78

I’ll admit it, I had to jump in the water about every five minutes, trying to get my erection to go down. The water was so warm it didn’t help.
Her body was small but proportional, making her 32c cups look a lot bigger than they were. Her ass made men stop talking as she walked by. I saw one wife jab her husband in the ribs over it. We tried to kill each other with sex that night. Didn’t work, but we almost went into comas.
…
Six glorious months went by. I made her quit the bar so she’d be home with me. She grumbled, but did it. She was walking around with that secret smile I recognized. She was up to something.
To fill in her time, she went back to school, going for a degree in hospitality and food management. I supported her fully, but didn’t understand her degree choice.
She called me at work, sounding panicky.
“Honey, I need you to come home. Now. It’s important.”
I left immediately. She was pacing back and forth, obviously agitated. She rushed into my arms. I was starting to get a bad feeling.
I knew it was bad when she started out with, “Honey, do you love me?”
“Do I have to even answer that?”
She relaxed, took my hand.
“I’ve got something to tell you, and something to ask you. Hear me out, please, before you say anything.”
She had been looking for her sister for a few weeks, wanting to connect. She was twelve now, and she hadn’t seen her since she was four. It weighed on her, thinking how good her life was now and remembering her experience with foster care.
“First, I found my sister. She doesn’t even remember me. That was pretty hard. She looks a lot like Dad.”
“That’s great, honey. I’m sure she’ll warm up after she gets to know you. Is she in a good home? Adopted? Details, honey, I’d like to meet my little sister in law.” I was excited, knowing how much she had been wanting this. A tear trickled down her cheek.
“No,” she said sadly, “she wasn’t adopted. And she was in a bad place when I found her. A place so bad they had to remove her and the others from the home.”
“Where is she now? You haven’t lost her again, have you?”
She hugged me.
“No, she’s really close.” She took my hand, holding tightly. “She’s in the spare bedroom.”
Wow.
After I collected my thoughts I had Amanda bring her out.
She was only twelve, but she was already taller than Amanda. Her hair was black, her nose was a little broader, but other than that they had identical features. Same mouth, same elegant neck. same expressive hands.
She introduced us. I went to hug her and she backed up, so I held out my hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Celeste. Amanda talks about you often.”
“The where the hell has she been while I was living in that shithole? Why hasn’t she come looking for me before now? I could have been here years ago.”
The sheer anger in her voice shook me. Amanda stepped in.
“I’m here now honey. I came for you as soon as I was able to. Four years ago I couldn’t take care of myself, there was no way I could give an eight year old what she needed. I had to grow up first. I’m sorry if you’re angry. Let’s see if we can make it up to you.”
Celeste was on a roll.
“Oh, that’s just great. Now I get to live with the Cleavers? Wear frilly dresses and giggle over boys? News flash, I KNOW ALL ABOUT BOYS, why do you think they closed the home down? Guys want one thing, and it’s right here.” She grabbed her crotch.
“Just as soon as you’re out the door, hubby here will try to make me his little bitch. Let’s get this over with. Give me some cash and turn me loose, and I’m yours for the night. Deal?”
Amanda was shocked into silence. I was furious.
“Maybe we’ll just give you a warm bed for the night and send you on your way tomorrow. If what you had is better than what we’re offering, go for it. Come to think about it, I haven’t offered you a thing. I tell you this. IF we talk it over and decide we want you with us, you’ll keep a civil tongue in your head, and not give us any shit. The most important thing in my life is my wife, and I will not have her hurt or suffer because you had a hard life. Hers hasn’t been sweetness and light, listen to her story sometime, see if you have any empathy. Are we clear here?”
She had paled and backed away from me, but just as soon as I stopped she got her bravado back.
“Fuck you! I don’t need a father figure. I don’t need a sister or a mother. I don’t need a damn thing from either of you.”
“Clear enough.” I turned to Amanda, hugging her.
She started crying. I stroked her hair. “I’m sorry honey. I know how bad you wanted this. It seems you may be too late. It’s not your fault, you hear me? It is not your fault. Maybe she’ll eventually grow up and realize that.”
I stepped back and looked at both of them.
“I’m going to start the grill. You two talk, see if you can come to terms. Celeste, you’re here for at least the night. I expect you to be civil. And stop cussing!”
They talked while I set the grill up and cooked. I left the curtain open, just in case. I could hear the yelling, see Amanda crying. It broke my heart. Then Amanda said something that caused Celeste to cry, and they started hugging. Maybe there was hope after all.
There wasn’t much conversation over dinner, but there were no outbursts either. Celeste ate two steaks and two huge baked potatoes. She even helped Amanda wash the dishes.
They came in to the living room to tell me they were going out for about an hour, they had things they had to pick up. Clothes for Celeste, I guessed.
I sat and thought while they were gone, wondering about a society that treated children like unwanted baggage.
They came back, and Celeste was actually giggling.
She even said goodnight to us, after modeling her new pajamas, complete with feet.
We talked, in the bed after she was asleep.
“Can we keep her, at least for awhile? I’ll be responsible for her, you won’t even notice her.”
I gave a dry chuckle.
“I doubt that. All right, she can stay, temporarily. But she has to behave.”
“Thank you, honey. I knew I could count on you.”