"There's my Jim!" Jim's mother rushed to the front door and swept him up in a hug. Strangely, the older woman seemed to have gotten stronger, picking her son up and spinning him around in a way she hadn't been able to since Jim had hit puberty, "Welcome home, baby!"
His mother put him down, and was quickly joined by her husband, Jim's father. That's when things got weird.
Jim blinked as he stared at his parents. His mother was dressed in beige slacks and a button-up plaid t-shirt. His father, in a flower print dress.
"What the..." Jim began.
"Ugh," Jim's father said, rolling his eyes, "College girls, always dressing so masculine."
"Oh hush," Jim's mother said with an authoritative tone unlike her, "She's just back from school and you can't even welcome her?"
Jim's father smiled, on lips that were painted red, he noted, "Sorry sweetie," the older man said with matronly warmth, "Welcome home. How was your trip?"
He pulled Jim into a hug, holding Jim's head to his chest.
Jim pulled back from the hug. What was going on? Was he being pranked? Had his parents gone insane? His mind going a million miles a minute, he made a decision. The only thing to do was to play along, at least until he figured out the score.
Forcing a smile, Jim responded. "It was good. I stopped to eat, so you don't have to worry about dinner. Do you mind if I just head to my room and get settled? I'm really exhausted from the drive. Maybe we can catch up in the morning?"
Jim's mother chuckled. "Don't have the stamina of your old man, eh? You always did fall asleep in the backseat on our road trips."
"You just head upstairs and take all the time you need. A girl needs her beauty sleep, after all," Jim's father said, with a hopeful tone to his voice.
"Can I help you with your bags?" Jim's mother asked.
"No, I've got it. They're not too heavy."
"Nonsense," his mother pushed past him to the car, "You have to let your dad at least feel like he can take care of you, even if you're not my baby girl anymore."
Jim unlocked his trunk using the remote, then watched as his mother tucked a bag under each arm, then put two in her hands, and trudged into the house.
"Don't throw your back out, dearie," Jim's father said, concerned.
"This is nothing," she replied, "I handle more than this at the lumber yard every day."
Jim's head was swimming as he watched his mother carry his bags to his room. Not only was he confused by his parents clothes, or by his mother's new strength, but also when did he pack that many bags?!
Thu Sep 08 03:31:00 2016
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