It Takes Two to Tango

As I'd sit in my living room, or if it was nice outside, on my patio, I'd hear the words of a 1960 song by The Everly Brothers, covered by Linda Ronstadt in 1974.

"I've been cheated, been mistreated, when will I be loved?"

"I've been pushed down, I've been pushed 'round, when will I be loved?"

You get the gist. I was wallowing in self pity. The main thing I kept thinking was, we found this shit out before we got married, and we didn't have kids.

On the kids front, at least I had my niece, Heather, who was just turning five.

There were times when both my sister and her husband, Chad had to work late, that I'd pick her up from after school day care.

One afternoon, she jumped in my car, buckled herself into her booster seat, but was quiet. This was a rare occurrence, as she usually was talking a mile a minute.

"Something wrong, Heather," I asked, driving away.

"Nothing I want to talk about, Uncle Karl."

As I pulled up to my house, and we walked inside, I sat her on my sofa, looked into her eyes and asked again if something was wrong.

"OK, theres this little boy in my day care, a year younger than me, who is always sad. I try to talk to him, but he's really shy."

"And?"

"Today he seemed to have a bruise, or two on one arm."

"Did any of the people running the day care take note of these bruises?"

"Yes, and they took a picture and notified the police."

"What's this little boy's name?"

"Carl, with a C, Nelson."

"Let's have a snack and wait for your mom to pick you up. OK?"

"Deal, Uncle Karl."

As soon as my niece turned on my TV, I was starting my search, to see what I could find out about this kid, and his family.

It took several tries, but this is what I found. Carl Nelson lived with his father, Ed, and step-mother, Gina. No mention of his birth mother. I also saw that one Ed Nelson had a domestic abuse charge from about four years previously, against a lady name Cheryl Hendricks

Further investigation showed me one Cheryl Hendricks had spent time in the county jail for drug possession, when she was a juvenile. This time seemed to coincide with the birth of Carl.

Should I let this drop? Probably, but I decided to keep tabs on this situation with my niece, and sister.

Every so often, I'd ask Heather how the boy was doing. She would tell me he didn't have any more bruises, but he always seemed sad.

I had almost put this entire episode out of my mind, when a few weeks later, I was picking up my niece, when across the street, I heard a very loud voice yelling at a little kid. When I looked to see what the ruckus was all about, I saw this little boy cowering as this jerk was raising his arm, as if he was going to hit the kid.

As I started towards this man, I yelled, "you better lower that fist if you don't want to go to jail!"

When the man turned to me, he yelled back, "stay out of my business, or pay the consequence!"

I was already calling the cops, as I neared this man. I saw a little boy with the start of a welt on one cheek, with a lady yelling for me to mind my own business, too.

"You lay a hand on him, again, and your ass will go to jail. Understand,"

With the look on both parents faces, they knew I meant business. This terrified little boy ran up to me, crying that his daddy hit him. I could see several marks on his arms, as well as the bruise on his cheek.

I stood in between both adults and their car as I heard a siren nearing.

"You better stop butting in where you don't belong, asshole."

"You're abusing this little boy, and I'm the asshole?"

When the two cops got out of their patrol car, one cuffed both adults, and the other listened to what I saw, and called for an ambulance to check this kid out.

After the parents were hauled off, and the kid was taken to the local hospital, I gathered my niece up, and went home.

"See what I told you, Uncle Karl, that's my pal Carl, and his rotten parents."

Even at just five years old, my niece was very observant, and didn't mince words.

Two weeks later, I was sitting in a courtroom, called to testify against Ed and Gina Nelson, on the charge of child abuse.

After giving my testimony, I sat back in my seat, when this very young looking girl sat next to me. What I saw was a very young, but hard looking girl, with several poorly done tattoos, and what looked like a permanent scowl on her face.

"Can I ask why you care so much about this case?"

"My niece got me interested, plus no kid deserves what that little boy is going through. Can I ask who you are?"

"I'm his mother. Cheryl."

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

"I just turned nineteen, last month."

Digesting this information, I reasoned that she gave birth at fifteen, and was fourteen, or so, when she got pregnant.

"Do I dare ask why Ed Nelson wasn't charged with Statutory Rape? And please don't tell me it was consensual, because at that age, you're not able to give the necessary consent."

"Please don't ask questions you don't want the real answers to. I really do appreciate what you've tried to do, but I've made many mistakes in my life, and never had any parental guidance."

By the time we ended this conversation, she was in tears, and barely audible. When I put my hand on her shoulder, she seemed to cringe.

I quickly apologized, and removed my hand. I had to reassess my part in this, if I did have any part in this entire mess.

I did find out that little Carl was put into foster care, with his birth mother having unlimited visitation, while trying to reestablish full custody.

I told her that she could contact me at any time, if only to have someone to talk to. I also knew that Cheryl was working as a courtesy clerk at a local grocery store, proving that someone who barely stood five feet tall, and weighing barely one hundred pounds could do fairly rigorous work. She seemed to be much tougher than she looked.

Over the next few months, we did talk. She would ask my advice on many things, from trying to get permanent custody of her son, to her asking about why she thought I never dated.

I did give her a very edited version of my history with Molly Howard. When I finished she seemed to be stunned.

"You're the guy who hacked into some corporate video system showing the boss boinking his secretary?"

"That's me. Where did you learn that term?"

With her face turning a beet red, she just shook her head, regretting her choice of words.

We continued meeting, just talking about what she wanted to accomplish. I knew she was studying for her GED, which I offered any assistance she needed.

There were times when I'd treat them both to lunch, or sometimes dinner, which they both enjoyed, as their financial situation didn't allow for such luxuries.

One afternoon, after a very nice lunch, I was getting ready to drive them back to the room they rented, I noticed Carl looked very sad.

"What's wrong, Carl?"

"Nothing. I guess."

He crawled up on his mom's lap and whispered something in her ear. I noticed a shocked look on Cheryl's face, and a smile on Carl's face.

"Care to share, either of you?"

Cheryl was silent, but what Carl asked made me think.

"Karl, why can't we stay here overnight?"

Stunned doesn't begin to describe how I felt. I started thinking. We all got along, very well. I had never had a sexual thought about her, knowing her past history.

"Cheryl, what do you think? You know I have enough room."

"Karl, I want you to know I never, ever suggested anything like this. Plus, um, nothing else, just please take us home."

I walked over to where they were both sitting, and sat down, taking both of Cheryl's hands in mine.

I found a fairly small shirt, probably left by Molly that I just never threw away, and watched at they went into a spare bedroom, just next door to mine.

Returning, I sat next to Cheryl, telling her that I'd sleep on the couch, but before I could say another word, she put her hand over my mouth.

"Don't even think about letting me take your bed while you sleep out here. I'll sleep here, and just know I've slept on a lot worse than this."

I got her one of my old t-shirts that came down way below her knees.

When she changed, I'd put a sheet and blanket on the couch, but she asked to sit and talk, for a while.

I noticed when she returned, that her body looked more like a grade school girl. Nearly non-existant boobs and hips, but a nicely rounded behind.

"I want you to know a few things, before anyone gets any misconceptions. First, and foremost, I'd never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. Second, I just received my one year sobriety chip, that might be my most treasured possession. Outside of my son."

Taking a few breaths, and resting her head on my shoulder, I told her to take her time and continue whenever she was ready.

After a few minutes, I noticed she was sound asleep. I picked her up and softly laid her on my bed, as far away from me as possible.

To be on the safe side, I put a night-light in the bathroom, just in case. It didn't take me too long to fall asleep, too.

Sometime during the night, I could hear her softly crying, hugging her pillow for protection.

"It's OK, Cheryl, I won't let anything harm you, if I can help it."

"I can't thank you enough. Plus, I need to finish what I was telling you before I konked out. I think you should know, even if this 'thing' doesn't go anywhere, I'm unable to have any more kids."

I felt her sobbing for real, so I just held her in my arms, trying to make her feel safe.

"If there is anything here, there's nothing in this world that can stop us from becoming parents, again. So put those ideas out of your mind."

As I held her, she put her arms around me, hugging me a bit harder.

I looked at her tiny body, put one hand under her chin, and very softly kissed her on her lips. Getting a very nice smile, and drying some of her tears, we kissed again.

Just laying there, kissing every few seconds, I got really brave and started removing the t-shirt she was wearing.

"There's not much to see under there. I just don't want you to be disappointed," she whispered.

"Nothing under there can disappoint me, so let's take it as it comes."

Removing her shirt, and it being dark in my room, I just started slowly kissing her lips. Down to her chin. Over to each shoulder. Farther down to her neck, hearing her breathing pick up. Finding one tiny, rock hard nipple, causing a very quick intake of her breath, as her body started to shake.

As I got down to her panties, I slid them off her nicely rounded behind. Kissing her trimmed pussy lips, my tongue found the object of my desire. My god she was shaking like a windblown tree.

I felt her body moving into position, with her hands pushing my briefs down, exposing my already very hard seven inches. Cautiously, she took the head of my cock into her mouth, and started bobbing up and down.

I could tell she seemed a bit reluctant, but eager to please. My tongue caused her entire body to shake as I heard her whisper for me to be very careful.

Rolling her onto her back, I eased my way between her wide open thighs. Moving up to kiss her more than welcoming lips, she threw her arms around my neck, holding on for dear life.

As my manhood slid inside her, she wrapped her legs around my backside, as we started a very nice, slow rhythm.

It didn't last as long as I has wished, but it certainly felt great, exploding deep inside of her. For a good two or three minures, I held her shaking body, as close to mine as possible.

"Oh my fucking goodness, Karl, I've never cum like that before. Never! Please tell me I'm not dreaming, because I want to feel this good forever."

Rolling off onto my back, I quietly told her this wasn't a dream, and that I loved making het feel this good.

After some necessary clean-up, we just laid in each other's arms, with her head nestled against my neck.

"Karl, I want you to know that I have a horrible track record when it comes to relationships, and I have a lot to learn about how to make a success out of anything we might have."

"Just so you know, kiddo, I'm not exactly in the relationship hall of fame, either, so let's see if we can learn together. OK?"

"Uh hum."

My God, this just felt right. I did have to put the thoughts out of my mind that I was taking advantage of this extremely vulnerable young lady.

Were we both in the same category of people trying to find happiness? Possibly, but this just might be well worth pursuing.

In the morning, we sat having breakfast much like a normal family would have. Could we make our very unconventional group prove to work as a family? Only time would tell.

The first thing I noticed was the new spring in Cheryl's step. Did that come from her new feeling of self worth? Most likely.

As we were making plans for her and Carl to move in with me, the grocery store she'd been working at for over a year, moved her to another of their stores, just up the street from my house. Close enough for her to walk to work.

It did take quite a bit of effort to build our family dynamic. None of us were used to living as a family group, so it did take some getting used to. We did also have to learn how to be a bit quieter with our bedroom activities, as having a four year old in the house kept the volume under control.

There weren't many things in the bedroom that weren't tried. Every position you could think of. Virtually every room in the house. Carl's bedroom was excluded, immediately. The one thing automatically off limits, was her back door. I knew right away that was never going to be a page on our playbook.

I quickly learned that my lover was nearly insatiable. I guess this was the first time in her short life she was loved just for being herself. Teaching her just how much I loved her on top, her on all fours, just good old fashioned 69'ing, plus the standard missionary, we had an entire catalog of ways to please each other.

On the domestic front, we were becoming so much closer as a family, while not in bed. I began helping Carl with both reading and writing, so he'd be ahead of the game starting grade school in the fall. Also helping Cheryl take some added classes at a local community college.

We had several dinners with my parents and my sister, and her family. With each visit, my family more than accepted both my girlfriend and her son.

After one particular dinner, with dad and I sitting by ourselves, he quietly asked me if I was considering marriage.

When I told him we had discussed it, briefly, he asked what direction we were leaning.

"Dad, at first she was a bit reluctant, with her history, but I think we both are starting to come around. You do know I was a bit hesitant, with remembering my last dating disaster."

"I know, son, but you need to take a chance."

On our way home, and when we put Carl to be, we started that very discussion, in earnest.

"Cheryl, do you want to marry me?"

"I truly think I do, but you have to give a liitle time to think through all my doubts."

"How much time do you think you'll need?"

"About two or three minutes, tops," she said with a mile wide grin.

"One more thing, Karl. Do you think its possible for me to call your parents 'Mom and Dad'?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself."

Dialing their number, I handed her my phone. When they answered, and Cheryl asked them that very question, I could tell by her grin, and a tear in each eye what their answer was.

All we had to do now was plan a wedding.

The next morning when we told Carl, he couldn't stop grinning, too. He even asked if he could call Heather, his best little friend and tell her the news.

For the next few weeks, when we weren't working, we were in bed, fucking. And sucking. One night, after a great night of doing our best, wearing each other out, I was cuddled up behind her, with one arm over her shoulder. All of a sudden, my cock developed a mind of its own, and started getting hard, yet again.

As it neared her nicely rounded behind, I started kissing her neck. My one hand found her already excited nipple.

"If you can find some lube, and a condom, and stop, if I say stop, I'll consider doing what your tool has in mind," she breathed.

Getting the lube out, and using some on one finger, it slowly entered her tiny back door pucker. I felt her body starting to quiver, so I placed the condom where it needed to be, and very gently entered where my finger had been.

I couldn't believe how tight she was, and when I softly rubbed one nipple, as I pulled her body back into mine, her first orgasm, shook our entire bed.

As I started picking up the pace, and moved my handvto massage her throbbing clit, her second orgasm nearly caused her to pass out. I barely heard her telling me she'd had enough.

Holding her in my arms, she finally was able to tell me how great that was. She realized I was still rock hard, which caused her to give me 'what am I going to do with you' look.

"I just can't do any more, Karl, so maybe in the morning, we might finish."

"OK, by me. I want you to know just how much I love you."

"Not half as much as I love you, my dear."

We did finish what we had started, once we woke up, and knew we wouldn't be disturbed.

With our wedding fast approaching, Cheryl did express a bit of sadness, with having virtually no family members there.

"You'll just have to believe that everyone there is your family, now."

With my parents, sister and brother-in-law, plus Heather and Carl, our bridal party was complete.

Our wedding couldn't have been better. My dad walked her down the aisle, then stood next to me as my best man.

Nearly a month later, two County detectives showed up at my office, telling me that Neal Jefferson was found in a deserted alley, beaten to death. It was discovered that he had a very thick, nearly ten inch dildo shoved up his ass.

It was also discovered, that his former bodyguard was nowhere to be found. Silently, I hoped the bodyguard would never be found.

Nearing our six month anniversary, we were contacted by my sister, that the police had rescued a newborn baby, that had been left in front of one of their precincts.

Doctors checked her out, found her to be a relatively healthy two or three day old little girl, wrapped up in a warm blanket, with a note pinned to her clothes saying, 'please find me a good home'.

Cheryl and I just stared at each other, with me telling her that I would love to see this baby, and we'd talk about what we might do.

We got to see this little girl, the next day, with the police telling us they were trying to find the birth mother, or any family member. We knew it would be several weeks before any decision could be made.

It took all of our strength not to pick up this treasure, because if we did, and couldn't keep her, it would break our hearts. We just had to wait.

"I hope you know, Karl, I'm trying my best not to get my hopes up, but I'd love the chance to give that precious bundle of joy a loving home."

"I'm well aware of that fact, and that's why I didn't puck her up, either. We just have to wait and see."

In what has to have been the longest two weeks in history, we were finally called by the cops, we'd talked with, that she was available to fostered, for now, with the chance of adoption down the road.

We couldn't get to the hospital fast enough. We were told by the nursing staff, who was caring for her, that she had stolen everyone's heart, and if we didn't want her, there was a waiting list for their chance at adopting her. All we had to do, was start the paperwork. Oh, yes, we needed a name, as she was just called Jane, as in Jane Doe.

All the time we were waiting, I never thought of a name, thinking that might jinx us, and I'd be very disappointed. My wife, on the other hand, thought of Denise for her. I knew Cheryl was sponsored by a lady with that name for the last two years, gaining her sobriety, and self esteem.