We made love the next morning in bed before she got up to make breakfast. We made love again after as I watched her make breakfast, wearing nothing more than an incredibly small pair of shorts and a sports bra. She had to turned everything off as I bent her over the table, her cries of delight echoing around our apartment and I’m fairly sure neighbours would have heard us too.
We both left the apartment grinning like fools later that morning.
It was Natalie’s birthday on the Saturday and it was time that the three families would come together for the first time. Megan had been messaging me all week, clearly nervous about seeing my parents for the first time since our divorce. While I’d forgiven her and our relationship was what even I would consider fantastic, I knew my parents still carried resentment, as did my siblings. I’d told them Megan and I were getting on far better, but they retained bitterness at what she’d done. Cindy’s mother and sister were eager to see my family again, and enjoyed the idea of a party for my daughter. My parents had a pool at their house, so at least half a dozen of my daughters’ friends would also be visiting.
Arriving at the old house on Saturday morning, Megan and Caroline were waiting for us. I knew Caroline had spent the night and that she was coming with Megan, to be introduced as her new partner. They’d been going out only a couple of weeks, but Megan was letting me know how much she already liked her, Caroline doing the same with Cindy. Natalie was excited about her party, even Greg was in a good mood about being dragged along.
Megan’s would meet us at my parents’ place, as they remembered where they lived. Megan and Caroline took the former’s car with the kids, following us as we needed to pick up Laura and Stephanie first. Both were delighted to see us, Laura giving me what I could only call a ‘mother cuddle’ before we got into the car.
Gathering outside my parents’ house, I took Megan’s hand in my left, Cindy’s in my right, and led us to the side gate that led into the backyard. I wasn’t surprised at the silence that greeted us when we appeared, Megan shuffling closer to me. She was obviously nervous, letting go of her hand and cuddling into me. Mum and Dad walked towards me, glancing to see Megan’s parents watching with interest.
When Dad embraced Megan, the tears were immediate. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, taking a deep shuddering breath to calm herself down.
Dad shushed her. “Hush, child. If my son can find it in his heart to forgive you, then you’re welcome here as you’re the mother of our grandchildren.”
Cindy cuddled into my side as Megan was embraced by my family once again. Natalie had already headed inside as she wanted to change in time for the arrival of her friends. Greg made a beeline for cousins of similar age, leaving the adults to gather around. Everyone knew about Cindy and I, so the questions were aimed in the direction of Megan and Caroline. Considering Caroline had all the appearances of a woman, everyone was respectful but intrigued as to this new relationship.
Natalie’s friends arrived over the next hour, and the quiet was soon broken by the sounds of squeals, shrieking and giggling, while the presents all of us had bought were slowly brought out. Megan and I ventured out to our cars to grab more presents, though she stopped before our cars and hugged me tightly, simply whispering, “Thank you.” I kissed the top of her head, assured her everything was now okay. “I’m thanking you for more than today, Mark,” she added.
“I know.”
She looked up and noticed my smirk. That earned a giggle, a sound I remembered from the many good years of our marriage. When I smiled, the sound stopped as she knew why. Then we hugged tightly as the emotion hit her immediately. “Too many reminders,” she said, her voice muffled by my chest.
“At least we’re remembering the good times nowadays.”
“There were more good than bad, right?”
“Definitely. And the sex was usually good.”
“Still miss you in bed next to me, but having Caroline is helping my heart finally mend. I’ll need to thank Cindy for introducing her to me. She’s delightful.”
I could see my family was being polite but still a little standoffish. I didn’t blame them in all honesty. The break up and divorce hadn’t been pleasant, and I’d been around their house more times than I could count, half the time drunk out of my mind, and I hadn’t exactly been pleasant, rather forthright in my opinion of my soon to be ex-wife. Seeing her with me now, both of us exchanging smiles and laughing, would have been simply impossible six months earlier.
Another reason to love Cindy even more. And I noticed they were friendly and affectionate with her. Not to make a point with Megan, I just knew they adored her already. They could see how much I loved her, and how much she loved me in return. Then there was Laura and Stephanie. My mother and Laura were already being friendly, but I was pleased to see Megan’s mother made it a triumvirate. I almost dreaded what they were plotting at times. As for my father, he’d always been friendly with her father, so the two sharing a beer by the barbecue wasn’t a surprise.
Asking Cindy if she wanted a swim, she happily headed inside with me as we changed. Sliding on a pair of small swimming shorts, she stopped and just stared at me. I met her eyes and had to ask, “What?”
“You’re so fucking fit, Mark.”
I looked down to see I did have a flat stomach and some more definition than I had six months ago. I managed a shy smile. “Thanks. I do go the gym at least five days a week.”
“And it shows, handsome.”
Cindy changed into her bikini, which left little to the imagination, noticing she tucked herself before walking towards me. “I’d have no problem showing off my bulge, but not with your kids and her friends about.”
Heading outside, the conversation did grow quiet as a few eyes did turn in our direction. “Fucking hell, Mark, been working out?” my sister asked.
“It’s all the sex,” Cindy replied with a playful dig into my ribs. Thankfully everyone laughed at that.
“Want to swim, Megan?” Caroline asked.
“I’d love to but what about… um…”
“I’ll tuck it like Cindy.” Now, obviously Caroline hadn’t let anyone know just yet about her secret. So that led to plenty of glances between Cindy, Megan and Caroline. The latter simply sculled her drink before she said, “Yes, I’m the same as Cindy. I’m a woman but… you know…”
Megan’s parents didn’t know Cindy was trans, so I could see the confusion on their faces, looking at me and Cindy before returning their eyes to their daughter. “Megan, what does that mean?” her father finally asked. Thankfully, there was only curiosity in his voice. Her parents were a little older than my own so perhaps not as exposed to how things had changed.
“Caroline is a woman, Dad, but when she was born, she was considered a boy.”
“Oh… So… um…”
“Do you really want to know, Dad?”
“Well, it’s not about wanting to know. Call it curiosity.”
“I’ve not been through the surgery and have no plans to at the moment,” Caroline stated confidently, “But what I do know is that I already adore your daughter, Alan. And I know she likes me just as much in return.” Caroline took her hand, kissing the back of it. “All I know is that I’m happy with her.”
“And I’ve found happiness with Caroline, Dad.”
Her parents smiled. “All we want to know is that our daughter is happy.”
Cindy and I joined my daughter and her friends in the pool, no surprise Greg and some cousins were also present. I was aware my son nursed a little crush on his cousin, Emily, noticing they spent a lot of time together whenever the families met up. And I figured they probably messaged each other a lot on their phones. I was left wondering if I’d need to sit down and chat with him. It wasn’t illegal in our country but, socially, it could be a problem. Then again, if they wanted to date when they were older, they just don’t or wouldn’t let on they’re cousins.
Cindy spent most of her time cuddling me, though Natalie would swim across for some attention before returning to her friends. Megan and Caroline also joined us, and seeing Megan in a bikini stirred some dormant feelings. She’d always looked good in swimwear. Caroline was, to put it simply, fucking gorgeous too. And definitely tucked her nine inches very well.
“Like what you see, Mark?” Megan teased.
“I’m a man. I’m going to look. Not leer, as that’s creepy, but I’m going to look. Ex-wife or not.” I paused before adding, “And you’re still beautiful, Megan.”
The comment made her blush before she leapt on me to hug me tightly.
“I’d look too,” Cindy added, “Cracking body, Megan. Though I guess I’ve seen it before.”
“Bet the family is weirded out how well you two get on together,” Caroline suggested.
“Definitely, as I wasn’t particularly complimentary after everything that happened,” I admitted.
Getting out of the pool to eat, Natalie was then given the opportunity to open her presents. It was all the stuff wanted by an eleven-year-old girl. Cindy bought her something special that earned a long hug between the pair. I glanced around to see everyone smiling. Everyone already knew how much Cindy loved our daughter. She was practically her step-mother without the marriage, and Natalie loved her just as much in return.
After cake and dessert, the girls headed inside to play games, hearing plenty of shouting and laughing within a couple of minutes. Most of the cousins joined in as well, nice to see all the kids getting along, though I noticed Greg and Emily had returned to the pool alone, looking rather friendly with each other, laughing away as they splashed about the pool. Gaining Megan’s attention, I nodded in their direction. “Think we need to chat with him soon?” I wondered.