Limit of Sums

The mutual physical release ebbed. Ed rolled on his back while Lara lifted herself on her elbow and smiled. She did not concern herself with what happened next. She satisfied him and he satisfied her. If he left before morning while she was asleep, never to return, she would always have the memory.

Ed sighed. He stared idly at the ceiling, lost in thought. "What's on your mind?" Lara queried cautiously. "Care to share?" She was more curious than insecure in her questioning.

Ed smiled, "Just thinking."

"Are you going to tell?"

Ed drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "If you must know, it was about you." He turned towards her, propped himself on his elbow and added mysteriously, "you and other things."

Lara felt relaxed. Her apprehensions ebbed. "And?"

"If you really want to know, it was about calculus. I think, if you are agreeable, that we should go over the next section. Get a jump on the class. If you are OK with that."

"I don't go into to work until tomorrow night. We can start tomorrow, if you can get off work."

"No problem for me. I haven't had a real day off in months. We can have breakfast, work on the math, take a break and maybe . . . " his voice trailed off. "But it has been a long day for me. I need some sleep. Can we talk in the morning?"

Lara leaned and kissed him on the mouth. "Sweet dreams." Ed returned the kiss with equal passion.

Lara lay staring at the ceiling as Ed drifted off to sleep. She swept away any thoughts and let her mind wander. Her first memory of Earl. The trailer, playing on the floor. No real memories, just a vague recollection, and the woman, was that her mother? Perhaps! She never showed any affection and then she left. The next one was harsh. The daily beatings and the arrival of Drex. Who was he? Why did she have to share a room with him? Your brother was the answer but nothing else. The squalor, the dirt, the abuse. Ann arrived and things were different, not better, just different. Men arrived whenever Earl was away. Earl brought women in whenever Ann was out. When these events coincided, the couples retired to separate rooms. Lara matured. Ann suggested she spend time with Earl, he would teach her what she needed to know. After a lesson with Earl, Ann and Earl sat at the small table and made jokes. Drex grew up and turned strange. Neighbors complained and the authorities showed up at the trailer but Earl did not let the in. He said he could take care of it. Earl and Ann decided that Lara was the one to tend to Drex. Use your hands. When Drex tired of that Earl told Lara to use her mouth. Anything to keep him calm. If the police show up again it will be her fault. The rumors. The gossip. What Lara was doing was wrong. The police would take her away. Lara decided she wanted that more than staying. It never happened. The abuse continued. Drex became more and more demanding, tending to fits of temper if Lara didn't placate his desire.

The confrontation. Earl and Ann fighting was common but this was different. It had the feel of genuine violence when Earl threw Ann out of the trailer. She left but returned the next morning. Lara seized the opportunity, take me with you or I go to the police - right now. Not wishing to delay her departure and the fear of Earl returning, Ann complied

Sanctuary. Ruthie took her in. Gave her a room of her own, clean clothes, helped her enroll in GED classes but most of all protected her from Ann. Her life became somewhat normal. And then she died. She left for work and never returned. Ann inherited the house and demanded Lara pay rent or leave. Lara didn't have any money so Ann sent her to the streets and arranged dates with clients. She passed the GED but without a Social Security number she could not get a job.

Lara decided to run away. Ann was on a 'date'. Lara went into her room looking for some cash to make her escape. No cash but something better, her birth certificate and a copy of the will. Ann inherited the house but Lara could live there as long as she wanted. She had to leave on her own free will; Ann could not force her out. Lara was emboldened. With her birth certificate she obtained a social security card and got a job. It wasn't much of a job, fast food, retail and then a part time job as a dispatcher for a taxi company at nights. Ann demanded the copy of the will but Lara refused, it was her insurance policy. Ann did demand rent that took most of Lara's free cash. Tensions ran high.

The job at the cab company! It wasn't a demanding job but someone noticed her. Perhaps her work ethic or her appearance or her personality. It didn't matter to Lara. They offered her an office job so she could learn the business. She still worked as a night dispatcher on weekend, partly for the money partly to avoid contact with Ann. She scrimped and saved, opened a bank account, and began looking for a place of her own. She and Ann reached a détente, Lara did not pay rent but she must vacate as soon as she had enough money. 'Enough money' became a bone of contention. To Lara it was a years worth of expenses, to Ann it was a month, at most. Despite this, they created their own space.

She stared at Ed softly sleeping, relaxed, at ease. The urge to touch him, to take him in her mouth. She resisted the temptation. Tomorrow morning she would give him a good wake up. As she stared she let her hand slide across her bare tummy resting on her furry mound. A lone finger slipped between her lips and pressed against her warm, moist clit. With the memory of the evening still fresh in her mind, she gently massage the magic troll. On her way to a soft orgasm, she mused on the irony; they only met because he was fucking Ann. She found that humorous.

To Be Continued