Ask Me If I'm Ready Pt. 04

Meredith and Jennifer had been dancing for several songs. They weren't hungry, but Meredith wanted to sit for a minute and maybe have something to drink... dancing up a storm was hot and sweaty work. They got two of the free margaritas and were looking around for a table, or at least a lounger they could share. Meredith saw her first, sitting there, not ten feet from them. "Darby?"

Darby was lifting her drink to her lips, and her arm stopped in mid air. "Mom?"

Jake heard Darby, and turned around to look where she was looking. His jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, Jake? What are you doing here?"

Jake was beyond surprised. This was potentially very, very bad. Relax, he told himself. There was nothing wrong with a father being on a cruise with his daughter. "Meredith, same as you, I guess. We're on a cruise."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Jennifer said, "Well, it's not like I'm not enjoying all this awkwardness, but I'm Jennifer, Meredith's friend, and you are?"

Meredith came to herself. "I'm sorry. This is Jennifer, and we're a little more than friends at this point. Jennifer, this is my ex-husband, Jake, and—"

"The wonderful husband you were so awful to?"

Meredith blushed as severely as she'd ever blushed in her life. "Yes, that's the one. And this beautiful young woman is my daughter, Darby."

"She's the daddy's girl who cut off contact with you after you broke her daddy's heart, right? And my name is Jennifer, I just met Meredith this morning, but it turns out we're like soul-mates, so I'll never be without her again. Sorry, sir. You can't have her back."

"Jesus, Jennifer!" Meredith exclaimed.

"Well it's important that we all know who we are to each other. Mind if we join you?"

Jake said, "Uhhhh, sure. Okay."

As they sat down, Jennifer said to Meredith, "You're right. He is quite yummy." Darby slid her chair closer to Jake and touched his leg possessively.

Meredith, still blushing from Jennifer's frankness, ignored that last comment. "So, Jake, are you on the cruise with someone special? Did you ever get re-married? And Darby, are you ready to talk to me again? What's even going on with you? I've missed you so."

Darby replied, "I've been good. But I guess it'll be best if dad fills you in on the details. I wouldn't know where to start." She looked at her dad with her eyebrows up high, silently asking, 'What the fuck are we gonna do?' Jake looked at her with an easy smile that clearly said, 'Don't worry. I got this.'

Jake replied, "Yes, Meredith, I am seeing someone... a very special young lady. In fact, we just got married. Today, actually."

Meredith said, "My goodness! That's wonderful! Well if you got married, I'm sure Nate's here. Nora, too. Where are they? And if you JUST got married where's your new wife? Is it someone I know?"

Jake said, "Yes, Nate and Nora are both on the cruise. Right now, they're in their suite," and he nodded his head in the direction of their suites. The same direction as Jennifer's suite.

Jennifer was thinking... she'd only interacted with the black couple. But she'd seen them with another couple... a black man and a light-skinned black woman, who could be biracial. Maybe...

Darby looked at Jennifer and said, "Hey, aren't you the neighbor lady?"

Jennifer looked closely at Darby. She saw how Darby was sitting next to Jake, so... territorial. Her hand was casually on his leg, and he seemed used to it being there. She was subconsciously leaning in his direction, and he was doing the same. They looked remarkably familiar with each other. The realization hit her: They were talking to Jake's new wife! Jennifer gasped out loud. "What?" asked Meredith.

"Nothing."

"Okay, something's going on, and it feels like I'm the only one not in on the joke. What is it?" demanded Meredith. Nobody said a word. Meredith looked at Jennifer, who motioned her eyes at Jake and Darby. Meredith looked at her ex-husband and daughter again. They looked perfectly normal. Darby was always close to her dad. Okay, maybe a little too close as she got older. She looked a little possessive towards her dad, but that wasn't anything new. Wait, what's that on her..."

"Darby! Is that an engagement ring?!"

Darby held her hand up for her mother to admire. Looking at it, she saw that there was also a wedding band. "You're married?! When did that happen?!"

Darby looked at her father for help. He looked back at her and nodded. "Just today, Mom."

Jake slid his left hand across the table toward Meredith, so she could see his wedding band clearly.

"Why do the bands match?" Meredith sat there silently, putting it all together. Then it was her time to gasp out loud. She looked at Jake with murder in her eyes... "You molested our daughter, you sick, bast—"

"Mom," interrupted Darby, taking Jake's hand, entwining their fingers, "I'm 23 years old. I was 22 when we started. I assure you, there was no molesting going on. Everything, EVERYTHING between us is what I, we both, want."

"That's what I said," muttered Jennifer.

Meredith turned on Jennifer angrily, "WHAT?! You knew about this??!""

"Of course I didn't know about it. I've never met these people in my life before right this minute. But the people next door to me is a black couple, who are, I'm guessing, this Nate and Nora you've mentioned. Oh, there they are now!" she said, pointing. As if on cue, Nate and Nora walked through the doors onto the deck.

Nate was looking for Jake, and there he and Darby were. With, was that MEREDITH? And the neighbor lady?! What the fuck was happening? Nate searched to deck looking for Rod Serling... this HAD to be the Twilight Zone.

"Nate! Nora!" yelled Meredith. They'd been seen. Too late to run. Deep Breath. They walked towards the table.

"Do they know about you two?" Meredith asked Jake.

"They helped us get together," answered Darby as Nate and Nora pulled up two more chairs to the table.

"Somebody had better explain what the fuck is going on," said Meredith through clenched teeth.

Jennifer took Meredith's hands in her own and said, "Meredith from Top Value, you're going to need to breathe, and listen. Fathers and daughters often have a special relationship. They are often very close, and sometimes lines get crossed. I know how easy that can happen."

"You do? How?" asked Meredith, clearly still upset, but at least now willing to listen.

"Because when I was 20, I made a play for my father."

"You slept with your dad?"

"No, he turned me down. And don't say he was noble and he did the right thing. He wasn't and he didn't. He just shut me down and it broke my heart. I hadn't ever gotten over it, not until today. So don't judge, and you need to listen to them. And ask yourself, if everybody's a consenting adult, who are they hurting?"

Jake said, "Meredith, let me tell you what happened. When—"

"No, Daddy. For her to accept it, it should come from me," said Darby. "So after you left, dad was a wreck. He was barely functioning. He really loved you, mom, and you destroyed him. I asked Nora for advice, and she got me to admit that I was actually in love with him, and always had been. She helped me figure out how to convince him that we should be together. It—"

Meredith said, "Wait, YOU had to convince HIM? He didn't go after you?"

"No, mom. Daddy would never have made the first move. That was all me. And even then, it took a fair amount of convincing. But we finally did it. And last month, Daddy figured out a way for us to get married legally, well, as close to legal as we can get. And now here we are."

Meredith looked at Nate and Nora. "And you guys?"

Jennifer blurted out, "Oh, yeah, they're definitely together!"

Meredith, "And just how do you know that?"

"Remember the people Bradford was complaining about? It's these guys! My suite is next door to theirs," indicating Nate and Nora. "Their balcony door is usually open, and let's just say they are very much in love," Jennifer smiled brightly. "Almost as much as us," and she hugged Meredith tightly. Nate and Nora nodded and both held up their left hands to show their new status.

Meredith said, "So you two daughters are now, what, 'daughter-wives'? And what, I'm supposed to be okay with all of this? I mean, this is just not normal. It's crazy."

Jake reached across the table and took Meredith's hand in one hand and Jennifer's hand in the other. "You said you two have unexpectedly found love?" They both nodded. Jake continued, "Just a few years ago, this would have been not only illegal, but the height of scandal. But now, when you go back to work and tell them you fell in love with a woman, what'll happen, Mer?"

"Nothing," she admitted. "No one cares about that anymore."

"See, that's because everyone finally realized that if two women love each other or two men want to be together, who are they hurting? Well these relationships aren't there yet. We're all adults, we love each other and want to be together. Who are we hurting?"

"Then what do you want from me?" asked Meredith.

"Nothing. Just keep our secret. Live your life and be happy and let us do the same."

Jennifer spoke up, "I'll keep your secret. I think this is great!"

Meredith agreed, "I'll keep the secret if you can forgive me for what I did to our family, and if you," she looked at Darby, "can forgive me, too and let me back in your life. Can you both do that?"

Jake said, "When I fell in love with Darby, everything negative that had ever happened was washed away. I'm deliriously happy, and yes, I forgive you."

Darby added, "It's good that we're able to come together again. I'm glad you're not planning on getting us thrown in jail, because who would raise the baby?"

"Baby?! What baby?!"

Nate said, "Oh, they didn't mention that? Nora and Darby are in a competition to see who gets pregnant first. You'll definitely be a grandmother by next Christmas."

Jennifer jumped in with, "Oh hell yeah, you guys are definitely burying the hatchet, because I need to see our kids," she pointed at Meredith and herself, "playing with their kids!" And she pointed at Nora and Darby.

*****

EPILOGUE

Seven Years Later

The two father/daughter marriages are still going strong. Darby, who so desperately wanted to have Jake's babies, gave birth to two healthy little girls. Nate and Nora had a little boy, then a girl. All of their children were healthy, happy, and very much loved. As they grew they all remained great friends. The birthdays of their firstborn are two days apart... Darby won the bet. Everyone agreed that there was no need for the kids to know the WHOLE truth about their parentage. Mom and dad were just mom and dad.

When Nora decided to get her MBA before starting her career, she didn't realize she'd priced herself out of the job market. After looking in vain for two years, Nate suggested she and Darby start their own business. They did just that, and with Darby's marketing skills and Nora's business skills, they launched three lifestyle blogs that attracted advertisers from all over the globe. Money was not an issue for any of the families.

Jennifer did indeed send divorce papers within the week that she got back.

Since she wanted nothing from Brad except her freedom, they were signed and returned within days. Meredith and Jennifer were married in a small private affair at a beach. Both the bridesmaids were seven months pregnant. Meredith's birth family never forgave her for marrying "That Negro," but at least he was a man. Now that she was married to a woman, she was dead to them, and they totally cut her out of their will. They were hoping that she would abandon her godless, liberal, heathen ways and come crawling back for the money. By this time, Meredith Manyfield was the Executive Vice President for Sales for Top Value, so she didn't need anything from them, and as far as she was concerned, they were equally dead to her. Meredith's real family was Jake and Darby, Nate and Nora, her beloved Jennifer, and all their children. She was not able to have more children, so Jennifer carried their son. The couple considered asking Jake or Nate father the child, but they agreed that a biracial child, while not usual by itself, might start people wondering. Their story was pretty solid, but it was probably best not to dare anyone to start pulling at any threads.

Now, on the seventh anniversary of that eventful cruise, the whole family was packed and ready to go again. This time, they would be flying, since this cruise was leaving from Miami. They were going on two back-to-back seven day cruises. The beautiful family was looking forward to the exotic vacation. It was Nate's suggestion that they get an adjoining room for the kids. That way, the parents could, as Nate put it, 'Let that freak flag fly!' Darby was hoping no one would notice her politely declining to drink alcohol. She wanted to surprise her Daddy on the cruise. He might even have to spank her for keeping secrets...