay her, but Mirella would not accept a dime more than the $65 that negotiated at the beginning of their relationships. When she tended the bathrooms, she collected a cool, crisp Benjamin.Rochelle?s phone rang. It was Lynton. ?Hey, sweetie,? she answered.?How are you doing, stranger,? he teased.I?m well. Just been busy with the boys? football schedules.??Yeah! I know how that is. I wanted to come see Jere play next week. And Coree tonight. They?re home games, right???That?ll be great! They?d love to see you. Can I meet you at the stadium???Sure! I can?t wait to see you!??Me too, baby girl! I can come over and grill some steaks after.??Sounds like a plan, but remember Coree will be home late from the fifth quarter.??Yeah, baby. Bye!?After a brief nap, she fixed a salmon and spinach salad. The light, but hearty, lunch had a simple dressing made with E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil), tarragon, white wine vinegar, and garlic. The refreshing dish gave her a needed boost of energy. She dressed in a three-quarter-length sleeve, mid-length London Style, shift dress. The roomy garment moved with her body, but didn?t make her booty disappear. It was colored with wild prints in various shades of blue. She added a pair of navy, quilted Liz Claiborne ballet flats. She picked up and purse and chose the BMW to drive.She pulled up outside the offices of New Path Counseling Services. The firm was staffed by a couple of masters-level licensed professional counselors (LPC). The owners were Drs. Don Powell and Suzette Ellis-Powell, a married couple. He had a Ph.D. and practiced clinical psychology specializing in marriage, families, and individual c***dren. She was a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner holding a doctorate of nursing practice. This enabled her to prescribe medication if absolutely necessary. The boy?s met with Dr. Mister, as they referred to Don, for their individual sessions. He also did their family group sessions monthly. Dr. Misses, or Suzette, handled Rochelle?s therapy. She settled into the comfortable chair in the shrink?s office.?How are you, Rochelle???I?m well, doctor. And you???I?m fine. So tell me. What?s up???Well...Since I last saw you I went down for my grandmother?s funeral.??How was that???It was fine for the most part.??Meaning???My mom as always was trying to do too much to make everything perfect. She was the main one that took care of my grandmother. I won?t see my uncles and aunts didn?t help at all, but one in particular was pretty much absent unless it was something where she was going to get public recognition. Anyway the funeral cost five grand and my mom paid for it all. She did at least have a life insurance policy on her for fifteen-K. But no one else chipped in a dime. One uncle and Aunt split the cost of the plot, burial, and headstone.??Also, my mom got my brother a bereavement pass. He was able to attend the service. That cost her $650 for the transportation and off-duty cop. Then, she wanted him to have a suit to wear. So, I stepped in and told her I?d pay for it. The whole outfit was less than $250 so I wasn?t worried about the money, but I think she should keep the rest of the insurance money for herself. She was grateful.??Anyway. The absentee-daughter-slash-my-aunt, starts bragging about how nicely she and her siblings ?put momma away?. I mumbled something under my breath. Then said it louder that she didn?t pay for a damn thing. It got a little rowdy and a drunk cousin was ready to fight that witch?s son-in-law. My mom was embarrassed. I felt vindicated, honestly.??Okay,? pondered Dr. Ellis-Powell. ?That?s powerful. This sounds like it?s been there for a while.??Absolutely. My G-momma was hateful to all her grandk**s except for Carol Ann?s c***dren. There was always a clear distinction in how she treated them versus us. I know part of it is resentment towards my grandmother and my mom for making us suffer through Sunday dinners with that woman. I?ve been trying to change the brain associations using the eye movement therapy you showed me. It has worked for some of them already.??Excellent work,? Suzette commended her. ?How did you feel about seeing your brother???You know, doc, I?ve forgiven him. I?m at peace for what he did. What kills me is that there?s still this unspoken, mildly evident tension between us. And, when we hugged, we embraced a little longer than everyone else. I?m scared I?m attaching to him out of regression.??That?s interesting. Let?s explore. Tell me what specifically makes you feel that way,? she inquired.?It?s just like...you know...how is voice lingers after statements like he going to take care of me when he gets out for putting money on his books.??Is he aware and clear that your intentions are pure in assisting him financially during this time.??I have stressed it numerous times.??Okay, perhaps he feels guilty still, but unresolved secrets haven?t freed him to move on.??You mean telling my mom.??I don?t know. I do remember that you believed your mom to have suspected something. And, maybe your brother feels the same.??It?ll kill her if I tell her. She?ll blame herself. And, you know, she can play the victim. I don?t have the energy.??I?m not saying you must, dear. I?m saying forgiving her for it is necessary. And, that having it in the open may potentially remove the taboo and thus hidden desires.??I?ll give it some thought.??Very good, Ro. That?s all I ask. How?s the sex life,? the advanced nurse practitioner queried.?I?ve been pretty active. A couple of times a week. I?ve been getting into a lot of role play where the guys call me ?faggot? and act like I?m young,? the mother of two confessed.?Alright. Any new partners???No. Just with the few I?ve had over the past six months.??How is that affecting you???I feel great when I do it. But, I feel low afterwards. Then, I want to do it again. I don?t like having sex with the boys at home, but I have. And Coree?s at that age when he?s naturally ready to explore sex. I don?t want my behavior to set a bad example or cause at-risk behaviors.??Have you asked him about it???No.??Are you???I want to. What do you think???I think you have to educate your sons on healthy sexual behavior and appropriate conduct with potential partners. It?s up to you to decide how much you discuss about your personal sex life. I wouldn?t suggest going into great detail. Maybe ask him what he thinks a healthy intimate relationship looks like for people his age and also for folks like parents. That?ll give you a chance to gauge where he is mentally and guide the conversation from there.??Great idea, Dr. Sooz,? Ro shared. ?There?s a guy who is trying date me.??Trying or is,? the psychiatric provider inquired.?He?s doing his best. I met him after work one night at a diner. We had a great conversation. We?re going to Big Sky steakhouse tomorrow night.??Fancy. What?s his name???Hugo. Dr. Hugo Alazar.??Nice name.??Actually, yeah! His dad is Ethiopian and his mother French. He grew up in Toronto. Lived for two years in Morocco.??He sounds like quite a connoisseur.??He speaks three languages fluently.??You sound impressed.??I like him. He?s interesting company.??You said ?doctor?. What exactly does he do???He?s a cardiology fellow at St. George.??Okay. Where will he fit into the sphere of intimacy.??I?m still getting to know him.??This is progress. This is the first actual date you?ve had in a while.??It wasn?t a date.??It wasn?t???I mean. It was...Hell, it was a date.??It?s okay to enjoy and to feel happy. You?re worth it.??I know. I?m just going to keep getting to know him and take it slow.??Okay. ANd what about the current sexual partners. How do they fit in???I?ve been seeing less of them since Hugo and I went out.??Do you talk on the phone.??Not really.??Maybe try that between dates. Texting doesn?t truly allow chemistry to be explored and experienced.? ?I know what you mean.??Good! How?s life in general with the boys???They?re good overall. Got into a tussle last week. Had to handle that. Oh, we went to Mammoth Cave. I forgot how Coree had reacted to man who expressed clear, interest in me.??How did that go,??He was short, curt, bordering on rude.??Or...was he just protecting mom from an unworthy leech of a man? His perspective in this is important. You might even start the sex conversation with that interaction. Have him dissect it.??True. Jere is killing it in football. Grades are decent. I had to set a teacher straight, but I think she?s on board since I showed out.??You didn?t ?show out? did ya, girl?!?!?? Suzetted was now in ethnic mode.?Oh, but I did. And I let little miss lily white girl know I wasn?t some basic, uninterested mother.??Get ?em together, girl. We?re almost out of time. Let?s look at next month?s schedule.?Rochelle drove back home to prep for the evening game. Just as she entered the corporate limits of Rawlston, she made a left onto Stonewall Jackson Road. Her destination was a local eatery called ?Montesi?s Pizzeria?. Her younger son was a fan of the bacon double cheeseburger specialty pie. It was a blend of fresh bacon, seasoned ground beef, Montesi?s pizza cheese mix (mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan), and cheddar cheese on top of traditional red sauce. Rochelle purchased a large 14-inch from the Heat