New Band

"Hi, I'm sorry I fell asleep." I apologised.

"I'm not. That took it out of you. I was very happy that I could do that, I love you so very much."

"I was thinking the same thing. It seems like we've been together for ages." She smiled and closed her eyes.

We woke again at about the same time and there was a great deal of kissing before we had to move, nature was calling. I was still sitting on the loo when Allison walked in, blushed and turned to leave muttering, "Sorry."

"Ally, it's okay. You've seen all of me, I don't care."

"Really?" She asked.

"I'd have thrown something at that pig I called my husband, but with you, I just don't care."

She turned the shower on. I wiped and climbed in beside her. I quickly had her so wound up that she slid down the wall and was lying in the tray with her feet outside the screen. There was a danger of flooding so I paused to turn the water off and cover her upper body with a towel before I got back between her legs. She screamed after the third or fourth climax and was so weak that I had to wash and dry her.

We both managed to keep our hands to ourselves as we dressed. A short skirt and sweater for me, a short dress for Ally. A little make-up, hair fixed and we headed for breakfast. There was a lot of kissing and the toast got burned, once again.

We'd planned a full turkey dinner, but weren't having a whole bird and the vegetables had all been sorted the night before, so we had time to laze about and open our gifts. Fiona and Jane had given us nice silk scarves. Dani's gift was in a small box. Ally took the lid off to reveal a ceramic tree-shaped ornament, which had been personalised to read, "Allison and Maria, First Christmas."

"How very lovely," I exclaimed and got a kiss that was also lovely. We added the ornament to our tree.

Our stockings contained small gifts to each other, some fruit, gloves, a new purse and other knick-knacks. Right at the bottom of Ally's was another small box and she gasped when she recognised that it was a ring box. I put my hand over hers before she opened it. "This is to mark us being together because I love you."

She opened the lid and stared at the contents. She looked at me and said, "An eternity ring."

"Yes. I didn't particularly want an eternity ring and it's still early days, but I hope we're together for a long time. When I saw that, I knew it was what I wanted to give you, to tell you how much I love you. Do you like it?"

It was a gold band set with small diamonds, not flashy, but classy. "I love it and you. Thank you very much." She slid it onto the finger where she used to wear her wedding band. "Perfect." There were tears in the corner of her eyes.

"It looks good there," I commented.

"Eternity is a very long time, but I hope that we're together for that long. It seems so perfect; you seem so perfect. Thank you."

I'd thought about an engagement ring, about proposing, but we'd never talked about it and we were both still married, at least for another few months, so it didn't seem right. I'd shared my thoughts with my Mum and she had suggested that such a gift might be appropriate. It meant the world to me that she was supportive and seemed to approve of Ally, she'd even given me the money, because she knew that I wasn't flush with all that had happened.

I told her about the conversation with my Mum. "That makes me happy. I'm pleased that both our Mum's are okay with us. Now I have something for you, wait here."

She was away for a couple of minutes and came back with a long flat wrapped box with ribbons and a big bow. "It's been hiding under the bed." She placed it on the rug in front of me and sat down again.

"I wanted something special for you and this is what I decided." There was weight to the package and I was nervous as I pulled the paper off. The name on the box gave away the contents and I gasped when I pulled off the lid and saw what I'd realised was inside.

"You've admired that a couple of times and I wanted something special, that you've coveted."

"Fuck me Ally, a Rickenbacker?"

"It's very similar to the guitar that Susanna Hoffs plays. Do you like it?"

"Jesus, how could I not? But this is too much."

"No, it's not. Every time you play it, I'll enjoy watching you."

*****

That evening I tuned up the guitar and played for a while as Allison just sat watching and pulling faces or blowing air kisses at me. I put the guitar down and took her hand. "Thank you, that's truly a generous gift. I love you very much. I'd very much like a cuddle and maybe something else. As it is, I have another gift for you, under your pillow."

She leaned over and kissed me before jumping up and running off. I put the glasses in the sink and turned the lights off before heading to the bedroom. Allison stood with her eyes and mouth wide staring at the object in her hands and then looking at me.

"What? Why? Where?"

"It's a strap on, which I think you realise. I got it online, as for why, well we both had husbands and being penetrated wasn't all bad. Was it?"

She shook her head staring at it. I took it from her, stripped and fastened the straps. Allison had stood unmoved with her mouth wide open staring, not at me but this rather large piece of plastic. It now stood out from my waist and I'd have laughed as well but I didn't. I was so turned on that moment and knew exactly what I was going to do. Allison lay down and it seemed that she knew where this was going, literally.

Her pussy was so wet from anticipation I applied just a little lube and manoeuvred between her legs. As the head penetrated her, she grabbed my ass cheeks. "That feels so good and you are so beautiful."

I looked down at her, "So are you. Ready?"

"Fuck me. Fuck now, fuck me hard." By the time she'd come three or four times, I'd come twice and had run down every last energy resource. I collapsed and she held my tight.

When I woke the following morning, Allison was kneeling facing me and now the straps were around her waist. "Thank you for last night. I may want that again, maybe daily, but now you need to know what you gave me last night."

I smiled but didn't say anything. She licked my pussy lips and although I opened my mouth nothing emerged. All sense of time stopped so I have no idea how long it took before I heard myself shout, "Stop shilly-shallying and get that bloody thing inside me. Come on!"

In the months we'd been together our lovemaking had been soft and gentle at times, at others it had been urgent, furious and done with purpose. Mostly, it was loving however it worked out. That morning it was still loving, but I thought Allison wanted to pound me through the bed and yet I wanted more, faster, harder, longer. I passed out yet again.

"Come on you. We need to hustle or we're going to be late."

Boxing day

Mum threw the door open as we pulled up. Allison walked over towards her as I reached into the back seat to grab the gifts. I looked up to see Mum envelop Ally in a huge hug and she planted a huge kiss on Ally's lips. They headed inside arm in arm. I smiled, Mum and Ally got on well and that pleased me.

We ate a lot and chatted for hours, telling stories, talking about our dreams. Mum went quiet and looked thoughtful. "I always wanted my daughter to be happy and have a good life. I assumed that she would share it with a man, but I think that you two are happy, so that's good." She paused, "But now it seems that I have another daughter in Allison. That's a surprise, but one that I'm pleased about, thank you." She started to cry and we both hugged her.

New Year

I assumed that it would be a quiet New Year celebration with Aoife in Dublin. After the dinner dishes were cleared away, she announced that we were going to the pub. Allison looked at me and shrugged as we headed to get changed. "I assume that this will be low key and that we'll need to be discreet."

"She keeps surprising me, but I guess so. We'll need to sneak a kiss when the bells go."

The pub was full to bursting, live music, some people trying to dance despite the limited room. As we made our way to the bar most of the other customers spoke to Aoife and a few recognised Allison. Aoife ordered our drinks and the barman asked how she was as he poured them.

"I'm grand, thank you, Seamus. You'll remember my daughter Allison, she's over for a visit with her girlfriend, Maria. She's a nice lass." My mouth fell open in surprise. I hadn't expected her to be so open.

The woman standing next to me laughed at the look on my face. "Hadn't expected her to do that had you lass?"

"No," I mumbled.

"I'm Theresa. Aoife's been telling us all about you, she likes you very much."

"She is rather lovely, but I hadn't expected this."

Over the next two hours, almost everyone in the place must have spoken to Allison and me. Several guys wanted to dance and wouldn't take no for an answer. It made me nervous to begin with, but it was obvious that the place was very friendly and soon I let go and just went with the flow.

When the clock struck, Allison and I stood facing each other, staring longingly. Then she leaned in and kissed me, properly. It was good, my first New year with my new lover. As we pulled back, we got a cheer, Aoife was smiling and raised her glass before giving me a hug that showed her feelings towards me, not that I'd been in much doubt.

Allison and I agreed to accompany Aoife to Mass the next day. It'd been a while for both of us, but it was very familiar and we did all of the right things at the right times. Father Patrick seemed like a nice man and he spoke with a love of his congregation and much good humour. We were amongst the last to leave and Father Patrick spoke briefly to Aoife before turning towards her daughter, "Allison, it's been a very long time since you last joined us, but you'll always be welcome here. Aoife tells me that you have a new partner and I assume that is the attractive lady beside you."

"This is Maria Flores, Father, my partner."

He took my hand, "Welcome young lady, you're both welcome in this place at any time. I've offered a prayer for the three of you and will do so again."

"Thank you, Father." I was surprised and for some reason dipped in a small curtsy, no idea why, but it seemed appropriate.

Leaving - Allison

Maria hugged my mother as she said, "Mrs Walker, it's been great being here, a lot of fun. Thank you for being so kind and welcoming. I promise that I'll not hurt Ally, I love her very much, and you too." Maria turned and walked away close to tears. I knew that she was giving me a moment alone with Mum.

"Maria's right Mum, it's been great and I've loved it."

"I've loved it more than I had any right to expect. I've watched the two of you and I'm now about to say something I never imagined that I'd ever think, far less utter. You two are great together, don't let her get away. Now go, before I cry again."

"Thanks, Mum, love you." One last kiss and I walked away waving.

As the taxi pulled away heading to the airport, Maria turned to me. "I had fun. I love your Mum; I think that things are going to be okay between you and me."

"So, do I, just let's be honest with each other. I love you." Maria kissed me, it was brief but it electrified me, just like it always had, since that first one. It had never thrilled me that much with anyone else.

Easter

I grabbed my Mum's case from the baggage carousel and Allison grabbed the one that we were sharing, we headed towards the exit to collect our hire car. Mum stopped at the coffee bar and turned to us, "We're a bit early let's have a coffee."

"Early for what Mum?"

"Just get us a drink and let's have a seat." I wandered off puzzled as she fiddled with her phone. Ally gave me an odd look and I just shrugged. We were in Malaga for Easter week; we had an apartment that Mum had organised and she'd arranged for us to visit some of our distant relatives. Ally and I planned to relax and see the local area which was all new to her.

We sat for a couple of minutes, but Mum wouldn't or couldn't explain what was going on. I felt Allison touch my arm as she spoke, "You know, just for a moment I thought that I'd seen my Mum over there. Maybe I need something stronger than coffee." I smiled at her, 'me too' I thought.

It was my Mum who said, "Good, she's here."

"What?" I asked even more puzzled.

Ally gasped, "It is my Mum, what the fuck is going on?"

Mum stood up and opened her arms to greet Aoife who was grinning back at us. She looked at Ally and said, "Surprise."

I was confused. Mum turned to me, "I thought it would be nice for us to all have a break together. Aoife has never seen the Holy week parades here, that's a must for a good Catholic woman and I thought it might be nice for me to have company when you two are off making dopey eyes at each other."

I hugged Ally's Mum and started to weep. "How lovely, this should be a nice week."

*****

I was stunned that my mother had organised this. I drove the hire car to our apartment listening to Aoife and Camila chatting away as if they'd known each other for years. One thing became obvious; they'd talked on the phone several times over recent months, the idea of them being friends pleased me. Allison and I left our mothers at the apartment to get supplies and when we were in the supermarket, we chatted about the two of them and ended up laughing like idiots. We got back to find that our mothers were also laughing like idiots and had made a big dent in the bottle of gin that Aoife must have brought with her.

By the time that we all went to bed that evening the four of us were exhausted from travelling, laughing and the amount of alcohol we'd consumed.

The next day was quieter and we walked around Malaga, stopping several times for coffee, tapas and wine. As I walked along the tree-lined avenue of Paseo del Parque, Aoife nudged Allison away from me and hooked her arm into mine. I waited for her to speak for several minutes. "I like you, Maria, very much. You make my daughter very happy."

I looked at her as I replied, "I hope that I make her happy. She certainly does make me happy. I know that it's strange, but I'm convinced that she's the person that I want to spend my life with."

"You love each other. And your Mum, I like her too." She said no more until we reached our next cafe for more wine.

Over the next few days, we visited the Alhambra, Marbella and some of the villages in the hills. The four of us got on famously and were easy in each other's company. We visited some of Mum's relatives, well they were also my relatives, but I didn't know them very well. I was slightly surprised at how welcoming they were given that Allison and I were a same-sex couple, but I suspect that Mum had laid the foundations for that long before we arrived. They loved Aoife and enjoyed her awful attempts at Spanish. They tried hard to teach her a few phrases, but they came out with an Irish accent that had us all laughing once again.

On several evenings we went to watch the processions of the Brotherhoods through the streets. Many carried huge wooden sculptures narrating the events of the Passion of Christ or depicting the Virgin Mary. Each of the Brotherhoods had different robes, many very colourful. The hoods they wore looked a bit eerie. Despite my religious inclinations, or lack of, it was a magnificent sight and we all agreed that it was quite uplifting.

*****

The big parade had finished, the four of us were having a late supper in a small restaurant and were due to fly home the following afternoon. Halfway through dinner, my Mum asked Aoife, "It's been a while since these two became a couple, about a year, and we've had the chance to spend this week together, how do you feel about it now?"

She sipped her wine before responding and I held my breath. "I'd always believed this lesbian thing; I still struggle with that damn word. I'd believed that it was wrong, but I'd never actually thought about it before. I've given it a lot of thought recently and know that love can't be wrong."

My Mum responded, "I've done the same. It's obvious they love and care for one another, I think they're good together." That made me feel great, but I waited with bated breath for Aoife's next words.

"They do make a lovely couple, maybe they should get married." She smiled at Allison and me.

My heart stopped and I nearly spat my wine out. Allison put her hand on mine, which was on top of the table. She smiled at me, "Nothing would make me happier than to call Maria my wife."

"What? Your wife?" She nodded. "Was that a proposal?" I asked, stunned.

"Not a very good one, but I suppose it was."

I put my other hand over hers. "One thing I know for certain, I love you and never want to let you go. So, the answer has to be yes."

Maria looked over to the waitress and called, "Mi hija acaba de aceptar casare. ¿Podría darnos una botella de cava." She turned back to us, "I've ordered Spanish Champagne, to celebrate your engagement. I'm very happy."

Aoife placed her hand over ours, which were still on the table and I turned towards her as she said, "Welcome to my family. You've made my holiday."

Allison looked at me and mouthed 'I love you'; we leaned forward for a gentle kiss, just as the waitress arrived and filled our glasses. As I lifted my own, I realised that almost everyone in the place was also raising theirs to congratulate us.

Epilogue

'Five Girls' continued to play together for a couple of years until they broke up because the band member's lives moved in different directions, but it had been lots of fun. The two of us continued to play together and with other people, occasionally.

Ten years have passed since Allison and I said our vows and soon afterwards we moved to a new house. We chose every single thing inside it together, so that it was truly ours. Our mothers see each other at least twice a year and they often seem to land on our doorstep at about the same time.

I'm still crazy about Allison. She makes me laugh, supports me in every way and I hope that I do the same for her. Sex is important to us, very important and we indulge ourselves often, but our love is what truly counts.

The end