At home

Pulling up to the house, you definitely learned several things immediately. It was definitely more rundown than your old neighborhood, with houses crammed closer together and the overall appearance of the homes being smaller and more cramped than the open spaces and manicured lawns. Really, though, it wasn't as bad as you pictured it. Sure, more beat-up cars, older models, and chain link fences had passed you bye but there were a lot of young kids riding in the streets and playing games in front of houses. Stereotypes being one thing but, as you parked the car in front of the house Monica indicated, you understood how DJ had turned out the way he did: it was a loving environment, just didn't have as much to spread around.

Monica walked up with you, once again wrapped around your arm, as the two of you talked and laughed a bit before she reached the front door and upon opening it, called out "DJ's home!"

Footsteps pounded the stairway and before you could adjust, two pairs of feet appeared out of nowhere and two younger versions of Monica slammed into you. "About time you got home!" The taller of the two, Shawna (16), smothered herself against your chest while the shorter one, Yasmine (13), grappled onto you from the other side. Both simply wouldn't let go and giggled as you wrapped your arms around them and play stomped into the living room and allowed Monica, after she stopped laughing and with a big smile, closed the door behind you.

"Alright, come on, girls, let the man rest, will you?"

After a promise to talk later on at dinner, both girls reluctantly let go of you and walked back upstairs to their rooms, leaving you and your mom standing there, she still had a very warm smile on her face. "It's nothing, just that the girls and I missed you a hell of a lot. IT's good to have the man home again..."

****

While she settled into the kitchen to clean up, you walked around the first floor of the house, poking around and looking at the house that would, from this moment forward, be your family home. It was quaint, smaller as it depended on a single salary, but it still had 2 floors. Upstairs was the girls' room, each of them having a small room and sharing a bathroom. Downstairs was the kitchen, attached dining room and a living room that was functional if not a bit cluttered. The TV was smaller and the kitchen appliances were older, something your mind picked up on, but it was clear she had spent the money she made on making sure they ate well and were dressed well.

Down the hall was the larger bedroom but when you walked inside, you noticed that there was only a queen bed, meaning that the two of you shared a bed. Did that make sense? A mother and son sharing a bed and bedroom together? Closet space, dressers, a makeup table and vanity, everything was functional and fit in the room but the bed took up the largest space there. There was simply no room for anything else. Just what did Darrell think about this arrangement, you wondered, as the bathroom was also small but had a nice and spacious enough shower to permit two people to stand in it.

Limited space often bred strange bedfellows, you mused as you stepped back out of the bathroom and looked again at the bed. Awkward nights, shifting movements, sleeping on the couch...all memories from DJ's past flashed before your eyes, broken by the way it made her feel a bit unwanted, a bit withdrawn. Monica was a person who simply needed physical intimacy with a man in her life, she didn't just crave it for only sexual gratification. It made her feel protected, warm, secure, and most importantly loved. DJ hadn't been able to overcome that barrier being the son, as dutiful as he was, but you definitely had no such hangups. Perhaps it was the sense that you weren't DJ by birth, just a passenger along for the ride, but you definitely weren't just riding along now. You had the driver's seat and you controlled this body. You felt what it felt because it was no longer his but YOURS.

"Baby? You okay?" came her call from the kitchen after you had been quiet for a few moments. You thought about it for another moment, tempted to start your quest to take things to their natural conclusion, damn whatever anyone else thought. The only issue you faced? Where to start: The kitchen or the Bedroom?