Chapter 44

I woke to a body on my chest nibbling on my ear lobe. My arms were still full of warm bodies, so I knew it was likely Di who had moved up. “Oh, good you’re awake. Get working on the compound today we going to want to fill it with babies in a year,” she whispered and then moved down kissed me, and was off. I worked my arms out and went to relieve myself. No one came to join me, so I hit the shower and did the rest. Di was back in the bed behind Sue, and it was just starting to get light out. I headed out to the kitchen, got the coffee and breakfast going, and then brought it back about thirty minutes later. Coffee being that magical elixir had them all up and going. Then the plates of food hit the bed and they were busy with breakfast. We needed to change the sheets anyways after last night so what were a few more crumbs? The other three finished and were off to get their showers and start the day. Mary came over and stood by me.

“You’re up early after a busy night.”

“Little fairy woke me up nibbling on my ear and then whispering how I needed to get busy with the compound being built. That you four wanted to fill it with babies.”

“I won’t say she is wrong.” Mary snickered.

“Anyways I was not going back to bed, I made breakfast and here we are.”

“Let’s change the bed and then I can get in the shower while you’re cleaning the rest of this up.”

We finished and Mary went to the bathroom and headed to the shower. I heard it turn on and then back off. I headed to the kitchen and then got busy putting everything in the dishwasher from breakfast and cleaning up the mess from last night we had left out. Ann came out carrying the sheets and then went over to the chair to work with her blow dryer. She stopped to kiss me “Thanks for breakfast this morning and everything else.” She giggled and winked and was off.

Sue and Di were out before Ann had finished and each got a glass of water and came by for a kiss. Sue stopped to kiss me “One day closer for me to start having our babies.” And she was gone.

“Better get that compound built.” Di giggled and then kissed me. She with her water in hand too.

Ann finished, got her water another kiss, and asked. “Can you drop the sheets in the washer?” as she turned to head to her classroom.

Mary was still finishing so I headed off to deposit the sheets and get everything set to wash them. She tracked me down once the washer had started and came up behind me hugging me. Laying her head on my shoulder from behind. “Are you going to ink us all as yours too?” she asked.

I turned around and looked into her eyes. “The idea excites or frightens you?” I asked.

“Both, a week ago I was working in a university setting as a sex therapist who was using that to satisfy my nymphomania. Today I am living with you, my sister, Di, and Sue and looking at making this a long-term reality including children. We can’t marry obviously so the tattoo is a valid way to show and support our bond together with them and to you. That you have tatted others to own them as yours is more of both.” She stopped to take a breath and then began again. “Nothing like this other than my family and education has been long-term in my life after I turned thirteen. Toss in that my Ph.D. is shot and it’s all family with us together. So frightened as I move into a new uncharted place and excited that I do it with all of us.”

“I can understand all of that. It has been part of my history and not part of it. Look at me today, I am, by all accounts an orphan. We together are creating a new family you for the first time as a parent me starting over from the beginning of that. The idea of the tattoo being a sign of owning you is more of a mental aspect to know you are mine. I am much more owned by the four of you when you make that choice. I stopped to take a breath and then looked deeply into her eyes. “Your total commitment to me requires that same commitment back to you. I am responsible not only to each of you but to all children we have together.”

“How do you do that?” she asked looking just as deeply as before into my eyes.

“Old age and treachery,” I replied with a laugh.

“Stop it, I want to know how you can be so calm in all of this.”

“Look at my life, where I am. You’re still working on starting it. I have lived that part and learned the lessons of it. I see with older eyes and experience which tells me what I need to be and to do. A few years from now you will realize that kids are resilient, inquisitive, and often a pain. That is not in your experience as a parent now. To use one of my dad’s sayings. I’m that duck slowly and smoothly moving across the water. You just don’t see how hard I am paddling to look like that.”

“In this case, I see that.”

“I can see clearly now, said the blind man.” I laughed.

“I see that I have let the monster out is what I see. Let’s go work on the snack for the nutrition break.”

“The hordes of wild women will be descending soon.”

“I’ll inform them you see them as a hoard.”

“You forget your sister basically fell into my open arms when there were out hoarding together.”

“She did that didn’t she,” Mary laughed.

“Then she and her girlfriends picked me up in that same store and took me home for their carnal delights to be satisfied.”

“Were they satisfied?”

“Apparently not as they have kept me held hostage at their demand to the state said needs constantly.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Never have, never will.” I laughed.

We made our way back to the kitchen and worked on a light snack for the nutrition break that was coming up. The three of them were with us a short time later. I got kisses as they passed, and they got their drinks and snack.

“How is the compound going?’ Di asked.

Not one of them asked about the compound so I knew they had discussed it.

“I was thinking that building a zoo might be more acceptable.” I got a series of raspberries in response.

“I will have to sit, think, try and remember some of the people I knew and then look for an architect.”

“It’s that complicated?” Sue asked.

“Nothing money and time cannot fix.”

“Not to question but I am questioning. Is that lot the best one to build the compound on, since it is going to be larger than any other homes?” Ann asked.

“A very good question. And one I do not have an answer to now. We are going to have many discussions about the house. And that is also going to out us as a polyamorous group.”

“What?” Sue shrieked.

“Calm down, we are going to be building a compound and obviously there will be contractors, architects, and others that will see us all together. Unless you are going to designate just one of you to make all of the decisions for the rest.”

“That would be like you having a wife and the rest of us just being additions,” Ann said

“I did not say that was what I wanted, what you need to decide is if you are ready to be exposed even slightly. We will never keep it hidden forever. Just when and how we expose it is in some of our control.”

“Why only some?” Di asked.

“Because people love to gossip, and this is prime gossip,” Mary answered.

“Oops, time to get back to class. We need to go and then go.” Sue said as she was up and off to the bathroom.

Mary and I cleaned up and then I headed to the chair to sit and think for a bit. I was thinking about the house and the people I use to know in city government when it hit me. Mary was sitting on the couch with her Ipad going when I said.

“I would put three more plates out for lunch.”

“Why?”

“What do you think?”

“People are going to be coming here you believe.”

“Those four know the rest.” I smiled.

“I’ll make enough for lunch just in case.” She laughed quietly and rolled her eyes as she did.

“I take it they knew about Mom and Rachel. And where the house is?”

“We were all friends, yes”

“These friends all wore your ink too.” She smiled at catching me revealing that and then a wink.

“That they did, a very friendly bunch of friends,” I replied and rolled my eyes back at her.

Mary left them to go work on lunch while I sat and pondered the past again and then the house. Mary returned with a glass of Makers and a glass of red wine or herself. “I opened a couple of bottles; we will need to make a run to get some more soon.”

“Let’s see how things go and we might go after when they are teaching again.”

It was nearing noon when a car pulled into the drive and three doors were heard closing. I looked out and there stood Tiff, Carol, and Penny. All a few years older of course but still looking as good as ever. I met them at the door not even bothering to dress and they walked in kissed me before they passed and then undressed also.

Mary watched all of this from a few feet away and then the other three were right there next to her.

“Ladies, if you wouldn’t mind, could you turn for a few moments.” They did and there was a woosh as the three tattoos came into view. “May I present to you my three additional owned women?” “Tiff,” and she turned, “Carol” and she did the same, and finally “Penny. So, you know Carol and Tiff are sisters.”

Ladies may I present “Ann, Susan, Diane, and Mary. Ann and Mary are sisters and Mandy’s daughters. Diane is Rachel’s daughter and Susan is a best friend. The three of them Ann, Sue, and Di own this home that you know as Mandy’s and they are teachers at the local high school. Mary is a Ph.D. candidate in Ab Psyche.”

They all stood there taking it in and then Ann asked. “Didn’t Penny work at the school as the secretary?”

“Penny answered. “Yes, I did, then I went to work when I was offered a job at his company for a better salary and benefits.”

“Benefits.” Sue giggled.

“That was a secondary issue.” She smiled and then giggled back.

“How is Craig doing these days,” I asked Tiff.

“Forget Craig how could you not tell us when Lilly and the girls died and then your parents?” Tiff said with a lot of hurt and anger in her voice.

“You will simply need to forgive me in my grief, my world stopped. Then it was the past and you were all living your lives. I debated stopping by the next time I was in town but that came when I was here to deal with my parent’s death and funeral. There is no excuse just the reality of how I dealt poorly with it all.”

Tiff walked forward and hugged me and put her head on my shoulder and sobbed. Then Carol was there and finally Penny. I was busy with them and simply lost track of the others. When we calmed down Mary was there with tissues which we all used and then she brought us to the table. The plates were set, and the food was there.

The bottles were on the table and my glass was refilled and at my seat. We all sat down and then passed the food around. I waited and then started the conversation again as the other took small bites.

“How are Craig and the children?” I asked Tiff. She finished and then answered.

“He is as happy as he can be with all three of the kids. Just as happy it seems how work and the trust are doing.”

There was a small gasp from Di then.

“I have a child with him also,” Carol said.

“As do I, Carol and I are partners married now and raising our two children together,” Penny said with pride in her voice.

“I’m sorry I missed the ceremony for you both,” I replied.

“It’s water under the bridge now. We cannot go back for any of it so let’s look forward. It appears you have the making here of something special again.” Tiff smiled as she looked first at me and then the four of them.

“You have twelve children with all of the women in your life that live here,” Ann said in what was likely astonishment.

“In my defense, I only thought eleven,” I said without joking.

“The twins are so special,” Penny said.

“You know about the slaves he owned?” Ann asked who seemed to be having a difficult time putting it all in perspective.

“We are all very good friends,” Penny added.

“Do I need to ask how good?” Mary giggled.

“Think what you want but they would be as comfortable with us here as they were last evening with all of you, I hear,” Carol said.

“How did you know they were here?” Ann asked.

“You mentioned them being her earlier. That was okay because what you didn’t know, and he would never say until it is explained by another is that Sasha is a part of the company also. She came to work at it while she was finishing her Ph.D. and she is a partner there now with the three of us.”

The four of them stopped to look at each other then and turned to me. I simply looked back and said “I do not out anyone about anything. The four of them, Lilly and I, worked out a deal to sell my company and other assets to them then I moved my family north.” They all looked at each other and then back at me. “It’s part of my past if you have to know we can discuss it but it’s rude to do that now why they are here visiting.”

“What is in the past is in the past. We know you all have a special relationship for the future. We are not claiming any part of that. We are closer than friends but not looking to destroy what will be a very special part of your future together.” Tiff said with Penny and Carol nodding in agreement.

“There is a possibility we will see each other in and around town then?” Di asked.

“If we all live in this city or close by it that is very likely once the pandemic is settled. We are never going to disclose anything about our past or our future. Of course, we enjoy getting to know you all better and being friends.”

That ended the conversation for a while as lunch was eaten and wine drank. I watched the eye play between them all and then stopped to eat and drink mine. We finished and when to the living room this time Ann sitting on my lap.

“This is such a nice home, Mandy left you most of her things it appears,” Penny said to start the conversation.

“She wanted all new when they moved to Ireland,” Ann said as she had an arm around me holding me close and as tight as one could and not appear to be doing just that.

“You can let go of him a little Ann. We’re not going to take him from you.” Tiff said.

“He’s your problem now.” Carol laughed and then Penny joined in.

“What do you want to ask?” Tiff asked no one in particular.

“Why?” asked Di.

“Why what?”

“Why did it all start and how did it get to be all it was.”

“That is really a question for him to answer.”

I looked around at them all sitting there my past again and my future. “When I married Lilly she was a virgin and after a time she wanted to explore sex with others that she had missed when she was younger. She promised her mother that she would be one on her wedding night and she was. That was then this is now. What she came to want was to explore others. We sat down and talked it over for a long time. When we were certain and agreed that it would always be our family first. I agreed and we opened our marriage to have others involved.” I stopped to look around at the four as the others already knew and then took another drink. Emptying my glass which had Penny get up and as she did the Lilly tattoo came into view clearly. Ann nudged Sue and nudged Mary and Di saw it.

“I was both his and Lilly’s,” Penny said after she saw them all look, coming over to grab the glass and head to the kitchen.

“How did it start?”

“Since everything is well known but a few steps I am going to discuss it. I am not comfortable with it but asking these three or asking your mothers would reveal it anyways.” Penny returned with my glass and then stopped to bend over and kiss me before she headed back to her set.