Brent, Male, 34

	- Narrator, father of Orchid, Dahlia's fiance

	- Tan white skin, 5'10, 175lbs, shoulder-length curly brown hair

Orchid, Female, 14

	- Daughter of Brent

	- Pale white skin, 5'9, 145lbs, mid-back length nearly-black hair

Dahlia, Female, 36

	- Mother of Lily, Brent's fiance, 20 weeks pregnant

	- Tan white skin, 5'9, 155lbs, 38D breasts, shoulder-length wavy brown hair, green eyes

Lily (Lilian), Female, 10

	- Daughter of Dahlia

	- Dark-tan skin, 4'7, 70lbs, mid-back wavy brown hair, dark eyes, Native American features

Maria, Female, 19

	- Owner of Maria's Guest House, 20 weeks pregnant

	- Mocha-brown skin, Latina, 5'8, 150lbs, shoulder-length dark-brown silky hair

Heather, Female, 39

	- Sister of Dahlia, mother of Chime and Glade, aunt of Lily

	- 5'9, 145lbs, beige skin, light-brown wavy shoulder-length hair

Chime, Female, 16

	- Sister of Glade, daughter of Heather, niece of Dahlia, cousin of Lily

	- 5'7, 140lbs, beige skin, light-brown wavy hair neck-length hair

Glade, Male, 15

	- Brother of Chime, son of Heather, nephew of Dahlia, cousin of Lily

	- 5'8, 175lbs, beige skin, blonde straight ear-length hair

Christmas morning. For some people it was a thrill to wake up on that late December holiday. Whether religious traditions or those more closely rooted in family or a day off work, I knew it made many people feel sentimental and nostalgic to stretch and rise out of bed.

For me, there was no religious importance. Certainly I loved feeling the heat of my family around me as I slowly slid from the covers and then stood beside the bed to slide on my robe and slippers. I suppose a part of me did feel like it was a special day, perhaps only because I was expected to feel that way. I'd had so many unexpected, strongly emotional experiences over the previous months that it didn't really feel that different than any other day. I always seemed to wake with a smile, knowing how damn lucky I was to be able to kiss and make love with Dahlia, Orchid, Lily, and Maria. Christmas morning was just another day to me, but since Dahlia had come into my life, every morning felt like Christmas.

My pregnant lovers and our daughters continued to sleep as I slid from the room and closed the door behind me. I went to the kitchen before it was light out. I could hear the breeze blowing steadily outside before I heard the hiss of the coffee maker. I saw that Heather and Chime were in the kitchen, the girl leaning against the counter wearing a thick cotton robe, her mother seated at the small high-top table against the wall, dark pajamas covering her body. They looked at me as I came in, both looking sleepy. “Good morning. Merry Christmas,” I said with a smile.

Heather replied, “To you as well.”

“Sleep alright?” I asked, knowing my question was layered thick with many other unspoken words about the experiences we'd shared the previous evening.

Heather smiled. “Very well, thanks. Perhaps the best night of sleep I've had in years.”

“Excellent.”

Chime was almost a different person, at least in her body language and facial expression, than she'd been the morning before. There was a pleasant ease in her lips, her eyes up and, despite the early hour, alert. Almost cheerful. She looked me in the eye directly for the first time. There was a great deal of relief in her glance.

“Sleep well, Chime?” I asked as I pulled three mugs down from the cabinet.

“Yep,” she replied, crossing one leg over the other under her robe, “very well. Uh, thanks.”

There was a short silence before I said, “Amazing how good it feels to get scary things out in the open...”

Chime answered with, “I know, right?”

“I think we're all feeling much better this morning,” Heather added. “Still... uncertain, I suppose. I can't shed the guilt so fast...”

“It will come, I think,” I replied, “give it time. There are still some days I have to stop and reconsider things, just to be sure I'm not blinded by my own desires. Talk to each other a lot. Make sure you understand each other and know that desires and needs may change. Always put that above all else, the things you all need. Sex sometimes has to be put aside while you work on things. Just be patient and know that you love each other. You'll pull through. Last night was just a big first step in being true to yourself. Nothing feels better than being yourself.”

Heather nodded.

Chime watched me a moment, then said, “Last night... you, uh... you were in Maria's butt, right?”

I grinned. “I was.”

“Ah,” she replied. “Does she... like that?”

I could feel Heather's eyes on me as I answered her daughter's question. “She's the one who slid it back there... Yeah, she likes it.”

I could see Chime growing bolder by the minute. “Doesn't it hurt, though? Like... it seems like it would hurt...”

I shrugged. “I've never been on the receiving end myself, so I can only say that all of my lovers enjoy anal sex. You need to go slow, use lube or lots of saliva. I know it feels amazing to me.”

“Doesn't it get, you know, dirty?”

I smiled at her and I could see a light blush on Chime's smooth, pale cheeks. “Sometimes. You just kind of... accept that. You can go to the toilet first, clear things out beforehand, but there's still a chance things will get a bit dirty.”

Chime digested that a moment but remained silent.

“I'm guessing you and your brother have not tried that yet.”

She shook her head. “No... nothing like that.”

I looked at her mother, “And you?”

Heather let out a long breath, “Not in many years... not since I was a teenager, probably. Was how I kept from getting pregnant back then. Had no money for condoms, and my parents were not going to let me get the pill.”

“Mom... really?” Chime said, genuine curiosity in her tone, “you've let guys put it in your butt?”

Heather laughed, more relaxed than I'd seen her before, “Long years ago, yes. But that all ended when I met your father and got saved...”

“And did it hurt?” her daughter pressed.

Heather shrugged and said, “A little, I suppose, if the guy was not paying attention. But like Brent said, enough lube or spit and some patience... it will fit, and once I got comfortable...” Heather shivered and grinned broadly, “well, let's just say I rather enjoyed myself.”

My cock was starting to harden and I saw Chime's eyes slide down to where my robe had started to part. I'd not worn any underwear beneath and the tip of my dick was just poking through. The teen giggled, glancing away quickly, then letting herself look once more. “Look what we did, Mom...” she said, nodding in my direction.

Heather's eyes caught the meaning and the woman grinned. “So we have...” She looked at her daughter, then back at me. “Can't believe I'm going to say this... Lord help me... Can... Can I have a closer look, Brent?”

My response was to lean against the counter, the beeping of the coffee maker the only sound as I let my robe fall open, exposing my hard penis to the mother and daughter.

Heather slid to her knees in front of me, quickly taking my cock in her fingers, her touch tentative at first. “Lord forgive me,” she said quietly just a second before her lips touched my flesh. I shuddered as Heather's mouth opened and the head of my dick slipped inside.

Chime was right beside her mother, kneeling down and watching as Heather began to slowly suck my cock, using three fingers to pump gently along my shaft. I groaned in pleasure, watching the woman's head bob, the sounds of her wet lips so delightful. She paused after a moment, pulling my dick free and pointed it at her daughter.

Chime giggled, her pale flesh rosy on her cheeks. The girl's slim fingers wrapped around my shaft and she pulled her head closer, letting her mouth slid down over my penis. My pleasure rumbled in my throat.

Back and forth, the mother and daughter shared me. I began to buzz and tremble, the excitement of the moment causing me to boil quickly. I managed to mumble, “Gonna cum...” just as my cock slipped back into Heather's mouth. I felt her suck in her breath, her warm lips and tongue coaxing the first spurt of jism up my shaft. I moaned and squirted, Heather holding still as I pumped my load against her tongue. Chime watched my face as I came, my semen filling her mother's mouth. I shuddered as the last drops dribbled out and Heather pulled away.

A thick glob of cum ran over her lips as she tried to swallow. Chime leaned closer to her mother, licking the seed from Heather's chin, then kissing her mom, moaning into the woman's mouth as they shared my pungent, salty semen.

When the two sat back on their ankles, I grinned and said, “I'd love to return the favor...”

Heather stood and shook her head. “I need to shower. Haven't cleaned up since the fun last night.”

“You know,” I told her, “some of us get really turned on by that...”

“What,” Heather asked, her eyes narrowed, “a woman who hasn't bathed?”

“Sure,” I responded, “I love that taste... that smell... I really get aroused...”

Heather glance to her daughter, Chime having risen to her feet, a look of uncertainty on her face. The woman seemed to think it over, then asked, “You sure?”

“Completely,” I assured her, stepping closer to her and putting my hands on her waist, pulling the woman to me for a kiss. I could taste the thick cum still in her mouth and Heather moaned as our tongues intertwined. With one hand, I reached out for Chime and found the teen's narrow waist, pulling her to us. I turned and looked into the girl's eyes, saw the nervous excitement there, her lips still wet. They parted easily when I pressed them to mine, the teen's soft mouth a delight to kiss. Her moan was soft and low as we shared our tongues.

I pushed a chair out of the way and guided Heather to lean against the edge of the table, guiding her pajama bottoms down quickly to her knees, then pushing her to sit on the table, her thighs spread just enough for me to slide between, the pajamas keeping her from fully opening herself.

I smelled her immediately as I knelt down and looked at the lovely mature pussy in front of me. The strong odor of an unwashed but pleasantly fragrant crotch hit me more powerfully each time I inhaled deeply. There was a definite similarity between Heather's cunt and Dahlia's, both the aroma and visually. While Heather's bush was full and glistening and not cleanly shaved like her sister's, the similarity was easy to see. I was so turned on that I started stroking myself again as I let my tongue drag across the swollen labia between Heather's legs.

She tasted salty and ripe, meaty and rich, a succulent, wet sensation on my taste buds. I slipped my tongue into Heather's vagina and found her lightly creamy, the slightly-sweet and tart discharge soon coating my tongue. I lapped her up and down, her swollen clit bouncing each time I flicked it. Heather moaned louder, moving her hips in small circles. It took only moments of eating the woman's pussy for her climax. She even moved like Dahlia when she came.

Heather pushed me away and said, “Now do Chime...”

I looked up to see that her daughter had slid onto the table beside Heather, her robe open and a small pair of grey panties were on the floor nearby, a clear dark spot visible in the crotch.

I shifted to the teen, her bush light and not nearly as thick as her mother's. She was swollen down there, her labia thin but reddish-pink, the inner lips only barely visible in Chime's thin slit. The smell between her legs was less powerful than Heather's but still heady and arousing. The teen's scent was lighter, less rich, more floral. Sweat and musk were there, a touch of pungency, undeniable relics of fucking her brother the night before and letting him leave his load inside her vagina.

I used my fingers to slightly part Chime's slit, her inner flesh a very light pink, almost cream-colored. My tongue slid out and I tasted her private flesh. The teen moaned as her savory flavor exploded in my mouth. While she was less strong and pungent than her mother, Chime's pussy was similar in taste and scent, not far off from Dahlia's. I loved the way Chime's thin labia were soft and supple as I licked her. I sucked gently on one lip, then the other, before moving up to suck lightly on the sixteen-year old's clitoris. Her body tensed with pleasure, her fingers balling into fists in my hair.

I slid a finger inside her vagina, the hot passage slick and clenching tightly. Chime moaned, “Ohmmm... oh... oh...” Her ass rose up slowly as her thighs pressed in against my head, and then the teen went completely silent as her muscles strained. Suddenly she let out a long breath and cried out, “Uhhhhhhhhhhhnnn... mmmOoohhhh...” I pushed my finger as deep as I could go, feeling the girl's cervix moving with the waves of orgasm rushing through Chime's body. Her climax faded slowly, her legs drawing down, and I pulled back, smiling, a mixture of mother's and daughter's pussy juices on my face.

As I stood up and started to step back, Chime's hand shot out and grabbed my waist. She said nothing, her eyes glassy, her lips wet and parted, the pale brunette pulling me closer to her. Chime urged me to press against her crotch, my penis hard and soon nestling along her slit. I could see her mother leaning towards us, watching closely. Chime's other hand drew down, stroking my cock twice before positioning the tip against her wet opening. I pushed in, and the teen's tight pussy burned along my shaft as we both moaned.

Heather's hands moved rapidly over her daughter's body, caressing young breasts and sliding over the girl's stomach and thighs. I slipped in and out of Chime's tight hole, thankful I'd cum moments earlier. It was hard not to let go within the first minute. Chime's cunt grasped me, slick but holding firm, her channel short, more like Lily's. I couldn't even get fully inside her, the tip of my cock punching the teen's cervix each time I thrust in. Chime grunted with each impact, and her body was soon tensing again.

Her mother slid fingers over the girl's clit, and that set her off, the teen climaxing rapidly as my penis churned her juices. Chime's eyes were shut tight as she came, her body covered in sweat, her pale flesh the color of ripe strawberries all over her face and chest and abdomen.

I pulled back from the relaxing girl and smiled at Heather. She said nothing as she leaned back on the table and shed the pajama bottoms which had still been held around her knees, then spread her thighs wide. My penis was slick from Chime's cunt as I slid it into her mother's pussy. Heather let out her breath then sucked it in quickly as I rooted inside her body. The woman's pussy was not nearly as tight nor as shallow as her daughter's, but god she felt good. I felt more free to really let go with Heather and started to pound her, holding her waist and slamming into her rapidly. As her mother had done for her, Chime snaked her hand down between Heather's legs and began to play with the woman's clit, soon drawing out a rapid, sputtering climax and then another immediately after.

Heather's body almost forced me away as she let go. I stepped back, my cock slimy with the cum from mother and daughter. Heather's head turned aside, her breathing rapid and deep. I caught Chime's eyes and her legs spread on their own. I slipped back into the teen, and when her hands grasped my hips and implored me to fuck her faster, I picked up speed and humped the girl much harder than before.

I was quickly overcome, staring into Chime's eyes as she watched me without interruption. Her arms slid around my shoulders, her hips rising to meet each rapid thrust. I felt myself swell inside the sixteen-year old's vagina. Chime's body told me what she wanted, her eyes piercing me, imploring me to release.

Semen surged up with each stroke, the girl's pussy tightening, gripping me, spasming around my length as my cum ran up. I moaned loudly and felt the tip of my dick twitch, firing jet after jet of sticky semen into the teen's cunt. God, I loved filling her up! The way her legs were wrapped around me, her arms, the look on her face. I leaned down to kiss her as the last of my ejaculate slipped into her pussy, some already squishing out around where her labia trailed along my shaft.

“Well,” I heard Dahlia's voice say from somewhere beyond my temporary tunnel vision, “that escalated quickly.” I heard the smile in her words before I saw her face. She was standing in the entrance to the kitchen in a robe which was slightly parted, one large dark nipple visible above, her cleanly-shaven Mons and labia below.

I laughed as I pulled out of Chime's pussy, a thin stream of semen following slowly. Dahlia all but pushed me out of the way as she knelt down and began cleaning up the mess between the teen's legs, purring as she did so, eating my cum and swallowing everything she lapped up. Chime moaned softly, enjoying the attention.

I pulled Heather to her feet and we kissed. The woman seemed to melt into my arms a moment before slipping back to sit down. I sat beside her, my arm over her shoulder, her hand on my thigh, stroking my leg softly. I heard Heather mutter, “I just can't believe all this... I just can't believe all this...” even as her eyes couldn't stop watching her sister eat her daughter's pussy.

I squeezed her shoulders tighter and said quietly, “Look at the pleasure on your daughter's face.”

Heather's eyes were already there as Dahlia continued to lovingly lap the last drops of my cum in the teen's slit. “She's in Heaven...” Heather whispered.

I leaned forward and ran my hands through Dahlia's hair, “Needing some attention?” I asked her.

Dahlia pulled back slowly, smiling, cum and juices on her chin. “Not yet, thanks. Just enjoying this so much.” She spent another moment carefully cleaning the softly moaning teen, then stood and kissed me, letting me taste the mix of semen and young pussy in her mouth. “Merry Christmas,” she said.

“Mmm... Merry Christmas.” I let out my breath and said, “Who's ready for some coffee?”

- - -

As the sun came up, or rather, as it got lighter, it was obvious we were in for a very white Christmas. The sky was a deep grey and the wind continued to howl in from the west. Light snow was falling already and a dusting was in place on the cold ground, but I knew from experience in those mountains that heavier stuff was on the way. I suppose it sort of capped off the setting for our holiday celebration.

Maria and the kids came down not long after we'd finished our first cups of coffee, with Dahlia leaning against me in the library, Chime and her mother curled up together on another sofa. I'm sure my daughter knew we'd been up to something from the look she gave me when I said “Good morning, merry Christmas,” to her, but she said nothing as she hugged me and then Dahlia.

We pulled out the presents we'd gotten everyone, Heather's kids pleased with the gift cards, Heather with her beautiful emerald and gold necklace, and Maria, Lily, and Orchid thrilled with their new outfits. We'd gotten Orchid a sharp-looking yellow blouse with a slender black necktie and a tight, professional-style skirt which ran down past her knee. Maria's was a Colombian style outfit, a cut-top with a tan faux-leather skirt and stockings. For Lily, we'd found a Japanese schoolgirl outfit, complete with a white blouse and a green-and-black plaid skirt with white stockings. Each girl's set came with accessories such as purses, hairpieces, and belts.

Heather and her kids had brought each of the five of us a personally-selected basket of imported delicacies. Mine included cheese from Holland, Turkish figs, and a mix of Korean hard candies. The others got similar but unique items in their baskets. They were really quite nice and thoughtful.

Somehow, Maria and the girls had managed to get a present for Dahlia and I without us knowing. We opened a large flat package to reveal a 4ft square picture collection that could be mounted on the wall. In several of the photo spots were pictures of each of the five of us individually, plus some mixed and group shots taken over the previous few months. They'd left about a dozen places empty so that, as Maria explained while running a hand over her belly, we'd be able to add photos of our newest family members when they arrived.

I brought out the laptops we'd gotten Lily and Maria and explained that we thought they needed them early, before their next birthday, so we let them have them on Christmas. I worried at first that maybe Orchid might be jealous since she wasn't getting a new expensive toy on the holiday, but she seemed happy for them and thanked Dahlia and me again for the beefy computer she'd gotten just a week before for her birthday.

Dahlia caught my eye and I nodded. I knew what she was going to do next.

“We got a couple of... other gifts... for Maria and the girls, ones we were going to give them privately, but, uh... now it seems like it might be fun to give them in front of everyone.”

I stepped away to the closet where we'd hidden the other gifts and brought them back, setting one each in front of Maria, Lily, and Orchid.

I had Maria and Lily open theirs simultaneously. Inside, they found the packaged Feeldoes we'd gotten them at Sandra's adult store Pleasures and More! Dahlia explained, “You put the short end inside your vagina, and it lets you, you know, fuck someone as if you had a penis.” That brought giggles from Chime and blush from Heather. Glade's eyes were clearly working over Maria's body. He seemed to be very attracted to her even before she had a dildo in her hands.

Orchid opened her gift then, revealing the elegant, sexy princess outfit which featured a light blue dress, white stockings, silky white underwear, and a tiara. “Oh, Dad!” she exclaimed, “you noticed that I really like this one!”

I grinned. “I noticed. I didn't really get it for you, I, uh, got it cause I really want to see you in it before one of us strips you naked again.”

Orchid laughed and gave me a tight hug.

There was one more gift to give. It had been really difficult to keep it hidden, and I'd gone to great lengths to do so. I excused myself once more and went to where I'd very carefully concealed and cared for the gift I wanted to give my lover. I returned, holding the gift behind my back. “Dahlia, you told me some months ago that you had once lost something you cared about. When you were a teenager, your cat Misty died and you were heartbroken.” I could see the confusion on Dahlia's face. “Well, I've never had a cat my entire life. Neither has Orchid, and I know you never had one after Misty. So, the last day we were in town, while you were in busy shopping, I found something you should have that I just couldn't leave behind.”

I slowly pulled my arm from behind my back, revealing a small, snow-white and light-tan colored kitten. “This is Almond, and I think she would love to join our family.”

There was a collective “Awww” gasped in the room and I saw Dahlia's lip quiver.

“Oh... Brent.” Dahlia reached for the kitten and scooped her against her chest. “Oh, she's adorable!”

“Her mother died giving birth to her and two other sisters. The others were already adopted, and for whatever reason, Almond still needed a home. I thought maybe she'd like come live with us.”

“Dad!” Orchid exclaimed, smiling brightly, “have you kept her hidden for days?”

“Carefully, yes. I've been checking in with her several times a day. Thankfully, she's very quiet. Sweet little cat.”

The others were pressing in around Dahlia, wanting to hold the tiny purring kitten. Once Orchid had taken Almond, Dahlia turned and hugged me tight. “Thank you, Brent. Almond is perfect!”

“I thought you might like her. She's a very happy little girl. Hated to keep her in the storage closet we never use all by herself for a couple of days, but she seemed pretty content. I'm sure she's much happier now.”

“I love you so much,” Dahlia whispered in my ear before she kissed me again.

- - -

The phone rang twice that morning before we ate breakfast. The first was Maria's family in Colombia and the young woman was thrilled to talk to many of her relatives. The second call was from my older sister, Allie, who was visiting our Aunt Harriet in New York with Allie's husband, Nicoli. I talked to Allie maybe twice a year. She and I got along but never had much of a close relationship. She was almost a decade older than me and was out of the house before I hit puberty. We kept in touch by phone just enough to know the other was still alive. She lived in Italy with her husband.

The call was brief, as it always was, and I wished Allie a happy holiday before quickly telling the same to Aunt Harriet, the latter getting on in years and never was much of a conversationalist. I hung up the phone and headed to go eat breakfast.

After we ate, the phone rang again and while the others were in the library playing a board game, I answered by saying, “Hello?”

“Brent?” came a small feminine voice. I knew it instantly.

“Mal?”

“Hi...”

“Mal... how... how are you?”

There was a pause, then my ex-wife said, “I have some good days.” Another pause. “Today is a hard one...”

“I know,” I replied. I really wasn't sure what to say to her. Her days being largely confined in a specialized mental facility had created even more separation between us, on top of the divorce and the fact that Orchid was no longer living with her. I'd checked in with the facility from time to time to see how Malory was doing, but I rarely spoke with Mal, the woman largely choosing not to keep in touch, not even with Orchid.

“I, uh, I'd like to speak to my daughter...”

It was my turn to pause. All those months away from Orchid and she'd never once spoken with her. I knew our daughter hurt for her mother, but the girl rarely showed it. I never really understood why Mal had not wanted at least a moment of contact. “I'll go get her. Hang on.”

I sat the phone down and went into the library. “Uh, Orchid?”

“Yeah?”

“Someone would like to say hello to you...”

My daughter looked at me evenly. “Someone?”

I nodded just as evenly.

She rose slowly and stopped a moment to straighten out her shirt. Orchid seemed to know who was on the line and I could see the hesitation in her actions. “If you'd rather not...” I began.

“No, no,” my daughter replied, “I'm coming.”

I waited for her and she whispered to me, “Please come with me...”

I took my daughter's hand and we went to the kitchen phone. She waited only a moment before she picked it up and said, “Mom?”

Orchid held the phone away from her ear enough for me to hear both sides of the conversation. Mal was silent a moment, then replied, “Hi Pumpkin.” Orchid had asked me months before to stop calling her that, and I cringed when I heard Malory say the nickname. There was another pause, then Mal said, “Merry Christmas...”

“You too,” Orchid replied without a hint of her emotions. It wasn't quite a cold tone, but it could have been mistaken for one by someone who didn't know my daughter.

“How are you?” Mal continued unevenly, almost gasping out her words. I couldn't tell if she was crying, but I thought so.

“I'm good. Things are good,” Orchid said, “and with you?”

“Oh, I'm okay... I'm okay...” I heard Mal sob clearly, “I really miss you, Pumpkin...”

There was enough hesitation to make me question my daughter's answer, “I miss you too, Mom...”

“I'm sorry. I'm s-s-so s-sorry,” Mal began to cry freely, sputtering her words enough to make them difficult to understand. “I-I never... n-never meant to hur-hurt you. N-never.”

“I know, Mom,” Orchid's tone had softened. She squeezed my hand and I held hers tight. “I know.”

“I'm-a... I'm-a trying to get better, y-you know?” Mal sobbed. “I'm tryin'.”

“You will, Mom... I know you will...”

“C-can I do anything... do any... thing for you, Pumpkin? Anything?”

“No... No, I'm good, Mom. Dad's taking good care of me. I've got what I need here.”

There was a long pause and the sobbing on the line stopped being audible. Thin tears were running down Orchid's cheeks and I carefully wiped them with a tissue. Mal said, “I'll be alright soon, Orchid,” she said, using our daughter's real name for the first time, “we'll be together again soon. I promise.”

Orchid's eyes went to mine. I didn't react. “O-okay, Mom,” Orchid said, “I just want you to get better.”

“We'll be a family again, Orchid. You, me, and your father,” Mal said, her tone confident and stronger than before. “We'll be a family again, I promise.”

“Uh,” Orchid said, looking a bit panicked a moment.

Mal cut in, “I have to go now, time for my morning session with Dr. Banks. Merry Christmas, Pumpkin.”

“Merry Christmas, Mom,” Orchid replied with a concerned expression on her face.

The line went dead. Orchid and I sat looking at each other a moment. She asked, “Does she really believe that?”

I shook my head. “I don't know.”

“She's crazy, right?”

“To think that the three of us will be a family again? Yes. Otherwise... I don't really know anymore.”

“Yeah... yeah...”

I asked, “Is that something you, uh, you had hoped for?”

Orchid said nothing a while, then replied, “Maybe. Last year, maybe. But not since she lost it and you came and got me. She scared me, Dad. I mean... I love Mom, but I don't ever want to live with her again...”

“Sorry, Orchid. I wish this was a better situation...”

My daughter turned and looked at me with a hurt expression? “'Better situation?' Dad, Jesus Christ, how could I be in a better situation? Forget Mom. I'm happy here. Happier than I ever was with her. And I've got you, and Dahlia and Maria and Lily... The Mom thing sucks, but I hated living with her. I know how lucky I am to have you. I love you so much, Dad!”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and we hugged tightly. Orchid sobbed a bit against my neck, her salty tears wetting my shoulder and back. I might have shed a tear or two myself. I felt a hand rest on my other shoulder and looked up to see Maria looking at us with concern. “What's wrong?” she said.

“Oh, nothing major. Just a call from Orchid's mother.”

“Ah... can I do anything?” my nineteen-year old lover asked.

“Just love us,” Orchid replied, holding out an arm to draw Maria in. The young woman joined our hug and for a few moments, the three of us just enjoyed the warmth of holding each other.