Chapter 10: Sunday June 21, 2015

Selena had just gotten out of the shower while Joe, who showered before she was up, was making breakfast.

“Did I hear the phone ring?’ She asked as she settled in front of the cup of coffee Joe had poured.

“Sure did, it was Will Herzog. Yesterday he got the papers Dean Langston filed in the Essex County Clerks Office. They are notarized and unchallenged by Family Court. We just have to register and apply at that office when the time comes. It will then be reopened for challenge, but Will is 99.9% sure our petition will go through as we can prove we ARE her birth parents, she WANTS to be with us, and Dean made it a dying wish.”

“I suppose that’s good news. Do we know how he’s doing? I was sort of hoping he could make it through the end of the year, for his and her sake. I know there’s no ceremony or anything for early grads, but at least he would have that moment.” She commented.

“She would stay in school then. She wouldn’t leave him, and that stands to reason.”

“Poor kid; I hope she is coping with all of this.” She said as she picked up the morning paper and looked for the Financial Section.

Joe was glad that the sureness of Dana eventually coming to be with them had calmed her anticipation to where she once again could switch her work mind, play mind, love mind, and live minds, on and off, not letting one detract from the other. That was one of her best mental qualities, she could have a heart wrenching decision to make at home and could walk into work and think and react as if she were walking out the night before. She called it compartmentalizing, but Joe thought it displayed the great mental discipline her brain could exercise. Where Joe felt she had what Doc Stevens and other great mathematical thinkers called “the gift”, he knew he personally was just off that beam in the long run. He could look at mathematical equations and situations and find relevance in miniscule references that would lead to a tumbling of facts into a cogent pile, like she could, but, if he were troubled by a situation in life, it would linger in his mindscape to where it might confuse and alternately color what his solution might be.

“Like right now!” He thought to himself as he watched and admired her. “She’s eating that Financial News page and sorting the information and holding it aside until she adds the last numbers she either stored away, or will get later.

She looked up from her reading as he turned the New York Times page and saw him staring at her.

“What is it Joey.” She said with a big smile, letting the furrow in her brow relax.

“Just musing on how much I love you, love the way you think, love the way you’ve molded us into this super couple, this team that daily conquers our little world.”

“Me? I’m not the architect, you are! You taught me how to love, be loved, enjoy the things our bodies can do to pleasure and show our love. You, who taught me the meaning of love and trust and how they are the same, you, who taught me everything about myself, and made me whole.”

“Think what you like, but I had so little to do with making the US that we are.” Selena closed her paper, bending the corner of the page she left off at, and slid to the floor and slinked on her hands and knees to Joe’s chair, and then sat back on her legs.

“I spend too much time in this position to be the leader, the architect. A leader wouldn’t worship her supplicant.”

“Hardly a supplicant, you’re the one with the power.” He chuckled.

“Joe, if I didn’t have your love I couldn’t believe in myself. I love being on my knees before you for many reasons besides the fact I love you. I love your cock being right in front of me, it gives me so much pleasure, I get to taste it, feel your heart beat and blood race through it, feel you shudder with pleasure and empty your seed, your very core, to my mouth so I can taste you and your love.”

“But, I get the same feeling when I’m at your font, tasting your juices, filling you with pleasure as your body goes into an orgasm that stimulates every cell in your being. I know I did that, brought you that pleasure, and unlike me, you can do it over and over sometimes. I can only go one at a time, you’re so much more efficient in that department.” He reasoned.

“Can we settle on us being good for each other, a team?” She asked.

“You know the answer to that Essy.” He said as he went back to his paper.

“Well, I’m not here on my knees for nothing!” She said as Joe thrust his paper down.

“OH, I thought you were coming over for my parts of the paper, seriously.”

Selena put a big pout on her face. “Maybe the honeymoon IS over!”

Joe put his paper aside as Selena moved up on her knees and took hold of the sides of his sweat shorts.

As she began to pull them down she looked into his eyes. “There’s another reason I like to suck your dick. I like being your dirty girl. We have our love to express, but sometimes I like being your little whore, sex for the SEX of it. With your cock out like this how long do you think I can keep my mouth off of it? I know the taste, the texture, and I want to feel it alive in my mouth. Sex because it’s dirty, not to mention I love you.”

She impatiently thrust her mouth over him as far as she could and held him there while she flexed her mouth as if to swallow and take all his man taste off, and then relented and teased the tip to taste anything he might emit before she teased him again with a deep thrust, and pulled off.

“I’m not sure if I want you to come down my throat, over my tongue, or while pounding my pussy. I’d offer you the other option, but it’s too close to ... umm, we don’t need to make a mess. Maybe later though.” She said with a sexy smile that told him nothing was off the slate when she transformed into this little temptress.

As she began to move her mouth up and down over him he asked “What do you want?”

She stopped and looked up to him, “I’d like to stand on the arms of your chair, squat over that dick and bounce until you’re ready to cum. Then I’ll jerk you into my mouth.”

“Oooo, you naughty little lady!”

“I know what you like, and what I like.” She squealed.

... and that was to be their Sunday, as it was many other times; home alone with each other. Whether making love, fucking, dirty sex, tender sex, it always in devotion to each other. No plans, only to go to the Sunday Night Letter meeting, Selena was to lead it that night, so she couldn’t do it over the net. It was a Sunday of love and work, Selena’s two passions.

Joe was sitting in front of the WSGG brownstone waiting for Selena to come out so they could go home and finish their day together when the call came through. The ID read, “Cell Phone Essex County”. He knew before he answered what it was.

“Hello Mr. Johnson, umm Joe, it’s Dana. My Dad passed this afternoon, Father’s Day, no less.”

“Oh God Dana, I’m so sorry.”

“Please don’t!” She said, “it was for the best, the last week and especially the last 2 days were horrible for him. Even morphine wasn’t helping much. He held my Mom’s rosary in one hand and gripped my hand in the other when he finally gave up. As much as it hurt, I’m relieved for him.” (breaks down crying)

“Is anyone with you?”

“A nurse, Mary Porter, a good friend of my Mother, is with me, she’s staying tonight and she’ll help me with all the arrangements. Dad already took care of everything.”

“We’ll come up tomorrow.”

“If you could, I would like that. I know it’s crazy to say, but if Mrs Jo ... Selena was here it would be a great comfort. I’m trying to act older, but I’ve never felt more 13 and lost than now.” She said crying through her words.

“I’m waiting for Selena to come to the car, she works for a bit on Sunday nights, it’s...”

“I know, the Sunday Night thing.” She acknowledged from her study and research to be sure she was her birth mother.

“Here she is now, hold on Dana.” Joe said as he saw her come down the steps with a smile and a spring in her step.

She jumped into the car and saw the look on Joe’s face as he handed her the phone.

“It’s Dana, her Dad passed today. She wants to talk to you.”

The two of them cried together between Selena’s words of comfort before Selena told her, “We’ll hire a limo to get us up there early tomorrow. We can take you to breakfast and then to the funeral home and help you with the arrangements, get his clothes, all those things you mentioned.”

“A nurse who took care of my Dad, Mary Porter, who was a friend of my Mom is staying with me tonight. The Hildebrandt’s already called me when they heard; they want to know if I’m staying with them. I told them I had other arrangements. She asked if Family Court was involved and I just told her my Dad had taken care of it.” Dana said through her sniffing of tears.

“Do you know what your Dad was paying them when you stayed there 4 nights a week?” Selena asked.

“It was $125 a week, he owed them for 4 weeks and was going to pay them when his disability check came. That’s what she really wants.” Dana said with a bit of a growl.

“If she’s owed the money, remember she has bills too. We’ll take care of that when we come up.”

“You don’t have to do...” Dana started to say.

“Dana we promised your Dad we would help you out in any way we could. We are quite well off and these little bills are not a problem. You don’t need to worry about a thing. We’ll make this transition as smooth as possible. We’ll give you the time and space to mourn and adjust. Just let us fulfill your Dad’s wishes. For now, just be sure you have someone to stay with you tonight. May I speak with her?” Selena asked.

“Sure, her name is Mary Porter.”

“Hello Mary Porter, you obviously are a good friend of the family. We will be there as early as we can tomorrow. If Dana has told you the circumstance of our connection, we would sure appreciate it if you kept it on the QT until we make it public.”

“No she hasn’t told me, she’s ran around it a bit.” Mary Porter said.

“I’ll tell her to fill you in. I’m trusting you to keep it quiet so Dana hasn’t got to be the center of a little storm quite yet. She’s been through a lot in the last year and this just makes it all that much worse. You’ll understand when she tells you.” Selena said in her most serious voice to get her point across.

“Don’t worry, Merilee and Dean were very special to me. Merilee had all 3 of my kids in Pre-K and Dean was my sons coach in Little League, our families are very close.” She told her. “I should tell you that I would have taken in Dana during school except I’m a single parent, divorced and just couldn’t do it.”

“I understand. I know people have situations. Just thank you for being with her tonight.”

“My boys are able to take care of themselves for a night, I didn’t want to take her out of her house.” Mary Porter told her.

“You’re very kind and understanding, I’m sure her Mother is thanking you from heaven.” Selena added.

“Well, that’s very kind and understanding to say. I’m confused about why Dana could be the center of anything from this, but I guess I’ll learn from her later. Here is Dana back.”

“Now Dana,” Selena began, “I want you to explain as simply as possible to Mrs. Porter how you and I came together and our relationship. OK? Stress to her the gravity of keeping it all so private for now. I hardly think you want that sort of ... shit storm in your situation right now. Sorry for using that word, but I’ve been victim of all undue and unwanted press and you want no part of it.”

“I understand.”

“Dana, there’s one more thing I want you to understand before you have a chance to assume anything, or have anyone warn you of anything, ... I, in no way, have any sights on being your Mother. You had a wonderful Mother who nurtured and took care of you and made you who you are today. I want to be close to you, I want to be your friend, and I want you to know you can count on my taking responsible for the fact that I brought you into the world and you owe me for nothing. Your relationship with Joe and I will not always be a picnic, but we are always open to listen to any problems you may have.”

“(crying) I understand and I will try to be honest and straightforward with anything. You said something the other day that has rung true and made me realize a lot of things, Love is Trust. I see now that it’s why I had such a trusting and open relationship with both Mom and Dad after so many of my friends think of their parents as “the enemy”.”

“Don’t fill your mind with those sort of worries right now. You know what you have to do over the next few days and you know how painful it might be. Your Dad will be proud of the tribute you pay to him by doing all of this bravely and proudly. I recognize how mature you are, but I also know you are 13, and although I was in the same boat, high school almost done and barely a teen, maturity is not always easy.”

“Thank you for the kind words. I’ll see you tomorrow, ... morning - right?”

“Yes, we’ll find a way to be there by morning. You get some rest.” Selena said as she hung up the cell.

Joe looked at her incredulously. “Did you have all of that rehearsed?”

“A little, most was from the hip.”

“I guess we’re going by limo, huh?” Joe said as he searched his phone for the right number to call.

“Joe, I’ve got no time for a train. I’m already dead tired, at least in a limo, you know not a stretch, by limo I mean a car with a driver, and I’ll be able to sleep. We can stop at that Sunset Mt Lodge right near their house to shower and freshen up. I’m certain we can get a reservation. If we leave by 10 or 11 tonight we should be there by 5 in the morning, and then we can get to her house fresh for 7:00, I’ll call and let her know once we’re sure.”

“You had this all put together in your mind when the time came, that’s great. I’ve got a driver here who can probably get this done, or he’ll know one.” Joe said as he drove the short distance to their condo to make the final arrangements.”

With an overnight driver found, hotel reservations made for a very early arrival, Joe and Selena packed and were on their way. It didn’t take long for them both to fall asleep in the Lincoln Towne car after leaving just after 10:00 pm

The movement of the car as it rolled into a service station just off Exit 24 on I-87. Selena looked around and snuggled up next to Joe.

“What time is it?”

“Just past 12:30 go back to sleep.” Joe whispered.

“I keep dreaming about how we tell my parents.” She said groggily.

“In the long run, they’ll be happy. I have thought about it though. Tell them you were so frustrated by it, them not knowing made it easier on them, and that’s not too far from the whole truth. The rape will have to be left out of the story, your Dad will be ballistic and want to look him up.” Joe said.

“Do we just show up with her, or take her in as a student and tell them later after she’s grieved her Dad.” Selena wondered. “How long after seeing Dana does one of them comment how much she looks like you? I say we tell them and then bring her to meet them.” Joe proposed.

“Any way we do it, it’s wrong and convoluted. Let’s not cross the street until the crosswalk shows.”

“Good idea, Ess. Go to sleep, we’re getting back on the Interstate now.” Joe whispered as they both easily fell back asleep.

The Towne Car pulled in the Sunset Mt Lodge around 3:45 and the jostling from the downhill grade of the entrance to the parking lot woke both Joe and Selena. As the proprietor had promised, there was an envelope with two keys, one for the Johnsons and one for the driver, in the outside key box. With a quick shuffle of overnight bags they were in their rooms with Joe instructing the driver NOT to drink as he would be getting up in a few hours to bring them to the Langston home. When he took them to breakfast he would go to rent a car for Joe and bring him to it afterward. Then he could drive back to the City.

Dana’s attitude towards the Johnsons after her Dad’s death seemed to change from the moment they walked into her home that morning. Although crying and in need of comfort she seemed stoic, almost to the point where Joe felt she might suddenly resent them. However, as soon as Merilee Langstons good friend, Mary Porter, left Dana became a little clingy and then Joe wondered if she were acting as if she thought she was supposed to, not sure what to feel.

Joe considered her maturity for her young age and decided to confront her.

“Dana you seem very uncomfortable or staged, or acting around us. I want you to know that everything with us and you is OK and if there is any problem, just tell us. Please know you can trust us.”

Dana looked away and then suddenly burst into tears, crying heavily, bawling, as Selena went to her and held her tightly. She calmed a minute later and looked to the two of them and with eyes red and face tear stained she said,

“I don’t know what to do. I’ve only been to one funeral before, and that was Mom’s and my Dad took care of everything. I’m stupid with this, confronted with a problem I can’t answer, can’t figure out.” She said bursting into tears again.

As Selena held her Joe came to the other side and whispered softly to her.

“No one knows what to do in these situations, no matter how many you may have gone through. No matter if you’re 13 or 60, burying a parent is very hard. Don’t feel over matched by any of this. There is no wrong way to handle it. That’s why we are here, that’s why your Dad prearranged so much once he knew his fate. He took care of you the best he could in his circumstance. He told me he had all of his arrangements made to make it easy for you. As smart, and as mature, as you may seem or feel, we know you’re but a child of 13 and we, nor anyone else, expects any more from you but to respectfully grieve and say goodbye to your brave Dad. In the face of his own demise he looked out for you. He loved you more than anything else in his life.”