Chapter 5

Karen and I headed for the cabin that was our home for summer vacation, if you could call the potential break-up of our family a vacation. Not only was there a serious danger of this being the last holiday we'd ever be together as a family, but my sister and I were being herded towards the cabin by our parents like cattle. Even though it had been our mother that I'd found cheating, our parents still put up a solid front. It all made no sense to me, and by the look on her face and the way she carried herself, even less to Karen.

Dwayne and Tanya had followed at a safe distance so as not to be spotted, although I didn't find this out until later. In many ways, I was glad they did, because if I'd tried to explain what our parents were about to tell us to anybody else, no one would have believed me.

Dad chased us up the stairs and onto the porch, then through the door and inside the cabin, almost pushing us in his haste. Mom was right beside him and positioned in such a way that if we tried to make a break for it, we'd never have gotten past them.

"Both of you, sit!" Dad demanded, pointing to the sofa as he spoke.

"Daddy, what the hell is going on?!" Karen snapped right back.

"I said sit, young lady! And watch that mouth of yours," he took back the initiative.

"Her mouth is the least of it, Dad!" I almost shouted in my sister's defence. "We're looking at our family breaking up, and you're worried about her language? I think I'm missing something here, aren't I?"

"Lennie," our mother quietly addressed our father, "I think Steve saw Bill and me in here last night. I guess maybe we should tell them? After all, we knew they'd find out one day. It would seem this is that day."

Dad's eyes moved rapidly between the three of us as he searched for something that would help my sister and me anchor to some kind of reality. We watched, stunned, as he slowly pulled up a wooden stamp-back chair, then straddled it so that his crossed arms on the back gave his chin a place to rest.

"I guess your mother's right. We knew this day would come eventually, but I'd hoped it wouldn't be quite this soon," Dad started off. "However, it looks like the cat's out of the bag."

"Daddy, wherever Steve goes, I'm going, too," Karen interrupted, her tone betraying just how afraid she really was over the probable break-up of our family.

"Steve's not going anywhere, Sweetheart, and neither are you," Dad informed her in no uncertain terms.

"But ... but ... but if you and Mom get a divorce, we both want to go with you!" she was emphatic.

"A divorce? Why would we be getting a divorce? I love your mother, and she loves me just as much. We have no intentions of getting a divorce. Where'd you get an idea like that?"

If I thought I was confused before, I'd just gone to a whole new level of being mystified.

"Dad, I know what I saw last night, and if that isn't grounds for divorce, I don't know what is!" I added as part of my sister's rescue. It was the two of us versus the two of them, it seemed.

"And just what was it you saw, Son? Your mother and another man having sex? In this case, that's definitely not grounds for divorce."

I couldn't fathom what we were being told. I felt my throat become as dry as a desert and my head begin to spin. I needed an explanation, and the sooner it came, the better.

"Steve, Karen," Mom finally jumped into the melee, "your father and I have lived an alternate lifestyle since before we were married. Like you two, we love sex. What you saw last night had nothing to do with love. There's only one man that I love, and that's your father. But we both enjoy experiencing other partners sometimes. We have our rules, and as long as we follow them, our marriage is based on trusting each other."

"Mom?", Karen almost shook her head to clear her foggy mind. "What do you mean, 'Like us two'? Are you saying that... ?"

"Darling, your Dad and I know that you and your boyfriend had sex yesterday. Your brother did, too, with Tanya Morrison, probably at about the same time. I talked to Beth Preston first thing this morning, and she told me that Dwayne has that unmistakable, dreamy look. Dianne Morrison must have overheard, because she says that Tanya has that same look. Putting two and two together with the way you and your brother appeared this morning, I'd say that none of you are virgins."

"I'm not sure that's any of your business," I growled. "You and Dad are screwing around with everyone you meet, and you're concerned about what we do? That's kind of hypocritical, isn't it? Hell, after seventeen years, I find out that you guys are ... what? Sex fiends?"

"Stephen Hellman, you're pushing your luck!" Dad admonished angrily in that quiet voice that told me just how upset he was with me.

"And you're not? What happens if something goes wrong? What if one of you falls in love with someone else? Do either of us get a say in what happens to our family? What are Karen and I supposed to do when we find out we have a half-brother, or half-sister? For that matter, how the hell do I know that you're both really my parents? And what about everything you taught us; loyalty, fidelity, and honesty? Sounds like, 'Do as I say, not as I do, ' to me. And that's not right, either! What other lies are you keeping hidden?!"

To say that I was upset would be a bit of an understatement. Everything we'd been taught, everything we'd come to believe in, and everything I'd built my life around was turning out to be a lie! So to say that I was upset wouldn't quite cover it. Saying I was fucking furious might be a little closer.

"Are you quite finished?" Dad's calm and gentle voice told me that I was way over the line. He never spoke like that unless he was microseconds from exploding in anger. And you know what? I really didn't give a shit!

"Calm down, Steve, and let us explain how we've made this thing work," our mother came between Dad and me. She gave me a few minutes to regain some semblance of rationality before she went on.

"First off, you're right. I don't have any business prying into your love life like that. I'm a mother, however, and my children's welfare and happiness means more than you'll ever understand. So unless you have evidence to the contrary, I have to assume that you and Tanya are, in fact, lovers. Karen, the same goes for you and Dwayne. Those two have, do, and will affect my children's happiness. Therefore, I feel compelled to treat them a little differently in the future than I have up until now. They mean a lot to you two, and now they mean a lot to your father and me."

Mom gave us both some time to let that sink in. I was expecting a lecture on morality and teen sex. But all the indications were that we weren't going to get it. Considering their behaviour, if either of them had tried to open the subjects, I'd probably have gone off the deep end — and could quite conceivably have had to walk home after the month was over.

"Second, your father and I have our rules, and one of them is that we have no secrets from each other. Your Dad knew I was over here with Bill last night because I told him. He was with somebody else at the time, and he told me who it would be beforehand. So your little rant about falling in love, or bearing more children, or any of that other ... bullshit ... doesn't amount to a hill of beans. We take every precaution possible, and get tested every month for potential diseases. I don't need your father bringing me home any surprises, and I won't put him at risk, either."

"I don't get it, Mom," Karen piped up. "Why would you be having sex with other men? Isn't Daddy good enough for you?"

"It has nothing to do with whether your father is good enough, as you put it. We just happen to enjoy some variety in our sex lives. You wear a different outfit to school every day. Why? Because you like variety in your wardrobe. For us, it's exactly the same thing, except that it makes us appreciate each other all the more."

"So who was it that I saw you with last night?", I enquired.

"I'm not sure that's any of your business, just as it's none of my business whether you and Tanya actually had sex yesterday. I told you my reasons for asking. I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to let me know. And the same goes for you, too, Karen. Personally, I find Dwayne Preston to be a well-mannered, considerate, and genuine young man. I like him, and so does your Dad."

"As for you and Tanya," she turned her attention to me again, "I think, Steve, that you'd be hard-pressed to find a more wonderful girl. Your Dad and I have watched her grow up and become who she is today. We've known Brad and Dianne since high school, so we know how she's been raised. They're as proud of their daughter as we are of you two, and to be honest, I can't blame them."

"So does this mean that Karen and I should be checking to see if you have someone in here every time we come home?" I threw at our parents.

"No, Son," Dad answered. "What happened last night was due to our sloppiness, and it left you and your sister in a pretty bad position. That was our fault, and I apologize for our inconsideration. We accept one hundred percent of the blame. In future, we'll give you fair warning and give you time to make what ever arrangements you need to."

Well, it didn't look like our family was about to be dissolved after all, which made me feel a little better. I turned to Karen, wondering how she felt about this whole thing.

"Are you okay with all of this?' I enquired of her.

"No," she answered with a timid tone, "but as long as you and I are still under the same roof, I will be, I guess. I just need some time to sort things out. If I have questions, Steve, can I still talk to you?"

Our parents' presence didn't matter suddenly, because I leaned over and kissed my sister's lips gently as my answer. She snaked her arms around my neck, and as soon as we broke, she hugged me tightly.

"Maybe who you two take as lovers is none of our business," Dad interjected, "but you two being lovers is. Are you?"

"No!" I was adamant.

"Don't be like that, Steve," Karen pleaded softly. "If I hadn't met Dwayne, it could have been a strong possibility. I love you that much, you know."

"Really, Sis? I never knew that."

I knew I loved my sister, and that she loved me. Still, it was a little bit of a shock to learn just how deep her love for me was. As I began to assimilate that declaration, that warm glow inside me for my sister got a little bigger and a whole lot stronger.

"You do now," she murmured, her face expressing a combination of warmth and love that I'd almost taken for granted. Her implied desire to make love with me was something I'd have to think about, because I did find Karen to be appealingly sexy and desirable ... among other things.

"If you two ever do become lovers," Mom added to our Dad's train of thought, "be very careful. I'd suggest that you stay away from that idea while we're here at camp. There are people that do practise 'family love' up here, but it's frowned upon. Not because of the taboo, but because it opens an unhealthy atmosphere for some of the other children. Oh, and if it ever happens between you two, could we ask you to let your father and me know? Please?"

I guess I was still in shock at the discovery that our parents were swingers. Their tacit approval of our possible incestuous relationship went right over my head — but not Karen's. She was still hugging me tightly, and now moved her lips to kiss me deeply and sensuously, followed by her tongue prying its way past my lips as she lightly entwined with mine.

"Easy, girl," Dad warned her softly in an accepting tone. "You keep that up and you'll have your brother all hot and bothered in no time. We won't talk about how it affects your mother and me."

His mini-lecture had a light sound to it, almost as if he approved of what was happening. But at that particular moment, I was lost in Karen's kiss, so most of his words went in one ear and right back out the other.

"When you two are finished," Mom put in, "I think Dwayne and Tanya are waiting outside for you. They followed us up here, but Dwayne's a little large to successfully hide behind one of those scrawny pines," she giggled.

"Are you two going to be alright?" Dad asked with real concern.

"Give us a couple of days, Dad. This is a lot to take in. How about we all go down and have breakfast? I'm starting to get hungry, and now that we've been told what's going on, some of Mom's cooking sure sounds good," I answered, now feeling a lot better than I had since we got back from the quarry.

"Might want to invite your ... I was going to say friends, but I guess they're more than that now, aren't they?" Mom beamed. That grin was something neither of us were expecting.

There was a completely different atmosphere in the cabin from when we'd first come in. So many things had changed in such a short time. We knew about our parents, and they knew about us. It just seemed natural to accept things the way they were.

As soon as we were out on the porch, Dad called out to Dwayne and Tanya, who emerged timidly from their hiding spots. His cheerful invitation to join us for breakfast elicited a blank expression on their faces. Karen had been hugging me around the waist, but as soon as she saw Dwayne, she released her grip and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

Tanya appeared to be as confused now as we'd been before we were filled in on our parents' lifestyle. With now-empty arms, I invited her into my embrace, then kissed her gently. It was that kiss that helped her relax enough to close her eyes, which had been as big as saucers a moment ago.

"They know about us, Princess," I whispered to her as our lips broke apart.

"They do? You told them?" Her shock at my revelation was quite predominant, but quiet.

"Yes, they do, and no, I didn't tell them. Our Mom, your mother, and Mrs. Preston have been comparing notes, and they figured it out all by themselves.

"My ... Mom?" she managed to sputter.

"And probably your Dad, too," Mom let her know. "There's not too many secrets between Brad and Dianne, Sweetie. I think you'll find them a lot more accepting than you think. I have a sneaking suspicion that Don and Beth Preston are just as happy, too. We were all young ourselves, once. We remember what it's like."

Now it was Dwayne's turn to look blank, and it surprised me when he didn't. In fact, he looked quite calm about the whole thing, as if losing your virginity was right in there with getting a hair cut or brushing your teeth. It was me, probably, that looked more shocked than him; something Tanya picked up on right away, but kept to herself until after breakfast.

Mom made enough bacon and eggs to feed a starving African village, with Dwayne doing her efforts the justice they deserved. He might have been a growing boy, but there are only so many directions a person's body can expand into, and by the look of the amount of food he packed away, he was about to use most of them.

Conversation started out slowly, with Mom and Dad feeling out Dwayne and Tanya's interests, then engaging them in several different subjects. By the time we'd finished eating, everyone was happily relaxed. The four of us cleared the table, then washed, dried, and put away all the dishes, cutlery, pots, and pans. Mom sat back and relaxed, a cheerful smile on her face, while Dad supervised what went where. Between the jokes and ribbing we all enjoyed, that was one of those mornings when it felt good to be alive. Some of the comments were a little ribald, but Dad took them in stride, probably because it was Karen and Tanya that came up with most of them.

I took a breather after we'd finished and sat with Mom for a minute to catch my breath. She was still wearing that happy grin, and reached over to put her hand on mine, ostensibly to get my attention.

"Your Dad and I didn't go overboard too much this morning, did we?" she asked.

"How do you mean, Mom?"

"Trying to make Tanya and Dwayne feel welcome at our table. They're a big part of your life and your sister's. That makes them important to us too. This was our way of letting them know. But neither one of us has had this much fun around kids for a long time. Look at your Dad. He's in seventh heaven right now."

I understood what Mom was driving at, finally. Our parents had gone out of their way to make Dwayne and Tanya as comfortable around our entire family as they could. In the process, we'd all found a level playing field where no one was above or below anyone else. Whatever Mom and Dad had in mind seemed to be working.

"No, I don't think you went too far, Mom," I tried to reassure her, "but thanks for breakfast, and the fun. Mostly, thanks for understanding how Tanya and I feel, and how Karen feels about Dwayne. He's a pretty good guy. Karen's in good hands."

"I know, Steve, and we're both very thankful. Tanya's in good hands, too. You take good care of her, you understand me?"

I leaned over and gave Mom a kiss on the cheek, almost losing myself in the softness of her skin and the scent of her hair. That was something that I wasn't quite ready for, and while it didn't get me as aroused as Tanya could, I thoroughly enjoyed the heady experience of being close to a mature woman. From the hum that Mom expressed, she must have felt the same way. It wasn't sexual, although there was a lot of warmth and caring in its inflections.

"What are your plans for the day?" Dad came over to ask me.

"Nothing definite. I was thinking of heading down to the beach after I grab a shower. Why, out of curiosity?"

"A shower, huh? You and Karen still sharing those, or has Tanya put the kibosh on that?" he asked.

"Dad! How did you find out?"

"What, about you and Karen? My hearing isn't that bad, Steve. Your sister is almost as loud as your mother can be. I was on my way to the kitchen the other morning when she climaxed. My daughter does have a very distinct voice. After fifteen years, I can recognize it quite easily. Was that you or Dwayne?

"Depends on which morning you're talking about," I hedged. "If it was yesterday or the day before, it would have been Dwayne. But we were all in the same stall the day before yesterday. I thought Karen did a pretty good job of muffling her scream. You sure it wasn't Tanya you heard?"

"Positive. Tanya's a little higher pitched than your sister — and nowhere near as loud," he chuckled, a big grin accompanying his light-hearted chuckle.

"I suppose you hung around to hear the girls going off, didn't you?"

"Well ... yes, I did. Envied you and Dwayne at the time, too. I'll warn you that when I told your mother about it, she suggested that we start taking showers together again. In fact, don't be surprised if she sticks her head in some morning while you and Tanya are in there. Might want to warn your sister, while you're at it. Beckie can be a bit of a voyeur at times."

"Really, Dad? She likes to watch people having sex?"

"Sure she does. I think it might be something she learned from me," he fought to control his laughter, eventually failing as he stood to leave me to my own devices.

On any other day, I'd have been shocked and embarrassed at finding out that our parents knew of my sister and me masturbating each other. But after the events of that morning, I wondered if anything they did would shock me. I did, however, remember Dad's suggestion to warn Karen and Dwayne. I also wondered what kind of reaction I'd get from Tanya and Dwayne at the revelation. But what to do about Mom if she peeked in? I had some ideas, and hoped the others had some, too. Whatever we came up with would need unanimous participation. Surely Mom wouldn't pick that morning to burst in on us ... would she?

Karen and Dwayne headed directly for the large shower stall at the back of the building that we usually used. She was about to pull the curtain back when the sounds of two people enjoying each other interrupted her. Turning to look at the rest of us, she shrugged her shoulders, then picked a different stall. It wasn't anywhere near as large or accommodating, but we managed to squeeze in without the metal walls buckling. If Mom poked her head in, she wouldn't be able to see much, I figured. Just moving around ourselves was difficult enough.

The girls managed to get the water flowing, although it was a little colder than we'd have liked. All the mutual pleasuring that went on seemed to overshadow that fact, though. Karen had been stroking Dwayne for a while, giving him a hard-on that didn't have a lot of room to expand into. Tanya's fingers were pure magic, so I was a little surprised when I felt another hand on my shaft that wasn't hers. Looking down, I found that Karen was also fondling me while still massaging Dwayne's cock. But it was seeing Tanya with one hand on me and the other on Dwayne that caught me off-guard. I expected to feel anger or jealousy. Neither one came, though. What I did feel was a heightened sense of horniness. I had been enjoying the sensations of Tanya's firm, smooth ass, and had let a finger stray to her little pucker. As soon as I touched her there, she moaned, then began to push against my finger.

Dwayne was in the middle of doing the same thing with Karen, but had his finger buried to the second knuckle. She looked lost in the sensations as he wiggled and fingered her. Karen's head had flopped as far back as it would go, and by the look of her closed eyes and that sensuous open mouth, she was loving every second of being anally stimulated, her hips rocking slowly as she impaled herself until she had all of his finger up her ass.

With all those hands and arms crisscrossed, it was getting to be impossible to move. I waggled my head sideways at Dwayne, silently suggesting that he do Tanya's pussy. As he moved from Karen' sex to my girlfriend, I took over on Karen where he'd left off. When the girls realized what had happened, they both broke into wanton grins, loving the feel of someone different stimulating their bodies.

My finger had slipped into Tanya, now buried between the first and second knuckle in her rear entrance. We'd never done that before, but by the look on her face, I knew she was loving it. Her encouragement confirmed it.