Constructions

"Is it possible he could come back home?" Tommy asked. "Maria will be released from the hospital tomorrow. He's spent over half his life with her, she must be like a mother to him. I know she's not well, but there's me and Laura and Mariana also in the house, helping out."

"I can't say anything about that," Joshua said. "He is an orphan now, his legal guardianship has to be determined."

"Fair enough," Tommy said. "I appreciate you bringing him over today."

Joshua nodded slowly, almost like Devon had done earlier. They exchanged numbers to be able to arrange Devon's visits.

Tommy and Laura walked back home slowly, holding hands.

"Too bad we're not exactly foster parent material," Laura said. "What with you having a criminal record and me writing porno. And we do move around too often."

He snorted. "You think I'd want to foster him?"

"Don't know. And we probably couldn't pull it off anyway. But you do care for him."

Tommy couldn't deny it.

—#—#—#—#—#—

Maria came home from the hospital on Thursday. Laura and Mariana helped her with everything and she recuperated nicely.

Devon came up as often as he was allowed. Laura or Tommy picked him up and took him back on the appointed time. He had been on his own for so long he was scornful of the rules, and they tried to explain why he should behave and do as the foster home wanted.

Hector was buried. It was a very small funeral, but Tommy and Laura went. Laura helped Maria get around, she was still so bruised it was difficult for her to move, and Tommy sat with Devon and tried to support him. He didn't know what to say, but it felt like Devon appreciated his efforts.

They remained sitting after the ceremony ended. Tommy looked at Devon, his narrow, slumped shoulders and ill-fitting black suit he was wearing. He was staring straight ahead, clenching his jaw.

"You know, Devon," he said quietly. "My dad was an asshole, too. I was thirty six when he died. So I was an adult, and he was an asshole, but I still cried."

Devon pondered this. "You cried at his funeral?"

"I couldn't be at his funeral. I was in prison at the time."

"Oh," Devon said and cast him a quick sideways glance.

"Yeah. They don't let you out for funerals when you're a bad guy."

Devon was quiet for a moment. "He ever hit you?"

"Yeah. And my mom. He was a drunk and he was mean when he drank."

"Oh," said Devon again.

Again the small silence. "You ever hit Laura?"

"Nope, and never will," Tommy said with absolute certainty. "Never ever. See, when I was about your age I decided I would grow up to be a better man than my father ever was. I've never hit a woman. Or a child."

"You ever hit a man?" Devon asked, without the pause this time. He looked at Tommy's eyes with a scrutinizing look.

"Yeah, when I've had to," he said.

They kept eye contact for some time, and then Devon returned to stare straight ahead.

—#—#—#—#—#—

It turned out the house was Devon's now. It was the only thing of value Hector left behind. Nobody had any idea how things would go, but Devon's interest in Tommy's renovations went up the roof and Tommy started to teach him in earnest how to do repairs around the house. Devon would help Tommy at his house and Tommy would help Devon at his. Laura thought it was funny and cute how Devon swelled up around Tommy, trying to copy everything he did. Then again Tommy wasn't such a bad role model for a man. Certainly better than Hector.

Devon's school hosted a Father's Day event a little before the summer holiday began. To everyone's amazement he asked Tommy if he'd attend. Tommy was surprised and flustered but agreed so fast that Devon smiled the biggest smile Laura had ever seen on his face.

Later Tommy told Laura he'd done okay, that he'd done better in all sorts of funny competitions than most of the other kids' dads, because he was more athletic than the vast majority of them. And that they'd had fun and Devon had been seemingly proud to have him there. Some of the other kids had been with their granddad's and some without anyone, so Devon seemed better off than he'd probably been in previous years. Joshua had been there to monitor the event just as he'd been in the funeral and he hadn't said anything about anything.

Laura and Tommy had furnished a room in Tommy's house, and they did use it for lovemaking. It made Tommy self conscious to know Maria could hear them, and so they usually didn't do it in the room next to hers anymore.

Around the time Laura's film was getting ready she got a DVD to preview. Tommy happened to be out of town, it was his 49th birthday and he'd agreed to meet some of his old friends back in Cleveland to celebrate.

Laura organized a girls' movie night for Maria and Mariana, completed with beers and popcorn. She had been hesitant about including Mariana, but it turned out she was 22 years old, she was just so tiny Laura had taken her for a teen. Laura did warn them about the content and blushingly they both confessed they'd read her books.

The film seemed okay. It was porno, but not quite the blatantly physical porno so much of it was. There was an actual plot, the characters were likable and had actual human characteristics and not just polished, perfect bodies. Not that the actors didn't have polished, perfect bodies. Sex scenes were explicit but nicely lighted and shot, so it wasn't quite as flagrant as some Laura had seen. All in all it wasn't bad.

"I wonder who they're gonna market this to," she said. "I mean, let's face it, it is porno. So it's not gonna be on TV. And the audience to buy porno is maybe not so interested in this. But I guess they've got something figured out, it's not a charity pursuit, anyhow."

"I would pay to see that," said Maria huskily.

Maria seemed all hot and bothered. Laura smiled an amused but friendly smile at her. She was usually so reserved, and being a little worked up made her look like her fifty two instead of seventy she usually made herself out to look. Mariana smiled as well, and she had a twinkle in her eyes, even when she wasn't as flustered as her mom.

"So, you write from your experience or what?" Mariana asked, grinning.

"Yes and no," Laura said and grinned back. "I did, especially my first book. Now I'm not so confined in things I've done, or we've done, but I'd say most of it I've done one time or the other. I mean, I do write about things that turn me on, and why wouldn't I do things that turn me on?"

"With Tommy?" asked Mariana. Maria swatted her on the arm playfully as if to say she was out of line.

"Mostly him, yeah," Laura said. "To tell you the truth my sex life didn't really begin before we got together. I had some when I was young, but he's taken it to quite another level. Or we have. Together. And I've done others since that, too."

"You what?" said Maria, absolutely horrified. "Does he know?"

"Sure," Laura said. "We were separated for a while and while I was busy elsewhere he joined this swingers' club at the neighborhood his house was at the time. I've understood the ladies loved him there. 'The strong handyman' was their favorite fantasy to act out with him."

Maria almost choked trying to grasp this.

"Oh, and we've done some threesomes while we've been together," Laura said. "Amongst other things. So yeah. Not quite kosher, I suppose."

"I...I never thought," Maria said.

Mariana grinned and rolled her eyes. She started to get ready to go out. After Hector's death she had relaxed, and having a permanent place to stay without constant fear for physical or sexual abuse had helped her stabilize her life enough to get a job as a waitress. Having a job brought a little money, and she had means to go out with her friends for the first time ever, and she did a fair amount of that.

She left and Laura went to get the next round of beers from the fridge.

"Wanna see it again?" she asked Maria, who nodded timidly.

They watched the film again. Laura paid attention to different things than the first round, took in more details, but nothing stuck out like a sore thumb. Dialogue was almost exactly like she remembered writing it and all in all she was pleased with the work.

She also paid attention to Maria. She seemed excited, so apparently the film wasn't half bad. And whereas Laura had never really thought of Maria as a sexual creature she did now. So she was fifty two. And Mariana had said she had been with Hector since her husband died. That must've been...she just had to ask.

"Maria, would you tell me about your husband?" she asked.

"What?" Maria asked, still looking at the screen. "Oh, Javier? Well, sure. He was...I was...we were young when we got married. I was 18 and he was 20. We loved each other so much. And he was a good man, he wasn't...he wasn't...it was good with him. We had trouble conceiving, but he never blamed me, he never took it out on me. We couldn't afford any treatments so finally we just gave up on getting a child. But finally when I was 30 I got pregnant, it was like a miracle."

She looked down into her hands. "Hector later suggested I'd cheated on Javier. But it isn't true. I never would've. I don't know why it took us so long. But those early years with him and Mariana were the best I ever had.

"But then he got sick. And then he died. And Juliana, my sister, had been with Hector for some time by then. They had this house. And when Javier died I didn't know what to do, I'm not...I just don't have the strength. And when Juliana asked me to move in with them I did. And it wasn't as bad as what you've seen. It was almost alright at first.

"See, Juliana wasn't like me. She was...feisty. And I think Hector really liked her. Maybe he loved her. They used to laugh a lot. And dance, oh, I remember how they danced together.

"But then she got sick. And after she died things just went to hell. Hector got so angry, and he made me take Juliana's place, but I could never...he was never satisfied with me. And he got rougher and rougher and he started beating on me and the kids and it just got worse and worse. And I couldn't leave, I guess I was just waiting for the day he'd kill one of us. And if I'd suddenly been strong enough to leave, what about Davon? I can't say I've done right by him but I've been here. I've fed him. He would've been in the system long ago if I wasn't here. But I don't know if I've done him a favor."

She drew unsteady breaths. Laura was at a loss of words. This had gotten on a level she wasn't so comfortable with.

"I'm sure you did your best," she said. "There's not much more you can do, is there?"

Maria just shrugged. They looked at the film again and after one of the steamier parts Maria said, bitterly, "I never did anything like that with Javier. I wish I would've. It feels like a waste now."

"You've still got time," Laura said. "Right? Just...I hope you'll find someone decent next time."

"Ah, no," Maria said. "I think it's game over for me. I can't do it right. I have to see if I get Devon, but if I don't, it's gonna be just me soon. And it's alright, I think I'm safer alone."

"Yeah, but," Laura said.

She thought about Maria's life. So she'd been with Hector, if that could be called that, for the last five years, and it had been a progressively abusive relationship. Before that she'd been alone for two years after her husband died, and before that he'd been sick. So it was probable that she'd been close to ten years without an actual, fulfilling physical relationship. No wonder she had no self esteem and didn't think she could ever have anything.

"But you're almost the same age as Tommy," Laura said. "You're definitely not too old."

"Yeah but it's something else what you guys have," Maria said. "Nobody has what you have. I mean, Javier was nice to me and we loved each other, but you..."

She blushed dark crimson and didn't look at Laura's eyes. "I mean I used to listen to you. Before...when you still used to do it here. It's just, it was something else."

"You wanna do it with Tommy?" asked Laura.

"What? No," asked Maria, pronouncing 'no' in a distinctively spanish way. She stared at her for a few seconds, then away again. "I...you're joking. You're making fun of me."

"No, I'm not," Laura said. "Well we'd have to ask if he agrees, obviously. But I think it'd do you good. Get you...started again. After that pig Hector beat you up for years. And...worse."

"But that's...how, no," Maria stammered. "He's yours, why would he do that."

"Well it's not like I'm pimping him out," Laura said. "And he isn't that into casual sex. But he just might. Because he's your friend, too. There's things he won't do, but he's really good with the things he does, I tell you."

Maria blushed a little more, even when Laura hadn't thought it possible. "I know," she whispered. "I heard you."

They shared an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes and watched the film.

"Well, I'll talk to him, okay? Just in case," Laura said, and Maria didn't forbid her. They let it slide after that.

-#-#-#-#-#-

In August Laura turned 42, Maria turned 53 and Devon turned 12. They went out to eat to celebrate, then bowling, and Devon had the time of his life. Laura gave Devon a book for his birthday and Tommy a toolbox filled with some quality tools and supplies, saying Devon could use them to fix his house. Devon looked like he'd never gotten anything better.

There was going to be a hearing in Devon's matters in September, and they were waiting for it, both afraid and hopeful. Maria had expressed her wish of adopting him, and they all hoped she would succeed.

Laura got another invitation to Chicago for the last week of August, and after discussing it she and Tommy decided she'd ask if Mariana wanted to join her. They had discovered she'd never in her life traveled anywhere at all, and thought it might make a nice experience for her.

"And maybe I can even hook her up for a date," Laura said and winked. "I know some nice people up there."

"Bet you do," Tommy said. "You planning on going on a date up there?"

"Nah, but I was kinda thinking you could," Laura said.

"Uh...what?"

"Well, I've been thinking about Maria," Laura said. "She's had it so rough for so long. I think it'd do her good to have a decent...experience for a change."

"You think, huh," Tommy said. "It probably would. But what makes you think she'd be interested in having that with me."

"She used to listen to us, earlier," Laura said. "You know. When we thought we were quiet enough for this house. And I think it excited her. And she trusts you, and I don't know if there's any other men she trusts."

"Yes, but still," Tommy said. "I think it's a bit far fetched."

"I asked her if she wanted to and she didn't decline," Laura said. "You know she'd never ask, but I think you should ask her."

"You did what? You're just awful, you know that," Tommy said. He pushed her over on the bed and tickled her until she begged for mercy.

"Just think about it," Laura said, breathless and still laughing. "I'm not gonna force either one of you, you know that."

So Tommy thought about it. He looked at Maria, thought about her life, how it had been, how it would be, and he could see what Laura meant. He knew he could do it, and he knew Laura had nothing against it, but he had no idea if Maria was up to it.

Laura and Mariana left for Chicago. It was weird to be in the house with just Maria. Tommy did his thing, worked on his house, cooked dinners, and Maria did what Maria did, which was to say Tommy really didn't really know what she did with her time.

He had made up his mind, though. He was going to try.

He reserved a hotel room with a sizable whirlpool bath and made a reservation at the hotel restaurant. And then he asked Maria if she wanted to go out with him, to eat and then spend the night in the hotel with him. Maria was absolutely petrified by his suggestion, as he had guessed she would be, that was why he had asked her three days before the d-day. She would have time to make up her mind, and he made it clear she could decline if she didn't want to. And that if she did agree, she could still stop at any time she didn't want to take it further.

On the previous day before the reservation she very timidly said she'd like to go. She was blushing like crazy and didn't know how to look at him.

"I...I don't know why you're doing this," she whispered.

"Yeah you do," Tommy said. "Because Laura asked me to. I'd never thought of it on my own. But I don't think it's a bad idea. Because she's right, it could do you good to get a jump start on your life again."

He looked at her nervous fidgeting.

"I mean, that's what I think. But you don't have to agree with it. I think we could at least try, no? So it's a date tomorrow?"

"Yes," she whispered, looking overjoyed and terrified at the same time. "It's a date."

-#-#-#-#-#-

They packed a little clothes and toiletries and left for the hotel. The food was excellent and they had a secluded table by the corner. Tommy kept her talking, asking about Javier and their life together, asking about Devon, talking about this and that. She was really nervous but he struggled to keep the mood easy. They didn't drink too much, just a glass of wine with the food, but even that seemed to relax Maria a little.

They went up to the room and Maria was so nervous she was shivering.

"Hush," Tommy said. "Don't fear. Come here, I'll do your hair up."

"You what?" Maria asked but let him take her to a chair and sit her down.

"I'll do your hair up, so it won't get wet, yeah? We're gonna check out that whirlpool bath."

She didn't object. He opened her hair, it was really long, almost down to her hips and she usually had it in a long braid. He ran his fingers through it, then started to brush it very slowly. It became beautiful, it was deep black and it got shiny with the brushing. There were a few gray hairs but not very many. He brushed her, taking care to be gentle clearing any tangles. He stood close to her but didn't touch her other than her hair, her scalp, some of her face and neck.

"You've got really beautiful hair," he said. She just shivered.

When he had brushed it enough he started to braid it with a French braid that would circle her head, so that he could fasten it up not to get in the water. He wasn't very good at it, but he had done it before, and so he tried and smiled to himself seeing his clumsy result. He circled her when he worked, and at times she was so close he could feel her breath on his shirt. He felt a tingle of arousal, he was curious now and he wanted this to work.

"There," he said. "All done. It's not gonna win you any beauty pageants, I'm afraid, but hey, who's to see?"

He smiled at her. She smiled back and tried her hair with her hands. She didn't seem quite so terrified anymore.

They went to check out the bath. They started to fill it up, and when it was running Tommy started to strip Maria slowly. She didn't object, but she was very nervous. He buttoned her shirt open carefully, taking his time, keeping his eyes on her buttons. She looked up at his face, scouting his expressions. When he got the shirt open he spread it open, pushed it slowly off her slim shoulders and let it slide to the floor. He took in her small breasts and a white lace bra that had seen better days, and then he lifted his eyes to hers. She was serious and solemn. He smiled a little smile and gestured to his own shirt.

Maria started to unbutton his shirt, almost as slowly. Her hands were trembling. She fumbled with the buttons but he didn't rush her, he just looked at her and she looked at his buttons, just the way he had done. Finally she got the buttons open and pushed the shirt off Tommy's shoulders, just as he had done to her. He had a sleeveless cotton undershirt on, and she pulled it out of his trousers slowly and then proceeded to pull it off him. He helped her with the movement and tossed the shirt aside.