The Tutor

Chapter 25

Cora paced, she had done it, well no that wasn't entirely true. She had gotten Marcus to agree to date her. She wanted him for so much more. Would he marry her, if she kept the baby growing inside her would he accept it. Worries turned to doubt, she picked up the phone and dialed. It rang, and rang, "Hello?"

"Mom!"

"Oh, Cora! I'm so glad to hear from you are you alright?"

"Yes, mom I'm fine, better than I was."

"I was so worried you stopped calling and I didn't recognize the number".

"I'm fine I had to change phones when I got back".

"Back from where?"

"I was hiding out in a cabin in the woods"

"By yourself?"

"No, I was with this guy".

"Cora Jane!"

"No mom, nothing like that happened he was a perfect gentleman he did everything and took very good care of me and never touched me while I was there".

"Oh".

"I asked him if he would start seeing me though now that we aren't in close quarters and once I had a chance to breathe again"

"Yes I heard it's all over the news"

"Mom, stop changing the subject I need to talk to you"

"Oh, this does sound serious what is the dilemma ?"

"How do you make a man love you, mom?"

"Sweetie you can't make anyone love you"

"But I love him, mom, you have no idea it hurts so much to be away from him, he always treats me like a princess, and never ever invades my space or anything like that it's just that he did all that stuff for me and it made me realize what I was missing."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's face it, mom, I was a stupid slut,"

"Sweetie" her mother admonished.

"I used sex and teasing to get ahead and I was miserable, always looking for the next big thing and it came crashing down on me. How do I get this man to love me as I love him?"

"Are you sure it isn't just gratitude that your feeling?"

"I am grateful mom, but it's more than that."

"Well you could always bring him round for your father to meet him, that is a sure sign that you're serious about it."

"Are you sure dad will be okay with that?"

"Baby when have you ever brought home a boy?"

"Um, just that one time."

"I think he would like to meet this man if you are that serious about it"

"I am the mom I don't know what else to say, I will do anything to keep him to have him"

"All I can tell you is that you should spend time with him and show an interest in the things that he's interested in."

"Thanks, mom I guess"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful but matters of the heart are tricky at best lord knows why your dad has put up with me all these years and why I put up with him. Sometimes he makes me so mad I could strangle him."

"I know mom"

"He'll be upset that he missed your call he has been more than a little worried about you since you left the hospital. And when you broke contact with us."

"Yes well, my phone is sitting on a buoy in a lake."

"What's it doing there?"

"Some bad guys used it to track us. Marcus, put it there so that they couldn't use it to track me again"

"Marcus is the boy's name?"

"Yes mom"

"Sounds like a wonderful boy"

"He's a vet mom and I'm not sure all of him came back"

"I understand, there may be some pieces that you have to help him put together."

"But I don't..."

"You don't need to you'll probably just need to hold him and let him know that it's okay"

"But you don't understand he told me his story"

"Cora, baby girl, I don't want to hear his story, it's his story and it's for him to tell, if he chose to share it with you then consider yourself fortunate."