Chapter 109

December 20, 2017

[Written December 20-22]

In all the excitement on Sunday, Heather was late sending out the competition text. As I wrote yesterday’s account, I realized that Thursday is tomorrow, so I am finally remembering to include it here: Competition parameters for 17-23 Dec: holiday festive but titillating.

Liya woke me. Once I’d gotten my eyes to focus on her, I realized that she was asking me to scoot in. I looked at the clock in the headboard, seeing that it was only a half-hour before the alarm time. I climbed out and offered her my spot.

I mumbled “bathroom” at her as she climbed in next to Gracey. After I released used fluids, I started on yesterday’s diary account. When the alarm went off, the others hit the bathroom, and, upon their return, I closed my laptop.

“Were you surprised when you woke up in Dad’s bed?”

Liya looked at me, nodded, then said, “I didn’t know where I was at first, but I recognized Dad’s slightly noisy sleep breathing right above my head. That was good, but probably ... No, it was good. Period. However, I realized that I missed waking with Gracey ... and you three, too. So, I got up, came up here, and kicked Beth out of her own bed.”

She gave me that smile, so I wrapped her in my arms and plastered my mouth on hers for a good half-minute.

When we pulled our faces apart, she looked at me and said, “I love you, Beth. I still love and want Gracey most, but I’m getting to the point that I love you three just about as much, want you ... want to be with you three just about as much. I’m beginning to ... not dread ... but look at the end of high school with ... trepidation. If we must split up to go to college, I’m ... not sure college would be worth it.”

We five talked about that for a few minutes, but were just rehashing previous discussions of the topic, so went down to breakfast.

The five seniors joined us for lunch at the tables outside, where Brit said to Brett, “I’m sorry that I forgot the polish yesterday. I had set it out to go but got sidetracked by something and left it at home.”

“You didn’t really have to fix it, but I hated that I sort of ruined it, at least partly. I’m glad you brought it today because I really like it and I ... really like the ... connection that having this makes with my friends. My mom said to tell you that its design is brilliant.”

Liya asked, “She didn’t squawk about you having painted nails?”

“No, although she was surprised. Dad wasn’t too thrilled, but Mom said that it shows how much more open to friendship and girls I’d become, that boys and girls could be good friends. He thought about that, then agreed. He said that a boy with painted nails might get beat up when he was my age, but that it’s become much more acceptable now. That got me thinking, Brit. Do you do ... your toenails?”

Brit looked at him with wide eyes, then she looked at him a bit sideways and asked, “Are you asking me to do your toenails?”

He went very red, but kept his head up and eyes on Brit’s, but furrowed his brow.

“I was more curious but did wonder about the possibility.”

She reached out with both hands and took one of his between them and responded, “You really are getting comfortable with us.” She looked at him unspeaking for a few seconds, then added, “I’d be happy to do your toenails if you want, although I don’t know when we could manage that.”

Rhee jumped in, saying, “Could we get a lunch-table get-together at our place during break? If you’d be willing, Brit, we might all be interested.” As she looked around the table, she said, “Be warned, though, that I’ll insist that anyone with painted toenails must wear sandals to school. Well, when it’s warm enough.”

Kim responded immediately with, “I’m in!”

Meka, sitting next to Kim, smiled and responded, “Me, too.”

“Oh, hell,” Hope exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. “If it’s not one bonding ritual, it’s another.” She looked around with a bit of scowl on her face, then grinned and said, “Count me in! Although, it’s like we’ve reverted to being 11 years old.”

Rachel replied, “Isn’t it just? But it’s also ... well ... what Hope says: A bonding ritual. While I’m not interested in changing my life like some of us are, I do miss aspects of our group from when we were 14 or 15. I’ve gotta say, though, that my break is already getting full, what with my family’s plans and Seamus’ family’s plans. Would this be just a day thing or are folks thinking about another sleepover?”

I responded, “We can host it easily if it’s a day thing, but could probably manage a sleepover, too. Our family’s schedule is getting a bit tight, but the earlier we can get something scheduled, the better. However, I have two questions that could be relevant. Brit, having spent at least a little time in my past applying nail polish, I remember it getting tiring on my hand. You didn’t seem to slow down when you did all our nails the last time, but if you’re going to do 20 nails on each of us, I’d bet you’d need some solid breaks.” When she nodded emphatically, I returned the nod, and said, “Then a sleepover might provide more time for our sole expert nail designer.”

“Absolutely,” Brit replied. “Besides, that was probably the most enjoyable 24+ hours I’ve had in a long time, so I would vote for a sleepover even if the extra time didn’t make it easier on me.”

Cera interjected, “We don’t have much in the way of holiday plans, so I could do either, but, like Brit, I really enjoyed the sleepover and I’d really like to do it again.”

Various of us looked around at the others, but no one made anything like a decision, so I said, “Why don’t we plan on a sleepover for whomever can stay that long, but we’ll start early to allow anyone who can’t stay over to have plenty of time to enjoy the get-together?”

That got consensus, so I turned to Brett and asked, “Would Lana be interested? If so, when will she be here?”

Brett sat back a bit in surprise, then smiled.

“I’m sure she’d love to take part. She was pretty jealous when I told her about the sleepover. Also, it looks like her family will be here a little longer than they were first thinking.” He frowned, adding, “Something’s up with her family, but neither of my parents has told me anything. Anyway, she might be here into New Year’s Day.”

“That’s great! We freshmen are really interested in meeting her. You’ve said she’s fun and cool so...”

Brett interrupted with, “She’s a lot like you girls, so I doubt that adding her to the get-together would cause any problems. If I have to, due to problems, I’ll have Mom or Dad come get us, but I truly doubt that she’d cause problems.”

“Okay. What does the day and night of the 30^th do for everyone?”

As we had planned, we moved our gym workout to tomorrow and gathered in the Jacobsen house around 5, with Carol announcing, “I’ve ordered pizzas for a 6:15 delivery and contacted Celeste to get her to deliver them here.”

“Cool,” responded Meka. “I don’t mind seeing Celeste twice in one week, even if her visit today will be short.”

“Indeed,” Carol replied as she took the floor back. “Charlie has what he calls a new surprise for us and, no, the Moms don’t know what it is. He said ... Why don’t you just tell us, Honey.”

“I usually tell my wives anything new about the family first, but since I heard about this only an hour ago, I figured I’d tell the family and Meka at the same time. Yes, this news will impact her, too. However, that news requires a bit of ... coming clean about something. Meka, you won’t know, but the rest here ... the other girls here don’t know something about someone they do know and ... I see some impatience, so the background is that our ‘friend’ [air quotes] the realtor actually runs the company that we’ve owned for a decade or so.”

That caused some surprised inhalations. I was looking across the dining room in which we had gathered and saw Liya mouth “Civia” at me.

I nodded at her, turned to Dad, and asked, “Does that mean that we own the house the Paleceks are moving into?”

Dad shook his head slowly and said, “I don’t know why you girls keep surprising us at the things you figure out. You’d think we’d be used to you doing that on only the slimmest of info. Yes, we are in the process of writing a rent-to-own contract, but please don’t let on to Civia about that ... at least just yet. However, the reason I told you all that, was because Samuel – who some of you know as my friend the realtor but who is the person that runs the realty, called this afternoon to tell me the Arthur house was just listed.”

A few of us exclaimed loudly and Sandy asked, “The next-door-neighbor Arthurs?”

Dad nodded his head slowly, but deeply.

Mom looked around, then back at Dad and said, “We’re buying it. Right? That house would be perfect for Inez and Nira, much more so than the Jacobsen house.”

Various of us made various non-word vocal responses, which stopped immediately when Dad replied, “Samuel and I didn’t have much time to discuss it, but I told him that it was his number-one priority.”

Mom broke the very pregnant silence by saying, “And my compound becomes reality.”

There was much chuckling.

“Wait a minute,” Rhee interjected. “Does that mean that we’d essentially own the whole block?”

Dad replied, “Yes, if you meant we would own the only houses on the block, what with the woodlot behind all four lots ... all three houses being part of what we’re buying from the Jacobsens.”

Liya asked, “Does that mean your ... our plan for the privacy fence just got expanded?”

Dad chuckled and answered, “You girls really do have grade A brains. Yes, it does, although we should probably have a family discussion about how much to expand it, a discussion that should take place on another day, as we’ve got enough on our plates already for today.”

Heather stated, “I take it that we’d offer Meka this house as her residence.” Before any of the parents could answer, she asked, “Would we offer Celeste a room in this house?”

Carol answered, “That seems like a reasonable idea, Charlie. Do you want to ... ask her if she’s interested, or should I? And that brings up another question, although it does not require a solution today. Should we sell the house Meka’s in now? That would certainly get us more liquidity if a third amazing opportunity drops in our lap.” When Dad began objecting, she said, rather severely, “No, Charlie! The three of us are spouses. Except for property taxes on what used to be the Devlin house, I’ve contributed nothing to our greatly expanded family and household other than buying groceries when I can keep you or Sandy from buying them.”

Sandy broke the resultant silence by quietly saying, “She’s right, Love. The three of us are supposed to be equals, sharing in every aspect of our lives together.”

I heard Meka take two steps toward me from my left, then felt her right arm wrap around my shoulders, and her right hand pull me to her.

She whispered in my left ear, “They really are married. Aren’t they?”

Since we were by the doorway, I put my left arm around her and encouraged her to follow me across the hall to the kitchen. Although our subsequent conversation was not whispered, it was also not at all loud.

“Yes. And despite this crazy ... marriage they have with each other and relationship they have with the five of us, there’s been nearly no ... strife, I guess I’d say. I heard more than a few of the arguments that Carol had with Rhee’s father, and they’ve had nothing even remotely like that. Of course, it’s been only six months and they could still be in the honeymoon phase. However, given all that goes on here and how ... they seem to have a unified view of what they want, how they want to live, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re sort of beyond the honeymoon stage, but have retained many aspects of it.”

She looked into my eyes for a while, then said, “What Rhee told me is right. Yes? That you’re all ... sexually involved? All eight of you?”

I grimaced somewhat, then replied, “Mostly. We girls don’t do much with the Moms, but even that’s been changing, albeit slowly.”

She looked over my shoulder into the dining room, then gave me a look that I interpreted as “follow me” as she stepped sideways and out of the doorway. I followed.

A bit more quietly, she asked, “And you’re all nude in the house?” When I nodded, she added, “I’ve really gotten into that, and am naked at all times in the other house ... and have been in the back yard, too.”

I got sidetracked thinking about that yard, so asked, “Have you slept in the yard? ‘Cause that’s really nice.”

She stared into my eyes for an immeasurable time, then answered, “Dad and I did Friday night.”

My eyebrows flew up my forehead and I looked a question at her.

“Yes. It was ... wonderful, although a little chilly.”

I threw my arms around her neck and hugged myself to her tightly for a few seconds, then backed off, although I kept my arms around her, which may be why she put her arms around my waist.

She asked, “And Inez is now part of ... your ... intimate family?” When I nodded, she said, “That’s really crazy. Will Nira join?”

“I’d be very surprised if she doesn’t.”

She shook her head, then whispered, “I found myself becoming attracted to Heather during the season, particularly when she slept with me that first night. That was certainly due to her looking so much like my ... friend from back at our previous house. I ... I’m telling you that be ... because I’ve been developing an attraction to ... you, too.” I leaned back a little and stared wide-eyed at her until she said, “I don’t want to cause problems with your ... sisters, but may I kiss you? Just a little bit,” she added quickly.

When I nodded and slightly moved my head toward hers, she leaned in and lightly placed her lips on mine for a few seconds, then pulled back. Our arms still around each other, I closed my eyes and reveled in the kiss.

After I opened my eyes but before I could say anything, she said, “And you have the most amazing man in your family. He’s incredibly kind, thoughtful, and ... gorgeous, and has a great bod. I love my dad, but yours is in better shape, although some of that difference is that fucking can-...”

She squeezed me tightly, her right cheek laid against the right side of the top of my head as she tried to maintain control of her emotions. She seemed to have mastered them after a few seconds, as she pulled back.

“I don’t want it, now, but ... I’ve been wondering if ... I could ... join the family.”

I looked into her dark eyes for some time, then, making a conscious decision, I responded in a whisper, “When you’re ready, there’s already a place in the family for you. We’ve already voted and, as is necessary for any addition, the vote was unanimous. You’ve had a place longer, even, than Inez. We all love you, Meka.”

She rounded her eyes widely and stared at me for a short while, then pulled me into her and her into me and quietly shed tears on the right shoulder of my shirt. I held her for minutes as the conversation in the other room continued. I managed to get a corner-of-my-eye look into the hall and saw Rhee with her left eyebrow raised in query. I thought hard, then nodded my head once shortly, after which she stepped into the kitchen and wrapped herself around Meka from behind.

She whispered, “Meka, we’ve all got your back. I don’t need to know, but I ... and the rest of us are here when you need us ... for whatever reason or reasons you need us.”

Meka’s crying briefly hiccuped more loudly, but she settled back down into nearly silence, eventually lifting her head, pulling her left arm from around me – keeping her right arm there, worked herself to a position that closely bisected the angle between Rhee and me, then put her left arm around Rhee, who altered her hold on Meka.

“Rhee, I’d rather not talk about it, now, but Beth’s been helping me understand some ... things about you girls, things that have puzzled me, but interested me. As I said, I don’t want to talk about it with anyone else, yet, but may I kiss you?”

That surprised Rhee, which was evident in her leaning away from us and elevating both eyebrows. She shook her head briefly, but rapidly, to clear the cobwebs, then nodded. Meka leaned to her and gave her a few-second peck on her lips, then leaned back.

“Please don’t tell ... your ... parents about this. It’s not that I’m worried about how they would take me kissing you or Beth, it’s just that I don’t want to talk about ... anything, yet.” She turned to me and said, “Please keep my confidence for the time being.”

I nodded, an action that Rhee copied in sympathy. Rhee and I returned to the discussion while Meka headed to the bathroom.

Dad suggested that we break into separate singles or duos and visit all parts of the house in no particular order and think about what we would like to see changed about the house and its floorplan. He told us that there were walls we couldn’t move, but some we could move or remove entirely and that we should think of what would be most useful for whatever our individual visions of this house and Meka’s and/or Celeste’s residence.

We spent more than a half-hour as singles and duos wandering through the house. Because Liya was carrying the laptop with the floor plans on it, I shadowed her.

The two of us were on the second floor when Liya said, “No. This floor should have two master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms in addition to a huge communal bathroom. We should...”

I interrupted her by saying, “Show me.”

She encouraged me to join her sitting on the floor against one wall of the bathroom, holding the laptop on her extended legs, and drawing temporary walls on the display.

“I think the bathroom between the two west rooms should be a lot larger with a large shower like ours. The two bedrooms on the front and back ends of this side of the hall should each have an en suite. Think of them as Meka’s and Celeste’s rooms. We should open up the north part of the rest of the floor as a ... something like a sitting room, with couches, a TV or some sort of display. It would be hooked up by fiber, so could be used for entertainment or discussions or ... whatever. The rest of the east side could be a ... workroom, computer room, something ... a study place and the hub of the house LAN.”

I watched her draw everything, studying the floor.

“I think that’s all good. Whaddaya think about the main floor? I don’t see making many changes. Obviously, the kitchen and the two bathrooms need to stay where they are ... if I’m interpreting correctly that all the water is on the west side of the house.”

“It is. Moving water would be possible but would require more work and much more expense. However, adding water for en suites on the west side of this floor wouldn’t be that bad. Let’s go to the attic.”

While we were discussing options for the bedroom and large, open space up there, we heard the doorbell ring. Liya closed the lid on the laptop and stood; I was only a second behind her, and we hurried downstairs to get dinner and, more importantly, see Celeste.

Sandy, Gracey, Heather, and Meka had beaten us to the door, and Celeste and the pizzas were already in the house by the time we got there, but we heard Celeste say, “Today, like most Wednesdays, is slow, so I talked the boss into letting me take at least an hour off here. He’ll text me if it gets busy enough to call me back earlier. I also brought an extra pizza so I can eat, too.”

Meka replied, “Take ‘em in there.”

Sandy followed Meka’s direction to Celeste immediately with, “We’d have fed you. You didn’t have to bring an extra pizza.”

“It’s not a problem. We get ‘em pretty cheap.” Everyone was in the dining room by the time we had all the boxes open on the table and a variety of drinks available on the sideboard when Celeste added, “Carol said you’re buying this house?”