A Unique Relationship

"And then, I realized that there would be no one like you. I really fell for you, fell hard. Fell so hard that at times I had to remind myself that you were my father to rein in my fantasies. But try as I did, I could never get over you. And then, that evening by the lake... I wanted to tell you then, but I was too afraid. Afraid that I would lose you forever."

I buried my head in my hands. The knowledge that she was my daughter, as contrary to what she had thought, did not repulse me - instead, I just wanted to make up for all the lost love that had eluded her in her childhood. My daughter-in-law - my daughter - was my true love, and no fact on earth could change that. Besides, it was still my child, her father's baby, that was growing inside that belly of hers.

I had once caused a girl to grow up without her father. I wasn't about to make that same mistake again.

I caught her soft hands and enclosed them in mine. "Dear, dearest Aarnja, I love you even more than anything now. I will - I can - never ever love again as I have loved you, and I want you to be my soul-mate. Now and forever. Nobody... needs to know that we are even more closely related than just in-laws. If you will have me..."

"You still want to marry me?" she asked incredulously, wiping away her tears to make sure that she did not misread my lips.

"Yes. And I want to raise a family. With you. I ask you again, Aarnja, I beg you - will you please marry me?"

She nodded, words failing her as they failed me. Silently, we just embraced each other, savouring the feel of a love that we had feared would have been lost to us forever. She placed a kiss, a gentle peck, on my cheeks in a little-girl style, and when I turned to look at her, she smilled. "I love you, Daddy." Daddy. How true was that address...

As I watch my wife - my daughter - running after our first born, I smile. In private moments, we often go over what our relationship actually is. For my wife is my daughter-in-law, my mistress, my niece, my daughter and the mother of my children. A five-fold relationship.

But who's counting???