Note: Usual disclaimers apply. Don't read this if you are underage, object to gay sex or gays in general. This is a work of fiction, but I sure wouldn't mind dating a cop!
Officer Ken -- Part Six
Things continued to progress. Ken was more often at my apartment than at home with his widowed mother, and she noticed it.
Ken called me at work, and said "You're not gonna believe this shit, but my Mom wants to invite you over for dinner. "Huh? What brought that one on?" "Well, She said to me this morning before I left for my shift that if I was seeing someone special, she thought it would be nice to find out who it is, and winked at me - I nearly had a cow!"
Ken's mom was pretty conservative, according to him. I had only met her that one time in the E.R. Ken and I agreed that we would probably not have to tell her, that she would figure it out at some point. I believe in letting your partner deal with his family, you know?
Oh, I guess I didn't mention the partner part.
Well, after that first night of passion after the amusement park, we just seemed to slide together, whenever we had time, to be together. Everything just fit so well, without either of us changing our lives all that much, otherwise. So one of my friends met us while we were at a computer show, and I stumbled on how to introduce Ken. He's the man -- he seized the situation, and while giving me a `noogie', he shook my friend's hand and introduced himself as my future husband.
In the truck on the way back from the show, I asked Ken what he meant by "future husband."
"Well, I kinda figured that you and me is gonna get hitched, pardner," he teased with that devilish grin he had -- always out to tease me into a reaction. I guess I can be dramatic at times, and he says it turns him on. Sometimes you just enjoy and don't ask. He's grown a mustache, so he kind of looks like Sam Elliott look-alike now.
So, Ken told me that Sunday dinner would be the best time to tell her.
I decided to dress up for the occasion, and also bought her a nifty hostess gift, to prove that I have some manners. Ken picked me up at 1pm, and we were back at his house in 20 minutes. She answered the door, and Ken introduced us properly in the entryway.
"Aren't you the man that was in the E.R. with Ken, " she said while smiling slyly. "I thought something was odd, but I wasn't sure -- I was so upset that day. And here you are...so let's sit down at the table. I'm sure you boys are hungry, I know Ken is as soon as he hears noise in the kitchen!" She patted his tummy as she left the room and he made a light-hearted retort. We sat down to a delicious Sunday dinner of fried chicken, mash potatoes, green beans, fresh baked biscuits, gravy, and fried okra. Obviously, someone told her what I liked so I was not altogether surprised, except to note that she is a very good cook.
After a dessert of blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream and coffee, she asked Ken to go listen to her car engine as it was making a noise. I knew this was a ploy for her to start her interrogation of me, but I didn't mind, and he just smiled his goofy grin and winked on his way to the garage. He loved a challenge when it came to cars, and my ole clunker had never run so well.
His mother and I actually had quite a lovely chat, and I learned a lot about Ken from her perspective, including some endearing stories about when he was a kid. I also discovered that since Ken's dad had passed away, her perspectives had changed in a number of areas, especially towards gays. "Honey, I'm going to tell you right now. I'm only against gay marriage in that I don't want to see it thrown open for just everyone. Marriage matters to me a lot -- but I do believe that there should be courtship, and not just "shacking up" as they say. I want my boy to be married to one person, til death they do part. I think young people gay or not have trouble understanding what marriage is, and you see all these `trial marriages' that are making it into a sham. I'd like to know that the one my boy marries will be there long after I'm gone. I think all mothers want that for their children. So, I'd like to welcome you to the family someday, when you are ready to wear my boy's ring. How does that sound to you?"
Wow. I was totally blown away by her stance -- but I was elated. His mother and I were on the same wavelength!
She left me a moment in the living room, and called Ken up into the house. He was there in about two seconds, and she scolded him a little bit for his looking like a grease monkey. She said, "let's go into the kitchen so Ken can clean up."
Once inside, she pulled a small foil wrapped package from the back of the freezer. "Paul, in here is the ring that my husband, Ken's father, wore from the time he entered the police force. I've been saving it for Ken ever since his father passed away." Ken unwrapped layer after layer of the package of foil, and finally came to the small velvet box. He opened the box, and inside was a man's ring with an FOP insignia and the year he graduated the academy. "I've saved it for you Ken, but now I realize that I've been saving it for the man you chose. You are part of the force already, but your fiancé should wear it with pride, as your partner in life. It's not legal for you to marry here, but I believe a blessing of the owner of the ring, Ken, and the wearer, Paul, would be appropriate. I am part of the force as a widow and mother of cops. Ken, place the ring on Paul's finger this first time, and then we can see about getting it sized."
Ken took the cold ring, placed it on the tip of my finger, and uttered two words as he stared into my eyes with his piercing blue eyes. "You're mine." He said it with a sincerity that I've heard few times in my life. I knew when he said it, that it was true.
Comments? wooflix@yahoo.com