A Mother and Child Reunion

Mavis was almost beside herself with excitement. Brad was home! Her baby, her first-born son, her favorite--although she'd always had the good taste and breeding to try and keep that from Tyler. It was simply that Brad was so much like her while Tyler was so much like...well, she wasn't quite sure where Tyler came from although there was the faint possibility that he was more like the pool man they'd employed the summer he'd been conceived than anyone else.

Tugging Brad by the arm, she pulled him back to the table where Rosanne and Mike sat, their mouths slightly open as they watched Mavis and Brad approaching.

"Why, Brad!" Rosanne said. "I can't believe it! How are you? I didn't know you were coming back to Schuyler Square."

"Nonsense," Mavis replied. "People always come home again. It's practically genetically programmed. I always knew my Brad would be back. He couldn't stay away from us forever!"

"Right," Brad said in a slightly weak voice. He must be hungry, Mavis decided. Heaven only knew what kind of swill he ate for the past year. Probably disgusting items bought at gas stations, like breakfast burritos and those enormous cinnamon rolls that resembled large fannies.

"You sit next to me, Brad," Mavis ordered.

"Maybe we should go so you two can have a reunion," Mike suggested.

"That isn't necessary," Brad said, ignoring his mother's kick against his shin. "It's nice to see both of you again. I hear you've had some good luck."

Rosanne beamed. "Yes, we won the lottery. Isn't that wonderful? We're having the best time of our lives. Mike and I both retired and we're concentrating on each other."

"We do need to talk about some investment strategies," Mavis said, "but not now. Right now I want to catch up with my darling baby boy."

"Let's go, Rosanne," Mike said. "We can have dinner together some other time, Mavis. Thanks for inviting us."

"You don't have to leave," Mavis said in a most insincere voice, "but if you don't mind, I'd love to have dinner with my best guy."

"Not a problem," Mike assured her looking relieved. "We'll call you." Before anyone else could say another word, Mike whisked his wife out of the Schuyler Square Country Club.

"Well! I thought they'd never leave," Mavis said. "Now we can really talk. Brad, what are you doing here? You've been so terrible about keeping in touch with me. What's going on?"

Brad opened his mouth to reply but another voice spoke first. "Hello, Mavis. Mind if we join you for a drink?"

Mavis looked up and saw Bernard Morton and that horrible Mindy Cooper standing next to the table. Rats. Of all the bad timing. For once, Mavis didn't want to think about business. She wanted to talk to her son. But  on the other hand, she didn't like how cozy Bernard and that little tramp Mindy were looking. Oh, well, her talk with Brad with have to wait. After all, it wasn't like he was going anywhere.Now that her son was back in Schuyler Square she planned on keeping him there forever. "Of course!" she said as she managed to smile at Bernard and glare and Mindy simultaneously. "We'd love it!"