Best Spring Ever Ch. 11 - Epilogue

Both parents started to speak to their daughters. "Stop!" Lina snapped. "You don't need to talk to us. You need to talk to each other."

Lina and Gretchen walked out the front door and drove away. Hilda's hand went to her mouth and she started crying. Richard rubbed a tear from his eye as he watched her. She got up and went back out to the porch.

When the girls arrived to pick up Debi they were greeted at the door by Julia.

"Why have you been crying?" she asked.

"Mom and Dad are falling apart," Lina said.

"Let's sit down and talk about this, okay?"

Both girls nodded and sat at the kitchen table. Debi joined them. Lina and Gretchen told her what had been going on at the house, from the first night, when their father had gotten upset about the cum comments, to this evening. After getting everything off their chests they were feeling better. She reassured them and told them she would be going over later to talk with their parents and not to worry. By the time they left for the cabin they were laughing and ready for a fun week.

Julia called Hilda on the phone.

"Hi Julia."

"Hi there. Are you and Richard at home?"

"Yes," Hilda replied.

"Stay there. I'm coming over."

Julia ended the call then went to her office and picked up a riding crop. She went to her car and drove to their house. When she rang the bell, Richard opened the door. She pointed the riding crop at him and then at the couch.

"Sit! Where's Hilda?"

"Back porch," he replied.

"I said sit!" she ordered. Richard hesitated. "Richard, you have two choices. You can sit on the couch and talk to me and your wife or you can talk to Mistress J. Take your pick," she said, waving the crop in front of his face. Richard turned and walked to the couch.

Julia walked to the back door and to Hilda. "Inside, on the couch, now!" she ordered. Hilda came inside and sat on the couch, a comfortable distance from her husband. Julia followed her to the living room and held up the riding crop. "Am I going to need this?" Both shook their heads no. "Richard, Hilda, I have a problem. Your daughters just left my house with my daughter for a week at your cabin. They'd been crying. It seems their parents are acting like a couple of children and the girls are afraid they're on the verge of losing their loving family. Since I care deeply about those two girls, and their parents, I've decided we need to address the problem. From what the girls told me it began about two weeks ago after some remarks about cum. I suspect the problem existed before that, but let's start there anyway. Richard, you have the floor."

Richard looked down and didn't speak. Julia smacked the crop on the cushion next to him.

"The night of the cum remarks wasn't where it started, but it was the first time I said anything about it," Richard said.

"What were the cum remarks" Julia asked.

"One of the girls said I taste like vitamins and the other complained that my cum tasted like gin."

"Richard, Lina said that when you drink gin, she could taste it in your cum. She didn't complain about it. It was nothing more than an observation. No one 'complained' about the vitamin taste either," Hilda said. "I think what set you off was when I tried to kiss you after sucking Dennis. It wasn't meant as an assault on your ego or to 'cuckold' you. I apologized and brushed my teeth immediately."

"Cuckold? Where the hell did that come from?" Julia asked.

"Richard told me that night that I had turned him into a cuckold," Hilda replied, angrily.

"That's not what I said. I said, I was devastated when I realized I was a cuckold," Richard replied.

"BULL SHIT!!! Your exact words were, 'It's embarrassing and emotionally devastating when you realize you've been turned into a cuckold by your wife.' I'll remember those words until my dying day." Hilda began sobbing.

"Richard, you've put your foot in it a few times since I've known you, but if that's what you said, you should get your ass beat by your mother. That was stupid, heartless, and a lie. Not counting your wife, how many women have you been with since the first time with Dennis and Debi at the cabin?"

"Five."

"How many men, besides you, has Hilda been with?"

"One."

"So, if anyone has been cuckold, it's Hilda, not you. Whose idea was it for Hilda and Dennis to get together the first time?"

"Mine," he replied.

"And who gave the approval for further get togethers between the two?"

"We both agreed."

"Let's say you hadn't agreed. Would Hilda have ever been with Dennis a second time?"

"No, not without my consent."

"So, it was your consent that cuckolded Hilda, wasn't it?" You encouraged them, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Richard, you aren't a cuckold. You're a voyeur. You enjoy watching. It really gets your motor running. Am I right?"

"Yes, I think that's why I went a bit off the deep end with the video thing earlier."

"I'm sure it is. We'll get back to that. Your accusation of cuckolding was totally out of line. Hilda is one of the most loving people I've ever met, and you stomped on her heart. If you'd said that to me, I would have told you to go fuck yourself and walked out the door for good. You'll be eating those words for a long time. I wish you luck. Hilda, when he said that, how did it make you feel?"

Hilda started crying again. They both waited on her. "I was crushed. I'd never do that to you, Richard. I'd rather die than have you think so little of me."

"Hilda, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said it. I'd give anything to take it back. I love you so much." Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he spoke. Hilda didn't look at him or respond, other than to draw her knees up to her chest.

"Hilda, after he said it, what did you do?"

"I denied it. Then I told him that I wasn't having sex with anyone anymore except him."

"Why'd you do that?"

"To show him that it was only him I was committed to."

"That was two weeks ago. Who have you had sex with since?"

"No one."

"And you, Richard?" Julia asked.

"No one."

"Let's get back to the voyeurism for a moment. Richard, what is it you like most about watching?"

"People I care about being pleasured."

"But isn't it more exciting watching the people you 'love' being pleasured; Hilda, Gretchen, Lina?"

"Yes, I enjoy it all, but those three are over the top. Hilda especially. Watching her have an orgasm is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Watching her is better than causing it yourself?"

"Oh no. Causing it takes it off the scale."

"Richard, you came to see me about a month ago. Can we talk about that? I think it's important."

"Yes, I have no problem with that."

"Why did you come to me?"

"I was having trouble getting erections if I wasn't watching Hilda with Dennis."

"Who did you have an erection problem with?"

"Once with Lina and once with Gretchen."

"Not with Debi?"

"After failing with the girls, I didn't approach Debi."

"Did you try with Hilda?"

"No."

"Do you wake up in the morning with an erection?"

"Yes."

"Being able to get morning wood tells us that this isn't a physical problem. So, after only two failed erections, you diagnosed yourself as a cuckold, and tossed the blame on Hilda?"

"Yes. So, what happened with Lina and Gretchen?" he asked.

"Probably what happens to all men at one time or another. It happens. Your ego is what turned it into a major event. Richard how often do you cum?"

"Once or twice a day until a couple of weeks ago. On weekends, it was more."

"Most men in their early forties cum two to four times a week," Julia pointed out. "Think possibly your dick just needed a day off? You two have a lot to work on. You've been married for over twenty years and know how to solve problems together. Richard, have you ever watched Hilda make love?"

"Lots of times."

"Was it sex or making love?" Julia asked.

"Sex, except when the two of you were together that first time. That was definitely making love."

"Have you ever seen her make love with Dennis?"

"No, just sex."

"When she and Dennis came back from Indy, after their overnighter, I was invited to join them here at the house."

"Yes, Hilda told me about that."

"I got to see them make love that evening. It was a beautiful thing. Dennis and Hilda love each other. He's no threat to you, and never will be, but if you weren't in the picture, they'd be together full time. Hilda loves you enough to give him up, and he loves her enough to accept it. You need to fix what's been broken here in your relationship with Hilda. Once you've done that, maybe together you can fix the rest of the mess."

"Hilda has his number. After she and I talk we'll call him."

"No, you won't. He changed his number before he left and doesn't want it given out."

"Left? When? Where?" Hilda asked.

"A few hours after you broke things off with him. I haven't spoken to him. Debi got a call a few days ago from somewhere in West Texas."

"Oh, God. What have I done? When will he be back?"

"Before school starts, probably. Hilda, Dennis knew before going into this where he fit in the scheme of things. He'll work this out. You two need to do that too. I love you both, and so do a lot of other people. Put your marriage back together."

Julia hugged each, and after kisses on the cheek she left. She felt good that Hilda and Richard could get back on track now. She wasn't quite so sure about Dennis.

*****

Julia had come over on Friday evening, so Hilda and Richard had the weekend alone to work on their marriage. It was Sunday before they were intimate again, and by Monday, things seemed to be back to normal. They weren't, but outwardly they appeared to be. Hilda was still hurting from the cuckold accusation and Richard knew it.

Hilda visited the girls at the lake that week. Debi and Lina were making love when she arrived, and she declined an invitation to join them. Her daughters were thrilled when she told them about the progress she and Richard were making.

"Have you heard from Dennis?" Hilda asked Debi.

"He's in Arizona today and is planning to spend the night on the beach in California tonight. From there he's heading up the coast."

"Is he alright?"

"He's keeping things together. I don't know what else to tell you. He won't talk about it, but I know he's hurting."

"When you talk to him again, will you tell him I'm sorry?"

"You'll see him again, one of these days. You need to tell him that yourself."

"Will you give me his number?"

"He asked me not to share it. Fix things with Richard. That's what you can do for Dennis."

Hilda cried. "I really am sorry, Debi."

"I know. You did what you had to do. He understands that."

Dennis was not spoken of during the rest of the day until Hilda had gone home. The girls were sitting out by the lake late in the evening.

"What do you think will happen when he comes back?" Lina asked.

"I don't know. I've never had a broken heart. I doubt he'll want to be around your mom for a while."

"How about us?" Gretchen asked.

"I don't know, but I suspect things will change. I'm still hoping we get a house together for college," Debi replied.

*****

Dennis returned in mid-August to prepare for the school year. He and the three girls found the house they wanted about fifteen miles off campus. He didn't accompany the girls and parents when they went to look and sign the lease. Hilda and Richard both asked Julia and Debi to have him contact them, but Dennis never called. When Hilda or Richard came to visit at the house, Dennis always made sure he was away while they were there.

The physical and emotional relationship between Dennis, Gretchen and Lina had changed. While remaining friends, he had withdrawn from the physical relationship. Dennis had changed and his studies became his life. Gretchen was the first of the group to find a steady. Even the sex between Dennis and his sister dwindled to nothing. Lina and Debi had boyfriends just before the end of the first year. Dennis didn't date at all, and just before the start of the second year announced he was moving to the dorm. He still saw all three of the girls occasionally, but they drifted even farther apart as time went on, and by the end of the second year he had decided to change to an out of state school. He had returned to his invisible man persona.

Gretchen married during her senior year but was able to finish her degree. With her parents at the wedding, Dennis didn't attend. Debi and Dennis stayed in touch, but at his request, Hilda and her family were rarely discussed. Dennis only came home for a week at the end of his third year before returning to Texas and summer school. His graduation was the same day as Debi's. Julia was torn but decided she needed to be with Dennis. Debi had Richard, Hilda, and Gretchen in the audience for hers. Dennis was alone.

During his next four years, in med school, he only came home at Christmas. Debi and Julia did visit him during the summer. During his third year Debi married. Dennis walked her down the aisle, and stayed through the ceremony, but after that he was nowhere to be found. Hilda and Richard both looked for him. After finishing med school, Dennis began his general surgery residency which was three years. He followed that with a pediatric cardiovascular surgery residency for another three years. When that was completed, he accepted a position at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. Dennis was thirty-three now and still single.

He had been at Riley for almost a year and things were going well. He was a compassionate and gifted surgeon. Everyone loved him. Cardiology paged him to the ER for a STAT consultation on a patient. The patient was a three-month-old girl in severe distress. He walked past the parents to see the infant, and after his examination and reviewing everything, went to the parents. The parents were Gretchen and her husband.

"She needs surgery guys. There are two holes in her heart that are allowing blood to flow the wrong way. If we don't fix it, she'll die."

"Dennis, are you sure?"

"Yeah, I've seen it several times before. She's stable enough for surgery tomorrow morning."

"Are you going to be the one doing it?" Gretchen asked.

"I am."

"Are you good at it?" her husband inquired.

"Yeah, I'm good at what I do. I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Dennis Morton."

"Tom, Tom Rodge. I'm Gretchen's husband." They shook hands.

"Dennis, is the surgery dangerous?"

"All surgery has risks, Gretchen, but this is her only chance."

"I trust you. Make my baby well, okay?" she asked, crying.

"I'll do everything in my power. I promise. I'll get everything rolling. There's a ton of paperwork to be done. It's worse than buying a house."

Gretchen threw her arms around him and they held each other for a moment before he left the room. It was about an hour later before baby Tiffany was taken to Surgical Intensive Care Unit, the SICU. Hilda and Richard came running in moments after he had gone.

"What's going on Gretchen, Tom?" Hilda asked.

"Mom, she's got two holes in her heart. If they don't close them, she'll die. Her surgery is tomorrow morning," Gretchen replied.

"Doctor Dennis Morton is doing it," Tom said.

Hilda looked at Gretchen. Gretchen nodded to her. Hilda teared immediately and Richard put his arms around her.

"If Dennis is doing it, I have no doubt she has the best," Richard said.

"You all seem to know him," Tom said.

"Dennis fell in love with Hilda when he was in High School. He got his heart broken, I'm afraid."

"Are you sure we want him working on Tiffany?" Tom asked, worried that this could be a problem.

"We're sure," they all replied, in unison.

When visiting hours were over, everyone but Gretchen went to the hotel for the night. A bed was set up for her right next to her daughter. Tiffany would be taken to the operating room at six am for surgery. Dennis stopped in just before midnight to check on her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Gretchen asked.

He smiled, "I run best on about four hours a night. I'm good."

"Dennis, she'll be alright, won't she?"

"It's not a complicated procedure, but I'm basically patching two big holes in a heart the size of a plum. We have to stop the heart, fix it, then restart it again. Kids are resilient little things. She'll have to be on antibiotics, blood thinners, and some other medicines for a while, but that little girl is going to grow up and be as smart and beautiful as her mother."

"Dennis, Mom and Dad are here. They're at the hotel right now."

"I wouldn't expect them to be anywhere else, would you?"

"Sooner or later, you're going to run into them."

"Gretchen, this isn't about them or me. It's about taking care of Tiffany and making her well. We've got this," he replied, with a soft smile.

"Okay, thank you."

"I'll see you right after the surgery tomorrow."

"Okay. Please get some sleep."

Dennis grinned. "That's where I'm going now." They hugged and Dennis left the room, then went to the nurse's station. "Angie, is Miss Tiffany all set for tomorrow?"

"We may need to postpone; their insurance is dragging their feet."

"Meaning what?" he asked.

"They've agreed to cover some, but not nearly enough for the hospital to allow us to do the surgery. We've resubmitted, but they probably won't get back with the approval until mid-morning."

"She can't wait till mid-morning. How can we bypass that?"

"Get someone to guarantee what the insurance doesn't cover."

"Is there a form for that?"

She held up the form to him. Dennis looked it over then took the nurse's pen and signed it. "Anything else?"

"You're going to cover it?" she asked.

"I am. Tiffany's mom is an old friend."

"Must have been one hell of a good friend."

"Yes, she was. Don't say anything to the family about this. We'll keep it between you and me."

"My lips are sealed, Doctor Morton."

Dennis went to the physician's lounge and stretched out on the couch. He was asleep in minutes. The nurse went to Tiffany's room to let her mother know everything was set for tomorrow morning.

"Doctor Morton tells me you two are old friends."

"Since High School, my sister and I shared a house with him and his sister in college."

"I'm amazed someone hasn't gotten their hooks into him, but he doesn't seem particularly interested."

"That's a long story. Someone broke his heart just before he started college. I only know of one date he was on the whole time I've known him."

"She must have been some kind of special to have that much impact."

"Yes, she was."

*****

Tom and Gretchen walked down the corridor with Tiffany as she was being wheeled to the operating room. Once through the double doors, they were taken to the waiting area. Richard, Hilda, Lina, Debi, and Julia were waiting on them. Everyone but Gretchen dozed at one time or another, and everyone watched the clock. It was just over three hours when Dennis walked into the room.

"Tiffany is all done. Everything went perfectly. They'll have her back in SICU in about an hour," he announced, smiling.

Gretchen ran to him crying. "Thank you, Dennis."

"I'm glad I could help. You should all go eat some breakfast. It's going to be a long day for you."

His mother grabbed him next. "I'm so proud of you, baby."

"Thanks, Mom. Make sure everyone gets some rest today, will you?"

"Yes, Doctor Morton."

Everyone but Hilda and Richard went to him. Before leaving, he smiled at them, then walked back through the double doors. He always stayed at the patient's side until they were settled back into their room after surgery, and then stayed in the hospital for the first twelve hours, just in case. He stopped by to check on Tiffany several times during the day. In mid-afternoon, only Richard and Hilda were there with Tiffany. After checking on her, he turned to them.