Time Once More for Marilyn

Jane blanched at this tirade. "You are very opinionated for someone who has nothing to do with this."

I jumped in. "Wrong! The Court released Sarah into both our custody. I as her father and Marilyn as step-mother. She has as much to do with this as anyone else. Your inability to see the truth is alarming. You are much the same as your mother, who God knows would only see what she wanted to see and would adjust the facts for her convenience. Jane, thank you for your apology, but I am afraid that it means little if you are prepared to place our daughter in harm's way. You want to see Sarah? Go to Court and ask them to sanction it. I will not agree unless they order it so. And don't forget your daughter is now fourteen and the Court will listen to her."

The proceedings were interrupted by a cheery call from the lounge as Sarah arrived home. "Hello Mum." From where she was sitting Jane could not see Sarah and presumably Sarah could not know that her mother was here. She would only be able to see Marilyn. Jane's face was a picture as Sarah came out.

"Hi Dad." Then she saw who else was there. "Oh!"

"Hello Sarah." Said Jane. She went to get up, presumably to hug Sarah, but stopped when Sarah said.

"Hello Mother."

"It's Mum." Jane said.

Sarah shook her head. "You are my mother, but Marilyn is mum." Jane crumpled. Marilyn who a few moments ago was prepared to tear her limb from limb went across and comforted her.

Minutes later Jane looked up at Sarah her face streaked with the tracks of her tears. "I am your mum."

"Perhaps you haven't noticed that I have grown up. Who was it who explained all about periods to me, bought me pads and made sure that I knew how to cope with them. Marilyn! Who took me to get me my first bra? Marilyn! Who listened to me when I was frightened when your husband touched me? Not you mother, nor grandmother, who just told me I was a horrible deceitful girl who had made it all up. Neither of you who I could expect to listen to me, but Marilyn did, and she and dad did something about it. She is the closest person to a mum that I have." Jane's tears dripped down her cheeks. She pulled out a tissue and wiped them away. She got up and muttered "I'm sorry." and left. Marilyn followed her out to make sure she was alright.

I remonstrated with Sarah. "That wasn't very nice, Sarah. You knew your mother was here, didn't you?"

"Yes. I saw her car outside. I know dad. Shall I go after her and say sorry?"

I nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

They seemed to be taking some time, so I got up and went through the lounge to look out of the front windows. Jane had opened her car door but hadn't got in. Marilyn was talking to her and Sarah was holding Jane's hand. Finally they seemed to have reached a conclusion and Marilyn with one last touch on Jane's arm left Sarah and her mother together. She came to join me.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. She has calmed down now. Sarah is talking with her. It's a bit traumatic when you have to face the fact that your mother is a lying, deceitful bitch, and that your husband is a sexual predator. She honestly believed that the whole thing about Sarah and Roger was made up. Now she knows the truth, and it isn't pleasant."

"No. I don't suppose it is. Should I go and talk with her?"

"I think that would be good. Let her know that you don't hold her personally responsible for how her mother acted."

Sarah and Jane were hugging each other when I approached them. Jane looked haunted and held out an arm to take my hand. Tears poured down her cheeks. "Dal. I am so sorry, so very sorry. I didn't know what was going on, and mum told me that Sarah was making it all up as she was jealous of Roger taking my time."

What do you say? It wasn't the time for crowing, telling someone that you were right all along. Particularly when the one person who you would believe had your daughter's interests at heart, turns out to be an evil bitch. "Come back inside. We'll have a cup of tea, or perhaps you would want something stronger, and you can wash your face."

Jane nodded and gave me a watery smile. "I'll pass on the something stronger, but I would like to repair my face."

Sarah grabbed her hand. "Come on mum. I'll show you where the bathroom is."

I went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Marilyn joined me setting a tray for the cups and saucers.

"Sarah should see her mum from time to time." She told me.

"Yes." I agreed. "But if there is any chance that he will be there, then the answer is over my dead body."

"I don't think that Jane would consider that at all."

"Do you think she will leave him?" I speculated.

Marilyn shook her head. "No. She really loves him"

I thought about this and came to the conclusion that Marilyn was right. Jane had been with him for quite a few years now. I couldn't know how long she had been sleeping with him before we divorced, but I suspected that it was a long-term affair. It had culminated in their getting married, so it would appear that they were committed to each other. It was entirely possible that Jane would soon forget what he tried to do. I tried to explain my thoughts to Marilyn. She understood my reasoning but didn't agree with it. The kettle was just starting to boil when she came up behind me and circled me with her arms.

Sarah returned alone, catching Marilyn hugging me. "Oh you two! Grow up will you?" We all laughed. "My mother has gone. She said she had embarrassed herself too much today already." She hesitated before asking a question. "Dad, I would like to see her from time to time, but I don't want to have any contact with him. Mother suggested that if she came down occasionally we could spend time together. Would you be upset about that?"

I wasn't too surprised. I had already envisaged something like that. "I have no problem with that." I turned to Marilyn. "What do you think?"

Marilyn's eyes thanked me for including her. "Sarah, she is your mother and you should see her, so phone her soon and tell her yes. We can make the arrangements when she can get down here." Then Marilyn's 'mum' role came to the fore. "You are still in your school uniform. Are you getting to like it?" Sarah pulled a face. She wore her uniform with an ill-grace preferring the ubiquitous fashion that all young girls affected now of jeans and a T shirt, so she went off to change.

Marilyn took the opportunity to pass on something she had gleaned from Jane. "From what Jane said it would appear the she has known Roger far longer than you thought."

"Oh?" Marilyn nodded. "Well, do let on." I encouraged her.

"I gather that they were friends from their early teens. Your ex mother in law always thought that they would marry."

I poured tea whilst I thought about that. "That could explain a lot."

Marilyn seemed in agreement. "Are you thinking what I am thinking, or just thinking?" She asked.

"We are probably going down the same road. They were friends from their teens, possibly in love. Yet Jane for whatever reason gets herself pregnant and marries the father, me."

"Was Jane a virgin?" I nodded. Marilyn thought and then took my hypothesis further. "They meet again and become lovers, but she is married with a child. He has been denied that which he thought he would always get. Her virginity. And that is very important to some men. The understanding that no man has trespassed on what they see as their territory."

"Exactly." I hypothesized. "So when they do marry, he becomes fixated on the child who is almost a photo copy of the mother when she was young."

Marilyn was nodding her head and then said what I thought. "You can understand that. He is living with the woman he loves, yet the reincarnation of the young Jane is there every day to torment him. A virgin reincarnation to remind him of what he missed. The poor Bugger!" She hesitated a little. "He's still a bastard even so."

I was sipping my tea when Marilyn asked me a question that had me catch my breath. "Didn't it upset you that someone else took my virginity?"

I hadn't actually thought about that. I had to be honest with her. "I haven't thought about it, with twenty odd years between our first meeting and getting together again it would be unusual for you to still be a virgin, after all you are too much a catch not to attract attention. I had no thoughts of doing that when we first met. Just touching your breasts was as far as my ambitions went then. When we met again it was understood that as we had both been married then it followed that neither of us were virgins. That was in our pasts. In retrospect any upset would have been that we didn't find each other again."

She smiled. "That's my Dal. Turns an explanation into a positive. No wonder I love you so much. "She came close and held me."You have my little lady and my mouth. There is one virginity left." She whispered. "You can have that." I knew what she referred to and I have to say that the perversity did engage my loins pleasantly. She felt it and rubbed her belly sensuously against me. "I'll take that as a yes, shall I?"

"I would be less of a man to turn that down."

"Good. Perhaps we can schedule that for the future."

"The future! Why?"

Before she could answer Sarah came into the kitchen now in her jeans and T shirt. "Oh God! You two at it again?"

Marilyn laughed. "You'll learn, Sarah." She held out her arm to Sarah. "Come here, I have something to tell your dad so you may as well hear it at the same time." I was agog with curiosity. Sarah joined us. "I'm actually quite surprised, but it seems I am pregnant."

There was silence for a moment, and then Sarah cried. "Wheeeee! Fantastic." I was speechless just standing there with a silly grin on my face.

Yes. Nineteen fifty seven was a very good year, so was nineteen seventy six, and it looks as if nineteen eighty is going to be good too.

THE END