HOMECOMING

S.L. HENDRICKSON

 

Julian was standing in front of his commanding officer. He took out the orders from the file and handed them to him.

"You are going to Germany and be part of the NATO cyber force."

"Thank you, sir."

Julian let out a sigh of relief. It was either there or Japan, and he certainly didn't want that. Germany meant that he could easily visit all of Europe.

"Can I go there now, sir?"

"No, you report the day on your orders."

"Can I stay in barracks here?"

"No, they are going to do a deep cleaning and there will be maintenance done. You have a vacation coming, go see your family."

"Yes, sir."

Julian joined the Army to get away from his domineering mother and sister but now he didn't see any other choice. For months, he had been sending money home to his mother because the plant where she worked had been shut down so he didn't have any money saved. She was back to work now. His sister married and moved. Whenever his mother wasn't around, she loved to boss him around even though Julian was two years older.

He went to payroll and got his voucher for airfare to Germany and had only fifty dollars left after buying his airline ticket from Washington D.C. to Chicago flying standby to save money. He got a reduced fare by taking any seat the airlines didn't sell. He got bumped off in Cleveland by an FBI agent with a prisoner staying at the airport and sleeping on the floor before getting another flight. He took a bus from Chicago to Freeport and waited at the terminal until his mother left for work. She worked the overnight shift from eleven to seven.

It didn't surprise him that his mother had changed his room. She took down all posters he had of Einstein, Tesla, and Edison. The science awards he received were gone. His bed was replaced with a rollaway. She had turned the room into her craft room for Latch Hook, and Macrame that she sold at the flea market. He figured that between working and sleeping contact with his mother would be minimal. His biggest concern was not being bored to death.

The army's advanced training kept him busy seven days a week. There was one weekend off a month which he spent going to all the sights loved the Smithsonian and could spend weeks going through their twenty museums.

There was a knock on the door. It was Tess. She was a couple of years older than his mother and lived next door. When his mother and father were going through the divorce, he spent more time at their house than his and hanging out with her son Rob playing Dungeons and Dragons and Paintball. They set up a course in their backyard and would play until it was too dark to see the targets anymore.

"Wow look how you've changed," Tess said. He was so skinny and pale in high school. He put on thirty pounds, all muscle, and had a tan.

"You haven't," Julian responded. She was still totally hot had enormous tits, big hips, and a sweet ass. He had stroked his cock many times thinking about her.

"I baked you a cake. I know your mother wouldn't have time."

Julian figured his mother wouldn't do it even if she had the time. After two failed marriages with one only lasting six months, she thought all men were scum.

"Come on in."

They went into the kitchen.

"It looks like the army has been good for you."

Being alone with her, and being this close, he was trying not to get excited. It wasn't easy because she was wearing a top that was cut low showing some beautiful cleavage.

"Physical fitness is part of the training program. Where are Harold and Rob?"

"They are out of town, on a construction job, and will be gone all week."

"That's a shame," Julian replied. "I was hoping to kick Rob's butt in paintball."

He got plates and a knife to cut the cake. It was chocolate. On the top was Welcome Home Julian in white icing. As they ate, he told her about what the army training was like. At least the parts that weren't classified. Most of it was because he was being trained to keep bad actors and countries from hacking into government networks and spying on other governments, even our allies. Nothing had changed in Freeport. It was mostly a farming community and the plant that made thermostats and controls.

Tess put her plate in the sink and then stood by him.

"I get so lonely when they are gone. I miss having someone in my bed."