Chapter 4

Once DeeDee had showered away the thick coating of Mel’s slimy jizz and dried her petite body, she sauntered back to the sitting room naked, her long hair only slightly damp. On the couch, she found her mother and Mel still resting and cuddling while Kim talked quietly. She felt a pang of disappointment that Mel had re-donned his worn-out sweatpants. She noticed that her mother had also slipped on her tee shirt again, covering her outlandishly large chest pillows. Still, the fact that Mel hadn’t put his shirt back on gave the teen a slight lift of happiness. She found herself admiring the man’s bare skin and delighting in the look of his muscular arms and broad chest. Her own tummy began fluttering as she let her eyes drink in the hairs on his chest and abdomen, which she’d all but ignored earlier, when his dick had been her sole focus.

Her mother was curled into Mel’s right side, with her feet tucked up underneath herself, while Mel had one arm lazily draped around Kim’s shoulders. The television was still on, silently displaying nothing but a snowstorm of static.

Kim noticed her daughter before Mel did. “DeeDee, honey,” she said, “you better put on a shirt and some fresh panties, honey. I promise you, there won’t be any more naughty fun tonight, so there’s no use running around butt naked when you could be nice and warm. Don’t want you to catch a cold, do we?”

Temporarily ignoring her mother’s suggestion, DeeDee sat to Mel’s left and got her naked body as close to his bare torso as she could, purring with satisfaction when he reflexively wrapped his strong left arm around her and held her in place.

Witnessing this, Kim smiled quietly to herself. Without needing to be told, Mel was still teaching DeeDee how a good man treated a woman properly. He seemed to actually be enjoying the post-bliss cuddling, which was just one more way he was better than every other man she’d ever met. Unable to hold her tongue, she felt she had to comment on the situation. “DeeDee, you should remember this part too ... not just the naughty stuff. For a woman, cuddling can be just as important as sex ... well ... in its own way. A whole lotta guys just wanna get their jollies and then they either fall asleep right away, or they leave. But a good man, like Mel, spends time holding onto you, making you realize that he really cares about you ... he wasn’t just in it for the sex.”

Without her knowledge, Kim was also educating Mel. He had no idea that women preferred to cuddle after sex. As a matter of fact, he’d always assumed that any physical closeness, especially when one or both parties were only partially clothed, was just part of foreplay. “Good to know,” he silently thought as he made a mental note of what she’d said, hoping it would come in handy at a later date.

“Hmm,” DeeDee groggily murmured, her eyes closed as she rested her head on his abdomen, inhaling his scent and reveling in the feel of his arm on her bare skin. She occasionally peeked at the crotch of his sweatpants to see if her nearness was having any obvious effect on him, but saw no evidence of any movement down there. “Momma?” she asked quietly, “Um ... are you sure he’s not gonna ... ya’ know ... get hard again tonight? ‘Cause it’d be kinda neat if he did.”

Kim chuckled softly. “First off, that’s unlikely. Even though his ... equipment ... is a lot bigger than other guys, there’s still a limit to what a man can do, honey. For goodness’ sake, most guys can only do it once before they have to rest for at least an hour ‘til they can get hard again ... sometimes a whole day or more. So give Mel a break, sweetie,” Kim softly patted Mel’s bare abs, “he not only gave me two orgasms and covered me with his juice, but he did the same for you too.”

“Yeah,” DeeDee cooed through a sleepy smile.

“And second,” Kim continued, “it’s kinda rude to talk about him like he not even here,” she chuckled. “There’s more to the man than just his dick, ya’ know.”

DeeDee’s face flushed red. She quickly rose to look Mel in the face and apologize. “I’m sorry,” she sheepishly offered, “I shouldn’t have talked about you like you weren’t right here with us.”

Mel pulled the teen’s face closer so he could kiss her on the forehead. He shot her a wink before telling her, “You’re forgiven, sweetie.” DeeDee couldn’t stifle a girlish giggle as she lay her head back on his chest.

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, DeeDee said, “I wish we could just sleep like this ... all of us together.”

“I know what you mean,” Kim replied. “But I’m afraid the bed isn’t big enough for all three of us, honey.”

DeeDee had already thought of this, and secretly was hoping her mother would offer to sleep on the couch, so that she and Mel could cuddle in bed. But that, apparently, wasn’t gonna happen. What she didn’t know was that Kim had, in fact, considered it also. But she believed that DeeDee would find a way to wheedle and cajole Mel into sliding his big dick into her ... and Kim didn’t think the girl was quite ready for that. So, she prudently decided that the girl shouldn’t be allowed to sleep alone with Mel – at least for a while.

Plus, they’d all had a long day already. With all she and DeeDee had done cleaning the house, plus Mel’s own patrolling efforts, they could all benefit from some good rest. And as rickety and creaky as that old bed was, there was no way anyone would be able to sleep through the racket of spring squeaks if anyone was enjoying themselves on it.

And so, with reluctance, Kim slowly separated herself from Mel after a tender but deep ‘good night’ kiss, announcing that she and DeeDee were going to bed. Once she stood, she looked down at the heart-warming sight of Mel sleepily holding DeeDee’s small body close to his own, before leaning over to playfully swat her daughter’s tight little naked butt. “Alright, little missy, that’s enough cuddling for now. Say good night and let’s get some shut-eye.”

DeeDee didn’t audibly whine, but her mannerisms showed her displeasure. Still, she sat up and turned herself enough that she could plant a warm, hungry kiss on Mel before saying, “Thank you so much for tonight. I can’t wait to ... well ... you know. Good night.” She then stood and followed her mother into the bedroom, slowly pulling a tee shirt over her head as she went.

Mel turned off the television, then stretched out on the sofa, lying on his side so he’d be less likely to snore. Within minutes, he began to nod off, and very soon after, he was restfully slumbering.

When he woke to aroma of sizzling bacon, Mel realized several things: First, that it was the first time since he was a kid that someone else had been up and astir before him. And second, that he absolutely adored the sensation of something warm snuggled up against him.

Looking down his body, he realized that at some point since he’d fallen asleep, he had rolled onto his back and that DeeDee had taken up residence on top of his prone body. Her tee shirted form was snoring very softly on his chest, a teeny bit of drool falling from her mouth to his pecs. “I really need to go to the bathroom,” thought Mel silently. “But there’s no way I can move without waking her.”

Thankfully, just a few moments later, Kim peeked over the back of the sofa to check on them and noticed his eyes were open. She offered him a quick wink followed by a whispered, “Good morning, handsome”. For a couple seconds, he was surprised by her beauty again. Even with her hair in tangles, she was, without question, the loveliest woman he’d ever seen. Bar none. All too quickly, he was shaken from this reverie by his insistent bladder. Whispering to Kim, he said, “I don’t want her to get mad at me, but I have got to get up so I can go pee. What should I do?”

Kim waved a hand at the empty air before replying. “She could sleep through an earthquake. Hell, I’ve seen her do it! Just slide out from under her as gentle as you can, and I bet you she won’t even wake up all the way.”

Mel followed her suggestion as well as he could, and was fully surprised that it worked. There were a couple moments where DeeDee’s breathing changed, and she murmured nonsensically, but when Mel finally stood next to the couch, the girl was lying on her side, her breathing slow and regular once again. He shrugged and shook his head with disbelief before making his way to the bathroom to relieve himself.

When he returned to the kitchen area, he was greeted by Kim’s smiling face. She was standing by the stove, tending to the cooking bacon. “I’ve already brewed a pot of coffee,” she said, “help yourself.”

“Thank you for all this,” Mel said. “I already know you’re a better cook than I am, but I can’t remember the last time someone else made breakfast for me.”

“Get used to it, mister,” Kim said with a smile before offering him a quick smooch on the lips. Pulling back, she quietly said, “We’ve both still got morning breath, so maybe it’d be best to wait ‘til later for a really, really good kiss.”

“Good thinkin’,” Mel nodded with a smile.

She continued, “Once the bacon is done, I’ll make us some eggs. How do you like yours?”

“Scrambled, fried, boiled, poached ... just about any old way is fine with me,” Mel responded while pouring himself a cup of java.

“Well, I’m frying eggs this morning, mister,” she said with a smirk. “So how do you like your fried eggs cooked?”

“Over-easy is fine, as long as there are still some flour tortillas in the cabinet. Otherwise, cook ‘em ‘til the yolks don’t run.”

“Why do you...,” she began, before Mel interrupted her, answering her question.

“I like to use a flour tortilla to clean the plate after I’m done with the eggs,” he said, as if he was surprised that no one else ate fried eggs that way, “sorta mop the leftover runny yolk up that way,”

“Ah,” Kim replied, then tilted her head as if she were considering it.

Since the idea was obviously alien to her, he began to explain. “I served with a bunch of different guys in the Navy ... people whose parents or grandparents came from all over the world originally,” he told her. “A whole bunch of those guys were Mexican ... well ... they were born in the States, but raised in homes with old Mexican customs and food. I learned it from hanging out with them. To be honest, I’m surprised that you’ve never heard of it before, you being from California and all.”

Kim shrugged, since she herself was unsure why she hadn’t seen it before either. Strangely, she’d seen older people using biscuits or bread to sop up gravy or other liquid on their plates. But thinking back on it, she realized that all of those people had been white. So maybe it was just a cultural difference ... she guessed. And after all, what was so different about using a tortilla instead of a slice of bread for such a purpose? Turning back to her task, she quickly checked the cabinets until she found a partial pack of flour tortillas.

“Why don’t you just make your own tortillas?” she asked Mel. “I’ve heard it’s not that hard.”

“You’re right,” Mel agreed. “And I’ve tried to a few times before. But mine almost never come out shaped like a circle.” He shook his head and chuckled to himself. “Mine are always come out looking weird ... shaped like Texas.”

This gave Kim a good round of giggles, the sound of which warmed Mel’s body from the inside out. “Maybe we should try it together then,” she offered. “I’ve never tried to before, but I bet we could get it mastered if we work as a team.”

That offhand comment, coupled with her earlier ‘get used to it, mister’ statement, made Mel’s heart feel full. She was hinting at the future, which meant that she didn’t want the previous evening’s activities to be a one-off. More importantly, he hadn’t done anything that would make her want to run away. “I must have gotten lucky and not been a complete asshole,” he silently congratulated himself.

“By the way,” Mel said, pointing toward the couch where DeeDee continued to slumber, “I don’t remember her coming out here at all. How long had she been laying on top of me like that?”

Kim smiled. “You were pretty out of it when I got up,” she admitted, “and DeeDee followed me out here, but she was still pretty groggy. I guess after I told her the two of you couldn’t sleep in the same bed last night - when she saw you still sleeping this morning she just decided to make the most of it. She crawled right up on top of you, spread herself out flat, and fell asleep again.”

“Hmm,” Mel scratched his chin. “Well, I won’t lie, it was nice to wake up that way. But I don’t think I wanna make it a habit. She probably doesn’t even weigh a full hundred pounds, but when realized that I needed to pee, I kinda felt like I was trapped underneath her.”

Kim chuckled. “A hundred pounds is probably pretty darn close. I’ll tell her to be more aware in the future.”

And there it was again ... Kim was talking about the future. Thrilling with the notion, his face warmed.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Mel raised both hands, trying to ensure that Kim fully understood that he wasn’t the least bit upset. “It really was a lovely way to greet the day. And I think it’s kinda sweet that she could fall asleep with me that way, or that she even wanted to. But...”

“Yeah,” Kim assured him, “I understand.”

When the food was ready to eat, Kim gently woke DeeDee and the three of them dug into their breakfast. Soon after, DeeDee took care of the dishes while Kim was in the shower. Once her mother was done cleansing herself, DeeDee did the same. Mel got the last of the hot water once the mother/daughter pair were fully bathed, dried and choosing clean clothes.

DeeDee was exiting the bathroom and Mel was getting set to enter for his morning shower/shave routine, the teen surprised everyone again.

“Since the fire in that potbelly stove is so warm, I don’t see why we have to wear clothes inside,” DeeDee said, almost as a flippant after thought, though it was very likely that she’d been crafting the phrase since the night before.

Kim had been in the bedroom, lazily getting herself dressed, and her daughter’s comment made her pause for a moment, considering its merits. She tilted her head to one side and her eyebrows scrunched together for a few seconds, but she soon shook the notion from her head. “Nope!” she called out loudly enough to be heard throughout the interior of the cabin. “We’re not doing that today!”

“But mo-o-o-o-m,” DeeDee whined, childishly.

“I said no, DeeDee!” Kim quickly replied, quashing any further discussion on the matter.

The teen’s slim shoulders slumped forward and she rolled her eyes as she muttered, “Yes ma’am...”

Mel had been frozen in place during the entire exchange, never uttering a sound. The notion of having a naked DeeDee running around all day was enough to make him feel dizzy. Just as suddenly, he imagined both DeeDee and Kim being naked all day, and he felt intoxicated. He took a few moments to calm himself before heading toward the bathroom.

DeeDee’s suggestion about nudity had prompted his cock to respond in a predictable manner. Standing in the shower by himself, he briefly considered jerking his half-hard hunk of meat to relieve himself, but refrained for two reasons: One, he was afraid that he’d run out of hot water pretty soon. And two, he didn’t want to waste a load when the mere possibility of more fun with Kim and/or DeeDee was so palpable.

When he emerged from the bathroom, scrubbed and clean-shaven, his erection had thankfully subsided. Both Kim and DeeDee were dressed in jeans and loose, flowing tops. In their bare feet, they both looked like they’d have fit in just as well at a springtime garden party, or an early autumn bonfire. Mel had tossed on some jeans of his own, as well as a clean tee shirt, so they were all well and modestly covered.

Mel spent a few minutes on the shortwave radio, checking in with the main Ranger post. They confirmed that they were also still seeing fresh snowfall, though the storm had begun to break up, so there at least some lulls in the precipitation. Officially, there was a hair over 16 feet of snow on the ground, with as much as 3 feet more expected before they could start digging out. But some weather models were predicting as little as 1 foot more, so that was a possible silver lining.

Since there was no news to report from his side, and no good argument for venturing outside without good reason, Mel let the dispatcher know that he’d be inside, within earshot of the radio all day. With that, they signed off and Mel went to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee.

“Oh my God!” Kim suddenly exclaimed. “I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid!”

Mel was so surprised by her outburst that he nearly dropped his coffee. Quickly recovering, he asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

“I had you go to all the trouble of contacting my boss so I wouldn’t lose my job ... but I completely forgot to have you contact my mother!”

“Oh no!” DeeDee cried out, “She must be worried sick!”

“Okay, okay,” Mel tried to calm Kim down, wrapping his arms around her for a soothing embrace. “It’s alright. We’ll figure it out ... shhh ... shhh...”

“Do you think your friends will be able to get a message to her?” Kim asked, tears still welling in her eyes.

“Probably. But we won’t know until we ask,” Mel reasoned. “So, let me get on the radio and find out, alright? Do me a favor and write down her phone number and street address.”

“Oh ... right,” Kim replied before scribbling down the information on a scratch pad near the shortwave radio.

Mel radioed the dispatcher again and relayed the info to them. They promised to get back in touch with Mel as soon as they were able to contact Mrs. Fran Belson of Visalia, California.

It took nearly 30 minutes before the dispatcher radioed Mel back with the successful results. “Yeah, I talked to her myself,” the dispatcher commented. “She was worried. Had even thought about calling the cops over in Henderson, Nevada ... thinking something might have happened to her daughter and granddaughter. But I assured her that they are fine and gave her a quick lowdown on the situation. She seemed very relieved. I’ll tell ya’, Mel ... I don’t mind happy phone calls like that one bit. Most of the time, we don’t get the luxury of passing on good news.”

“Amen to that,” Mel replied. “Thanks so much for your help, dispatch. You didn’t just make Kim’s mother happy, you made Kim happy too. She was pretty broken up that we hadn’t already called her mom.”

“No worries, Mel. Happy to do it. By the way,” the static-laden voice added, “I wouldn’t be too surprised if we end up with some messages coming back your direction from Mrs. Belson. To ease her mind, I let her know that she could call me anytime and I’d relay anything important to her daughter. I mean, I tried to let her know that it was only for emergencies...”

“Good luck with that,” DeeDee chuckled.

The dispatcher continued, “ ... I got the feeling that she might try to abuse that. So, do I have her daughter’s permission to be more forceful if Mrs. Belson starts burning down my phone line?”

Kim grabbed the mic from Mel and answered, “Yes. You absolutely have permission to be forceful with her if she drives you nuts with too many phone calls. And I’d go ahead and get ready for it, ‘cause that woman loves to talk.”

The dispatcher’s wheezing laughter could be heard through the static before he replied. “Thank you for that, miss. Well, good luck to you all. Stay warm and let us know if you need anything, Mel.”

“Roger that, dispatch,” Mel said. “Over and out.”

Once the tension had evaporated from the room, DeeDee turned on the television and began searching for anything entertaining to watch.

“Would you turn that off, please,” Kim asked her daughter, “just for a while.” Turning her head so that she had Mel’s eye, the deliciously-shaped mother added, “I think it would be best if the three of us talked for a bit.”

“Oh crap,” thought Mel to himself, “I knew things were too damned good ... everything going my way for once ... maybe I’ve already screwed up somehow, and she’s gonna ‘drop the other shoe’.” He sighed heavily, then nodded before refilling his coffee cup again and making his way to the lounge area, where the two ladies were already seated.

“First of all,” Kim began, “I can tell you’re both nervous right now, but you can relax. There’s anything wrong, I promise.”

Both Mel and DeeDee breathed long sighs of relief, the obvious tension draining from their faces and shoulders.

Kim continued. “It’s just that I think it would be good for all three of us to really talk about what’s happening between us. Like grown-ups. Ya’ know ... sorta get everything out in the open. I know it would make me feel a whole lot better if I knew for sure that you both understood my intentions,” she turned her eyes to Mel’s, then DeeDee’s, “ ... and if I knew yours too.”

DeeDee was already starting to blush with embarrassment, her adolescent fear of being ‘put on the spot’ in front of Mel being plainly obvious. Like most people, but especially teenagers, she found it much easier to be brave about matters of love and lust when the lights were low. The fact that it was still mid-morning somehow added to her unease at being emotionally vulnerable.

Mel wasn’t blushing, but his mannerisms made it clear that he was probably just as nervous as DeeDee. The man had never had a single daytime conversation with a love interest. Not in his entire life. In that way, he was actually just as inexperienced as DeeDee.

Kim read their silent fidgeting and decided to forge ahead. “Okay, I’ll go first then.” She turned to Mel and used both hands to hold one of his large mitts. Looking him square in the eyes, she shared, “Mel Owens, I know we only met a few short days ago, but I’ve seen enough of you to know how much I already care for you. And I know, I know, I know that you’re afraid I’m just acting this way ‘cause you rescued me and DeeDee, but that’s only a teeny part of why I’m so crazy about you, Mel. The truth is that I’d probably feel the same even if you hadn’t pulled us out of the snow. Of course, if we met under different circumstances, I might not have stuck around long enough to see the real you. Jesus! Do you know how insane I feel when I realize that I’m actually thankful that I got stranded in a snowstorm?!” She shook her head in bewilderment. “If I was a better driver, then we might never have met! How bananas is that?!”

Mel let a smirk curl one corner of his lips and opened his mouth to reply, but Kim cut him off.

“Don’t ... let me finish what I have to say first, okay?” she asked.

Mel nodded.

“Good ... okay. So I’ve been wrestling with all that pretty much since you found me in that shack, and the more time I spend around you, the more I’m attracted to you.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, then continued, once again looking at Mel’s face so she could carefully read his reaction. “In my heart and in my head, you and I are a couple now.”

Mel’s face warmed as a flush of excitement warmed his skin all over. DeeDee began to thrum with happiness, her angelic face unable to hide her happiness.

Holding her hands up in a defensive posture, palms facing him, she added. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to trap you into marriage or anything. But I want to be with you ... and only you...”

“So you’re gonna go on dates and stuff?” DeeDee asked.

Kim blushed like a teenager. “I’d like to think Mel and I are dating, yes.”

“So ... you want him to be your boyfriend?” DeeDee posited, trying to confirm what her mother had been saying within the scope of her own naive understanding.

Kim gave a subtle nod, still closely watching Mel’s face, hoping for a happy response. For several very long seconds, he gave no obvious reaction. Then, she noticed that his eyes were welling up, those grayish-blue peepers becoming shiny pools before a single tear began to roll down his cheek. For a fraction of a moment, she had no idea what he was thinking and feared the worst. Then, with a move so quick that it shocked her, Mel reached his arms out and enveloped Kim’s upper body, pulling her close to himself and holding her closely.

As she was pulled into the embrace, she felt her breasts flatten across his broad chest, then inhaled his clean, manly scent from the base of his neck. Humming with contentment, she returned his affection, holding him closely and savoring the moment. The nearness of him.

“Does that mean...,” DeeDee began, her own head filling with questions she needed answers for, but Kim interrupted her.

“Shh,” the mother softly quieted her daughter, “I’m not done yet. Let me say what I have to say, and then I’ll answer your questions, alright?”

DeeDee gave a slight huff, but nodded and waited for Kim to continue.

Kim slowly pulled her body away from Mel’s and resumed the statement she’d silently been rehearsing since the night before. “Now that that’s settled, I want you both to know that I still believe Mel is the right man to help you learn about sex and your own body, baby girl. I do remember how ... challenging ... it was for me when I was your age, DeeDee. So, as long as that’s still what both of you want, then I have no problem with the two of you being intimate. But, and this is very important,” she looked directly into DeeDee’s eyes and made sure the girl was paying attention, “there will be no naughty fun times unless I’m there also, that’s not up for debate. Do you both understand me?”

“So I can’t even kiss him unless I get permission first?” DeeDee whined.

Kim had to stifle a chuckle before replying. “No, honey, that’s not what I’m saying. What I mean is that I don’t want you touching and rubbing and licking each other with sexual intent unless I’m there with you. Even though I trust Mel, you’re still my little girl after all, and I want to make absolutely sure that both you and he are able to control yourselves.”

“So you’re saying you don’t trust me then?” DeeDee reasoned.

Kim paused for a moment before responding. “A little bit, yeah. At this stage, your hormones are making you so eager that you might not always make smart decisions. That’s normal. But I want to make sure you don’t get yourself in trouble. That’s all. So until I decide that you’re ready, there will be no hanky-panky between you two unless I’m there to supervise. Got it?”

DeeDee huffed again, but replied, “Yes ma’am.”

Turning her eyes back to Mel’s, Kim saw him shrug before nodding. “Okay by me.”

“Whew!” Kim exclaimed with a long sigh of relief. “That’s the big stuff out of the way then. Next, I feel it’s only fair to explain why little miss nudist suggested that we all run around naked.” She shot a playful smirk at DeeDee before continuing. “You see, Mel. In my parents’ house, they’ve been practicing a sort of clothing optional rule since before I was born. Of course, I grew up in that environment ... but DeeDee hadn’t. Well, as I’ve told you, DeeDee and I moved in with my mom after my dad died, and I guess my hormonal daughter has gotten so used to parading around in her birthday suit that she ... well ... suffice to say that she was out of line.”

Noticing that DeeDee was already preparing to argue her case, Kim stopped her.

“Before you say anything, you should know that I’m not upset that you asked.” She gave her daughter a warm look of understanding. “I understand why you asked and I don’t blame you for it. But we’re not gonna be doing that here, alright? First off, this isn’t our house, it’s Mel’s. So we’re not gonna come in here and try to change everything, okay? Second, remember that just a few minutes ago, I said that there would be no hanky-panky unless I’m there too. And I think that rule would be hard to enforce if we were all naked all the time.”

A whimpered groan escaped Mel’s throat as he imagined the two of them walking around his place nude, casually flaunting their beauty. His thick manhood began to snake down the right leg of his boxers and jeans.

“Not to mention the health risk that might pose,” Kim smirked at Mel. “After all, poor Mel might end up having a heart attack!”

Mel shrugged and smiled bashfully, “That’s ... possible. But let me just quickly say that I’m not opposed to it sometime in the future – I’ll just have to ease into something like that. If it happened all at once, I might be in trouble ... not from a heart attack necessarily, but ... I do need to keep my head clear in case of emergencies, and that might be difficult if I was constantly distracted.”

“Not to mention the loss of blood to your brain,” Kim chuckled. “Hell, with the size of that trouser snake, I’m surprised you don’t pass out every time you get an erection.”

The girls both giggled while Mel’s face showed a wave of embarrassment.

Kim kissed him on the cheek to show that she’d only been teasing, and that no harm was intended.

“Okay, there’s only one more thing I wanted to get off my chest before I yield the floor,” Kim announced, “and that’s really directed more at DeeDee than anyone else.”

DeeDee rolled her eyes.

Kim ignored her daughter’s reaction and kept speaking, “We’re not gonna just sit around in front of the television all day, every day. Do you understand me? I think it would be best for all of us if we tried to keep a regular kind of schedule while we’re stuck inside. That means no television during the daytime. If Mel or I have chores to do, then everyone will chip in as their abilities allow them to. If you’re bored, ask what you can do that’s useful. And if there’s nothing that needs to be done right away, but you’re still bored ... read a book. I mean, Mel’s got a whole bookshelf full o’ novels and all kinds of other books. Just because ‘old man winter’ has us stuck together doesn’t mean that we should turn into mindless morons who watch TV all day.”