Beth and Marvin had been back from their vacation only a matter of days. Their modest apartment was still in disarray as the vibrant young couple had just unpacked what was needed to start their work week and get back into the swing of things.
On one of her breaks from the hospital, as Beth was a registered nurse, she stopped by the local drug store to drop off both disposable cameras to develop the photos from their trip. On the way home, she stopped and picked them up without really taking a complete look through all of them. Rushing home to show Marvin. As she pulled up into the lot, she received a text from Marvin saying to message him back ASAP. Figuring she'd see him in a matter of minutes as he worked from home, she walked up to the apartment and entered. To her surprise, her mother, who had flown all the way from Virginia to surprise them, knowing they had just gotten back to the rigmarole of daily life, was sitting on their couch. She figured the couple would be supremely grateful for the gesture on her part.
Marvin didn't look too bent out of shape, but Beth knew how ruthlessly he protected his working hours. Looking at each other, they were both caught off guard by the surprise visit. Making Beth's mom feel welcome. Marvin had poured her a drink and was engaging in small talk as Beth walked in.
Beth settled in answering a barrage of questions from her mother about their trip to Jamaica Beth remembered the photos and handed one of the packets to Marvin and the other to her mother. The focus now was on flipping through the pictures and describing what was captured, helping Beth and Marvin relived their time in Jamaica, the island his family was from.
At one point, Beth saw Marvin get an expression of shock on his face with no idea why, but she then looked at the photo in his hands to see a buffet table at the resort they had stayed at. This photo jogged up a memory from that night for Marvin that perplexed Beth, but now seeing the shocked face turn to a sheepish expression on Marvin’s face, she knew something was up.
She turned to her mother, who exclaimed, "Oh, what is that?" turning the photo long ways, then sideways, trying to figure it out in bewilderment. Beth herself took up looking at photos peering over the stack of photos in her hand that she was looking at. Beth turned to see her mom with a frown, still figuring out what
the photo was.
"Mom, what is it?"
"I have no idea,"
"Well then, let me see," Beth explained. Her mother continued staring at the photo as if mesmerized by its imagery, intent on seeing and knowing what she was looking at. Beth moved closer to her mom on the couch to see what was captured, slightly apologizing for any images out of focus.
Upon getting a look, Beth started to say something and gave it a moment. "Oh, that looks like your..." turning to Marvin, still with a sheepish look turning into a grin. Beth knew what it was she and her mother were starting at in the photo and then snatching it from her hand along with all of the photos. Her mother began exclaiming,
"What is going on? What was that?!" "Ask Marvin,” Beth replied,
"What was that Beth's mother questioning Marvin.
Marvin looking at both women fighting off a shit-eating grin, finally getting the nerve to say it most respectfully. He began by calling her by her proper name of Mrs. Porter, as Beth held up the photo so he could see. It was a tad blurry, but if you had an idea of what the white spot in the picture was, as Beth did, a birthmark Marvin had on his manhood, you could place the rest.
This was a photo Marvin had taken in fun the night they had feasted at the buffet. As Marvin explained and Mrs. Porter began to understand what she was so closely examining began to blush, trying not to make eye contact with either Marvin or her daughter. She soon began to crack a smile as one could see the calculations going off in her head, and all she could say was,
"Oh my!"
Beth and Marvin burst out in laughter at her mother's clearly embarrassed reply.
