Chapter 24

Sunday morning, I woke up late and reveled because I didn’t have to get up and work out. I really liked lifting, but I also liked being lazy once in a while. Gina, Kara, and I chatted while our families ate breakfast together. Kendall joined us after she’d eaten with her family.

Wonder of wonders, I also noticed that Mom was wearing bikini bottoms. Maybe I was paying more attention. I guess I was still enjoying the newness of understanding a little bit about how women’s bodies worked. Whatever the reason, I was proud of myself for noticing.

After breakfast, Jenny’s family went off to load their car. Manfred went to help them. Kara headed down to the lake, and Gina, Kendall, and I decided to hang out in the clubhouse. The weather was once again balmy and beautiful, but we felt like lounging indoors for a change.

When the Jordans were ready to leave—they had a long drive back to Atlanta—they came down to the clubhouse to say goodbye. Susan was on hand, as were Mom and Erin. Dwight and Karen Delozier were planning to leave later in the day, but they came to the clubhouse to bid farewell to John, Jessica, and family. Drew was there too, paying too much attention to Jill. Not surprisingly, she seemed to revel in it. Compared to them, Manfred and Jenny were practically Victorian.

As Jenny hugged me goodbye, she whispered in my ear, “Call me when you get back to Atlanta.” Then she slipped a folded piece of paper into my hand.

I hastily palmed it, hiding it from anyone who might have seen. My mind raced. Instead of answering her, I simply smiled as graciously as I could. Then Jenny hugged Gina. I marveled at how she could practically proposition me one moment and then hug my girlfriend the next. Much to our surprise, Jenny hugged Kendall as well.

Jill and Trish said goodbye, although Trish was a little diffident. I noticed that Erin and Leah did not exchange warm farewells with Jill. Their goodbyes were perfunctory, and nothing more. It seemed that in the battle for Drew, Jill had won. The other girls (including Trish) didn’t seem all that happy about it. Since Erin and Leah seemed to want nothing to do with him, I wondered what he’d do now that both Jill and Trish were leaving.

After we all said goodbye, the Jordans got into their car and drove off. Manfred, of course, moped. He seemed like he needed the company, so we invited him to join us. His family didn’t have a long drive home, so they weren’t leaving until after lunch. Goofy as he sometimes was, Manfred was one of my best friends and I’d definitely miss him. While the girls chatted with each other, he and I played a game of pool. It was desultory, but it took his mind off Jenny.

The distraction helped, and for a while, he was his old, cheerful self. We talked about what he and Jenny were planning to do about their relationship after the summer. According to him, they were going to do what Gina and I had done the previous year: letters and phone calls. The year before, it had been mostly just summer fun. But when they got back together this year, things had become more serious. At least he thought they had. (I’d obviously begun to have my doubts about how serious Jenny really was.)

I liked Manfred, and debated whether or not to tell him about what Jenny had done. I didn’t want to ruin his image of her, but I also didn’t want him pinning his hopes on a girl who was already after another guy. In the end, I decided to let nature take its course. I figured that he and Jenny would drift apart as the year progressed. At least, I hoped that’s what would happen. If they got back together the following summer, so much the better. If not, then at least I wouldn’t be responsible for shattering Manfred’s image of her.

Shortly after lunch, I helped Manfred load his family’s car. His parents worried over him, but I don’t think there was anything they could’ve done to make him feel better. I definitely remembered how I’d felt after Gina left, the summer before. Manfred shook my hand when they were ready to go. Instead of leaving it at that, I pulled him into a bear hug. At first, his I’m Not A Fag reaction kicked in, but he quickly overcame it and slapped my back in the age-old ritual of two straight guys saying goodbye. I think the object must be to inflict pain on the other guy—another I’m Not A Fag gesture. Then he got in the car and we waved goodbye as his family drove up the hill.

The Deloziers were ready to leave about an hour later. Stan and Terri Dunbar were there to see them off. Erin and Leah said goodbye to Trish, and they all three pretty much ignored Drew. I shook Dwight’s hand and promised to help him with the Fourth of July barbecue the following year. I solemnly shook Jonathan’s hand and told him we’d be a team for next year’s barbecue. Much to my surprise, Karen Delozier gave me a big hug and grinned as she surreptitiously glanced at my dick. I grinned in reply and she winked at me. (Instead of being overtly sexual, her glance was like a private joke we shared.) Mom, Susan, and the Coulters bid them farewell and then they got in their car and drove off.

The camp was emptying of people I knew well, and was full of people I didn’t know so well. With everyone leaving, Gina, Kendall, and I shared several knowing looks. We knew we’d have to talk about what would happen after the summer, but none of us wanted to.

***

A little while later, Susan came down to the lake, clad in her usual bikini bottoms. She stopped by where Gina, Kendall, Kara, and I were sunning ourselves.

“Paul, do you think you could come by later today and look at my yard. There’s a lot of storm debris that I’d like to clean up. It’s nothing major, a couple hours of work, but I’ll pay you for it.”

I shrugged. “You don’t have to pay me,” I said. “As long as you let me lift the heavy branches. I know you like to help, but you and pine branches are a dangerous combination.”

Much to Gina and Kendall’s mild consternation, Susan and I laughed at our shared joke.

“See if I fix you peas again,” she said tartly.

That set us both to laughing again.

“When would you like me to come by?” I asked, once we’d regained our composure.

“Anytime this afternoon,” she said.

“Would you like some help cleaning up?” Gina asked me.

“Sure,” I quickly replied. Then I looked to Kendall.

“I go where my man goes,” she said. Then she grinned guiltily when she realized what she’d let slip in front of Susan.

Gina and I grinned as well, but for a different reason. The likelihood of Susan not knowing about the three of us was practically nonexistent. I didn’t know how we’d do it, but Gina and I needed to discreetly tell Kendall a little more of our background, especially where Susan was involved.

We quickly decided that I’d go take a look at Susan’s house and yard after dinner. Then we’d do the work the following morning. Susan offered to fix us breakfast, and we readily accepted.

“Breakfast won’t be anything special,” she said, looking pointedly at me, “but I’m sure I can whip up something you’ll enjoy.”

I rolled my eyes at the audacity of mentioning our special breakfasts, but she shrugged it off with an impish grin.

“Okay,” I said, trying to return the conversation to a more mundane tack. “I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

She nodded.

“And then we’ll all be there first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Be sure to fix a lot of food,” Gina said with a grin. “Paul really likes a big breakfast.”

“You know,” Susan said to her seriously, deliberately not looking at me, “I like a big breakfast too.”

I nearly choked on my tongue at her double entendre. And I’ll never know how Susan said it with a straight face.

After that, she went off to talk to my mom and Gina’s parents. Kara was reading her book, so Gina, Kendall, and I decided to swim out to the raft and relax where we could have some privacy. Once there, we watched Drew try in vain to impress Erin and Leah.

“He’s so transparent,” Kendall said after a few minutes. “Now that the easy Jordan girls are gone, he’s looking for his next score.”

“Me-ow!” Gina said, making cat-clawing motions with her hand.

Kendall blushed. “Was it that bad?”

“Not really. I’m just teasing you.”

“Sorry,” Kendall said. “I guess I did get a little catty.”

“I do the same thing sometimes,” Gina said with a shrug.

“Yeah, but I hate it when I do it. Anyway, let’s change the subject.”

“Let’s,” Gina agreed. “So ... what do you wanna talk about?”

“I dunno.”

“How about one of my favorite things?”

“What’s that?” Kendall asked.

Gina glanced slyly at me. “Paul,” she said slowly, grinning.

“Mmmmm, one of my favorite subjects too.”

I’m sure I blushed appropriately.

“What should we talk about?” Gina asked, speaking to Kendall as if I weren’t lying between them.

“Oh, I dunno,” Kendall mused, also ignoring me.

Gina pretended to deliberate. “How about we talk about something we both enjoy?”

“And what would that be?” Kendall asked with faux innocence.

I knew where the conversation was headed as well as they did, and I felt my cheeks heat further.

“We could talk about his dick,” Gina said, as if she’d just stumbled upon the idea.

“Hmmmm, we could. I’ve always enjoyed looking at it. And it’s even more fun to feel.”

“Um, girls,” I asked plaintively, “do we have to talk about this?”

“You don’t like us talking about your penis?” Gina asked sweetly.

“Your dick?” Kendall added.

“Your cock.”

“Tallywhacker.”

“Johnson,” Gina said.

“John Thomas.”

“Weenie.”

“Hose.”

“Trouser snake.”

“Mr. Wiggly.”

The girls went back and forth, much to my chagrin and their growing amusement: rod, dong, tool, meat, tube steak, pole, pipe, prick, pecker, salami, schlong, one-eyed monster, skin flute, and so on. I think they spent several minutes trying to top each other. I never realized there were so many words for dick. When Kendall called it the “heat-seeking moisture missile,” Gina lost it. The two of them laughed so hard I hoped their sides hurt. It was funny, though, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with them. When we all finally calmed down, I shook my head in wonder.

“You two realize that I’m going to have to lie on my stomach for the next twenty or thirty minutes,” I said.

“Why’s that?” Kendall asked innocently. Then she winked at Gina.

“Yes,” Gina said. “Why is that?”

“You know why,” I replied evenly.

“Are you hard?”

“Stiff?”

“Erect?”

“At attention?”

“Sporting a woody?”

That produced another round of giggling. It was hard to stay mad at them when they were having so much fun.

“Ah,” Kendall sighed. “I never knew talking about a guy’s equipment could be so much fun.”

Gina nodded. “Almost as much fun as looking at it.”

“Oh, I do that all the time.”

“Mmm hmm. Next topic of conversation: why we like Paul’s, ahem, equipment so much.”

“Because he lets us play with it?” Kendall asked artfully.

“Mmm hmm. And he lets us suck it.”

“And stroke it.”

“It’s full of warm, creamy goodness,” Gina said, sounding like a television commercial.

“Ooh, this sounds like a good topic,” Kendall said.

Then they launched into a discussion of my dick and its relative merits. Listening to them casually discuss it certainly didn’t do anything to ease my condition, especially when they kept discussing things they liked about it. They even compared it to the other guys in camp.

“How about Dwight?” Gina asked.

“Too big. The same with Kevin Nolan. I couldn’t take anything that size.”

Gina shook her head. “Me either. Paul is about the perfect size. But the big ones are fun to look at.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Paul’s dad’s got a pretty nice-looking dick,” Gina said. “It’s thick too, but sorry, Paul, I think it’s longer than yours.”

“You’ve never complained,” I said.

She quickly shook her head. “I think his is thinner, though. I still like yours better.”

“It’s good genetics,” Kendall said. “Nice dicks obviously run in the family. Okay, how about Manfred?”

Gina shuddered playfully. “His dick’s too skinny. And I know Manfred too well. Uh-uh. What about Drew?”

Kendall shrugged. “He’s my brother.”

“Yeah, but he’s kinda cute.”

“You don’t have to live with him,” Kendall said.

“But he’s got a nice dick.”

“Gina! He’s my brother.”

“Yeah.”

“Besides,” Kendall said with a grin, “I still like Paul’s better than Drew’s. Paul’s is thicker, and longer too.”

“You’ve seen Drew with a hard-on?”

Kendall nodded. “Sure. It’s okay, I guess, but nothing special. Like I said, too thin. Anyway, let’s talk about a different guy.”

“Okay. Who?”

“Stan Dunbar. He’s got a nice dick.”

“Yeah, but it’s a little too veiny for my taste,” Gina said.

“How do you know what his tastes like?” Kendall asked playfully.

Gina merely rolled her eyes. “Manfred’s dad’s is cute too. Although it’s too skinny as well.”

“Yeah,” Kendall said, nodding. “Genetics.”

“How about Jenny’s dad? He’s got a nice dick.”

“Yeah, he does. Good size, good shape, good length. I give it two thumbs up.”

“Wouldn’t that be ‘two nipples up’?” Gina asked, grinning shamelessly.

With that, they started giggling again. I merely shook my head, half in good-natured dismay and half in amusement. I’m glad they liked my dick, but I never realized they paid so much attention to other guys’ dicks as well.

When they stopped giggling, they started talking about some of the men none of us knew very well. They discreetly pointed to where a large group of people were sunbathing on the shore of the lake and discussed the merits of each guy’s manhood. Some of them they didn’t like: too stubby, too thin, it bends to the side, weird looking, etc ... Others, they did like: good thickness, good length, nicely shaped head, etc. They did wish they could see them erect, however, since it’s difficult to really appreciate a guy’s dick unless it’s hard (according to them).

The whole time they talked, I was almost painfully erect. I’m sure they were having fun, but I was also convinced that about half the reason for the current topic of conversation was to keep me aroused. It probably excited the two of them as well, which is why they were being so imaginative.

The conversation ultimately turned to the finer points of fellatio. Evidently, Kendall had done a lot of reading on the subject, so she was able to contribute quite a bit to the discussion. With her book knowledge and Gina’s empirical knowledge, they ended up having a lengthy discussion. My erection seemed to throb with a mind of its own, with no relief in sight.

“Okay,” I said at last, interrupting a minor debate over friction versus suction. “If you two keep this up, I’m going to make a scene.”

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Gina asked, blinking innocently.

I growled at her.

“I think he’s excited,” Kendall said.

“Horny.”

“Randy.”

“Hot to trot!”

“Okay, you two,” I said with good-natured menace, “you asked for it.”

I quickly rose to my knees and then crouched with my back to the sunbathers, hoping to hide my jutting erection. In a flash, I scooped up Gina and tossed her over the side of the raft. Kendall squealed and tried to get away, but I caught her ankle and pulled her toward me. She squirmed and resisted, but I threw her over the side as well. Before the splash had died down, I launched myself over them and arced into the water. The shock of the cold water did nothing to abate my hard-on.

The girls were sputtering, laughing, and trying to keep me away by splashing water at me. They backed toward the shallow end of the lake, but I waded after them, undeterred. I caught Kendall first. She struggled, but I was far stronger than her. I picked her up and tossed her toward the deeper part of the lake. Gina splashed me vigorously and tried to get away, but I caught her as well. She soon followed Kendall, gracelessly flying through the air as I heaved her upward.

Then I swam toward them and captured Gina before she could get her bearings. I slung her over my left shoulder, her ass in the air. I gave her a playful swat for good measure and then waded toward Kendall. The water was just above my waist, so I could still move pretty quickly. When I reached her, I bent and caught her around the waist. I easily lifted her onto my right shoulder.

With two laughing, squealing girls over my shoulders, every eye on the shore was watching us, most of them chuckling. The girls tried to wriggle free as I waded into deeper water, but I held on tight. When the water was up to my chest, I flexed my legs and tossed the girls. Their laughing screams of outrage were incredibly rewarding. When they surfaced, I tried to look unfazed by their giggles.

“Had enough?” I asked.

“We surrender!” Kendall said, although it was clear she was only playing along.

“Don’t manhandle us,” Gina said facetiously, laughing.

“Please don’t throw us in the briar patch, Brer Paul.”

I stepped close to them so my voice wouldn’t carry. “Well, I was all ready to go somewhere and have a little fun.” I shrugged. “But since you’re not interested, I guess I’ll just go somewhere by myself and jerk off.”

“Hold on a second,” Gina said quickly.

“Unnnnh,” Kendall whined at the same time.

“So you are interested?” I asked.

“Let’s get our towels,” Gina said.

Kendall quickly nodded her agreement.

We gathered up our things and headed up the hill. My dick wasn’t exactly hard, but it certainly wasn’t soft either. I tried to keep moving, so no one could get a good look and realize I was semi-erect.

Since both Mom and Erin were at the lake, we knew my cabin would be deserted. When we got there, I actually did jerk off, if only a little. I quickly had a lot of help. The day before, we hadn’t had time for the blowjob lesson, so Kendall wanted it now. Gina was more than happy to oblige. I flopped down on the couch and avidly watched as the girls moved between my wide-spread legs. They teased me a little, rehashing their conversation about how to give a good blowjob, instead of actually doing it. But enough of the discussion involved some lips-on instruction, so I was happy.

Gina demonstrated and then Kendall imitated her. Neither of them could take more than half my dick, but that didn’t matter, since they concentrated on the sensitive glans. Finally, Kendall said she wanted to swallow my come. Gina grinned unabashedly and moved aside. With all the playing around and instruction, I was already very close.

Watching Kendall pull her hair back and tuck it behind her ears in preparation only made me more eager. When she finally started taking long, slow strokes, with lots of tongue, I almost grabbed her head and forced her down. With one hand, she leisurely jerked me off while she sucked me. With the other, she cupped my balls and pressed her fingers against the area immediately beneath them.

“Get ready,” Gina said, sensing how close I was. “When he comes, he shoots a lot, and the first couple of spurts are usually pretty strong.”

Without taking her lips off my straining erection, Kendall nodded. Gina looked at me and smiled. She must’ve been in heaven watching Kendall suck me off. When I felt the first rush of orgasm, my legs and buttocks tensed up.

“He’s gonna come,” Gina warned. “Get ready to swallow.”

Kendall locked her lips around my shaft, just below the crown, and started stroking me (just like I’d shown her the day before). Then she did something unexpected—she pressed her fingers against the spot under my scrotum.

It felt like she’d detonated a bomb inside my groin! Wild lances of pure pleasure speared through my body and a flash erupted behind my eyeballs. I cried out wordlessly and arched my back, every muscle going taut. Great, huge, gushing torrents of sperm shot from my dick and flooded Kendall’s mouth. I vaguely recall hearing her cry out in surprise and excitement. My eyes clamped shut and my senses closed off, one by one, as my orgasm overpowered them.

When the room finally stopped spinning, Kendall was coughing. I opened my eyes and looked down my torso. Her eyes were watering and she had a very surprised look on her face. Rivulets of come ran down her chin, where they had ultimately dripped onto her upper chest.

Gina was staring at her in amazement. “I don’t think he’s ever come that hard before,” she said, stunned.

Kendall coughed again. “Wow!”

“What did you do?” Gina asked.

Kendall swallowed and then smiled bashfully. “Something I read about.” She looked at me in amazement. “But I had no idea...”

“What was it?” Gina asked excitedly.

“I read that when a guy has an orgasm, it feels even better if you massage his prostate.”

“Show me,” Gina practically demanded.

I merely watched as Kendall showed Gina how to put pressure on the spot under my balls—my prostate, evidently. They excitedly discussed the possibilities while I lay there, feeling like I’d just lost a ten-minute wrestling match with Emmett Carstairs (the arrogant prick). According to Kendall, it felt even better if the girl stuck her finger in the guy’s ass. Fortunately, none of us were really enthusiastic about that idea!

Eventually, Gina noticed that Kendall still had come on her chin and chest. I could see that Gina clearly wanted to help the other girl clean it off, with her tongue, most likely, but she restrained herself. Instead, she fetched a wet, warm washcloth from the bathroom. Kendall’s relieved expression prompted Gina to smile warmly in understanding. After she cleaned her face and breasts, Kendall gently washed me off. My dick was completely limp, and she lovingly moved it around as she wiped me clean.

Both girls had gotten worked up while they’d been sucking me off, but I was in no condition to have sex with either of them. Instead, I decided to get creative. While I sat on the floor with my back to the couch, I had Gina kneel on the couch, over my face. I licked and sucked her pussy until I had her juices on my cheeks and chin. Then I had her switch places with Kendall, who I gave the same treatment. While I was licking Kendall’s hooded pink clit, Gina knelt between my legs and sucked me back to life.

When I was hard enough, I had both girls kneel on the couch, facing the window. I stood behind them and played with their pussies. When they were both moaning softly, I moved behind Kendall and entered her. I had to take my time and slowly work my dick into her pussy, but she took it all, flinching only once. Then I gripped the flare of her hips and began gently thrusting. While I slid my cock in and out of her, I reached over to finger Gina’s pussy.

After several minutes of fucking Kendall, I pulled out. She groaned and glanced at Gina enviously. Then I stepped behind Gina and thrust into her with more force than I’d used with Kendall. While I was pumping into her, I played with Kendall’s pussy.

I switched back and forth several more times, fucking each girl for a few minutes before moving to the other. Gina came first, heaving and shuddering as I pounded into her. When she collapsed on the couch, I moved behind Kendall. As I thrust into her, I reached around and played with her swaying breasts. I rolled and pulled on her nipples, which finally sent her over the edge. As I recognized the first twinges of her orgasm, I thrust into her one final time, burying my dick to the root. Her already tight pussy fluttered and contracted around it. When she came, she was nearly silent, trembling and panting as her orgasm suffused her with pleasure.

I still hadn’t come yet, so I pulled out and gently lowered Kendall to the couch. Then I offered my slick cock to Gina. She eagerly licked it clean and then wrapped her lips around the shaft. Kendall watched with hooded eyes as Gina finished me off, swallowing as I squirted into her mouth. Belatedly, she remembered to try pressing against my prostate, but I’d mostly finished coming by then.

Afterward, we all cleaned up in the bathroom. Once we were presentable again, we went back down to the lake as if we hadn’t been Up To Something. Completely sated, we spent the rest of the afternoon dozing on our lounge chairs.

***

After dinner, I stopped by Susan’s house to look at the storm damage. As she had said, it was limited to fallen branches. I surveyed things while we walked together and talked about some of the new families at camp.

We continued our conversation inside, the topic changing to the difficulties of sharing me. I know she wanted some time with me, but adding Kendall to the relationship had complicated things. A lot. The complications were worth it, but they were still a factor.

If I wanted to treat Kendall as Gina’s equal, then the “rules” that Gina and I had established would also hold for my relationship with Kendall. That meant I wouldn’t go behind her back and have sex with someone else, someone outside our relationship. Someone like Susan.

Susan, of course, understood completely. We sat on the couch just talking about it for a while. I had my arm around her, and she was simply enjoying my company. But I could tell that she wanted more. I wanted more as well. I certainly missed our conversations, but I also missed the sex. We talked about it for a few minutes, more wishful thinking than anything else. Underlying everything, though, was Susan’s love for me and her desire for my happiness. So she eventually returned the conversation to me and my relationship with Gina and Kendall.

“How are things going with Kendall?” she asked.

“Good, actually. A lot better than I thought they might.”

“Oh?”

I told her about the previous day, in broad strokes. Once again, she simply let me tell the story my own way, without any interruptions. I mentioned that Gina and Kendall had worked things out so Kendall and I could be alone together. Then I told her about Kendall misleading me about her virginity, and how her first time had been painful. I told her about Kendall and Gina having sex. It was mostly one-way sex, but it was more than Gina or I (or Susan) had expected. I also told her about Kendall not being on the pill, and that I needed to get some rubbers. Finally, I talked about how Kendall had mostly accepted the three-way relationship we had. When I was done, Susan looked at me seriously.

“It sounds like Kendall has a very open mind,” she said.

I nodded.

“Do you think she’d understand about the two of us?” she asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Gina knew about her own parents’ lifestyle before she found out about you and me. And while Kendall may know your parents are swingers, there’s a big difference between knowing and understanding.”

“Yeah. Gina has had a lot more time to get used to it.” I laughed, short and sharp. “I’ve had more time to get used to it. I might not’ve known about my parents’ swinging before a few weeks ago, but it didn’t take me long to adjust.”

She nodded in agreement, but then turned thoughtful. “Kendall knew about you having sex with both Gina and Kara, right?”

“Yeah. Although I think she figured it out before we told her.”

She sighed pensively and shook her head. “I just don’t know her or her family well enough.”

“Well, she reads a lot. And like you said, she seems to be pretty open-minded.”

“But how do you think she’d react if she knew about you and me having sex? Would she accept that I’m not a threat to her relationship with you? Would she even accept that I’m old enough to be your mother, yet we have sex? In other words, would our age difference be a problem for her?”

It was my turn to shake my head. “I don’t know.” Then I snapped my fingers. “Wait a minute! Today! She and Gina were talking about the guys in camp.”

“And?”

I blushed. “Well, they were kinda talking about their dicks.”

“I see,” she said with a wry grin.

“Yeah, they were teasing me. But anyway, they were talking about the men too.”

“Talking about? How?”

“Well,” I said, “they were talking about their dicks, as I said, and whether or not they liked them. She didn’t seem to be turned off that they were grown-up men.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “So, she might not be shocked by an older man and a younger woman, such as herself. Which means she might not be shocked by you and me. But that’s a big ‘might.’”

“No kidding.”

“And she might still be territorial.”

“Territorial?” I asked, a little confused.

“She might not like anyone having sex with you, unless it’s Gina, regardless of age.”

“Oh.” Then I shook my head. “I don’t think she’d be territorial. I don’t know why, but...” I shrugged. “I mean, she never saw Jenny as a threat. Do you think I should talk to her? About you and me, I mean.”

She shrugged again.

I wasn’t used to seeing Susan not know what to do. In one way, it was understandable, and it made her more human. But in another way, it was frustrating, because I’d become accustomed to her good advice.