That evening Mrs. Olsen watched, concerned, as her son poked at the carefully prepared meal. That wasn't like her Jimmy--always enjoyed his food, he did. But he'd been acting a little odd lately, anyway.

His appetite wasn't the only thing suffering. She heard him pacing sometimes at night. His school work... well, it was hard to say. He wasn't a brilliant student, but he was a good one. Grades had always been a steady stream of As and Bs, with more of the former than the latter. On his last report card, though, there'd been two Cs. And just last week his math teacher had sent home a progress report hinting that a D was in the offing, if Jimmy didn't buckle down.

And he seemed a little less enthusiastic about his job at the Daily Planet, too. That was REALLY disturbing. Jimmy lived, breathed, and ate journalism. She felt sure that he would have set up a cot in the newsroom, if he hadn't felt that he'd be abandoning her.

So, there was something not right in Jimmy's world. She'd never pried into his life outside their home. She'd never needed to. He was an honest, open boy who willingly shared his life with his mother, not shutting her out like some teenagers these days.

But now it was obvious that there was a secret in Jimmy's life, and it was eating him up. Knowing her boy perhaps better than he knew himself, Mrs. Olsen thought that she might have an idea what it was. The problem was, she didn't think it was anything she could really help him with, except to let him know how much he was loved, and accepted.

"Jimmy, dear, I think that slice of pot roast is dead now," she said quietly.

Jimmy blinked, suddenly realizing that he'd been forking the tender slice of beef till it had been reduced to shreds. "Sorry, Ma. It's good, I just... I just don't feel too hungry right now. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for not gobbling it down, son. Goodness knows I've watched you pack away enough of my cooking in the last seventeen years to know you like it." She watched him begin drawing patterns in the mashed potatos. At last she said, "I know it isn't that you're sick. You'd tell me about that."

A flash of warm brown eyes, and a tiny grin. He brushed flame red hair *dear God, so like his blessed father* off his forehead and said, "Wanna check for fever?"

Mrs. Olsen leaned over and pressed her lips to his forehead in a gentle kiss that was obviously meant as a sign of affection and not an attempt to gauge temperature. She touched his cheek and said softly, "What's wrong with my boy? Can't you tell me, Jimmy?"

It hurt to see the trouble clouding his open, handsome face. "I... I've just got... kind of a situation I'm not sure about. That's all. Nothing life threatening."

"Sometimes it helps to share."

He sighed. "Thanks Mom, but you wouldn't understand." Another sigh, "Geez, I don't think I understand."

"Well, let's pin point it. It isn't home?" He shook his head. "That leaves work, school, and life in general. Which is it?"

"Work. No," he thought. "I thought it was just work. But now I think a lot of it is life in general, too. Mom," he said abruptly, "Would it bother you a whole lot if you didn't have grandkids?"

Here it comes, she thought. "Well, of course I'd LIKE to have grandchildren. I'd love to see you pass on that carrot top. But if you don't fall in love..." she paused, slightly but significantly, "...with a girl...and get married...The adoption laws are getting much more lenient. Who's to say you wouldn't decide to give some poor little parentless mite a home eventually? Why do you ask, dear?"

Jimmy rubbed his face. "I'm beginning to think that I might not get married."

"So, you haven't met the right person yet. That's understandable. You're still young."

He sounded bleak. "There's a chance I may never meet the right person, Mom."

*Be very careful here, Millicent,* she thought. *But you've got to get this out in the open. It will sour him if he keeps it bottled up.* Very quietly she said, "Jimmy, there may very well be a right person. It's just that the right person might not be the same as the right girl."

It took a moment for it to sink in, but she couldn't say it any plainer than that--it just wasn't in her nature. Such things hadn't been discussed when she was a girl, and they were barely mentioned now. But understanding slowly dawned in Jimmy's face. He put his face in his hands, and his shoulders started to shake.

Mrs. Olsen embraced him, envelopeing him in silent comfort, willing him to feel safe and loved. It broke her heart to see him hurting, and maybe this would ease things, at least a little, if he didn't think he had to hide this part of his life from her.

"Mom," his voice was muffled now against her shoulder. "Oh, Mom, I'm so mixed up. I... I've never done anything..."

"You don't have to tell me, Jimmy. It doesn't make any difference to me, as long as you're happy."

She could feel warm tears dampening the shoulder of her blouse. She rocked him soothingly, like she had when he was little, and the world had hurt him in some way. He was so big and strong, her son, but even the strongest men could be hurt so deeply when they doubted themselves. He mustn't do that. "It's all right."

He pulled back a little, and stared at her. "Is it?"

There was so much pain and hope in those two words that it made her want to cry, but she didn't dare. The sight of her tears would convice him that he'd hurt her. Instead, she smiled. "Yes, it is. You're my precious baby boy. You always will be, even though you're a man now."

"It... it doesn't... shock you?"

She sighed. "Well, darling, it isn't as if you've been chasing every skirt that swished past, is it?" He winced, but smiled faintly. "I've had an idea for a time. I've been waiting for you to trust me enough to say something."

He pulled back a little, almost looking indignant. "I trust you, Mom. It's just that this isn't like... like dating someone from a rival school. Besides," he dropped his eyes again. "I didn't really know it myself. I... had a talk with someone this afternoon. He said something about... about people loving people."

Mrs. Olsen watched the play of emotions on Jimmy's face. There was a look of almost wonder--tender warmth. Mrs. Olsen knodded. "Jimmy, I don't think you're gay."

Now he looked startled. "But Mom, I pretty much just told you I'm attracted to a man."

"Yes Jimmy, A man. Not men. Have you ever felt attracted to any of the boys at school?"

He blushed furiously. Bless him, whoever he ended up with was going to be able to read his moods like a book, a large print book. "No! They're... well, they're so much like me, it would be kind of like being narcisitic."

"But there is a man you're attracted to?"

Jimmy closed his eyes for a second. He remembered the quiet rumble of Clark's voice, the blinding blue of his eyes, the moment that his hand had curved against Jimmy's cheek, then slid back into his hair. And he remembered thinking that he'd do almost anything if Clark would just pull him forward and touch that strong, beautiful mouth to his. He swallowed hard. "Yeah. There's a man."

"I'm not up on all the proper labels, and I hate labels anyway. But in my book you're gay if you find men in general attractive. If you find only one man attractive, then you're in love, or close to it. Do I know this person?"

The flush deepened. "Yeah."

Mrs. Olsen cocked her head teasingly. "I'm not going to ask you if he's nice. My son wouldn't be interested in anyone who wasn't."

"He's very nice. But..." He cut his eyes at her, gauging her reaction. "He's older than me. More than ten, twelve years."

Her eyes narrowed a fraction. Then she said, "You told me you haven't done anything yet, so I'm assuming that means he hasn't, either With you, I mean."

Jimmy hung his head for a secong, then looked up at her. "I think he almost kissed me today. But he's worried that I'm too young. Not that he doesn't like me. I can tell he does. He's worried about taking advantage of me."

"He's a good man." said Mrs. Olsen decisively. "If you're only now becoming clear on this yourself, it wouldn't have been fair of him to push you into something you might not have been ready for. It needs to be your decision, Jimmy. I'm glad you found someone who realizes that you're worth waiting for."

Jimmy slipped down a little in his chair, crossing his feet at the ankles, and folding his hands across his belly. "Problem is, I'm not sure how much longer I'm willing to wait."

His mother took a breath. It was a little scary, seeing her son contemplating his first adult relationship. Knowing Jimmy, there was a good chance it would be his ONLY relationship. She only hoped that it would work out, that the person her boy had fixed his affection on would respond in kind. "You've got your birthday soon, dear. Can you wait that long? It will give you time to be sure. And if he's worried about your age, it would be more fair for him, too."

Jimmy mentally counted the days to his birthday, then nodded. "I think so. Yeah, that would be right."

"Now then," She sat down again. "Are you going to finish that, or do you want me to get you a warm plate?"

Jimmy laughed, and began eating. "Even cold, your cooking is terrific, Mom."

"Is this little talk going to make things better for you?"

"You have no idea. There's something else that's been bothering me, but it seems a little insignificant now. And I think all I have to do is stand up and face it. Now that I know I have two people who'll back me up."

"You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to, Jimmy, but I'd like to know who's special enough to have stolen your heart. Do I know him?"

The fork slowed, and again the color was rising in his cheeks. "You know him. He's... he's been over here before."

Mrs. Olsen ran over a list of people she'd had over for dinner, or just to visit. Jimmy had said it wasn't any of his friends from school. Perry White... well, he was a handsome enough man, but she knew Jimmy looked up to him as a father. So that would leave... She smiled. "That would be Mr. Kent, would it?" He didn't really need to answer. His face positively glowed at the mention of the reporter she knew he hero worshipped. Now it seemed that that puppy crush had deepened into something stronger and sweeter.

"Mr. Kent is a good man," she said quietly. "And he's a professional, too." She grinned mischieviously at her son. "Quite the looker, as well. I'm so happy you've found someone, Jimmy. The only problem is," she sighed. "I was kind of looking forward to meddling in wedding plans somewhere down the line."

Jimmy laughed, "Geez, Mom, I guess it's a good thing I haven't been bringing girls home. You'd have had me married off in no time, just to get a white lace and rice fix."

She smiled serenely. "That's all right, son. Some of the strongest, most loving marriages in the world have never seen the inside of a church or been filed with the government. I think you and Clark will work things out."