Daddy, Take Me Ch. 58-62

Our life was good...

Chapter 61

Thirty years later and loose ends.

Chloe ...61...Maisie...64...Belle...77...Effie...31...Maggie...52...Lily...50...Jon...58...McKenzie...56...Ollie...30

So. My family. Where do I begin? I knew I should have kept up to date with this tome!

We're all still together! Yay! Oh, believe me, we've had our moments, but we persevered and pushed through the bad times. Looking back, I wonder how at times. But, we've grown into this comfortable life we've carved out for ourselves.

Over the years we've had our fair share of arguments, mainly about Belle's insecurity about us. One argument, years ago, was the usual 'I don't know what you're doing with me now. I've held you back. I know I have.' Her insecurity grew, as the years went on, frustrating Maisie and me.

"You really have no idea what you've brought to us, hmm?" I'd always reply. "And I'm not talking about your fucking money. Have we ever once used the credit cards you gave us years ago? No, we haven't! We love you. We always have. Belle, you're a part of us. We'd be different people if you weren't in our life. I love us. I love our life...together. Just behave and love us!" I'd implore. Maisie and I understood her reservations. It all boiled down to age. I will admit, though, that as she entered her sixtieth year, the real acceptance that we were here for her finally took hold.

But, we also had arguments and disagreements over the most mundane of things; who didn't do this and why not? Weren't you supposed to do this, that or the other? At the end of the day, it was all the seemingly trivial bits we'd argue over. Those we could deal with, even though, at the time, they'd piss one or more of us off.

We were just another somewhat normal throuple, dealing with life's inconsequential and inane problems.

After Effie joined us, we stopped our 'coupling' with my family. It was pretty mutual by all of us, well, except for Maggie and Lily. But they understood, understood our new life that we needed to concentrate on. Whoever said being responsible was fun, hmm?

Of course, we had all changed over the years, and not only physically.

Maisie and Belle put on weight, their fuller figures so enticing to me. I was so proud of Belle, as she embraced the 'new' her. Her once-slim figure morphed into this glorious middle-aged body. Never portly but the pounds she put on only added to her allure. Moms helped her through menopause, quietly reassuring her that this was not the end. Maisie and I fell in love with her even more, if truth be told. We'd sit out by the river and ruminate over the years behind us, a bottle or two of Chablis helping us remember.

On Belle's sixty-fourth birthday, we rented out a huge hall and invited everyone! I mean, old friends and work colleagues, neighbours and our extended families.

Jon and McKenzie, of course, were so involved. They had a boy, nineteen now. They named him Oliver, but we all call him Ollie. Belle was over-the-proverbial-moon when they told her she was going to be a grandma! Our relationship with them had never been better. Luckily. We had some tough talks over the years, his almost constant concern for his mother was understandable. Although he always said he accepted us, there was always this undercurrent of mistrust with him. We understood, actually, but as the years rolled on, he finally accepted and grasped us. They were near-constant visitors, too, our families embracing them, as they embraced us.

They still had their not-so-often trysts, something Maisie and I had encouraged. She needed this, as much as I did with my parents. Or my sisters, although I haven't been 'with them' for years now. Although Belle urged Maisie and me to continue the relationships we had with my family, we didn't. This...us...was enough.

So. Belle's birthday party! What a day! She thought it unusual to have such a huge celebration of her life on her sixty-fourth, but we had our reasons!

Speeches were given, much to her dismay, but she grinned and tolerated us. Jon's was the most poignant. He talked about his trepidation when his mother divorced and how, too soon, (or so he felt) she came together with Maisie and me. He told everyone how it was tough for him to understand his mother's life choices, but grew to understand what we had and couldn't be happier for us. Yeah, the tears flooded after that one!

When it was my turn, I almost couldn't do it.

"Maisie and I would have had a marvellous life together, but this woman, Arabella, has added so much to us, to both of our lives...and to our daughter's. Years ago, she had a crisis of conscience, so I sang her a little Beatles song. So..."

Maisie and I began the song. We had passed out song sheets on every table and gradually they all joined in, even Effie.

'When I get older, losing my hair

Many years from now

Will you still be sending me a Valentine

Birthday greetings, bottle of wine.

*********

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I'm sixty-four.'

There was hardly a dry eye in the room.

"I told you, didn't I?" I smiled and embraced her, her tears staining my dress, and mine hers. "I told you we'd always be here for you, hmm?"

Maisie gave an equally poignant speech; heartfelt, full of love and devotion for this woman we had shared our life with, all the while Effie sat there with her hand clasped in Belle's.

Then it was Belle's turn. I can remember most of what she said, 'til my tears flowed.

"These two, my life partners, have always been these spirited, loving, caring women. I think all my friends back then thought I was going crazy; that this was just a mid-life crisis, and perhaps it was. But I woke up. Finally. There was just this something about these two. It took me a long time to accept that I wasn't holding them back, that the three of us made each other more complete than we ever could be on our own. Je regrette rien," she smiled, and Maisie and I walked to her, embracing this special woman.

And our Effie. She recounted lost memories of her childhood, and little tidbits of her days out with Belle. If anyone had any doubts about the depth of love for each other before her speech, they were quickly dashed aside afterwards. Effie's 'normal' was anything but, but it was all she knew. Everyone could tell she had been brought up in a home filled with love. What else is there really?

We all remember when she was just a toddler, she'd cry out for 'Mom!' and we'd all turn. We'd look at each other, deciding who would tend to the little one's needs. If it was a nappy change, well, they'd both walk away! Humph! We had to step back at times and check the dynamic she was born into. Three mums? We all had to learn to share and continue to talk. But it was normal for her, even if her school days were fraught with teasing and some bullying, but she'd grown into a strong, resolute young woman. We couldn't be prouder. Things change but we vowed to let Effie find her own way, as hard as it was for us. Here we were, three strong women raising her, so our influence was there, whether we acknowledged it or not.

Maisie, Belle and I had contemplated, discussed, pondered over and driven ourselves mad with the thought of whether to tell Effie who her dad was. Tom was seventy-six when she turned twenty-one. Their relationship was closer than most grandparents we had known. I had re-written my diaries from all those years ago, omitting virtually all of our sexual exploits. I mean, after all...As her birthday approached, I knew we shouldn't tell her, though. She had no real longing to know his identity, as we told her that even we didn't know. She had this relationship with Tom, and that seemed to fill that void. Whew!

Effie took it exceptionally hard when Tom passed. He was out kayaking on the Thames and his heart just gave out. He floated downstream, 'til a passing boat saw him keeled over and in trouble. It hit us all. We thought he'd live forever. He was seventy-six and had no reason to be out there, except that he loved it. As close as they were in life, my moms followed one another in death, too. Within two years, both my moms were gone, their hearts broken by their loss. It was the toughest time of our lives, as they had been so integral to us and our connection.

We tended to our family, keeping them close and revelling in the separate lives they had carved out for themselves.

Then the unthinkable happened. Belle contracted pancreatic cancer. It was a particularly aggressive strain, one which took her from us within six months. We talked and talked, but opted to have her stay at home, as we couldn't bear to be apart and she didn't want to be apart from us. We set up a room with a bed, machines and all and hired a full-time, live-in carer to be with her. It was devastating, to say the very least.

Maisie and I were her carers, yes, but we didn't have the expertise to administer the drugs, et al. Effie was distraught and bereft, her life seemingly on hold. Jon and McKenzie were down virtually every weekend, tending and caring for her and just being there. Our lives, rightly so, were on hold. So we waited. And waited.

When the end finally came, it was quick. Effie, Maisie and I were with her when she passed. She seemed to be lucid, even though the painkillers had wracked her body and soul. We all just knew.

We had said all we needed to say, asked the all-important questions and were with her.

"Have you had a good life, Belle? Have we...been worth it?" I asked, tears streaming down my face and snot running from my nose.

"More than you can imagine," she croaked. "More than you can ever imagine. It's been everything...you've given me everything I've ever dreamed of...and more. I wouldn't have chosen any other," she hoarsely whispered, just days before.

The sun had just come up on the morning she left us. I looked at Maisie, as she looked at me. We knew, so we held her hands, as tightly as we should and swaddled her barren, ravaged body. Effie sat there, her hand gingerly on Belle's leg and we waited.

Belle opened her eyes, bloodshot and glazed and looked at us.

"My...girls," she whispered, and tried to smile and she was gone. The cancer may have taken her body, but it never touched her spirit.

When Belle passed, it was a day of memories and tears. After that, Maisie and I were cast adrift, rudderless, it seemed, our hearts and souls scarred forever by her passing. Honestly? It took us years to get over the loss. I sometimes wonder if we ever had.

On that day, the three of us sat out on the riverside, enveloped in each other. With Effie between us, we drank our wine, talked about our life with Arabella and watched the sun set.