Blind Date Awakening Ch. 06

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The final chapter of Charles and Karen's life together
16k words
4.81
37.2k
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Part 6 of the 6 part series

Updated 06/08/2023
Created 10/06/2016
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Here it is, the final chapter. It's still too long, but I wasn't going to break it up again. This one has a lot of emotions in it, and was a little difficult to finish. Parts of this story may not make sense if you haven't read the previous chapters.

I didn't intend my first story printed here to be so long and involved, but I'm glad it turned out this way. Please leave feedback and let me know what you think. I have some other projects on the horizon, so hopefully you'll be seeing them soon.

Finally, the Friday before Labor Day was here. Both girls were flying into the airport – Catherine first, about an hour ahead of Ciara. Charles decided he would go to the airport by himself to pick up the girls. He wanted his first initial contact with them to be him alone, since he felt like he had so much to make up to them.

He was so excited that he got the airport about an hour early. He didn't want to take any chances that he wasn't there when Catherine landed. It gave him time to work on how he was going to tell them that their Aunt Karen was more than just his sister. He knew it had to be done delicately, and he tried to prepare himself for any possible reaction that might occur.

He figured that Catherine would eventually be okay with it. Even if she had initial concerns, once she analyzed all of the factors involved, he felt confident she could see it from his and Karen's viewpoint. But Ciara was a different story. Her emotions sometimes ran hot and cold, and if she reacted poorly, it would be difficult to get her to change her mind. His biggest fear was that Ciara was the one that had a closer relationship to her mom. He was afraid she would be angry that he was stepping on her mom's memory in a sick and perverted way.

He looked at the arrival board and saw that both flights were on time, and Catherine's was scheduled to land in 10 minutes. His began to feel his nerves flare just a little. The excitement of seeing his daughters was tempered with the fear of their reactions to the news he was about to share. He knew telling them was the right thing to do. He and Karen could have probably strung it along for a while, figuring out ways they could have hid it from the girls. But that meant they would have to carry out a perpetual deception, and his girls deserved better than that from their dad. Even though it wasn't going to be comfortable, it was the best thing to do.

Catherine's plane had landed by now, so he moved to the passenger arrival area and waited. As the passengers began to stream in, he was becoming excited with the anticipation that was building. Finally he saw her, and at the same time, she spotted him and began to pick up her pace toward him, before finally running. He went to her and they met as she jumped into his arms. The emotion became too much, and Charles began to cry as they held each other.

Charles was the first to speak. "Catherine, it's so good to see you. I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, daddy. You look great! I'm so excited to hear that you have climbed out of your funk and are doing better!"

He replied, "I'm glad as well, and I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you and Ciara these last two years. How are you doing with all of that?"

"I'm doing okay. It's been great having Ciara being just a couple of hours away. We've leaned on each other pretty hard trying to deal with our grief. Without her, I'm not sure I could have handled it. Steven has also been great to me. He didn't push me to try and resolve all the issues of grief and loss. Instead, he allowed me to take the time I needed. He supported me every step of the way."

Charles said, "I'm so glad to hear that. I'm glad to hear he was strong enough to let you deal with this in your own way."

"I couldn't have done it without the help of others. Without Steven, and Ciara and Craig, I'm afraid I would have ended up as lost as you were. I wish there had been somebody for you to help you through your grief."

"Oh, there were plenty of people. Even you and Ciara tried to reach out to me, but I just shut everybody out. I don't know how long I could have gone on that way, but it wasn't living. I'm so grateful to Aunt Karen for helping me see what I had become, and that even though I missed your mom, it was no reason to keep my love away from my family, especially when they needed me."

Catherine hugged her dad again. "That's all in the past. What's more important now is the future. I hope we get to see more of you, daddy – we've all certainly missed you!"

By this time, her bag had made it to them on the luggage carousel. Charles picked it up, and they headed back to the waiting area to wait on Ciara.

Catherine's curiosity finally got the better of her. "So what's the family meeting all about? You certainly were mysterious on the phone the other day."

"Ah, patience, my child," he replied. "I'm not sharing anything until we get back to the condo. You're just going to have to wait a while!"

Catherine sighed, then said, "Okay, okay – I'll wait. I'm not going to like it, but I'll wait."

Soon they saw Ciara as she made her way into the terminal. Like her sister, she dropped her bag and ran up to the two of them, jumping into her daddy's arms and planting a kiss on his cheek as they hugged. Catherine came and joined in, and the little family shared their first close moment together in quite some time.

The three of them walked together to the luggage return, Charles carrying Catherine's bag. The girls walked a couple of steps ahead of him, holding hands as they busily chatted. He couldn't help but think how close to each other they must have gotten after their mother's death, especially since he had basically been an absentee father those two years as he struggled with his own darkness. He knew tonight was going to be a huge turning point in his relationship with his girls. He longed to be close to them again, but was afraid that what he had to tell them might actually drive them further apart, creating a chasm that might not be repairable.

His heart was heavy as they approached the luggage carousel to wait for Ciara's bag. The girls turned around and saw that his head was hung down, looking at the floor. Ciara went immediately to him. "What's wrong, daddy? It's ok – we're here together."

"I know, babe, but I just can't help the fact that I feel so shitty for having abandoned you girls the last two years. I see your close relationship that has formed because you didn't have anybody else to help you through your grief. I want to be a part of that again. I hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, daddy, I know how hard mommy's death was on you. Yes, I wish you had been around more, but that's in the past. Catherine texted me on the plan before I landed that you looked great, and she's right. We're both ready to welcome you into our lives again. There's still lots of time in our lives. Let's learn from the past and make sure we never repeat it."

With that, Ciara gave him another kiss on the cheek, as he held her in his arms, fighting back the tears that seemed to start up again. She looked up and smiled at him as she wiped a little moisture from the corner of his eye, then whispered in his ear, "I love you, daddy – we both love you." Charles gave her a squeeze again. They broke the hug as the luggage carousel started moving, and Ciara stepped up to grab her bag.

They happily chatted on the way back home. The girls caught their daddy up on what was going on in their own lives. He asked how often they saw each other, and wasn't surprised to find out that the first few months after Jessica had died, they were together every weekend, sometimes with their spouses, and sometimes just the two of them. The visits together were less frequent now, but each knew that if something was particularly stressful, they could contact each other at any time and arrange some sister time together.

Finally they arrived at the condo. Charles took a deep breath – the time had come. He went to the back of the SUV and grabbed both girls' bags, then led them inside. The elevator ride up to the 10th floor seemed unusually song to Charles. He knew he had to get ahold of his nerves some way, so he didn't crack as he told the girls his news.

They finally made their way inside. Karen was in the kitchen, and she came around to greet them. Each girl gave Karen a hug as they exchanged pleasantries. She didn't want to show too much affection to the girls yet, although she hoped before the trip was over she could be more open with them in light of her relationship with their father.

Charles took both girls' bags back to the second bedroom, then came back out to find his daughters had taken a seat at the dining room table. Karen was seeing to it that they were comfortable. "Girls, would you like something to drink? Some wine, perhaps?"

Catherine responded, "Yes, I'd like some wine." While Karen poured, she asked Ciara the same question. She replied, "No thanks, but I would take some water." Karen went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water for her. She looked up and saw Charles returning from the back bedroom and asked if he wanted some. He said, "Wine, please," and took a seat at the table across from his daughters.

Karen poured herself a glass of wine, then said, "I know you have some important things to discuss. I'm going to leave you to yourselves for now. Girls – it is really great to see you!" And with that, she headed into her bedroom and closed the door.

It was just Charles and his daughters now. He took a deep breath, and then began. "Girls, I know you're wondering just exactly what this family meeting is about. I have something to tell you that's not going to be easy, and I know it's going to get emotional. Please let me finish before you ask questions."

Both girls looked even more confused than they must have when he first invited them to visit. Catherine whispered out, "Daddy, you're not sick, are you?"

Charles looked at her reassuringly. "No, Catherine, I'm fine. It's not that. I told you a little about being set up to go on a blind date, and finding out that date was your Aunt Karen. It was Karen who saved me, and started this turn around in my life. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be having this conversation here tonight. I'd be stuck in my darkness, facing another holiday weekend alone without your mom.

"After the date was over, we went back to her apartment to catch up some more. It was so good talking to her at the restaurant – up to that point, it was by far the best night of my life since your mom died. I realized how desperately I needed someone to be with, to talk to; someone that knew my pain and could help me out of it. That was also when I found out she was in pain as well, having to deal with the divorce from her asshole husband Roger – sorry, I shouldn't have used that word in front of you."

Ciara giggled. "No, daddy, you're right – Roger was an asshole!"

Charles smiled, which helped quell the tension he was feeling. It was time to drop the bomb.

"So back at her apartment, I told her how much fun I was having visiting with her again, and I gave her a hug. She hugged me back, and one thing led to another and.....well, we crossed the line. We became intimate."

He glanced up at both girls, and watched the shock come across their faces.

It was Ciara who spoke first. "By intimate, do you mean....sex?"

"Yes, I do. We didn't plan it – that certainly was the farthest thing on my mind as we sat at the restaurant. It just felt so good to be in the arms of another woman – especially one as beautiful at Karen. It became bigger than both of us.

"The next morning, there was no guilt at all, as I was afraid there would be. Instead, there was just this overwhelming feeling of contentment, a feeling I had not experienced since before your mother was diagnosed. Girls, I know it is weird and strange and probably even more, but the fact of the matter is, Karen saved my life, and I think I saved hers as well. We needed each other at that moment, and we continue to need each other. If I ever get back to whatever normal is in my life, it's all because of Karen."

He looked up at his girls and studied their reactions. As expected, he could tell Catherine was processing the information in her mind, weighing the pros and cons before she came to a conclusion. He looked at Ciara next. He could tell she wasn't handling the news very well, as he watched the emotions on her face change from shock to anger to anguish.

Ciara looked up at her father, and he could tell she was going to lash out. "Daddy, how could you? She's your sister! That's just disgusting!" And with that, she got up from the table and ran down the hallway to the back bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Charles watched her go, then dropped his head to the table. He was afraid this was going to be the result. He knew he wanted to talk to Ciara more – so much more – but realized that until she was ready, it would only make the situation worse.

Instead, he turned back to Catherine, who by now was just sitting there, staring down the now empty hallway. "Catherine, help me – talk to me, please tell me what you are feeling."

He looked pleadingly into her eyes as she sat there in silence for a few minutes. The she looked at her dad, and said, "Well, you have to admit it is creepy. I mean, this is not something normal brothers and sisters do to each other."

"I know that, babe, and I'm not asking you to condone it. I just want you to understand how it happened, and that we don't really have any intention of stopping. We love each other, Catherine. It had been over two years since I had looked at a woman that way, let alone touch one. It had been nearly a year for her as well. But we believe we each have what the other needs for their lives – both emotionally as well as sexually."

Catherine nodded. "I can't help thinking about what mom would say about this relationship. What do you think she'd tell you if she could talk to you right now?"

Charles thought for a little bit, then said, "I don't know, Catherine, but I do know this. I know that she would have been pretty disappointed with me the last two years, and I know she'd want me to be happy. I also know that she loved Aunt Karen, and they had become pretty good friends before she died. I would like to think that because she wanted me to be happy, and because she knew Aunt Karen so well, she would be happier than if I was out in the crazy dating world, trying to find the right person for me. It the right person was already close, why would she not be happy with that?"

Catherine looked at her dad and smiled. "You know, you always had a way of showing me things I might not be able to see otherwise. I only want you to be happy, and if this is the way for that to happen, I'm fine with it. You're right, Aunt Karen is a beautiful lady, and you two make a stunning couple together."

With that, Charles stood up and went to her with a hug. As they embraced, Catherine whispered in his ear, "I love you, daddy. When I first saw you standing in the airport tonight, I could tell that you had changed – for the better. You look great, dad, and now I know why!"

Charles whispered back, "I love you to, baby. Could you help me with Ciara now? I don't want this to come between us. I need her just as much as I need you, as much as I need Karen."

Catherine nodded. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try. If anybody can get through to her, it's me. I'll go talk to her."

They broke their hug, and Catherine headed down the hall to the back bedroom. She lightly knocked, and then stepped inside. Charles headed into the hallway as well, but he stopped at Karen's door, knocking, and then stepping in.

Karen was sitting on her bed, a worried look on her face. "So that didn't go very well, did it? I heard the bedroom door slam, and I figured one of them had run in there."

Charles nodded. "I knew it would be Ciara that really struggled with this. After she left, Catherine and I talked, and she ended up hugging me and told me she saw the difference in my life now that you are a part of it. She hugged me and told me if that was what it was that was making me happy, then she was all for it."

Charles sat down on the bed next to Karen, and leaned over to give her a kiss. She took his hand in hers, and asked, "What about Ciara? I take it she was pretty upset. Is the going to be able to get through this?"

"I don't know," replied Charles. "Catherine is in there with her now. If anybody can help Ciara with this, it's her. I only know that it's probably going to be a long night, because I'm not going to be able to sleep until I get a chance to talk to her again. I'm getting ready to make some coffee. Want to come out and join me?"

"As much as I'd like that, I think I'd better just stay hidden in here for a while. If you'd bring me a cup, I'd appreciate that."

Charles kissed her again, then headed to the kitchen. He got the coffee started, and while he was waiting it to finish, he thought back to the meeting with his daughters. His emotions were running amuck in his mind. While he was glad that Catherine seemed to be okay with his relationship with her aunt, he was still upset that Ciara had not taken the news well at all.

When the coffee was done, he got two mugs out of the cabinet and filled them. He took one to Karen, handing it to her before turning to leave. She called out lightly to him, "Charles – I love you, and I'm still ready – "

He shook his head and said, "No – I told you not to say that again. We'll make this work – we have to."

He headed into his own bedroom, and sat down in the corner chair. He ran through all he wanted to say to Ciara if she would give him the chance. He was struggling with his wide range of emotions he had experienced in the last two years. He remembers the gut punch he felt when the doctor had shared Jessica's cancer diagnosis, then the pain he felt as he watched that same cancer take her life. The darkness of the two years that followed her death brought a familiar shadow over his feelings, followed by the awakening brought on by the blind date with his sister, and the intimacy that followed.

The last few weeks had been an exhilarating ride. He fell madly in love with his sister, who had lifted the dark veil that hung over his life. The last part of this puzzle was his daughters' acceptance of their relationship. Catherine had given him that acceptance. He now waited on Ciara, hoping she'd give him another chance to talk to her about it.

The minutes dragged on. Charles was getting to the point where rational thought wasn't possible. He just wanted to talk to his baby girl, to soothe her, to answer any questions she might have. He wanted his family back, and this was the one thing that was keeping him from that goal.

It was nearing 2:00 a.m., and Charles was feeling weary from the evening's events. Finally he heard the back bedroom door open. He sat up in his chair as Catherine walked in the door. His heart sunk a little, because he had hoped to see Ciara instead. Catherine walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"Daddy," she said," Ciara wants to come in and ask you some questions. She's asked me to be in here with you when she does. Is that okay"

Charles smiled. "Of course it is! I was hoping I could get a chance to talk to her again."

Catherine smiled as well. "I'm not sure she wants a lecture – it would be best if you just listened to her and answer the questions she asks."

"Okay, I can do that."

Catherine disappeared for a few seconds, then came back, holding Ciara's hand as she led her into Charles' bedroom. He could tell she had been crying, so he smiled at her, trying to show her without speaking that he loved her.

Ciara sat on the edge of the bed with Catherine next to her. She looked at her dad, and finally asked, "Daddy, I'm sorry I ran to the bedroom earlier. It's just that I wasn't expecting to hear what you told us, and I was really confused and upset – in fact, I'm still confused, and perhaps still a little upset as well. But I have some questions I need to ask you."