"Sorry… I didn't mean to scare you…" He said retaking his seat after making sure his mother was okay.
"No, you didn't scare me; but surprise yes." She said placing her fork down and relaxing in her chair.
"Is that how it seemed to you? Like I was stuck on your father all this time."
"Well…" he hedged but was reluctant to finish the sentence. This time it was Marla's turn to laugh and did she ever howl at her son's innocent ways.
"Bhahahahahahahahahaaaa…. Bhahahahahahahahahaaa….. Bahahahahahahaaaa…"
"Crying? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." He apologized as he watched the tears rolling down his mother's face.
"Bhahahahahahahahahaaaa…. Bhahahahahahahahahaaa….. Bahahahahahahaaaa…" She waved her hands as she fought to catch her breath, but her son's words and actions were just too funny and she couldn't stop the laughter that was coming out of her uncontrollably.
"Mom? Mom are you okay?" He whispered as he looked around. His mother's behavior was drawing questioning stares from other patrons.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she exclaimed catching her breath and reaching for a napkin to wipe at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's been a while since I've had a good laugh… Thank you…" She told her son earnestly.
"Baby, I got over your father a long… long time ago." She began as she took small bites of food enjoying her medium-well done steak and au gratin potatoes.
"You did?" He asked surprised and Marla had to stifle another bout of giggles otherwise she would be on the floor in laughter.
"Yes, I did." She asserted firmly.
"Then why didn't you ever marry? Why did you spend all of your life alone?" He asked the question that he had been most curious about all of his life. Marla laid her fork and knife down onto the sides of her plate.
"You know I dated a little too…" She told him and Jayden couldn't hide his shock as his eyebrow cocked upward in curiosity.
"You did? When? Where was I?" He asked quickly replaying the past years of his younger life through his mind. He couldn't remember ever meeting one of her 'boy' friends or a male acquaintance that wasn't a coworker or a handyman fixing something that she couldn't.
"You were over your granny's house or with your Aunt Shirley…" She told him.