Chapter 12

Heather was busy setting the table, vacuuming the floor, and getting everything ready for her Mom's return. She'd even made a big banner that said "Welcome Home Mom" and "We Missed You." On the dining room table they'd set out fresh flowers and had her school acceptance letter and Harold's job offer letter setting on her plate.

Dad was working in the kitchen, pulling together her favorites for dinner, including a standing rib roast and asparagus. The bathroom had been converted into a huge candle lit homage to decadent bathing, with perfumes, bath oils, and over-sized towels and robes.

They were still finishing the last touches, when Heather saw the airport taxi was parked outside. "She's here!" she shouted across the house.

Harold headed to the door, and hurried down the sidewalk his wife was trundling up, laden down with bags. When she saw him, she let go of everything and ran into his arms, hugging him desperately, clinging to him.

Heather was surprised. She always got the first hug! She always came first with Mom.

Not today. Janice just held her husband tightly. "Never again," she murmured.

"I've missed you so badly," Harold told her, stroking her hair, leaning down and kissing her neck.

"Me too," Janice said.

"Hey, what about me? Old first born, only child!" Heather reminded her parents from just inches away. She was surprised once more when instead of getting a hug from Mom, her parents opened their arms and pulled her into their hug, both of them showering her with kisses. It was nice.

Harold took the bags and followed his wife and daughter as they headed into the house, hand-in-hand. If the smile on his face was any larger, he'd give the Joker a run for his money.

Janice stopped just in the doorway. "Oh, it's too much. Please, I don't deserve this."

"Of course you do Mom! We missed you." Heather reminded her.

Harold stepped up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. "You deserve this and more, much more."

Janice started crying and pulled away, running to the bedroom and shutting the door loudly behind her.

"What's wrong with Mom?" Heather asked.

"She had a very hard time in New York," Harold explained, "and she's feeling down on herself. I think she's also just overwhelmed by the change in her wonderful daughter. What kind of reception would she have gotten six months ago? Maybe you'd peel yourself away from the TV long enough to say hi?"

"Very funny, Dad."

Harold knew it wasn't funny at all. "Go start her bath, while we finish getting dinner ready, would you, Pumpkin?"

Heather knocked on the bedroom door, and let herself in. She made a beeline for the bathroom, starting up the tub, and lighting the candles.

"You're supposed to take a bath before dinner, to relax after that long ride," Heather told her mother. She brought out a glass of wine. "This might help a little too."

Janice took the cup and put it to the side. "Come here and give your old Mom a big hug."

Heather flew into her arms, hugging her tight, and feeling tears in her own eyes. "You were gone so long, Mom."

"Never again, baby. I'm sorry I left you two alone like that," Janice said softly.

"It wasn't so bad. We kind of worked things out, you know?"

"Whatever you did, it was wonderful. I kind of expected to come home to World War III, not this haven."

"Take your bath, Mom, we can talk about it later," Heather said, wondering if maybe now was the time to spring her surprise videos on her Mom, putting Dad in his place.

While Janice undressed, and soaking in the luxuriating bath, Heather took her DVD of the month long shenanigans and loaded it in the bedroom player. She barely had it set up before her father showed up with Janice's bags. He laid them out on the bed, and opened them.

"These look like they're mostly clean. I guess the hotel laundry took care of it. Why don't you be a dear and put these away," Harold said. He approached her and took her in her arms, "I've missed your Mom immensely you know, but I wouldn't have traded the last few weeks for anything in the world."

Heather laughed, "I bet you wouldn't, you old horn-dog."

Harold laughed with her, "Look who's talking! But that's not what I'm talking about. When did we ever talk? When did we ever just sit and watch TV together, or go out? Our date night was one of the best moments of my life, even before we got home and got comfy. I love you, Pumpkin."

"I love you too, Daddy," Heather answered pulling him down for a warm kiss.

Harold left her to her task, and hustled back to the kitchen. It was such a pain to bring all the elements of a dinner together. He was taking the drippings and make a gravy, waiting for his girls to come out.

Heather was putting away the clothes, and three separate times she walked toward the TV to pull out the DVD and forget everything. Three times. But in the end, she couldn't. She'd put too much effort into it. With most of the stuff tucked away, Janice entered the bedroom, wrapped in a huge fluffy robe.

"God, I needed that," she sighed. She looked around, "What are you up to? Putting my stuff away?"

"Just hanging up the clean stuff. Now that you're home, I think I'll let you deal with the dirty laundry again," Heather giggled. Then she her attitude turned sober. "Mom, why don't you sit down? I want to show you something." She guided her mother over to the end of the bed, and sat her facing the TV. She picked up the remote and pressed play.

The picture started with a naked Heather from the back walking over to lay down on her father's lap. It was obvious they were in her bedroom. Her ass remained facing the camera. There was no sound, but you could see her reaction as Harold spanked her ass, first firmly, then more teasingly, with interspersed caresses, and finally playing with her pussy.

After an eternity of fondling, she rolled over in his lap, and you could see her hand grasp his cock through his shorts. Harold continued playing with his daughter, massaging her tits, and fingering her. Janice couldn't believe how intense it was to watch her husband man-handle their baby, even knowing all about it.

Just before Heather slid off of his lap in the video, and started jacking him off, she started a quick commentary. "He was crazy Mom! He was spanking me like every day. It was bad enough when I was wearing underwear or a bathing suit, but then he wanted me to take my pants off, and here he wanted me naked."

She gasped, watching herself get her father off. "The spanking hurt, and the groping was bad enough, but he started on my friends too."

The camera switched to Lynn stretching out on his lap and Harold spanking her before he started fingering and fondling her as well. When the girls switched places, Janice reached for the remote and turned it off.

"We'll talk about this later," Janice said softly. "For now, let's just have dinner."

Heather had expected more. Yelling maybe, or screaming. Hysterics. Not this quietness. The quiet calmness had her scared. Maybe she'd gone too far.

The subject was never raised over dinner. They talked about college, and getting everything ready, finding out who else from school was going there, and making rules about cars, insurance, grades and an allowance. She even agreed to come home every other weekend to start with. The fact that they would only give her an allowance in person contributed to that agreement.

They also discussed her father's new job, which would start in only three days. He was excited and told them what he expected to be doing, and getting advice on a new wardrobe, since his old one wouldn't do. They talked about the congressman's views, and where he was going. Unlike most politicians, he was a retired doctor, not a lawyer, and that pulled a lot of weight in the current climate of health concerns.

Janice tried to avoid most of the discussion about her work in New York. She did give them an overview of what they were trying to do, and told them they'd won the business they'd been working on. She even revealed she had an offer to move to the New York office. Which she had refused flatly.

Harold and Heather cleared the table, and shooed Janice away when she tried to help with the dishes. She finally insisted, and the kitchen was full of jostling bodies as they quickly cleaned up after themselves.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Janice finally declared.

"What?" Harold asked.

"The difference in this place. It's a home, not a house. And we're a family, not three strangers sharing a roof." She took Heather in her arms and cried over her. "I'm so happy with you," she sobbed, "that's what makes this so hard."

"Makes what hard, Mom?" Heather asked, but secretly delighted. She suspected it was time for the proverbial shit to hit the fan.

"Let's go into the living room." Janice said softly, tugging her daughter along by the hand.

Harold was thoroughly bewildered. He sat in his recliner, while the girls sat side by side on the couch.

"Do you know what your daughter did, while you were finishing getting dinner ready?" Janice asked.

"Put away your clothing, I hope. I had asked her to." Harold replied.

"Yes, she did that as well. But she also showed me a video of you spanking her, and taking some liberties with her as well. She even had a video of you taking turns spanking both her and her friend Lynn, with both of them naked."

Heather's heart was in her throat as she saw the look of disappointment on her father's face. "I had to tell her, Dad!" she finally cried out.