No More

~~~~~~

Because of the fact that he's sliced me in the chest with a knife, as well as the statement he'd made about killing me, Lucy's father had been charged with Attempted Murder, which meant he would not be allowed to post bail. With a long list of prior charges that she made against him not too long after Lucy was born, Linda's attorney told her that her husband was facing twenty-five to forty years in prison, minimum.

"Good," Lucy hatefully growled, "I hope the bastard gets life."

"Lucy," Linda scolded her daughter, "That's your father you're talking about."

"He was never a father to me," Lucy began to cry, "He was a mean son of a bitch that never said anything but hateful things to ma all my life."

"I'm so sorry, baby," Linda, too, began to cry, "You have to believe me when I tell you that he wasn't always like that."

"Maybe so," Lucy sniffled, "But I never saw that side of him, and as far as I'm concerned, he can rot in hell."

I wisely chose not to say anything just then, because I knew that sooner or later she would find it in her heart to forgive him one day. Granted, she didn't have to like or love him, she had only to forgive him on order to guarantee her salvation when God chose to call her home, which I hoped and prayed would still be a long ways away...

~~~~~~

Once Linda had fully recovered, my birthday was drawing a little less than ten days away, and only God knew what Lucy had planned for me. I also kept in mind that little Rikki's birthday was on the same day as mine and she was going to be three years old so; I more or less kept hers on the forefront of my mind for the time being...

~~~~~~

Relying on Lucy's direction, my father and I pulled together and cleaned up and repaired anything that had been in her house so; on the day that Linda came home from the hospital, she was happy to find that her home was the same shape it was in before the ill-fated day that her soon to be ex-husband pulled his shit. And I say soon to be ex-husband, because Linda filed for divorce while she was in the hospital...

~~~~~~

"Oh, my goodness," she began to cry, "Everything looks so beautiful," then she looked at me and told me, "I know that you're more than likely responsible for this, Michael honey so; let me say thank you from the bottom of my heart" happily weeping as she stood up and hugged me."

"You're more than welcome, Linda," I smiled hugging her, with Mom and Dad happily looking on, "But I had a lot of help from not only Lucy, but Dad, too."

"Is it alright if I give Richard a hug, Teela?" Linda sweetly asked Mom, "I also want to know how much I owe you guys for all of the money that I know you spent to repair my home."

"You don't owe us a thing, Linda honey," Mom tenderly replied, gently hugging Linda, "And yes, you can hug Richard all you want to. Besides, that's what family does for one another..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Eight

The seventh of April finally arrived marking not only little Rikki's third birthday, but also my eighteenth and because it was on a Friday that year, nether Lucy nor I had any classes that day, What did happen that morning was that I was awakened by Lucy kissing my lips, and telling me, "Good morning, my love. Happy Birthday!" the moment I opened my eyes.

"Hi, Beautiful," I sleepily replied, leaning away from her so that my foul morning breath wouldn't run her off, "Let me get cleaned up and I'll meet you in the kitchen, okay?"

"Oh, no you don't," she impishly giggled, "You go use the bathroom and do whatever it is that you need to do and I'll be right here when you get back."

"But I'm not dressed," I protested, reaching for my robe, as I slept naked, "Would you at least turn your back so I can get out of bed and put my robe on?"

"Oh, okay," she impishly giggled, turning around and facing the other way, "Hurry up, slow poke."

The moment her back was turned, I got out of bed and quickly threw my robe on in order to cover my naked body. What I didn't realize, until later, was that she could see me in the mirror above my dresser, and as she told me a couple of weeks later; looking at my naked body evoked a feeling of lust like none she'd ever experienced before...

~~~~~~

Because I'd taken a pair of blue jeans and underwear with me to change into in the bathroom after performing my morning rituals, I was naked from the waist up when I returned to my room.

"Mmm," she hotly purred, hugging me from head to toe, "You look so sexy in just your blue jeans, Michael; and I love you so much."

By this time, Lucy had taught me how to French-kiss, and she held nothing back when she kissed me that particular morning. I could even feel her subtly grinding her pubic bone against my cock which was beginning to harden until I gently eased away from her and reached into my dresser drawer to pull a tee shirt on before I led her into the kitchen...

~~~~~~

I was pleasantly surprised to see Linda sitting at the table drinking coffee with Mom. The swelling had long gone, and there were only small traces of the bruises that once covered the whole left side of her face. And when she practically leapt from her seat to greet me with a hug, accompanied by a gentle kiss on the cheek, I knew that she was almost back to her former self again, making me feel beside myself with happiness.

"Good morning, handsome," Linda sweetly smiled, And happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Good morning to you, too," I replied smiling as I returned the hug she gave me, "How're you feeling this morning?"

"Absolutely wonderful," she happily sighed, "The doctor told my yesterday that I had fully recovered, just in time to celebrate your eighteenth birthday so; happy birthday. Michael," as she handed me a manila envelope.

"What's this?" I asked, "Whatever it is, you didn't have to do this Linda."

"Yes, I did," she smiled, tears appearing in the corner of my eyes, "You saved my life, Michael, and this is my way of saying thank you, baby," and then she leaned against me while silent tears rained down her face, as Mom gave me a sad, but meaningful smile, letting me know that I should accept whatever was in the envelope without question...

~~~~~~

"You got to be kidding me," I gasped, opening the manila envelope to find the deed to a beach house in a gated community on Galveston Island, "I can't accept this, Linda. This is way too much."

"You can, and you will," she replied smiling, "Besides, it's only about an hour's drive from here, and I'll rest a lot easier knowing that my daughter is with you, safe and sound. Plus, you'll only be a twenty-five to thirty minute drive from the University of Houston. Didn't they offer you a full four year scholarship?"

"How could you have possibly known that?" I bewilderedly asked, scratching my head, "I haven't even told my parents yet."

"But you told me, my love." Lucy giggled, "Plus, they made the same offer to me, and you and I can live together while we're going to college. After all, we're going to both major in music so that means that we'll more than likely have the same schedule, no?"

"Aw, hell," I conceded, Lucy squealing because she knew that I'd given in, "Do I even have a choice in the matter?"

"NO," said Mom, Dad, Lucy and Linda all simultaneously laughed...

~~~~~~

Later that morning we threw a birthday party for little Rikki with a cake, candles, presents, the whole nine yards. Mom and Maggie made sure that all of her little friends from her Sunday school class were there, and even at three years old, she was the perfect birthday girl, showing each and every single one of her little friends, which numbered only five, right where she wanted them to sit, and I thought it was so precious, but of course my opinion was more than biased.

Maggie and Mom went all out and bought her the perfect dress for her party and it looked absolutely adorable on her. And something that I found to be adorable was the fact that she wanted me to be right by her side the whole time, pitching a fit if I even acted like I was going to get up from the table.

"Michael," Mom scolded me, "You need to stop teasing that baby this instant. She loves her Uncle Mikey so much."

And of course little Rikki would almost always look at me giggling and say, "Mikeee," which melted my heart every single time she said that.

Of course Mom, whom Rikki called Leela, made her a Minnie Mouse cake, which was a big success with all of the young party goers, Dad, who Rikki called Pee-Paw, was there, too, not even taking the chance that he was going to miss his only granddaughter's birthday.

It seemed like she received every kind of toy a little girl could possibly want and/or have, except for one. I went into town and bought her a motorized Barbie Corvette that she could drive. She loved it because not only was it the same kind of car that I drove, but it was a bright pink color, perfect for a little girl her age. And to say that it was her favorite out of all of her presents was a huge understatement.

However, I also bought something else while I was I in town, and it was something that would permanently cement mine and Lucy's relationship forever. It was a single solitaire, one and half carat, flawless diamond, mounted on a twenty-four carat, gold band, with the wedding ring being just a simple band, and it was the exact same ring I'd overheard her and Maggie talking about a few weeks back...

~~~~~~

LATER THAT NIGHT

After we'd eaten dinner at Giannelli's, I took the stage to play with Joey and the guys. However, I should've known that something was amiss when I saw not only Linda and my parents come into the restaurant, but also many of the same people that I'd invited to Lucy's surprise birthday party not three months earlier suddenly came filing in not five minutes behind them.

It was then that I began to smell a rat the moment that Mom, Dad and Linda appeared at our table as Maggie seated them with a knowing smirk on her face as well. Lucy was chatting with them while happily glancing up at me. Granted, I knew nothing bad was going to happen, but I knew just sure as I knew my own name that my beautiful Lucy was about to give me a dose of my own medicine, so to speak

So; as I braced myself for the sweet conspiracy that I could feel was about to befall me, I took pleasure in the fact I, too, I had planned a conspiracy of my own. Earlier that afternoon, I'd managed to sneak away and go to the jewelry store in town to pay for and pick up the engagement, and wedding ring set that I'd had custom made for Lucy. And right after she was finished doing whatever it was she had planned for me that night; I was going to drop down on one knee and ask her to marry me right there in front of God and everyone...

~~~~~~

It didn't take long before thing began to move forward, because as soon as we finished playing the third song of the first set, the whole room became silent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Joey grinned, "It seems that our illustrious keyboard player, Mister Mike Hanson, is celebrating his eighteenth birthday. So; I ask that you join me in singing "Happy Birthday" to him,"

And seconds later, Mom, Dad, Linda, and Maggie, along with everyone else in the whole place all began to sing to me. As they were singing, I big birthday cake with eighteen blazing candles was wheeled to the middle of the stage.

"Happy Birthday, Mike," Joey conspiratorially laughed, while everyone applauded when they finished singing, "Now go blow out those candles..."

~~~~~~

The band and I left the stage, only to be greeted by an ecstatic Lucy, who looked me and giggled, "I learned a long time ago, my love, that payback is hell," and then she gave me a big kiss.

After I made a silent wish, which was for Lucy and I to have a lifetime of happiness together, I blew out the candles on the cake while everyone loudly applauded, but no one more loudly than Lucy.

"Happy Birthday, baby," Mom proudly smiled, as she and Dad both hugged me, "We love you very much."

"Thanks, you two," I appreciatively smiled, "You guys have been the best parents a gut could ever have."

However, before anyone else could say anything, Linda pulled me into her arms, and with a giant hug, smiled and said, "Happy Birthday, Michael, I love you like the son I never had, I just wanted you to know that," followed by another hug.

"Thank you, Linda," I softly told her, "And thank you for having Lucy, or I would've never known what true love was all about."

"Aw," she began to sniffle, "You're more than welcome, you sweet boy."

"Uh excuse me," Lucy smiled, her hands on her beautiful hips, "Are you guys gonna let me hug him? After all, he is my boyfriend ya know," which was followed by a loud round of applause.

It was then that I pulled her into my arms and quietly told her, "I love you, Lucy Summers, and thank you for all that you've done for me."

"I had to," she smiled, happy tears appearing in the corners of her eyes, "I love you..."

~~~~~~

After the band took the stage and had played three or four songs, and because I had briefed Joey beforehand, I leaned into the microphone and said, "I know that everyone here knows about my girlfriend and I so; this next song goes out to her...I love you, Lucy; and then I began to play and sing Eric Carmen's, "All By Myself," pouring my heart into every verse. Looking at Lucy and only Lucy. And when I was done there wasn't a dry eye in the house, and the applause was deafening.

Once the applause died down, I leaned back into the microphone and said, "We're really enjoy your appreciation of what we do, ladies and gentlemen. But there's another reason that I'm glad everyone is here tonight," and then looking at Lucy, who was wearing an almost scared look on her pretty face, I smiled and said, "I want you to please stand up, Lucy."

As she rose from the table, the restaurant's spotlight lit her up, and it was then that I stood up myself and walked over to Joey's microphone. After removing it from its stand, I fell to one knee, and then taking her ring box from out of my vest pocket, I fell to my knees in front of everyone and said, "Lucy, you know that I love you more than anyone or anything, and I was wondering if you would do me the great honor of spending the rest of your life with me as my wife?"

She stood there for a few brief seconds until, with tears raining from her eyes, she ran across the dance floor, almost tackling me as she loudly cried, "Oh, yes...yes, I'll marry you, Michael," throwing her arms around my neck as she buried her face into my shoulder, crying her beautiful eyes out, however; this time the whole place came absolutely unglued, the applause was so loud...

~~~~~~

After our gig was over and everyone was almost gone, Carlo Giannelli walked over to our table with a smile on his face and an envelope in his hand.

"Hello, Mike," he smiled, and after I'd introduced him to everyone else at the table, he placed the envelope in my shirt pocket, smiling, and said, "This is my way of saying "Congratulations to the Happy Couple," and I wish you both the very best that life has to offer. And before I forget, I want to take tomorrow night off."

"I can't do that, Carlo," I objected, "What're the rest of the guys going to do without me?"

"They did fine before you came along," he smiled, his dark Sicilian eyes shining brightly, "And they'll do just fine until you return," and then he leaned down and gave me a fatherly kiss on the cheek, and told me, "Congratulations, my young friend. You're a good man, and I don't ever want you to forget it."

"Thank you, Pisano," I replied, standing to hug him, "And you have been, and will forever be my friend..."

~~~~~~

As I drove us home under a bright moon that night, Lucy wore a smile on her face as she lovingly gazed at the ring on her finger as the bright moonlight reflected off of the large diamond setting.

"I hope you like your ring," I smiled, gently reaching over and resting my right hand on her knee as I drove, "I had it custom made especially for you, my love."

"My darling Michael," she smiled, taking my hand into hers, "I could never imagine anything more beautiful."

"I can and do," I softly replied laughing at the question on her face, "I'm talking about you my love..."

~~~~~~

Right before I turned onto the highway that took us home, she looked at me and playfully asked, "Just where do you think you're going, Mister Man?"

"I'm going home," I replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Because," she knowingly smiled, withdrawing a hotel room key from her purse, "I told my Mom and your parents that now we're engaged to be married, as well as the fact that we're both eighteen now, I wanted us to spend the night together, just you and me."

"Oh, really," I smiled, "And what did they say?"

Are you kidding me?" she cutely giggled, "They said that it was about time."

"Are you sure about this, Lucy?" I cautiously asked her, "I'm willing to wait if you're not ready, or if you have any doubts."

"I've waited long enough, we both have," she very tenderly told me, leaning across the console to kiss my cheek, "And I don't have any doubts whatsoever. Why...do you?"

"No, not at all, baby," I smiled, "I've been waiting for this moment my whole life..."

~~~~~~

I was a little surprised when I discovered that Lucy had rented the Bridal Suite at the Marriot, up north on Crystal Beach. The room had a beautiful and unspoiled view of the Gulf of Mexico, and it looked so romantic, as the moon reflected off of the water. However, Lucy wanted us to take a dip in the huge hot tub that sat out on the balcony before we made love for the first time.

"I don't know about you," I nervously told her, "But I don't have a swim suit."

"Neither do I," she softly replied, as she began to unbutton my shirt, "I guess we'll have to use our birthday suits. What do you think, sexy?"

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I softly replied, as my shirt fell to the floor, "That what I think."

"Then you won't mind of I do this," and with that said, she pulled the dress she was wearing over her head to reveal that she was braless, wearing a pair of very sexy bikini panties.

"Oh, God, Lucy," I breathed, pulling her against me, and then instinct must've taken over because the next thing I remembered was that we were standing naked, our pressed tightly against one another's, as our tongues performed the dance that began long before either of us were ever born, "You're so beautiful that I feel like I can't breathe."

"Come with me, my love," she tenderly replied, taking my hand, and then she led me out onto the balcony, while my eyes stayed glued to the most beautiful ass I knew I would ever see and/or want, so that we could join one another in the hot tub...

~~~~~~

"I love you, Michael," Lucy softly breathed against my lips, as we pressed our bodies against one another's in the one hundred degree water, "And I can't ever imagine not loving you," as she reached beneath the water and grabbed hold of my manhood, gently stroking back and forth.

"You might want to take it easy on me," I softly yet urgently told her, "Or else it's going to be over before it starts."

"We have all night, baby," she tenderly replied, "Why don't you reach down and touch me to take your mind off of me touching you?"

Because my father had sat me down and explained the inner workings of the female genetailia when I was sixteen, I figure out through trial and error, just exactly what felt good to Lucy, with her being a kind and gentle teacher throughout the process. I also knew that women, while unlike most men, were multi-orgasmic by nature. Therefore I took pleasure in bringing her through more than several climaxes, discovering that which we enjoyed the most. But after the fourth or fifth climax, Lucy leaned away from me, her cheeks being flush with excitement.