Edge of Breaking Ch. 03

*Author's Note: Any and all persons engaging in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.

Disclaimers: This story has been edited by myself, utilizing Microsoft Spell-check. You have been forewarned; expect to find mistakes.

*.*

After her friend, her girlfriend's rejection, Gracie sat in her car and stared blankly at the rear door of the store where Nancy worked. Truthfully, Gracie knew that Nancy had not rejected, rebuffed her. But there was a ware in her head all the same.

"That kiss she gave you. That was not a 'go away' kiss," Gracie finally whispered to herself.

Gracie called her mother. Her first instinct had been to call Dr. Leblanc, but she called Lisa instead.

Nancy had said that her family was Episcopalian; 'Whiskey-palian' she had called it. Lisa agreed to meet Gracie at Babbage's Department Store for a little Christmas shopping.

"Okay, Sweetheart, what are we getting? And for who?" Lisa asked as she got out of her Range Rover. "Because I know you; you already did all your shopping on-line."

"My uh, my girlfriend," Gracie admitted.

"Oh? Do I know this girl?" Lisa asked, showing no surprise or shock, showing no rejection or judgement.

"I uh, no, I mean, I went to school with her and..." Gracie said as they bustled to get into the store and out of the biting wind.

"The one who lost her house?" Lisa asked as they made it into the store, stepping into the slightly organized chaos of Christmas shoppers.

"Yeah!" Gracie said, surprised at her mother's intuition.

"Sweetheart, I do listen when you talk," Lisa smiled. "And I did notice how you blushed when you talked about, about, damn it, Mandy?"

"Nancy," Gracie admitted.

"Okay, so what are we getting Nancy?" Lisa asked.

"A cross. She lost hers," Gracie said.

"Nice. Gold? Silver?" Lisa asked, steering them toward the jewelry counter.

"Silver. One she lost was silver," Gracie said. "And since she's Episcopalian, it's got to be a cross, not a crucifix."

"Epis... Oh no! Gracie! We're Catholic," Lisa teased. "You know we're not supposed play with those Episcopalians. They're not praying right."

"Mother," Gracie giggled.

"Thank you," Gracie whispered as they looked at the displays, waiting for the harried salesgirl to finish with her current customer.

"For..." Lisa asked.

"For, uh, for not getting all weird when I..." Gracie whispered.

"Gracie, you are my daughter, my beautiful, smart, wonderful daughter," Lisa said warmly. "I love you. Plain and simple. I love you."

Gracie bought a silver cross with a sapphire in the center, along with a twenty inch box chain. She took the box and the receipt to the second floor, to have the package gift-wrapped. Along the way, she saw a five pound box of chocolate in the shape of Santa Claus and bought that as well.

The Santa Claus on duty smiled at the mother and daughter, so Lisa steered them toward the rotund man. She shrugged her coat off, straightened her outfit, then draped herself on the man's lap.

"And have you been a good girl this year?" the store Santa asked Lisa.

"You tell me," Lisa smiled cheekily. "None of the men or women I fucked this year were married. That being good?"

"That's not just being good, but good at it," the man laughed. "And lady? Think you going shock me? Believe me, I've heard it all."

Then Lisa made Gracie shrug out of her coat and go sit on Santa's lap. Gracie smiled as the man grinned.

"And have you been a good girl this year?" the man asked.

"Yes I have," Gracie said truthfully.

"Okay, we want six of each," Lisa told the girl operating the camera.

"Six?" Gracie asked as she struggled back into her coat.

"Grandma, your uncle Antny, your Aunts Barbara and Cindy, me, and your girlfriend, right?" Lisa said.

"But not..." Gracie hastened to demand.

"Your Uncle Jimmy does not get one," Lisa said tightly.

Gracie hugged her mother tightly before they left the store. At her car, Gracie again hugged her mother, then hurried to get into her car.

Mrs. Hebert stared suspiciously at the blonde girl, but opened the door. She pointed at the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room and watched as Gracie took the two packages and one envelope out of a Babbage's bag.

"Think that's going fool anyone?" Mrs. Hebert almost asked the girl. "Honey, we've all bought couple them bags and stuffed our Wal-Mart shit in them."

"Thank you," Gracie whispered and left the house.

"Uh huh," was Mrs. Hebert's response.

That night, Nancy almost called Gracie when it was time to clock out. Nancy called the home phone; neither her father nor mother saw any need for a cell phone when their land line still worked just fine. But they did make sure their three children had cell phones, in case of emergencies.

Nancy called the home phone, her father answered, then just hung up on her. Twenty three minutes later, Nancy's mother was sitting out front. Out front, rather than drive around to the rear of the store so Nancy could minimize her time in the cruel wind blowing in from the Atchafalaya.

"That little bitch, shit don't stink come by," Mrs. Hebert greeted Nancy.

"Going have narrow it down a bit, Mother," Nancy said tightly.

"One you been running around with all week," Mrs. Hebert snapped.

"Gracie?" Nancy asked.

"Uh huh, put couple presents under the tree," her mother agreed. "And get this, get this, had them in a Babbage's bag. Almost told her ain't no one fooled by that shit."

Nancy wanted to tell her mother that Gracie did not know about that trick. If the bag was a Babbage's bag, then the gifts came from the exclusive store.

"God, it was so hot in there today," Nancy said, changing the subject.

"Uh huh, remember that," Mrs. Hebert said, almost genially. "Sweat like a pig all four times was preggers."

"Four?" Nancy asked. "I, you were, four?"

"God, Nancy, don't tell me you don't remember Brad," Mrs. Hebert said, a catch in her voice.

"Brad?" Nancy asked.

"I mean, yeah, you wasn't quite two when he got sick, but really?" the woman said.

"Brad? I had another brother?" Nancy asked.

"Was three when you come along. Boy, he loved being a big brother, wanted hold you minute we brung you home," Mrs. Hebert said.

Nancy searched her memory, but finally had to shake her head no. She did not remember having an older brother. She vaguely remembered staying with her Nana and Paw-Paw and then having a baby brother the next day. Three years later, she was so relieved when she had a baby sister, another girl to play with.

At her parents' house, Nancy looked at the two packages and one envelope stacked underneath the tree. She did wonder how hard Gracie had tried to align the packages precisely, the smaller box almost dead center on top of the larger box, the envelope safely tucked between the two boxes.

"Who's Gracie?" Michael asked, nodding toward the packages.

"My best friend," Nancy said tersely.

"Your, aw, what about that Megan, huh?" Michael asked.

Michael checked to see that their mother was not paying any attention. He then cupped his hands in front of his chest.

"Need be best friends with her; bring her around, huh?" Michael leered.

"Uh, yeah, like she'd be so interested in you, can't even get out of the eleventh grade," Nancy sneered.

"Hey!" Michael snapped, angered that Nancy would bring up his being held back to repeat the eleventh grade. "Least I'm not a stupid slut gets knocked up by some loser, huh?"

"Michael, that's enough," their father growled.

Seeing that dinner was at least twenty minutes from being finished, Nancy decided to take a shower. Her first act was to strip and send Gracie the daily snapshot of her belly.

"Miss you," Nancy sent.

"Miss you too," Gracie responded.

"Getting ready take a shower. What are you doing?" Nancy sent.

"Just finished eating," Gracie replied.

"I'll call you later, to tell you good night," Nancy promised, then hurried to take a quick shower, with hot water.

At her home, Gracie finished her can of St. Elizabeth Rice Beer, then checked the doors and windows. Satisfied, Gracie closed and locked her bedroom door, checked the windows, overlapped the curtains, then turned off the light. She turned on her bedside lamp and got down on the floor. She reached around and managed to dig the foam pillow from underneath the bed.

Gracie did curse slightly; she always put the pillow too far underneath the bed and had to lay almost flat on her belly to reach it. It would not have occurred to her to just go to the other side of the bed; this was the side it had to be retrieved from. And it would not have occurred to Gracie to not push it so far. The pillow had to be out of sight from the casual observer.

Gracie placed the pillow onto the bed, then went into her bathroom. She wiggled out of clothing, putting each item into the hamper. Making sure the lid of the hamper was securely shut, Gracie opened her linen closet and fetched the enema bag.

"Ugh, God, hate this part," Gracie actually spoke out loud as she jammed the nozzle into her rectum.

"Ugh! Ooh," Gracie grunted as she felt the warm, soapy water filling her.

She grimaced, holding the water, then finally released. She then repeated the process.

"Okay," Gracie murmured, scampering nude from her bathroom.

Gracie cinched the strap-on around the foam pillow. Nancy had taken the time to lubricate Gracie's anus, her rectum, took the time to loosen Gracie up with fingers before penetration. Gracie did not waste time; just coated the phallus then knelt, straddling the pillow.

Gracie reached between her legs and aligned the cock with her anus.

"Ugh! Oh God," Gracie cried out as she allowed her own weight to force the intruder into her bowels.

Slowly, inch by inch, Gracie allowed the dong to push up into her. When her buttocks rested firmly on her heels, she shuddered, then switched both base and cock vibrators on.

"Ugh, God yes," Gracie whimpered as she raised herself again.

One hand grasped, pinched her nipples almost cruelly. Gracie's other hand pressed against her pubic mound. Then she used her thumb and middle finger to part her swollen pussy lips. Her index finger sought out her clitoris.

"Ugh, yyeess," Gracie grunted then hissed as she sank down again onto the merrily buzzing toy.

Gracie bucked when her orgasm rippled through her. She sat, cock firmly imbedded in her anus as she shuddered through her orgasm. She then raised herself again and started the process again.

Realizing that the cock had been facing the other way when Nancy had used it to fuck her, Gracie swiveled her legs around, twisting to face the other way. Her pretty eyes opened wide as she performed this maneuver; the sensations the movement caused within her struggling bowels had been painfully wonderful.

"Ugh! Yyeess! Ugh, oh God," Gracie cried out in orgasm, allowing her weight to shove the dong into her again.

She shrieked when her phone chimed. Gracie hurriedly switched off the buzzing toy, then wiggled herself off of the pillow mounted cock. She winced as the phone chimed again, hurrying to pull her robe on over her naked body.

"Hey!" she finally said, answering her phone.

"Hey, what you doing?" Nancy asked.

"Just sitting here," Gracie said, then giggled.

A moment earlier, she'd been sitting, with eight inches of thick latex buried in her rectum. Gracie giggled at her own private joke.

"God, Gracie, should have come home with you," Nancy admitted. "God, dinner was, oh! And thank you, I don't know what you got me, but I'm sure I'll love whatever it is."

"Need get that envelope; you can open that now," Gracie said.

"Okay," Nancy said and Gracie heard a door open.

"I mean, it's just something silly, me and my mom were at Babbage's and, well, you'll see," Gracie said, turning so she did not have to look at the pillow mounted toy.

"Gracie!" Nancy giggled. "Aw, that's just so cute!"

"Hey, trying watch this here, huh?" Gracie heard a man's gruff voice bark out angrily.

"Sorry," Gracie heard Nancy bark in reply.

Gracie became overwhelmed with depression as Christmas loomed ever closer and had to schedule a few extra visits with Dr. Leblanc. She also had obligations to attend 'Holiday' functions at Whitehead-Taylor Recycling in the Kimble and the Baylor Lake facilities. Nicole Banks and Polly Chastaine, Nicole's paralegal acted as the hosts of the two functions, merely introducing Gracie as 'a client.'

Whitehead Generators likewise had a 'Holiday' celebration. Marcus Whitehead had left his oldest grandchild one thousand shares, roughly three percent of his holdings in his namesake company. As a shareholder, Lisa and Susan, Gracie's grandmother informed Gracie she must attend the function.

Her Uncle Jimmy was at the function. The man nodded in greeting, but did not approach his sister's daughter. Right before Gracie was about to bolt from the ballroom of the Hardington Acres Country Club, James Whitehead made his excuses and left the Holiday party. Even so, Lisa and Susan accompanied Gracie to her car, both checked the car thoroughly before Gracie drove away.

Each time Gracie asked Nancy to accompany her to a party, Nancy regretfully was scheduled to work.

But when Gracie did get to see Nancy one afternoon, bringing Nancy a hot ham and cheese sandwich and a thermos of ten bean soup, Nancy gave Gracie an envelope.

"I'm sorry. It's all I could afford," Nancy apologized.

"If it's from you? Then it's perfect," Gracie promised.

"Uh, ahem," Douglas cleared his throat as he entered the stockroom.

"Oh, hey Douglas," Nancy smiled, pulling her lips from Gracie's lips. "This is my girlfriend Gracie."

"Hey, nice meet you," Douglas said, locating, then grabbing a box of boots from a shelf.

"Nice to meet you too," Gracie stammered, face bright red.

"We're closing, hello," Ms. Callie said, barging into the stockroom.

"Miss Callie? This is Gracie Taylor, my girlfriend," Nancy did the introductions.

"Oh! One sent you that song?" the woman smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Nancy said and found the link to the Ohio Express song on her phone.

"That's the one!" Callie said as Nancy danced around the stockroom.

"Did that, out on the sales floor when she got that silly little song," Callie smiled as Gracie watched Nancy's antics.

"But like I was saying, closing at three Christmas Eve," Callie smiled when the song ended.

"I'll be here get you," Gracie promised.

"But my family's going insist I need be with them," Nancy said sadly.

"So? Five minutes with you's better than nothing," Gracie said.

"And that's why I love you," Nancy declared and hugged Gracie.

Inside of the envelope was a picture of Nancy on Santa's lap. Gracie squealed happily looking at Nancy's beautiful smile.

Once home, Gracie almost forgot to go through her ritual of checking that she still had all of her lunch containers, making sure that all containers were stacked appropriately into the dishwasher. She sat on the comfortable couch and looked at the photograph. Then, after placing a gentle kiss onto the photograph, Gracie arranged the Christmas cards on her counter. The photograph was given the space directly after her mother's, then her grandmother's cards. But Nancy's photograph came before Uncle Antny's card.

Gracie did pick Nancy up on Christmas Eve. She drove slowly, listening as Nancy described her work day. They had a late lunch-early supper at Benito's and dawdled over their meal. Finally seeing that their waitress was clearly waiting for them to leave, Gracie paid, tipping the girl well, then drove Nancy to her parents' home.

Watching Nancy walk into the house, Gracie felt a black cloud of depression descend. For a long moment, she sat, hoping, praying that the door would open and Nancy would run back out, run to the car.

"Five pounds of chocolate?" Nancy shrilled into the phone Christmas morning. "FIVE POUNDS? I'm going be as big as a house!"

"No one says you have to eat it all," Gracie giggled into her phone.

"Well, I can't let it go to waste, huh?" Nancy defended.

Nancy also thanked Gracie for the beautiful cross and chain. She complained that it was too expensive, that Gracie shouldn't have spent all that money on her, but at no time did Nancy say she would return the gift.

After they whispered words of love to each other, Gracie ended the call. She then returned to helping her grandmother prepare their Christmas breakfast.

"Gracie, you always make the absolute best biscuits," Susan Whitehead smiled as Gracie slowly dribbled the buttermilk into the bowl of dry ingredients.

"Because she'd be suicidal if she didn't," Cindy Whitehead whispered to her twin sister Barbara Whitehead.

"Shush," Barbara said, in a rare act of disapproval of her twin.

"Really, mother? We really have to wait 'til after breakfast?" Anthony Whitehead playfully complained, a complaint he'd voiced nearly every Christmas for the past forty one years.

"It's not going kill you," which had been Susan's response for nearly every Christmas for the past forty one years.

"Yeah, Lisa Whitehead said, looking up from the sausage gravy.

"Well, can I take a peek?" Anthony asked, picking his mother up in a hug.

"No!" all the women in the kitchen shouted.

"Then can I have some coffee?" Anthony asked, already pouring himself a large mug.

"And, whew! That's hot," Gracie said, sliding the tray of biscuits into the hot oven.

"Perfect timing; this gravy's just about done," Lisa hugged her daughter.

"And the bacon," Cindy agreed.

James Whitehead also fulfilled a Christmas tradition of waiting until everyone was seated before making an appearance. He sat at the far corner, silently picking up his napkin and putting it into his lap.

"New family tradition," Anthony declared. "We have to wait 'til Jimmy finishes cleaning everything."

"I'm right here, I'm right here," Lisa whispered to Gracie, squeezing Gracie's hand.

"Look at that, huh? Look at that. Biscuits? Perfect. Bacon? Perfect. Eggs? Perfect. Gravy? Well, the biscuits and bacon and eggs are perfect," Cindy said.

"Uh, Cindy? Bite me," Lisa said.

"Lumps of coal for the both of you," Susan threatened.

Gracie ate her meal, smiling at the playful bickering around her. To her right, her mother sat. To her left was her Grandmother. She could feel the warm sunshine as it spilled through the bay window onto her back. The food was wonderful, filling, made by family, made with love.

"Nancy, I hope you're family is loving you," Gracie thought to herself.

After breakfast, another family tradition was observed; they crowded into the living room. They offered up a prayer for those that were not fortunate enough to have family, for those that were not fortunate enough to have food, for those that were unfortunate enough to not know the wonders of the Christ child.

Then the gifts were passed out. Susan did smile at the Santa photograph of her granddaughter and her daughter. Aunt Cindy rolled her eyes and reminded Lisa and Gracie that Santa was not real.

Then, bone weary from going to Midnight Mass with her family, then getting up early to prepare breakfast, then sitting in close proximity to her Uncle Jimmy, Gracie yawned. She thanked her aunts and Uncle Anthony for her gifts. She thanked her Grandmother for her gifts. Then Lisa walked her daughter to her car.

"Love you," Lisa smiled.

"Love you too," Gracie said and yawned again.

"Goodness! Think you can stay awake long enough make it home?" Lisa teased.

"Hope so," Gracie smiled.

The day after Christmas, Nancy was scheduled to work the morning shift. She did dread this day; it was a day when much of their Christmas sales would be returned or exchanged. Gracie drove Nancy to work, listening as Nancy complained about all the commission she would not get.