Chapter 25

Sunday morning, the three of them were relaxing in the family room with coffee, naked and snuggled together. The TV was off, no one was reading anything, and no one spoke. When the phone rang, Dex groaned as he extricated himself from his comfortable sandwich position. The women heard him tell someone to call back in ten minutes for an answer. When he came back from the phone, instead of sitting back down between them, he knelt on the floor in front of them.

"I have something hard to ask you. That was Elise Padilla, and the Christmas craziness has started. She has two women who have just escaped their husbands, and need somewhere to stay. I have never been a first stop safe house before, but she knows you two are here, and thought that would make it acceptable. One woman has a fifteen year old son, and the other has a boy eight and a girl six. On top of that, she has a very angry fourteen year old girl who needs out of her house, and Elise does not want CPS involved. For some reason, the mother wants to stick it out at home. I want to concentrate on helping you, Megan, but these people are in need, too. What should I do."

"Dex, you don't even have to ask! Of course you should take them. After the way you helped me, how could I do otherwise. It will be good to help someone else, and it will give Morgan a chance to practice some real psychology. Oh, Honey, I shouldn't speak for you, should I?"

"Oh, I totally agree. Damn! We'll have to get dressed, won't we?" At that they all broke into laughter - Megan's ribs were bothering her less today. They set about planning where everyone would stay and determining what food should be laid in.

Elise had barely called back and arranged to bring out their guests when Jeanette called to talk to Megan. When she hung up the phone after several minutes, she looked rather sad, but it took several tries for him to find out the problem. Her parents had wanted to come visit for Christmas, but with the house now full, she had to tell them it wouldn't work.

Dex thought for a minute, then told her, "Why don't you ask them if they can come for several days and help us with the crowd?"

"But where will they sleep?"

"You will have to tell them up front that you and Morgan are sleeping with me. Can they handle that?"

"Ooooh! You know what? They'll just have to. There's no use trying to hide anything from them. It's the best thing to happen to both of us in a long time, and they should just be happy about it. I think they want to be here badly enough to agree to almost anything. We probably should have had them stay through when they were here before."

"My fault. I had no idea how things would work out between us, and I selfishly wanted us alone to work it out. I can fly them out again if they agree to come."

"If Dad can get the time off, they will be happy to drive. And don't blame yourself. I was happy to see them leave, too. I just feel so much more ready now."

The Shaughnessys agreed to the sleeping arrangements after surprisingly little reaction. They seemed eager to help with the troubled families. Their happy little naked threesome would boom to eleven souls by Christmas day. Dex suddenly remembered that his house was without a single decoration, and in fact, he did not have any in storage. They talked about this problem and decided decorating would be a good activity for the whole group.

Sandra and her son Eric were the first to arrive. They had her car and it was packed with all the belongings they had packed the night before. Sandra was fortyish and fairly attractive. She was trim, almost thin, with a face that could be quite pretty without the bruises and red-rimmed eyes she sported. Eric was of average height and slender build with very active, penetrating eyes. His posture spoke of discouragement and defeat, and he avoided looking directly at any of them as they settled in.

They barely had Sandra and Eric in their rooms when Elise pulled up with the rest of their guests. Kirstin was in her late twenties and looked as totally miserable as anyone Dex had seen for a while. She and her children, Sean and Courtney, had fled with almost nothing of their possessions. Sean looked belligerent, while Courtney appeared constantly on the verge of tears, shrinking back whenever Dex came close to her.

Jessica was in the minivan with Elise and Kirstin's family. She was obviously angry with the world, and ready to kill anyone who crossed her. She had with her two suitcases of clothes and personal things.

Everyone worked to get people placed in their rooms, then Elise huddled with Dex, Megan, and Morgan. She was effusive in her thanks for taking these people in. It was Megan who took the lead, saying she was happy for a chance to return something for the help she had received. Dex then told Elise there were a couple of important items they needed to cover.

"First, Morgan, will you be willing to act as if you were the owner here?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"We are going to have to give these folks quite a bit of direction, maybe even lay down the law. I think they will take it better from a woman. They need to know that Megan is one of them, so she is not the one to do it. In others words, I want you to be the heavy. Can you do it?"

"Wow! That's a tall order!"

Elise interjected "Dex is right, Morgan. If you can do it, it will be a big help."

"Sure, I'll do it. It will seem strange ordering these older women around, though."

"I don't think Sandra and Kirstin will be any problem. It's the kids who may react poorly to a man, particularly Jessica and Sean," Dex responded.

Elise again spoke up, "Dex has them figured out. Morgan, if you can, you should focus on Jessica. You have the most similarity of experience. You may be the only one who can get through to her. You said there were two things, Dex."

He told Elise about the sleeping arrangements. Something passed over her eyes when she heard it, but she did not react strongly. They discussed the best way to tell the guests.

"Well, I've got to run," Elise told them. "This probably isn't the end of our Christmas rush." She hugged each of them, Megan gently, and Dex fiercely.

When Elise had left, Morgan teased Dex with "Hey, Stud, you've got one more woman madly in love with you, haven't you?"

"Who, Elise?"

"Oh, pulling the innocent act, huh? Of course, Elise! You mean you really didn't know?"

"Hey, I just help her out. I've been doing it for years. We've never dated or anything. You must be imagining it."

"Sure! That's it - I imagined it."

Now that everyone had arrived, the real problems loomed. Feeding everyone was just a matter of logistics. Making sure they had something to keep them entertained was another matter entirely, particularly the two young children who had nothing with them. There were TVs all over the house, and a number of movies on DVDs, even a few for children. There were both of the leading video game players and a good assortment of games. There were four locations with Internet access, as well. He had Morgan assemble everyone in the family room and lead everyone on a tour. Sandra and Kirstin each had a room downstairs, and Courtney had a small bed in her mother's room. Eric and Sean were in the third downstairs bedroom, which had two sets of bunks set up. Eric was not thrilled, but took it well. Jessica had the room that had been Morgan's, and the other upstairs room was held open for Megan's parents.

While standing by the hot tub room, Morgan devised a little signal system on the fly. She mentioned that often, people preferred to use the tub naked. When there was a towel on the doorknob, it meant no clothes. Anyone was welcome to come in, but they had to be naked. There was some nervous laughter at that arrangement.

Without even consulting Dex, Morgan asked Jessica to accompany her to the grocery store. Dex gave her a thumbs up and slipped her a cell phone and an ATM card before they left. Dex took Megan aside, and asked her to sit down with Kirstin and find out what they needed most for a potential two to three week stay. He wanted Kirstin to go out and buy the things for her kids, feeling she needed the boost in their eyes. She, however, was terrified of leaving the house for fear her husband would find her.

Dex put in a call to Susan Plonsky and told her the situation, offering to pay extra duty charges for an officer to escort Kirstin. He was rather surprised when Stan O'Connor called back five minutes later. Stan laughed at the idea of payment, and said he would be there in thirty minutes with his wife and two kids in their van, and they would take Kirstin and her children shopping. Kirstin could hardly believe it, but agreed that they should be safe. Her eyes grew very large when he told her she could not come back to the house until she had spent at least $200, and he expected her to spend $400. She protested she could not afford that, and he told her it was from a fund set up for just her situation, handing her four $100 bills.

That left Eric as the only unoccupied child. Dex felt an obvious sympathy for him from the similarity of their situations. Making sure Sandra approved of his slightly illegal plan, he asked Eric if he had ever driven an ATV, whereupon the boy practically dragged him to the barn. They rode sedately around the property, letting Eric get a feel for the machine, and returned to the barn after about an hour. While still sitting on the parked vehicles, Dex addressed Eric.

"Eric, how do you feel about your mother?"

"I feel bad for her. She has had it rough."

"Do you love her?"

"Well, sure! She's my Mom."

"Do you let her know that you love her?"

"I guess. I mean, I'm not much good at the mushy stuff, but I try to be nice to her."

"Well, I have a huge challenge for you. Your Mom is at a low point in her life. She thinks no one cares about her, and you are the only one who can do much to change her mind. I want to challenge you to treat her like she was your best girl."

"What? You mean holding hands, hugs, kisses, and all that stuff?"

"Exactly. Be with her every second you can. Make her chase you away so she can go to the bathroom. Watch whatever she wants on TV with her. Pull out her chair at the table. Open doors for her. Never, ever walk in front of her. Compliment her."

"Geez! That is a challenge. I've never done a lot of that stuff. Do you think it will help?"

"I guarantee it!" He gave the young man a brief sketch of his own experience, to Eric's wide-eyed amazement. "One other thing. I'll bet you wouldn't mind spending some time with Jessica, would you."

"Fat chance! I think she'd scratch my eyes out if I got too close. What a bitch!"

"Hey, she is a very hurt young lady. Just as hurt as you are, but she shows it a different way. I will guarantee you that if you treat your mother well, especially when Jessica can see it, she will make a move toward you before long."

"How can you know that?"

"Because women are attracted to a man who treats women well. You just watch. Think you can pull it off?"

"Yeah, I want to try. I really do love, Mom. I just don't show it much, I guess."

"Good man. Now, tonight is going to be a big test. She is at her lowest right now. I want you to act like her parent tonight."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean like tucking her into bed. When you think she is in bed, go into her room, after knocking, of course, and sit on the edge of the bed. Give her a little kiss on the forehead or the cheek and tell her you love her - be sure you say it, okay? Touch her - stroke her head or her back or shoulders. If she starts to cry, hug her. If it gets bad, get in bed with her, snuggle up close and hold her tight. Stay all night if you have to. Be her man for tonight."

"Wow. Isn't that wrong or illegal or something."

"Tonight, you don't worry about anything but helping your mother, okay? Do whatever it takes to get her through to morning. Listen to me - if she wants it, tonight it is not wrong."

"If... if I'm holding her close, I might get, you know..."

"Yes, you will probably get hard. So what?"

"It would be embarrassing. And wouldn't Mom get pissed?"

"So put up with a little embarrassment for her sake. And she's far more likely to be thrilled than pissed."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope! Think about it. Right now, she's sure she is totally unappealing to men. If she knows she has given her handsome son a hardon, what do you think that says to her?"

"That somebody is interested?"

"Right! Now, you've had some fun. Spend the rest of the night glued to your Mom. You won't be sorry, I promise."

"Thanks, Dex. For the ride and for the advice. I... I never got anything like this from Dad."

"Neither did I, my man, neither did I."

Morgan had not as much asked as ordered Jessica to come with her. The silence in the car was not the friendly type, but she decided to wait the younger girl out. She tuned the radio to a station she knew was popular with younger teens. At the grocery, she made a point to send Jessica for specific items, even letting her choose some of her own favorite snacks and soft drinks. At the checkout, she asked if there were any magazines she liked, and they added two to the pile. Jessica said nothing, but Morgan heard her gasp when the cashier mentioned the total. Morgan had pulled cash from the ATM before shopping, and paid that way.

After they loaded the car, Morgan said she was thirsty and the food would be okay for a while so they stopped at the Wendy's next to the market. She told Jessica to order what she wanted because it was a while until supper. When they sat at a table, Jessica asked why Morgan wasn't getting anything to eat. Morgan used this as a lead in to tell about her weight, her lesbian facade, her hatred of Craig, and the rift between her and Megan. Jessica finally began to converse, asking several questions. After telling her story and recounting Megan's rescue, she told Jessica about the sleeping arrangements.

"So you both have to sleep with him so you can stay there?"

Morgan could not resist laughing. "Are you kidding? I practically had to rape him to get him to make love to me! And it's mostly about being tender and loving with each other. Sleeping cuddled up to someone makes you feel safe and loved."

"You mean you wanted him to have sex with you?" Jessica asked incredulously. Morgan told her of her change of heart and mind about men.

"Tell you what, you be down by the gym at 5:30 tomorrow morning, and see if your panties don't get damp from watching him work out!" Jessica just looked at her wide-eyed. "I know you're kind of young for some of this talk, but you don't mind, do you?" When Jessica shook her head, Morgan leaned toward her in a conspiratorial way and told her, "We had to get dressed before you came. We hadn't had any clothes on since Friday night."

"He wouldn't let you get dressed?"

"No, silly! We wouldn't let HIM get dressed." She giggled. "It was my Mom's idea to go naked first."

"But why would she want to be naked around him?" Morgan then told her more about Craig's enforced nudity and Megan's desire to have someone who appreciated her see her body.

"Ohhh, I just couldn't do that. And you wanted to see him naked? Gross!"

"Jessica, have you ever seen a naked man?" The girl started to tremble at that question. "Hey, hey! I think there's something you need to tell me, isn't there?" It took more persuasion, but the story finally came out.

"Didn't your Mom do anything about it?"

"Yeah, she'd get real mad at him, but then he'd beat her up. I couldn't let that go on."

"So you bailed out to save her?"

"Yeah, but she should be out, too."

They chatted a few minutes longer, then headed home without the stony silence of the outbound trip.

Eric was lost in thought as he walked back to the house and down the stairs. He used the bathroom and went to the door of his mother's room, where he heard soft sounds of crying. When there was no response to his soft knocking, he slowly opened the door and walked in. Sandra was on her stomach with a pillow held over her head, alternately crying and moaning. Eric had felt sympathy for his mother before, but he was suddenly aware of the intensity of her anguish. He could not understand why she would be sad to be rid of the jerk that was his father, but there was no question how she felt about it.

He remembered Dex's advice to treat his mother like his best girl. He'd never had a best girl, but he knew how he would like to treat one. Being careful not to startle her, he called to her rather loudly and waited until she lifted the pillow and looked up at him before sitting on the edge of the bed. She didn't say anything, but put the pillow down and lay her head on it, looking up at him through reddened eyes.

That day had been filled with pain and anxiety for Sandra, but her adrenalin had been kept up by the beating, the hurried packing, and the flight. Once they were situated in this strange new place, Eric had gone off with their host, for which she was glad, but then everyone had disappeared and she was alone.

The isolation and hopelessness of her situation suddenly came crashing down on Sandra. She was not a depressive person, but she felt depressed now. The anger was all used up and there was nothing left. She tried to nap, but the images just kept flooding her mind, so she buried her head, trying to shut out the light and the sound. The images would not leave.

After what seemed like a sleepless forever, she heard Eric's voice. Not feeling up to helping him with anything, she pulled her head out into the open and looked up at him.

Almost shaking from nerves, Eric rather clumsily reached out and stroked the hair back from her forehead a few times. Her eyes at first registered surprise then closed tightly as the flow of tears increased. He leaned over and planted an awkward kiss on her cheek and told her softly, "I love you, Mom." Now, her eyes opened wide and stared at him. He had run out of Dex's specific advice, so he was on his own. He stammered out "I... I'm sorry I haven't told you more often, but I really do."

Now he was definitely beyond Dex's advice, for Sandra lunged upward at him and got a stranglehold around his neck, hugging him with all her strength.

Eric had touched her head - he hardly ever touched her! Did this mean he was concerned about her? He said he loved her! Then he said something else she did not quite hear through her amazement. He had always been a good boy and respectful to her, but displays of affection were rare. In fact, he hardly showed any emotion at all, especially around her husband.

Eric took his share of beatings, but he took them stoically with no reaction at all, further enraging her husband. Sandra knew he tried hard to conceal his pain so she would not notice. Suddenly the only thing she could think was that someone cared - her son cared. She was so desperate for contact that she lunged at him and hugged him with everything she had.

Eric was bent over and twisted around in a most uncomfortable position, but he did not want to break her hug. Hoping she would not be offended, he put one arm around her waist while holding himself up with the other. Trying not to jerk too hard, he lifted her enough to scoot her back farther from the edge, then stretched himself out so he was lying right beside her.

Eric had moved her and lay beside her! He was strong - his body felt reassuring beside her. He was hugging her, just hugging. Not trying to paw her sexually or take her clothes off, just holding her like she was important, stroking her back gently. She was SAFE! She could let go! The images stopped swimming in her head, replaced by beautiful nothingness.

When he got stretched out beside his mother, their bodies were still awkwardly positioned, so Eric gently made small movements to get their heads and limbs arranged as comfortably as he could. He had just gotten positioned so he felt no pain or excess pressure when he noticed she was sound asleep, breathing heavily but smoothly. He was thrilled that he could make her feel better. She had not said a word, but the weight of her chest rising and falling against him said he had made her feel safe, and that was what counted.

After a while, Eric drifted off himself and he had no idea how long they lay together, although the numbness in one arm meant it had been a while. Someone was knocking on the door, telling them supper was ready, and that sounded like a splendid idea to him as he tried to remember when he ate last.

His mother had obviously not heard anything as her breathing was still deep and regular. He decided to let her sleep and began gently disentangling himself. She sensed him leaving her and tightened her grip on him. He began talking to her, telling her about supper, and assuring her he would not leave her. She roused herself and sat beside him on the edge of the bed, never letting go of his hand, and spoke the first words since he came to her, "I have to pee."

He managed not to chuckle, realizing she was still not completely with it, and helped her to her feet and toward the bathroom. At first, she seemed like she was going to drag him in with her, but with an almost desperate look, she let go of his hand and went in, to his total amazement, leaving the door slightly open. He was embarrassed to hear her peeing, but held his place, afraid of her reaction if she did not find him in the same spot. He was certain by now that she was not herself, but in some kind of trance, especially when she came out of the bathroom without having touched her hair or her face, both of which looked quite awful. Not waiting for her to grab his hand, he put his arm around her and led her to the stairs. Unable to fit beside her, he dropped behind her, making sure he kept contact. His hand dropped from her back to her bottom, but she did not react. He left it there, enjoying the feel of her muscles flexing as she climbed.

Only their three hosts and the girl were in the dining area when they arrived. The two women threw them concerned looks when they saw his mother's condition. Dex caught his eye and nodded slightly. The girl just stared at him with a look he could not read. He got his mother seated, and pulled his own chair close to hers. He asked about the other woman and the children, and was told they were all at Chuck E. Cheeses with the family that had taken them shopping.

All through the meal, the girl seemed to be staring at him as he tended to his mother, sometimes having to feed her. When he would glance at the girl, she would look away. She seemed to have attached herself to Morgan, either right beside her or watching her closely.

When the meal was finished, Morgan asked Megan to go and talk with Sandra, while she talked with Eric. Sandra looked panicky when Morgan pulled Eric away, but Megan talked calmly to her. Jessica was right behind Morgan as she walked Eric out of earshot but still in sight of his mother.

"How long has your Mom been like this? When did it start?"

Eric looked warily at Jessica, then turned his back to her and whispered so only Morgan could hear "This is kinda embarrassing to talk about in front of her. She doesn't like me and she gives me the creeps."

Morgan whispered back "Eric, I need to ask you just to forget she is there and talk to me. She is even more upset than you are and I think hearing this will help her. Will you do it, please?"

Taking a deep breath, he turned back and told Morgan how he had found his mother and what had happened afterward. He blushed heavily throughout, especially when Morgan asked him what he had said and how they had laid together.

"Morgan, I need you to help me. She needs to take a bath and get cleaned up. She never lets herself get like this."

"Why don't you help her?"

"But she'd have to undress and everything. I'd feel like a perv."

"Wouldn't you like to see her naked?"

"Come on, don't ask me that!"

"What if she wanted you to help her? What if she wanted you to see her?"

"But she's so out of it now. When she feels better she might be angry or at least embarrassed. I'm afraid she might even be upset about me holding her on the bed. Won't you help her?"

"Sure I will." She gave him a big hug, causing him to blush even harder. "You're a loving son to be so concerned about her feelings. You come and get me when you think it is time for her bath." In his ear, she whispered "Thank you, Eric. You didn't disappoint me."

Eric went back to his mother, and led her into the family room where they sat in front of the TV. Morgan thanked her mother, then turned to Jessica. "You looked puzzled, Jessica."

"He... he didn't do what I expected at all."

"I had to learn this the hard way, but there are a lot of good men around - men who respect women. Dex is one. My grandfather is another, and you will meet him tomorrow. Eric is another."

"But he's just a kid!"

"Nope. He's more of a man than your father, don't you think?" The girl did not respond, just wore a very puzzled look for quite a while.

Kirstin's kids hit the house like a tornado, bouncing around and babbling about the fun they had with the O'Connors. They ignored Dex and chattered at Megan and Morgan. Dex hurried outside and caught Stan before they drove off, insisting they come in and meet everyone. Tracy O'Connor was a vivacious woman who probably always wore a smile. She was overweight, somwhere between Morgan and Kirstin, but showed absolutely no self-image problem. Their kids were about the same age as Kirstin's, but with the girl older than the boy. Morgan and Megan were effusive in their thanks, as was Kirstin. Tracy was outspoken and told them how much they enjoyed being on the helping side after all the negative stuff Stan had to deal with. He gave her a hug and told everyone he agreed. Eric came and said hello briefly, apologized for his mother, and hurried back to her. Tracy followed him to the family room and introduced herself, completely ignoring Sandra's non-responsive state.

The mayhem continued for a while after Stan's family left. Megan suggested Kirstin put the kids in the hot tub to take the edge off of having to go to bed, and she readily agreed. They had bought swim suits, but dispensed with them for the occasion. When she had the kids down, Kirstin wilted in a chair and began to weep quietly. Megan was with her in seconds, putting her good arm over Kirstin's shoulder. Morgan sat on the other side. When asked what the problem was, she blurted out "Tracy's overweight and Stan loves her and treats her so nice! She's not as bad as me, but Gary just hates my fat body. How could I let myself get like this?"

Drawing the tearful woman out carefully, they found out that Kirstin, while always being voluptuous, had kept her weight around 135, which she thought looked good on her. Gary must have thought so, too, because that was her wedding weight. After Courtney, she could not shed the last 12-15 pounds, and he began to ride her mercilessly about it. The more he criticized, the more depressed she became, and the more she ate. The heavier she got, the more physical he became. He never actually hit her, but the grabbing and shaking were frightening. His domineering attitude got worse and worse until she could take it no more.

Morgan grabbed Kirstin by the hand and almost dragged her off to the hot tub room, locking the door behind them. "Now strip," she ordered as she quickly removed her own clothes.

"Noooo, I can't. I look so awful."

"Says who? Look, I'm no runway model, you know. Gary's got you hating your body and that's bullshit. Now get those clothes off and enjoy being naked. That's an order!"

Kirstin just stared at Morgan for several seconds, but finally undressed and the two of them settled into the water and had a very nice chat. When thirty minutes were up, Kirstin was reluctant to get out when Morgan told her it was time. As she stepped up and out, she got a stricken look. "Morgan! I don't have anything to wear downstairs. I don't want to put my dirty clothes back on."

"Sure you do! Here!" and she tossed a giant towel, taking one for herself.

"Oh my, it doesn't cover much. And Dex and the boy are out there!"

"So let's give them a thrill."

"You're so naughty! You know, I used to like to show off, back when I was proud of my body."

"So be proud now. Forget the weight and act like you don't give a damn what you weigh."

Kirstin nervously followed Morgan out the door and turned toward the downstairs, only to be caught and almost knocked down by Morgan. Her towel nearly fell off, and she frantically re-tucked it between her breasts. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, girl! We need to get something to drink and be a little sociable."

"But... but... like this?"

"Sure, why not? You're home! Relax and dress how you like, or not!" She leaned over conspiratorially and said "Let's give young Eric a hardon!" eliciting a gasp from Kirstin.

"You might, maybe, but not the way I look."

"Hey, he's fifteen. Any square foot of naked female flesh can cause a hardon." Kirstin even giggled a little at that.