Chapter 55: Fireworks

July 4, 1989, Chicago, Illinois

"What the fuck?!" I whispered angrily to my sister. "What is SHE doing here?!"

"Len invited her as his date," Stephanie replied.

"And it didn't occur to you to tell him NOT to do that?"

"No, but when they got here, I pulled him aside and told him that if she said a single word about religion, I'd kick them both out. I'm sorry."

"Fine. I'm just going to ignore them. Unless..."

"Thanks," she said. "And I understand you might have to kick them out."

Kathy and Kurt walked over as my sister walked away.

"You look upset," Kathy said.

"Oh, my sister's fundamentalist friend is here despite me telling Stephanie not to invite her because she's not welcome. Unfortunately, one of my sister's friends is trying to make time with the girl and brought her as his date."

"Make time?" Kathy asked. "What are we, in the 1950s?"

"No," I chuckled.

"It did work for you with Kara," Kathy smirked.

I sighed, "I know. But I'm just tired of all the bullshit and really don't want it in my own home."

"Well, forget about her then. You new son is adorable!"

"Thanks. Your daughter will have quite the collection of boys to select a mate from!" I chuckled. "Especially if you add in Peter, Joseph, and Albert!"

"We're getting JUST a wee bit ahead of ourselves there," Kurt said.

"Oh, I don't know," I replied, "Jesse and Francesca are pretty much inseparable, at least when Carol lets her come here. You guys aren't working on another one, are you?"

"Just LOTS of practice," Kathy smirked. "But no. Probably a couple more years before we have our second one. I saw Penny, and she looks like she's about to burst, and Jessica looks pretty big, too."

"Jess is due any day now," I said. "I just hope it's not today! Penny has a couple more weeks."

"I heard that Joyce is pregnant again."

"She's due in September," I said. "And Dave and Julia made public that theirs is due in late December. You two are falling behind!"

Kurt laughed, "We're still ahead of the Fergusons and Eggerts. I guess we'll be tied with the Evans family in a couple of weeks."

"Speak of the devil," I chuckled as Nick and Bethany walked into the backyard.

We exchanged hugs and handshakes.

"How's it going?" I asked.

"Good," Nick said. "I have a new assignment starting in October. I'm going to Guam for three months to cover for a JAG officer who needs surgery and will be off duty for most of that time."

"Are you going with him, Bethany?" Kathy asked.

"We're talking about it. The baby will be about two months old and even though it's TDY for Nick, I'm allowed to go."

"Sounds fun," I said.

"There's more good news," he said. "I just got my papers informing me of my promotion to full lieutenant as of my first day of duty in Guam. No more 'Junior Grade'!"

"Congratulations! When's the wetting-down?"

"A couple of days before I leave, even though technically I won't be promoted at that point. But I don't think the rest of the guys will tolerate me waiting until I come back!"

"No sailor is going to wait on free drinks if he doesn't have to!" I chuckled. "I'm really happy for you guys! How are you feeling, Bethany?"

"Surprisingly good after how I felt the first three months. Better than Elyse was at this stage, that's for sure."

"She had a tough time the last month for some reason. Nothing medically wrong that they could find, no anemia, or anything. Michael just wore her out."

"OK. I'm going to go talk to Jessica and Kara," Bethany said.

"I'll come with you," Kathy said. "And leave the boys to get the grill ready."

Kurt, Nick, and I, joined by Pete and Dave, got the grill set up and the coals lit. Karl and Ginny arrived with their kids just as the grill was ready for burgers, brats, and hot dogs, so he and I went inside to get the plates of meat and bring them out. Dave and Pete commandeered the tongs and spatula, so I hung back just a bit with the other guys to talk.

"What's with the makeup on those three over there?" Karl asked quietly.

"Those are my new 'goth' friends," I said. "The one on the left is Abbie. She's staying with us for the Summer, at least. I met her in New York back in February. Henry, the guy, is her boyfriend. The other girl is Trish. She's Henry's best friend. They're both from Chicago. They're totally cool, even if they're a bit outside the norm for dress and makeup."

"A bit?"

"Just talk to them," I said. "They're really good kids, even if they would never pass military muster. Believe it or not, Trish is going to law school in the Fall."

"Dressed and made up like that?" Nick asked. "How'd she ever get in?"

I chuckled, "By being a pretty, red-haired, green-eyed Irish lass. She's not stupid!"

"OK. That makes more sense. What's with the getup?"

"It's a British counter-culture thing that spread here and revolves around a genre of British music. I have CDs by The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees if you want to listen to them. It's British new wave, which is not like our new wave. It's way edgier. I'm serious. Go talk to them and keep an open mind."

Nick nodded and walked over to where the three of them were standing, talking to Lisa and Peggy. As the other guys had the grill well in hand, I went to check on Jessica, who was sitting in a lounge chair in the shade.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Pregnant!" she said with a silly smile. "But I'm fine, otherwise. Don't worry about me. The girls are checking on me and getting me drinks and stuff. Go have fun with our friends."

"If you're sure," I said.

"I'm sure!"

I kissed her and went over to where the 'Gang of Four' was sitting with Kimmy to say hello, then went back to the grill with the guys. I couldn't really pay much attention to Kimmy given the number of people at the house, but she never once complained about that.

When the meat was ready, we took turns eating and cooking and serving, making sure that everyone had enough before we put the utensils away. A number of people started leaving for Grant Park around 5:00pm so they could get good spots, and by 7:00pm, everyone had left except for my wives, Elyse, Penny, Terry, Katy, and Lauren. I had been happy to see Trish, Henry, and Abbie leave together with Nick and Bethany. And I breathed a sigh of relief when Len and Becka left without incident.

"I'm surprised to see you guys here without Zeke and Tasha!" I said to Terry.

"We talked about it, but in the end, Penny didn't feel like going, and we told Zeke and Tasha to go without us. I'll be taking Penny home pretty soon."

"Getting tired easily?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah," Penny said. "I feel good, but carrying this baby around is hard work!"

"Just wait until he or she is OUTSIDE," Katy laughed.

"No fireworks for you guys tonight?" I asked Katy.

"No. We'll watch from here. We decided not to go into the city."

We chatted for about twenty minutes before Penny decided she'd had enough and asked Terry to take her home. Jessica decided to head up to bed, leaving Kara, Elyse, me, Katy, and Lauren in the backyard. Veronica was watching the kids who didn't go to Grant Park, so we didn't have to worry about them. I offered everyone drinks and then went inside to make them. Katy offered to help and came with me.

"Can we talk?" she asked as I got the drinks ready.

"Sure, if you want to. I need to check with Kara."

"I already asked her earlier. She said it would be OK."

We carried the drinks out and I let Kara and Elyse know that Katy and I were going to my study to talk. I wasn't surprised when Lauren followed us inside. I refreshed our drinks, and we went into my study, where I sat in one of my leather wingback chairs and the girls sat on the leather couch. Lauren looked nervous and Katy seemed slightly distracted, as if she was deep in thought.

"Did you two have a good time today?" I asked to try to break the ice.

"Sure," Lauren said. "All your friends are really nice, especially Jennifer and Josie."

It hadn't surprised me that she'd spent most of the party talking to those two.

I nodded, "I'm sure they can provide some good advice. I watched Jennifer struggle from Junior High through college to figure out who she was. It was pretty ugly at times. But once she worked it out, things improved dramatically."

"She said her parents were supportive, eventually."

"It took some time for her dad to come around, but he did. Especially once he found out she was going to have a grandson for him. That whole issue put off Josie's parents. They still aren't totally comfortable with the situation, but they're tolerant. It's kind of like my in-laws — Jessica's parents. They aren't happy, but they tolerate things. My dad and Kara's mom and stepdad are very supportive. The best I can say about my mom is that she's keeping her mouth shut at this point."

"That was a real sore point for Steve back when I lived here the first time," Katy said. "She used to be a real bitch."

"True. Lauren, I understand you haven't told your parents about your relationship."

"No. We go to an evangelical Bible church. If I told them, they'd disown me, and right now, they're paying for school and I'm living at home."

I nodded, "The longer you wait, the more difficult it's going to be. But I understand the practicality. I have a friend who has a life she keeps secret from her parents, and I totally get it. You just finished your Freshman year, right?"

"Yes. I'm an accounting major. I'll eventually get my CPA and try to work at a big accounting firm."

"Those are good career plans," I said. "Katy told me how you met."

Lauren smiled, "I thought she was pretty and one of my friends told me to 'go for it', that Katy would be receptive."

"I have to agree with your assessment of her being pretty!" I chuckled.

Lauren smiled, "She told me all about you. Everything!"

"Of COURSE she did," I said in mock outrage.

"Oh come off it," Katy laughed. "You're the most open person I know. You usually refuse to talk about what you do with girls and who you do it with, but you don't object if the girls talk."

"That has always served me well! Nothing like someone else doing your marketing work for you!"

"Smart ass!" Katy laughed.

"He's impudent, just as you said!" Lauren giggled.

"That's Steve. He can get away with outrageous statements like that because he treats us all so well. From most guys, you'd want to slap them, but from Steve, it's actually charming and funny."

"You can't have it easy, given your situation," Lauren said. "I bet you get grief from people."

"True. But it's not as bad as it is for Jennifer and Josie, or my friends Larry and Drew, or even my 'goth' friends. In our case, if we need to, I introduce Jessica as my wife and Kara as a very close family friend. We don't do that often, but that's the story for the government, and a few small-minded people who can't handle our relationship and for whom I need to appear 'respectable'.

"One example is my friend Jacqui. Her parents would probably stop her from running with me in the mornings and might even pull her out of the karate dojo if they knew about Kara, Elyse, and Jennifer. So we don't tell them. We let them believe that Jessica is my only wife, and leave it at that. It kind of stinks, but we don't want to hurt Jacqui."

"How did you acquire so many friends from so many different lifestyles?"

"By accepting everyone for who they are, and encouraging them to be themselves, and providing a safe place for them to gather. I allow people to explore freely, and I support them the best I can."

"He's done that for me since the first day I met him," Katy said.

"I see why you came here when you left Kenneth," Lauren said. "Everyone here is so loving and accepting."

"We try," I replied.

I suppressed a smile because this conversation was not about what the girls really wanted. And I wasn't going to make it any easier for Katy than I had the first time. And apparently, Katy knew that as well.

"You'll just talk all night if I don't move things forward, won't you?" Katy asked.

"Yep," I said, allowing myself to smile.

"Just like six years ago," she said.

"The ball is in your court, Katy. Just as it was back then."

"You know what I want."

"You know that's not good enough," I said, shaking my head.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" she said, sounding exasperated. "You're going to make me say it?"

"Not just you," I said. "And we're going to talk about it."

"You are the most frustrating man I have ever met in my entire life!" Katy growled.

"So I've been told," I said with a gentle smile. "Repeatedly."

"Katy, why are you letting him give you a hard time like this?" Lauren asked.

"Because I know it's because he cares about me," Katy said. "And about you."

"Me?" Lauren asked, surprised.

"Yes, you," Katy said. "That's the secret of his success. He really cares about people and doesn't want to hurt anyone in any way. Ever. And sometimes that means being a royal pain in the neck, as he is now. But here's the rub — he's doing the right thing by making sure that we're sure."

Lauren smiled, "It's really kind of strange sitting here talking when we all know what the real issue is, but nobody is actually saying anything directly about it. And yet, strangely, we're actually talking about it."

I chuckled, "Which was my point to Katy about having to actually say it. Did she tell you about the first time?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. About how you wouldn't let her beat around the bush."

"The same is true now," I said. "Look, I know why we're sitting here. You two know why we're sitting here. But I need to hear it from you — both of you. And I don't just mean telling me what you want to do, but WHY you want to do it. That's the important thing."

"Let me get this straight," Lauren said, with a confused look on her face. "A guy is pretty sure that two girls want to be with him. He wants to be with them. But he's so concerned with 'Why?' that he'll pass on the opportunity if he doesn't hear a satisfactory answer?"

"That's Steve in a nutshell," Katy said. "When I talked to him about us, I was blunt. I told him I wanted to fuck him and that I knew he wanted to fuck me. But that wasn't good enough for him. He was concerned about how I would feel if we did it, how you would feel if I did it with him, and how it might mess up my relationship with you. That's another key thing with Steve — he doesn't come between people in relationships.

"I more or less made him violate that rule the last time I was with him, because I was with Kenneth. He protested, and I told him that it was HIS rule, not mine, and because I was the one in the relationship, it was my choice. That was a huge mistake on my part. Not the sex, which was awesome, but not considering WHY he had that rule in place. It's because he values his friendships and he puts significant value on relationships.

"In a way, I think he blames himself for what happened with me. But he certainly had an opportunity to say 'I told you so' after things fell apart with Kenneth. He didn't, by the way. What he did do was listen and let me move in, and he started taking care of me. He looks out for the well-being of everyone in his life, to the best of his ability, and considers it a personal failure when something bad happens in their lives."

"That's a pretty heavy burden to carry through life," Lauren said.

"It's who he is. Do you know that his small company offers women eight weeks of maternity leave at half-pay? And the dads get a week of paid leave when their babies are born? That's money that basically comes directly out of his pocket. He does it because he cares."

"Which is why you came here," Lauren said. "Well, plus the love and acceptance."

"Yes. There's never been a question about him loving me. Or me him. And he won't do anything that would hurt me. Or you, for that matter. And that's why we're sitting here dancing around the ultimate question. And you know what, it's time to stop that and just say it. I want to have sex with you, Steve. Now. Urgently. Lauren?"

Lauren looked down at the floor, blushing slightly, "I've thought about it. I, uh, think I should try it at least once."

"You have to be sure," I said. "Why do you think you should try it?"

"Someday I want to have a baby, and I think it should be the normal way. Katy agrees. She wants one, too. Kind of like Jennifer and Josie."

"I can't sign up for THAT," I chuckled. "The baby part, I mean."

Katy laughed, "No, that would be a bridge too far for your wives, for sure!"

"Lauren," I asked gently, "don't you consider yourself a lesbian?"

"I think so, but I did date some in High School. I wasn't grossed out by the guys, I was just turned on by girls. Kind of like Katy is now."

"And this would be a good time to, well ... you know what?" I asked, not quite sure how to put it. "I don't even know how to ask the question I'm trying to ask because I am totally clueless!"

"How does a lesbian lose her virginity?" Katy asked.

"Exactly. I've never even thought about it until just now."

"I talked with Margaret about it, and it doesn't seem that there's a clear answer. It depends on how you define sex, really. With a guy and a girl, the definition is clear — penis in the vagina. For two guys, it could be oral or anal sex, depending on how they feel. For two girls, I've heard everything from fingering to oral and Margaret said she was with a girl who felt only a dildo inserted by her girlfriend caused her to no longer be a virgin, but to me, that seems like it's trying to impose heterosexual norms on gays and lesbians.