The Mother

Laura rushed into her room, knowing she wouldn't have much time to find a bra. Quickly opening the top drawer of her battered dresser, she pulled out a handful of clean bras and tossed them onto the bed. Standing before the mirror, she carefully unbuttoned her blouse so she wouldn't pop a button despite her hurry. The wailing firetruck seemed to be pushing her to go faster.

As soon as her bra came off, she sighed and scratched at a red line across her right rib. She spun the bra around and unclasped it before depositing it on the bed. It was then she saw her girls hanging out of her blouse in an almost erotic way. She wanted to smile and admire herself for a moment but remembered she needed to be across town as soon as she could. Sometimes traffic in the morning was terrible, and she didn't want to be late for another interview.

She slid the cream blouse off carefully and gently laid it out on the bed so she wouldn't wrinkle the silky material. Picking up the first bra she could grab, Laura quickly clasped the catch and spun it so she could get her arms through the loops.

"Why can't they just stay the same size," Laura complained as her girls flopped around in her hurry. Sliding the bra up, she felt the band around her ribs rub against her tender skin.

"Are you kidding me?" she cried. "This is the third one today," she managed to get out through a sob. "I just can't go out without one on," she muttered.

She looked down and saw her pillowy breasts bulging out of the middle of the material. The supported material cut deep into her skin, and the soft plastic clasp rubbed against her spine. Movement by the door caught her eye in the mirror so she looked past her barely covered form.

"Honey?" Laura called, wondering if Dan was about to come into her room.

A door slammed as Dan called back. "Yeah?"

"Are you headed out?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"Yeah, mom, just putting the clothes I missed in the hamper. Forgot to close the door. Have a great one," he called out as his voice faded toward the front of the house.

"Love you, dear," Laura yelled.

"Love you," Dan answered just before the door closed.

Laura stood, staring at the crack in her door. She could see the hallway from where she stood. Had Dan been spying on her? She knew he had once or twice when he was a freshman in High School. At the time, she hadn't been sure of what to do. Eventually, it seemed Dan had grown out of staring at his mother's body.