It hit me hard, Sherry bolting for some loser she’d hardly met, but being abandoned by her own mother hit Karla harder, the “We’ll keep in touch, honey.” notwithstanding.

The one thing I could do was to be a good dad, and if she wanted to snuggle up while watching TV, her twisted to where my hand might be where it maybe shouldn’t be, who was I to say no? That girls her age have nipples is a fact of life.

Who was I to say no when she’d flop down on the sofa, my lap for a pillow, her head on how her being there made me be?

Kara’s coming into my room in the middle of the night was because she needed security. I’d scoot over and she’d hop into where I’d warmed the sheets, back herself against me, and pull my arm over her.

I’d wear briefs under my pajamas for obvious reasons — or more accurately put, to be not obvious — so her comment caught me off guard. “Guys shouldn’t wear undies at night. Allison says you need room.”

“Sorry?”

“You know, to fit against us, what Allison says.”

Allison, Karla’s friend who she was playing dolls with not that long ago? She said what?

She was correct regarding undies under pajamas, however, and I quit wearing them, and if Karla could tell any difference, she didn’t mention it. I expect she noticed, though, as she’d back against me so I’d fit better.

Sometimes after we’d fit against each other to the point where I couldn’t help but begin pushing back, in her sleep she’d flop her arm behind her and onto my pajamas, her hand around me as she dreamed.

But my goodness, her hand not just around me, but going up and down! What’s she dreaming about? Pajama bottoms with nothing underneath, if I do something, she’s going to wake up with a wet arm and wonder why!

Sherry being gone, I did have needs, and once Karla was asleep, I’d scoot back to my side of the bed to remedy them. Karla herself was maybe thinking about boys, and when she thought me asleep, I’d feel her side of the mattress moving, both of us busy.

Then a bombshell. “Allison says we should do it together.”

“What?”

“You know, help each other come.”

I couldn’t believe she was saying this. “You can’t think...”

“Allison says her dad comes super-fast if she doesn’t hold him back.”

“Harold? She masturbates him?”

“Who said masturbate?”

“They have sex?”

“You and me are safer because there’s no mom to catch us. Allison says I need to be on top to control you.”

“Listen, we can’t just ... and anyway, you’re too young.”

“I’m two months older than Allison. She says we should discuss it first, though. She makes her dad wear a rubber and had me practice putting one on a banana. The girl at Walgreens says for your first time, use the kind with jelly.”

“I don’t have any.”

“Good, actually, because Allison says we should begin naturally, but you’ll have to wear one in the future. There’s 24 in the box.”

“Wait!”

“Don’t act like you’re some sort of virgin. That’s me. Allison and me, we spied on you and Mom. Ready?”

“This isn’t OK.”

“Then how about we get Allison’s folks to come over and you two do it with her mom and I’ll do it with her dad. She says they will, once she explains the situation.”

“Margaret?”

“It’s not like we’d be trafficking parents. If you marry her mom, Allison and me will be like stepsisters. Or you could do Allison first. Your choice.”

“Look, I can’t just go...”

“Allison says her dad will make me come, first time. But I said you get first choice. Ready?”

“I’ll do my best.”