Close knit family

After filing a mental reminder to have a special time with Wendy, too, I started caressing Donna's side, being careful not to tickle her. She released a contented sigh before draping her leg across me — leaving her soft bush pressing against my hip. The two of us lay like that for several minutes, happy to just be next to each other.

I was on the verge of falling asleep when I heard Donna ask me 'Uncle Ted? If I asked you some questions, would you answer them? And tell me the truth, and not just part of it, or some story to make me feel better?'

Surprised by the question, I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I answered 'Yes, dear, I'd answer them. And yes, I'd tell you the truth — all of it. I've never lied to you, and I never will.

If there's something I don't want to answer, I'll say that, not just tell you something to make you be quiet or go away.'

After a moment's silence, she asked me 'How long are you going to be here with us?'

'I don't know, sweetheart. All I can tell you is that I don't have any plans to move, and I like being here with you girls and your mom enough that I don't want to move. But I can't say how long because I honestly don't know what might happen. Sorry.'

She digested that for a bit, then told me 'I guess that's okay. I know you can't promise about anything you're not in charge of, and the other part is good.'

The next thing she asked me stunned me — 'If… if I wanted to — I don't, but if I did — would you… would it be okay if I wanted you to be the one I gave my virginity to?'

I really had to think that one over for a while before I could answer 'IF you showed me that you understood what you were doing, and IF you could prove to me that you were really ready, and IF we could be sure that I wouldn't get you pregnant or hurt you, then I think it would be okay -

at least with me. But that's something a lot more serious that us just making each other feel good, and you and your sisters learning about guys and sex stuff; I expect you mom would have something to say about it.'

Several seconds passed, and I heard Donna ask 'Do you think Mom is pretty? Do you like her?'

That one I could answer right away, and did. 'I think your mom is very pretty, and I like her a lot. Why?'

'I just wondered. We never see you and her kiss, or anything — unless it was after you took her out on her birthday, and you were behind the tree in the yard, where we couldn't see you.', she told me, then blushing furiously when she realized she'd said that she and at least one of her sisters had been watching us, as Teresa had said.

'Just because you and your sisters don't see us kissing doesn't mean that it doesn't happen', I informed her. 'If you're watching us like that, you think we might even be waiting until none of you is around because we don't want you seeing us?', I asked, prompting her to blush again.

It was nearly a full minute until she wanted to know 'Do you think you and Mom might get married?'

I had to think about that one for a moment before I answered 'I suppose that we might, but I don't know that either one of us is looking for it to happen.'

'Why not?'

'Honey, I think you know that it wasn't easy for your mom when your dad left. And I know you understand that it wasn't easy or fun for me when I got divorced. Your mom and me… we've both had a bad experience about being married, and worse ones about how our marriages ended.

I don't know if you can really understand that after what your mom and I have been through, it takes a little while before we're ready to start thinking about maybe trying it again, even if it would be with someone else that we like. I think your mom and me… we're happy with how things are, right now. We like each other, we're friends, we can talk to each other about almost anything, we understand each other… there is a lot of good things happening with us, and I don't know that we're ready to take the chance of giving up the good stuff we have for something that we aren't sure — right now, anyway — would be any better, and might turn out to be as bad as what already happened to us. Your mom might think something else about it, but it isn't something she and I have talked about; I think it's just something that both of us understand, without having to say anything. Things might change so that we did start maybe wanting it to happen, but I can't say.'

She considered that in silence for a while; the next thing she wanted to know was 'Uncle Ted, do you want to do stuff with me and Karen and Wendy? More than we already have, even?'

I wasn't happy that she'd asked the question, but I'd told her that I'd answer her questions and tell her the truth; so after thinking a moment about how and what I wanted to say, I answered 'That's a tough question for me to answer, honey, because I have to try to explain some things.'

I moved my head to look at her, and saw that she was patiently waiting for me to continue. I did, by saying 'Something that I have to explain is that there is a part of people that is kind of left over from before we were actually human beings — it goes all the way back to when we were still animals, even. What it is, is different for women and men, too. You know how you feel when you get close to a baby?' I felt her nod, and continued 'That's part of it, for women. It's something that's buried so deep in your brains, and what makes you human, that it takes something really, really big to change it. The next time you're around a baby, if you'll try to see if you can feel any different about it, I think you'll understand just how much a part of you something like that is. That's not the only thing, of course — there are a whole BUNCH of things like that that are just part of being a female human being; you couldn't change them any more than you could grow feathers, instead of hair.'

Taking a breath, I went on 'There are things like that about being a guy, too. Depending on the guy, those things might show up in different ways, but still be trying to make us do something left over from when we were animals, or even cavemen. One of them is that there's just something in us that makes us want to be with different women; kind of like the way you see one male deer that has a bunch of females — it's just Nature telling us to try and make sure we don't run out of people. But because we aren't animals or cavemen any more, most men try to put that part away, and be married to just one woman. Something else that's in a guy's brain is for him to want to make babies with younger females — they're probably healthier, and able to take care of babies better. Since I got here, that part of my brain has kind of woken up, and sometimes I think about how nice it would be to do sex things with you and your sisters. But because I'm not a caveman, I can choose whether or not to listen to that part of my brain.'

I felt her nod again before I continued 'Because you and your sisters ARE growing boobs and all that, there's a little part of me that wants to have sex with you — that old caveman part of my brain sees you and your sisters, and thinks of you as young females that could make babies, and wants that to happen. But the part of me that isn't a caveman knows that you aren't actually old enough yet — even though you could make a baby if you had sex while you were having your period, it wouldn't be a good idea if that actually happened. So what I've been doing with the three of you has been kind of like I've been letting the caveman out, but only a little bit, so that the civilized part of my brain can make sure nothing bad happens. So the only way I can answer your question is to tell you 'sort of' — there's a small part of me that wants to have sex with you and try to make lots of babies; then there's the way bigger part that loves you, and doesn't want you to be hurt, and all that. That old caveman part of my brain sees how young and pretty and everything that you and your sisters are, and wants to do things with you. Then there's the new civilized part of my brain that knows that what the caveman part wants isn't good for you, and because the civilized part is bigger, it's able to keep the caveman part from hurting you. When you and your sisters come to me, then what you're doing is telling the new part of my brain that it's okay to let the OLD part out a little bit — which makes the old part of my brain happy, without making the new part UNhappy. You understand what I'm saying?'

I was pleased when, several seconds later, she told me 'Yeah, I do. What you said, it made me understand something about ME. Sometimes, when I see a really cute guy, or one with lots of muscles, I feel like I want to have babies with him. That part you said about the male deer made me remember a science program I saw one time, and they said that the female deer were looking for a male that would make good, strong babies — and I realized that when I see a guy that I feel like I want to have a baby with, I'm doing the same thing the female deer is. Except that I never understood why I would feel like that, when I'm not a deer; but when you told me that there's parts of our brains that are left over from being cavemen, and even animals, then I knew what was happening, and why. I know that I can't stop feeling the way I do when that happens, so there's nothing for me to be upset about when it happens for you. And I know that the civilized part of your brain is in charge, because you have never ever done or said anything to hurt me that way. I guess if I want to do things with you, then I'm letting out the cave woman that's in MY brain so she can make the caveman in your brain happy — and that's okay, because the new parts of our brains are still in charge.'