It was another morning with his high, uncaring mother. The same as every morning.

They lived in a rundown part of town. Though her son had graduated high school early, he struggled to balance a full-time job with college courses in the evenings. However, he was determined to rise up out of the slums and take his mother with him, even if he had to drag her kicking and screaming, so to speak.

Her son loved her deeply. His heart ached over the stories of her abuse. It made sense to him that her sordid past made her who she was. But he never understood why she was so cold to him. He figured that being Tyler's son, she just couldn't ever love him.

"It's okay, Mom,"

he called back to her with a detached tone,

"I already made breakfast. Eggs are on the stove if you want some. Grapes and oranges are in the fridge."

It was going to be another rough evening, he was sure of it.

"I've got work, then school. I'll see you tonight."

He peered at Jessica through the hazy doorway of her bedroom. Swallowing his sadness to avoid annoying his mother, he kept his face neutral.

"Never mind,"

he relented, turning and exiting through the door to work.

Her son believed thoroughly that Jessica hated him, having almost no evidence to the contrary. She never spoke to him with a warm tone, but was always detached and disinterested.

Today, he was up for a big promotion, becoming the youngest supervisor in the warehouse where he worked. In addition to a bump in pay, he would receive health insurance that would cover his mother too.

Her son wished more than anything to tell Jessica about his exciting news, but he felt that she would not care, so he decided not to tell her. He figured she was at home, high as a kite and probably breaking something.

That night, after work and class, her son headed for home. Along the way, he picked up some food from Jessica's favorite Chinese restaurant.

He had no plans to tell his mother about his big promotion; he didn't think she would care. At the very least, he thought, he could pretend to celebrate by bringing her one of her favorite foods. He was sure she wouldn't even say thank you to him, but if she enjoyed the fried rice, that's all that mattered to him.

As he entered the apartment with their food, he found Jessica sprawled across the couch, completely high and incoherent.

Coming home so often to find his mother motionless on the cough was nerve-racking, but he knew that as long as she still lived, he could make it another day with her. Relieved that she was alive, he resigned himself to a neutral tone, eager to avoid any conflict with her.

"I brought home some Chinese food. I got fried rice."

Brandishing the container from the bag, he placed it on the coffee table beside Jessica. From their kitchenette, he fetched a fork and a glass of cool water to set beside the rice. He didn't think she would drink it, nor did he think she would acknowledge his gesture-she never did.

Nonetheless, he sat in a chair near her, silently eating as he wished she was the kind of mother he could tell about his promotion. He had always liked being near his mother, even though she never seemed to like being around him.

When it seemed to him like Jessica had passed out, he scooped her paralyzed body off the couch and carried her to bed. This was their routine. Other mothers said goodnight, but his mother got high and passed out instead.

Placing her gently onto her bed, he tucked the covers in around her and kissed her forehead. Feeling safe that his mother was indeed asleep, he crouched beside her bed. Stroking her rose tattooed shoulder, he whispered,

"Goodnight, Mom. I love you. I'm sorry for not being more lovable. I'll do better tomorrow."

Stepping carefully to her bedroom door, he shut it behind him, returning to the living room to study.

The week wore on much the same, with Jessica spending her days getting high and checking out of life. At last, the weekend arrived.

Her son got up early to clean the apartment. He knew better than to enter his mother's room, which was always a mess. Soon, he thought, she would be awake to light up her joints and ignore him as usual.

"And guess what, Mom? We both have health insurance now."

He looked at his disinterested mother with starry eyes.

"It's happening, Mom! We'll have a nicer place, more money, and I can get you treatment."

Her son knew better than to question her drug addiction, but he was so hopeful, he just couldn't hide his doting this morning. Though, he was almost certain she would shoo him away like she usually did.

He raised Jessica's hand and placed it against his warm cheek, searching desperately in her eyes for any sign of emotion, any sign that his efforts were getting through to her, even though it has never worked before. Usually, she would rather blame him for her problems than accept his help, it seemed.

"I can save you from this, Mom."

He sighed with immense disappointment at her cold response. He knew to expect it from her but he was still crushed. Putting on a strong face for his mother, he brought his tone back to being neutral and even.

"Okay, Mom,"

he said as he disengaged, giving her knee an innocent pat. He stood to his feet and returned to cleaning, brushing a tear from his eye when we felt certain she wasn't looking.

He felt certain that his news was not going to make her suddenly love him like a mother, but he was glad to share it with her in a moment of clarity before he lost her again to her high. And at least he could be around her today, he thought, even though her mind was going to be gone in the ether of her addiction.

As he finished cleaning, he sat down to do his homework, watching his mother as she smoked away on the couch.

Without a word, her son stood up and followed her. As she shuffled around for food in their small fridge, he grabbed a plate and utensils from the cupboard. He didn't care if she acted like she didn't want him, he was just happy for any opportunity to help his mother.

"Here, let me heat that up for you, Mom,"

he offered, holding his hand out as she clutched a box of leftovers.

Her son sighed. He was noticeably happy to be sitting with his mother at the table. He was feeling bold, bold enough to risk his mother's irritation by talking to her.

"Mom,"

he muttered,

"I like being around you, even if you don't like being around me."

Unexpectedly, a knock came at Jessica's bedroom door. The voice of her son muffled through.

"Mom,"

he asked gently,

"Can I come in and just, like, sit near you?"

Without uttering another word, her son smiled and stepped in. He sat down on her bed, leaning against the headboard as he watched her prepare her fix. It was as if he was a little kid again as he peered back into his dark memories of Jessica's distant upbringings. But he was still as curious and wowed by her as he had always been.

As the depth of her high took hold, she flopped back on to the bed. After a while, her breathing steadied and her body was still, save for an occasional twitch.

Her son looked into her glassy eyes wondering where her spirit had wandered off to. He slowly stroked her hair with a look of innocent love and genuine concern, but he wasn't about to leave her side.

As his mother lay there limp in the stupor of her high, he scooted away from the headboard to lay next to her. Even when he was a little boy, Jessica treated him with cold distance, but when she was high, he knew he could snuggle up to her and steal the closeness he so greatly desired from his mother.

He gently raised her arm, rubbing her limp hand against his cheek before setting it back down. Nuzzling against her shoulder, he closed his eyes. Jessica had not washed in the last few days, but beneath the layer of sweat, he was close enough to make out her natural scent, a nostalgia that always brought her son comfort.

Wherever his mother's mind had gone, at least he got to be around her. At least he got to protect her when she was vulnerable in her intoxications.

Her son drifted off to sleep next to her, dreaming of a life where they played and laughed together, just the two of them without the specter of drugs to stand in between.

Though exhausted by the stress of her addiction, her son awoke briefly, almost certain that he was sharing his pleasant dreams with her somehow. As if he could read Jessica's mind, as if he were connected to her heart in some way, he whispered softly into her ear,

"I'll wait for you, Mom. All my life. I'll never leave you."

Closing his eyes again, he drifted back to sleep, wasting the day away as he cuddled against his addicted mother.

The next morning, her son awoke next to her with a renewed sense of hope. Something within him, something deep had changed.

In his dreams, he and his mother were happy. In his dreams, they ran and laughed and talked. In his dreams, his mother was free of her addictions, having him as her rock to face her demons. In his dreams, his mother loved herself as much as he loved her. In his dreams they were...together.

He sat up in Jessica's bed, innocently stroking her arm. Still warm, he was relieved. She had slept through the night after her intense high. Still not awake yet, he smiled at her and brushed the hair from her face.

Today was going to be different, he thought. Going forward, no matter how hard she pushed him away, he was determined to pour out his love for her.

As her son climbed out of the bed and shuffled to the doorway, he looked back at her, sleeping in helpless exhaustion. Smiling once more, he turned to go make her breakfast.

His heart leapt at her words. His mother almost never thanked him. He was so used to her ignoring him, discarding his affections, and stealing his money for drugs. The teenage boy cooked and cleaned for her, supporting her on his low but steadily increasing income, and she never thanked him. So hearing her say thank you sent a ripple of joy throughout his body.

Fighting not to startle Jessica over his enthusiasm for her thanks, he kept his tone even, his face warm and smiling at her.

"Of course, Mom..."

Her son was careful and hopeful as he asked,

"Can I sit with you while you eat?"

He set the breakfast tray on her lap and, with a boyish giddy, climbed atop the covers to sit near his mother. He was careful not to get too close. She had usually liked her space, and he just wanted to see Jessica happy and comfortable.

He had prepared himself a cup of coffee. Raising it to his lips, he paused and looked over to his mother. He held it out across the bed to her with affection.

"Do you want to share it?"

he asked, as the cup steamed with a sweet smell.

As they shared the coffee, passing the cup back and forth, her son felt a deepening, unspoken sense of connection with his mother that had never occurred before. Drinking from the same source, placing his lips on the rim where hers had just been, it was intimate, sustaining. He felt bonded to her in their wordless exchange.

"Of course, Mom"

he welcomed tenderly. Setting the cup aside he shifted closer to his mother. When she did not back away, he slowly, carefully rested his head against her shoulder. Being close to Jessica was his own high, his own sense of tingling bliss.

"Mom,"

he whispered,

"I know you want to get high this morning, and that's okay, but..."

his words trailed off, but he had to push his luck. He wanted so desperately to spend the day with her no matter what state she was in.

"Do you think that later, maybe we could go for a walk together?"

With her arm still around her son, she used her free hand to fish for a joint off her nightstand.

He was ecstatic, his body tingling with delight at her words and the touch of her arm around his shoulder. His stomach knotted as it filled with butterflies. Afraid of disturbing their moment, he bit his lip to keep his face from erupting with the beaming excitement that welled within him.

"You're the best, Mom."

He didn't care if Jessica believed it or not; he did, and that's what mattered most.

She exhaled, smoke swirling into the room. As her son's head lay against her shoulder, the rank smell of pot burned his nostrils. He hated the stuff, but he would endure any discomfort to be this close to his mother.

"That's okay,"

he said gently, his fingers delicately guiding the joint back to Jessica.

"You can have it all to yourself, Mom. You've earned it. Being here with you is enough for me."

He swooned over the fact that she was willing to share with him, even though he would never partake in her drugs. He hoped desperately that denying her offer of a joint had not killed the mood, and that she would allow him to continue to rest against her as she got high.

He sat up and looked at his mother. She had not said she loved him since he was a child, and even then it was rare to hear from her. His eyes welled with tears, like an emotional dam about to burst. Usually, any display of his emotion or concern irritated his mother and he was terrified of breaking down in front of her.

But it was too late. The stress of their situation and his mother's addiction beset against the closeness and kindness she was showing this morning was all too much. Her son exploded into sobs, burying his head in her lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you, Mom! I love you!"

he muffled between wailing gasps.

"I don't care about your past or your addictions or how you acted towards me growing up! I just love you and I want to be near you, Mommy!"

He was bawling into her lap, his tears soaking an area of her dirty pajama bottoms.

"I can't live without you and I need you to know that!"

He was hopeful at his mother's words. His head still resting in her lap, he turned to look up at her as another tear rolled down his cheek.

"We finally have health insurance. Maybe we could talk about rehab later? I won't make you go, of course..."

He was hopeful that Jessica would at least consider his compromise, that she would see that she didn't need to commit to quitting her addiction, just to thinking about things that would keep them together.

"But maybe we could just talk about it?"

He hugged her waist tightly, hopeful for any kind of positive response from his mother, no matter how non-committal.

His breathing steadied as his mother returned to her joint. From where his head rested in her lap, his cheek pressed against the cotton shirt over her stomach. She was dirty, but warm and soft. He could almost feel Jessica's glow, as if he were near the origin of his universe, looking up at his anguished creator.

"You're a good mom,"

he whispered reassuringly as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep in her lap.

His eyes slowly opened as the goddess above him faded into view.

"Sure, Mom,"

he whispered back, beaming up at her. He sat up, stretching his arms, feeling more rested that he had been in a long time.

"I'll let you get dressed,"

he said, stepping out of her room to offer his mother some privacy. Walking to the kitchenette, he fished for a few slices of bread for feeding the ducks, as she had suggested.

At last, Jessica emerged from her room, hair a mess, but wearing a tight white shirt and skinny jeans.

"You look great, Mom!"

he said, his face lighting up at the sight of her.

"Ready to go to the park?"

Jessica was the light of her son's world. To him, her smile shined brighter than the sun. As he told her more about all the hard work he was doing, he basked in the warmth of her closeness. He cherished the sound of her giggling as they fed the ducks, watched with reverence and awe as she brushed the mess of her hair behind her ears.

Behind her drug habit, behind the demons of her past, there was a kind, caring, beautiful woman that he would never, ever let go of. If he could get his mother into rehab, they could bring that part of her back out, together. He knew there was hope to break this cycle of addiction.

Not wanting their day to end, he ventured,

"Are you hungry, Mom? We could go get a bite to eat."

A joyful grin stretched from ear to ear across her son's face. He hugged her arm tightly, nuzzling affectionately against the rose tattoo on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world. I love you, Mom."

His stomach grumbled, but he hoped she did not notice. He was all too eager to cater to her, too smitten by her presence to let his hunger get in the way of their time together by the pond.

"You're right. Let's just stay right here."

He stared at the pond with her, his mind swimming in the bliss of their connection.

Together, they sat on the park bench and talked for what felt like hours. As Jessica began to loosen up towards her son, she told him about how she had been going to college for a degree in Chemistry, before she dropped out.

Her son swooned over how bright and intelligent his mother was, but he didn't dare mention his father, Tyler. He always knew it was Tyler who got his mother addicted to drugs before abandoning them both. He could only assume that it was Tyler who convinced Jessica to quit college. Her son's heart ached at the thought of her life being ripped away from her.

But he didn't want to dwell on the dark parts of the past that pained his mother; he only wanted to praise her accomplishments, how ever few they were, and cherish the strong women hidden inside of her.

"I had no idea that you knew so much about Chemistry, Mom. You're incredibly smart!"

That evening, they returned to their apartment. After sharing a small meal, Jessica started towards her bedroom, eager for her nightly narcotic dose.

"Um, Mom?"

her son called out. He wasn't ready for their closeness to end.

"Can I sleep with you again tonight?"

He looked at her with longing and sincerity, hopeful that their deepening connection would influence her to say yes.

"I won't get in your way, I promise."

"I won't, I promise!"

As if he were a small child, he ran to his mother's bed, delighted by the chance to be near her for another night. Shuffling under the covers, he quivered with excitement. Jessica fished for her narcotics in the back of her dresser drawer. Slipping her tight jeans off, she climbed into bed, cradling her drugs and wearing nothing but her t-shirt and blue panties.

A look of sadness swept her son's face as he watched her get her fix. Once again, he was going to be alone with nothing but her paralyzed body, while her spirit evaporated into her high. He hated that she did this to herself, but he knew that she couldn't help it. And he wasn't about to leave her.

He would never leave her.

"I'll be waiting right here for you, Mom,"

he whispered, as her high began to kick in.

He stroked his mother's hair as she drifted away into her high. Then something went wrong.

Foam began to pool at the corners of Jessica's mouth as her back locked tight. Her arms tremored.

"Mom? Mom?!"

her son shouted in a panic. He pulled her eyelid open, but her pupil has rolled back. Leaping out of bed, he ran to his room to fish out a syringe of narcan.

"Just hold on, Mom!"

he yelled, running back in and ripping off the bedsheets. With one hand pressed firmly on Jessica's thigh, he plunged the syringe down into her skin with the other. Fumbling for his phone, he called emergency services.

"Yes, hello?! I need an ambulance! My mom just OD'd!"

His voice was frantic as he chatted with the operator. He looked at Jessica.

"Don't worry, Mom! Help is on the way!"

Within minutes, sirens were blaring outside. As she was loaded onto a stretcher, her son climbed up into the back of the ambulance. Grabbing her hand, he squeezed it and whispered,

"We're on our way to the hospital. Please don't leave me, Mom."

As if by instinct, he stirred, opening his eyes to see his mother looking back at him. A surge of adrenaline flooded through him as he leapt up.

"Mommy!"

he said, leaning over her hospital bed to kiss her on the forehead. Sitting back down slowly, he wrapped her frail hand between both of his.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I couldn't live without you..."

"No, I deserve you, Mom, in any form you come in."

His voice was hoarse with emotion, but resolute.

"And you're not stupid. You just had an accidental overdose. I don't blame you, Mom. I could never blame you."

He leaned forward and kissed her fingers, determined to show her his unceasing devotion.

"I'm not going to leave you for a second. And we're going to beat your addiction together, I promise."

At last, the door to her room creaked open. Jessica was greeted by a sympathetic doctor who had a plan for her.

"It looks like your son rescued you just in time. You are very lucky,"

the doctor complimented.

"I see you have quite an extensive history of drug use. I have taken the liberty of looking into a live-in rehabilitation center with an extensive program. It lasts a year, and during that time you will wean off the drugs as you participate in various therapies and counseling sessions."

The doctor placed a pamphlet on the bed beside her.

"It looks like your son's insurance would cover the stay, and he would be able to live with you on the premises, if you like. I won't lie to you: it will be extremely difficult for you, but the program has a very high success rate..."

The doctor flicked through Jessica's chart with a look of worry and doubt.

"That is, only if you are willing to go to this rehab center with your son."

As the doctor finished speaking, Jessica looked over at her son, who had not taken his eyes off of her once since he woke up. He stared back at her with love and hope that she would agree to go, his fingers clasped between hers. Her son waited with anticipation for her response.

Her son leapt up from his chair and threw his arms around her.

"Oh my god, Mom, thank you! Thank you!"

Jessica blushed.

"You're the strongest woman I know!"

Turning to face the doctor, her son had a clarifying question.

"Now, just to be clear, doctor, this facility will let me live there with my mom while she gets treatment?"

He rested his warm hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Absolutely,"

the doctor answered,

"you will be able to live with your mother during her treatment. Normally, the facility is set up for spouses, but they are willing to accommodate a mother and son such as yourselves. They can admit your mother as early as tonight and you can go there with her."

The doctor looked over at Jessica.

"Miss, would you like for your son to live with you at the rehab center during your treatment?"

"Excellent,"

the doctor concluded,

"I will have the paperwork drawn up immediately and you two can move in there tonight."

As the doctor left, her son grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers once more.

"I'm so happy, Mom! We're going to beat your addiction together."

He looked deeply into his mother's eyes.

"We're going to build a better life together."

The door to her hospital room creaked open again. It was a nurse with grooming supplies.

"Good morning, Miss,"

the nurse began.

"We have you scheduled for a sponge bath. Are you ready to take care of some of that dirt?"

Jessica gave the nurse an irritated look.

"I can take care of myself, thanks."

The nurse was insistent, arguing with Jessica. Suddenly, Jessica's son interrupted with a compromise.

"I can give my mom the sponge bath and this way the staff can just leave her alone."

As the nurse nodded with approval, Jessica's son looked over at her.

"What do you think, Mom? Does that sound like a good compromise?"

"I love you too, Mom."

her son said as the nurse left. He drew the shades for privacy.

"Okay,"

he continued nervously,

"let's undo your hospital gown."

Jessica pulled the string at the back of her gown and rolled the fabric forward. She was nude, save for her front section where the folded gown rested, obscuring her breasts and genitals. She placed her hands over her chest to hold the cloth in place.

Goosebumps ran up her arms as the cold air of the room settled against her. She leaned forward in the bed as her son placed his warm hand against her back, running the sponge gently down past her shoulder blades with the other.

"Does that feel okay, Mom?"

She could feel his hot breath against her neck.

Her son dabbed lightly at the cleavage that poked up over her hands, watching her eyes considerately for any signs of discomfort or disapproval. She shivered as a trickle of water ran down between her breasts.

"Sorry,"

he whispered, smiling with embarrassment. He cautiously traced the sponge around the fold of the gown as he ran it down her side and came to her legs.

He was careful not to look at his mother's privates, keeping his eyes squarely fixed on hers. Lifting Jessica's calf, he ran the sponge slowly down her thigh to her ankle.

"How does that feel?"

he asked, his voice barely audible as it quivered.

"I'm glad,"

her son whispered, setting her other leg down. He pulled a hairbrush from the cleaning kit and sat behind his mother again. Gently, he guided the brush through the strands of her messy hair, careful to sort the knots with his fingers.

As he caressed her scalp with the hairbrush, he stared at her naked back, grazing his fingers along her curve. His mother had a beautiful body, with dulcet features and soft creamy skin.

Overcome by Jessica's comely figure and soothing presence, her son set the hairbrush aside. Though her hair was oily, it still felt soft and nice against his skin. He ran his fingers up her neck and began to tenderly massage her scalp.

"Does that feel okay?"

He leaned around to see his mother's gaze. Their faces were close as he felt her panting against his cheeks. He placed his fingers below her chin and brought her close, their skin a hairs width apart. Looking deep into her eyes, he whispered,

"How about this?"

He pressed his lips delicately against hers, sealing together in a kiss that lasted for what felt like an eternity.

As their lips parted at last, her son sighed slowly against against her skin. He was tickled by Jessica's eyelashes, brushing against his cheek as he pulled away, though remaining close enough to still feel her breath.

"Was that okay, Mom?"

he whispered. The connection he felt with his mother had reached a new and irreversible depth of longing and trust.

Her son took a deep breath as a smile spread across his face. His lips were tingling with the flavor of his mother, and her words had lit a fire in his heart that warmed him all the way to his fingertips.

Grabbing the corner of her gown, he lifted it back up over her breast, respectful of Jessica's modesty. She blushed as he rubbed her tattooed shoulder.

His voice weak with desire for her, he strained to bring his focus back to their present situation.

"Okay Mom, we're checking in to the rehab center tonight. I am going to go drop by the apartment to grab some of our stuff. I'll be back in an hour."

He wasn't going to rush this new area of exploration with his mother. With her still needing to focus on quitting her drug addiction, he knew how vulnerable she was. There was going to be time to sort their feelings out. He would be with her every step of the way.

Her son returned later with bags packed for each of them, as well as fresh clothes for Jessica. After she was discharged from the hospital, they boarded a shuttle van and headed off for the rehab center.

Driving up to the grounds, they could see that the facility had every amenity they could imagine. As her son looked over at her with excitement, he could see Jessica becoming antsy and agitated. It had been a day since she last got high. With the drugs running low in her body, she fidgeted with discomfort.

Outside of her monitored prescriptions, Jessica no longer had free access to drugs. He could see her desperation increasing by the moment.

"We're going to make it through this, Mom,"

her son whispered, clasping her hand with a show of love and support.

Their shared room at the rehab facility was a bit smaller than their old apartment. There were no separate bedrooms; their beds sat on either wall. The bathroom sat just to the left of their door. Nearby was a small kitchenette. A privacy screen had been placed in the corner for changing. It was going to be close quarters for Jessica and her son.

He liked to sleep in her bed and at first it was for comfort. As the weeks wore on and Jessica tapered off her drugs, she became increasingly unstable. Now she needed her son at night, a solid support to help her through her shaking, her night terrors, and her general physical pain.

It was as if someone had ripped out all of Jessica's nerves and they needed to be rewired within her, one-by-one. The nights were the toughest, where she would drift between bouts of rage to constant crying. Her son would cradle her in the dark, reassuring her that they were going to make it through the storm.

Tonight in particular, Jessica was in hysterics, slightly delusional as she grappled with her detox.

"Shh, it's okay, Mom. I'm here, it's alright,"

her son whispered, holding her close.

"That's okay, Mom, I still love you,"

he whispered, forcing himself to stay calm despite her panic.

"I can help you through this. We'll make it through tonight."

His arms were like steel bands around her, refusing to let go even as she struggled against him.

"You're so strong, Mom. You can make it. Do it for me."

Time passed, and they were now a couple months into rehab. Though she still struggled with dark memories of her past and guilt over her treatment of her son, Jessica was beginning to stabilize. She had been drug-free the whole time, she was attending regular therapy sessions, and she was beginning to discover creative activities that she actually enjoyed. She was making great strides over time, but she still had minor setbacks here and there. Rehab was a difficult process.

That morning, she woke up in her son's arms. She had had a nightmare about his father, Tyler, the one who got her hooked in the first place. She wept quietly as she tried to process the feelings of guilt and betrayal, waking her son by accident.

"Hm...? Mom? Oh! Mom, are you okay?"

He stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

They were in this together, facing the pain and guilt head-on until they could finally emerge on the other side stronger than ever before. As her son sat down next to Jessica at the foot of their bed, he held her hand.

"Mom...it's okay that you have bad dreams. I am never bothered by you, ever. I love you."

Working his fingers in-between hers, he looked into his mother's eyes and asked,

"Do you want to talk about your bad dream? I'm here for you, Mom."

Seeing the guilt in her eyes, he placed his warm hand over hers as it rested against his cheek.

"Mom, you don't have to be sorry. You don't have to feel guilty."

He yearned to help his mother when she retreated like this. He wanted so badly for her to feel free to share her painful memories with him, rather than hide them away. He knew how many people abandoned Jessica, and he wanted her to be able to share her thoughts freely with him so that she might see for herself how he would never leave her over what she said or did.

"You can talk to me, Mom. I'll always listen. Please."

"Mom, I don't 'put up with' you, I love you."

His voice was soft and steady as he held her gaze.

"You are the mom I needed. You are the mom I want and deserve."

He searched her eyes, his face determined to show her even the inexpressible parts of his devotion and love for her.

"It's always been you and me against the world, Mom, and I am so grateful to have you, no matter what's happened in the past."

He wrapped his arms around Jessica, pulling her tight with affection.

"You're doing an amazing job, Mom. And we'll keep working on this together until things are better you; for both of us."

At the end of the week, Jessica was celebrating a milestone in her sobriety. She had received commendations from the staff and was being asked to volunteer in coaching some of the new women enrolled into her program.

The attention was a bit overwhelming. She thought she might share the news with her son first to help her reflect and decide wether to volunteer.

She was drawing on her sketch pad in their shared room when her son walked in with dinner. On his way back from work, he had picked up her favorite dish, roast beef.

"Hey Mom!"

he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Whoa, that's a nice drawing. So much detail! You never cease to impress."

He rubbed her soft shoulders for a moment before pointing to the bag.

"I brought your favorite so we can celebrate! How was your day, Mom?"

"That sounds amazing, Mom! You'd be such a great role model for them. And it would make you feel so good to give back,"

her son encouraged, his eyes shining with pride.

"They'd be lucky to have you!"

He sat down across from her, their knees almost touching as they shared the small table.

"I'm so proud of you, Mom. I'm so proud of how far you've come."

Clearing their plates, her son beamed with pride over her. There was a beautiful, confident women hidden within her all along, and his mother was finally getting the opportunity to share that with the world like she deserved.

As he saw her flourishing, he couldn't help but wonder if she thought about the kiss they had shared at the hospital a few months back. Jessica had been almost completely naked when her son had given her a sponge bath that went from sensual to erotic rather quickly, culminating in a kiss between them. She seemed to like it then. Did she still feel the same way?

It was a warm night as Jessica settled by the open window. Finishing the dishes at last, her son turned out the light and joined her to watch the stars.

"Mom?"

he whispered at last through the dark. Jessica could see that her son's cheeks were beet-red. The look in his eyes was trying to tell her something that he just couldn't find the words for. Something yearning.

He leaned close to his mother, brushing his lips against hers gently to see how she would respond.

Her son could feel his breath being drawn from him as Jessica's fervor increased. He craved the taste as her lips pulled against his, demanding more. The distance of their skin, the separation of their bodies was too much. Their moans reciprocated a primal urge to reunite as their tongues spiraled together.

Digging his fingers into the satin pajama-bottoms that clung to Jessica's rear, he lifted her up, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist. He wanted his mother. He needed her.

Crawling over Jessica, her son planted his arms firmly against the mattress. He stared lovingly into her eyes while their breaths returned to them in ragged gasps.

He knew he had to enter her; he had to show her just how completely he cherished his creatress and all the work she had done to sober up. As his fingers hesitated around the waistline of his pants, he whispered,

"Mom, I want this. Do you?"

Without further hesitation, her son tugged against his pants, slipping them down as his rigid cock sprang up into sight before Jessica's eyes. Wiggling her hips, she shuffled her pajama-bottoms off, hooking her fingers around her panties as they skated down her smooth legs. Her son marveled at the curls of soft short hair between her thighs, glistening with wetness as the moonlight shown through the window.

"Wow, Mom,"

he breathed desirously as he gazed at her pussy,

"you're even more beautiful than I ever imagined."

He leaned in close, teasing his throbbing tip against the slickness of her inner lips.

"I'm here, Mom,"

he whispered hoarsely, thrusting gently at first before picking up the pace with each passing second. Jessica threw her head back and moaned her son's name in ecstasy, feeling him claim her body as she had never been claimed before. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, urging him onward even as her world became nothing but the two of them; the connection they shared in this moment.

"Ohh Mommy,"

his voice quivered. He buried his head in her neck as his hips clapped against her sopping skin.

"Mommy, take me home,"

he moaned, seizing her body with increasing force.

"Keep me inside of you forever!"

"Me too, Mommy!"

he groaned with a tone of desperate agony. His vision blurred as the pressure increased. He let out a long, painful moan until at last, he exploded into his mother with euphoria. As she bucked violently against him, he lumbered back into her, keeping the pace as he stroked each wave of pleasure from her walls, until they subsided at last.

His arms ready to buckle, her son rested himself atop Jessica, burying her beneath his musky weight, his head nuzzling atop her cleavage. As his cock remained firmly planted within her, he could feel their combined fluids oozing out. The more his breathing slowed, the more he could hear his mother's heartbeat.

"Mommy,"

he whispered, his face wreathed in a smile. He laid there on top of her for what felt like forever, their bodies connected, their souls inseparable.

After a lifetime of distance from her teenage son, Jessica was now closer to him than she ever thought possible. Months into sobriety, she was triumphing over her addiction. Her body was clean, her mind clear. All of the pieces of Jessica's life were falling into place at long last.

As her son rested against her chest, continuing to stare up at her with love and adoration, he whispered,

"You are the mother I need. You are the mother I deserve. But I need to hear you say that. I need you to believe it."

Her son reached up and cupped Jessica's cheek.

"Mom?"

She looked back at him as he whispered soulfully,

"I am so proud of you."

His tone was serious and sincere.

"I am so proud of everything you are doing."

Over the next two years, Jessica's life continued to flourish. She completed her treatment at the rehab center with such aplomb that she was offered a job there as a counselor. Since then, she has helped numerous women overcome their addictions by sharing her own success. However, Jessica continues to leave out a curious little detail: the intimate relationship she has formed with her son.

During these two years, she and her son have moved into a stunning new apartment together. He has continued to move up in his job while taking classes on the side. She has faithfully maintained her sobriety, attending regular meetings to keep herself on track.

But Jessica has a new type of addiction: a deepening romance she shares with her own son. There doesn't seem to be a limit to the depths of their infatuation with each other. Their regular sex is hot, connective, and a total secret. Yet her son's unceasing devotion fills Jessica with confidence. His insistence on accepting her for who she is has transformed and invigorated her outlook on herself.

At her work, people praise her as a successful, professional woman. At home, her son cherishes her as his intelligent, beautiful lover.

One evening, her son came home to find Jessica cooking dinner just after she too had returned from work.

"Hey Mom! How was your day? That smells amazing!"

he complimented lovingly, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her cheek.

"You're the only one for me, Mom!"

As her son fingered a small box in his pocket, he couldn't help but smile brighter at the surprise he had for her after dinner.

Though he knew that mothers and sons could never legally be married, they could still have an honorary ceremony. He planned to seal his love to Jessica by becoming her secret husband. They would always be mother and son, but he hoped that she too would like the idea of an unofficial marriage to him. It was a secret proposal that he would surprise her with at their favorite park after dinner.

"Hey,"

he asked, trying to stifle the excitement in his voice so as not to spoil the surprise.

"After dinner, do you want to go over to our favorite park and sit by the pond?"

As they finished dinner, laughing and chatting, they made for the door. Her son handed Jessica her jacket, then grabbed some slices of bread to feed the ducks.

At the park, they walked along the edge of the pond, hands clasped together, only breaking their contact to toss another morsel to the interested ducks that swam towards them.

"I know this is one of your favorite things to do, Mom. And this park always makes me think of you."

He smiled at her, fighting to control his thumping heart as he reminisced.

"I remember a few years ago, before you were clean, we had worked through a really rough patch of our lives and came to this park. Being with you that day was just the best. It's when I realized just how much I would always need you in my life, Mom."

"Neither do I, Mom. I want us to be together forever. I want to show you that I'll never leave you."

Her son shifted his eyes away for a moment, nervous and lost in thought.

"Mom?"

he whispered at last as he turned to face her again. Stooping down to one knee, he fished the box from his pocket. His hand shook as he opened it, presenting Jessica with a diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?"

Fighting his own tears, he continued to hug her. Almost inaudibly, he whispered to her,

"I love you, Mommy."