Chapter 32

14:30 Wednesday, October 9^th, 1991

28910 Matadero Creek Lane

Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

"Can you talk about it?" Lenore asked Denise, in the solar at the Admiral's house. Deb had apparently cleared it with the Admiral and Barbara, who were both out for supper and the evening.

Deb had put Lynne to bed, and was staying by her until the Valium put her to sleep. That had been hard, Lenore admitted. Listening to the Nurse Practitioner explain was hard, seeing the look in Lynne's eyes when she came out was hard, listening to the list of things she can't do for a week was hard, and hearing her sob was hardest of all.

"Mine, you mean?" Denise poured the wine that Barbara had left for them into three glasses, and then spread the Boursin herbed cheese onto a few crackers with the broad-bladed knife Barbara had set on the tray.

"It was hard, too. I was only fourteen ... my Mother's youngest brother was sixteen. Jamie was cute, but he was soft, you know? He was kind of a girly-boy, and he hated it. We got along well, I guess, but he was picked on a lot ... well, he'd had enough, and by the time he got to our house, one night when our parents were going to the theatre, he'd about been driven to the end of his rope."

Denise took a sip of the wine. "I've never drank anything stronger than wine since then," she smiled at Lenore. "He'd brought a bottle of whiskey, and some grass. I wouldn't smoke the grass with him, but I did drink some of the whiskey." Denise shuddered, delicately. "Nasty stuff. I understand it's better on ice, and sipped slowly."

Lenore nodded, fascinated.

"So, the whiskey burned my throat. And I got drunk. And when he complained about never being kissed, it was just so easy to kiss my uncle, you know?" Not giving Lenore a chance to respond, she continued. "One thing led to another, as it will, and there I was, losing my virginity. It didn't last real long, and I don't think either of us broke a sweat." She looked directly at Lenore. "It wasn't real good at all."

"It can be," Lenore told her.

Denise flashed her a grin. "So I've since found out, though it's been a little while. Four weeks later, the school nurse called my mother, and all hell broke loose."

Oh shit, I can hardly imagine, Lenore shuddered. "And then they asked who..."

Denise nodded. "And then they asked who. Mom and Daddy ended up divorcing, and her mother and father wanted nothing to do with me, and made that plain. And so Mom and I had a long talk, and we agreed I could live with my Daddy. And then we told him together that that was how it would be, but that's a while after the abortion happened."

The tears were bright in Denise's eyes, and Lenore felt the water in her own. "Who went with you to the clinic?"

"Daddy and Mom both, but Mom couldn't stay. But Daddy did. You've really touched the sorest spot, Lenore," and the tears streamed down Denise's face, "Mom couldn't hang, but Daddy did. And that's why I stayed with Daddy, my grandfather and grand-bitch can think whatever the fuck they want to."

Lenore hugged Denise, and felt her shake in her arms, amazed at the strength the other girl had displayed. She looked up at Deb when the older woman sat down silently at the table. Deb took in Denise's distraught state, and gave a wry smile while taking her wineglass.