Chapter 85: Bathing

When Greg came home from work the next evening, he found Brit and Crystal sitting in the front room watching television. Crystal waved, but Brit hopped up off the couch and skipped over to him to throw her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her tiny, slender frame and gave her a squeeze.

He wondered why she was being so affectionate with him, not that he minded of course. Probably she just needed to hug someone now and then, and with Jeff no longer available she naturally went to her father. He really enjoyed those hugs; a lot of teenage girls wanted nothing to do with their parents, so he considered himself fortunate.

For about the hundredth time since imposing the new rules, he wondered if he were being too harsh on them. He hated to hurt them, but considering that they had already proven their inability to control themselves around each other, he had to do something. He just wasn't sure if what he had done was the right thing.

Sometimes he felt isolated, even in his own family. Everyone else had gone their own way, discarding seemingly everything he had taught them. He had tried to instill in them a certain sense of morality, an old-fashioned concept of right and wrong. Yet every one of his children had committed what he considered grievous sins.

He knew the cause of it, of course. They had seen Allison's open-mindedness, and how her liberal attitude had made her happy. Compared to that easygoing, upbeat, and fun-loving attitude, how could they possibly be expected to follow Greg's strict, conservative, and frankly boring ways?

He just couldn't bring himself to blame Allison though. He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to marry her. She had changed him too, opening his eyes to new possibilities and in fact, a whole new world that he had only dreamed of before. He had watched her seduce her sister. He had made love to both of them at the same time. He had even shared his wife with his son. And yet, the guilt that he expected from all of those horrible things he had done just wasn't there. Instead, there was a certain passion in his second marriage that had been largely missing from his first, because Allison and Greg were willing to try so many new things.

So whether he liked it or not, things were different around here, and likely to stay that way. He had lost control, and he had to accept that he could never get it back. Perhaps he had never had it. His children were independent, thinking individuals after all, capable of making their own decisions. And despite his efforts, sometimes they made the wrong ones.

At least he could protect them from some of the consequences of those decisions. Insisting that Jeff and Brit stay away from each other was a little harsh, but it had to be done. In time, they would thank him for it. He just knew that it would be difficult for a while.

At least he had Brit's promise not to run away again. He had a backup plan if it ever looked like she was thinking about breaking that promise. He could always have a talk with Allen Williams to see if he would agree to let her stay with Crystal for a month or two. It would be awkward; Greg would have to reveal more to Allen than he would like, but if Brit just needed time away from the family for a while, it would make a good compromise.

For now though, she seemed happier than the first time he had intervened in her relationship with Jeff. That was good; it meant she was taking it better. All she needed was some time to fall out of love with her brother, and then things would be all right again. Greg could probably handle the other changes in the family, such as Lissa's relationship with Alya, as long as Brit and Jeff didn't get back together.

With Lissa being home for the summer, the mood seemed to lighten a little. She had certainly changed over the past nine months. Still only on the verge of turning nineteen, she seemed much older. Perhaps her college education had instilled in her a little wisdom. Or perhaps it was just her same mature attitude that she had had for years now. Either way, he was glad she was home.

She seemed happy and cheerful, and he had to consider the possibility, no matter how much it pained him, that being in love had done that to her. And that meant that when she broke up with Alya, as he hoped she would, it would hurt her. He didn't want to see her hurt, but it might be the best thing in the long run.

In the mean time, he liked seeing her happy. She talked and laughed with the family, playing games and teasing her younger siblings. Not that she could outdo her little sister of course; Brit had had much more practice, and she always came out on top.

Lissa and Allison seemed to get along really well too, not that that was any change from before. They had always been best friends. They chatted and talked about nothing in particular, just catching up on old times.

Just before bedtime, Allen Williams came to pick up Crystal and drop off Jeff. Kari of course had come along, and she gave Jeff one final goodbye kiss before the Williams family headed out the door to drive home. Jeff and Brit headed upstairs, but Lissa stayed down to talk some more with her stepmother. Greg didn't mind; anything to keep the mood lighthearted and cheerful in the house.

As he had started doing lately, he gave the kids a few minutes to get ready for bed, then went upstairs to tuck them in. There was a part of him that felt guilty about what had happened with his children, a part that wondered whether he could have prevented it by being more active in their lives. So now he often visited them at bedtime for a little heart-to-heart talk. He also wanted to reassure his children that he wasn't their enemy; lately he had felt like a villain for intruding on their private lives, noble though his intentions were.

Jeff was probably easier to talk to, because he could relate to him more. Greg had been that age once, and knew what it was like to have his hormones raging within him all the time. Greg cautioned him about keeping them under control, hopefully without sounding like a lecture. Jeff was a good kid who had made a couple of mistakes.

Then Greg went across the hall to Brit's room. He had to admit, he enjoyed visiting with her even more, despite the fact that he had never been a teenage girl himself and therefore had no idea what was going through his daughter's mind. But he loved how affectionate Brit had become lately. On more than one occasion in the past week, Greg lay down beside her in her bed and let her cuddle up to him for a few minutes. One time she had even fallen asleep before he left. He gently laid her on her back, tucked her in, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She looked so beautiful asleep; with her eyes closed like that her youth really shone through; and he remembered her as a child.

Tonight he just sat by the bed and talked with her, although for some reason she insisted on holding his hand. He didn't mind that in the least. She had such tiny hands, so small in his own. He remembered what she had said about needing to hold onto someone strong and loving, so that she could feel safe and protected. Greg could be that man. He could be her guardian and protector. He was her father, after all.

He couldn't stay there all night, however. After a few minutes, he got up, gave her a kiss, and then headed out the door, turning off the light as he passed it. He descended the stairs, where he found the living room empty. No doubt Allison and Lissa had gone to bed, though he hadn't heard Lissa come upstairs.

Still thinking about Brit, he headed down the hall to the bedroom. It was empty. He noticed, however, a light peeking out from beneath the bathroom door. A bath sounded nice right about now; maybe Allison would let him join her. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Allison from the other side.

Greg opened it, then suddenly froze. Allison was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the tub, but Lissa was in the bath.

"I'm sorry," he hurriedly said as he averted his eyes and turned around.

"It's okay, Dad," said Lissa. "I don't mind. Come on in. Just close the door behind you."

"But you're ... you're..."

"Naked? Taking a bath? Arousing you?"

"Lissa! Don't even joke about that."

"Dad, you've seen me nude before, so it's no big deal. So are you coming in or staying out?"

"Um..."

Allison got up and walked over to him. She reached around and closed the door behind him. "There," she said. "Now what did you want to talk about?"

"I ... um ... I completely forgot."

Allison laughed. "Oh Greg, don't be so bashful. Lissa's just taking a bath, and she doesn't mind if you watch, do you, dear?"

"Not at all," Lissa replied. "You sometimes bathed me when I was a kid. The only difference is that I'm a little older now."

"That's a pretty big difference," he insisted. "Look, I shouldn't be standing here arguing about it. I'll come back when you're finished." He reached for the doorknob.

Allison immediately grabbed his hand. "Really, Greg," she said, "you've got to get over these inhibitions of yours. She's just taking a bath, that's all. Look, remember when Jeff was having his headaches, and you were prepared to stay in the bathroom when he took his showers? What if it had been Lissa? Would you still have been willing?"

"But I would have had you do it instead."

"Well, suppose you were the only one available. Would you do it then?"

"I suppose so. But that's different."

"Why? Because there's more of a need in one case, whereas it's completely optional in the other? You agree that it's all right for a father to watch his daughter taking a bath or shower in some cases, so why is it so wrong now?"

He sighed. Allison was right. So what if he happened to be in the room with her when she bathed? It wasn't as if he was going to do anything to her.

A little hesitantly, he turned around. When his eyes fell on his daughter, he saw that she was grinning. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it Daddy?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I guess not."

"Good. Allison, would you do me a favor?"

"What, dear?"

"Would you wash my back?"

"Of course."

Greg watched in awe as his wife took the wash cloth and began to rub it all over his daughter's back. Lissa closed her eyes but she kept the smile on her face, as if enjoying herself. Greg didn't know what to think now. What was going on here? First she let him watch her taking a bath, and now she was letting Allison put her hands on her.

In one sense, there was nothing wrong with it. Allison was just doing her a favor. It wasn't really naughty or anything, at least, not per se.

He suddenly realized why it bothered him. Both Allison and Lissa were openly bisexual. Two women washing each other in the bath wasn't necessarily sexual, but two women who liked other women was something else entirely.

But maybe he was reading too much into it. Maybe he was the only one with dirty thoughts in this room. Allison was just washing his daughter's back, after all, nothing more. If Lissa were three years old, he would just think this was a tender moment between mother and daughter.

Finally, Lissa yawned and lay back in the tub, letting the water cover most of her body. Greg noticed, however, that her breasts remained above the surface, still exposed to his view.

Allison glanced over at him, catching him staring. He turned away in embarrassment. She gave him a sympathetic smile, then took his hand. She took the washcloth and ran it over Lissa's shoulders and upper chest. Greg wondered just how far she was going to go. She would only have to lower her hands a little along Lissa's body, and then she would be touching her in a far too intimate manner.

But she stopped just at the top of Lissa's breasts, finally handing the cloth to her stepdaughter so that she could wash herself the rest of the way. Greg almost let out a sigh of relief. He probably wouldn't have been able to handle the sight of Allison touching Lissa like that. It wouldn't be the first time he had seen it, but that incident last year had been just a single time, and all just in fun. The thought that it might be more permanent than that both bothered and excited him. He still didn't understand just what their feelings were toward each other; could there really be some sexual chemistry between the two women? It wouldn't be the strangest thing that had happened in this house.

No, he couldn't bring himself to believe that. Despite their lesbian tendencies, they had never before shown the slightest interest in each other sexually. Sure they were affectionate. Sure they were best friends. But he was no doubt projecting too much of his own thoughts and worries into it.

Finally, Lissa sat back up. "I think it's time to get out," she said. Greg felt an unhealthy disappointment at that. He really shouldn't want to see his daughter nude, but he couldn't deny that he really enjoyed the look of her body. And why not? She was a beautiful woman after all. It was natural for him to feel something when seeing her naked body exposed to his eyes, no matter how he was related to her. There really wasn't anything wrong with that, as long as he didn't act on it.

She rose to her feet, and Allison reached for a towel. Instead of handing it to her, though, she placed it over Lissa's shoulders and began to rub her dry. Again, if Lissa had been a child, Greg wouldn't have thought anything of the gesture. But with her almost nineteen, there was something vaguely sexual about it. Probably just his own imagination again, he decided.

There was a little more to it this time though. Allison rubbed the towel all over her body, and he noticed that she didn't have any compunction about touching her more intimate spots this time. Granted, her hands were always separated from Lissa's skin by the cloth of the towel, but she didn't seem to mind running it over the girl's breasts or even between her legs.

He almost spoke up, but decided to hold his tongue. Maybe he would ask Allison about it later. Maybe. It could still be completely innocent; perhaps sex was the furthest thing from Allison's or Lissa's mind, and the very idea hadn't even occurred to them. He found it hard to believe that that was the case, but if so, bringing it up would only embarrass them, and if they were just being affectionate, he didn't want to ruin it for them.

He noticed that Lissa had followed Allison's example and shaved off her pubic hair. He wondered what that meant, or if it meant anything at all. Maybe she had just done it to see what it felt like. Whatever her reason, it didn't bother him; he was merely curious. And when he was honest with himself, delighted. It put her pussy right out there in the open, with nothing to conceal it from his eyes. He had to admit that she did have a beautiful one.

After Allison finished drying her, Lissa threw her bathrobe around her, finally covering herself. She gave Allison a kiss on the cheek, then did the same to Greg. For some reason, he blushed at that. Lissa apparently noticed it, because she gave him a knowing grin, but she didn't make a big deal out of it. Instead, she simply thanked Allison and then headed out the door.

Greg continued to stand there, staring at the floor and thinking about what he had just witnessed. In the end, he just decided that there was nothing wrong with it. If the girls wanted to wash each other's backs in the tub, that was fine.

By morning, he had forgotten all about it. When he entered the bathroom to take his shower, the sight of the tub brought back the memory of seeing Lissa sitting in it, but without the worries and uncertainty of last night. A good night's sleep had helped to clear his head and now he could think through it with an emotional detachment. There was really nothing for him to get upset at, he decided. In fact, he looked back on it with happy thoughts. It was just a tender moment between mother and daughter, nothing more.

He still had plenty of other things to worry about though. Jeff and Brit seemed to be getting along just fine, though admittedly either Jeff or Brit was gone from the house most of the time so there weren't too many opportunities for them to fight. And there were no wistful looks, sad eyes, or longing sighs either. Perhaps having them separated like that had already cured them of their unwholesome love for each other. He would just have to be on the lookout for another relapse.