Flame Trees

Rising early as always, I tiptoed around the house so I didn’t wake my wife. A quick breakfast with coffee, then a shower so I would at least walk out into the summer heat feeling somewhat refreshed, knowing I was going to be dripping with sweat within minutes as always. Dressing in the spare room, I only had to grab my bag, keys and sunnies before leaving for work, sneaking back into our bedroom to kiss my wife goodbye.

“Love you,” she whispered sleepily.

“Love you more. See you tonight,” I whispered back.

I’d left school at 16 to become what Australians called a ‘tradie’, or tradesman if you want the full term. I had no interest in going to university, so sought out and found an apprenticeship with a reputable company. I had to decide at a young age what path to follow, and I figured people would always be wanting people to redecorate rooms and even entire houses, so worked at becoming a fully-fledged painter and decorator, with a side-gig in carpentry, in case prospective clients wanted a little work done at the same time.

At the same age, I’d started dating my future wife while I was in my last year at school. Hayley. We’d known each other since starting high school at the same time, and had always been friendly, but I think we must have nursed crushes, as when I did finally ask her out, her first response was a broad grin and an exclamation of “Finally!”

During that last year at school, for myself at least, we were almost inseparable, at least outside of the classroom. We were already working part-time jobs at the same time, while I played sport on a Saturday, so the only day we really had together was on a Sunday. But we made sure that Sunday was always free, or as best we could. Sometimes there were family events we just couldn’t get out of, but more often than not, we’d enjoy a date on a Sunday.

I left school and started working almost immediately at the end of the year while Hayley wanted to keep studying and go to university for future studies, aware of what profession she wanted to pursue. She certainly had my support as she was far more intelligent than I was. Apprentices were not exactly paid well, but I certainly made enough to pay my parents rent, put away a little more in savings for the future, while I could also take Hayley out for what I thought were ‘better’ dates. I didn’t splash cash, certainly couldn’t afford that, but I was able to do a little more for the both of us.

My apprenticeship lasted two years before I was taken on as a full-time employee, and while I might not have wanted to go onto further study, I did take part-time college courses as I figured having other certifications, within the same or similar fields, could only be a good thing. Once I hit full-time work, and my sister had finished high school herself, my parents divorced.

I knew they hadn’t been happy for years. Surprisingly, Mum was the one to leave the family home, stating she was going to return to her home town a few hours north, and that her children would be more than welcome to join her, though she understood opportunities up north were less than where we lived now. My sister was still studying, while my job was leading places, but we both assured her we’d travel north as often as possible to see her. She was upset, of course, but we were now old enough to understand, and knew she had to put her own happiness first now that we were both adults.

My father wasn’t sad to see her go, the divorce pretty much uncontested, and despite the fact they were no longer in love, it wasn’t a bitter divorce. They’d simply fallen out of love, stayed together until we were old enough, then they split apart. Wasn’t the first time I’d heard it done, wouldn’t be the last.

With Mum leaving, Dad didn’t want to keep the large house so put it on the market, wanting to downsize to little more than an apartment, as the house was worth considerably more thanks to the booming housing market. That left my sister and I with a problem as he was going to be downsizing considerably. He sat me down one evening and pretty much said I’d have to move out of home, my sister remaining since she was at university and couldn’t afford to live away from home. Wasn’t particularly what I wanted to hear, but at least he gave me time to put things together.

Then Hayley came up with an idea, meeting me for coffee the day after my father dumped that revelation on me. I move in with her and her parents until she finished university, then we’d marry and move in together. She realised what she’d said and blushed. I took her hand and suggested I might just have to look for a ring, considering we had been dating for three years by then.

I waited until she’d graduated university before proposing. She naturally said yes straight away, and considering she knew it was coming, it wasn’t a real surprise she’d been planning our wedding for quite a while. The surprise to me was that she didn’t want something big. “All your savings are for a house or apartment, Mark. A wedding is one day of our lives. Our home will be for life.”

We married less than six months after I proposed, and six months after that, moved into our own apartment. By the time I was 25, I was making fantastic money and even looking at starting up my own company. I enjoyed working where I did, but the idea of being my own boss was appealing, and with everything online nowadays, I knew I’d left plenty of satisfied customers that would open up plenty of work.

Hayley was happy in her job but was thinking about returning to university as a mature student to add to her previous qualifications. We sat down, did the sums, and figured we could afford it over a couple of years until she returned to the workforce. The only thing we couldn’t afford was a child, but she was careful with her birth control, and we’d had no concerns in all the years we’d been having sex, so just hoped that would remain.

I left work for that morning in a good mood. I had a beautiful wife, our own apartment I’d spent years decorating while my wife added her personal touches. We had all the material things people liked to buy. But my wife and I were still very much in love. She was back at university, studying a field she’d always been interested in, and knew there would be jobs upon graduating a second time. Once she was back at work, we agreed to start trying for a family once we hit 30. One or two kids at most, but we agreed we both wanted them.

I just had no idea leaving that morning… everything I’d done since I was 16 would come crashing down.

It was another baking hot day as I drove to the office. I’d finished the last job I had on my calendar the previous day, and hadn’t received anything from the boss, so figured it would be a day in the warehouse, getting things ready, or I’d be sent off somewhere to start preparing for a new job. Instead, I was greeted with news that work was quiet, possibly due to the approaching end of year holidays’, so I’d only have to do a half to two-thirds of a day before clocking off.

Leaving early, I figured I’d surprise the wife by picking her up and taking her out for a coffee or something then spending the late afternoon together before dinner, as I knew when she had classes and lectures. She took public transport to university, so at least she’d have a lift home as well. I always felt out of place whenever I end up at her university, considering I generally wandered around in paint-stained clothing, blue-collar to the extreme, but everyone was always friendly, and no surprise my wife had friends everywhere. Pointed in the direction of an office, someone who knew her suggested she was currently speaking with one of her professors.

What I found happening in that office changed everything in a matter of seconds. She didn’t see me at first. Whether he did, I wasn’t sure. But there was no missing the fact he was fucking my wife. The fact he had the audacity to keep the door ajar while doing so was rather brazen from both of them. My feet felt like they were in concrete. I simply couldn’t move. Part of me wanted to burst in and beat the shit out of him. But I’d never been a violent person, except when on the rugby field.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. He looked up rather startled while she turned and saw me. Her eyes widened in fear, surprise, and I’m sure plenty of other emotions before the tears formed immediately. “I mean, if you’re going to cheat on me, Hayley, I would have thought it would be someone at least physically better looking.” I gestured at him. “I mean, really? Him?”

“I’ll have you know…” he started to say.

“Mate, I would suggest you shut your fucking mouth right now, considering I’ve just walked in here to find you fucking my wife.”

His eyes widened as he glared at her. “What? You said you were…”

“Looks like we’ve both been played for fools. So, Hayley, I’m sure you’re going to try and justify yourself,” I continued, watching as she slid off the desk and started to straighten out her clothing, “But I’m not interested. Guess those vows we gave each other meant nothing.”

I turned and walked out of the office. A few seconds later, I heard her calling my name, chasing after me. I was almost at my ute when she grabbed my wrist. As I said, I wasn’t a violent man, but I did not want her touching me, certainly not after what I’d just witnessed, shaking her off and turning to glare at her. That made her take a step back. She’d probably never seen hate in my eyes before. “I won’t be home tonight.”.

“Wait. Please, Mark, we can talk about this.”

“Talk about what, Hayley?”

“He meant nothing.”

“But you still wanted his cock inside you. Suggests to me he meant something, or my wife is a whore.” She raised her hand at that, ready to slap me. I smiled at her. “Add a domestic violence charge, Hayley. That’ll work in your favour.”

I turned and slid behind the wheel of my ute. She came to the passenger door but I made sure that was locked before I reversed out of the parking space. She came around to the driver’s window. I lowered it enough. “Please,” she said, crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks, “Please talk to me about this.”

“You’ve just thrown away nearly a decade for what, Hayley?” I held up a hand. “Nothing you can ever say will justify it. I guess I just have ‘schmuck’ written across my forehead. Find your own way home. You’re no longer my problem.”

I drove in the direction of our apartment before turning off and driving to the home of my best mate, Chris. Knocking on his door, he opened it and took one look at me. “What the fuck’s happened?”

I didn’t reply until I was on his couch, sipping at a beer. “Finished work early so thought I’d surprise the wife at university. Maybe take her out for coffee, spend the afternoon together, then have dinner and drinks.” I shook my head. “Walked into one of the offices there to find her…” I shuddered as the images still made me want to throw up.

“With another guy?” I nodded. “Er, who?”

“One of her professors. Guy must have been at least fifty years old.”

“Damn…”

“Yeah, don’t exactly feel great about myself right now.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, I won’t be staying with her, that’s for damned sure. She was the first and only, Chris. Thought that meant something to her too. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned or something, I don’t know. All I’m left wondering is if this was the first time, or if she’d done it before and I’ve just never noticed.” I finished the beer and shook my head again. “I honestly never thought she’d ever be capable of tearing my heart out, Chris. Sixteen! We were sixteen when we first started dating. Fuck, I knew within a couple of weeks I loved her to bits, and life just got better and better every year. What I’ve learned is that it was all a delusion.”

“Want to stay here tonight, mate?”

“Yeah, please. But I don’t want to impose.”

“Cathy won’t mind, mate. Not once you tell her what happened.”

Once I told Cathy what happened, she insisted I could stay as long as I wanted while she got on the phone to my wife to give her a piece of her mind, considering Chris and I had been mates since we were in primary school, as had Cathy and Hayley. Hearing the former absolutely let rip was something. I’d never seen nor heard her so angry.

Hayley showed up at the door later that night. Chris wasn’t in the mood to speak to her, but it gave Cathy ample opportunity to give her forthright opinion. It’s why Chris loved her.

“Why don’t you go slut it up somewhere else?” Cathy shouted at her.

“It didn’t mean anything. It was just…”

“Sex? Then why, Hayley? Why throw away nearly ten years together, a marriage, a home, a future family. Why? For some different dick?” There was silence and Cathy laughed. It wasn’t a pleasant sound. “That’s it, isn’t it? You just wanted some different dick. Holy shit, you are fucking stupid. That man inside has been loyal from the day you started dating. I’ve never seen his eyes wander, his eyes only ever for you. And you’ve now just ruined it all for some different dick? Go home, Hayley. Just go home.”

“I want to see my husband,” she retorted, though I heard the sob in her throat.

“I don’t think you have one any longer, Hayley. He’s inside nursing a broken heart. I would suggest you fuck off and think about what you did, but that isn’t going to solve this issue. Just leave him alone. You’ve done enough as it is.”

I heard the door close. I did check my phone to see numerous missed calls and messages. I didn’t have the heart to open anything so just ignored it. Cathy reappeared after venturing into the kitchen, returning with another beer for myself and her husband. “Well, she looked like shit, at least,” she said.

“You should talk to my dad tomorrow,” Chris said, “He’ll certainly help sort this all out for you. I’m figuring you won’t go back to her?”

“My vows meant something, mate. No, that’s it. I’ll never be able to trust her again. All I’m now wondering is if it’s the first time. I’d rather not know. Just walking in on her like that was bad enough.”

“Guess it’s too early to ask what you’re going to do?” Chris wondered.

“I’ll think of something.”

“No kids here and we have a spare room. Don’t get too drunk, get some sleep, and you can figure out what to do next in the morning.”

I enjoyed a hot shower before heading to bed, waking up in the morning unsure of where I was until Cathy knocked on the door, letting me know breakfast was on its way in the kitchen. I called up my boss and let him know the truth. He’d been supportive since the day I’d started, and insisted I had plenty of time stored up to take off, so to take all the time I needed to get my life in order.

Next was talking to my parents and sister. As it only happened the day before, I didn’t have any plans, but while my dad was sympathetic, I was left thinking this was my own problem though he’d support where he could. My sister was immediately upset that her big brother had been left heartbroken, asking where I was. Letting her know, she said she’d pop around that evening after work. Then I spoke to my mother. I found that the hardest one. She might now be a few hours north, but I’d always been closer to her than my father. No real reason, to be honest. It was just how it was.

I was surprised she insisted, as she always did, that there was more than one spare room in her house that could be filled by her children should they ever have trouble. I knew that already, but it was nice to hear the offer again.

After breakfast, I had no real idea what to do with myself as Chris and Cathy both disappeared out to work. Chris then sent me a message, letting me know he’d organised a meeting with his father for that afternoon. At least that got me out of the house. I ignored the texts from… her. She kept trying to call nearly every half an hour. I simply didn’t want to hear her voice, her excuses, or even her justifications. I’d been an attentive, loving husband. Our sex life had been healthy. I worked hard to provide for her, for us, but never left her feeling neglected.

I figured I’d just never understand why.

I knew Chris’s father, Tony, didn’t always deal with divorces, but I knew he’d take it on simply because I was a friend of the family. Sitting me down, he obviously asked plenty of personal, difficult questions about my relationship. He asked if I was serious about a divorce. Though I was adamant, he told me to take a few days to cool off, let the rawness at least somewhat fade away. He added that I’d have to separate for twelve months before it could proceed, which pissed me off. I’d rather just get it over and done with, but he said he’d get the paperwork ready and served once the time was right.

What I did need was to collect my things. I waited until Chris arrived home, then called my father and explained the situation. He turned up within an hour, and we took my ute to my apartment. I handed Chris my keys to open the door, following in behind him and then my father. She was home, of course. I figured she would have been waiting to try and talk to me.

“Back off, Hayley,” Chris warned, “He’s grabbing his things and leaving.”

She tried to get close, Chris and my father using their broad frames to keep her away as I walked towards the spare room where I kept all my things. “Let me speak to my husband!” she cried.

“He doesn’t want to talk to you, Hayley. Why can’t you understand what you’ve done?” my father asked, “Ten years of love and loyalty, and you’ve just thrown it back in his face. What about all those dreams you apparently shared? Raising a family together? Growing old together? And you threw that away for some strange dick. Quite frankly, I’m ashamed, Chris here is ashamed, and I hope your parents hear of what you’ve done and support my son rather than yourself.”

I packed a large bag of my clothes, grabbing the important paperwork I was going to need. I wanted nothing else from that place. No further reminders. I did not intend on returning. I walked out and met her eyes. I hated seeing my wife cry, at least I had hated it. Her smile had lit up every room she’d entered, and I’d tried to put a smile on her damned face every single day. But I just hardened my heart, remembering what I saw, the fact she’d been with another man.

“I spoke to a lawyer today, Hayley. I will be initiating divorce proceedings as soon as I am legally allowed. Seeing you here now, you’re not feeling guilty, you’re just ashamed I caught you. I have no idea if you’ve fucked other guys, don’t know, and I no longer care. But I took my vows seriously, so I can leave this marriage with head held high.”

“Please, we can talk about this. Just you and me. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t want to hear it, Hayley. You cheated, end of discussion. The trust is irrevocably broken. So you’re free to do whatever you want now. Go fuck all the guys you want. It’s no longer my concern. Dad, Chris, I’ll see you downstairs.”

Dumping my things in the back of my ute, I got behind the wheel and beeped the horn, my best friend and then father following me down, joining me in the cab. Hayley followed them down, hitting the window next to me, but I ignored her. Put the car in first and pulled away.

I didn’t look back.

I spoke to Tony later that evening, letting him know that, upon seeing her, my mind was made up. I wanted a divorce. I knew I’d have to wait, but I was now going to make sure there was absolutely no reason one couldn’t be granted. No surprise he offered to take on the case as cheaply as possible, suggesting he owed it for being a good friend to his son for decades. I thanked him but assured I would definitely pay at least a little something.

Spending the next couple of days deciding on what to do next, the idea of starting again in the city held absolutely no appeal. I needed out of the city, a fresh start somewhere. Mentioning it to Chris a couple of days later, he nodded in understanding. “Guess that offer from your mum remains, eh?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. Go up there, start the business I always wanted, and just get on with my life. I know my sister spends more time up there than with my father. She’s never really forgiven him for kicking me out when downsizing. Still loves him, but there’s a slight strain. Shit, if I leave, I think she might even follow me up there.”

“That’s quite a change, Mark.”

“I know. I’ll sleep on it a little more.”

“She still blowing up your phone?” Cathy wondered.

I gave her a look. “Yeah, no thanks to you,” I retorted, chuckling away, “It’s why I stay off social media. But I don’t mind you keeping people up to date with what’s going on. Certainly received plenty of messages from people, asking if I needed help or just messages of support and sympathy. Nice to know I have friends.”

“What about the apartment? There are other matters you need to consider,” Chris said, “Financial responsibilities and such.”

“Your father mentioned all that on the phone. I know what I’m legally required to do, but the important thing was leaving the marital home immediately. I will limit our contact as soon as possible. Tony did assure me we’d been married long enough that we wouldn’t be forced into mediation, so that’s something. No doubt I’d be spun bullshit about how it was a one-time mistake, blah fucking blah.”

Cathy put her hand on mine. “She’s not worth getting angry about, but I guess your mind is a whirlwind, right?”

I chuckled bitterly. “Fuck, there’s a part of my brain that wants to forgive her because I still fucking love her. She threw away ten years. I’m walking away too, but she’s the one that fucked up.” I sighed. “Shame we don’t live in a country where I can’t just serve papers and be done with it.”

I gave everything further thought over the next few days. I had a heart to heart with dad about his divorce from mum, explaining how it all went. They’d separated, mum had moved away, then as soon as they could legally do so, they hired lawyers, figured it all out, and divorced more as friends than anything. My father never had anything negative to say about my mother, and vice versa regarding mum about dad. They’d just lost that spark and the love, and figured just moving on separately would be for the best.

“Honestly, Mark, heading north might not be a bad thing. From what your sister has told me, she wants out of the city too. The past couple of boyfriends…”

“Trouble at home?”

“She’s turned up here more than once in tears. Told her more than once I don’t like the fellas she’s meeting. That just makes her more defiant.”

“Sounds like her,” I said, chuckling to myself, “Has she mentioned anything?”

“Her work is mostly online, so I’m left thinking she can live wherever she wants. They might want her in the office occasionally, but with the ways things changed after Covid…”

“What about you, Dad?”

“I’ve got my fiancée here now and a couple of young step-children. I’ve raised my kids as well as I could. You are your own people now. Kids spread their wings. Plus, I know your mother would love to have you both close by.”

I figured talking to my little sister might be best. Her name was Amanda, though she preferred Amy. She was three years younger than I was, currently 22 years old. The brains of the siblings while I was the brawn, I guess you could say. She’d aced high school and had the pick of her universities, though chose the one closest to home. She’d always been a quiet, considerate girl and then young woman. Unlike most sibling relationships I was aware of, we rarely had a problem. I supported her when I could, particularly once I was working, helping her out financially if she needed a little help, and simply offering support and guidance otherwise, particularly when it came to dating young men. As for my sister, once I started working and returned home exhausted after some rather long days, she’d sometimes come in with a drink or a snack for me, or even cook dinner if the parents were out. It was those little things that meant we were always close.

She’d graduated university with honours and had taken time to choose the right career that suited her needs. She rented a small apartment in the inner-west, putting in plenty of hours each day and week, but I knew she was making plenty of money very quickly. We saw each other at least once a week for dinner, and I knew she was hurt about Hayley as they’d been rather good friends. Hayley had never been jealous of the close relationship I had with my younger sibling, something I could at least give her credit for.

Letting her know I was coming around, it was better catching a train than driving and trying to park. Knocking on the door a couple of hours later, she opened it and immediately hugged me. Always amusing as I was just under six foot while she was barely five-three at best. She had brunette hair, cut shot so it stopped at her neck line, light blue eyes, the remnants of freckles on her cheeks, and the sort of face that certainly made plenty of men double take and have thoughts about. She was about a C-cup, the only reason I knew was I did laundry and was simply curious, but her best feature, from a purely objective viewpoint, was her arse and legs. She asked me more than once about her best features, and I was always honest, and it earned one of those warm smiles that suggested she was happy to be complimented, even if it was from her sibling.

Leading me towards her living room, she made me sit down first before she returned from the kitchen within seconds with a beer for me, wine cooler for herself. I’m sure she didn’t want to ask but I gave her a brief outline of everything that happened. More than once she called her a bitch, which made me chuckle. My sister was honest to a fault at times.

“So what are you going to do?” she finally asked.

“I might head north to stay with Mum for a little while. Might give me the opportunity to get the business I wanted to start off the ground.”

“If you go, I’m coming.” That made me stare at her in surprise. “A few reasons, Mark. One, I can live wherever I want as I now work from home full-time. Rarely do they need my presence in the office. Two, this place is a dump. Tried finding other places but there’s a reason this place was so cheap. Three, Dad has obviously moved on with his new family. I don’t blame him for it, we’re now grown up, but I think Mum would certainly appreciate us being closer. I’ve never blamed her for wanting to leave the city. The only reason I didn’t go with her before was because of university.”

“You sure, Amy? I think once we leave, the chances of returning are slim.”

“You’re the only close family I have down here, Mark. You go, I’m going to feel rather lonely,” she whispered.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Okay, when can you leave?”

“I need to give a month’s notice here, but I can leave and not worry about it otherwise. The place can just stay empty. Most of the furnishings aren’t mine so I’ll just need to take whatever is.”

“All I’ve got is what is at Chris’s place. My boss is aware I’m possibly leaving. He just wants that months’ notice.”

“Has she tried calling?” I showed her my phone, the hundreds of messages and plenty of missed calls. “Well, she’s persistent. Why not just block her number?”

“I’m tempted, but that might go against me. Though I’ve already looked into reasons for divorce and lack of communication can be a contributing factor. It might be negatively against me, but I’ll retort by stating I don’t wish to communicate with a cheating spouse.”

“We should call Mum.”

She was delighted to hear from us, of course. Once I explained what Amy and I were thinking and feeling, she nearly insisted that she had plenty of space for her children, and whenever we were ready to head north, she’d make sure everything was ready or us. I think Amy had made up her mind during the call. To be honest, so had I.

I handed in my notice at work on Monday. My boss was sad to see me go after nearly a decade with the company but understood the reasons why I was leaving the city. When I told him I would probably start my own business, he sat me down over the next couple of weeks to go through everything I’d need to have to get a business off the ground. Thankfully, my ute might have had the name of the business on it, but it was my own, so that wasn’t going to be a problem.

As for my sister, she just had to tell her company what was going on, and apparently they were supportive, going so far as to suggest if they needed her at the office in the city, they’d fly her down on the company dollar. But with so much now online, all she needed to ensure was that the internet was good enough.

Chris and Cathy enjoyed my company for that last month. Slowly but surely, I put what happened out of my mind. The number of calls and messages from Hayley diminished with each passing day, eventually passing the phone to Cathy after a week so she could read through them. She had no sympathy for her old friend but did suggest it was my silence that was hurting her the most. “Not only were you here husband, but her best friend, confidant…”

I couldn’t help smile. “We could talk about anything and everything. Generally, I’d happily sit there and listen to her, even if it was just a blow by blow of her day. She always gave me half an hour or so after walking in the door to decompress after a long day, an hour if I’d had a shit day. The fact we’re not talking would be hurting her.”

“Will you let her know you’re going?”

I nodded. “She needs to know my situation. I’ll meet her on neutral ground, preferably with back up.”

Cathy grinned. “Oh, I think we’d want to support our friend.”

A week before I planned on leaving, Cathy contacted Hayley on my behalf and let her know we could meet for coffee that afternoon. She naturally leapt at the chance, no doubt hoping this might be an opening into reconciliation. We got to the coffee shop early, buying drinks and sitting down, chatting away about anything except what would be discussed later.

Hayley arrived on time. As soon as she saw me, the lower lip trembled, tears started to form, and she almost started to cry. Cathy stood up, arms folded, escorting her to the counter to buy a drink, returning so Cathy sat next to me, Chris to my other side, Hayley sitting opposite me. I tried to harden my heart again, but seeing her looking so distraught, I didn’t fold but it hurt to see her in such a way. I wasn’t a sociopath, and despite ripping my heart out, there was that small part of me that still cared.

“How are you, Hayley?” I asked.

“I miss you, Mark,” she whispered, “Not sleeping well. I don’t like sleeping alone. When are you coming home?”

“I’m not coming home, Hayley. I thought that would have been obvious by now, the near radio silence being the other. That’s why I’ve called you here as I need to let you know the situation. Unfortunately, the divorce rules in this country are stupid, so we have to be separated for twelve months before we can start proceedings.” That made her start crying. “Hayley, you cheated on me. I cannot forgive you for that. So I’m leaving the city. I’m heading north. I have a lawyer already, he will take care of everything on my behalf. ”

“Can we not try… counselling?”

“No. That won’t solve anything. And I won’t be brow-beaten into accepting back a cheating spouse.”

“Was he the only one?” Cathy asked bluntly. When Hayley didn’t immediately reply yes, that was our answer. “How many times?” she added.

“Does it matter?” Hayley asked quietly.

“This will be the only time to clear your conscience with your soon to be ex-husband,” Chris retorted, “At least give him the peace of mind he bloody well deserves.”

Hayley met our eyes before she sighed. “No, he wasn’t the only one.” The only thing that stopped me getting up and leaving was a hand on my shoulder from Chris keeping me seated. “After you left school at the end of year 10, by year 12… I… Remember Martin?”

“Yes,” I replied through gritted teeth.

“I slept with him a couple of times after school finished while you were still at work.”

“Anyone else?” Cathy wondered.

Hayley shrugged. “Couple of one time things at university.”

I put my head in my hands. “Jesus Christ, I’ve been nothing but… what to you?”

“You fucking slut,” Cathy shouted, hearing the entire place go silent, “To think I used to think the world of you, but you’re nothing but a common whore. This man has worked his arse off to provide for you, I’ve seen the love he’s had for you since you were both 16, yet this is how you repay him?”

“I didn’t want to go through life only being with him.”

“You could have had at least had the decency to break up with him if you wanted to fucking whore around, Hayley,” Cathy growled, “Whore Around Hayley, that’s your name from now on.” I actually took her hand in mine as she was almost shaking with rage, but I saw her eyes, the shimmer of unshed tears. Her heart broke for me, but it was the anger at seeing her friend just… ruin everything that hurt most.

“I’m so fucking done,” I stated, squeezing Cathy’s hand, “Cathy, Chris, we’re going.” She stood up to let me out. Stopping next to Hayley, I just looked down at her. She didn’t dare look up and meet my eyes this time. I could have let rip but it would have been pointless. Might have made me feel better, but they would have been empty words in the end. I was leaving, that was all that mattered. I simply walked out of the shop, got into the car with Chris and Cathy, and they drove us back to their place.

Soon as I got home, I called my sister, letting her know I was now one hundred percent committed to leaving. Once she agreed again, I called Mum and let her know we’d be on our way the next Saturday. I drove to collect her on Friday, putting all her belongings into the rear of my vehicle, making sure it was covered before parking it up for the night.

Waking early the next morning, as it was going to be a long drive, I packed the rest of our stuff before Chris and Cathy wished us both goodbye, promises to keep in touch. We’d been friends for years so I knew, while there might be distance, this wasn’t the end of our friendship. I made them laugh, making them promise to let me know when they were ready to birth their first child.

Before joining the highway north, we stopped for breakfast at Macca’s, then a petrol station to buy some snacks to keep us going, before we joined the Pacific Highway just south of Hornsby, and from there, it was the same road for around six hours. My sister and I chatted away, conversation always easy between the pair of us. She thankfully avoided anything to do with my separation and eventual divorce.

The city of Grafton lies 640 kilometres north of Sydney, 345 kilometres south of Brisbane. Officially named in 1851, it was proclaimed a city by 1885. The city is known and promoted across Australia as the ‘Jacaranda City’ as most of the streets in Grafton are lined by the gorgeous flowers. When they’re in full bloom, there are few more beautiful sights. Upon arriving on the edge of the city after a long drive, stopping only the once for a toilet break, my sister took out her phone, connected it to the Bluetooth, and played the song we always did upon arriving in the city. The chorus is always the one we sing very badly along too.

Kids out driving Saturday afternoon just pass me by

And I’m just savouring familiar sights

We share some history, this town and I

And I can’t stop that long forgotten feeling of her

Try to book a room and stay tonight

Number one is to find some friends to say ‘you’re doing well’

After all this time, you boys look just the same

Number two is the happy hour at one of two hotels

Settle in to play ‘do you remember so and so?’

Number three is never say her name

Oh the flame trees will blind the weary driver

And there’s nothing else could set fire to this town

There’s no change, there’s no pace

Everything within its place

Just makes it harder to believe that she won’t be around

Once the song finished, I did mutter under my breath, “Well, some of those lyrics take on a whole new bloody meaning.”

Amy took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “You’ll be fine, Mark. Once we settle down here with Mum, it’ll be better.”

Mum had bought the old Australian traditional house on a quarter acre block not far from the centre of town. Pulling into the driveway led to her opening the door and striding towards us, hugging her daughter tightly first before she met my eyes. I managed a crooked smile as I hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry, Mark,” she whispered.

I could only sigh. “Well, now I know what it’s like to go through a divorce, at least.”

“True, but your father and I… well, I think we split on good terms. And I’m happy he’s found someone else.”

Hearing that from my mother wasn’t a surprise. I wasn’t surprised that the pair still communicated from time to time. His fiancée knew and understood, even if she might have found it a little weird, but the distance allowed at least some form of friendship to remain, and there was always the two of us kids too.

Mum’s name was Cassandra, though she preferred Sandra. She was 46 years old, as she’d started our family while young, not wanting to wait too late to start having children. Once my sister and I were at school, she started on her chosen career. Writing and illustrating children’s books. She was semi-successful, making more than enough to buy the house outright, and she was still publishing a new book at least once a year.

She was a mature version of my sister. Her hair was still a dark brunette, though she had long ago admitted to a little colouring to keep away the grey. Blue eyes that my father often said reminded him on the sky. She had dimples whenever she smiled. She kept herself fit and was probably slimmer than my sister. I knew she was single, admitting she kept herself occupied with work and reuniting with plenty of old friends who had remained in the city. Whether she had any male interest, she didn’t say and I don’t think either of us asked. It was private and we left it at that.

I carried all our stuff into the house as Mum brewed us some coffee. It was obvious she’d readied the house for our arrival as both spare rooms already had beds made, and it was easy to figure out who would be sleeping where. My sister’s room had a desk, which made sense, as she might work in there, or might choose to work elsewhere. After I dumped our things, I grabbed a coffee and joined the others out on the back veranda.

“Well, I can already say it’s quieter up here,” Amy said.

“Takes a little getting used to,” Mum replied, “But you’ll love it up here. There’s everything you need. Yes, we’re in a provincial city, but it’s not the back of beyond. And rather than drive so far south to Sydney, you can always go just down to Coffs Harbour. North, there’s Byron Bay, or treat yourself to a long weekend on the Gold Coast.” She paused. “Hmmm, guess you’ll want to avoid the school holiday’s, at least. But I grew up here. The only reason I left was the fact I made it into university and then met your father. The plan was always to return here eventually. Just took longer than anticipated.”

“So you’ve made a life here, Mum?” I asked.

“Many of my old friends from school remained here so I’ve spent the past few years re-establishing friendships. I’m not the only divorcee, but I think I’m one of the few that had an amicable parting. Other than that, I focused on my work, look after my garden, and a young man has helped look after my lawn and house.”

“Guess I can help out with that now, Mum,” I said.

She smiled. “I don’t expect either of you to pay much. The house is bought and paid for. I’ll need help with bills and food, but we’ll figure it out as we go along. And I assume you’ll want to move out eventually. There’s enough housing around, and it’s much cheaper here than down south. But you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. As I said, you’ll always have a home here.”

I was tired after a long drive, but Mum suggested treating her grown children to dinner that evening, so after we’d both enjoyed a hot shower, where I worked out the kinks from being sat behind a steering wheel for close to seven hours, we walked towards the city centre, grabbing dinner at one of the hotels. As we ate and enjoyed a drink or two, we caught up on the basic news of our lives, Mum eventually opening the can of worms that was my inevitable divorce, while also asking about Amy’s private life. Hers sounded as miserable as mine, to be honest.

Returning home, we gathered out on the veranda again, the sun now having set, finding ourselves looking at far more stars in the sky than back down south. Mum had wine in the fridge but no beer, though she did have scotch, which was good enough for me. After a couple more drinks, Mum was falling asleep in her chair, so I helped her to bed, no surprise she gave me a long hug at her doorway.

“You know I’m going to dote on my children now,” she said.

“I’d expect nothing less, Mum.”

“Did you look after your sister?”

“As best as I could, Mum. You know I always have, but if she doesn’t tell me…”

She kissed my cheek. “You’re a good son, and better big brother. And I’m glad you’re both here.”

“Me too, Mum. It’s a new start for both of us.”

Wishing her goodnight, she shut the door and was probably fast asleep within a couple of minutes, while I joined Amy back outside. As it was the middle of the year, the temperature dipped considerably, particularly in regional New South Wales, so I grabbed a jumper from her luggage, and one for myself from mine. She was still sipping at some wine as I sat next to her, no surprise she curled her legs and snuggled against me.

“This is nice,” she whispered.

I wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “What I remember growing up is we rarely argued.”

“Mark, you weren’t just my big brother, you were almost my guidance counsellor at times, but more than that, you were my friend.”

“I was?”

“Of course. And more than one of my friends had a massive crush on you. Of course, by the time you started dating Hayley, you just wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Well, I hope you still think you can come to me about things, Amy.”

“I know, but with you getting married and obviously wanting to start a family eventually…”

“Amy, I would always make time for you.”

“I know,” she said softly, “But… well, it doesn’t matter now. I learned lessons from the last dickhead I was with. I’m going to stay single for a while now.”

“Me too there. Shit, the only people I’d be willing to trust right now are you and Mum.”

“I’m sorry she hurt you.”

“I’ll get over it eventually. Knowing I have to remain married to her for a few more months’ sucks. So I’ll focus on other things, like getting my own business started.”

“I can help with that regarding the financials. You know, taxes and shit.”

“You sure?”

“Numbers have always been one of my strengths.”

I almost snorted. She had far more strengths than weaknesses. In fact, the major weakness she had was her good heart and people manipulating her. I’m fairly sure that’s what likely happened before, but she just didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell me. “I’m glad we did this, Mark,” she said softly.

“Me too.”

We chilled out the next day as the long drive knocked the stuffing out of me, though we did sit down during the day and discuss ideas and plans for the future. Amy was easy to figure out as she’d work from home. Though she’d spend time in her room, Mum assured her that sitting at the dining table or even outside wouldn’t be a problem as no-one would bother her.

As for myself, I’d spoken to Mum often about wanting to eventually start my own business, and we all knew now was the best time to start putting things together. I already had my own ute, I had my own tools, but what I needed to do was ensure I had a steady supply of work. So Mum made some calls on my behalf during the next week, while my sister and I had to go about setting up my business. There was far more to it than most people probably know.

First, there was choosing the structure. As I wanted to be the boss and sole owner, that’s what I went with. Then there was the type, applying for a business number and registering my new business, needing to think of a name for it, then registering a domain name, where Mum’s help came in handy, and at the end, it was making sure I paid the correct taxes. All in all, the business number took barely a few minutes to get, it was sorting the other stuff that did confuse me. Thank heavens for my sister.

Mum helped out by dragging in some help to get my website set up, the kids of her friends pitching in to help, while most of her calls were spreading word about my new business, and that if anyone wanted some work done to their house, office or god only knew what, then I had nearly ten years’ experience.

I spent time applying paint to the side of my ute, with my new business name and phone number. Mum was busy putting together a new story that she hoped would sell as well as all the others. Amy was stuck behind her monitor for most of the day, only coming out for a quick lunch or a coffee. As I was technically unemployed until all the paperwork was done, and I received my first call, she did like to come out for a quick hug with her brother.

During that first week, Mum, Amy and I ate dinner every night before retiring to the veranda. I already loved the sound of silence, and having Mum and Amy to either side of me on the long couch was certainly a nice feeling. Amy already seemed to love snuggling into me, while I think Mum just loved the company. She’d head to bed earlier than us most of the time, seeming to love the sight of her two adult children getting along so well, though she mentioned she couldn’t remember any problem when we’d been growing up.

“We should hit the town one night,” I suggested to Amy, “See what sort of nightlife Grafton actually has.”

The suggestion made her chuckle. “I’m sure it’s not that exciting, but it would be nice just to sit in a pub for a few hours.” She glanced up at me, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Are you taking your sister out on a date, Mark?”

“Well, I could always ask Mum if you don’t want to go with me.”

That earned me a gentle push. “Tease. And, yes, I’d like a night out, even if it is with my brother.”

It gave us something to look forward to during the week. I had my first job that week, one of Mum’s friends asking for her entire house to be painted inside and out, and decorated inside to give it a facelift. It was an expensive job, one she was more than willing to pay for. I had no-one working for me yet, so doing it all myself was backbreaking work, but once I’d built some collateral, and a regular stream of work, I’d certainly take on someone, more than likely an apprentice or two, and go from there.

I was worn out by Friday night, Mum ordering in a take-out, while I’d picked up a slab from the bottle-o so I had beer ready for the weekend. I was so tired, as I had much more to think about now that I was by myself doing everything, I was almost passing out on the couch outside, enough that even Mum was telling me to go to bed.

What surprised me was waking up at sometime early in the morning, around 2am after checking my phone, to find Amy snuggled up next to me. I checked to see that she was wearing her pyjamas, so that was something, and my shuffling around woke her up. “Do you mind?” she whispered.

“Nah, you’re okay. Wanted some company?”

“I thought you might, actually. Considering you wouldn’t have gone to bed alone for a long time…”

I wrapped an arm around her, feeling her snuggle into my side. “Well, I guess it would take getting used to. Has felt a little lonely, I can admit that.”

“I remember you never had a problem hugging me, even when at school and I was your embarrassing little sister.”

“You were never embarrassing, Amy. I was proud of my little sister. Certified genius compared to her brother.” That earned me a soft kiss on the cheek. “And she’s blossomed into quite the attractive young woman. Speaking objectively, of course. Not as your big brother.”

“What does my brother think?”

“That I’ll have to hold them back with a broom until the right man comes along.” That made her giggle, at least. “I won’t be dating anytime soon, though.”

“You need to heal, Mark. There’s no rush to date again.”

“Guess living at home with my mother and sister isn’t exactly going to have women falling over to date me anyway.”

“While that’s true, you now own your own business, you’re good looking…”

“I’m good looking?”

Hmmm, guess it’s time to describe myself. I was the tallest in the family though hadn’t hit six foot by the time I stopped growing. But years of hard work and rugby through school and then playing on a Saturday had helped me broaden out. I kept myself fit otherwise. Light brown hair. Same blue eyes as my mother and sister. Hayley, if I could still believe anything she said, had always said I’d grown more handsome with every year. She’d always loved the stubble I kept, preferring that to clean shaven. I’d been tempted more than once to just grow a beard, but it’s generally too hot for that much facial hair. Basically, years with Hayley had kept self-confidence high, though it had obviously ebbed since discovering the truth.

“My big brother has always been very handsome.”

“Thanks, Amy. Actually does me some good to hear that.”

I needed to go for a pee, returning to find Amy already fast asleep. I managed to get back into bed without her waking up, though she naturally snuggled closer to me once I was relaxed again. I kissed the top of her head and fell back asleep rather quickly.

Mum said nothing when Amy left my room the next morning, smiling as we joined her at the table for breakfast. She already knew we were going out for a few drink that night, and we’d organised it for a night when she’d be catching up with a bunch of her friends. “It will do you some good to get out of the house,” she said, “Maybe make a friend or two during the evening.”

I’d already looked into local sports teams, thankful there were rugby teams in the winter, though with the season well underway, I’d have to wait until next year to register, though cricket season would start in a couple of months, already applying to play in the local league. But I’d left nearly all my friends back down south, as had Amy. We really only had each other until we’d established new circles of friends.

I had no problem working on a Saturday, so put in a few hours on the same job, aware it would take me another week at least to finish up. I got home mid-afternoon to find Mum and Amy on the veranda, already sharing a bottle of wine. I had a shower first before joining them outside with a beer, Mum leaving earlier than us as she was going to a friend’s house first.

Amy cuddled into me immediately. “You know, if I hadn’t been married, I probably would have come up here far earlier if I knew it was going to be this peaceful,” I murmured.

“You don’t miss the city?”

“God no. And it’s not because of what happened. But everything just feels more relaxed here. I guess it is, in many ways.”

“I like being here already. Nice living with Mum again. Even nicer being with you.”

“Miss me?”

“Yeah. I know you had Hayley, so it was different when you were… well, let’s be honest, forced out of home. When I moved out, it was alone, and I’ve lived that way the entire time. Never felt comfortable inviting a boyfriend to move in.”

“Why not?”

“Because despite feeling a little lonely, I also liked having my own space to unwind after a long day. And, let’s be honest, not all men are great to live with.”

Agreeing to get ready, I just put on some jeans and a nice shirt, and good leather shoes, but I didn’t expect Amy to walk out of her room in quite the dress. No ordinary dress either. A black number, nothing over her shoulders, down to her knees, tight enough to shower off her curves, but not tight enough to stop her from walking comfortable. Pair of black heels and stockings, faint make-up on her face, a small purse to carry cash, card and keys, and that was it.

“Scrub up nicely, Amy.”

She smiled, walking towards me, leaning in to take a sniff of my cologne. “Oooh, I like that one.”

“Obviously not one she bought me. I left all that shit behind.”

With her heels, walking into the city centre was out, so I called us a cab, taking us to one of the best reviewed pubs in town for our meal. Amy certainly turned a few heads when walking inside, while I think I even earned one or two glances. I’m fairly sure we had the look of out-of-towners. The meal was simple but tasty, Amy enjoying a little wine, while I sipped at a couple of beers as we ate, the conversation flowing as easily as it always did. We most reminisced about our life back at home.

Once the sun set and places finished serving food, music started to play and we bounced from bar to bar, aware most places would close far sooner than back down south, but we were not interested in being out until dawn. Amy eventually suggested she’d like to go home, so I managed to get us a cab rather quickly, walking inside and, as Mum’s bedroom door was close, we assumed she was home.

Wanting a nightcap, we enjoyed one last drink outside. It was cold, but Amy didn’t complain, snuggling into my side again for warmth. I was getting used to her doing that, and it felt rather nice, almost like we were getting as close as we used to be.

Heading inside, I escorted her to her bedroom door, Amy turning to face me. I assumed she just wanted a hug as always, but when she pressed a hand on my chest and her eyes met mine, she looked… well, I forgot she was my sister for a moment. I leaned down just to kiss her cheek, but she turned just enough that our lips met.

Maybe it was just the fact I needed that sort of contact again, but the brief touch of lips quickly turned into my arms wrapped around him, and it took all of a few seconds for the kiss to grow in intensity. My tongue quickly found its way into her mouth, a gentle exploration and keeping it playful, before I realised what the hell I was doing and gently pulled back.

“Fuck… I’m sorry, Amy,” I whispered, looking away from her.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

She put a finger on my jaw, gently moving my head to meet her eyes again. She was smiling at me. “Do I look mad? Am I complaining?”

“No to both, to be honest.”

“Want company again tonight?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea now.”

She hugged me tightly, wrapping my arms around her in return. “I liked being with you last night, Mark,” she whispered.

“Okay.” I guess I relented rather quickly, but she was my little sister, and if it made her happy, so be it.

Once I was down to my boxer-briefs, I turned to see her rolling off her stocking, showing off her rather shapely legs, before she stood up and undid her dress. Only then did she remember she wasn’t wearing a bra. That caused a raise of my eyebrows first before I turned around, grabbed a shirt and gave it to her to wear.

Sliding under the blankets, Amy joined me and she had no problem snuggling against me. Feeling the smooth skin of her leg against mine felt rather nice, her fingers rather quickly stroking my chest. “I missed you after you moved out,” she murmured, “I used to like spending time with you before we went to bed. Doing this probably would have raised questions back then though.”

“Well, I think I’ll be here a while. But doing this every night…”

“I don’t care, Mark. I like this. I like being with my big brother again.”

“Missed me a lot?”

“Too much,” she whispered.

I turned to face her, barely able to see her in the darkness, but I saw the slight shimmer in her eyes. I leaned forward and gave her another soft kiss before caressing her cheek. “I tried to always make time, Amy…”

“You did, and I always appreciated that. Didn’t mean I didn’t miss you the rest of the time though!”

She rested her head against me and seemed to settle down quickly. No surprise she was asleep just as quickly. I probably should have lay there and worried about the fact I’d kissed my sister, and the fact she’d kissed me back, but I’ll be honest, it felt rather nice. Add to that, I loved my sister anyway so… I probably should have felt strange about it, but I didn’t. So I stopped thinking about it and fell asleep.

Waking up the next morning, I opened my eyes to find we’d moved during the evening so she was now spooned back against me. And that was immediately a problem considering I woke up with an erection. It happened every morning, but with my sister in bed with me. Then there was the fact my right hand was under her shirt, resting on her stomach, with her hand resting above mine above the fabric.

“Amy?”

“Hmmm.”

“Amy?”

She giggled. “You’re poking me, Mark,” she whispered.

“I know. Want me to move?” I whispered back.

“Part of me says yes. The larger part of me says no. Do you?”

“Not really. I’m comfortable, but…”

“Then just stay in bed with me until we get hungry. I don’t care if you’ve got a hard on. I know all about biology. It’s a natural thing, though I’ll take the fact you’re really poking me as a compliment.”

Trying to sleep with an erection is something most men know is almost impossible, but I don’t think she fell asleep either. So we lay in silence, perhaps dozing for a few minutes at most, before there was a knock at the door. “Mark, I’m cooking some bacon if you want a sandwich. Want an egg with that?”

“Yeah, thanks, Mum.”

“Is… Amy in there with you? Didn’t get a reply from her and she wasn’t in there when I took a peek.”

“Yeah, she’s here.”

“I’ll have the same, Mum.”

“Okay, should be ready in a few minutes.”

We got out of bed, Amy collecting her clothes before kissing my cheek, walking out to probably get dressed, while I threw on some tracksuit bottoms, a shirt and jumper, as it was winter and houses were bloody cold at this time of year. After putting on some thick socks, I wandered out to join Mum in the kitchen. I gave her a hug, which made her laugh. “Nice to have hugs from my son again,” she said.

Amy joined us just as Mum was placing plates on the table, a coffee each for my sister and I, Mum preferring tea. We ate and sipped at our drinks in silence before the food had been cleared. Only after we’d washed up the plates and re-filled our mugs did Mum clear her throat. “I’m not going to be concerned about my children being close. You’re adults and old enough to make your own decisions.”

“Mum, all we did was sleep together, sleep being the important word,” I said.

“And I like keeping him company. And I’m hoping it will help him feel better,” Amy added.

“That’s it?” Mum asked, aware she could always sniff out a story.

I glanced at Amy. She returned a subtle shrug. I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a little heat in my cheeks. “Well, um… you see, we might have enjoyed the night, and then we might have…” I trailed off as, I’ll admit, it felt awkward.

“We kissed, Mum. Nothing major,” Amy said, feeing her take my hand, “I’m not worried, Mark, and you shouldn’t be either. It felt nice, and I’m sure was another little thing that helped you feel better.”

I figured Mum would perhaps freak out hearing that. Instead, all she did was smile. “Keep looking after each other, okay?”

“Um, sure, Mum. Like always,” I replied.

Sunday was the only day I ever really had to myself, though when I was back with Hayley, I’d still help with chores or do some odd-jobs around the apartment. But being home with Mum, she’d spent the past few years getting the house just so she liked it, and she was used to looking after the house herself, practically shooing me away from anything that needed doing.

So I asked Amy if she wanted to go for a walk towards and then along the Clarence River. She loved that idea, getting into my ute and driving us to a secluded area only a short distance away. It was a picturesque part of the countryside, and once again, it was the silence that we could appreciate. No surprise Amy took my hand within a minute of walking, her fingers resting inside mine. I glanced at her as she smiled at me in return.

No idea how long or how far we walked, only stopping when we reached a point that provided even better views. Wrapping an arm around her, I had to ask, “Amy, is there something possibly going on here? On the verge of starting?”

“How do you mean?”

“I’m thinking about last night and the fact we kissed, and the added fact you didn’t freak the fuck out on me.”

I heard her take a deep breath. “Mark, I have a confession to make.”

“Okay,” I said carefully.

“I used to have the biggest crush on you. I knew it was wrong to feel that way about my brother, but I couldn’t help it. You’ve always been there for me, even if it’s just at the end of a phone. You’ve always made time for me in your life, even after you married.”

“You’re my sister, Amy. Even Hayley understood that.” I turned to face her, taking her hands in mind. She looked so nervous, it was actually rather endearing. “The only concern I have is that I’ve just separated from my wife. I’m still married though I guess that doesn’t really mean much after what she told me.”

“What did she tell you?”

“Shit, I never told you.” I sighed. “She’s cheated on me since before we got married.”

“What a cunt!” my sister exclaimed, before giggling to herself. “Oops, that just slipped out. I won’t ask anything else except that it wasn’t just a one-time thing?”

“I don’t know if she told me everything or not. Right now, I don’t really care.” I lifted a hand to her face, watching her eyes briefly close but the smile immediately form. “Amy, we both should be weirded out by this, but for whatever reason, I’m not and you appear fine with it. I’ve always thought my little sister was cute, and now I look at you and see a beautiful young woman who any man would be delighted to have on their arm.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me without any hesitation. And, to be honest, I couldn’t help kiss her back, pulling her into my body. She was a very good kisser. She must have brushed her teeth before leaving the house as her breath was certainly minty-fresh. When we broke apart, the smile returned to her face. “We just take this slow, Mark,” she said, “And if it feels right…”

“Even though we’re breaking the law, Mum will probably freak the fuck out and kick us to the kerb…”

“Maybe, maybe not. She didn’t freak out about the fact we kissed last night.”

“Okay, so a kiss is one thing. Do you want to take this further?” She nodded immediately. I took a deep breath and pulled her in for a hug. “Okay, that gives me something to figure out,” I murmured, “I’ve only been with one woman my entire life, Amy.”

“I know. I’ve only been… intimate with two guys.”

“Really? I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just thought…”

“Mark, you met both of them. Didn’t you see any subtle reminders of someone in them?” I met her eyes and her cheeks started to grow a little red. “I said I had a crush, Mark. That crush turned into… feelings… feelings I assumed I’d just live with because you were happily married, so I knew I’d just have to move on with my life. It wasn’t a problem really, but now that… god, there’s no way I can continue without sounding awful.”

“Is that why you’re here with me now?” She nodded as her eyes stayed on mine. “I don’t know what to say, Amy. I really don’t.”

“As long as you don’t hate me,” she whispered.

I chuckled. “That’s never going to happen. I’m just surprised, that’s all.” I leaned down and kissed her again, not weirded out at all by kissing her. Helps that I loved her already, even though it was the love of a brother for his little sister, but it felt rather nice. She had soft lips. She smelled divine, just some deodorant, maybe a dash of perfume. Breaking apart after a couple of minutes, she rested her head against my chest as I embraced her again. “Yeah, this is going to take some time to figure out.”

“Take all the time you need, Mark. I’m not going anywhere.”

Returning home a couple of hours later, Mum was busy preparing a roast dinner for that evening. Mum always cooked a good roast. We sat in the kitchen to keep her company, though I noticed more than one glance from her, considering Amy was almost snuggling into me most of the time. But the glance was accompanied by a smile, so I guess she thought we were just being affectionate. I never had a problem giving my sister a cuddle.

The lamb was perfect, and Mum always prepared the best roast potatoes and veggies. Heading out to the veranda, a ritual of ours already, we stuck to non-alcoholic beverages, particularly as I had an early start the next morning.

“How are you feeling, Mark?” Mum asked, “About everything?”

“I feel at peace up here. I’m still annoyed I have to wait another ten months to get divorced, but I figure I can move on with my life as proof I’m not willing to reconcile. Putting over six hundred kilometres between us is another sign the marriage is well and truly done.”

“That’s why I moved up here after your father and I agreed to end the marriage. However, what you should know is that you can start to organise everything else in the meantime.”

“That’s what Tony is doing for me. We’ll have to make property and financial settlements. All I want is for her to no longer be my wife in the eyes of the law. When I fill out any sort of form, I’d like to sign that I’m single.”

“Has she tried contacting you since arriving here?”

“She’s stopped trying to call but I still receive messages. Surprised she hasn’t turned and started hurling abuse at me. Still insisting she loves me and wants to work things out.”

“What a fucking idiot,” my sister muttered.

“Once the divorce is finalised, I’ll block her. Until then, I’ll just keep ignoring her.”

Mum always headed to bed early. It was bloody cold outside so we headed to my bedroom, where I had set up a TV on the wall. Lying back on the covers, we watched a movie in the darkness, Amy cuddling into me. By the time the movie finished, we’d started to basically make out. Feeling her body press into mine certainly had me hard again rather quickly, and running my hand down to her pert little butt earned a grin from her in return.

“Staying here the night then?” I asked. She nodded, so I undressed as she disappeared, returning within a couple of minutes in her pyjamas. I guess wearing less would raise the temptation to do something else. Kissing seemed harmless, but I wasn’t sure about going any further. At least not yet. My mind was still a little all over the place, though it had been a couple of months since that day at the university….

My phone lit up that week with people wanting jobs done, no matter how large or small. I even received calls from people a hundred kilometres away from Grafton, which was a good sign. Taking a look at the website set up for me, I noticed there had been plenty of hits already, so I guess that explained why. But with the volume of work possibly on the horizon, I looked into apprenticeship schemes and how I’d take one or two on as a business. Luckily, everything is online nowadays, and within the day, I had job adverts online about taking on a couple. I’d train them up over a couple of years, hopefully take them on full-time at the end, then look at expanding. But there was no rush. I had all the time in the world.

While my business slowly started to gain traction, life at home was peaceful, if not a little strange. Amy pretty much slept beside me every night. Mum didn’t seem to care. I loved having the company in bed as I’d slept beside Hayley since I was 18, and it was nice having another warm body close by. Particularly in the winter months when houses were bloody cold, so snuggling under a couple of thick blankets was great.

And with each passing night sharing a bed, there was no doubt we were both thinking about other things. Having confessed her feelings for me, the ball was now in my court. I could help us take the next step in a physical relationship, or I might have to break her heart and suggest we don’t go any further. The thing that concerned me is that, with every day that passed, the idea of being with my sister didn’t bother me. At all. I was left thinking the fact my wife was proven to be a serial cheater and my marriage fell apart fucked with my head.

While we did now live with Mum, she lived her own life, as we lived ours, though we ate dinner together every evening. Some nights, she would be at home alone, or a friend or two would pop around for a chat and glass of wine. Other nights, she’d pop out to visit friends. I was at work every day, so had no idea what she did during the day most of the time, though I did receive the occasional call to meet up for a coffee for lunch if I had time. Amy and I would text or Whatsapp nearly all day, talking about the most arbitrary crap, but I think I helped keep her sane as she was stuck working at home.

Each weekend, we’d go out for a meal and drinks, amazed that we never sat in silence, always chatting away. It was amazing how simple it was to find things to discuss. It was perhaps the fourth Saturday that we headed out that things did turn up a notch. We returned home to a dark house. No sign of Mum’s car, which suggested she’d probably crashed a friend’s house for the night. Even in a provincial city, you didn’t take chances drinking and driving, and Mum was sensible.

Amy had worn a gorgeous red dress that evening, with a red ensemble of stockings, heels and purse. Sitting inside, sharing a bottle of scotch, I had to ask if she’d always bought everything like that on purpose. “Of course,” she said, smirking away, “Got to make sure everything matches, Mark.”

That earned a raised eyebrow. “Everything?”

She stood up in front of me and unzipped her dress, taking the straps from her shoulders and lowering it to the ground. The red bra barely covered her breasts, and the red panties were practically see-through, so I could see my sister kept herself mostly shaved. The fact I was erect within a couple of seconds didn’t concern me. I was starting to find my sister more attractive with each passing day, and my feelings for her were changing as much as hers were definitely getting deeper.

Smiling at me, she sat down on me, a knee to either side of me, before she rested on my legs. “You think I’m pretty?” she asked softly.

I reached to caress her cheek. “Amy, you’re beautiful. As I said, I always have always thought that.”

Leaning forward, the kiss was immediately what I’d call hot and heavy, pulling her into my body as her tongue explored my mouth. We’d never made out with Amy in just her underwear, and I was left in no doubt she felt my erection as she shuffled forward, earning a soft moan as she stopped long enough to smile. “I like what I feel, Mark,” she whispered.

“I have a half-naked woman on my lap, who happens to be my sister. So it’s not only hot, it’s a little kinky, or maybe the right word is taboo,” I whispered before leaning back, “Amy, I’ll ask just the once. Are you sure?”

“I don’t want anyone else, Mark. I feel this… this is my only chance to be with you.”

“Amy, if we start, that’s it, we can’t go back to how it was, because we’ll always wonder. Are you willing to take that chance?”

“I love you, Mark. I have for a long time. But I basically just sealed up all those emotions. Now I can face them again, but more importantly, I can be honest with you about them.”

I hugged her to my chest. “I love you too, Amy. Perhaps not quite how you love me, at least not just yet. That’s a hurdle I’ll have to get over if we both want this.”

“But you want to be with me?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, I do. But we have to be careful about Mum. Sleeping together, being a little affectionate, that sort of thing, doesn’t seem to bother her. But if we start being intimate…”

I easily stood up and carried her to what I should really call our bedroom. Kicking the door shut behind me, I sat her down on the bed as I undressed down to my boxer-briefs, Amy moving backwards as I joined her on the bed. Her eyes were alive with the lust and desire she didn’t have to hide as I leaned down to kiss her again. Feeling her soft fingers moving up my arms, down my back, I ran my fingers up her side, making her giggle as she’d always been a little ticklish, running them around her back to undo her bra with one hand.

That seemed to impress her, though I’d taken off plenty of bras in my lifetime, so it was a skill naturally learned. I’d honestly never seen Amy’s breasts before. By the time I was dating Hayley, she was still only barely a teenager, so although I did see her grow up, and I could appreciate she was cute, I never saw her as someone I should be sexually attracted to.

Now she was lying underneath me with her breasts for me to see, and they were magnificent. I must have had a certain smile on my face as she started to giggle, but there was no missing how turned on she was as well. Leaning down to take a nipple in my mouth, that earned an immediate moan, sucking, nibbling and licking one then the other for quite a while, enough that she suggested I really liked them. I could only look up and agree that I did.

“Maybe you’d like to explore elsewhere on my body?” she breathed.

“That’s the next big step, Amy. Are you sure?”

The nod returned was adamant. Eager. Almost determined that I do what she wanted. So I kissed down to her body until I reached the thin fabric of her panties. Sitting up on my knees, I removed her heels first, though she suggested I keep on the stocking. Hooking my fingers in her panties, I met her eyes a final time. I knew, if I did this and then carried on doing what I now wanted to do as much as she wanted, it would irrevocably change our relationship. We’d open a door that simply couldn’t be closed.

Sliding them off her legs, I felt how damp they were. That’s when she whispered, “My panties are always wet nowadays, Mark. When I have lunch here at home, I masturbate. Every single damned day. And I… well, I usually do it on this bed with your pillow on my face.”

I smiled as that was rather sweet. And suggested just how much she wanted me. So I put her panties to my nose and inhaled her scent. It was… delightful, making me smile, and that earned another giggle, as I placed them down next to me.

Amy spread her legs and her pussy glistened with her excitement. I would even go so far as to say it was rather pretty. She had definitely groomed herself before we headed out. A little bit of hair but, otherwise, she kept it nice and smooth. “I prefer it like this,” she explained, “But I knew, when you finally went down on me, that you’d prefer it too.”

“So you thought this would eventually happen?”

“Mark, we’ve been dating, we’d just been lying to ourselves.”

“I guess you’re right. I haven’t even looked at another woman. I’ve enjoyed your company far too much.”

“Mark?” I met her eyes. “Can you… eat my pussy for a while?”

“Good thing for you, my dear little sister, is that I love doing that.”

Lowering my mouth down to her pussy, I’ll admit the first thing I did was inhale her natural scent. My god, it was wonderful. Considering it was only the second pussy I’d ever been with in my life, the fact it was my little sister certainly meant even more to me in that moment. When my tongue touched her for the first time, it must have felt like a bolt of electricity as she almost leapt off the bed. Wrapping a hand around each thigh, my tongue slowly licked up and down, just judging what she seemed like while also savouring her taste.

I liked it a lot from the get go.

“Mark,” she breathed, her body slowly but surely starting to writhe.

I ignored her clit for the moment though I could see her excitement naturally building. My focus remained everywhere except that, judging what she was enjoying by her breathing and moans, in addition to what she said. I was smart enough to keep going what I was doing if she said so, but once she asked me to gently give her clit some attention, I did just that.

“Oh my god,” she moaned when I did just that. I thought about sliding in a finger or two to find that special spot I knew all women had, but I didn’t want to unless she asked for it. So while I gave her clit some attention, most of my focus remained elsewhere. I was still in my underwear and could feel my cock straining to be free, but I wasn’t worried about myself. This was all about her for now.

“Mark,” she whimpered, once I gave her clit more and more attention. Once I sensed it was the right time, I surprised myself by figuring out how to focus on that properly to get her off. And it didn’t take long, considering how turned on she must have been already. “Mark!” she cried out softly.

Then she orgasmed. Hand on heart, watching my little sister cum was utterly beautiful. I felt my heart swell at the look on her face, the way her body moved, the fact she reached down to grab my hand as the orgasm tore through her body. But she didn’t want me to stop just yet, begging me to continue.

Now that I’d made her cum hands-free, now it was time to find her spot and hopefully make it even better. I sucked in a couple of fingers first before slowly sliding them inside her, enjoying the gasp she made as I turned them and made the motion I knew to make. “Oh fuck,” she practically groaned, feeling her move down on my fingers, “Oh fuck, Mark.”

I looked up to meet her eyes, unable to stop the smile as her eyes were absolutely beautiful in the low light. Her chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily. The slight quivers she made as she readied herself for another orgasm. “I love you so much,” she whimpered.

“I love you too, little sister. Now lie back and let your big brother take care of you.”

Once I found that spot, not missing the fact as I did as she immediately squeezed my fingers and released a moan I hadn’t heard yet, I focused on that and her clit only. Her next orgasm was even better, amused when she covered her mouth as she almost screamed with delight, before she almost started to sob, pleading for me not to stop. I had to ask if she was sure, as I never liked hearing my sister almost crying, though she assured me it was just all the pent up emotions being released.

I only stopped in the end when she finally had enough, sitting back on my knees, rather amused as her body continued to quiver for quite a few minutes afterwards. “Where the fuck did you learn…” she started to ask, before she giggled, “Well, on that alone, no wonder she married you.”

Leaning forward, I kissed her deeply, feeling her arms wrap around me. “Amy, I just loved doing that. Any issues I might have had? Gone. Long gone.”

I noticed the rapid blinking. “You mean that?” she asked quietly.

“Absolutely. I lost my wife. I now have my sister. Difference is, I’ve always loved my sister, but now I can allow myself to fall in love with you in return. But… we’ll need to be careful.”

“I know,” she whispered. Reaching down, her small hand encircled my covered cock. “What about you?”

“What would you like to do, Amy?”

“Suck my brother’s obviously big cock!”

I wasn’t going to say no to that so eagerly slid out of my underwear. She insisted I remain sitting on my knees as she lay on her stomach, gazing up into my eyes as her tongue licked up and down my shaft, but she was eager to swallow me. “Mark, can I be blunt?”

“Yeah,” I said, enjoying her soft lips wrapped around my shaft.

“Your soon to be ex-wife was a fucking idiot. Your cock is fantastic. I know, when you eventually fuck me, I’m going to love it. Not tonight, though. I just wanted you to touch me tonight.”

“Uh-huh,” I muttered, making her giggle, looking down as more of my cock disappeared. Running my fingers through her hair, she looked so happy, it almost made my heart burst again. She was very eager, and I wasn’t going to last long. “Do you swallow?”

She looked ready to shake her head, then removed my cock a moment. “I’ll swallow your cum,” she said.

I felt that usual tingling sensation that my orgasm was fast approaching. My sister might have not had many partners but she knew how to suck my cock, at least. Warning her I was close, all she did was fondle my balls, her head bobbing up and down quicker and quicker.

“Amy,” I moaned before I felt that first spurt fire into her mouth. She gulped it down immediately from the sound she made as I fired plenty of ropes into her mouth. I hadn’t had sex since… well, a night or two before I’d left the wife. Since then, it had been Mrs Palmer and her five daughters when I felt in the mood. I hadn’t really been in the mood much.

Feeling her kiss up my body, I lifted her chin to kiss her softly on the lips before I hugged her tightly, running my fingers up and down her back, her hands just resting on my back in return. “Well, I think that’s me done for the night,” she said, “Mark, I haven’t orgasmed like that… ever…”

“Want a shower?”

“Yeah, we’d better.”

Checking the coast was still clear, we were both chuckling as we grabbed towels and headed for the bathroom, making sure the water was nice and hot, before stepping under it. Once she was under the water, her hair slicked back, I was rock hard again in seconds, which she noticed. The idea of washing was put on hold as she slid down to her knees, her soft lips wrapped around my cock again.

“You’ll last longer this time,” she said.

She wasn’t wrong, as she certainly had me groaning a few time, her hands gently playing with my balls or stroking my cock as her mouth did most of the work. I’d cup the back of her head as I looked down at her, eyes full of nothing but her love and desire for me in return. I’m not sure what mine would have echoed back just then, but I could sense my feelings were changing with every passing minute I was intimate with her.

When I came a second time, god knows how long she’d been sucking my cock by then, she happily swallowed down my load before practically smacking her lips with delight. “Yummy,” she cooed, “I could do that time and again, Mark.”

I’m not a religious man, but in that moment, there was a god.

I did enjoy soaping her up, running my hands over every inch of her body, before slowly washing her down, ensuring I was cuddling her nearly the entire time. She couldn’t stop giggling, but when she returned the favour, she was rather quiet, but the look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. Once I was washed, we stepped and slowly wiped each other down before heading back to our bedroom, snuggling under the blankets. For the first time, both of us were naked. It felt wonderful holding her in my arms, feeling her skin against mine.

“Mum’s going to freak when she finds out,” she whispered, “We can’t keep this a secret forever. I think she almost deserves to know before she discovers us by accident.”

“Let’s give it a little time first.”

We fell asleep rather quickly as a last look at my phone told me it was now early morning. There was no knock on the door to wake us up, only woken up myself by soft, warm lips on mine, waking up to see my sister smiling at me, her body cuddling into mine. I returned her kiss and it soon deepened, rolling onto my back as she straddled my groin, and I could feel the heat of her pussy against my cock. She could feel it too. But she simply relaxed, resting her head on my chest as I cuddled her, pulling up the covers to keep us warm.

Our stomachs eventually growled and we agreed to get up. Throwing on her panties, I gave her a shirt so she could cover herself up, while I threw on some warm clothes before heading out to the kitchen to find Mum was home, sitting at the table, drinking a tea.

“Take a seat, Mark,” she said. I felt my stomach drop, and fear must have appeared on my face, as Mum smiled. “It’s okay, Mark. Just take a seat. I’ll cook you both breakfast in a minute.” I took a seat, feeling my mouth open more than once to say something. She reached across to take my hand. “You’re 25 years old, Mark. You’re not in trouble with me. I just need to know one or two things.”

“Okay,” I replied carefully.

“Did you have sex last night?”

“Sort of. Er… I guess you could say we fooled around. But… how…”

“I knocked but didn’t hear anything, and I know your sister is now in your room most of the time. Was I worried about that? No.” Her eyes lit up. “Ah, Amy. Take a seat next to your brother.” Amy no doubt figured out what this would be about, sitting next to me, taking my hand in hers. “I was just asking your brother about what I figured out. So, you were obviously fast asleep, and I was getting breakfast ready. What I noticed on the floor was all your clothes, Amy, and there was no doubt you were both naked.”

“Mum…” Amy started to say.

Mum took her hand this time. “Amy, I’ve never been blind to the fact you’ve… loved your brother more than just the love siblings have for one another.” She looked at me. “Mark, you’ve just had a major heart-break, so the only advice I can give you is don’t treat your sister like a rebound.”

“Mum, I’d never do that. There’s no-one I trust more than my sister.”

“Why are you being so understanding?” Amy wondered.

“Because if I were to sit here and freak out, tell you what you’re doing is wrong, or that I forbid it, then there is a very good chance you’ll leave, and I don’t want to lose my children. I was a single child, so was your father, so I don’t know what it’s like to have a sibling, but if you are truly serious about this, then you have my blessing. You’re old enough to make this decision between yourselves. All I ask is that you be careful. You’re fortunate most people don’t know you up here, but even then, there are those who know who you are.” She took a deep breath. “Breakfast?”

“I’d love some. I’m starving,” I replied.

Amy immediately cuddled into me and I think had a little weep. That had Mum circling the table, kissing her daughter on the cheek, before doing the same to me. “I love my children, if they want to love each other, then I’m not going to stand in the way. Your father might be a different proposition though. Just be careful about that.”

“I’m moving into his room,” she whispered, “I’ll keep the other room as my office. If that’s okay, Mark?”

“You’re with me nearly every night anyway, so it’ll be just make it more official. You don’t mind, Mum?”

“No. I think you look rather cute together, to be honest.”

We spent most of the day together as a trio, not doing all that much around the house. Mum practically told me to take Sunday’s off from everything so I relaxed, not wanting to watch me work myself into the ground. Amy managed to separate her work and personal life rather well, and now that her room would be turned into an office, she suggested just closing the door outside her working hours would help keep the balance.

Mum stayed up long enough that night to see Amy and I off to bed. Starting early as always, all I wanted was sleep, but after Mum gave Amy a tight hug, she gave me one too. “Can I admit something, Mark?” she whispered.

“Of course.”

“I find the idea of you and Amy together a little… exciting.” I leaned back, my face no doubt expressing surprise, but I almost laughed. “Look, the three of us know it’s wrong, correct?” I nodded to that. “But I won’t lie and think that Amy is a lucky young woman, and that you are a lucky young man. Your father and I certainly produced a pair of fine children.” Then she kissed my cheek and headed to her room. “Love you both,” she called before closing the door.

Joining Amy in bed, I pulled back the blankets to find her naked underneath. Figuring that was the way it would be going forward, I took off my underwear and joined her, Amy immediately cuddling into my side. “So Mum find the idea of us together a little exciting,” I whispered.

Amy giggled. “Guess it adds a little to her own life, the fact something so… taboo is happening in the house.” She kissed my cheek. “Want to fool around?” she asked, breathing near my ear, “I know you have an early start.”

“Does my sister want some attention again?” I asked.

“God yes. More than anything, Mark.”

I happily kissed down her body, not surprised by the fact she was already wet and hot for me. I had a feeling she was turned on half the time just being around me. I teased her something fierce, enjoying her taste, taking great delight in the noises she made, the way her body moved as she grew ever more turned on, until I finally granted her release. And now that our mother knew, she didn’t care about being quiet.

After a couple of orgasms, only stopping myself because I’d just keep going otherwise, I happily plonked myself down next to her, resting my head on a hand as I watched her slowly recover. She finally looked at me and smiled. “I can’t wait until you fuck me, Mark.”

“Any rush?”

“None whatsoever. It will happen eventually, though hopefully I won’t have to wait too long.”

“I just want to make you smile, Amy, and what I’m doing now certainly earns what I like to see on your face.”

“My big brother is far too big a sweetheart,” she said, cuddling into me, “What a fucking idiot she was.” She sighed. “Sorry, I should really forget about her.”

“Still married, though as we’re now separated and I’m no longer wearing that damned ring, I’m treating this basically like leaving an ex-girlfriend. I’m now free to move on. Dad met his current fiancée while still going through the divorce process with Mum. I’m not going to lie here feeling guilty about this in any sort of way. I’ve left her. I’m now free to pursue what I want. And if that person is my sister…”

“I pursued you, Mark. I like to think I left you no other option.”

“Well, no-one else I trust more than you. Well, I think you, Mum and Dad are at the same level of trust. Maybe Chris and Cathy after everything. They’re talking about visiting soon. That might be awkward for us.”

“We’ll get through it.”

I woke earlier than Amy as always, leaving her cocooned in the blankets, looking as adorable as always when I kissed her cheek. Mum was up early as always, joining her at the table with some toast and coffee of my own. Mum met my eyes and started to blush, clearing her throat. “So I’m figuring Amy has decided she no longer has to be quiet?”

“Shit, sorry, Mum.”

“As I said, Mark, it’s exciting. I’ve been alone in this house for a few years now. My children are now back, they are quite obviously falling in love, and they are expressing that love through intimacy. And my son… well, he must be doing something right to make my daughter produce those sort of sounds.”

I met her eyes again. All she returned was that same sweet smile I’d seen throughout my life. “Mum, if it gets weird for you…”

“Don’t even mention it. This is your home. Both of you. Stay as long as you want. Honestly, I’d love you to stay permanently, but I know you’ll want to fly the coop again eventually.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m your mother, you’re both adults, it’s not like having small children under my feet. You’re both mature, responsible, and have been nothing but a help around the house. And I love your company. Having this big house to myself, you know I was a little lonely at times.”

“Why haven’t you met anyone, Mum?” I asked rather bluntly.

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. Met one or two decent men but I just didn’t feel that spark I felt with your father when we first started dating.”

“When did you last…” I paused and chuckled. “Fuck, I was just about to ask my mother a very personal question on a Monday morning.”

She chuckled herself. “I take matters into my own hands, Mark.” That had me raising my head, feeling my jaw drop. She smiled at me. “I’m a middle-aged woman, Mark. I’m not a nun. There’s a reason why young men like MILFs, after all.”

“Holy shit, Mum!”

“As to your unasked question, I enjoy sex as much as the next woman, but after your father, I didn’t just want to go out and find the first man who got hard at the sight of me. I wanted it to mean something.” She took my hand again. “It’s why I’m happy it’s your sister, Mark. There are two women in your life who love you unconditionally. You’re now being intimate with one of them, and the other loves looking after you again. You’re a grown man, but you’ll always been my little boy in many ways.”

“Thank, Mum,” I said softly.

“Now I’m going to do a couple of chores before I get to work. I’m taking on a couple of other art projects that will keep me occupied. It’s nice having your sister around during the day, at least.”

It was another busy week at work, but I received plenty of interest in my online job adverts. Though I didn’t like asking them, aware it would be the weekend, I eventually asked them to visit on Saturday for an interview. I had six applicants in all, and it was bloody difficult to choose between them. If I could have afforded it, I’d have happily taken on all six, but I spent the next week talking it over with my sister, who had sat in on the interviews with me, as she’d sat in a few herself, before choosing the two young men I’d take on as apprentices. Both were young and leaving school early, eager to start work and earning a wage.

Every night was filled with more fooling around between Amy and I, though we hadn’t taken that last step yet. There was no doubt she loved the attention from me, but I definitely surprised her, and I think she found something she might enjoy, when in the middle of eating her out, I flipped her round, got her on her knees, then licked up to her puckered little arsehole. She giggled for a few seconds, suggesting it tickled, before I had two fingers in her pussy while keeping my tongue busy where it was, and she suddenly had a new thing to enjoy.

What I learned is that my sister loved sucking cock. Actually, I’ll put that differently. She loved sucking my cock. She gave blowjobs before, but admitted she did it simply due to the expectation. But given I was so willing to go down on her, she was more than willing to do it in return, but then she’d happily do it without any reciprocation. She loved to swallow, but she also asked more than once to cum on her face, her breasts, or just anywhere I wanted. Though she insisted, when we did finally make love, I was finishing nowhere except inside her.

As for our mother, there’s no doubt she heard a lot of what went on in our bedroom. I suggested to my sister more than once that I think she was turned on by it, possibly even masturbating to it. Amy found that rather sweet, if anything. “She’s a single woman in her forties. She’s finding excitement where she can, Mark. And, as she said, you’re looking after me, I’m looking after you, so I’m not bothered by it. Are you?”

I wasn’t, but just occasionally, I’d walk into the kitchen in the morning to see Mum sitting at the table, looking rather rosy cheeked and happy with herself, and I had a feeling she’d enjoyed the previous night too. But I wasn’t going to embarrass her. I think it was almost an unwritten rule that whatever happened under the roof stayed between us.

It is spring-time when the jacaranda trees finally come into bloom and the streets are filled by rows of gorgeous colours and wondrous scents. By mid-spring, the festival would start and a half-day public holiday would be observed on the first Thursday in November. People come from across the region, even the state, to take part, crowds wandering the quiet streets, taking endless photos as it is quite simply a breath-taking, beautiful sight. We weren’t quite there yet, but spring had sprung, and life slowly returned to the city after a long, cold winter, at least by Australian standards.

It was our usual Saturday night date out on the town. Very few people knew we were siblings, so had no problem strolling along hand in hand whenever we were out, cuddling and kissing where appropriate, though we were not massively into public displays of affection, preferring to keep that sort of stuff behind closed doors. But that night, early in spring time, was when Amy seemed to be ready to make that final step. I’d been ready for a while but I was always going to leave it to her. I knew it was a big moment for both of us.

Returning home earlier than normal, Amy almost insisted we leave after a single drink after dinner, she practically dragged me to the bedroom. I knew why but had to ask what’s the hurry. “Because despite the fact I have something to prevent pregnancy, I still ovulate, I’m really fucking horny at the moment, and just the thought of you finishing inside me, and then…” She trailed off as she rested her head against me, “Mark, have you researched into having children?”

“Actually, yeah, I started looking as I knew it was a conversation we’d need to have eventually.”

“So have I,” she whispered, glancing into my eyes, “The chances of anything going wrong are surprisingly slim. But… Mum might freak about that. Sex is one thing, having children…”

“Why don’t we worry about it after we’ve actually had sex?”

We practically tore our clothes off before tumbling onto the bed. Though I gave her body attention as always, there was no doubt we both had something else on our minds, so though I happily ate her out as always, she asked me to stop after a single orgasm, making sure I was resting above her. I grinned as I teased her, rubbing the head of my cock against her, feeling how warm, wet and willing she was and would be. “I love you, Amy,” I whispered.

“How much do you love me?” she asked softly.

“I love you as my sister, and I’m in love with you too.”

I half-expected tears to that confession. Instead, I received one of those smiles I loved seeing on her face, her hand coming up to my cheek. “Mark, I’ve been in love with you since I was a teenager. I thought I’d just have to let go of those feelings. Now I can embrace them and be with you just how I want.”

I slowly slid my cock inside her. The head first, making her gasp and grin, as I slowly but surely buried inch and after inch until our groins bumped into each other. Both of us looked down to see where my cock had disappeared. “Well, about fucking time, Mark!” she exclaimed, “But fuck me, it was worth the wait. And seemingly endless orgasms at times.”

Slowly thrusting into her, I simply watched her face, just enjoying the feeling of her warm, wet pussy sheathed around my cock. Fuck, she felt wonderful. Part of me wanted to say even better than the soon to be ex-wife, but I was surprised that I barely thought about her nowadays. I took my time, barely upping the tempo, though I knew I was probably going to cum rather quickly from the sheer excitement. As for Amy, I think she was a little too overcome to say anything, so relied on her breathing, her moans, and her hands all over my body to let me know what she was thinking and feeling.

Feeling her legs wrap around me, I started to pump into her a little faster, her eyes lighting up as I felt that tingle. I groaned in frustration as I didn’t want to finish yet. “Cum in me, Mark,” she whispered, “Cum in me. We have all night.”