Aubrey's Playground

:63:

"Did Uncle Danny call you?" Aubrey asked looking over at his mother.

"He did. Sent me a beautiful Bouquet of roses as well. Steve got me jewelry and flowers." Sandi said as she held up her wrist to show off the gold bracelet her brother got her as a Mother's Day gift. "What else did I get..."

"A bit spoiled are we?" Aubrey said playfully still looking at her.

Sandi shrugged. "A grandchild would also be a great gift." Aubrey laughed and dropped his head, he shook it knowing this was the usual conversation he and Sandi often had. The older she got the more she worried about Aubrey's future and him working as much as he did, she knew he didn't have to work as hard as he did but she often used his visits back home as a means to pry her way into his personal life just to make sure he was ok. "You didn't call Gina." She said looking straight ahead at the room filled with family. After attending one of his mother's favorite plays they all waited to be escorted to dinner. Aubrey laughed and ran his hand down his face as he too looked around the room.

"I know..." He replied softly.

"She was expecting your call... I told her you would call her." 

"Why'd you tell her that." He said looking over at her.

Sandi frowned. "Because she's a nice girl! She's smart, talented, she works just as hard you do! You two can stop one another from working so hard! She beautiful, Aubrey..."

Aubrey sighed again. "I know you sent me pictures and she is absolutely gorgeous and I don't doubt any of that, but..."

"Before you know it you're going to be old and no one is going to be around to take care of you. You're going to end up like your father."

"Is that why I need a girlfriend, so she can take care of me?" Aubrey asked with a humorous smirk.

"Well, somebody has too! All those late nights... partying." She said finally looking over at him and slightly frowning. Aubrey couldn't help but laugh, as serious as his mother was it was the same conversation they had during his last visit and after a while, they began to grow humorous. "Aubrey!" She said frowning harder.

"Ok, I'm sorry." Aubrey said reaching to grab her hand he interlocked his fingers with her tiny soft hand and held it. "I am currently in a.... situation..."

"A situation!? Aubrey just say relationship! What is your discomfort with that word Aubrey!?" Sandi argued back cutting him off.

"There's no... discomfort!..." he playfully mocked his mother's choice of words. "I'm dealing with someone and that is why I didn't call her." He finally said with a straight face.

Sandi quickly looked at him. "Well, why didn't you say that? You don't tell me anything! How was I supposed to know?"

"I'm sorry, mom you know now. I was waiting to tell you."

"Well, who is this woman?" Sandi asked. Aubrey paused for a moment as he looked around the room filled with best friends that had turned into brothers and business partners over the years, most of them had girlfriends or wives, some enjoyed the perks of a BDSM relationship while others preferred a more normal relationship. Some had children as old as 16 and some had kids on the way. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was failing, as if he was behind his brothers as if they were succeeding in life the way he also should be. Lori was unconsciously forcing Aubrey to think thoughts he hadn't thought about in years. "Aubrey!?..."

"Yeah!..." He replied looking over at her. "I was just making sure she was the right one before I mentioned her, that's all."

"Well, what's her name?"