Mark DeLancey

Chapter 16

A week before Mark was due to leave he 'came home', staying with his mother again.

It wasn't all that different since she worked so much and was never home. He was still always at my place.

Then one night instead of being at mine, we were at his. Without thinking it through we ended up in his bed and his mother came home and caught us.

The shock and disbelief on her face was almost tangible. She backed out of the room. "Mark? What the hell?"

Mark and I quickly dressed and went out to her.

She wouldn't look at me. "I think you'd better go."

Mark looked at me and nodded. I left without a word. I rounded the corner of their house and stood under an open window so I could hear their conversation.

"Mark, what the hell are you doing? Maisy? My God!"

Mark was silent.

"She's just a child! And you're a grown man!"

"Mags isn't a child mum."

"She's what? Ten years younger than you? She's a child! What did you do? I didn't think you could do something like that. I told you! Years ago! I told you to be careful. Spending so much time with her. Oh, God! What if she gets pregnant?"

"Mum, calm down."

"What? What did you just say to me? How? How can I be calm? This is..is..oh God."

I heard a chair scrape.

"It's not that unusual, mum. Especially for your generation. Think about it."

Another chair scraped.

"Look, I'm sorry. I should've told you. It was wrong to let you find out like that..."

"Too bloody right!"

"...but Mags is old enough to make her own decisions. Geez mum, she's more mature than women my age I know."

"Yes well, she's had to grow up but sex Mark?"

"It's not just sex mum. I love her. We love each other. I'm not using her. It's not just a fling thing. I want to be with her mum. All the time. For life. She's..."

"A lot younger than you."

Mark was silent for a moment.

"How old were you when you got married mum?"

"That was different. They were different times."

"How old?"

"Eighteen." Quiet.

"And dad?"

"24."

"6 years mum. And Aunt Susan and Uncle Tom? What's their age gap?"

"It was different back then."

"12 years. It wasn't so different mum. Didn't you fall in love? Didn't you want to sleep together? The only difference is you got married young. I never took advantage of Mags. I promise. We love each other and I will marry her, if she wants to, one day."

It was silent then. For ages. I quietly crossed the lawn to my house and snuck inside.

He wanted to marry me!

I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

Mark came over later and told me the end of the conversation. His mother was still coming around, but she told him to be careful and not to get me pregnant. I was too young for kids yet.

So, I guess we didn't have to sneak around anymore. We were officially 'out' as a couple. Not that it mattered. Mark was leaving at the end of the week. Back to the oil drill and the other side of the country. I didn't know how I would cope. It would be hell without him.