Sammy Turner looked in surprised concern at his mother as she was assisted from the cab in front of their gateway. She hadn't been home when he got home from school and there was no note or anything - just an empty house. He was really worried when it passed five o'clock and he still hadn't heard from her. They lived in a semi-rural area and he was just going to get on his bike and ride to the next door property about half a mile away to see if mum was there, when the town taxi had pulled up and Judy Turner was helped from it. Sammy's heart lurched. His mother's hands were covered in bandages!

"Mum! What's happened?" he cried, running down the path to help her.

"Its not too bad, honey," she said, smiling shakily at him. "I burnt my hands on the stove. Really silly of me but I was trying to stop the salt shaker from getting burnt." She laughed ruefully. "The bloody thing wouldn't have burnt as much as me!"

"Oh, mum! Does it hurt much?" Sammy said, looking at her mother's hands.

"Not so much now, sweetheart. But it did when it happened. Anyhow, I'm not to use them for a couple of days so you're going to have to be my hands for me. Okay? Just until I get the bandages off on Monday."

Sammy nodded, reaching into the cab to get his mum's purse and paying the fare. He put his arm around her as they watched the taxi drive off. Then they turned to walk up the drive towards their house his arm still around her. Judy smiled to herself at his concern, but she had expected nothing less from him. They had a very loving relationship. Sam was twelve and his mother was only thirty. He was nearly as tall as her; but she wasn't a big woman anyway. Her ex-husband had got himself in trouble with the law several years ago and was now completely out of their lives - thank God! He had been a brute, raping her and beating her up when he got drunk...which was eventually every night towards the end. He had left them the farm, though, and Judy had done it up nicely since being by herself. It, and Sammy, were the only things the mongrel did that was good, she often thought.

"Er...mum?" Sam asked hesitantly as they neared the porch.

"What, honey?" she asked, slowing as she heard the concern in his voice. She looked at him but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking away across the fields and she could see his face was flushed. Her heart gave a little flutter of worry and she stopped, turning him towards her. "What is it, Sam? Are you sick?"

"No! No, mum. Nothing like that," he reassured her hurriedly, but he still didn't meet her eyes. She could see that he was agitated, but had no idea what was wrong. Unless her injuries had upset him.

"Oh, baby. There's not too much damage. There won't be scars or anything like that. They're bandaged to prevent infection, that's all," she said, trying to allay his fears. "They don't even hurt too badly. Just a throbbing." She smiled at her son.

"Its not that, mum," he said softly. "Although I am upset you burned yourself," he added sympathetically. "You said I was going to have to be your hands while you had the bandages on and I was just thinking... Its just that...er...how will you...er...um...what about, uh..." He blushed and turned away again.

The penny dropped! Judy couldn't help the smile - nor the flutter in her tummy when she realised the ramifications of his concern. It wasn't something she had really thought about. But she had to! There was no way the issue could be avoided. Her heart began to pound with nervousness. Now she was the one becoming embarrassed! She mentally berated herself. She was a grown woman, for God's sake! He was her son! He came from her body! What was to be was unavoidable. There was nothing wrong under the circumstances. It could all be justified. There was no way out of it! In fact, her sneaky inner voice teased her, it could be a lot of fun...for both of you! It had been so long since she had had a man! She blushed at that last, unbidden, thought - yet felt a tingling between her legs she hadn't felt for quite some time. 'Stop it!' she shouted silently to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she touched Sammy, drawing him around towards her. "Lets go and sit on the porch seat, honey. I think we have to talk about this. Okay?" Her son nodded uncertainly but went with her to the Miner's Couch set on the porch near the front door. They both sat down.

"Well. Where do we start?" Judy mused. "I guess we just have to speak plainly, honey. With no embarrassment or shyness. The next few days are going to be strange for us both, but it shouldn't be uncomfortable for either of us."

"But, mum..." Sam began, then stopped and looked at her, his blush rising up his face again.

"Lets just speak frankly, Sammy. Yes. You are going to have to help me with more than the cooking, the washing up and the housework. They're the easy parts, aren't they?" She let herself smile, still rather nervously. Sam was now looking at her, so she went on. "You will have to undress me, help me shower, help me go to the toilet, dress me," (now she was blushing in spite of her resolve)," but it can't be helped, baby. I need you to help me." There...she'd said it. It did make her feel a little more self-assured. She looked at her son, seeing the confusion in his eyes. He was still uncertain about the whole thing. A part of her was a little bit hurt. Most boys would jump at the chance of getting my clothes off, she thought, let alone touch my breasts and pussy! She thought she was still a beautiful young woman. Maybe she was wrong? Maybe Sam's embarrassment was because he didn't find her attractive? That thought really hurt.

"What's wrong, baby? Am I so unattractive you don't want to see me naked?" she blurted out without really thinking.

"Oh, mum! No!" Sammy said and she could see the hurt in his eyes. "You are beautiful," he said. "All of the boys at school reckon you're the hottest mum of all of them!" Then it was his turn to blush when he realised what he's just said.

Judy laughed, relief flooding through her, flattered by her son's comments. "Thank God for that!" she said leaning back on the seat. "So what's the problem? You've seen me in my bikinis. Don't you want to see me naked?".....(cont)