Chapter 6

It was now time for Anny’s birthday party. It had also now been a year since I had first been brought into my new life and we were celebrating. There was going to be a big Barbeque over at Mike and Elian’s. I wanted to do something special not just for Anny, but for all the girls. I wracked my brain for days but was coming up blank. I went to Ellen and asked her what I should do.

“Well let’s see. You want to get something special for each of the girls. You want it to be something individual to each girl and yet something that would show how they are also connected.” “Yep, that about sums up my problem.” Ellen thought for a second and then smiled. She hopped up and ran to her room. In a few minutes she came back waving her hand.

I looked closer and noticed what she was trying to tell me. She was wearing a ring I had given her when she was nine. It was a tiny gold ring with her birthstone and mine. When I had bought it for her it fit her ring finger and now she could barely wear it on her pinky. “Give you any ideas?” I stood up and gave her a big smooch of a kiss. “My love you are a genius.” I then ran to my office and looked into my files and was able to find all the info I needed about the girls birthdays.

(Ok, right about now you are wondering about my files. Over the last year I had created a file system at home that had any and all the information I had ever been able to pry from the girls about their lives. Birthdays, social security numbers, parents and other relatives. Anything I might need for just about any reason when acting on their behalf.)

I went to my favorite jeweler and looked to see if he had what I needed. He didn’t but he could order what I needed quickly. I got together with Ellen and had her devise a way to find each of the girls ring sizes. I have learned in the last year girls had the most devious minds when they wanted to use them.

The day of the Barbeque I picked up my special order and headed to the party with a smile and a bag with small boxes within. The minute I walked into Mikes I was swarmed with girls wanting to know what was in the bag. I told them I had a few gifts and it was not any of their business.

I then found Mike and we went into the kitchen to talk and do prep work for the food. “Yo Dave I got to ask something.” “What’s up Mike?” He looked around to make sure we were alone. “Well I have to know. What the hell made you adopt Theresa and how the hell did you do it?” I laughed at this. “Well it was after Ellen came back home. I heard her and some of the other girls one night talking about how bad Theresa had it.” I popped a beer and looked at Mike. “You know that over the last year I have kind of become like an uncle to all of them. When I heard the kind of abuse the poor girl was taking I almost turned her parents into child services. But then I knew the kind of thing that could happen and it would have been just as bad. Foster care, or who knows what. So I talked to a lawyer and we worked it all out. Next thing I know I have a cute little girl living with me.”

He took that as explanation enough and we got back to work. The food was a hit with the girls, and the girls running around in bathing suits was a hit for me and Mike. Finally we all gathered outside and did the whole cake and ice cream thing. When the presents were being given I waited with my bag. The girls ooed and awed over the gifts but all of them were wondering what I was going to do.

I waited till it was all done. I pulled Anny over to me and explained the wait. I had to rearrange my speech because of Mike’s presence. “Anny I have a gift for you, but it’s kind of involved.” I reached into the bag and began bringing out a series of boxes. Each one had a letter on top. I picked up the one with a big A on it.

“This is for you sweetheart.” I then opened the little box and turned it to her. It was a small gold band with two small stones set in it. The left stone was her birthstone, the right one was mine. I reached out and took her left hand and slipped it on her ring finger. Her smile grew as she looked at it and then at the other boxes. She looked to her father and regained her control. “Thanks Dave, it’s beautiful.” She then gave me a very chaste kiss.

“The reason your gift is complicated is this. I wanted to give you something special, but then I realized you already had something very special. You had all these great friends that you love and that love you. They are more than friends, they are more like family. So this is to show how you are all connected.” I then called each girl over and slipped a ring on each of the girl’s fingers.

Each ring was their own birthstone next to mine, and they all fit on the girl’s ring finger. When Em came up she was reluctant to accept a ring from me. “Don’t be silly Em, you are one of us too.” With that I slipped the ring on her shaking finger. Tears formed in her eyes and she clutched her hand to her chest as she walked away ... The biggest shock of the day was when Theresa got hers. When she leaned in to give me a kiss she whispered in my ear. “I do” And then she walked away. I knew exactly what she meant by that and I didn’t know how to react to the revelation

The girls were huddled in a circle, showing off their rings to each other and hugging each other. Mike came over and slapped me on the back. “Fuck dude, if I didn’t know you better I would think you just proposed to a bunch of teenagers. Now they are going to be impossible to be around.” He smiled and chuckled out loud. “Oh and you better put a pad lock on your belt loops. I know these girls and if you aren’t careful they are going to try and give you a little “something something” for those rings.” Then he gave me a broad wink. “Hell I wouldn’t blame you if you took them up on it.” Then he walked back inside.

The girls came over to me as a group and knelt in front of me. Anny was the one to speak. “Dave, we wanted to say something to you. We aren’t sure exactly what you wanted to say by giving us these rings. But you have to know what we think of them. We love them and we all love you.”

I reached into my shirt and pulled on a chain around my neck. On that chain was a thick gold disk (one of the gold coins by the way.) It was polished and there was a circle of small stones that matched each of the girl’s stones. In the center was a larger stone, my birthstone. “And it will always lie close to my heart.” The girls all smiled and ran inside.

I tucked the pendant back inside my shirt and went inside. I saw Mike standing there looking down the hall. He had the damndest look on his face. “What’s up?” Mike looked at me and then down the hall. “I don’t know what the fuck is up. All the girls just hustled down the hall and I could swear they were all crying.” I just shrugged and grabbed a beer.

The rest of the night was fun but rather subdued. Everywhere I looked the girls would be doing something but they would also be constantly looking at their rings. There was a subtle feeling of quiet joy throughout the house. When it was getting late Elian came home; expecting noise and confusion. What she came home to was a group of girls sitting around a table quietly playing monopoly.

Mike and I were sitting in the living room watching TV when she came in. “Ok what happened? I had a hard night at work and expected to have to battle and shout to get some quiet and rest, and what do I find? A room full of girls behaving quietly and a hug from both my girls. So I ask again what happened.”

Mike smiled and pointed at me. “Don’t blame me, he’s the one who did it. Things were just like normal till he had to put on a little show and mess it all up.” Elian looked at me for an explanation. I held up a finger and called out to Anny. She came running in to stand next to me. I took her hand in mine and held it up. “All I did was get a few simple gifts for Anny and the other girls. Here take a look.”

Elian came over and looked at the ring on her daughter’s finger. Being a woman she seemed to have a jewelry appraiser gene. She knew right off what that ring must have cost me. She looked at me and gave me the mom eyebrow. Anny was so proud of her gift that she gushed about how sweet it was and then she drug her mother into the dining room so she could see the other girls rings.

After a bit Elian came back to the living room and sat down. Looking at me she spoke up. “Hey Mike, would you please grab me a beer please. My feet are killing me.” He groaned about it, but got up and went to the kitchen. As soon as he was out of the room she gave me the eyebrow again. “When he comes back you need to ask me to come over to your house for a few minutes. I don’t care why just do it.” That was the problem with strong women; they are used to being obeyed.

Mike came back and we chatted for a few minutes till Elian gave me the subtle glare to get on with it. “Hey Elian, I was wondering if you could help me out. I have some things I need your advice on about the girls and wanted to know if you would mind going over to my house to discuss. I don’t want them to overhear if you know what I mean.”

She smiled and slowly got to her feet. “Sure Dave, no problem. I’m sure it can be a bit rough with two girls in the house now.” Mike glared at the two of us. “You can run off with Dave to talk but you make me get up to get you a beer?” She walked over and kissed him on the head. “That’s because I love Dave, and am married to you.” They both laughed and then she and I walked into the dark.

She was quiet till we got in the door. She headed straight for the kitchen and sat down like a queen granting an audience, or judgment. I sat down across from her and gave her back the eyebrow. “So what’s with all the diversion? Did I do something wrong?” She looked at me with a curious look. “In all truth I don’t know if you did something wrong or not.” She met my eyes. “Those rings aren’t the kind of thing you pick up at Walmart Dave. They are also not something you give to a girl and her friends to get a “best dad in the world” mug either.”

She looked at the beer she had carried over with her. She set it down and went for a cup of coffee. “I know I’m not the most involved parent or wife in the world. I spend a lot of time at work and when I am home I am a bit distant from my family.” She turned around and looked me in the eye. “But I am not blind or deaf. For almost a year Anny has been sneaking over here at night. Not long after she moved in with us Alisa began to do the same.”

I felt like I should start to make some kind of excuses or lies, but I wasn’t going to do it. She looked at me for a few minutes like she was waiting for me to start begging, lying, or something. Instead I just looked at her; waiting for her to finish what she was saying.

“Since Ellen came home it seems the girls are always over at your house day or night. And it’s not just them but all of Anny’s friends. Then when you adopted Theresa I almost never see my girls anymore. The thing is other things have changed in my family’s life.” She then sat down and took my hand in one of hers. “In the last seven or eight months I have gained a wonderful new daughter, and we never could have done it without your help and advice. Anny’s outlook on life has greatly improved along with her grades. She is even looking into what she wants to do in college.” We looked into each other’s eyes and I saw confusion.

“It used to make me kind of sad and afraid when I was around Anny’s friends. They were such bright girls with absolutely no desire to better themselves. They were all from rather harsh backgrounds and I worried that my little girl may be getting involved with it all. Then you entered the picture and things changed, not just for Anny but for all the girls.”

“I hear them talking sometimes. They used to be a very secretive bunch, but now they talk about school, life, and even the future.” She looked down into her coffee cup. “The other thing that changed is that Mike is more of a husband to me and a father to both of the girls. I was starting to become afraid that our marriage was falling apart and then poof it all starts healing again.”

“I don’t know what is going on but I need some kind of answer. I am going mad because I can’t see anything but you acting like some kind of spider in a web and we are all dancing to your tune and that makes be both happy and mad at the same time. I am happy that things are turning around for myself and the others, but I don’t like not knowing the how’s and why’s of it.”

I sat there and held her hand. “There are a lot of things that have been going on. I would never lie to you because we are good friends, so I will let you have an option. I can tell you most of what has been going on. This will give you everything you need to know but it will protect some people that could be hurt. Or I can tell you the whole truth. Most of it you won’t like, and there will be people who will get hurt if you know.” There I had tossed the ball into her court.

“Man that really sucks to hear Dave. My curiosity wants to know everything, but then I don’t want anyone to get hurt over it.” I nodded. “I wanted to say it that way because I do want to tell you about this now that you have an idea of the changes. But I also don’t want you to ever think I lied to you if something came down the pike.”

She just sat there and thought about it. “Ok, let me make some guesses and you tell me what you think I should know.” I agreed. “First off, are you and Anny having a sexual relationship?” “Yes we are and have. But it has nothing to really do with sex. She came to me and at first I tried desperately to avoid it but she wormed her way into my heart. Things just kind of snowballed afterwards.”

“Well I can honestly say I already knew it, but it’s good to know for sure. Are you and her in love? I guess I should be asking you, where are the two of you going with this?” I shrugged. “Well to tell you the truth I don’t know. I have been letting her create the boundaries for now. As to if we love each other I can tell you that I would never have touched here otherwise.”

“Ok then what about Alisa? Are you and her doing anything?” I looked her in the eye. “I’ll be truthful with you and say yes. And it is the same thing with her as it is with Anny.” Elain looked curious. “And how does Anny feel about that?” I sighed. “Well if you really want to know Anny was the one to throw her at me. She really had to work for me to accept that kind of thing, but I finally did.”

Elian sat and looked at me. “Are there others?” “Yes.” She looked at me as if she was waiting. I let her wait. “Ok, I take it this is the point you start keeping secrets?” “Only because they aren’t my secrets to share.” She nodded. “Fair enough, I guess if it’s not happening under my roof it really isn’t any of my business.” She looked into the distance thinking. “For some reason I feel that you have something to do with my relationship with Mike to be improving I just don’t know how. Is that something you can tell me?” I shook my head. “Ok then. Considering the present you gave each of the girls I have to assume that somehow each of them means an awful lot to you. And considering that they all have the same gift that means they mean just as much to each other.”

I Reached inside of my shirt to show her my pendant. She looked at it and then at me and nodded. “That means for once in these girls life they have someone who gives a damn about them.” She once again started calculations. “That explains it all I guess.” He held my hand and squeezed. “When I came over here I have to admit I was going to give you one chance to spill your guts before I called the cops. I was expecting excuses and lies.”

“Now I know that would be doing more harm than good. Those girls all love you and you love them. If I did anything to you, those girls would all be going back to the lives they had before, and that would mean destroying their lives rather than improving them as you have.”

I decided to drop the last bomb. “It would do more than you know.” I took her into my office and told her about the “savings” account I had made for each of them. When she saw the numbers she dropped into a chair. “I combined some of my holdings into cash and invested it. The profits are feeding into a trust holding for them. This way when they decide what they want to do with their lives they don’t have anything holding them back but themselves.”

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “You love each and every one of them don’t you? I mean really love them, not just care for them so you can have any benefits.” I gave her a frank look. “Are you kidding me? What makes you think I have sex with them all? I am only human. No mortal man could keep up with that many girls.” We both had a light laugh over that. “Ok I get the point, none of my business again. The life you have with them is no one’s business but your own and I’ll try to remember that in the future.”

“I guess I should be happy that they have someone to love them like you do. These girls need someone to help and watch over them. There aren’t very many people who would help one girl let alone eight.” We stood up and she gave me a very sweet hug.

We went back to the party and enjoyed watching the girls play around. I went out back to make sure everything was cleaned up and I heard someone come out behind me. “Excuse me Mr. Dave. I wanted to talk to you.” I turned and it was little Emma. “What on your mind Em?” She wouldn’t look directly at me for some reason. I sat down and indicated for her to sit next to me. She sat down but never took her eyes off her hand where her new ring was worn. “I wanted to tell you I really appreciate your gift to me but I can’t keep it.” She began to pull it off her finger and I reached out and stopped her. “Why do you feel you can’t keep it Em?”

The girl sat there and I could see her shoulders shake. “I don’t deserve it. I’m not like the other girls.” Her hands were in mine and I could feel the shaking. “You are a friend of Anny aren’t you?” She nodded. “You love the other girl’s right?” She nodded “Well I know they love you so what is the problem?” “You don’t even know me. You don’t know what kind of girl I am. I am used, I have sinned so much that no man could ever want me.”

Oh shit, I thought to myself. Her mother’s fundamentalist upbringing had taken root. Why did people have to place their sins on the backs of their children? I mean I was a Christian in many ways but beating a child with a bible wasn’t something my lord believed in. “Why do you say you have sinned so much? You are but a young girl. You haven’t had time to the kind of things you claim.”

She shook her head. “No my sins are large and have condemned me for life. That is why I became a whore. The sins were already within me, I decided to let them out and for that I will forever pay.” I pulled her hands and pulled her into my arms. “Didn’t our lord and savior take a fallen woman who was condemned for her sins to be stoned to death? Do you remember that he forgave her her sins? He also told her go out and sin no more.” Emma began crying deep sobs.

We sat that way for a long time. Anny came out to find me and when she saw us she closed the door. I sat with the girl till her sobs slowed. “I d-d-don’t know. I-I-I’m not sure.” “Then be sure. He died so that we could always gain faith and forgiveness. To deny that sacrifice is to refuse him in your heart. Anyone who tells you otherwise works for his adversary. They want you to believe that his forgiveness isn’t for all of his children.” This caused another bout of crying. Soon she quieted down and sat back. Her face bore a smile for the first time.

“Mr. Dave you really are good for the soul.” “Well that’s what I am here for little one. Now keep that ring on your finger and remember your friends.” “She clutched her hand to her chest. “I will also always remember what you said and what you mean to me and the love in your heart for all of us.” She leaned forward and gave me a very loving kiss.

She went back inside not noticing it was closed now and had been open. I sat back down and contemplated what had happened. I heard a shuffling off to the side of the house and turned my head to see what it was. Elian came from the side of the house and straight to me. She was snuffling and wiping her face.

We sat there till she got tears under control. “Well I guess my secrets out now huh.” “So what were you doing out here?” She wiped at her eyes. “I feel rather dirty now in a way. I saw you came out here alone and slipped out the front. I had a feeling one of the girls would follow you and I wanted to see if what you said was true.”

She took a deep breath. “And by sneaking around I watched how you took a mistreated little girl and worked to undue years of abuse. I also intruded into a very private moment.” She hung her head in shame. “Hey, it’s not a bad thing. You were a mother doing your job, and for that I am rather proud of you.” She looked at me with a smile. “That girl was right, you are good for the soul.” Then she shocked the hell out of me. She leaned over and gave me a deep and rather passionate kiss. She then stood up and went back into the house.

For two weeks after that things were good but quiet, something for which I was very grateful. Then Theresa asked if she could have a slumber party. I of course agreed, as I loved a chance to see all my girls in one place at the same time. That Friday I had a full house. I had to wonder though why when they had a party they never had girls other than the group over.

For most of the day it ran just like any other slumber party, then when I decided to let the girls play I removed myself to my room for some tv. As I sat there I knew someone would be coming back there to talk to me in private. Just then there was a knock on the door and I began to wonder if I should put an occupied light over my door.

I called out and Gayle came in. She walked over and plopped herself onto my bed. “Dave I wanted to know if there was anything you need help with. Mom blew our cash again this month and things are getting tight around our house.” “How tight? As in how much do you need” “She looked down at her feet. “Tighter than my sister when she sneezes.” I laughed out at that one.

“Sure thing sweetheart, whatever you need.” I wanted to give her a shock, just to be freaky. I went into my dresser and got into my emergency fund. I pulled out just one of the bundles I hid there and walked over to the bed. I tossed the bundle next to her and said “Take what you think you need.” Her green eyes bugged out of her head. I had tossed a one thousand dollar bundle of hundreds next to her.

“I was talking about a few bucks.” She said as she picked up the bundle. “Well what did you need the money for?” “Well the fridge has half a bottle of mike and two sixes of beer.” I nodded and peeled off two hundreds. “Do you need a way to handle this? I mean doesn’t your mom ask where a fridge full of food comes from?” She looked at her feet again. “Nope. She doesn’t care where the food comes from. She just eats what’s there.”

I sat down next to her and hugged her. “Well let me think about this. You know I’m good at this kind of thing. In the meantime take this and keep ahold on it. For emergency.” “So what can I do for this?” I sat back and looked like I was thinking. “Well I could use a smile and maybe a kiss from you. That’s worth more I know, but I was hoping you could be nice about it.” She gave me the smile I wanted and then crawled on top of me. She looked into my eyes and then we made out for about ten minutes.

Then she slid down my body and began nuzzling my erection. She took me into her mouth and suckled my tip. I have had blowjobs in my life but there is nothing in my experience like a girl treating you cock like it was a candy cane. It didn’t take me long to warn her about my impending cum and all I got was a moan.

I felt every muscle in my lower body tense as I had my climax. It felt like the top of my head was being blown off, and when I finished I felt wrung out. I looked down and watched Gayle let my cock slide out of her mouth, then she tilted her head back to let me see it all in her mouth. She made a show of rolling it around her mouth and then swallowing it.

“Hmm I always wondered what a man’s cum tastes like. Not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s kinda like gogurt but salty.” She tucked my cock back into my shorts and then kissed it. “That’s you change.” She then hopped up and off tucking her money into her bra.