Oh My God, It's You

We had only just finished our dinner when there was a knock on the door. Dad went to answer it and returned with Stephanie's parents. "Hi Michael, how are you?" Her father asked.

"Fine thank you, and you?"

"That all depends on what happens tonight." Her mother said. "If I may? I have given this problem a great deal of thought. Stephanie, for a while there I despaired of you. We put you through what we thought was the best school, and encouraged you to make friends as well as get good grades, and you didn't disappoint us. But let me tell you, some of your friends were not what we had hoped that they'd be, and you were in danger of becoming one of them. Then you became friendly with Michael here, and we were pleased, he's a good boy, and a credit to his parents."

"We've known for some time that he was very intelligent, and had aspirations of becoming a doctor, but what really defined him in our eyes was what he did after his father's accident. He put his studies on hold and stepped into the breach. None of the young men that you were friends with would have done that. Any thoughts that we had that he would not be a suitable young man for you were set aside because of that, and we were actually pleased that you and he became friends, and when you, without asking us, began to work with him, we thought that this would be a perfect relationship for you."

"You didn't know much about his father but we couldn't have asked for a better gardener." Her father explained. "When he first applied for the job we thought that he was over-qualified and just looking for a fill in position until a better job came up. But he surprised us by staying on. As he told us, his previous position was tenuous, relying on government funding to continue, and that a job that paid less but was constant was a better prospect, and one that he enjoyed doing and to which he could apply some of the things that he had learned, was a bonus. Both Ben and Michael have shown qualities that we respect."

"But then something happened," her mother said, 'we couldn't understand what it was, and the friendship cooled to freezing point. When Ben returned to work Michael scaled back on his involvement, and this we couldn't understand. What had happened between you? That was what I asked Ben, and slowly the story emerged. Michael didn't want to talk about it, but it was obvious that he was hurt by something that had happened. You wouldn't talk about it, so we asked around and found the answer. It was all about trust. Your friend Jenny eventually admitted that she and Michael had not had sex, but you had trusted her because you had known her for years and, as far as you knew, she had always told the truth. While Michael, on the other hand was new to you and, you were unsure of him and whether you could trust him, after all, the boys that you knew were hardly trustworthy, always bragging about their conquests. How am I doing so far?"

"Pretty close." Stephanie said.

"You had a blazing row with Jenny a couple of weeks ago, after she told you the truth, at our insistence. You came to realise your true feelings for Michael, but you didn't know what to do about it. If you hadn't bumped into Michael at Uni this morning we would have had to come up with a plan. The pool is pretty grungy by the way, and needs cleaning badly."

"I'll come over and do it on Saturday, if that's okay." I said.

"It'll be more than okay." Stephanie said. "And you can help me move my things over here."

"Hold on young lady, we haven't given our approval."

"But you're going to, aren't you, why else would you come here tonight?"

"If I might have a word." Mum said. "As the one who is going to be closest to this decision, I have to say this, six months ago there would have been no way that this was ever going to happen. Three months ago I would have thought about it and probably given my approval. A month ago I would have said no, for obvious reasons. But now, I will give my approval on the understanding that, if Michael and Stephanie are going to live here, it will be on their promise that they will help me when and where I need it. I realise that they are both students and will need to study. If they organise their study schedules effectively and help each other, this will not be a problem. If they slacken off, and don't to their study assignments, and help me, then we have a problem. What happens next is up to them. Do the two of you promise to live under those guidelines?"

"Yes." It was with one voice that we answered.

"Stephanie, you can move in whenever you like."

Stephanie knelt at Mum's wheelchair, "Thank you so much," There was a pause during which she looked at both her parents, her mother nodded. "Mum, I can call you that, can't I?"

"Of course you can, dear." They kissed to seal the deal.

What happened next, happened so quickly. The conversation began with our plans for Steph to move in with me and Mum and Dad. Once the details were finalised, we talked about everything that families talk about, until her parents had to leave. "Are you coming with us Stephanie?"

"I would prefer to stay here, if that's okay."

"That's fine with us." Mum said.

"I'll see you Saturday then." Stephanie said, "When I come over with Michael to clean the pool."

"Michael?" We were in bed.

"Yes?" I was fondling those magnificent breasts that I applied sunblock to all those months ago.

"Why is your mother in that Wheelchair?"

"It was the same accident that injured Dad. They were in a local park discussing that tree with the Council Arborist. Dad had written to them telling them that the Red Gums in that park were dangerous when they were under stress, and when that happened, they were inclined to drop large branches. He heard the crack as it let go, and almost pushed Mother clear. The branch broke and this smashed his shoulder, and caused him serious head injuries, and it also badly crushed Mother's legs. She probably would have been killed if he hadn't pushed her out of the way. The Arborist was standing just over a metre away from them and sustained no injuries. The Council is reviewing its blanket 'no tree felling' policy in the light of what happened. They will also be liable for a fairly substantial compensation payout."

"I understand so much more about you and what makes you tick. You have a wonderful family Michael, and one that I would be honoured to become a part of." She kissed me.

"Your family are pretty good, they've done a good job with you, apart from a minor hiccup here and there. I can live with that." We kissed and somewhere in the immediate future we became lovers.

"I'm going to have to wash these sheets before your mother finds them." I heard Stephanie say as we came down from the first time for both of us.

"I think that she pretty much knows what is happening, she won't mind."

"She's amazing, isn't she?"

"I think so." I said as I held her to me. This was exactly how I dreamed it would be.

"How are the lovebirds this morning?" Dad said as we made an appearance for breakfast.

"Fine, better than fine." Stephanie said as we sat. "Although the bed is a little cosy. I have a bigger bed, do you mind if I bring it over." She was asking them if they objected to us becoming lovers.

"No, in fact I'll give you a hand to move it. I assume that it can wait until Saturday, I don't want us going over there when they're at work and taking all your stuff. They deserve to know what is happening."

"That would be good. Would you both like to come over, we can organise a barbeque?"

"If your parents don't mind, that would be great." Mum said.

"Great, I'll call them soon, they'll only now be getting out of bed."

It was arranged. Stephanie and I left for our various classes, we would meet for lunch and come home together.

Saturday arrived like most other Saturdays at that time of the year and in this part of the world. It was warm to hot, mid-thirties Celsius and around ninety percent humidity. Stephanie and I cleaned the pool and its surrounds in preparation for the barbeques. Then I helped Dad dismantle her bed and load it onto the trailer that he'd brought with us.

Stephanie had a phone call that upset her. "Jenny wants to come and see me. I told her that might be uncomfortable, but she insisted. I then told her that you were here." She looked at me when she said this. "But that made her even more determined to come. If you don't want her here, I'll call her back and tell her not to come."

"It seems to be important to her, we have no objections." Mum said.

The first person that she approached when she arrived was me. "Michael, what I did to you and Steph was unforgivable, but I'm asking you to forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt either of you, you'll have to believe me on that. It's just that I was hurt myself and wanted to take it out on someone who had their future in order. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, but that's only because Steph and I are together now, and very much in love. I'll probably never understand the full reasons why you did what you did, but you're forgiven."

"Thank you for that. Steph, can we have a word, in private?"

"Sure, come to my room, better yet the living room, there's no furniture in my room."

They left, only to return some ten minutes later. "Mum, both of you, and both Dads, Jenny has a problem. I've convinced her to tell us about it because, together we might be able to find a solution." She turned to Jenny. "Tell them what you've just told me."

"I'm pregnant, that's the simple part. The hard part is that I don't know who the father is. You see, I've been seeing Paul from school for the past six months. At around the same time that Michael and Steph here got together, we had an argument and I was really angry. My parents sent me to stay with my aunt and uncle on their property. Well," She paused as if trying to decide whether to go on with her story or not. "I was out riding a horse in the paddock a couple of kilometres from the homestead and I'd stopped at the creek to let the horse have a drink and cool off myself. I had stripped down to my panties and was splashing in the creek when I noticed Uncle Pete standing behind a tree watching me. I sat down in the water to cover my boobs, hoping that he'd go away, but he didn't. He stripped off and came into the creek."

She paused and looked at each of us to gauge if we were shocked by her revelation. "He waded over to me. 'You have a good body, haven't you?' I told him to leave me alone, but he didn't. 'I bet you have all the boys wanting to get into your pants, am I right?' He reached out and touched my face. 'I have been watching you grow up and thinking what it would be like to make love to you.' I told him that I would tell Aunty Barbara what he was doing but he just laughed at me. 'She's given up trying to keep me for herself, so now she spreads it around amongst our friends, we are a friendly community around here. How would you like to live in a friendly community?' I told him that I wouldn't."

"He stood there in the water up to the tops of his legs and he was stroking his cock, right in front of my face. 'Wouldn't you like to suck this?' I told him that I didn't want to, but he pushed his cock into my mouth, I nearly choked. He lifted me up and began to fondle me down there. I tried to push him away, but he kept on. In the end I gave in to him and let him make love to me. I don't know whether the father of the baby inside me is Paul or Uncle Pete. I don't know what to do."

"Do you want to keep this baby?" Mum asked.

Jenny looked at her as if to say 'who are you and what business is it of yours what I want.' Then she relaxed when she saw the caring expression on the face of this woman that she didn't know.

"I don't know. I suppose that if I decide to keep it I'll have to care for it and I don't know whether I can do that. If I decide to have an abortion, who is going to pay for it? Mum and Dad have both said that it was my decision to have sex, and I have to face the consequences of that decision. But I didn't really want to have sex with Uncle Pete. Paul was different, at least I thought so, I thought that he loved me, at least that's what he told me, but as soon as we had sex he didn't want to speak to me, and now he's with Michele. I looked at you Steph, and how happy you were with Michael and I was jealous of you. I wanted to punish Michael because he was a man like Paul and Uncle Pete, and I wanted to punish you for being happy. That's why I told those lies to you, and I'm really sorry for that."

"I can help you." Mum had taken over the conversation. "Before I ended up here in this contraption, I was a Women's Health Professional, and trained in advising girls in this very situation. There's nothing that we can do about it today, but why don't you come over on Monday morning and I'll help as much as I can. As for this afternoon, we have something of a celebration, Stephanie and Michael have moved to the next level with their relationship, and if I might add, they have done it in a very mature manner."

"No way, after what I put the two of you through, you still want each other?" Jenny was surprised. "I knew that my view of boy and girl type relationships was a little arse up, but you guys are perfect for each other, and I'm pleased that you didn't let me screw it up for you."

It turned out to be a good afternoon for all of us, Steph and I were the first to dive into the newly pristine pool, closely followed by Jenny in a swimsuit borrowed from Steph, not the one that she wore that first time, we were keeping that for private occasions. Steph's parents followed not long after us and then Mum in a swimsuit borrowed from Steph's mother. "I might not have use of my legs, but I can still float and drag myself around by flapping my arms, so why shouldn't I enjoy myself?" Enjoy herself she did. Dad even dived in and swam close to Mum all the time that she was in the pool. After an hour he and I helped her out of the water and into her chair. Steph's dad had cranked up the barbeque and was standing ready to put the chops and sausages onto the hot plate. Steph surprised her mother by taking over the salad preparation, something that a crash course with Mum had prepared her for.

It was late when we drove home, dropping Jenny off on the way. "So you're staying at Michael's place now?" She asked. "Are you, you know?"

"They are with our blessing and with full protection." Mum said.

"I must get me some of that, not that I'll need it for a while, I've sworn off men."

"For how long?" Steph asked. "Knowing you as well as I do, I'd give you a week, tops."

Jenny came around on Monday morning to see Mum. "If what you told us on Saturday is true, you could have your uncle charged with rape, at the very least with sexual assault."

"But he's my uncle, I couldn't do that."

"He may be your uncle, but he has used his position to, I won't say force, encourage you to have sex with him, and in the eyes of the law, that is sexual assault."

"I still can't do it. I won't do it."

"What about the other boy, what was his name, Paul wasn't it? Did he force you in any way, even if he asked you to do it because all his friends were doing it, and he didn't want to feel different from them?"

"No, it was nothing like that. I was flirting with him, I'm good at that, and next thing I knew was, that it had gone beyond the point of no return, and we were having sex. I can't say that we were making love, like I'm sure that Steph and Michael are, no there was no force involved, I wanted it. Then the bastard dumps me for some little blonde tart, he told me that she was better than me. That was what the blazing row was about, how dare he say that to me! The boys that I've had before have all told me that there was no-one better than me."

"You should be careful with flirting, some boys will take it as an invitation to fuck."

"Yeah, I sort of got that impression with him."

"How do you think your uncle would take it if you told him that you were pregnant and that he is the father, and unless he coughs up for the termination, you'll inform your aunt. Chances are that she is not as liberal as he has led you to believe and will have his guts for garters if she finds out."

"He told me that she's been spreading it around, but knowing what I know now, he was probably just saying that so I'd think that it was okay to have sex with him."

"I'll call my old work and arrange for you to have an appointment with one of the Counsellors, that's the first stage in this process. You have to be assessed by a competent professional to determine if you are in risk of psychological or physical danger if there is no termination of this pregnancy. After the termination, we will arrange for you to go on the pill, unless there is some religious reason for you not to take the contraceptive pill, that is."

"No, there's nothing like that in my family."

Mum made the call, a direct line to one of her friends and co-workers. An appointment was arranged for Wednesday and the operation took place the following week.

Things are now looking good for me, I have the most amazing girlfriend who makes no attempt to fake her love for me, and who even helps me help Dad when we can during Uni vacations. Her parents were at first surprised at her practicality, and have relented and allowed her to change her degree course to Automotive Design. She has consistently been getting better grades than her male fellow students. My studies are progressing very well and I'm going to specialise in Orthopaedics, given that both Mum and Dad will be in need of my services, probably for the rest of their lives.

Mum has returned to work, and she's happier than she has been for some time. The compensation payout from the council was adequate. The council's legal officers were surprised that she hadn't negotiated for a much higher amount. But, as she put it, she only wanted enough to cover the medical and rehab costs needed to enable her to return to work.

Dad is coping with the constant low level pain from his rotator cuff tendon. While he can cope with it, the pain, he's not even thinking about the operation. I have spoken to the best 'Orthopods' at the hospital and they all say the same thing, that unless he can no longer stand the pain, the risks involved in that particular operation are not worth it, the risk of him being in greater pain than he is now is just not acceptable.

Jenny held off longer than Stephanie had predicted, all of a month. She has now found a boyfriend who cares for her, and who doesn't think with his dick, her words, not mine. We've met him, and have been on dates with them and we both like him. He's at Uni studying Engineering, and he and Steph have interesting conversation. On certain topics they have agreed to disagree. Jenny says that she really loves him, but we remain sceptical, for while it looks that way, she has said that before.

Steph and I spend at least one night a week at her place. We have a standing dinner invitation, and are allowed to stay the night and spend it in the guest's bedroom and bed. They keep telling us how pleased they are that we finally got it together, both of them have taken to calling me 'Son', but I can't bring myself to calling them 'Mum' or 'Dad'. It's just me I guess, because Steph has no problem with calling my parents that.

If life could get any better than this, I'd like to see it.