I forgot to mention something in my last chapter, friends. Our little girl, our new bundle of absolute heaven, her full name was Rachel Hannah Glazer Grossman, like her brother before her. Sorry I missed that but I wanted you to know, our sweet girl was just the same as our sweet son. In our hearts, in our souls, in our lives.
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Two days later, on the 19th, I brought Eva and Rachel home. It was midday when we pulled onto the school grounds and there was a big hand painted banner stretched over our driveway that said “Way To Go, Mrs. G! Welcome Home Rachel!” And the entire student body of both schools was out on the large field clapping and cheering for us. If it had been in my power, I would have given everyone all A’s that semester.
I stopped the car in front of our house and the applause got louder when I helped Eva out and we brought Rachel out of her car seat. We stood on the steps so everyone could see, there were more flowers for Eva and a huge Teddy Bear for Rachel. I spoke briefly to everyone. “I wish we could invite you all in to say hello. I promise I’ll post pictures on the bulletin boards as soon as I can for everyone to see and I’ll be in tomorrow, if I get some sleep tonight!” Some friendly laughter. “Thank you all so much. You’re all very special to us, our other family. Now everyone, back to class before I fail everyone!” More, louder laughter. more applause, and everyone returned to the school buildings. These amazing people made us feel right at home.
I took Rachel from Eva and put her in the basinet Eva’s parents sent us; they were coming down for the weekend in two days. Eva was sore from her incision. She didn’t want a strong painkiller because she wanted to breast feed the baby. So she stuck to mild doses of Tylenol. It didn’t help much, but every little bit helped. Odette got everything Eva needed while I attended to Rachel and ran to the stores for a few things. I ran into a few women connected to the school at the market and they congratulated me and told me I should set up times for people to stop by to visit. I was non-committal about it and went off to finish my shopping. It was another thing that made us feel part of the community. The people we met who were treating us like we belonged.
That night, we brought Rachel up to her bed in our bedroom and Connor kept dangling his fingers for his sister to grasp. He already loved playing with her. But his mother was exhausted so I took him to his room (after getting his good night kiss from mom) and I read to him a little and sang something sweet to him as he fell asleep. I gave him my kiss and then left him to rest.
I went to lie down and Eva was already half asleep. She turned over facing away and I started ticking the back of her neck and down her arms, kissing her neck as well.
“Bear, that feels great, but we can’t have sex tonight” she chuckled. “No sex for at least six weeks. I’m too tired anyway.”
“Silly Angel. You know I’m not looking for your body tonight. I’ll settle for your mind. Just for a minute. We have to give Connor his birthday present tomorrow. He hasn’t complained but I know he expected something. I feel terrible that we didn’t do it today. We’re two days late. We’re lucky he’s such a sweet boy. Ten years old now. Where has the time gone?”
Eva leaned back into my chest, making soft sounds of some pain but mostly contentment. “I don’t know, Bear, but I know I haven’t regretted a single moment since we met. Twelve years married, thirteen together. Connor is ten. The only bad part is your parents aren’t here to see what an amazing job they did with you. You are the very best man imaginable. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone. Except maybe for Sylvester Stallone.” Eva looked up and we smiled at each other. It was a running joke with us, her visceral attraction to Sly Stallone. Hey, she was a woman. I’d be surprised if some men didn’t stir something inside her. It was the same with me. I looked a little. I was human. And if Michelle Pfeiffer ever hit on me… It wasn’t real, just a couple of healthy fantasies for a couple of healthy adults who would never, ever cheat on each other. We had no desire or need to cheat. Ever.
“Tell you what, Angel. When you’re all healed up and we can have fun again, we can go to the Rocky Steps and Statue and then that night, you can screw your very own Jewish Stallion.” We giggled together.
“Ouch, don’t make me laugh, Bear. My stitches hurt when I laugh!”
“Ok I’ll be,..dull.”
“Don’t do that either. Find some middle ground.” Just then our little lady woke up and cried. I got out of bed and I changed her diaper, kissed her little nose (which made her giggle a little) and then I tucked her back into her bed.
“Thank you Bear” Eva said softly as I climbed back into bed. “Next time I’ll get up.”
“No, honey. You need to recover. I don’t go back to work until Monday. So for now, I’ll do the feedings and changings during the night. You rest.” I kissed her neck.
“So good to me” she said, half asleep. “My Bear is so good to me.”
“We’re so good to each other, Angel.”
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We made it up to Connor the next day. We gave him a whole new set of hockey equipment for the fall and, to make up for being three days late, I got tickets to see the Phillies that Saturday, for Connor, me and his grandfather and a friend of his choice. “But you buy the hot dogs and beer” I winked at him, He went to call his friend Avery from his hockey team. All was forgiven, so to speak.
Over the weekend while her parents were with us, we received a big gift basket from the board members with gourmet foods and snacks, champagne (very good stuff) and a $1000 gift certificate to the King of Prussia Mall, good at any store. It was a nice package. Friends were calling, wanting to know when they could come by to see us. While her parents were there, we did allow Patty and Larry and another couple, Kevin and Sharon, to come for a little while on Sunday. More gifts for the baby, mostly clothes or stuffed animals. And a few smart and kind souls, like Larry and Patty, also brought things for Connor. It had been his birthday, after all, plus it’s important to not let a sibling feel neglected when a new child comes into the family.
The following Tuesday was Cammy’s graduation from law school. Eva couldn’t go, which ate at her a bit. But Rachel was newborn and it wasn’t the place for her. And Eva wouldn’t even discuss the possibility of her going and me staying home with Rachel. “Cammy is YOUR sister, Jon. It’s your place, and you deserve to see her graduate. Take the video camera and record as much as you can. And be sure you get a good shot of her getting her degree! And make sure she knows we’ll have a small party for her on Saturday afternoon here. And that I’m so proud of her.” Eva got a little teary. She wanted to be there. Eva was like a mother hen and Cammy was one of her chicklings.
Connor and I went early since it started at 10AM. We found seats near the front and we picked Cammy out as the graduates filed into the auditorium. There were speeches, most thankfully brief. Cammy kept looking over at us with her winning smile, winking at her nephew. Then came time for the diplomas and I got a nice close up as “Camilla Rose Grossman” walked across the stage in her law school robes and got her diploma, number 4 in her class, as Connor led the cheers for her. I briefly thought of our parents, hopefully looking down from somewhere above with immense pride.
After the ceremony, we met her and after Connor gave his Aunt Cammy a big hug and kiss (“My favorite man!” she called him, no longer ‘little man’) it was my turn and I held my sister as close as I ever had. “I’m so proud of you, sis. Eva feels so bad she couldn’t be here today.”
“She has nothing to feel bad about. Rachel has to come first. Thank you for coming and for bringing my sweet nephew! I love you both so much!” We didn’t want to keep her; she had friends she was meeting to get drunk with. She earned it.
I showed Eva the recording that afternoon and she cried mostly happy tears. I looked after our daughter while she got some rest. We had a party for just about 15 people, which was tiring enough for Eva that Saturday. We gave Cammy a beautiful leather briefcase, monogrammed CRG in gold lettering. And Connor and Rachel gave her a Mont Blanc fountain pen set, with a little help from mom and dad. Cammy loved it, and she spent as much time as she could with her niece and nephew. She’d see more of them for a while; she was moving back in for the summer while she studied for the bar exam at the end of July. But after that, she was going to move out, this time for good, to Washington for a year before she found her own place in Philadelphia or thereabout. She already had a solid job offer from the firm she worked at after she did her clerkship. Her future was sound. It was a little sad though when I thought about it. She wouldn’t have a room in our home anymore in a year. That meant for the first time in my life, my sister wouldn’t be living with me to any degree. It hurt a little inside.
One weekend at the beginning of June, I stopped into a local jewelry store and made a few purchases. A couple of nights later we were all together after dinner. I asked Cammy if she could take an hour off from studying so we were all sitting together, with Rachel in her mothers’ lap. I brought out four small boxes and handed one to each member of my family. Well, I held Rachel’s and opened it for her. Eva’s had two new charms to add to her bracelet, one with a large letter ‘R’ engraved on it, like the J, C, C and E on the others she already had and one with a ‘G’ for Glazer- Grossman.
Cammy’s had two small gold hearts to go with the four she already had on the chain she often wore around her neck. Connor got a Jewish star on a chain, similar to the one I wore that Eva gave me, and at at each of the six corners were engraved small letters C, C, E, J, R and the sixth corner had the letter G for Glazer and Grossman. And Rachel got a small bracelet with a gold flat plate and again, the letters C, C, E, J, R and G were engraved. She was a little too small yet for it, but within a few months we’d put it on her.
Eva and Cammy were crying softly, and even Connor was tearing up. “Jon, this is so beautiful” my wife said gently, kissing me with her love. “But you’re not included. This should include each member of the family.”
“Not to worry, honey. I’m a part of this.” I opened the neck of my shirt, showing my own star, my first gift from Eva a long time ago, and turned it around so they could all see that I got my own star engraved with everyone’s initial. At the sixth point, like on Connors, was the letter G for Grossman and Glazer. “Cammy, I think I owe you another heart and they also should be engraved with each initial. So we’re all always connected, even if we’re far apart.” We hugged in one big group hug, mindful of little Rachel’s safety. I adored my family, each and every one. And the feeling was mutual, all the way around. Life was good, and about to get better.
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While Eva recovered, I was incredibly busy doing my job and much of hers. Lenny had both jobs and I wondered how he did it until I found out he delegated a lot of the administrative work to his office staff, something they resented. It was one of the reasons the board of directors agreed to split the job in two and add the extra relatively large salary. Lenny kind of fucked up the job. Then again, who knew how long he was sick without saying anything?
Eva did as much as she could from home, a lot of paperwork mostly, With her need for rest and recovery, I was exhausted by graduation, June 22, 1992. I survived, barely, it seemed. The senior prom had been early May but the school itself hosted a formal dinner for the graduates the week before graduation, honoring top students in each category of study and the overall National Honors Society (Arista) honorees, held at a very swanky hall in nearby Villanova. Eva came with me, her first night out since giving birth, while Cammy watched the kids for us. Everyone wanted to talk to her, students and parents and teachers all; they all missed her very much. We each gave a speech before handing out the individual awards. We told the students…soon to be graduates,,, how proud we were, how we knew they were all headed for great futures, that they’d all be missed and were welcome to visit in the future to let us know how life was going for them.
Eva also came into school the Friday before graduation, the last day of classes, to help say goodbye to all the students for the summer. She had been missed by everyone, just about, and she went around to a few classes to say goodbye directly (I did the same with the others).
That night we went out to dinner on our own, with Cammy again watching the children. She loved to spend time with them whenever she had the time. She was going to miss them, even though Washington is only two hours south. She was going to be very busy, even busier than when in school, through July, studying for the bar exam. But she was glad to take a night off to watch over her niece and nephew for us.
We sat at dinner at one of Larry’s restaurants, a nice Italian place but no chicken cacciatore. Eva had her first glass of wine in ten months and it gave a nice glow to her skin. I had on a jacket and tan pants, much more casual than what I wore to work and Eva had on a scarlet spaghetti strap dress, very summery. It was a little snug on her and she was feeling self conscious but I thought she was beautiful on a warm summer night, out for dinner with her husband. I thought she was beautiful every minute of every day.
“Everyone made you feel the love today, didn’t they? I’m really feeling like we’ve made a difference here, Angel. You especially.”
“Oh, come on, Jon. They’ve been doing great while I’ve been out. They don’t miss me as much as you think, or they think. They’re some brilliant kids and great teachers. They’d be doing just as well with someone else running things.”
I looked at her like she was talking out of her ass. “That’s just ridiculous. I checked with Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Cole. They’ve both been here over twenty five years. They told me no one, no other teacher, no other principal, had a goodbye day like you got in February, or a student organized welcome home like they did when we brought Rachel home. They’ve never seen anything like it. These kids love you, Angel. They love that we’re young and they can come to us with their problems. They enjoy how we’ve lightened the atmosphere, making things feel more easygoing while keeping strict standards and the right amount of discipline. They love you, honey. The staff too.”
She sat silently, considering what I told her. “They love US, Bear. You too. You know how I can tell?”
“How? Tell me, oh mighty fortune teller.” I smiled lovingly.
“Because I saw smiling, happy faces today that even the last day of school couldn’t completely explain. Because in the weeks I’ve been out, there’s been no fall in grades and the staff is still in positive spirits. I saw your evaluations of the department heads and theirs of their teachers. There’s not a lot of discontent. You know what else?”
“Tell me, my love.”
“I took the time I’ve had sitting at home and did a little research. I had Mrs. Cole bring me a bunch of files and I found out that every year, besides the occasional retiree, there’s almost always one or two, sometimes three, teachers resigning at the end of the year. We haven’t lost a one in our two years. In fact, we have a list of potential teachers should openings become available. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have to recruit, but we have names to start with. We’re doing something right here.”
“Well, we’ll see. After graduation, we meet with the board for OUR evaluations. I wonder who writes their evaluations?” We laughed and I reached for Eva’s hand, and even in the restaurant, I lifted her hand to my lips. She smiled shyly.
When we got out into the parking lot, Eva said “Give me the keys, Bear. You had a little too much to drink.”
“I’m not going to argue with you. Drive my hairy ass home, my love.”
“Asshole” she said with a grin. When she drove to the street, Eva made a right instead of a left towards home.
“Honey, you’re going the wrong way.”
“No I’m not. I forgot to tell you one thing from my appointment with Dr. Garcia yesterday. She said we could resume ‘relations’. I’m all healed up. So I asked your sister to watch our nestlings overnight. I pumped plenty of milk for Rachel and I’m taking you to the Wayne Hotel. Where I’m going to do all sorts of unmentionable things to you. Things that are still a felony in some states, I’m sorry to say.”
“Foolish states” I mumbled in wonder at my sexy, scheming wife. “Angel, I really love you. Especially your cute little round ass.”
“You mean my fat, flabby ass. I’m fat, Jon. Fat fat fat.” She looked upset as she pulled into the parking lot.
“Angel, if you think I’m not attracted to you, why did you bring me here?”
“I guess I’m hopeful. We can just relax together if you don’t want to.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been missing you for five months. I might cum as soon as you start taking your clothes off. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. You have a few more pounds? I don’t give a damn. You’re stunning to me. Ever since that day in the school hall. You’re just as beautiful now as you were then. More so, actually. Motherhood really agrees with you. And in forty years, you’ll still be the most beautiful woman to me. Now stop being silly and lets get into our room so you can molest me.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Bear. You always make me feel like a million dollars.” She kissed me across the seat, then we got out and we went inside the 4 star hotel in our town. A five story Tudor building with luxurious rooms and suites, even a few extended stay mini apartments. We just had a guest room, all we needed for the night. We hadn’t had sex in about five months by then. I doubt sleep was on either of our minds.
She handed me my keys and said “There’s a bag in the trunk, sweetheart. Would you, please?” How could I say no? I got the small valise my wife packed during the day without me seeing, and we walked inside holding hands. She got the keys for the room she booked and in just a few minutes we were alone for the first night in a long time. “Let me just call Cammy and make sure everything’s all right, Bear. Go use the bathroom and wash up.”
I saluted her and went into the bathroom while she called home. I heard her vaguely through the door while I washed and brushed my teeth, then I came back. “Everything ok back at the fort?”
“Yep. Cammy’s got it all under control. Connor is her little helper. He really loves his little sister. Now, what can I do for my infinitely patient husband?” Eva draped her arms around my neck and pulled my face to hers. Her kiss was electric, sending little shock waves all through me.
“This was your idea. You choose.”
“Then I’ll be right back, baby. You get undressed. Not all the way. And it’s too bright in here.” She pecked my lips and went to the bathroom with the valise.
I turned off all but one lamp in the corner so the bed area was barely lit. Then I got down to just my black with red banded boxers and waited for Eva. It had been a long time and my cock was already like petrified wood. All from anticipation.
Eva came out a few minutes later. Maybe she thought she was fat from the leftover baby weight, but to me, she never looked better. She had on a black babydoll nightie, trashy looking, with pink fuzz at the bottom. Pink panties hugged her hips and ass tight. And pink fuzzy sandal/slippers with a slight heel. She was dressed to play!
“Wow. You are my sexy little playmate! I wish you had told me, Angel. I could have worn something fun for you.”
“I love surprising you, my sexy Bear. Next time you can surprise me. Right now, I’m hot as an oven. It’s been so long. Speaking of long…” Her hand found my thick erection in my shorts and squeezed me with the perfect amount of pressure. Just enough to make me shiver.
“Oh god, my wicked Devil. I may not last very long.”
“So? The night is young, so are we, and we’re not in a rush, are we?”
I shook my head no vigorously. “No rush” I croaked, sinking into the pillows. Eva slid my shorts down and pulled gently on my dick, pushing up a drop of my precum which she immediately licked up. Then, seeking more, she took me in her mouth, nice and slow, teasing me with her flicking tongue. I was writhing with pleasure, as she bobbed on my cock, sucking, then my cock went out of her mouth and she used her lips to glide up and down sideways along the bottom of my dick. I was so fucking aroused before I could say anything I erupted like Vesuvius, spraying my cum a foot in the air before it fell back on my stomach and on her face. She flinched in surprise but didn’t stop, not until I started to go a little soft. She kissed my penis, my balls and then moved up to kiss my lips. I kissed her right back, smearing my own cum on my cheek. I even licked a little from her cheek.
“Wow, honey! It’s been forever. Or so it seems. I’m just embarrassed to cum so quick.”
“I thought you might hold out a little longer. Do you mind if I ask you if you masturbated at all while we had to be celibate?”
“Nope, not once. I was saving myself for you. You had to go without, so I did too.”
“Bear, that was so unnecessary! I would have even helped you out if you wanted. What did you do, take cold showers?”
“More than once. Not every day… but yeah, I did a few times.”
“You’re sweet, Jon, but you didn’t have to do that. We’re going to have to try to make up for lost time.” We kissed a few times and I started feeling her body, touching, squeezing, teasing. Eva was moaning in my mouth as my hands did their exploration. Yes, she had more weight then but it all felt soft and wonderful to me. I started to pull off the fuzzy nightie but she tried to stop me. “No, Jon, please don’t.”
“Angel, I think you’re beautiful. Let me prove it to you, please? My sexy lady. And I am very hungry for you. Starved.”
She let me lift her gown off her body. I’d seen it dozens of times since she gave birth to Rachel but not in a sexual situation. I thought she looked luscious. Her breasts were fuller and she still had perfect nipples and areolas. There were some folds of flesh at her tummy and her ass was fuller. I was already getting hard again. But I had something else to do first.
We kept kissing, rolling on the bed, and Eva had her eyes closed as she gasped with excitement. Her breathing was uneven as I sucked on her left nipple and used my fingers on her right, and my right hand was filled with her ass. It was so fucking exciting to be touching her again. For both of us.
After sucking her breasts and even getting a little of her milk in my mouth, I started to move down from between her tits, kissing and licking her slightly salty flesh. Eva was stroking my hair as I moved lower, kissing all around her tummy to her hips, then working to her soft bush. Her scar was red and prominent and again, I didn’t care at all. Nothing could have made me not want her.
I pulled her panties to the side, the way I loved to do with her and my tongue started probing her slick and juicy pussy. Her body tensed up the moment my tongue found her lips and folds “Yes, Bear. Taste me. Lick me all over!” I delved into her sweet honeypot, moving my tongue rapidly, darting in and out, fucking her with my tongue. She was pushing her hips up to my face by planting her feet flat on the mattress and lifting her ass up. I slid my hands under her round soft cheeks and mashed my face into her greedy cunt. When my nose grinded into her clit, she came with a soft scream. When I shifted my mouth to her clit, she grabbed my hair and pulled hard as she came again. She didn’t pull any out, but it did hurt. Fuck it, my wife was enjoying herself. That was all that mattered to me.
“Come here, naughty Bear. Come kiss me so I can taste myself.” I was next to her quick as a shot and we were kissing deep and passionately. We were both still hungry for each other. Her hand found my dick and she moaned in a very pleasant way. “Someone is ready again. Come and love me, Bear. Show me how much you missed me.”
Smiling, I stroked her slightly matted hair away from her face and I said “With pleasure. I would love to love you, over and over and over.” Her legs parted and I moved right between them with my cock aimed right at her pussy. She held me, pulling me to the entrance, and I slid in like going home again. “Oh my god, Angel. I missed you so much. Rachel was worth missing you, but I’m so glad you’re back again.” I kissed her nose and forehead before she grabbed my face and kissed me like her life depended on it. We quickly were fucking hard, grinding our hips and thrusting into each other like we never missed a beat. My hot and lusty wife was still the best, sexiest partner I could ever imagine having.
“Fuck me, my handsome, dirty Bear. I’ve missed everything about this, the way you touch me and the way you fuck me. The way you look at me. Except you never stopped looking at me that way, have you?”
“Never, my darling. I always look at you like this, like I want you. Because I always do. I always lust for you as well as love you. I’ll never stop. I promise.”
We slowed down while we talked, then we sped up again, now anxious to cum, together if possible. I shifted so my cock was rubbing along her clit and she tried to squeeze me with her muscles, but they weren’t that tight yet. Still, just being inside her body was the most amazing experience for me. Soon enough, I was close and I told her.
“Just wait for me, Jon. Just a little bit longer…” When her orgasm hit, her body spasmed all over and I felt it through the head of my cock and I let forth a torrent of hot cum deep inside her body. I kept thrusting, churning our cream together into a messy, sticky mass that soothed our relaxing bodies.
We kissed lovingly. Over and over with tenderness and sweetness. “Thank you, Bear. So much.”
“For what are you thanking me, exactly?” I asked curiously.
“For waiting for me all this time. For reminding me how much you love me. And for still lusting for me.”
“I’ll never stop loving you or lusting for you as long as my body is willing, honey. We’ll always be as one.” We were facing each other and touching each others cheeks and I started singing My Love by Paul McCartney as we mellowed. We probably could have gone again but we did pretty well for our first time in months. We sure as hell weren’t feeling unsatisfied. So we cuddled for a while, touching gently, sharing kisses, until sleep came for us.
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The next morning we got up around 8 and shared a lot of kisses before sharing something even better with Eva on top of me. It was the best way to start the day. We took a shower together, playful, then called home to say good morning to our family. Cammy had everything under control and told us to take our time. We told her we’d be home by noon. We had breakfast in the restaurant downstairs before returning home.
“Hello!” Eva called out when we walked in. “Is anybody ho-ome?”
Connor came running and hugged his mother first. “Mom, Dad, I missed you! Did you have a good night?”
I said “It was great, but the only thing that kept it from being perfect was we missed you and your sister!” He gave me a hug without the kiss. That was ok, I understood what it was like to be a ten year old boy. Then Cammy came in carrying Rachel in her arms and after we kissed Cammy we took our daughter and gave her a bunch of little kisses too.
“Thanks, sis. You’re a doll” I told her with another kiss on her cheek.
“Anytime I can, Jon. Though it won’t be for much longer. So take advantage while I can help. Besides, you don’t have to thank me for taking care of these two. I want to kidnap them and take them with me to Washington.”
“Well, then you’d be a kidnapper and the feds would come after you.”
“Yeah, I think I remember learning something about that.” I hugged her and, for the next few months, we’d remain a family of five.
Tuesday was graduation from Wayne Day, a mixed cloudy/sunny day. Not perfect but good enough to have the graduation outdoors as planned. It was an emotional day for everyone, our 87 graduates, their families, and the staff. Including Eva and me. I gave a short speech about giving back to the community while Eva spoke about respecting each other. We called up the Valedictorian and Salutatorian, both of whom gave solid speeches, then we called the graduates to get their diplomas, one name at a time. At the end, we congratulated the Class of ’92, They threw their caps in the air and shouted as they congratulated each other. Our second year was done, a very successful one, personally and professionally.
Afterwards, we were thanked by a lot of our now former students and their parents, A couple of the parents asked us if we’d like to join their country clubs, which we politely declined. We didn’t pay golf and it wasn’t our kind of crowd. Still, it was nice to be asked.
When everyone started on their way home, Eva and I still had a meeting with the Board of Directors after we hosted a lunch with the staff. We thanked everyone for a great year and we looked forward to seeing everyone in September. We also reminded those whose three year contracts had to be renewed to send back their new contracts before July 15th. If they didn’t it would be assumed they weren’t coming back.
After lunch, Cammy took Connor home (Rachel stayed with Odette at home). Eva and I went to the boardroom and we were warmly welcomed as we took our seats.
The chairwoman spoke for everyone. She told us how pleased they were with everything from staff retention to test scores. Then they told us the results of the survey sent to every family in April, both a parents section and a students section. There were barely any complaints and just about everyone gave us good to great reviews. Then she told us the waiting list grew by 22% and they were thinking about ways to expand the enrollment to meet the demand. Eva and I held hands under the table, squeezing as the platitudes were given.
Then the bombshell. “We know you have three years left on your contract. We’re so pleased with the work you’ve done. The previous principal, Mr. Moskowitz, whether because he was sick or something else, let things slip. You’ve both turned things around and we’d like to show our appreciation in two ways. First, we’re giving you each a ten thousand dollar bonus. That’s for each of you, so twenty altogether. You’ve earned it. And, if you agree, if you’re both happy here, we’d like to add five years to your contracts for eight more years from now, with raises of ten percent each year. You’ll more than double your salaries by the end of the new contracts. And further bonuses if the yearly work continues to go so well. If we expand the enrollment, of course we’ll revisit your salaries as well. Eva, Jon, we feel we made the perfect choice in bringing you here. We see you as a part of the Wayne Day Upper School family. We hope you feel the same about us.”
We were smiling and crying a little. Neither of us expected that, the extensions, the raises and of course the bonuses. It was a lot to take in. But we couldn’t sign the contracts without having a lawyer look them over and the board members understood and even expected it. We shook hands all around and promised they’d hear back about the contracts before July 4th.
We walked across the grounds, which was our home as well as our career, looking around at the idyllic setting. We didn’t say anything as we walked along the stone path towards our house until we got halfway there. Eva said “Well, I wasn’t expecting anything like that! A nice congratulation. Some appreciative talk. Nothing like that.”
“Me either. I feel like I’m walking on a cloud. Two questions: Do we want to commit ourselves to eight more years here? Is this where we see ourselves long term? It’s a long time to commit to.”
“I didn’t think about it, Jon. I figured we’d evaluate where we were in three years when the five year contract was up. I mean, I love it here. I love the house, the job the people. We’ve made some great friends. We have the house on the shore, which I hope to keep for a long time to come. We have a great life here.”
“Better than I thought we ever could have here. It’s home to us. More important, it’s home to Connor and it could be the only home Rachel knows. If we turn it down, we have to look for new jobs. And Eva, I love this job. It’s hard work, challenging, but I love these kids. I think we can get the board to agree to some of the things we want to try, like the scholarship program, especially since they want to expand the enrollment. But either way, I’d love to stay here. Aside from your family being a couple of hours away, I love this life.”
We stood in front of the house, our house, our home (unless we left the job). Our family’s home. Eva smiled at me and pursed her lips for a kiss. I obliged, giving her a short but very loving kiss. Just then Connor opened the door and came down the steps to us. “Hey, what’s taking you guys so long? Don’t you want to come home?”
Home. It was home. We knew we were going to take the extension. We couldn’t imagine living or working anywhere else.
“OK, Connie” Eva said, kissing his head and ruffling his hair. “Let’s go home. We have something for Aunt Cammy to look at for us.”
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We told Connor and Cammy what happened at the meeting and Cammy’s eyes went wide. “That’s some offer. It’s wonderful! And you’ll be here, and in a year I’ll be back. We can see each other whenever we want!”
Connor was pleased as well. He had come to love living there. His friends, hockey and Little League, he loved the school. And this summer he was going to the onsite camp and we were going to the house on the shore on weekends. Maybe a few weeks during the summer, since we couldn’t travel on a vacation with a newborn. This was his decision too, and he loved the idea of staying.
Over the weekend, Cammy read the contract for us and said it was fine. Nothing to worry about, our pensions and health insurance would continue to be part of the deal. It was a sweet deal. “And it’s a true ten percent a year, not just based on this years salary. So if you’re making 70K this year, next year will be 77, then the next year after will be 84,700 and so on, a true ten percent each year.” My sister was scary. She was a little under what our salaries were each (75K each in 1992). But she would out earn our combined salary in just her first year in practice. That was scary too.
Sunday morning we sat in the backyard with Rachel while Cammy studied and Connor kept himself busy. We were going to Patty and Larry’s in the afternoon so this was a good time to talk. To be honest, it was hard to find any negatives aside from being a few hours from the family. But it wasn’t a big drawback. They came down at least once a month and we went up there a few times a year. Her brother Will was married by then and Walt was serious with his girlfriend. More grandchildren were coming at some point for Phyllis and Harold.
We made love that night, like so many nights and we cuddled afterwards like we almost always did. Then we talked one more time. To be certain. And there really was no doubt about it. We decided to sign the new contract and make Wayne, PA our long term home.
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We had a nice, quiet summer, kind of what we needed after everything that happened during the school year. Weekends at the shore, weekdays at home while Connor went to camp, getting rest, going to some movies while Odette took care of Rachel. I did some basic repairs around the house. While Odette ran errands, we made love many afternoons. And at the end of the summer, we spent two weeks at the shore. We became closer to our friends there and made plans to see them during the year. By the time of the new school year, we were rested and refreshed.
I know I make our lives sound perfect. In a lot of ways it was. We had disagreements, mostly about things like raising the kids, purchases for the home etc. The things most couples can disagree about. We rarely had anything approaching a fight. One time we did was about Connor playing hockey.
In October, we got a call as we were getting ready to leave work from his coach, telling us our son was at the ER. He fell during a skating drill and tore a ligament in his right ankle. We hurried out, picked up Rachel, and got to Bryn Mawr Hospital as quick as we could, less than ten minutes away. We walked briskly in and were directed to where he was with his coach with an ice pack on his ankle. Connor wasn’t crying, but he was upset.
Eva hugged him to her breast and after I talked to the coach, I thanked him for taking such good care of our son. He said a few warms words to Connor and then left, asking me to keep in touch about how he was doing. Eva kept cuddling him and I held his hand before a doctor came to talk to us.
“Looking at the X-rays, Connor tore his anterior tibiotalar ligament. You’ll need to consult an orthopedic surgeon, but it looks like it will require surgery to repair it. I can’t tell how long the recovery would be, the surgeon will have to tell you that too. Connor, how bad does it hurt?”
“A lot” our son admitted, and when we heard that, Eva practically crushed him in her grasp. It ate at my heart to hear that as well. The doctor prescribed him a very mild painkiller and put an ankle boot around his leg and they taught him to use crutches. It took him a few tries to get it right, but he got the hang of it and we took him home, then I went to get his prescription. We’d have to make an appointment for him in the morning with the surgeon.
We gave him one pill before bedtime so he could get some sleep. Eva put Rachel down in her room and I sang Beautiful Boy to Connor until he got drowsy and fell asleep. I kissed his head and then Eva came in and shot me a dirty look full of venom. I’d never seen her look at anyone like that before, let alone me. What the fuck did I do? I was going to find out when we got to our room.
“OK, Eva. What are you so furious with me about?”
“This is your fault, Jon. I never wanted him to play hockey and you knew that. I’ve seen those hockey players when you watch the games, with their teeth missing and getting cuts from sticks. God knows what else. And now our son is hurt and he’ll need surgery! He’ll be on crutches for months, then rehabilitation. It will be a year before he’s right again. Well, that’s it! No more hockey! Baseball even makes me nervous.” She started changing clothes while I sat on the edge of the bed.
“Eva, if he wants to play hockey again, he’s going to play. If he wants to play Lacrosse, he’ll play. That’s big down here, you know. You’re not going to turn him into a little wimpy thing, afraid to do anything because he might get hurt. He’s a boy, soon to be a man. They get hurt sometimes playing sports. He loves it and we’re not going to take it away from him. YOU’RE not going to take it away from him. What about Rachel? What if she wants to do gymnastics or ballet as she gets older? Those girls get injured too, ankles and knees and shoulders. Everything. You can’t baby your kids, Eva. You have to let them grow up and find the things they love to do in life.”
“We’re supposed to protect them! We’re supposed to keep them from getting hurt!” She was crying, full on tears pouring from her eyes. “We let him get hurt!” I stood and held her as she cried on my chest.
“Honey, we have kids who get hurt at school from playing sports all year long. Boys and girls. You’ve seen some of the bruises some of the girls get from playing field hockey. They don’t quit, even though their legs look like overripe fruit. They love the game, they love competing. You know all of this. You know children. I know you’re upset, seeing Connor in pain and unable to walk right. You think I’m not? It kills me inside too. Every parent has to deal with this, or just about every parent. He’s a healthy, active ten year old. Don’t try to break his spirit. Don’t ask me to do that. He’ll resent the hell out of us if we do.”
I stroked her hair and rubbed her shoulders while she cried her heart to me. She knew I was right. She was a worried mother and it was natural for her to be so distressed.
“Dammit, Bear. I just don’t want him getting hurt again. Seeing him on that gurney just killed me inside.”
“I know, Angel. I felt the same when we first saw him. But we can’t protect them all the time. We have to let them grow up and grow independent. Gradually.” I lifted her face and kissed her tears away.
“I’m sorry, Bear. I never should have said it was your fault. That was a terrible thing to say.”
“Apology accepted. How about we go back to his room and watch him sleep for a few minutes? Then we can do the same with Rachel.”
Eva smiled at me for the first time that evening. “That is a wonderful idea. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Always, my Angel.”
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You know the saying that time goes faster the older you get? It was the same for Eva and me. Cammy passed the bar on her first try, then moved down to D.C. for the year, Connor continued to get bigger and brighter, he went to Hebrew school to start the preparations for his Bar Mitzvah, though it was still three years away. Since he was on the sidelines most of that year after he had surgery, I taught him how to play the guitar on my old one, the one I learned on with Cammy. He got pretty good and even had a decent singing voice.
Connor was consistently near the top of his class. To make sure his teachers weren’t trying to curry favor with us (even though he was still in the grade school) we asked Belinda to double check his grades, kind of an audit. His grades were accurate. Both our kids were smarter than their father when I was their age. And Rachel was turning out to be the smartest of all of us.
When she turned 2, Rachel started singing along with me, the songs I sang to her. Not perfect of course and some of the words were beyond her then. But she got the tunes right and most of the lyrics. It was natural for her. We bought a small keyboard and Rachel figured out what notes to play to match the tunes she knew without any help. We brought her to a specialist in childhood development and she told us we had an actual genius child. She could do basic addition and subtraction, she knew the ABCs and could read above first grade level and, as I was saying, she had a natural talent for music.
Eva and I invested in a upright piano and had it put into the library. Rachel couldn’t wait to play and we got her a teacher who specialized in young children. Within a few years, by the age of five, she was able to play classical pieces and some of the rock and roll songs our family loved so much. When she got old enough to hold it, she tried the guitar and again, she got the hang of it quickly. She could sing and play both instruments like a thirteen year old at five.
Connor discovered his talent when he was twelve. He loved science. Especially astronomy. We got him a telescope for the backyard and he looked through it for long periods of time every night the weather was clear, even on very cold nights, until we forced him to come inside. He excelled in all his science and math classes and did fine with the humanities classes. Our kids were both smarter than both of us.
Then there was Cammy. We didn’t see a lot of her that year of 92-93. She was very busy clerking for her judge, working long hours and loving what she was doing. In fact, we didn’t see her until Thanksgiving, which was hard on everyone concerned. When she did come home for the holiday, she brought a young man with her, Eric Cutler, a clerk for a different judge who studied at Georgetown. He was from Arizona, and we were glad to have him stay with us.
I got some alone time with Cammy Friday. “So? How close are you and Eric?”
“Close, Jon. I think this is the one. When we actually have time to be together, we have such a good time. He reminds me of you. Sweet, considerate, and he’s so devastatingly handsome” she teased with a sweet laugh.
“Cammy, I’m above average…maybe. Sweet and considerate I’ll agree with.”
“I know Eva thinks you’re very handsome. You should listen to her. You know, I had a sisterly crush on you when I was twelve. That was why I used to break your balls all the time. I was even a little jealous when you met Eva. I got over it but when you first started going out, it made me crazy.” She smiled as she put her head on my shoulder. Jon” she got serious, “I know I’ve thanked you both a number of times over the years. But thank you. A lot. I mean it, brother. There’s no way I’d be where I am if it hadn’t been for my brother and his amazing wife. You gave up your own chance to stay at Binghamton to take care of me. I’ll never forget it. Never.”
“I keep telling you, you don’t have to thank us. There’s nothing else we could have done. And it’s not like our lives have turned out badly. We have a pretty great life here. We love our careers, the home and life we have, and we have two incredible children. We have a lovely little vacation home. Life really doesn’t get much better than this. So I don’t think we sacrificed anything for you. I think helping you actually made us stronger and better people.”
Eva and Eric came into the room just then after he helped her put things away. “So, what are you two conspirators talking about?” Eva asked as she sat down with her wine.
“Just what a lousy life we gave my sister. Did you realize we were lousy guardians for her?” I smiled with a smart-ass grin.
“Yes, she complained all the time. Brat that she is” Eva joined in the joke.
Eric put his arm around Cammy and kissed her. “So you two are responsible for turning Camilla into such a witch? I should have known.” And so it went for a while, good natured teasing. We missed having my sister around, but she was living her own life, and she’d be back next year in Philly. We’d see her a lot more then. More importantly, Connor and Rachel would see her a lot more.
Another Chanukah, another Christmas season and winter break, another New Years Eve, this one spent at a big party at Larry and Patty’s house. It was almost hard to remember just a few years ago we were life long New Yorkers. By then we felt like real Pennsylvanians. When the weather was good, we went to our place on the shore. We saw Eva’s parents at least once a month. Most of the time they came to us and sometimes we went to them. When we went to New York, sometimes we managed to see old friends for a few hours, like Mike and Karen. Life was moving along nicely.
In May, a week before their birthdays, we brought Rachel and Connor to visit her parents for a three day weekend. Phyllis and Harold were in their late 50s and in excellent health and it made their weekend to see their grandchildren. Will and his wife were expecting their first child in October and Walt was still in the thinking about getting engaged stage in his relationship.
That Saturday night her parents gladly babysat for us while we went out to Marco’s for dinner. Two chicken cacciatore of course, and a bottle of red wine. It was just as delicious then as it had been on our first date fifteen years before. That number…
“Eva, our first time here was just over fifteen years ago” I said as we waited for dinner to be brought out.
“Did you think I forgot? I was always better at math than you were” she said with a smug smile.
“I know. And I think both our kids are going to make us look like a couple of dopes. Relatively speaking.”
“We really do have a couple of smart kids, don’t we? Rachel’s just a year, almost, and I can see her development is way beyond even above average. Connor found his calling with astronomy. We can’t even get that telescope out of his hands at night. He’s already got the first half of his haftorah (the bible reading in Hebrew a Jewish boy reads for his Bar Mitzvah) memorized and he’s got two years to go. I thought your sister was a genius.”
“She is. But those two…they’re both going to be something special indeed. We have very good genes when we mix them together.” We smiled lovingly, and the food came out just then. As I said, just as good as ever. Philly has excellent Italian food, especially in South Philly, but we never found great cacciatore like we had at Marco’s.
After dinner, we walked a few blocks to help digest the meal. It was a beautiful night, warm and clear, but almost no moon, so it was pretty dark. We got back in the car and held hands across the space between the bucket seats. We loved each other just as much as the day we married, or the days our children were born. And we lusted for each other as much as on our first date.
“Bear, you want to be nostalgic? I remember a night, a long time ago…not in the car…you know…”she raised her eyebrow at me.
“Are you talking about what I think? Where I think? A certain field with a chain link fence?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“Angel, do you mind if I ask if you’re out of your mind? If we get caught, our careers are done.”
“Come on, let’s live a little dangerously. It’s very dark, we have a dark blanket in the car. I’m wearing black panties” she giggled. I could tell by that laugh how hot this was making her. Fuck it. You only live once, right?
“All right, let’s do it. We can always dig ditches.” We laughed as I drove towards that football field a couple of miles away. Honestly, the potential riskiness was getting me horny too.
We got there and I parked across the street, in front of a house so as not to be obvious. I got our dark blanket out of the trunk and closed it very quietly. We crossed the street quickly and we found an opening in the fence, maybe the same one that we used fifteen years before. We hurried, giggling like teenagers, to the middle of the field and we spread out the blanket and laid down and into each others arms in seconds. I could feel Eva’s burning heat through her lips and her tongue, hungry like we hadn’t just had a big delicious meal. This was the dessert we passed on.
Our fingers unbuttoned each others shirts, peeling them from each others bodies. I kissed down her neck to her chest and the gentle cleavage shaped by her bra. Eva pulled my mouth closer, moaning with lusty pleasure. I squeezed her ass cheeks, now smaller and rounder again, as she cupped my cock and balls through my slacks. No question, I was hard and ready and as much fun as this was, we weren’t inclined to push our luck. We knew we had to make this quick.
As I suckled on her breast and nibbled her nipple, she opened my pants and pushed them down over my ass along with my underwear just enough. I lifted her dark green skirt over her hips and I just tore a hole in her pantyhose and pulled her panties aside and pulled them down enough to make this work. The last time we were there, Eva rode me but we were more discreet with me on top. We were both panting, almost breathless, as I eased into her steaming pussy. “Oh, god, Bear, you’re so damn hard” Eva grunted as she wrapped her legs around my ass. Her pussy was spasming almost uncontrollably as my cock twitched away. “Don’t stop that!” She didn’t shout but even with her soft voice I could hear her desire.
“I’m not stopping anything, Devil!” I groaned as I raised my ass as much as I could while being held like that. Our bodies rocked in sync with each other, moving together like a well oiled machine. We certainly felt oily enough at our contact point. I moved inside her easily, with just the right amount of friction to bring us both intense pleasure.
I kissed her neck and her shoulder, then whispered in her ear. “This was such a dirty, incredible idea! My wicked love! I’m going to make you cum so hard!” Then to make my point, I grabbed her ass with both hands and snaked a finger from my right so it was pushing on her asshole.
“Don’t make me scream, Dirty Bear! You’re driving me crazy!” Our hips were pumping hard, smacking together, and I eased just a little bit of that finger into her ass. Eva gripped my cock hard as she came, stifling her scream by shoving her mouth on my shoulder and biting, harder than I expected. I lifted my head, clenched my teeth and filled her box with my warmth, what felt like gallons of sticky cum. My cock was twitching uncontrollably, the head rubbing her G-spot, and Eva came again, not as powerfully, but certainly draining her of her strength for the moment.
We couldn’t move. I kissed her cheek and neck again, nuzzling her shoulder. Her fingers were teasing up and down my spine, sending a shudder through my body. “I’m sorry, Bear. So sorry” she said barely above a whisper.
“What the hell for? That was amazing, my Angel.”
“For biting your shoulder at the end there. I think I left some marks there. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry about that, my love. It kind of excited me and intensified my own orgasm. Honey, not that I don’t want to enjoy this, but maybe we shouldn’t push our luck here.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Let’s get going.” We got up with each others help, trying to straighten out our clothing enough to be presentable when we got to her parents house. We did the best we could in the dark night, and we scurried back to our car as I tossed the blanket in the trunk. We hopped in, laughing again, relieved to have gotten away with it as I pulled away in a hurry.
A few blocks away, I pulled over so we could do a better job making ourselves presentable. We got out and inspected each other, fixing a couple of things that would have given us away. We got everything good enough to pass muster.
As I drove, we held hands in quiet contentment, smiling at each other. I suggested going to an all night bagel store we knew nearby and got fresh bagels for the morning as well as a bottle of water to sooth our raspy throats. On the way to her parents, Eva said “Thank you, my darling Bear. For indulging me like that. It was wonderful, fun and kinky. I love you, Bear. You’re amazing.”
“Thanks for suggesting it Angel. Just do me one favor?”
“Anything.”
“Don’t ever suggest it again!” We cracked up all the way back to her parents house.
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The next week we held a double party for our children at home in the backyard. We kept them kind of separated so each of our children had an age appropriate party, with about thirty kids for Connor and a dozen for Rachel. Aunt Cammy and a few friends helped us out and, despite a few crying toddlers, everyone had fun.
My sister was in a great mood, which I attributed to her being around her niece and nephew. But then, while she helped Eva in the kitchen, my wife screamed, not a frightened or painful scream, but one of excited happiness. I ran in and saw them hugging tight and then my sister came towards me holding out her hand…with an engagement ring! Eric asked her to marry him the week before and she said yes and I couldn’t help hugging her and kissing her cheek, and even her lips briefly.
“Cammy, that’s just wonderful! I’m so happy for you!” Connor came in then to see what the big deal was and she showed him her ring.
“You’re getting married, Aunt Cammy?”
“Yes I am sweetheart! What do you think?”
My little ballbuster said “I think I’m hungry for a hamburger.” He started to walk back outside before he turned around with a big grin and ran to kiss her. “I’m happy, Aunt Cammy! So happy for you!” They hugged, a bigger hug than even I got from her. They had that special relationship.
So that day ended up being a huge day for our family. She told us he was waiting to ask her until he got a job in Philadelphia for the Fall so they could live together and work near each other. They were trying to decide whether to buy a row house, a condo near downtown or a house out on the Main Line, near us. I would have loved to have her nearby and, over the summer, they did buy a house in Ardmore, just about halfway between us and Downtown where they both would be working, at different firms.
We were sitting with Cammy in the backyard after the party was over and cleaned up (Eric couldn’t get out of Washington that weekend), while Rachel slept in her little bed and Connor played with his telescope, we talked about Cammy’s marriage. They hadn’t set a date yet, weren’t even sure when they wanted to get married. Eva and I offered to pay for their wedding, the last responsibility of a parent/guardian to our ‘daughter’. My sister smiled and said “No, you’re not doing that. You have two children of your own to raise now. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and wedding someday for Rachel. Maybe even for Connor. Plus college for both of them. You’re going to have plenty of expenses as it is. Eric and I can handle it ourselves. We both have money and we’re both going to make very good livings. Jon, Eva, you’ve done so much for me over the years.” She was crying softly now, as was Eva. I was feeling a little choked up as well. “I can do this for myself. But Jon, you’d better know you’re walking me down the aisle and Eva, you’re going to be my Matron of Honor. There’s no one else I would even think of asking.”
We each took one of her hands, like we’d done many times before. “I wouldn’t want anyone else walking you down the aisle. And I don’t want to call it ‘giving you away’. I’ll never, ever give you away, sis. You’re forever a part of us.”
“What Jon said” Eva added. “You’re always a part of this family. Eric as well. And if you have children, we just keep expanding the family on and on. Grossman’s and Glazer’s.”
“And Cutler’s. Don’t forget Eric’s name. You know, I haven’t even met his parents yet? They’re coming to Washington next month, after we’re done with our clerkships. They’ll be there from June 23-27. Do you think you could come down and meet them?”
“Well, the 23rd is Graduation Day, so maybe we could come on the 25th. You’re also welcome to bring them here to meet us if you want. We could do a barbeque” I said. “What do his parents do, anyway?”
“His mother is a grade school teacher and his father is a warehouse manager. He comes from very modest means.”
“Well, if you want to bring there here, we’ll make them feel right at home. We’re not exactly pretentious people” Eva said with a smile.
“Cammy, tell Eric we’d love to have his parents come for the day. We’re going to be pretty tired then, right after the school year ends, so it would be easier for us, sis. If they don’t want to, then we’ll manage. But try to bring them here.”
After Cammy went home, she talked to Eric, who called his parents, and they agreed, we’d host them on the 25th, a family getting to know you barbeque.
After another successful school year and graduation, Eva and I got another excellent review from the board which was always great to hear. We knew it, you know? But it’s just a relief to hear it from your own supervisors.
On June 25th, Frank and Debra Cutler came with Cammy and Eric to meet us. They were in their late 50s, about the age Eva’s parents were (and the age my parents would have been). They were nice enough, more conservative than we were accustomed to being around, but friendly and polite. I made baby back ribs for everyone and Eva roasted ears of corn and made her famous Caesar’s salad. We served ice cold beers all around and had a pleasant evening. They all stayed at the Wayne Hotel so they didn’t have to drive back to DC late at night with a slight buzz. The next morning we met them at the hotel for breakfast before they headed back, and we talked about wedding plans. Cammy and Eric wanted to get married a year from then, in June of 1994. Perfect for the family in terms of timing, since Connor’s Bar Mitzvah was scheduled for May 27, 1995.
We said our goodbyes in the parking lot, with Connor giving his aunt a big, big hug. “Am I going to be in the wedding?” he asked, sweet as can be.
Cammy considered the question. “Well, you’re too old to be the ring bearer. And your the wrong sex to be the flower girl” she teased him. “We might have to make you one of the ushers.”
“What does an usher do?” he asked with a quizzical expression.
“An usher gets to escort a beautiful woman down the aisle. She might be a bit old for you, but we’ll figure something out. No way am I getting married without one of my favorite men in the world in the wedding party.” She gave him a kiss on his forehead and hugged and kissed Eva and me before joining the others in the car. We waved goodbye as they headed back to Washington, then got in our car and headed home, where we picked up our suitcases and headed to the Shore until Sunday night. Connor had camp the next Monday.
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Another year passed. Cammy and Eric moved into their house in Ardmore, about 15 minutes from us and 20 from downtown. The thing was, we didn’t see that much of them, not as much as we expected. As first year associates in top notch law firms, they were both expected to put in at least 70 hours a week, which meant they worked long days and Saturdays as well. Sundays they were exhausted and slept a lot. We saw them but not nearly enough.
Rachel, as I’ve said, had an innate musical musical ability and Eva and I gave her as much encouragement as we could, singing with her and eventually getting the keyboard and lessons. And while she couldn’t write yet, she could answer simple addition and subtraction questions and spell simple words. She was going to keep us on our toes.
As Connor shot up that year, starting puberty as well (which meant some slightly uncomfortable conversations between me and him), he started really noticing girls. We all remember what that was like, the guys among us. It’s damn uncomfortable. His voice was changing, hormones raging, and for the first time, he was becoming defiant towards his parents. It’s normal, we expected it, but it could also be infuriating. We had our share of arguments with him, often over the most trivial of things.
One night after a particularly bad night (who remembers what we fought with him about?) Eva and I wearily got into bed. Between work and our son testing us constantly, we were feeling older than our 34 years.
“I swear, I love him to pieces, but I might just have to kill him” Eva said, kidding of course. “He’s making me feel like I’m 100.”
“Yeah, I knew these days were coming. I just don’t think I was quite this trying for my parents. Of course, we can’t ask them to find out. How about you? Were you this bad, as a girl?”
“There were arguments, of course, but I don’t think it was nearly like this. I’m sure some girls are as difficult, but I think it’s more a boy thing. It better be, because if we have to go through this with Rachel in ten years, I may abandon all three of you!” We laughed lightly, trying to get rid of some of our frustration. There was another way as well.
I started squeezing Eva’s most sensitive areas, a light pinch of her left nipple, a caress of her inner thigh…Eva knew what was on my mind. “Jon, I don’t think I have it in me tonight. I’m just wiped out. I know, we’ve been not as…amorous as we used to be, Bear. Just between our jobs and the kids and the house and everything else, I never seem to have the energy anymore. I’m sorry. How long has it been?” She really didn’t know.
“Let’s see…let me get my abacus…” we both laughed, but it was a tired, frustrated laugh. “Seriously? It’s been well over a month, Angel. Almost two.”
“Are you sure, Jon?”
“Not down to the day. But yeah, it’s been about seven weeks. Honey, I know how tired you are. I am too. But we need our intimacy. We need to be loving and fun with each other. 34 is too young to stop having sex. We’re still young. And I’m still in love with you as much as ever. No matter what that will never change. But I miss you. A lot.”
“Bear, I don’t know what to say. It’s just been so exhausting lately. Connor is really pushing my buttons and it’s frustrating as hell.” She cuddled close to me and I did the same back. “Maybe if we had a weekend to ourselves. How about I call my parents tomorrow and see if they could come down on Friday? It’s Veterans Day, no one is working, see if they want to stay here with the kids and we could go to the beach house by ourselves before the weather gets too cold. We could walk on the beach, have a nice dinner Saturday night. Add a little romance to our lives. No kids, no interruptions. We have your cell phone if they need to reach us.”
“Angel, that sounds perfect. I just hope they can do it. If not, call Will. See if he and Cynthia would like to help a sister out.” We laughed lightly and we kissed and said our I love yous as we fell asleep.
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Phyllis and Harold were thrilled to cancel their plans and see their grandchildren. So Thursday night we packed a couple of bags and we told Connor to please behave for his grandparents and to save any of his drama for when we got home. It wasn’t said in a mean way, but he understood we were serious about being nice to his grandparents. He promised he’d be on his best behavior for them. Rachel was easier, just explaining as best we could that Nana and Pop Pop (as she called them) would take care of her for a few days and Mommy and Daddy would be back before she knew it.
Her parents got to our house by noon and after we spent an hour or so together, we said goodbye to our children and headed East for the Shore, We sang together in the car on the way, we stopped at the local small market for some groceries, and we got to our house about three hours after we left, about 4 in the afternoon. I turned on the heat and we unpacked the food and our bags and sat out on the porch, facing the street, just a house away from the beach. It was cold and the sun was setting, but the beach was fairly calm. We could hear the rhythm of the waves crashing on the shore, a very soothing sound.
I took Eva’s hand and I said “Thanks for thinking of this, Angel. We needed this. I love you very, very much.”
“Thanks for being so patient with me, Bear. I’m looking forward being alone with you. I miss the kids, but I could bear three days without them. Does that make me a bad mother?”
“The worst. Terrible, terrible mother. I might have to divorce you..” We laughed together, a light, relaxed sound. Very at ease. We saw a couple from across the street, Joyce and Ken Laurent, a couple in their late 40s with grown children, and we waved to them, so they crossed the street to say hello. After a few niceties, they asked us if we wanted to stop by for a couple of drinks after dinner, around 8. They were nice enough people so we agreed and we had a good time with them for a couple of hours before we excused ourselves. We had come to have some time alone, after all.
After locking up, shutting the lights and turning down the heat (I noticed I had to order heating oil for the tank), I went into our bedroom, where Eva waited for me. She had on something I hadn’t seen her in for a few years. All black and lace, a bralette, and panty set, with an old fashioned style thick garter belt and sheer nylons. And a very hungry look on her face.
“Wow, Angel, or should I say, Devil. You look good enough to eat!”
“I hope so. I’m in a mood to be devoured. Sorry I forgot the high heels, Bear. I hope you don’t mind fucking me without them.”
“I’m sure I can find it in my heart to forgive you. You might have to earn it, though” I told her with my own wicked smile. I was feeling very hungry myself.
“Forgive me, father, for I am about to sin!” she said with a big grin. “And sin, and sin and sin…”
I peeled off my sweater and my pants in almost record time. I stood in front of Eva in just my underwear, which was a little surprise for her. She walked closer to me and ran a fingernail along my cock and balls, encased in a red thong we bought for me years ago. “Nice, my sexy Bear. I’m glad we’re both feeling so playful.” We kissed softly, one time, then we embraced in a big, long lusty kiss, our tongues darting back and forth as Eva rubbed her body up against my own. I picked her up under her thighs and carried her to our bed, a place of many joyful experiences.
Her bra clasped in front and I got it off her urgently. I kissed her cheek and her ear, which made her moan loudly. Then down along her neck and throat, all over her shoulders and her upper arms. Really, everywhere I could get to. Eva held my head, stroked my hair and the back of my neck, giving me goosebumps. “Keep going, sweetheart. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed this. How much I’ve missed you.”
I moved back to Eva’s face and kissed her firmly. “I’ve missed you too, Angel. But like when we first met, I’ll never push you if you’re not ready.” We hugged while our bodies ground together, then I kissed back down to her tits, licking all over her now somewhat larger mounds and then over her sensitive nipples before I started sucking on the left one as my fingers teased the right. Eva gasped, arched her back, and pressed her panty covered pussy to my thigh, pushing hard to get as much contact as possible. I went back and forth between her nipples, left to right, right to left, back and forth, as she burned inside. Hell, my wife wasn’t the only one. I was pretty fiery myself. My dick was popping over the thong and the head was leaking precum onto her tummy.
“My sticky Bear” Eva giggled. “Is that honey for me, Honey Bear? Could I taste and find out for myself?”
“I would love that, my sweet Devil. But only if I get my dessert too.” We swung around into 69 position and at first we were kissing and nibbling each others’ lower tummies. It was something that got us even more excited than we already were and my cock was still leaking clear fluid along Eva’s throat. I pulled her panties aside and her intoxicating scent wafted up to my sinuses. I couldn’t wait any longer and I dipped my tongue into her sweet honeypot and my taste buds were thrilled with her flavor. Eva cried out softly before using her tongue to scoop up my lubricant and then lick all over the head of my cock. My legs shook and I sighed warm air right into her pussy which made her pelvis thrust into my face. It was completely accidental and it drove her wild.
“Do that again!” she shouted, taking her own mouth away from my aching dick. But she did grab my shaft and blew her own warm breath on the glans of the head and I felt it all along my spine into my brain. I understood why what I did by accident felt so good for her. I pursed my lips this time and aimed my breath right on Eva’s engorged clit. When I hit it, she writhed as if she had an all over spasm, crying out in pleasure, rubbing her nylon clad legs all over both sides of my face. Then she blew a little more air on me and used the pad of her thumb to rub my oozing precum all over my head and shaft. We were both moving wildly and I attacked her creaming pussy with lips and tongue. Sucking her labia, licking all around her, even dabbing into her puckered ass. Eva moaned around my dick as she sucked up and down, swirling her tongue around the head, then letting my shaft free so she could suck my balls. We were being as playful as we ever were, more than we had been in months, and we were having a great time.
Eva had a couple of orgasms (I envied that about her!) before relaxing and backing off to catch her breath. I was purple, needing release, but not yet. I had other plans first. I turned around so we were face to face, kissing desperately. She pulled her legs wide apart and as far back as she could, almost to her tits. I stuck a pillow under her and thrust my cock into her quick and dirty.
“Goddam, my fucking Bear! I can’t believe how much I missed this!” I grunted hard, pushing in and out, filling her with my throbbing cock. My balls were swinging free, slapping her ass with each lunge. We stopped talking, only making animalistic sounds of passion. Even though the room was cool, we were both sweating freely, the perspiration helping our bodies slide easily on each other.
I looked down deep into her soft and beautiful blue eyes, eyes that made me melt inside since we started loving each other, long ago. Everything I saw there made my heart sing. Desire, care, tenderness, respect, and always love. “I love you so much, my sweet Angel. Always and forever.” My eyes filled with tears as we changed from fucking to loving, moving slower and with more gentleness.
“I’m in love with you too, my beautiful Bear. I love our life. Everything about it.”
“Thank you, honey. For everything. Amazing mother,” I kissed her lips, “amazing partner,” I kissed her nose, “amazing everything.” We moved together in perfect sync, building to an incredible, powerful climax. A minute later, we were there. This time I came first, bursting inside her tight pussy, filling her to overflow. I kept grinding as long as I could, putting pressure on her clit with my pubic bone, and a few seconds later, Eva dug her nails into my shoulders as she came with me, milking my cock and balls of the last of my love.
We stayed like that, me on top of my wife, keeping as much of my weight off of her as I could. We kissed over and over but didn’t say anything for a while. We were too caught up in the moment to do much of anything. I finally moved to her side to take my own weight off my arms and we cuddled, keeping each other warm, each feeling the love of the other.
Eva got up after a while and went to the bathroom, washing up and getting out of her outfit and into some warm pajamas, the antithesis of a garter belt outfit. Then I got cleaned up and into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, my usual sleepwear, and I joined her in bed.
After snuggling for a while under the warm comforter, Eva traced her fingers on my chest, under my shirt. ‘Jon, mind if I ask you something?”
“Honey, you can ask me anything you want. You know that.”
She hesitated a few seconds. “Do you have any regrets? Do you feel like you missed out on anything? Like you could have had more fun when we were younger?”
“Eva, of course not. You know this by now. We met, fell in love, we got married and have a great family. I’ve never once looked back and wondered about the road not taken. Why are you asking me this now? Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Not in terms of having regrets. I love you and I’ll always love you. I love our life together, our children. I just don’t want you to look back at some point and say you need something different. I don’t want you to feel bored with me.”
“Angel, that’s never going to happen. Never. Look at how we were a little while ago. Was that the actions of someone who wants something else or is feeling bored? You’re an amazing woman, honey. A wife, a mother, a lover and a friend. I know sometimes you get insecure, but I’ll be damned if I know why. I have no desire for any other women at all. You still excite me in my body and in my mind and my heart. I hit the jackpot when we met. I hit the double jackpot when we married. And I hit the super duper jackpot when we had our children. This life we have…it’s everything I could have hoped for.”
She looked up at my eyes, and again, her tears made them look like blue pools. “Same for me, sweetheart. You’re the only man I’ve ever looked at like this, and I don’t want anyone else, ever. I’m sorry the last few months I’ve been kind of distant…here, in bed.”
“Don’t be. We have busy lives. I know you get tired. I get tired too. Tell you what. When we get home, Monday, why don’t we call Odette and see if she’s still available full time? It would take a lot of pressure off of us, giving us more time to enjoy life.”
“I’d like that, Jon. A lot. And Connor adores her. I think Rachel will too. Sometimes everything can feel overwhelming. Thank you, my love.”
The rest of the weekend was great. We took a long walk on the beach Saturday, all the way down to Seaside Heights, where a restaurant we loved was open year round. We made love in the morning, had raunchy sex at night, talked about everything and nothing at all. I sang to her in bed, something I hadn’t been doing as much lately. It was like falling in love all over again, though we never fell out of love.
When we got home Sunday afternoon, Connor ran to give his mother a hug and even managed one for me. Then Rachel, on her slightly unsteady legs came running down the hall to us too, except I was first that time. She was a real daddy’s girl, and I turned so she could kiss her mother too. She was also a little chatterbox then, saying things that were mostly understandable, but sometimes her own language.
We went to dinner with Eva’s parents, treating them to Japanese food, which was a lot better than that time we tried it as teenagers. We’d both become sushi fans, and for those that didn’t like it, the restaurant had good cooked food as well. Connor hated sushi, though I can’t remember him trying it ever. Rachel, on the other hand, tried everything we put in front of her, and she enjoyed a little sashimi with rice on the side, technically chirashi. After dinner, Phyllis and Harold headed home and we enjoyed the evening with our children. We needed a break, but we did miss them a lot.
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Odette wasn’t available, but her sister was, Lucille Grey. She was ten years younger and sweet as apple pie. And when we met with her, the kids took to her immediately. We agreed to a month trial period, which went great, and we hired her for a year, salary and benefits. It was expensive with health insurance, but it was worth it for the extra time she gave us. She indirectly rejuvenated our love life.
One day I had a talk, father to son, with Connor. We went into Philly to Geno’s Cheesesteaks. Personally, I hated cheese on my sandwich, especially Whiz (Cheeze-Whiz) but he loved it. The weather was just warm enough for us to sit outside with our sandwiches, fries and drinks. “Connie, I want you to listen to me. You’ve been kind of mouthy lately, especially to your mother. I know you’re feeling different these days, going through a lot of changes, noticing girls, feeling weird in your body. I remember what that was like. It’s a tough time in life. It’s part of going from being a boy to a man.”
“Dad, I…”
“Wait, let me finish, then you can give your side. As I said, I understand these things. I work with young people and I’ve seen and heard it all before. But you have to watch how you talk to us, especially your mother. She loves you so much, as do I, and it hurts her terribly when you’re disrespectful to her. I don’t like it either, but I’m thicker skinned. I need you, now that you’re becoming a man, to behave like a man. When you disagree with us, think about what you’re going to say before you say it. I don’t expect you to be perfect about it. But I do expect you to do a lot better than you’ve been doing. OK, now you tell me what you’re thinking.”
He thought for a minute, taking another bite of his hoagie while it was hot. “Dad, I love you both. But sometimes I don’t think you remember what this feels like. I’m like…it’s like I want to jump out of my skin sometimes. I get these sweats at night…and…geez, I don’t know how to say this…”
I leaned forward to him, so no one else could possibly hear us. “You feel strange around girls, right? Like you’re excited around every girl you see?”
He blushed and nodded his head. “Yeah. They’re…different. Not girls anymore. I want to kiss some of them and…I can’t say it.”
“You don’t have to say it. I get it. Been there, my friend. Your time will come. Have you played Spin the Bottle yet?” He looked down and nodded. “It’s fun, I know. Some day you’ll have your first girlfriend. Not for a few years yet. You’re still too young for that. And you know you can come to me with any questions you have about girls and dating. I’ll guide you in any way I can. In the meantime, be respectful of girls and especially your mother, though that’s different altogether. We work hard, but we never tell you we’re too busy for you. Because we’re not. Never. We’ll always make time for you. Can you do me one favor?”
“Sure, I guess. It depends on what it is.”
“When we get home, give your mother a hug and tell her you love her and you’re sorry. That’s it. It will make her so happy.”
“Sure, Dad. Thanks. I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok, son. I love you.”
We finished our lunch and on the way home, Connor asked if we could stop at the florist and get mom some flowers. I smiled and said of course. That made me so proud of him. I bought a dozen roses, plus a white rose for Rachel, her first flower. When we got home, Connor handed Eva the roses and she cried while her heart burst with love. He apologized and she forgave him and they hugged and kissed, and for that day, at least, all was right with our world. Then I gave Rachel her rose and she hugged me in a stranglehold. My sweet little girl. And my wonderful son. I loved them so much, and still do today.
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Before we knew it, it was June 5, 1994. Cammy’s wedding day. Eva was her Matron of Honor, Rachel was the Flower Girl, Connor was an usher and I was, in effect, the Father of the Bride. I know, two years old was kind of young for a girl to be in a wedding party, but Rachel was so smart, she understood what to do after a single rehearsal. She was adorable in her little white dress.
Eva found a beautiful ecru suit, perfect for an afternoon/evening outdoor wedding. And Connor and I rented tuxes that we looked pretty damn sharp in. The wedding was at a nearby country club with beautiful grounds and the chuppah (the canopy under which Jewish weddings are performed) was right by the 15th hole on the golf course.
We gathered at 2 for pictures and I’ll tell you, my sister looked gorgeous. She’s a beautiful woman, now as much as then, and her very modern style dress was really her all the way. We had a few minutes to sit together and talk before everything started and we grabbed a couple of chairs while the photographer set up.
“Look at my ‘little’ sister, the second most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
She smiled, showing her perfect teeth and red lipstick. Her makeup was perfect; the whole bridal party had their makeup and hair professionally done that morning. Her almost black hair and her tan skin offset by our mothers pearls. “Not so little, am I? But for you and Eva and your children, I’ll always be Cammy. Not for anyone else.” She took my hand and we passed unspoken thoughts. “I really wish Mom and Dad were here. I miss them. But I have you and Eva. I got pretty lucky. You kept me from losing it, from becoming a wild child. You were great role models.” Cammy looked very serious. “I wouldn’t be here living this life without you, Jon. You really are the best brother. You’re my hero.”
I didn’t know what to say. I tried to find something. “Cammy…I’m not a hero. I didn’t do anything all that special.”
“Of course you did. You protected me. That’s pretty special. Not many twenty year olds would have done that.”
“Twenty one” I smiled at her. “Cammy, I would have done anything for you. I still would. But now you’re going to have a husband to help you, and you’ll help him. That’s my one word of advice. Always be good to each other and try to never go to sleep angry. It’s the most simple advice for a good marriage. But if you ever need me, I’m right down the road. For anything.” I hugged my sister for a long time, until the photographer said he was ready.
When it came time for the ceremony, Rachel spread rose petals all down the aisle, Connor walked down with a cousin of Eric’s who was just a year older, Eva walked down alone, looking beautiful as I had ever seen her. Then finally I walked Cammy down the aisle, as proud as any father could be. When we got up to the front and I got ready to hand her to Eric, I lifted her veil and instead of giving me a small peck on the cheek, Cammy said “A little kiss isn’t going to do it, brother.” She hugged me and gave me a huge kiss on the cheek, in front of all her friends and relatives. It really got to me, and I got into my chair before I cried. I sat there while the members of my family were all under the chuppah, my beautiful wife and daughter, my handsome son and my lovely sister. I didn’t hear much of the Rabbi’s words as I concentrated on them. I also wished our parents were there, I thought about how much I missed them, but overall, I was pretty damn lucky.
Cammy and I had our dance to Lean on Me, by Bill Withers, a soulful song about being there for each other in tough times. It was Cammy and me, all right. We shared a kiss on the cheek at the end and I went back to dance with Eva on and off, and I even danced with Rachel, who stood on my feet most of the time, while Eva danced with Connor. They were getting along much better by then as our son took my advice to heart.
That night, after we got undressed and got the kids to sleep, we made love. Eva was rocking back and forth, sitting astride me, as we held hands, locking fingers and staring into each others eyes. “This was such a lovely day, Bear” my wife moaned as she tightened and eased off, over and over, letting our tantric rhythm do most of the work. I kept twitching inside her as my cock throbbed and the head got thicker as I swelled with excitement.
“It was, wasn’t it? And you looked amazing, almost as beautiful as my sister. Almost. In fact, she was the second most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen in my life. Next to the one making me feel like my heart’s on fire right now. My body and soul as well.”
“You do a pretty great job for me as well. And I remember a certain groom who was incredibly handsome fourteen years ago. He still is. The most handsome man I’ve ever seen. I love you, Bear.”
“I love you too, Angel. With all my heart.” We kept pulsing with each other and soon we came, Eva first, me after, and we slept like babies together.
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Another end of school, another successful year. But when the board member asked us about any changes, this year we had a suggestion. Eva spoke for us. “We’d like to talk about starting a scholarship program for deserving underprivileged students. There are a lot of young people, fourteen and up, who could benefit from attending such a prestigious school. From North Philly and from South. There are smart children all through this city who could benefit. The endowment fund is flush. We’re thinking about ten children, starting in ninth grade. We know it’s too late to do this for September. But we’d like you to think about it for the following year. We were thinking of ten students to start, five boys and five girls. This school has so much to offer. So we hope you’ll think about this over the Summer so we can start to do interviews in the Fall. We feel it’s something worth trying.” Our audience was silent, so much so you could hear a pin drop. They thanked us for our time and for another excellent year. And that’s how our fourth year there ended.
When we got back home, we got comfortable and we talked about it.
“So, Jon, how do you think they took it?”
“They’re so hard to read. They sure as hell weren’t expecting that. It was like we dropped hot potatoes in all their laps. It might be a very good thing for us we still have six years on our contract.”
“I hope it’s not that bad. I’d like to think they’ll consider it fairly. But that wasn’t a very receptive room. God, I hate to think we’re going to have to wait until September to get an answer.”
“Well, I’m not going to think about this for the next two months. We’re going to get some sleep, lots of sun, spend time with our children and just enjoy life. Maybe we can pull Connor out of camp for a week or two and go somewhere.”
“With a two year old? She’s smart and able, but I can’t imagine dragging her anywhere for two weeks. Even one week could drive us all nuts. I’d love to get away, but that’s why we have the beach house, isn’t it? We can get away all Summer long.”
“Not really, honey. Connor’s in camp and to go while he’s there means driving six hours there and back for less than two hours there. The weekends are different, but everybody and their mother is there on weekends. You can’t even get a slice or pizza for lunch or a table at a decent restaurant for dinner.”
“Well, I don’t want to take him out of camp for the Summer. He’ll be bored there every day. I’LL be bored there every day. We need to mix it up and I don’t mean just go see my parents. There’s so much to do here. Gettysburg- we still haven’t been there in four years. Pittsburg. Harrisburg. Cleveland, the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We could do Washington.”
“Let’s see what happens with Connor. Maybe we can take him for a week and go to DC.”
For the first month, we were content to take the kids to the beach house on weekends and busying ourselves during the week with Rachel while Connor went to the camp. We took her to Sesame Place, an amusement park designed for young children. We took her to play dates (mostly Eva did that). I took Connor to some Phillies games on weekends, and Eva and Rachel joined us one when her beloved Mets were in town for a night game (I also took him to Flyers, Eagles and 76ers games when those were in season).
But by August, we were getting kind of antsy during the week. The beach house was great on the weekends, but we were really feeling the need to get away. Having two children ten years apart made it kind of difficult to find a place to go that both would enjoy. Leave it to my brilliant wife to come up with a solution.
It was relatively speaking the early days of the internet and we had a computer in our library, an expensive thing that weighed a ton and cost a small fortune. And by today’s standards, it was slooooow. But at the time it was new technology. And it was useful. One night in late July, Eva called me to where she was, looking at a page. “Look at this, sweetheart. What do you think?”
I looked over her shoulder at the page for Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida. It was a family style resort, kids under 4 stayed for free with trained staff for children of all ages. We could do some things together as a family and also have some time to ourselves. There were babysitters for the night so we could go to dinner on our own and go dancing. And since it was in Florida, we didn’t need passports for the kids at the last minute.
“That looks perfect, honey! A family vacation with time for us to be alone when we need. It’s hot there in August though, central Florida off the Atlantic. But no hotter than a heatwave here like we get every summer. Why don’t we go to a travel agent tomorrow and get more details. If it sounds right, we can take Connor out of camp a week early.”
Eva leaned back and pursed her lips for a kiss. I gave her what she wanted. “Maybe we could take up tennis finally. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of years. And we could both use some regular exercise. We’ve been getting a little flabby, in case you haven’t noticed.”
I couldn’t argue with her. My pants size went up two inches around the waist since we moved three years before. Eva also was showing a little extra around the hips. I didn’t care aesthetically speaking. Eva was beautiful in every way, every single day. But we wanted to be healthy, to live and enjoy our lives for a long time to come. Now was the time to get our act together, before we got too far gone.
We spent ten days in the middle of August in the hot, humid Florida sun, and it was the best vacation we had up to that point. Connor was involved in sports all day each day, including tennis and even golf. Rachel was with special teachers each morning for gymnastics. Eva and I watched her the first day, nervous to see her in a safety harness, guided through some gentle flips, and she loved it. After watching for an hour, we took off for to be by ourselves for a while, soaking some sun at the pool with a couple of tropical drinks. Our kids met us for lunch, then Connor went on to whatever sports they had for the afternoon while we swam with Rachel. Then the second day on, Eva and I took tennis lessons each morning and by the fifth day, we were enjoying ourselves. We would continue playing when we got home.
Some nights we ate with our children, others we went to dinner with them but ate later on our own. We had romantic dinners, danced after, took walks along the St. Lucie river. Back in the room, we made love with wonderful passion and love almost every night. When we got back home, we felt refreshed, ready to take on the coming year. And we had Connor’s Bar Mitzvah to look forward to in May. Good times ahead.
Not everything goes as planned though. Professionally speaking, the fifth year turned out to be the most challenging due to one teacher. One piece of shit.
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Everything started out fine. We went to Cammy’s for a Labor Day party with mostly lawyers from their firms and law school. It reminded me of the old joke: what do you call 50 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start. Eva and I were the only non lawyers there, and some of them made us feel like some lower form of life for being mere principals. Who gives a fuck, right? My sister was all the reason we needed to be there, with me and Connor helping Eric and a friend of his manning the grills. ‘Man’s work’ and all.
Tuesday started the weeks prep for school, which began the following Monday. At our first meeting that Tuesday morning, Belinda Andrews announced that would be her last year, that she’d be retiring at the end of the school year. It wasn’t all that surprising; as I’ve said earlier, her husband was retired and she’d been thinking about it for a while so they could enjoy their years together. Still, it was sad news for everyone. She was beloved by just about everyone who worked with her.
The board let us know that, while they weren’t saying no forever, they were saying no for the time being about the scholarship program. Well, we didn’t think it would be easy. We’d keep pushing, gently.
The first few months were just like every year. New students needed some adjustment time, Seniors were prone to some slacking off after their college applications were sent…the usual things.
Eva and I kept playing tennis a couple of afternoons a week as well as either Saturday or Sunday. We ate a little better most days, substituting salads for potatoes and rice, and we both lost some weight and tightened up what we kept. Soon we were feeling more energetic, and with the added energy came more desire for each other. Finding the time for sex got easier.
Rachel was taking her music lessons, and she was like a savant. She could play back almost any music piece she heard after hearing it once or twice. Nothing too complex, of course. She was still a three year old after all. And she could sing it back as well. Her favorite was Madonna.
Connor was busy with hockey and Hebrew school and astronomy at night. He continued to excel in science, especially physics, my least favorite subject, of course. Between everything, we had a very busy household. Very busy and very happy.
And then, just after Thanksgiving, a storm burst into our work lives.
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Thomas Horan was a 44 year old English and French teacher, popular with the students, handsome in a slightly roguish sort of way, married fifteen years with two children in between Connor and Rachel’s ages. He had been teaching at Wayne Day for ten years, predating Lenny’s time there. So he wasn’t our fault, so to speak, but still, when you’re in charge, the responsibility is all yours.
The first Monday in December, I came into my office from observing a class, and I saw Jackie Allen (not her name), a 16 year Junior who’d been going to our school since first grade, in Eva’s office. She was crying and Eva had her arm around her. She asked a question and then, after Jackie nodded her agreement, my wife waved for me to come in. When I entered, Eva asked me to shut the blinds to give us privacy.
I sat at the edge of Eva’s desk and said “Hi, Jackie. Do you mind if I sit in on this meeting?” I wanted to be certain she was comfortable with me in the office. I had a bad feeling what this was about, in general.
“Yes, Mr. G. It’s all right.” She wasn’t crying, but her eyes were red and swollen and Eva kept handing her tissues. “But you can’t tell my parents! They’ll kill me!” She buried her face on Eva’s shoulder and cried again.
“Well, let’s not worry about that right now. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on, like you told Mrs. Grossman?” She proceeded to tell us how she thought she was pregnant, a bad enough situation for a 16 year old girl.
Eva asked “Jackie, did anyone force you to have sex? Did you do so willingly?”
“Yes, no one forced me. I wanted to have sex with him.”
“Sweetie, was it a student here? Or someone you know from elsewhere? You don’t have to give us a name if it’s a student if you don’t want to.”
She sobbed harder and my heart went out to this sweet girl. We knew her well by then, like almost all the long term students. She wasn’t the prettiest girl and we knew she was self conscious about her looks. Sometimes that can set a girl up for being used by a boy who knew how to use that to his advantage.
“It wasn’t a student, Mrs. G. It’s a teacher.” Fuck, the worst news possible. Terrible for the school and for us. But worst of all for Jackie, who got used and, under the law, raped. Statutory rape is still rape as far as we were concerned, not to mention the legal system. Now keeping his name secret wasn’t an option. And we had to call the police. It was the law.
We sent messages to her teachers that Jackie would be excused from her classes for the rest of the day. Then I said “Jackie, under the circumstances, we have to call your parents. You’re a minor and you’re accusing a staff member of a very serious crime. We want to get whoever hurt you out of here, immediately if possible. But there would be no way to keep this from your parents when we go ahead and besides, the law says we have to notify them. If there’s a problem, we’ll stand up for you as best we can. We know your parents, Jackie” I said as I sat on a chair so I was at her level. “They’re good people and I don’t think they’ll be upset with you. They’re going to want the man who hurt you to be arrested. And we want that man out of here before he hurts another girl. So first we’re going to call your mom, let her call your father if she thinks she should, and get her down here. Then after we talk to her, we’ll have to notify the police.”
She was crying hard and Eva looked broken hearted. I looked up Mrs. Allen’s home number and called her and asked her to come to the school after assuring her that Jackie was ok. I didn’t want her to get into an accident rushing over to the school.
We told the secretaries to let Mrs. Allen into Eva’s office as soon as she got there and to hold all other business for the afternoon. She got there twenty minutes later, clearly deeply worried and held her daughter while she cried again.
“Honey, tell me what’s wrong. I promise, I won’t be angry with you. I just want to protect you.” So for the third time, Jackie told her story except for who was responsible for assaulting her. Mrs. Allen was crying as well, softer, but she was hurting for her daughter. She called her husband, an executive at a corporation Downtown. She just told him he needed to come to the school. Then we had to call the police.
In order to protect Jackie for as long as possible, the police had the four of us come to the station to talk to a couple of detectives. They interviewed Jackie and her mom while Eva and I waited in a room with really bad coffee. I looked at my watch and I said “Connor will be out of school soon and one of us has to get home so Lucille can go home at 4. Let me ask the Captain if one of us can go.”
I explained to the Captain that we had two children, one of whom was three years old and our nanny had to leave at 4. He said as long as one of us stayed, the other could give our statement the next day, but no later. I sent Eva home to be with the kids and I hung around. I saw Mr. Allen come into the station and I told him how sorry I was and how we’d do anything we could to help his family. Hours later, around 7, I was brought into an interview and I told the detectives everything I knew, which was what Jackie told us. I didn’t know who assaulted her because she hadn’t told us. Sometime the questioning was friendly, but other times it was distinctly unpleasant, as if I was a suspect. I asked if I needed a lawyer and one cop, the older one, smiled like a shark at me.
“Why? Do you need a lawyer? Did you do something to that girl?”
“You’re a sick bastard if you think I would ever, EVER, endanger a child in any way. I’ve spent my life, young as I am, looking after children. When I was twenty two my wife and I became legal guardians for my sister when my father fell apart after the death of my mother. You know, you can talk to her yourself. She’s also my lawyer. She works for Pike and Young.”
“Hey, we didn’t suggest you actually hurt that girl. Did we, Sargent Lloyd?” His partner, giving me a withering look, just shook his head no. I was definitely a suspect in their eyes.
“You know, I’d like to call my lawyer now.”
“You’re not under arrest and you’re not a suspect, not yet. You don’t have the right to call anyone.”
“All right, then I don’t have to stay here either, do I?”
Just then, the Captain came in and whispered to Detective Carillo. He then said, sweet as sugar, “You can leave, Mr. Grossman. Jackie Allen named her attacker. One of your teachers, as she said.”
I got up to leave but first I asked who she named. He said he couldn’t tell me that until they finished their investigation.
“Wait a minute. If I’ve got a teacher in my school preying on my students, I need to know who it is so I can keep him away from my kids. I don’t want him in the building another minute.”
“Don’t worry. I can’t tell you who she named, but he’ll be the man who doesn’t show up to work tomorrow morning, because he’s going to be sitting in this room and he’s going to talk to me. Bet on it. So arrange to have a substitute in the morning. And Mr. Grossman, I’m sorry I was a little rough on you. We had to treat you like a possible suspect. If she hadn’t named her abuser, we would be looking at every man who works there. It’s a procedure.” He stuck out his hand to show no hard feelings. I wasn’t happy for a lot of reasons, but I shook his hand and they sent me home with a ride.
I got home at almost 10, and Eva was almost frantic when I walked in. “Jon, why didn’t you call me! I can’t tell you what I was thinking!” She held me and cried, and I held her and did the same. Delayed fear, delayed shock…whatever it was, I was shaking as the adrenaline dissolved in my body. I sat down and just shook a few minutes while she got me a belt of scotch, a stiff one. That helped me stop shaking and she sat with me while I told her what happened. Eva held my hand with both hers, a very soft touch that eased my ache.
“Can I get you something to eat, Bear? You must be starving. You didn’t eat lunch or dinner.”
“Angel, I’m just grateful to be home with you and our children. Are they asleep?”
“Yes, it’s kind of late. Connor wanted to stay up for you but I sent him to bed just a little while ago. You want to go upstairs and kiss them goodnight?”
“More than anything right now. I wish I could hug them but I don’t want to wake them.” We went up and first stopped into Rachel’s room and I sat by her bed and stroked her long black hair, then I kissed her head three or four times. She stirred a little, rolled over and stayed asleep. My little Angel. Then we went to Connor’s room and he opened his eyes halfway when I sat on his bed.
“Hey Champ. How are you doing?” I smiled at him as love flowed from my fingers to his head as I touched his hair.
“I’m ok, Dad. Mom was worried about you but she wouldn’t let me wait with her.”
“Just Mom? You weren’t worried about me?” I kissed his head and he let me, something that he fought off more and more.
“Well…I was a little worried. But I knew you’d be fine. You’re my Dad. You’d never hurt anyone. You couldn’t.” That did it; I was crying again over my son as Eva rubbed my shoulders and kissed the back of my head. I kissed him goodnight and got out of there before I made a total idiot of myself. Eva tucked him in and joined me in our bedroom and we got undressed for bed.
“Are you sure I can’t bring you anything? A sandwich? An apple? Something?”
“Honey, I just want to get in bed with you and hold you and hold you some more. We’re going to have a hell of a day tomorrow.” We got into bed after we used the bathroom and held each other during a night that was darker than any we’d ever seen before. “Eva…what did we do wrong? How did we let this poison into our school?”
“I don’t know, Jon. Whoever it is, he was here before we got here. We haven’t hired any male teachers. But it’s still our responsibility. Anything that happens to these children is on us. But you know what’s torturing me most of all? Whoever it is, this is almost certainly not the first child he abused. Men who are caught abusing children are almost never caught the first time. Usually they’ve been doing this for years. I’m sick thinking about how many girls he may have molested before Jackie had the courage to come to us.”
We sighed, a bit broken inside. Whatever happened, even if it started before our tenure at Wayne Day, the responsibility was ours for what was happening now. It was all on us. We had to get a handle on things and then once we did we’d have to resign. There was just no other way.
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I won’t keep you waiting too long for the next chapter, I hope. I know my loyal readers are eager to see what happens next. As always, I appreciate all your votes and comments.