Costumes and Second Chances

"Harder!" El commanded as she snaked a hand under her body, seeking to add more to the storm via her clit. Each thrust slid her nipples across the soft sheets, sending more power into the coming hurricane. The thought that both Mike and Heather would see it added to the coming apocalyptic storm. "Almost..." Her whole body was quivering. "OHHHH!!!" She shouted like a siren warning about the impending landfall.

"OH, GOD!" Ellie bellowed out as it hit. So overcome with pleasure that every nerve fiber pulsed in time with the epic lightning show blossoming centered on her womanhood. The sound seemed muffled momentarily. Each piston-like pounding of his cock seemed to throw more power into the storm. She was honestly worried that her consciousness would be completely overwhelmed by the Cat-5 strength orgasm. She felt herself screaming but couldn't understand the words. Mike's relentless strokes suddenly petered off. Her being was consumed with the blinding, perfect, but fleeting bliss. The feeling of that night so long ago was finally surpassed by a massive orgasm.

Ellie shook as her other sense came back, a dull ecstasy blunting everything like pleasing gauze over her five senses. Mike had flopped onto his back beside her, panting from exertion. "Wow..." was all she could manage. She turned her body toward Mike and reached to embrace him. "I haven't cum like that since... Ever." She said and kissed his shoulder.

"I know the feeling." He looked over with a drunken smile. His strong arm pulled her closer.

Ellie looked down to his cock, the condom covering it was filled with a milky white haze. How he had that much left after last night, she did not know. "It looks like it. We fit together really well."

"Yeah, yeah, we do." He cuddled in close, staring into her eyes. They kissed and cuddled for a few minutes before Mike sat up. "I would love to stay here and cuddle all day, but only one of us has snuck off the restroom."

"You do nice work with a full bladder." Ellie sat up and teased him.

Mike sat at the edge of the bed, slowly pulling the condom from his deflating dick. "I think I do nice work with you." He leaned over to her lips, just planting a brief peck this time.

"Too bad that was our last condom; I wouldn't mind an encore."

Mike stood and stretched. "I have some in the front pocket of my backpack. Grab one more and will see what other trouble we can get into."

"Okay," Ellie smiled demurely as he beelined it for the tree line. He didn't need to walk clear to the restrooms to relieve himself.

Ellie looked around; Heather was the only person that seemed to be paying them any mind. They clearly weren't the only ones greeting the morning before Halloween with more sex. Two beds over, they were humping wildly, though obscured by a sheet. El was curious whether this was normal or if she and Mike had inspired others. She could make out another pair halfway across the field where they were outside of the covers, masturbating, eyes glued on each other. Maybe they ran out of protection. She thought as she unzipped the front pocket of Mike's bag. Beneath his wallet and cellphone, she found another box of three condoms and something else.

He had a simple gold ring in the pocket. No! Her brain screamed; she picked it up and inspected it. Inscribed on the inside was a date, Mike's name, 'With all my love - Deborah', and clearly a wedding date from a decade ago. Not again! Her stomach wretched. Not after that!

Mike came jogging back with a smile on his face. I can't do this with another liar! "What the fuck, Mike!" Ellie yelled out, secreting the ring in her palm. See how things work out for you if you lose your ring, asshole! "Find your own way home!" She continued, tears filling her eyes. She picked up her shield and stomped off toward Heather.

Her best friend met her on the road. "What happened?"

"Not here; I need to get out of here!" Ellie stated, eyes filled with fury as she walked briskly toward the gate and her clothes. Her anger did not cool as they collected their clothes. Ellie dressed immediately; Heather just draped her dress over her arm until they got back to the car. If it weren't illegal, and they weren't headed to collect her car and kid at her parents, Ellie felt like Heather would have driven home naked.

"What the hell happened, El? I thought you two were having a great time."

"Best sex of my life, no question." Ellie stared straight ahead as tears streaked down her face. "And everybody in town could see it."

"Don't worry about that part; no one talks about what happens at the bonfire without permission from both parties."

"Well, at least there's that." Ellie wondered if that was one of those high concept rules quickly forgotten when it came time to gossip.

"Then what changed with Mike?"

"I was getting more condoms out of his bag, and I found this." Ellie dropped the ring into the cup holder.

"A ring?"

"A wedding ring in his bag, Heather! Juan says that That bastard Todd always hid his ring in that damned messenger bag he always carried around."

"How do you know it is a wedding ring? Or that it is his? His brother did hand him the bag." Sometimes it sucked that Heather was a lawyer; she had to always be so damned logical.

"It has his name and an inscription that says 'With all my love - Deborah' and a wedding date. It seems pretty damn convincing to me."

"I'm so sorry, El." They drove in silence for a minute. "Could he be divorced?"

"Why the hell would a divorced man carry his ring around, Heather?" Rage boiled inside her.

"You're right, sorry." More silence followed by. "Let me have the ring. I can get to the bottom of this when I get home. If he's married, I'll take it back to him and shove it directly up his ass after I get done kicking it."

"Thanks, Heater." Ellie rode the rest of the way in silence, angry and disappointed, she thought she had found her true love again after all these years, and all she saw was another traitorous bastard. A small part of her hope she was wrong; Mike seemed so perfect for her. She couldn't hold back the sobs; Heather took her back to her apartment before picking up Katelynn, so she could get it back together as well as she could.

Mike -- Saturday late afternoon

Mike couldn't shake the persistent grogginess, but he was doing his best to keep up with his tiny clone as he joyfully chased the younger of his parents' retrievers, happy giggles emanating from him. The fluffy black dog dutifully engaged in the game, letting Mikey get close before zooming away. If she got too far away, she would run back and crouch down floofy tail wagging. Louise was on the porch, helping Michelle paint her favorite princesses' symbol on her shield, the last piece she needed to complete her ensemble for tomorrow. He grimaced at the thought of going back to the ballroom. He had a great night with Ellie and a damn decent morning until something changed. Mike had no idea what it was; why would the beautiful nymph suddenly turn on him and tell him to make his own way home?

Thankfully, Jason knew exactly where to find him. His brother hadn't grilled him on what happened, which was good as he had no answers. Seeing Ellie again had awakened something in him that had lain dormant for far too long. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, and he thought single. He kept wracking his brain, thinking of what he could have done wrong to make her snap at him.

His father and Jason were operating the grill. His mother was flitting about taking pictures of her family, their older retriever following her like a shadow, probably thankful that her sister was the one entertaining Mikey. Grandma was in heaven, having her family all in one place for Halloween for the first time since the grandkids were born. Their house was adorned with cobwebs, spiders, scarecrows, and witches. She leaned into the holiday with glee.

"Hey, Mike, dad forgot something at the grocery store." Jason's words brought him out of his stupor.

"Wouldn't be a grocery run without forgetting something." Mike couldn't help the sleepiness still evident in his voice.

"Mind running me to go pick up buns? I've had one too many IPAs."

"Cooking burgers, and they forgot the buns?" Mike yelled up the hill.

"You forgot the spaghetti, Thursday." He yelled back, waving at him with his beer. He had cooked a great meat sauce, one of the myriads of things that Deborah taught him to make. The actual pasta was still sitting on a shelf at the store.

He shook his head, walking around the outside of the house. "How bad did we get beat today?" Mike had come home and taken a long nap while Grandma and Papa entertained the squirts. He had been preoccupied with thoughts of Ellie all day.

"You haven't seen?" Jason said with a laugh as they hopped in Mike's truck.

"No, I have had my mind on other things."

"We won!" Jason said triumphantly.

"What! How!" His team was perennial cellar-dwellers. They usually managed to win an easy non-conference schedule before getting buzz sawed by their league rivals. They were playing a top ten team this weekend.

"Bribery? The other team was acting like the football was covered in butter."

"My boss is going to be pissed on Monday," Mike said with a laugh; one of his boss's sons was attending the rival school.

"Just try not to rub it in too hard." Jason paused for a moment, Mike knew the direction of the coming questions. "So, what happened last night?"

"We went to a haunted house, then we got naked at the bonfire. Why didn't you warn me?" Mike looked over briefly at a stoplight.

"It's against the rules. Who was this girl?"

"Did I ever tell you about the theatre conference when I graduated high school?"

"Not exact details, but you did come home professing your love for a girl. Ellie, I believe it was. I always thought that was the equivalent of my girlfriend went to another school." He chuckled a little.

"She is very real. We, uh, saw a lot of each other during that week." Mike flipped on the turn signal to the pull into the shopping center.

"You had sex with a girl after high school; what does that have to do with last night?"

"That was Ellie, Princess Anna was Ellie. It wasn't just some sex; it was the best sex of my life. Last night we picked up where we left off."

"Then why aren't you still with her? Is she the one and done type?"

"I didn't think so, well too much information, but she brought three condoms. We used two last night."

"Did you two have a tent or..."

"Her friend, Heather, the elf from last night, told us we had to sleep under the stars."

"Oh shit, You had one of the exhibitionist beds?" Jason just smiled. "Michelle and I did that two years ago. We would have done it last year, but COVID. With covers or not?"

"We did other things under the stars besides sleep."

"Good for you, Mike; what happened this morning?"

"Ellie woke me up in an extraordinary way. Then we expended the last condom."

"In broad daylight!" Jason stared at him, equal parts aghast and proud.

"Yeah, well after we finished, I went to go take a pee. She wanted one more sequel before we would have waffles and talk; I told her where she could find condoms in my backpack. When I came back, she was suddenly pissed; she yelled at me and then stormed off telling me to find my own way home."

"Crazy?"

"I don't think so, but I don't have her number, and I have no idea what suddenly changed. I..." Mike paused a second, bewilderment on his face. "I thought we really had something going."

"That sucks, man. Well, at least you got out there again; they can't all be winners. You got laid!"

"I don't think I can take Mikey and Louise to the same pediatrician. Ran into her last night at the bonfire."

"No, you didn't," Jason stated plainly as they got out of the car. "Rule of the bonfire. You didn't see anything." He smiled as they walked into the store. "It works both ways; they also didn't see you."

"Grab the buns; I am going to go find a stout since you got dad into the IPA bull crap."

"I promise I got some good ones this time."

Mike just shook his head as he crossed the store to the beers. He almost ran smack into Heather as she picked up a wine bottle when he rounded the corner. "Heather?"

"Mike." Her response was terse, anger dripping in the single syllable.

"What, what did I do?" He asked honestly, bewildered.

"Not here. Can we talk somewhere private?" Her words cooled considerably, though she was averting her gaze, looking uncomfortable. "Ellie has something of yours and your axe. I am going to deliver her some wine, and then we can speak."

"Yeah, come see me at my parents. Michelle will kick my ass if I don't have that axe tomorrow." Mike gave her the address and his phone number; he didn't know why but he still trusted the odd woman. No matter how the evening ended, he still owed her so much. "Call me if we don't answer the door; we might be out back."

Mike quickly selected a six-pack and headed back with Jason. They talked more sports than anything about the bonfire. It took Heather a few hours to make an appearance. He had just gotten Mikey down, with a bedtime story, when there was a knock on the front door. Louise and Michelle were watching an episode of the cartoon, apparently a new one tonight. His parents and Jason were still out on the back deck enjoying the night.

"Heather, thanks for coming; what do you have for me."

Heather motioned for him to come out on the front porch with him. "Mike, tell me the truth. Are you married?"

Mike couldn't help hanging his head, not in embarrassment but a sudden belt of grief. "I was."

"Recent divorce, or are you two just separated." Heather's words dripped with venom.

Mike couldn't help the tears welling in his eyes. He walked over to the porch swing and buried his hands in his hands. "Deb has been dead for five years. My son will never remember his mother. My daughter vaguely remembers her face, and it bothers her. Hell, it bothers me that I can't quite remember how her voice sounded anymore." Tears were dripping down his face.

"Oh, fuck..." Heather said as she flopped onto the swing beside him and put an arm around him. "And now I'm the asshole." Heather pulled something from her pocket, a simple gold ring that Mike had worn for years after Deborah passed. "Ellie found this in your bag. She thought you were married."

"No, that's why she suddenly got so angry?" Heather gave him a slight nod. "It stays in my backpack with me, I don't wear it anymore, but I still miss her every day." Mike stared at Heather in disbelief. "Why didn't she just ask me?"

"Because her fiancée of several years was married the whole fucking time," Heather said flatly. "He lied to her face for years. He got her pregnant then ran away like a little bitch. She thought she was cursed."

Heather and Mike sat on the porch swing for a half-hour, going over everything she didn't want to talk about last night. All about Todd and Ellie's daughter. Mike wasn't a violent man but silently vowed to knock Todd out if he ever met him. He couldn't understand how a man wouldn't want anything to do with his children. Katelynn was a year younger than Mikey.

She listened quietly as Mike went over the story of Deborah, her strength in bringing Mike into the world, holding her hand as she passed in the middle of the night. Crying because her siblings had missed saying goodbye by ten minutes. The five years of living in a funk, his promise to his dying wife to find love again and not define his life by grief.

After both their stories, they sat in silence for a few minutes, Heather finally breaking the calm night air. "Would you want to see her again after this morning and the overreaction?"

"Not going to lie, that hurt. But I think I am in love with her. Don't tell her that yet."

"Good, you are good for her. I'll talk to El. Your family going to the contest tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah, Michelle made costumes for the whole family."

"Meet us there; I think she loves you too. Always has. I'll text you if she's too embarrassed; maybe we can try something else."

"Thanks, Heather, for everything."

"Yeah, I think you're a good guy Mike, sorry again."

The next day Mike was unbelievably nervous. He leaned into his acting trick to become the calm, confident, and wise King, thankful for a little more to his costume than last night. He kept looking at the clock, Ellie had yet to show, but he received no text from Heather. Fifteen minutes from the deadline to enter the family competition, Queen Anna made an impressive entrance; on her hip was a little blond princess with rosy cheeks and her mother's light green eyes. Ellie's vibrant red wig was replaced by straight silver hair. Heather was beside her, in a much longer dress, but still playing the elf. Ellie caught his eyes and blushed.

Mike gave Jason a nod, and he and Michelle distracted the kids by watching some expert pumpkin carvers for a few minutes. Ellie handed Katelynn over to Heather, who took her over to what looked to be face painting. "Hey," Mike approached cautiously.

"Mike," She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry." Her tone didn't sound like an apology, but like she was about to go into a, we should just be friends speech. His heart dropped; was this going to end before it started. Ellie cleared her throat. "That was the wrong tone. I suck at this; sorry about the overreaction. I must seem like a crazy woman."

"Heather told me about Todd. Add me to the list of people that want to punch him in the teeth. I assume she told you about Deborah."

"Yes, I feel like such an asshole; I just assume that every guy is a Todd in disguise."

"I am not going to lie; I was pissed when I saw Heather with my ring."

"I should have at least given you a chance to explain." Ellie averted her eyes for a moment as she took in an audible breath. "If we are going to date, it isn't going to be easy. I'm a little broken."

Mike pulled her into a hug. "So am I. Maybe we are broken in a way that fits together." She leaned in and kissed him, chaste and not burning wildly with passion. There was still a glowing ember, though it felt like they did not want to get caught by their children. Heather did not miss the sight; she looked over with a smile and a wink.

"Katelynn is a part of the deal from the start. If you meet her, you can't just runoff. Especially not today; it's her fourth birthday." Ellie pointed to her daughter, who had apparently found another princess and prince. She was meeting Mikey and Louise, cackling excitedly. Mikey started bouncing excitedly and then hugged the petite blonde without warning.

"She's adorable; Kate has your eyes." He pointed at his pair "Mikey and Louise are my pride and joy. The only thing that kept me sane after Deborah." He couldn't help smiling as their children made friends. "You want to meet them since your daughter already has?"

"I wanted to take it slow, but, yeah, I guess I can't avoid it. Kate will make sure I do. To think I just thought I was looking for a hookup."

"It was a great hookup."

"Best sex of my life. You know we are going to have sex in private sometime; I hope it's not a dealbreaker."

"Not every time, I hope," Mike said with a laugh; Ellie shrugged but smiled. "I think I can handle that," Mike said as he turned her to go meet the children. "Hey kids, I found Queen Anna!"

"Anna!" said Mikey with considerable excitement.

"King," Katelynn said, pointing at him. Her eyes snapped to Ellie and then back to him. She giggled, light green eyes shining. "King! King!"

"Your mama tells me it's your birthday." Mike affected the most regal-sounding voice he could muster. He knelt down to Katelynn's level. "How old are you?"