Catering Girl Ch. 06

"Papa Ben!" She practically jumped up into his arms to get a hug.

"There's my munchkin."

"Whatcha making?"

Whit and I watched as Ben showed her what he was up to. Soon a chair was pulled up next to the smoker so she could peer in. Until it was time to eat, Dad had a five-year-old shadow. Mom came out and joined us. For as awkward as Christmas had been, Jenn and Mom were now getting comfortable around each other and having conversations with her were, well, less uncomfortable.

When it was time to eat, Madi loved the smoked crab and got into cracking the legs and getting the meat out. I think Mom was happy that we were eating outside, so any mess she made that couldn't be easily cleaned up could be hosed off the back of the patio.

"Jennifer, do you think I could take Madison out on the boat and go fishing with her sometime?" I recognized the twinkle in his eye as he thought about having a new fishing buddy.

"Can I, Mommy?"

"I think that can be arranged."

I'm not sure who was giddier at the prospect of the two of them going out. Both were bouncing in their chairs. Ben explained to Madison what they might do out on the boat, and she gobbled it up. We listened to them plan, and I could tell Dad was all excited to be hanging with the munchkin.

They went on for a while until Mom was ready to move on and announced her feelings by beginning to clear the food from the table. Jenn and I quickly joined in. Since the two were still going, Jenn went over to Madi and whispered into her ear.

I watched her jump up and run into the house. Madi returned a moment later with my birthday presents. I opened my parents' first. The ever practical people gave me a book on how to interact with my partner's children. I gave my mom a side eye.

"Really?"

"Well you're kinda parenting, and you don't have much experience in that area," she replied.

Dad piped up, "At least I kept her from getting you the book on marriage."

"Thanks, I think." I looked at Jenn, who smiled and nodded her head. That topic had not been mentioned since New Year's and I think we were a long way off on revisiting that topic.

There was an awkward moment before the munchkin broke the silence.

"Open the big one next. It's from me and Mommy."

"Oh, if it's from you then I know I will like it." I pulled the tissue paper from the gift bag and lifted out a running vest.

"I thought you might like to have that as you train." Jenn said.

I did, it was just what I had been wanting. I was still diligently running every morning before work and then getting in a longer run in on the weekend. The vest was perfect. It had good reflectors on it, and instead of a couple of water bottles, there was a bladder in the back with a hose for me to sip from.

It was the last small box that I loved the most. The old saying is true, good things come in small packages. It was from my girl. I lifted the lid and inside was a small, plain silver locket. Carefully, I opened it and found pictures of Jenn and Madi inside. I looked at my girl and almost started to cry. Jenn sensed my need and gave me a hug. I put it on and could feel my heart warm at the thought of having a small bit of my two favorite girls next to me. It became one of my most cherished pieces of jewelry over the years, and I wore it frequently, including two days later when we were back at Mom and Dad's for their annual family Memorial Day barbeque. The whole Whitney clan shows up for this, not just my Mom's brothers. This is typically the one day a year where their cousins and families all get together.

We got there early to help set up. Dad already had the smoker going. Knowing him, it was probably started the day before. For Seattle, it was a perfect day, no clouds in the sky and warm enough for shorts, but not too hot.

Jenn set the large cucumber salad she made out on a table set out to contain all the treats people would bring. With Jenn's extra set of hands, and Madi as well, we got things ready earlier than normal, and we began to relax.

"Madison," my dad said, coming in from the back patio. "Yesterday I was cleaning out part of the garage loft and found Whitney's old bicycle. Did you want to give it a try?"

"Sure!" She skipped behind him as they went out to the garage. Jenn and I followed them. I smiled as she took my hand and interlaced her fingers with mine. I could see her checking me out. In the corner was my old pink bike standing there, just waiting for a new rider. I chuckled at the color; it was from a time before I asserted my right to have things in the proper color of purple.

Dad was about to help her onto the bike when he remembered this child sized helmet sitting on top of some boxes.

"You don't want to make a hamlet mistake now do you Madison?" His tone was the same one I remember from my youth that made my heart melt. The straps were adjusted to fit her precious little head.

He helped her climb on and began to show her how to balance and go down the driveway. I was watching them when I felt Jenn's fingers slip out of mine. She walked over to the corner where Dad had stacked some boxes and other items.

"That's probably all for the Goodwill," I explained.

"Well, if that's the case, I want this." She held up a skateboard I had gotten sometime in middle school and tried it a few times but never got the knack for it.

"Haven't ridden one of these since I got pregnant. I wonder if my mom still has mine?"

She looked like the perfect skater chick: jean shorts, gray tee shirt, and her trademark black Vans. Looking at her I could feel myself getting a bit wet and a shiver raced everywhere under my blue sundress.

I watched a skilled boarder slap her board down and accelerate down the driveway. Maybe it was girlfriend pride, but I couldn't tell that it had been six years since she had been on one. She weaved left and right, then carved a corner and jumped up over the curb, skating partway down a sidewalk before coming to a stop. I think the jump move she did is called an ollie, but I'm an accountant and not good with skating lingo.

Someone else was watching her as well. "Way to go Mommy, that was cool."

"Rad, pumpkin. When you're boarding, you say rad."

Dad snickered.

"Okay, that was rad Mommy. Maybe once I learn to ride a two-wheeler, you can teach me how to ride one of those."

"Let's focus on you riding your bike first."

"Well, another couple minutes, munchkin, and then we'll have to stop. People will be coming over and filling up the driveway," Dad said, grabbing the back of the bike seat to help the munchkin along. Madison was close to getting the hang of it when the first car arrived. Another little bit, and she'd be there.

First to arrive was my uncle Ruben and aunt Helen. As soon as Nathan and his sister Amber got out of their car, Madi started to follow them around and tried to be one of the "big" kids.

Soon, others began to arrive. With a bunch of my second cousins now around, Madison had lots of kids her age to play with. Jenn and I found ourselves in a bit of an awkward position. All the other adults, those of my parents' generation, were a bit older than the two of us, whereas everyone of my generation was younger, in some cases by quite a bit.

We ended up hanging with the adults. There was just more in common to talk about with other adults. Many of my more distant relations were interested in learning about Jenn, and between the two of us, I think we told the story about how we met about a dozen times. To the point where I thought it was wearing on her. Her eyes kept coming back to me. I wasn't sure if it was 'get me out of here' or something else.

When there was a lull in the conversation, she grabbed my hand and led me into the house. There were a few people in the kitchen and dining area that led out to the backyard. It was easy to follow her cute tushy up the stairs to my old bedroom.

The moment I cleared the doorway, Jenn slammed it shut and pushed me up against the wall. This was an aggressiveness I had never seen from her before. She pinned me against the wall and mashed her lips to mine. Her tongue forced her way into my mouth, and they did a waltz together. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, but she had them pinned against the wall.

"mmm" I moaned.

She broke our kiss, and I felt a hand slip up under my sundress. It was then I realized that look on her face outside had been lust. She wanted to get out of there, but not for the reason I had thought.

"Do you know how sexy you look today in your dress and Keds? I was going to wait until we got home, but I couldn't take it any longer."

Jenn pulled the fabric of my soaked thong to the side, and I felt two fingers slide in. My eyes flared, and it was all I could do to keep myself standing as she turned me into a pile of goo.

This wasn't some tender lovemaking, but she was fingerbanging the ever loving bejesus out of me. And you know me, I started to get vocal, as the pleasure mounted.

I felt her other hand press against my mouth.

"No moaning. You have to keep quiet." I could see the glee on her face as she tortured me.

I squinted my eyes at her. Really? I tried to say to her telepathically. I wasn't sure I could do this.

Her thumb had found that perfect spot, just above my clit. With her two fingers getting me good from the inside, I knew it wouldn't be long before--

"W-a-a-a-a!"

I shook my head, and my eyes went wide. I pushed Jenn away. That wasn't me or her screaming.

"Madi!" I yelled. We both turned and grabbed the door handle. I flew down the stairs, adjusting myself back into shape as best I could. Jenn was right behind me.

We followed the sounds of a crying girl and found her on the sidewalk. The bike was half lying on the grass and my cousin Nathan was right there with a first aid kit. There was a big scrape down her leg, and he was cleaning the wound with some antiseptic wipes.

Jenn sat next to her and held her head and hand.

"It hurts Mommy."

"Yeah, it's going to sting for a bit, but it will be all better soon."

It didn't take long for Nathan to use his scout skills and patch her up. Jenn picked her up and carried her to the back patio while I put the bike away.

"She was doing it all on her own," Nathan explained to me. "But she found a crack in the sidewalk and lost her balance."

"It happens. Thanks for being there to help her."

My cousin beamed with pride. I made my way to where Madi was snuggling with Jenn. Several moms were fawning over her, but Nana Edith made her day.

"Here, this will help you get better." She held out a red popsicle, which was eagerly accepted.

"Mother! You never did that for me when I got a scrape," I protested.

My mom shook her head and smiled at me. "Whitney, Whitney, Whitney, when are you going to learn? It's called Nana privilege."

Madi looked at me with red stains all around her lips and smiled, the popsicle being quickly devoured.

Dad came over and tousled her hair, and then went over to Mom and whispered something into her ear. She nodded, and then he began to clear his throat.

"Hey everyone, can I get your attention, please. The food is about ready but before we eat, Edith and I have a couple of announcements." I watched as he took her hand. "First, as most of you know, we have a second house up on San Juan Island that we built to be our retirement home. We're now getting to the point in our lives where we are going to start transitioning out of our careers and into retirement. We want to enjoy life and slow down."

"And go fishing with me!" Everyone laughed at Madi's interruption.

"Yes, and go fishing with you, muchkadoo. I plan on doing lots of fishing."

The munchkin did a little happy dance in Jenn's lap.

"It's going to take a couple years to make the transitions," It was now Mom talking, "and then we will pass this place on to the next generation." She looked at me and gave me a small head nod. "But that's not the only announcement. For the next one I need my brothers here." Silas and Ruben came over to where Mom was.

"Shall I say it or did one of you want to announce it?" she said to her siblings.

Silas stepped forward. "As some of you might know, when we name a new tug, we ask the employees for suggestions. And we do so in a blind fashion, meaning we don't see who made the suggestion until we decide on it. My assistant was the only one until then who knew who made what suggestion. Tomorrow we are going to be announcing that our next tug will be named the Whitney Pride."

Silas looked over at Mom and then at Ruben. Ruben stepped forward. "Not only will we be naming the tug the Whitney Pride, but we will be christening it next month at the Whitney Enterprises company picnic which happens during the Seattle Pride festivities."

It warmed my heart when I heard some of my extended family give out a few cheers. I didn't expect what I heard next.

"But most importantly," it was now Mom speaking, "someone here will be doing the honors. We, my brothers and I, were tickled pink when we found out that the suggestion came from Jennifer."

I looked over at my girl, who was pleased, but also a bit embarrassed, to have everyone looking at her. People started to clap and cheer, which just made it worse. I could see the red start to form in her cheeks. I leaned down and gave her a hug and kiss. Which of course just egged my family on more.

"Okay, okay everyone," Mom continued. "Jennifer, would you like to do the honors and bring the tug you named into our fleet?"

"Well, I'm not sure it should be just me. Shouldn't we invite all the staff from all the companies who are LGBTQ+?"

Mom looked at her brothers and then over at me. I couldn't be more proud of my girl right now. Her inclusivity felt so spot on.

"Jennifer, I think that is a marvelous idea. Silas? Ruben?"

"Agreed."

"Yes." Ruben followed his brother. "And sorry Whitney, we have a bit of accounting to do tomorrow as well. Do you know how hard we had to work to keep this from you? We wanted this to be a surprise for you too."

"That's okay, I get it." I was too happy to be annoyed.

With the announcements over, we broke for food. Dad had done up some brisket on the smoker, and there were hot dogs and hamburgers as well. Jenn, Madi, and I ended up eating our food with Silas and Kathleen, and a couple of my second cousins.

Jenn was telling Kathleen that the recipe for the cucumber salad was from Dallas' mom and an Olinski family recipe. She was explaining how it was best if it sat overnight. The vinegar, salt, dill and garlic in it pickled the cucumbers lightly. It was then that I noticed the munchkin was missing.

I looked at her spot and all that was there was an uneaten half of a hot dog, smothered I might add in ranch dressing, and a popsicle stick with a big purple stain on it.

Looking around, I figured out what was going on.

"Madison!" I yelled and stood up. This, of course, got Jenn's attention. There was Little Miss, with blue and purple plastered all over her face. Half a blue popsicle sticking out of her mouth and dripping down onto her Minnie Mouse tee shirt. The red hair bow on the shirt was starting to look like a Pride flag with all the different color drips.

"Madison GRACE!" Jenn leaped from her spot and escorted a messy little girl into the house to get cleaned up. We could hear Jenn muttering all the way into the house.

I shook my head as I sat back down.

"Welcome to parenthood, Whitney," my aunt Kathleen giggled.

"Well, I'm still just the girlfriend. But I do my best to support Jenn."

"You can change that you know, all you have to do is propose." Silas grinned.

"Silas!" Kathleen smacked him. "That's not a polite thing to say."

"What?!? The whole ride over here you were wondering when Whitney is going to pop the question."

"But I'm polite enough not to actually ask it!" said my peeved auntie.

"It's okay Kathleen, I expect it from you all. But just so you know, I don't think we are close to being ready for that. Someday, I hope. But not right now." I was lying of course. I wanted her with every fiber of my body to be my forever girl.

A few minutes later, Jenn and Madi came out of the house. I noticed that Madi had a different shirt on. The one Jenn kept in the back of the Jeep in the emergency Madi clothing bag. There was a similar one in the back of her Subaru. One never knows when an accident might happen.

Jenn sat down next to me. "I think we need to get going. Someone has lost her privilege to stay here and play. She had four more popsicles after I told her no more. And they didn't come from Nana or Papa. She got them on her own."

"Got it, I'll tell Mom." I looked at the others. "Is my Jeep blocked in?"

"I think I'm blocking you in, Whitney," said Silas. He leaned close to me. "You're doing the right thing. You always have to support your partner in parenting decisions."

Jenn and Madi went to pick up the salad bowl, and I found Mom and told her what was going on. She was understanding and gave us all a hug goodbye.

Madison was quiet in the car on the way home. Jenn and I looked at each other a couple of times.

The rest of the day was quiet as well. I came downstairs after tucking in Madi at her bedtime to find Jenn texting away. I saw her wipe her eyes, shake her head, and put the phone down.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I tried to text my mom. Still blocked. I wish she would talk to me. I'm okay if she never accepts who I am. However, if she continues to cut Madison out of her life, there's going to be problems."

I wrapped my arms around her. "It's going to be okay. Madi has Dallas and his parents who love her. I love her and my folks love her. She'll never be without love and support around her."

"I hope you're right. I also texted Dallas and his mom. They both said congratulations on naming the tug. Dallas said he was going to try to be there, but probably would be on duty that day."

We snuggled for a bit while Jenn recovered from her cry. "So, um, about today..." my voice trailed off to give her a moment to catch up to me.

"What about today? Did you think I was too harsh on Madison?" There was confusion on her face.

"No, not that. That was fine. I would have done something similar. About taking me upstairs. Where did that come from? I'm not complaining in the least. I was more surprised than anything else. Not like you to take charge like that."

"Was that a problem?"

"Hell no. I liked it actually."

"Just don't go expecting it often. I just want to keep you on your toes."

And then I saw her give me that look. Like a lioness hunting her prey, she sprung and pounced me, pushing me onto my back on the couch. Like before, her lips danced with mine and her fingers tugged at my panties. This time I was able to slip them off and give her better access.

"Jennifer," I moaned.

A hand clamped over my mouth again.

"No, no, no. You don't get to say anything tonight."

"Mrph," I whimpered as her fingers diddled me. My body writhed in pleasure, as Jenn was becoming quite the expert on my body and how to excite me. She edged me along, changing her motions and intensity when she sensed I was getting close.

My hips bucked as I tried to wiggle myself into a better position on her fingers. Each time I did though, she would giggle and change things again. It wasn't until I pulled her lips to mine that she relented and let me come.

And it was a big one. My legs clamped around her hand, while my body shook. I was completely spent afterwards, but I had been a good girl and not said a thing.

Jenn leaned down and kissed my forehead, and then my lips. "Did that feel as amazing as it looked?"

I couldn't respond other than to nod my head. I was wiped out. My lioness snuggled with me on the couch. Basking in the afterglow of sex, I drifted in and out of being awake. Fingers played with my hair and gently traced over my body. Bolts of lightning would hit, as one of them would graze my nipple.