people that result.'
I sighed, and answered 'I know. I've always thought it was ironic that the reason Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden was because they ate fruit from the tree of knowledge.'
Kelly squeezed my hand in response, and the two of us just waited there, thinking.
Over the next few weeks, Marilyn gradually increased her physical intimacy with me. When she first arrived, her most adventurous act would be to give me a kiss on the cheek, or hold my hand. But after the clothing started coming off, and she had her little 'talk' with Kelly and Marlyn, things started heating up. She went from laying or sitting by herself or with Marlyn, to sharing the couch with me – then on to actually sitting next to me. From there, things progressed to having her actually touching me – first, just a hand on my arm, then it was to snuggle next to me, and on to actually taking my arm and putting it around her. She never did interfere with anything any of the other girls were doing – but if no one else displayed an interest, Marilyn would.
Kelly and the others watched all this happening with amusement. Even Marlyn seemed to find it acceptable – until late one evening when Marilyn went so far as to actually put my hand over her breast and hold it there. I could feel her trembling slightly, and knew that she was waiting to see what reaction there would be to her boldness.
I feigned inattention and indifference; but from the corner of my eye, I could see Marlyn start to say something. Kelly got her attention, and gestured that Marlyn wait a bit – that we could talk when Marilyn went to bed. Marlyn wasn't real happy, but indicated that she would. A couple of minutes later, I turned to look at her, and indicated that it would be only a little longer.
After perhaps fifteen minutes, I took my hand off Marilyn's breast so that I could stick both arms out and stretch. When I was done, I rested my arm on the back of the couch behind her, and suggested that it was time for her to go to bed. She reluctantly agreed, and gave me a kiss on the cheek before heading toward the bedroom. As she went by, I gave her our by then traditional pat on the butt as I wished her good night.
By the time she was gone, Marlyn had had time to calm down and think.
The first thing Marlyn did was try to apologize. Kelly and I both waved it off, assuring her that we didn't think Marilyn had done anything wrong; and that we'd both known that she was going to do something, sooner or later.
Next, Marlyn tried to tell us that she would talk to Marilyn. Kelly and I both told her that even that wasn't necessary. Marlyn seemed unsure about it, until Kelly simply asked her 'Marlyn – do I look like it bothers me? Does Dan?'
She shook her head, and I told her 'Instead of being upset about any of this, I think that maybe you should think about what to do when she finally decides that she wants something more from me.'
Marlyn looked at me in curiosity for a moment, and then realized what I was getting at. At the expression on her face, I told her 'No, I don't think she'll want to go that far – but I don't think that it's going to be very long before she wants to know how much better it feels when someone else touches her, instead touching herself.'
That gave her something to think about after Kelly and I wished her a good night, and kissed her before going to bed.
Having gotten my hand on her breast once with impunity, Marilyn was that much more willing to try it again. And with each success, her confidence increased, as did her willingness to do it again. Each time she saw it, I could see that Marlyn was bothered by it that much more – but between times, all of us could see that there was something else on her mind, as well.
It was on a Friday night, after Jan, Susan, and Sandra had picked Marilyn up for a sleepover that things came to a head. Kelly and I were both dressed casually after going out for fast food; we were in the den, watching TV from the couch when Marlyn sat in a chair across from us. At first, we didn't pay any attention to her; but when she didn't say or do anything for a couple minutes, I realized that something was up – and gently nudged Kelly. Both of us looked over to where Marlyn was sitting, and saw that she was quietly crying.
Kelly immediately got up and went over to comfort her, and start trying to find out why she was crying. I stood and went into the kitchen to get her a small towel to cry into – and drinks for all of us for when she was done.
I set the sodas on the table, and handed the towel to Kelly after Marlyn didn't seem to notice it after several seconds of looking at it.
Kelly finally got Marlyn settled down enough to accept the towel, which Marlyn used to dry her eyes and wipe her face as Kelly continued to speak soft words of comfort to her. As Marlyn got control of herself, she gradually got to the point where all she was doing was sniffling.
Only then did Kelly give her a hug, and move over to sit next to me before asking 'Marlyn, would you like to tell us what's wrong?'
After a few more sniffles, and blowing her nose, Marlyn nodded. Kelly and I waited patiently for her to start.
Finally, taking a deep breath, Marlyn told us 'I'm sorry for troubling you like this. But every time I see Marilyn put Dan's hand on her breast, I know that she is getting closer to asking him to do something for her.'
She looked directly at me when she said 'I trust you, Dan. I know that if she asks you such a thing, you will not hurt her, or do anything that would make her unhappy. But I know that you would be more comfortable if you knew what I wanted for her.'
She looked at both of us before lowering her head to say 'The problem is that I don't know what I want for her about that. For myself, I have never wanted anything like that – until I came here. Before this time, I was happy with my work, and being able to visit Marilyn and spend a few hours with her. I was sad that I could not keep her with me, but I knew that I did not have enough to make a good home for her. But you helped me very much, and now I have a good job, and I can keep her in my home with me, and send her to school.
'She is so smart and so pretty it makes me proud of her. But I must also be her mother, now – and I am not sure how to do that. I want so much for her, but I am afraid that I won't be able to help her have all the things that I know she should have. She has had a very hard time in the orphanage. She was always so brave with me, but I could tell that she was unhappy and sad about that place. I want to do everything I can to make her happy now that she is with me.'
She looked up at me again, and said 'Dan, I know that she loves you very much. Please forgive me, but you are like the father that she never had before. And Kelly, you are like another mother to her – and all the others are the sisters she never knew. She loves all of you, with all of her heart – and I know that she is going to be very sad when we have to leave. But I also know that she will take all of you with her, in her heart and memories, and that will help keep her happy when we are home again.'
She paused to dry her eyes again, and continued 'Both of you have made me very happy, too. Now I know what good people all of you are – but mostly you, Dan. I see how all of these nice people started to love you because I am loving you, too – because of the good things inside you, like you said you look for. You share your wife with other women, and she shares you with them, too; and I understand now how much love all of you have for each other that you can do that.'
She took a deep breath, and went on 'But that doesn't do anything about Marilyn. I don't want her to be afraid of men, like I have been, and my sisters and friends were. When all of them married, they did not know anything about men, or what it was like to enjoy making love. The men hurt them the first time because these women did not know better, and I don't want Marilyn to have to do like that. But there is something else, and I am ashamed about it.'
With that, Marlyn stopped speaking, choosing instead to stare at the floor as she started to cry again.
Kelly and I looked at each other, and I indicated to her that I thought she should be the one to speak to Marlyn. She understood that I thought Marlyn would respond better to another woman, instead of me, and quietly asked 'Marlyn, what is it that you are ashamed about?'
Marlyn started crying a little harder, and Kelly told her 'Marlyn, it okay to talk to me. You are my friend, and I care about you. Even if there is something that you are ashamed about, I know that you are still a good person, and I want to help you if you will let me. You know that I would not lie to you, and I will promise you right now that I will not think you are a bad person if you want to tell me what it is that is really bothering you. I care about you, and want only to help you.'
With that, Kelly reached out to take Marlyn's hand in hers, holding it softly in reassurance.
After a bit, Marlyn's crying slackened, and eventually stopped. She'd barely dried her eyes again when she suddenly moved from the chair she was in, to sit next to Kelly, hugging her fiercely. Kelly hugged her back, softly, as
