Chapter 8

As I drove Anita to school the next morning, she seemed a bit different like she was holding a secret. I was a little concerned and her wild lovemaking the previous afternoon seemed like a good place to start.

'Can I ask you something, ' I started.

'Si Popi, ' came her quiet reply.

'You were pretty wild yesterday on the ride home, any particular reason?' I asked.

She was silent for a little while longer than was necessary when she finally answered.

'No, I just wanted to feel you, ' she said and then hesitated again.

'AndÉ' I said encouraging her to continue.

'I... , ' she stammered, 'just wanted to be sure.'

Okay, this was like dragging a turtle out of its shell. She was not volunteering anything but something had definitely bothered her.

'You know you can ask or tell me anything. You should never be scared of me, ' I said. 'Anita, you do know I love you?'

'Si Popi' was her only reply.

'I mean that, you are my very special girl.'

'Si Popi.'

And then she took deep breath before saying, 'Am I your only girl?'

AHA! She was worried or jealous of someone coming into my life. I was not sure what or whom she was referring too, but at least now I had something to work with.

'Yes dear, you are my only girl, ' I replied.

She snuggled up next to me but said nothing more.

As had become our routine I picked her up after school and we drove home. She had returned to her normal bubbly personality and waved goodbye to her friends as we drove off. I had picked up a few items for the weekend and they were on the floor by her feet.

'Que es eso?' she asked pointing to the box at her feet.

'Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday as you were otherwise occupied, ' I said and she smiled 'we are having company tomorrow. Kathy is going to spend the day with us.'

'Kathy?' Anita asked puzzled.

'Err. Dr. Mercedes, her first name is Kathy, ' I explained.

Like a light switch, Anita grew sullen and I immediately knew what was troubling my girl, she was jealous of Kathy.

I could not have been more wrong.

That night after supper, we were once again relaxing together in the hammock on the deck. I decided I needed to reassure Anita and try to put the green-eyed-devil back in its box.

'Anita, you are so special to me. I never thought I could be happy after the accident, but you have brought pure joy and love to me. I never want to lose you or give you any reason to leave me.

'I sense that you are worried about my friendship with Kathy. Don't be, she is just someone who I can talk about home with. We both came here from the same place and it is nice to think back at times. She isn't ever going to replace you in my heart, ' I said.

'Gracias, Popi, ' Anita said softly, 'But I worry she will take me away.'

Now I was confused, 'You are going to be my daughter, she won't takeÉ.'

Anita stopped me, interrupting 'No, I no mean that way.'

She took a breath and then slowly continued, 'When I was at clinic for exam, she touched me everyplace. Sometimes she felt like you touch. It made me feel very good and I told her she made me feel good. She told me that was good, she want me to feel good. Then she touched me inside, down there and I felt like I do when you touch me, but not the same.

Her touch was soft and slow. But she made me feel like you do, again and again. She told me what happened was normal, it happen to many girls. But she said I should no tell you, that men not understand, ' Anita finished. [1] 'Well I understand and she is right, it is normal and you are fine.' I told her knowing that I was not sure myself. Maybe she had just misunderstood during her exam, maybe it was just an accident and Kathy was trying to save Anita from embarrassment. But maybe there was a side to Kathy that was a secret.

While we were talking, we arrived home and I carried in the supplies while Anita went to change. It was not so much that she changed as much as it was that she stripped. Neither of us wore clothes around the house much anymore. I would have to remember to tell Anita that she would need to dress tomorrow while Kathy was here. I would also need to remind her that I slept on the couch if any questions were asked. I planned to head most of those off by giving Kathy a quick tour (with two rooms, there was no other kind of tour) and pointing out how I had to adapt to having a child here. I would also mention my hope to add a second bedroom in the future or at least get a good sleeper to save my aging back.

Anita came out looking as lovely as ever; I never tired at looking at her beautiful little body. Her small breasts were cones topped with dark brown nipples. She was still little girl thin, but I could see where womanly curves were getting ready to start forming. Her cleft could be seen and her inner lips were growing and starting to poke out. The little girl was growing into a true beauty and would soon be blossoming into young woman. As she headed towards the kitchen, she announced her plan to start dinner.

I had other plans and told her to finish up her schoolwork now so she could have the whole weekend free. If anything in this world is universal, it seems a child's efforts to avoid schoolwork is it. After a little back and forth, she settled in and started.

I was not planning to mess up the kitchen area after spending the day cleaning it. So, I had picked up some food in town that just needed to be reheated. For me that meant a container of sopa de alb—ndigas (which sounds so much better than meatball soup) and fresh tortillas while Anita would get a rare treat Ð a pizza with chicken and corn toppings. I was never a pizza fan to start with, but the locals' version definitely was not a taste I ever acquired. The meatball soup went on the stove and the pizza into the oven. I opened a Coke for Anita and a bottle of Cerveza Imperial for myself.