That's My Girl

The last breathy chord of the I Wanna Be Your Dog / I Touch Myself medly faded away. We all leaned back and stretched, happy and relaxed.

Then Jen said, "Oops."

"Oops what?" I asked.

"My water just broke. It's time to move."

Tasha whipped out her cell and speed-dialed the taxi dispatcher. "Get here NOW!" she emphasized. We were rolling to UCSF Medical Center on Mount Parnassus just six infinite minutes later. UCSF had The City's best reputation for maternity care.

Tasha and I occupied ourselves in the maternity waiting room with our mini-laptops, my chromatic harmonica, and our growing impatience. "You play Sukiyaki just one more time and I'll fucking murder you!" Tasha growled. I blew the classic Saint Louis Blues, in G. She snurfed at me.

I paced the room, looked out the top-floor window at the vast 'scape below: homes, streets, parks, the Golden Gate, and the Marin mountains beyond. I called Tasha over to me. We stood together, arms around waists, comfortable.

"This feels a bit weird to me. I was here thirty-two years ago, to the day. The room Jen is in now is the same exact place my daughter Elise was born."

I pointed ahead. "Look down there, down Third Avenue, right before Lincoln Avenue and Golden Gate Park. In the third house on the left is the flat my wife Mary Jane and lived in. It's deja fucking vu all over again." I shivered.

I pointed straight down. "See the Student Union down across the street? MJ and I took Elise there when she was twenty months old so we could see a student play at Hallowe'en, a sexy rendition of Dracula. Elise screamed at all the right places.

"This is like my home turf, but I haven't been up here for three decades. It's a hole cut out of my life."

I shook my head and pulled Tasha closer. "Or it's like a time-bound palimpsest, images layered atop older images. I've seen all this before, and now again too." I shivered again. She hugged me, then held my hand.

We waited, and waited. Night fell. Jenna labored, and labored. Tasha and I were not allowed in with her. So much for Lamaze.

Tasha napped. Midnight approached. Tasha woke and tried to take command.

"Go the hell home, Randy. I'll hold the fort here. I'll call you as soon as anything happens. Go get some fucking rest."

I disobeyed. I stretched my six-point-five-foot frame uncomfortably across the wide waiting-room couch. I closed my eyes. I twitched a lot. I finally slept.

I revived groggily around oh-dark-whenever hours to find Tasha nestled next to me. Her sharp nose nuzzled my neck. I smiled and returned to tortured dreamland.

***** We woke after dawn when a chunky young Asian maternity nurse in crisp pale blue scrubs tapped our shoulders. We yawned, stretched. Lisa Chen RN tapped us again.

"Mr Ronk? Ms Ives? I need your attention. Could you use some coffee or tea?"

We rose creakily and accepted stiff cardboard cups of some hot dark dank bitter coffee-like liquid. If they served this at Gitmo, they would be up on charges of torturing prisoners.

"Damn, what IS this stuff? Okay, we're awake now. What's the word?" I croaked.

Ms Chen RN looked sympathetic. "I think this coffee, or whatever it is, escaped from the biochem lab, but it's the best we've got. And the word is 'cautious'."

My blood pressure and pulse skyrocketed. "Is Jenna okay? Is she in danger? How about the baby?" I shook with anxiety. Tasha gripped my arm.

Ms Chen shook her scrutable head. "No, no danger, but complexity. Your wife's pelvis is just too narrow. We were afraid of this, so we prepared. We'll have to do a caesarian delivery. Don't worry, it's a simple procedure, we do thousands every year here."

Tasha frowned, "But then she'll have to be here for a few days, right?"

The nurse nodded affirmation. "The procedure is scheduled for early afternoon and shouldn't take long. She'll need a little recovery time. Why don't you leave now and get some real rest? Be back here by 5:00 PM. We'll call you if necessary."

Tasha and I followed orders. We rode a taxi to the condo. We took to our separate beds. We slept somewhat, then fed and exercised and regrouped, then cabbed back to the hospital. Dusk approached.

We were met by a solid older black maternity nurse. Sarah Smith RN brought us each hot tea. Even a hospital can't screw up Constant Comment Red Zinger too badly.

"Relax, kids. Mama is fine, baby is fine, everything is copasetic. Finish your teas, shake yourselves out, and you can come in and see them." She was calming.

Tasha quivered with excitement. "Oh wow, a birthday present for me! You guys are the greatest!" I checked my watch and shivered. Damn, too much coincidence? Tasha's birthday? February 29th was my lost daughter's birthday too! Hmmm...

Twenty minutes later, Ms Smith RN led us to a small room.

Jenna sat up in bed looking happy but wasted. A fat headful of black hair blocked the view of her right breast. Eight-pounds-plus Lillian Beryl Ronk nursed quietly. I hugged them. My joyous tears washed over us. Tasha stood near and beamed.

Jenna and I murmured soft loving nonsense phrases to each other. We communicated quite well.

I stood back. Tasha hugged her old sister and new niece. I pulled my soprano ukulele from my day pack.

"I need to welcome my daughter to the world with one of my favorite songs."

I started strumming, then sang in a clear tenor:

"Your red dress matches your eyes, You closed your cover before striking, Daddy had the ship-fitter blues, And loving you has made me bananas."

Everybody groaned and punched my arms. I grinned and accepted my punishment. Stress aside, I was the happiest guy in the world.

***** What was it like, being a new father again? I dunno. Ask me when I wake up.

The post-partum period blurred on me. Jen and Lily (MY Jen! MY Lily!) stayed under observation at UCSF for three days. Everyone got home okay. Tasha and I gladly shared cleaning-feeding-cheering duties. Jenna seemed washed-out, exhausted.

Over a month later, Jenna was still emotionally and physically down. She didn't feel sexual. She lacked energy, and focus, and spark. We saw a counselor about post-partum depression. Jen and Tash talked together nearly constantly. Lily seemed content.

We restructured our lives in mid-April, on Tax Day as it happens.

My girls called me to join them on the big couch. Jenna was on one side holding Lillian, and Tasha balanced on the other side. I kissed my little girl. My big girls, both wearing thin sun dresses, kissed me, and hugged me, and dropped a bombshell on me.

After putting sleeping Lily in her crib and returning to the couch beside me, Jenna sipped an energy drink and started the conversation.

"Baby, you know how much I love you, and I know how much you love me, and love loving me. And I've been so distant since Lily arrived. It's not fair to you."

I started to protest but Jenna touched her fingers to my lips to shush me.

"Shut up. Let me talk. You're a man, a strong, vital man, the best man I have ever known. I know you'd do anything for me. ANYTHING!"

I nodded and opened my mouth. My lovely Jen pinched my lips shut, tight. I started to worry.

"And I would do ANYTHING for YOU." Jenna kissed my mouth gently. Where was this going? I sweated a little.

Jenna nodded to her younger step-sister. "Your turn, kid." I was getting tenser.

"Randy, I've lived with you for a few months now. I was a little apprehensive at first. Jen hasn't had the best luck with men. She hasn't told you, and you don't need to know, and don't want to know, all about what she's been through.

"But she seems to have hit the jackpot with you. She's happier than I have ever seen her. And *I* am happier than I have ever been in my life. Separately, and together, you two are just awesome. You nourish me. I love you both so much!

"I've always loved Jen as a sister. Even though we're about eight years apart, we've always been close. And I've come to love you as a brother, Ran.

"And I've been afraid to admit this, but now here's the truth. I love you, Jenna, as more than a sister. And I love you, Randy, as more than a brother.

"Ran, you have always been so kind and courteous and respectful to me, and so loyal to Jen. You've never put any moves on me. We've been close, but not flirty.

"I know you like looking at me, and touching me, and I sure like seeing and feeling YOU. And we have never crossed any lines, not once, not ever."

Tasha reached across me and stroked Jenna's face. "You got yourself a real keeper here, sis."

Jenna took over.

"Ran, I'm almost ashamed. I've been so tired. I ache. I've been gloomy. I just haven't been a wife for you, not really."

She pinched my lips before I could even open them to object.

"Don't deny it. You know it's true. I'm so sorry, I haven't even blown you or let you eat me. For over a month now, we just lie together, holding each other, but no more. I'm leaving you out, and it's not fair, and I'm so goddam sorry. Now shut up, I'm being as brave as I can.

"Ran, you have to know, Tash and I have talked this out, and we agree. We, both of us, want Tash in our bed, with you and me. We want for you to love her, for her to love you, as I can't seem to love you now."

I sat there in shock. Jen was offering her own 'sister' to me, for sex?

Jen seemed to read my thoughts.

"This isn't a gift, isn't slavery. This is love, and sharing; and for greedy me it's also therapy and great closeness.

"There's also no time limit. We won't kick Tash out of our bed when I'm feeling whole again. We'll expand our commitment. Tash, tell him."

Tasha leaned over and held us tightly.

"Miz Jenna Charlene Ives, I love you. Mister Randall Willem Ronk, I love you. I love you as man and woman, as my best friends, as my brother and sister, as the closest to my flesh and my heart, as my soulmates. I need so much to be deep in your lives. My life is yours. Please take me, include me, love me. I beg you."

I was stunned. Jenna was glowing and nodding. Tasha was pale and perspiring.

We were all crying by now.

Several thought-streams rand through my mind.

Lust washed in, of course, my pure appreciation of Tasha's radiant sexy beauty, the prospect of my tasting and touching and treasuring her total body.

That stream braided with apprehension -- not due to social mores proscribing sex with close kin, I could give a shit about community standards -- but because my big girls HAD a close but quite different relationship -- would that be damaged?

Another tide of worry: The bonds between Jenna and me would change, that would be unavoidable; but would they be weakened, or strengthened; and how far?

Into the mix came my ego, my pride, the fevered stroking of my hominid manliness. Both of these incredible, intelligent, beautiful younger women wanted ME, all five decades of ME!

I did not consider practicalities like finance or social niches or personal space or possible jealousy. Practicalities can always be worked out and finessed.

I controlled those thought-streams, cut-off the rivulet of worries, channeled the flows of joy, and hopes and dreams, and pride, and lust. Go with the flow? I went with the happy horny flow.

I turned to Jenna. "You are so wonderful, my love, my wife." I kissed her deeply.

I turned to Tasha. "Miz Natasha Tamara Ives, I love you. You are so beautiful, so vibrant. Yes, I would love to... to..." I ran out of words to describe a full beautiful union of souls. I kissed her passionately. She returned my ardor.

Jenna pulled Tasha's face close and kissed her, with tenderness and passion, with care, and with plenty of tongue.

We held each other for some minutes. Then Jenna asked, "Hey, we gonna just sit here all night?"

"Do you have a plan?" I asked, knowing full well she did.

"Yes, a very simple plan, dork. I already turned up the thermostat a little. We'll all get naked right now. Right now.

"Then we'll crawl into bed. I'll be happy to watch and touch while you two rub bodies. You two will make mad passionate monkey love. I'll touch and taste your orgasms. Be vocal, and LOUD!

"Does that sound like a good plan to both of you?"

I responded by putting an arm around each adjacent waist. I stood, dragging them upwards with me. I pulled them into a close three-way embrace. Our lips came together. We kissed. Yeah, with lots of tongue. My blood raged.

Did I have qualms or second thoughts about bedding my sister-in-law right next to my wife, her 'sister'? Any doubts that tried to emerge from my superego were quashed by Jenna's and Tasha's kisses and caresses, and my own Id Monster.

"I said RIGHT NOW! Quit shilly-shallying!" Jenna fumed.

Jenna was tired but insistent. She held her arms in the air. I pulled her sundress off over her head. She was naked underneath, and oh so lovely! Tasha mirrored her sister's move; I lifted her sundress, and was dazed by her splendor.

I was suddenly locked in the arms of two naked women of unsurpassed sensuality.

My big girls stood me upright. I wore a black tee showing a blood-red silhouette of Godzilla captioned I'M BIG IN JAPAN. Jenna pulled it over my head. Tasha freed me from my black cargo denims.

They nodded at each other and shoved me down on my back on the bed.

Jenna kissed my mouth and tweaked my nipples. Tasha kissed her way up my left leg from ankle to groin, then repeated on my right side, then kissed all around my pubes. I moaned when she kissed and licked my fully-engaged cock.

Jenna moved aside to watch. She sat cross-legged behind me, my head in her lap, her thick bush massaging my shaved scalp, her milk-engorged breasts hanging over my face, my mouth. I suckled Jenna while Tasha sucked me. Hot damn!

Tasha lifted her head from my groin. "Enough foreplay. I need you inside me."

Tasha was already wet and well-stimulated. She straddled me and saddled me. We both groaned loudly when she slid fully down my loving length, "Oh fu-ck!" She cowgirl-rode me beyond the blue event horizon. I started to go supernova.

Jenna was tired, but not TOO tired. She shifted position slightly and straddled my bare head. Her glorious pussy descended on my ravenous mouth. I licked hungrily, distracted slightly, postponing my spewing spunk into Tasha.

I felt the adopted step-sisters kissing and fingering each other, and twitching and squalling, as they wriggled atop me. Our energies grew and flowed.

Tasha rode me like a fury. My fingers tortured Jenna's nipples while my tongue punished her clitoris. Tasha's incendiary vagina seared my distended man-flesh. Jenna's vulva challenged my lips. I was lost in a maelstrom of sensation.

Jenna screamed weakly into Tasha's mouth and flowed strongly into mine.

Tasha stiffened, and came, and came, her cunt drawing my own orgasm from me, her shouts swallowed by Jenna.

I came like... like a firehose? Like a power-cycle short circuit? Like there was no tomorrow? Like a fertility god, or been touched by such? I lack the words.

This was the strongest, longest orgasm in my life, so far. Hot damn.

The magic continued. Jenna fell off my face, exhausted. Tasha collapsed on me and kissed me madly, licking Jenna's juices off my face, sucking my tongue and flavor from my mouth, holding my head and crying, moving her groin in small circles atop mine, and spasming softly.

Jenna laid beside us, and stroked us, and kissed us, and murmured at us, and loved us, unconditionally.

I was over fifty years old. I had no little blue pills around. With Tasha's magic cunt gripping my softening cock, I needed none. Viagra was superfluous.

I recovered amazingly fast. I stiffened within her. I was ready for more.

So was she. Tasha wrapped her tremendous long legs around my waist. We rolled over, away from Jenna, but managed to avoid falling off the bed.

I looked in Tasha's eyes, those jade-green mystic pools, endlessly-deep. "This fuck's for you," I whispered. She laughed, and grabbed my lips with hers, and swallowed my tongue.

We missionary-fucked deliberately. We had all the time in the world. Jenna lay beside us and stroked us. Then we heard Lily cry, and Jenna left us.

We continued. We loved. We came at various times. Jenna rejoined us eventually. We came again eventually. We all slept eventually.

We woke in a tangled mass. Lily cried again. Tasha went to her. I laid against Jenna, holding her close, feeling her warmth and tone and what strength she had.

"I love you so much," we whispered together.

***** Thus began a magical time. Lily (the Sprout) had two full-time mamas (with some fatherly assistance). Lucky me (randy old Randy) had two full-time wives.

Jenna came out of her down-cycle, regained strength, and was soon a full-time fully-fucking partner in our lovemaking. And Tasha grew tightly closer.

We lived with cycles and timing.

When Lily slept: With other chores attended to, we three lay together and joined in all possible combinations and positions. Our bodies held no secrets among us.

When Lily cried: By rotation or inclination, one of us broke free to attend. The others continued loving or resting or houseworking or whatever.

When Lily slept again: We three loved again, or otherwise functioned.

Our schedules synchronized around the Sprout's daily cycles. External time was irrelevant. Everything happened at its appointed tempo.

Tasha glowed. Jenna glowed. Hell, we *all* glowed, we were so goddam happy!

Tasha bought her own BikeE and a baby-hauling trailer. The four of us became a familiar sight on Sundays in Golden Gate Park when JFK Drive was closed to motor traffic. Lily sometimes got dizzy trying to visually track rollerbladers skating circles around her.

We were not a closed society, were not 24/7 with only ourselves. We all had friends, and we had gatherings and parties at the condo or sometimes on the street or in a park, with a strange mix of peoples of many sorts and ages.

Jenna had workmates, and old girls-night-out friends, and was involved with a group of slamming poets. Who'd a thunk that?

Jenna knew network freaks and camera freaks and folks from a 'bent bike club.

I brought in some street performers, scholars of ethnic arts, ethical hackers, and a few surviving old Army buddies who tried not to leer at my housemates.

Chet and his partner Mark were regulars, and sometimes brought culinary school pals and gym buddies and their reading circle.

Various friends brought various other friends. People involved in international trading, and illegal raves, and somewhat-legal cannabis cultivation, and animal rescue, and high-energy physics. Burning Man fanatics and yoga contortionists and astronomers and abalone divers and one gal whose zaftig body was totally tattooed.

Damn, we had rich, full lives! And so much love!

***** More at-home celebration: Tasha had been off The Pill since she came to The City. Two weeks after our first joining, her pregnancy test showed positive. Another kid on the way! Hmmm, maybe it was time to look for larger living quarters.

And it was time for a not-at-home celebration.

We took our long-delayed trip to northern Idaho to gather with the Ives family. Too many kinfolk were coming from far and wide to adequately fit in the family homestead, so we booked a big chunk of a Red Lion Inn in Coeur d'Alene for one and all, a reunion and holiday and general celebration over the Easter weekend.

Other family members had events to showcase: births, weddings, deaths, the usual stepping-stones of life's path. So, fortunately, not *all* the family's attention was focused on Jenna and Tasha and Lily and me. But we got enough to swamp us.

"So you're the fella who caught Jenna. Congratulations, Randy. Welcome to the lunatic asylum," said big blond brother Brad, Chet's father.