After Coming Home

Char looked at me for a long moment, blinked, and shook her head. "Man, you really are clueless, aren't you? I'm not sure I should even try to help you out here. But you are my brother. Look, Meg has every reason to be gun-shy with you and if she thinks you're jerking her around or playing the field, she's gonna cut bait and go fishing elsewhere. Capisce?"

"I think I get what you're saying. I guess I haven't made things clear to Meg about where we stand, or what I want between the two of us."

"Look, I'm not going to play go between for you two, just talk to her, and get things out in the open. And that's all I'm going to say on this topic. Now go do something productive!" Charlene literally pushed me out the door, laughing all the while.

I got back in my truck and sat there for a minute. Oh, hell, I haven't crashed a party in a few years, why not now?

I knew about where the party was and sure enough, the cluster of cars and trucks at the house on the cul de sac told me what I needed to know.

I walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. Well surprise me. The guy that answered was the same guy I had seen Meg at the movies with earlier in the summer. The gay teacher that I thought was her hot date.

"Uh, I'm Connor, is Meg here?" I stuttered.

"Hey Connor, I'm Chad, nice to meet you, and yes, she is. I've heard a lot about you. Come on in. Right now, she and a bunch of the others are out back in the pool. Care for something to drink?"

"I, uh, Stella Artois if you have one?"

He handed me a cold one and pointed to the back door.

I walked out and there was lots of confusion and bedlam as probably 8 or 9 people were having a splashing contest in the pool. I saw Meg in the pool and damn, she looked good in a bikini. About that time everyone got quiet and turned to look at me. I guess being the stranger and not wearing a bathing suit, I looked a bit out of place. All of a sudden I felt like that guy in an old Western movie that walks into a bar where everything stops.

Meg looked at me and said, "What are you doing here?"

"I came because I figured out that there were still a lot of things unsaid between us, and maybe you needed to hear some of them."

"Well, right now isn't the time, I'm here having fun. Or at least I was. We can talk some other time." I could see Meg was starting to lose her composure. It didn't help that everyone was surreptitiously watching us and pretending they weren't.

I stood there unsure what to do or say.

"Can you please just leave? We can talk some other time if you're not busy!" she snapped.

"Meg, I really think you need to hear what I have to say and if you aren't going to talk to me now, then you leave me no choice." With that, I did something totally out of character. I jumped in the pool, shoes, clothes and all. I did at least set down the Stella first though.

I waded over to Meg, who was staring at me in disbelief. "If we're ever going to figure out what's going on between us, you're going to listen to me. And if you want to say something I'll listen to you, but I'm not leaving yet."

And with that I picked her up, and carried her up the steps out of the pool. I expected her to struggle and put up a fight, but instead I looked at her and saw she was about to cry. She buried her face in my chest and gave a little heave.

I set her down and took her hand and walked over to a corner of the patio and asked her to sit.

"Do you want to tell me the real reason you blew me off today?"

She shook her head and said, "Not really. I was just being over sensitive and letting my feelings get in the way."

She took a deep breath and continued. "I was hoping that things between us were getting to the point that we might actually start up again, but you seemed to be holding back. I told myself to give things time, not to push, and I was doing okay with that until,... until last night. I went with my girlfriend to MCCAINS to go dancing, and saw you with that redhead molded to your body. I just turned around and left."

"And now you're going to think I'm stupid. I should have not let it bother me, but it did. And I didn't know how to tell you without screwing things up between us."

She looked at me and I held up my hand and said, "Stop. Just stop. Things got screwed up between us 3 years ago because of communication issues, only now it's the reverse situation. And that's why I'm here now, so we don't repeat the past."

I sighed. "I'm sorry I crashed the party and ruined your day. And I really need to get out of these wet clothes. I think I should go. We can talk tomorrow."

Meg gave a wan smile and looked at me. "No, I don't want you to go. And I'm sure Chad can loan you some shorts or a bathing suit. Please stay?"

I ended up staying and had a good time. Chad's husband that worked with Char was grilling burgers and dogs, so I pitched in to help. Who says school teachers don't know how to party?!

The party went on into the evening, and showed no sign of letting up when Meg came up to me and put her arms around my neck. "I think I'm ready to go home. Can you give me a ride? Sherry picked me up and drove me here."

I looked at her and every emotion flashed through my mind but the only one that seemed to matter was that I wanted to kiss her. So, I did. She was startled at first and then returned my kiss with ardor. I don't think either of us had made out like that since we were in high school.

We broke apart and I looked at her. She was flushed and almost trembling. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out and she closed her mouth.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Mmmm hmm." She whimpered, and hugged me around the waist. "Can we leave?"

"Yeah. Let me grab my clothes and thank Chad." I made my way outside where everyone was sitting around the fire pit and thanked everyone.

Meg and I walked out to my truck and I helped her in. While she had had a few drinks, I don't think the alcohol was what made her a little wobbly. Maybe it was the electric sensations that seemed to be passing between us.

I started driving and headed for my folk's house. They were away at the lake house for the weekend, so I knew we'd have some privacy. Meg looked at me wondering... she didn't even have to ask where we were going.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. "I haven't been over to your folk's house since you've been home."

"It's going to be okay. And it's going to be just us. Unless you'd prefer I took you home."

She shook her head and hopped down from the truck.

We walked in the house and sat down on the sofa. I turned and faced her. "Meg, I'm sorry for everything. I know I've told you that, and I've explained why, but I am just as much to blame for things, maybe more so. These past few weeks since Keith and Carla's wedding have made me realize that I need you in my life, and I don't want to screw that up. The question is do you still feel the same way?"

Her eyes glistened. She stood up, took my hand, and led me down the hall to the bedroom I'd been sleeping in for the past several weeks. Turning around she pulled her T-shirt off and untied her bikini top, letting it fall to the floor.

"You were the last person I slept with, and that was 3 years ago. There hasn't been anyone else. Regardless of how things end up with us, I want this for tonight." Meg said, and stood there expectantly.

"You know I can't say the same. About being with other people, that is. Is that going to be a problem?" I had no idea where this was going to lead. While I hadn't had too many dates in Argentina, there were a couple that ended up lasting all night.

"Connor, I know you, I know you wouldn't have cheated on me. If you slept with someone or multiple persons after you divorced me, I have no right to complain. And I hope that was good for you. But that was then, right now is about us, and I'm offering myself if you want me." She stood there looking intently at me, almost daring me to... do what?

I grasped Meg's chin and pulled her closer and quickly reached under her butt, scooped her up and put her down on the bed. She didn't move; only laid still looking at me. I slowly removed my shirt, and then my pants, never saying a word, watching her the entire time. God, I wanted her! All of the tension and anxiety I had about coming home had slowly dissipated over the past few weeks, and now all I wanted to do was be with her.

No words were spoken. She stared at me and watched my every move as I slowly undressed. I dropped my clothes where I was standing, and knelt on the bed straddling her. I unsnapped her shorts and slowly pulled first her shorts, and then her bikini bottom down as she raised her butt to assist my efforts.

Her desire for me was pretty evident by how wet her bikini was, and as I moved between her legs and leaned over her, she pulled me closer. I nuzzled her breast and as I grazed her nipple, she shivered.

"Now, please, I want you." She whispered.

Slowly I entered her, feeling her tightness and warmth. We were looking each other in the eyes, never breaking eye contact. I saw a single tear slide down the side of her face as she arched her back and convulsed, once, twice, and then a third prolonged time. That was all I needed to let loose with my own orgasm.

Afterwards we lay there, me with my arms around her and her clasping my arms tight to her chest.

"Do you know how many nights I prayed for this?" she murmured. "I don't know if I ever would have been able to give myself to another man. And I never will.

"Shhh. I think we can put all that behind us now. As mad as I was, and however poorly I reacted, I guess I never really stopped loving you. Lord knows I was all twisted up about coming back home."

We fell asleep there and I don't think either of us stirred until the sun came through the window just before 6am.

I was in the kitchen making breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, juice, coffee, the whole spread. That's when the front door opened and in breezed Charlene. "Hey, I'm in a hurry, Mom said I could borrow her..." and stopped talking as she realized Meg was sitting at the dining room table. And was not dressed in street clothes.

Char looked at me, looked at Meg, who looked at her and smiled. I just stood there watching the two of them.

"Holy shit! There is soooo much I want to say and hear, but I think I just need to get what I came for, and get the hell out of here. Like now. But don't think you're both going to get away without telling me details."

"Bye Charlene," I said. "Love you."

She just shook her head and hurried out the door. Meg started laughing and then so did I.

"Wanna lay odds on which of our friends we're going to hear from first wanting to know if it's true?"

"Nope. But it will be before noon!"

After breakfast we went out back and sat in the sun. "You know, this is going to get complicated," I said. "Your apartment is small, I can't live here with the folks, and I think we still need to take our time to make certain this works."

Meg nodded. "Yeah, I don't want you to feel like we have to jump right into living together. I'm just happy last night happened. But if this is going to become a regular thing, I need to go back on the pill. Last night was okay as it was safe. And I want you to be sure about things. Don't worry about me."

Things were different after that night. No, we didn't move in together; I didn't ask her to marry me and elope.

Instead, we kept talking and actually dating. Making certain that we hadn't changed so much that we couldn't have a lasting relationship. And more importantly, not taking each other for granted or holding things in.

Labor Day weekend came and summer was almost over. We were walking around town, and there was a baseball tournament at the Baseball Field. "Come on." I said, and pulled her into the stadium.

We climbed up into the bleachers where we had sat the night of Keith and Carla's wedding. The same spot we had spent so many days of our youth.

We looked down at the 13-year-old boys playing ball.

"You know I used to wonder what it would be like to watch my kids play ball here where I did. What do you think about that?"

"Uh, I think you need to get married and have a couple of kids if you want to do that!"

That's when I reached in my pocket and pulled out her engagement and wedding rings. Charlene had told me that Meg had kept them in her jewelry box, and the last time I was over at her apartment I had lifted them.

"Well, if you're interested, I think I know how to go about that!" And picked up her hand and slid both rings on.

Meg almost knocked me off the bleachers as hard as she flung her arms around me. "Please tell me you're not teasing me. Is this for real?"

"I smiled and said, "yeah, it's for real. And those are your rings. I want you to wear them again."

We walked back to my folk's place and they could tell right away that something had changed yet again. It must have been the big grins on our faces. I told them I would be moving out and giving them back their privacy.

Being as it was a holiday weekend, we couldn't go to the courthouse to get a license, but neither of us cared. There would be time to make things official. For now, it was just good to feel like my life was back on track.

EPILOGUE

We did get married again a few weeks later. And took a brief honeymoon in Costa Rica where I learned to surf.

Meg's apartment really wasn't big enough for the both of us, but I had an idea. The following spring on one of my drives out in the country I had passed that old rundown house we laughed about years ago. The one that had been restored. Well, it had a FOR SALE sign in the front yard. I had squirreled away quite a bit of money when I was working in Argentina. Enough, that I could put down a decent down payment.

I drove Meg out to see it, and she fell in love with it. The day our offer was accepted I came home and told her, but she had news of her own.

Turns out it had to do with a + sign!