Chapter 34

I woke to Di riding me and the sounds of sympathy cums from the rest. I watched her head and then her body would shake, and the others moan more. She finally finished and was relaxing. I felt the pressure building as I softened and started to work my arms free. We had been in this position long enough now that they would just raise their heads a bit and my arms would pull out and then they were back on the pillows. Arms free I moved Di enough that I could escape and then she would be in the center again.

Done with what needed to be done and a shower by my lonesome. I made my way to the kitchen to get the coffee going and dig out some type of breakfast. I spied the berries and knew there was an appreciation for the oatmeal with them. There was that large tray in the walk-in pantry, and I was off cups poured, bowls filled, and everything needed for an enjoyable breakfast. The powers of coffee being supreme eyes opened naked women sat up took their cups a drink and then out to find a bathroom. Back from their morning break when I returned with the new pot to put on the tray. Ohs and ahs of appreciation as they were eating and drinking and then with a kiss each, they were off to prepare for the day ahead. I took everything back to the kitchen and rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. It was full so I found the soap pods and tossed them in to start when Mary came out with Di in tow. They stopped to kiss each other and then both came over to give me a better kiss than I had had before they left. Next out were Ann and Sue, and they followed the same way. There was something new of course and then I watched the eighty-eight come out and replace the eighty-nine.

“Will it be something new like that with every countdown day?”

“We talked it over and decided we are less likely to have any abandonment issues if we are as connected with each other as we are to you. Today in the morning after, the first day of that and we will see.” Mary said.

“It seems there is something else your learned besides the nymphomania for your studies. I’m happy that you’re finding a way to help them find a way to be all we can be together.”

“He did that all without a Dad comment.” You think he is feeling, okay?” Sue snickered.

“Ha ha, did any of you have plans for today that were pressing?” I looked at them and then they looked at each other.

“Nothing pressing,” Ann said.

“I’d like to get out of the house for a while this morning and head out to the house. I want all of you to go with me. I doubt it will be a gossip event with the neighbors if we drive out of the garage together.”

“We will need two cars.”

“It’s not like we can’t easily follow one after the other.”

“Can I ask what is so important about going there today?”

“Sure?” and I just waited and said nothing more

Finally, Mary had enough and asked “Well?”

“Deep hole with dug usually to find water” and laughed as they groaned.

“So”

“Needle pulling thread.”

“Stop” Sue cried out.

“In the name of Love”

“Okay, we will go out on a road trip. If for no other reason than to escape all Dad all the time monologue.”

“It’s so enjoyable to take you all out,” I said with a smile. I went back into my room, dressed, and then grabbed a few things from my luggage that remained mostly packed and then met them all at the inner door to the garage.

Mary’s car was still in there with Ann’s parked next to it. As they said neither was large enough for all of us, so I got in with Mary and Ann took Di and Sue.

The house was in an older part of town where the lots were large, and the houses were small. We got there and I exited to open the gate to the drive walking to the chain link fence that was around the remains of the house that had not been removed after the investigation was complete and the cleanup crew had finished. There was the odor of smoke still in the air.

“Mary moved close to me, and the others stood around me also.”

“Your parents died in that fire?”

“They say the smoke had killed them before the fire ever touched them.

They started to weep for my loss, and we stood there I pulled them close to me and just allowed them to let loose their emotions for people they didn’t know but that was important for me.

“That was the first and only home until I left to marry Lilly. I lived at college and a few places in between but this was always home until I made a new one with her. Now it is just a burnt-out house that holds no meaning sitting on some land that has been owned by my ancestors and is now by me. The idea of ancestors that you lived with and that even included Lilly and the girls. I am all that is left of that line. Now I am going to tell you about some of the past and how we might see the future together.

I badly want a home again. So badly I can taste it. You look at me and wonder why I just don’t jump. But want to wait. I’ve lost two homes in seven years. I have a relic of the past in Seattle but it’s a house these days. I’m thinking of making a house here that we can make into a home together. All of us and all whom we bring to it.” They moved tighter to me as I continued.

“This is a fine-sized lot you can’t easily find in this city any longer. It can support a much larger footprint for a house. Just look around and see that. Several of the old houses I grew up around have disappeared to be replaced.: I paused, and they looked around.

“I haven’t spoken much of the accident that killed Lilly and the girls. Their deaths were only the start of the misery with the insurance companies, lawyers, experts, judges, and minutia of evaluation fault or the value of life. They negotiated a settlement rather than risk a trial and be awarded something. Settlement and awards for all I suffered and continue to. They are right to call it pain and suffering. It’s been that for a very long time.” I stopped to keep my composure.

“Have it, all of it less the fees to the attorneys and it’s sitting untouched in an account I rarely even review. I know it was ten million when the final funds were sent to me. What did it matter then? Last night made it matter. There is no train coming down my tunnel, it’s the start of a new day. Glorious and sad, full of laughter and hopefully few tears, giggles and diapers, scooters, and bikes. Those things of home. So we’re here before I see the land of my ancestors to see if we want to build our future home here. That useless money destined for nowhere to bring us a new beginning out of the ashes. That’s why this field trip to this place was what I wanted to do. For you as much as me to decide if this is where we will make our home together. What do you think?”

“Where those go, I will be for me and mine from this time forward to the end of our days. Better or worse, richer or poorer, we shall be home and work to fill it with laughter and joy. Shoulder our burdens together to lighten that load. Lift high each other to expound in love.” Di had laid it all out in a clear voice.

“We can’t say with all that is to come where we live now. It’s a wonderful place with joy for you and Ann and I know that. What I want much like the bed is for us to think of what we want together. As much or as little as you think we need today with an eye to the future. We cemented that future last night and before you all go off and ask to drop the ninety days. These are trouble sometimes and we agreed to that before we moved to this. So, we will count down and live, laugh and love together and work on the desires we all have the world be damned.”

“Can we have a pool with a boy toy to clean it?” Sue asked in her lil girl voice.

The ‘What about’ game started after that. It was all in jest to lighten the load I had laid out for them to see. I knew it and they did it to help. Everyone wants more outrageous than the next playing the I’ll see you, yours, and top you with.

Finally, we were just laughing as we looked at the remains of a burnt-out past and thought to ourselves about what it could be in our future. It was Mary that finally spoke up “I say we stay here design what we want to have in our home and get busy making it. It takes a long time to construct that house.”

“For many that is the case. The basic three of building a home are quality, speed, and cost and you only get to choose two of the three.”

“Do you truly want to spend all of that on this?” Di asked

“As opposed to. Remember in the end it’s money, you can’t eat it, wear it, or live under it. It’s a way for many to keep score in their lives. I don’t care about the score. I care about the four of you.”

“You can’t say that and make us wait,” Sue said after she and Ann had changed places to allow her time to be close.

“Anyone want to use the unfair word?”

“We’re smart enough not to let you go Dad again,” Ann said with a giggle.

“I had such a great one for it too.” As I laughed.

“What do you have to do with the city if you want to build a house that we will need for our home,” Di asked.

“In this city with these times. Just be ready to spend enough to buy off the neighbors and all of the different city fathers and underlings.”