A WEEKEND AT HOME

“Dammit, ” she said to herself with impatience as she paced along the train platform, thinking again to herself that those who thought New York trains being late was a cliche, didn’t know New York.

The station manager had made some sort of announcement about a small track fire causing a minor delay, but Rachael really hadn’t paid it too much attention. All she knew that the longer it took Candice to arrive, the less time they would have to spend together over the weekend. Running her fingers through her short graying blonde hair, the 62 year old newspaper publisher looked down the long empty length of track for the fourteenth time. A quick glance at her watch told her that the train was now 40 minutes late. The importance Rachael attached to her daughter’s visit was reflected in her mode of dress. Normally, Rachael spent her days in casual shorts and light blouses in the summer and sweat suits in the colder months. If she really had to, she would wear a business jacket and slacks for a meeting. She had long ago stopped caring how she looked to other people. Friends who passed her on the train platform were surprised to see her in a rather attractive blue dress, a garment that greatly illustrated her still considerable charms. Most people were surprised when Rachael mentioned her age because she looked at least a decade younger. Standing 5’8″, her weight had fluctuated between 160 and 170 lbs most of her adult life. Spread rather evenly over her frame, most of the weight seemed centered in her large 38DD bust. She was still a formidable enough presence to turn the heads of men thirty years her junior. “Station manager says the train just left Bluefield,” said a young man who walked up behind Rachael. “Should be here in another 10 minutes.”Ò”Thank you,” Rachael said to the teenager as she again looked down the track. “But I’ll believe that when I se it pulling in.” Sure enough, it was closer to twenty minutes before the silver and white train pulled into the station. Starting at the front of the train, Rachael worked her way through the crowd looking for Candice. The train had been packed, the earlier two scheduled runs having been canceled. After a fruitless effort that resulted in getting no further back that the second car, Rachael decided to just wait by the ticket office and let her daughter find her instead. The crowds quickly dissipated and it wasn’t long before the blue clad woman heard a familiar voice calling out to her. “Mother…over here!” the voice shouted. Through a small group of commuters, Rachael could see a red figure waving her hand to get her attention. A broad smile on her face, she briskly walked over to her, unwilling to simply stand and wait. Before Candice could say a word, her mother had embraced her in a bear hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. While it was in reality only about five weeks since they’d seen each other, it had felt like months to Rachael. “Let me look at you.” Rachael said as she broke the hug and stepped back. Candice was wearing a rather expensive red business jacket with matching skirt. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a weave and she wore only a hint of makeup, just matching lipstick and a hint of powder. Unlike her mother, she felt the image she projected was everything. Yet then again, Candice was just starting out in the world of business. It was hard enough getting some men to take you seriously without having them look at you without seeing just a potential bedmate. Their third child, Candice had been born rather late in Rachael’s life. The news that she was pregnant again at 40 had sent a shock wave through her life. Since she and her husband owned and operated their own business, it wasn’t that hard to make the transition to working mother. Yet by the time Candice turned six and started school, their small office supply company had grown so successful that she decided to give it up and concentrate full time on being a mother. Today, 22 years later, the firm was three times the size it’d been at the time of Candice’s birth. Although she was still a full partner in the family business, Rachael had decided against going back when Candice had left home for college. Instead, she’d bought into a small local paper and eventually became it’s co-publisher. It was something she could call her very own. “Is Daddy with you?” Candice asked as she looked around into the crowd. “I’m afraid that he’s not home this weekend.” the older woman said, her voice just a little reluctant. “He flew up to Boston yesterday to make a presentation to some new clients about out new software line. He thinks it’ll bring a lot of new business to the company.” “I kind of expected he’d come up with some kind of excuse not to be here.” Candice said, her tone revealing that she didn’t believe a word of her mother’s excuse. “He usually does when I come home.” Rachael wanted to say something to refute her accusation against her father, but the words wouldn’t come. The reason being that what she said was true. The only time father and daughter had seen each other over the last two years had been at large family functions. He hadn’t even attended her graduation. “Your father does love you, dear.” Rachael said. “He just has a hard time accepting things as they are.” “Well he’s going to have to accept it eventually.” Candice said. “No one’s going to say a magic word and change me into what he expected me to be.” Rachael’s smile hid the fact that she too originally had a hard time accepting her daughter’s lifestyle. She still remembered the day, back in her junior year of college, when her precious baby girl had announced to friends and family that she was a lesbian. Unlike her husband, she quickly came to grips with the idea, realizing that however and with whoever she lived her life, she was still her daughter. And no matter what, she loved her and only wanted her to be happy. “It’s getting late.” Rachael said, changing the subject. “I originally thought we’d go out to dinner, but with all the delays, maybe we should just head home.” “That’d be fine with me, I am a little tired.” Candice said as she turned and looked over her shoulder. “Er…mom, there’s something I neglected to mention to you when we talked last night…” With that, a tall black woman stepped up to Candice. The look of recognition on her face told Rachael that they knew each other. “I finally found my beeper.” The woman said. “It fell through the seats.” “Mom, this is Cathy. She’s a friend of mine, I invited her up for the weekend. I hope you don’t mind.” Rachael looked at the brown skinned woman.