Chapter 8

The first lockdown was tough for Kat. Obviously, we have each other, but that’s lean pickings for Kat. She really enjoys a rich tapestry of people around her. I had been really concerned about the impact of all the extra people on our family life, but I was quickly learning that I had under-appreciated the benefits that they brought.

All of us had been sad during the first lockdown, but I most noticed it with Toni and Kat.

Having Jael in her room, and in her life, that had completely transformed Toni. She was very definitely the life and soul of the family now, more so than before. The contrast between the first and second lockdowns was amazing. During the first lockdown, Toni had whined constantly about going out, though it had never happened. This time, she just turned inwards and was completely disinterested in any excuse to leave – totally focused on her little paradise here. And she’d got Jael on side on the whole nudity thing. Jael was now just as militant about it as Toni. Even when we sat around the outside fire on the cold winter nights, Jael refused to do anything more than wrap a blanket around herself.

Kat told me that she even found Jael and Toni Facetimeing a friend of Jael’s from her old school, both happily naked while the friend was clothed, though they were working on her to get naked. We’d never really anticipated something like that happening, and we weren’t sure what the rules should say.

We should have anticipated it, though, because we like Facetime sex, and we had already started doing it a once a week or so. The pattern was pretty consistent; Kat would set up some sexy time late at night with one friend or another, sometimes off the Whatsapp group. Then we’d call them once we were in bed, and we’d talk about how we were going with lockdown. The talk would gradually turn sexy, and we’d take turns doing foreplay, until we got to the main event. Generally, the calls sort of got irrelevant at that point – we’re just too busy to focus on the phone or hold it in the right place. It got better once I installed a fixed camera and a tablet screen on the wall behind our bed and improved the lighting so our friends could see Kat better. But we did, reluctantly, make a new rule for Jael and Toni: no digital nudity or sexy stuff unless you talk to us about it first. I think that Kat said OK to them having naked virtual sleep overs with Toni’s friends a couple of times through lockdown.

We might have had more virtual sex, but Kat was really satisfied with our home life. She was really enjoying talking to Sal and Zara, and working with them to help them adjust to our expectations, and have better lives. It might sound easy but both of them really needed to behave in a very disciplined fashion, and they both found it wearing.

Kat was happy and fulfilled. It was all I could do to keep up with her in bed. But I did get some help from unexpected places. One day during the second week, I was on a call with a youngish surgeon named Pete from one our customer hospitals, and it was just him and me on the call. He was explaining this idea he had to improve the flow of patients being admitted to his hospital. He was deep into the explanation when a very attractive young woman in sexy underwear walked into the background. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I say something? But then she leaned back and out of the picture, so I decided not to. A few minutes later, she sat up and removed her bra, and stretched, quite provocatively. Again, should I say something? Then Pete hesitated, and a hint of a smirk appeared on his face, but he kept going.

Interesting. Game on, then. I decided to say nothing. Then she slid over the back of the lounge she was on, naked, and disappeared off the screen. Soon after, he adjusted the way he was sitting, and though he was still talking just as much, he was a little disjointed. The lucky bugger was getting a blow job! But if he wanted to ignore it, so would I. Suddenly he stopped speaking briefly, and stiffened a little. Pretty good effort at hiding it as he came, actually.

A few seconds later, the girl slid up his side and turned to the camera, licking her lips, with a lascivious smile on her face. “Hi Dave,” she said.

Weird, I’m sure I don’t know this girl. Great tits though. She’s really beautiful in all every way. What should I say?

Then she laughed. “You don’t remember who I am, but say hello to Kat for me!”

All was explained; I didn’t need to know anything more. I checked the time, and we had about ten minutes left. I quickly sent Kat a message saying, ‘Come here, NOW!’, and then said, “Hey, if you hang around, you can say that yourself.” Then I went back the original subject and Pete and I talked further, all the while with her hanging on to him and caressing her nipples.

Then Kat showed up. I merely pointed to her to come join the call. Shocked, she pointed at her chest, so I gave her the thumbs up and repeated the gesture. She shrugged, decided to trust me, and sat down next to me, still not knowing who was on the call. Man, my wife is hot!

“Hi Kat!”

“Hey, hi Sandi. Wow, it’s been ages. What are you doing on this call?”

Wait – Sandi ... I do know this girl after all. But it’s from a while ago. Sandi was a young physio student who did some early training with Kat. I met her once, I think. Kat realised that she was having trouble controlling herself dealing with a very hot young sports star Kat was treating, and when she talked about to her about it, discovered another young woman with a very solid sex drive, and close to losing control of it. Kat took her under her wing for a while and showed her how to manage it. And clearly, how to make use of it.

“It’s a long story, but when I heard Dave’s voice, I knew I had to say hello. Just know that it’s all because of you.” As she said this, she pointed at the surgeon and their house around them.

Then I saw the penny drop for the surgeon. “Oh,” he said, “I have a lot to thank you for. Sandi, make sure we invite them over after lockdown.”

“Thanks,” I said, “we’ll look forward to that, but in the meantime, I have some urgent business to attend to.”

He smiled. “You go do that, and we’ll talk next week.”

As soon as Kat heard my line about urgent business, she started for the bed. By the time I get there, she was on her hands and her knees on the edge of the bed, rubbing lubricant on herself. “Go,” she said, and I just slid straight in. It probably took ten strokes and I was done.

Kat stood up, kissed me and said, “Thanks! OK, get back to work, I’ll clean you up in a minute.” A few minutes into my next call, she appeared out of the shower with a cloth and cleaned me up while I was talking.

I hoped that having a bigger family around me, and with things like that occasionally happening, it would be enough for Kat. I was sure, once the lockdown started, that our family was finished growing. Of course, I should’ve known better than to think that after what had happened in the lead-up to it.

One day this week we were sitting around dinner, a very nice pasta dish that Toni had made, when there was a sudden silence, and all the children were looking at Tim expectantly.

“Dad and Mum, “ – that was what he called us consistently now – “You know how we were talking about pets the other day?” I nodded. “Well, we got talking about it later, and we all really, really would like to have a pet.”

There was a chorus of support around the table. Even from Jim and Edna, I noticed. They were all ganging up on Kat and I.

“So I did some research. I walked around our property, and I talked to my dad, and we looked around on the web, and this is what we can do: we can get a little lamb. There’s plenty of grass – more than just the lawn. I looked around the bush, and I checked all the perimeter fences. They’re all good. We’ll have to feed it with warm milk morning and evening, and all of us have promised to go in the roster. We’ll need to build it a little shelter for the first winter and to keep it safe from foxes. I can do that – we had a pet lamb when I was ten. And little lambs are so cute.”

I looked around the family. I could see straight away that everyone was totally sold on this idea, even Kat. I know when not to stand in the way of the inevitable, but I saw a couple of practical problems.

“Well, Tim, I can see that there’s a lot fans of this idea, but we don’t want to have to start shutting the front gate all the time. That’d be annoying with couriers coming constantly now.”

He nodded. “I was thinking about that. We’d have to build about 100 meters of fencing to close the fence out if we want to keep leaving the gate open. That’d cost about $6000 all up, including renting a post hole digger, which I can use. Would that be possible? I could put my own money in? Zach and I reckon we can get it done in about a week.”

Well, the money would be fine, but that’s real ownership right there. I’m so pleased Tim has joined us, he’s really family now.

“Yes, in fact building that fence would have other advantages too. The money’s not an issue. But how are you going to get a lamb during lockdown? You can’t tell me you can click’n’collect a lamb within 5km of our home!”

“Yes we can! I talked to dad about it, and he’s got a friend who’s got a friend, and we can get a lamb delivered to the fencing place. It’ll cost us about $150. The fencing place will let us pick it up. It’s, well, it’s 5.2km. Do you think that’s OK?”

Well, that settled it. Now it was just a matter of going through the formalities. “Yes, I think that would be OK. That’s awesome, Tim, I’m really impressed. Kat?”

“Ohhh yes, please, we’ve got to do this!”

“OK, Tim, you’ve convinced us. Everyone, thank Tim!”

Group hugs all around, everyone was really excited. It’ll take a few weeks before everything comes together. I hope that they’re still that keen when the time comes.

The next day I was just starting a work call when Kat rushed into my little office. “Dave, you have to come NOW! Lem is in the driveway.”

I jumped up and rushed for the door. Just as I was about to go through it, Sal came in with Jael and Michael. They were clearly terrified, and going to shelter in our room. I stopped and turned to them. “Before I go out and talk to Lem, do you want to stay here?”

“Yes,” they said, very clearly and very strongly.

“Do you want to talk to him?”

“No,” they said, even more strongly.

OK. I rushed down the stairs and grabbed some shorts and thongs, since I already had my t-shirt on. I threw them on and went out the front door, locking it behind me.

“Hi Lem. How’s it going?”

Looking at him, my first impression was that Lem is going better than I expected. It’s ages since I’ve seen him, but he doesn’t look like the dissolute wreck Sal had described. Even if she was dramatising it, I could hope he was trying to do better. And he doesn’t look drunk, there is that.

“Sal and the kids are here aren’t they?”

“Yes,” I nodded. There didn’t seem to be any point in denying it. Someone talked somewhere. Must be through Jael, really. Sal and Michael don’t talk to anyone.

“You lied to me!”

I shrugged, “No, because you didn’t ask the right question. I would’ve lied if you had though.”

“Will you tell me the truth now?”

I looked at him evenly. “That depends on what you ask. There’s some things I won’t tell you, but I’ll try and be honest with you.”

Lem thought about that. “Is there any chance that they’ll talk to me?”

“I can answer that honestly. I think there is zero chance that they’ll talk to you now, but when the time’s right, I think they will be ready to.”

“But they have to talk to me, I’m their father.”

“Well, from a strictly legal point of view, I think you’re right. But it would take a court order with police enforcement to make it happen right now, and I really don’t think that would help you in the long run, if you could even get it. I certainly can’t make them agree to talk to you now. They’re inside and terrified right now.”

“Why do you think I wouldn’t get it?”

“Lem, we took photos of Sal when she arrived, and took her to the doctor. You gave them a very real reason to fear you, and it’s only been two weeks. If you ever want a relationship with them again, most of all with Jael, here’s what it’s going to take:”

I saw Lem’s face soften at the mention of Jael. Men and their daughters ... and Jael really is a sweet young thing.

“You have to wait until they contact you. They know that that have to eventually, but right now, they have traumatic memories to get over. And when they do, they will be asking themselves, is dad still angry? Are we going to be safe around dad? And you will have to convince them directly. Because once you hit your daughter in anger, the courts are no longer on your side. Nor should they be.”

“I’ll tell you what, though, we’re doing our best to provide them with safety and tranquillity so that they can heal and come to remember better days with you.”

His face showed me how much he still cares for them. If he could let go of his anger, and his arrogance that he owns them, he could still be a good dad. But dads lead by service, not command. How could he learn that?

“Dave, your parents tell me that your house is a den of sexual sin. It’s really hard for me to believe that you aren’t going to turn them away from me since I don’t believe in that.”

“It’s one of the great sadnesses in my life that my parents have never respected Kat, who’s been a wonderful loving and faithful wife and mother. They’ve never sought to understand why we do what do. Yes, we don’t wear clothes some of the time, and yes, Jael and Michael are the same as everyone else in that regard, as is Sal. But they’ve agreed that while they’re at our house, they won’t be having sex with anyone, and they know that we’ll throw them out if they do. Do you think that sounds like a den of sexual sin that will turn them away from you? It is true that Kat and I are letting our daughter and son’s partners live with us through lockdown, which my parents also would disagree with, but we’d rather have them with us practicing staying together rather than out there with who knows who.”