Promises Made and Promises Kept Pt. 04

I wrapped up work early to drive over to LAX and pick up Joan, her husband Tom, and her boys Andrew and James. We managed to get their luggage in the trunk and everyone in the car. As I drove us home, I explained the arrangements. Joan and Tom would use my bedroom, and Andrew and James would sleep on the sofa bed in the study. I would sleep in Emily's room, and Emily would double up with Amy in her room.

On the way home, we talked about meeting up with Al, his wife Wendy, and their son Paul who would be staying at my parent's place. Despite my best efforts, Joan must have twigged to something and kept looking at me with a questioning look on her face. We have been close for so much of our whole lives I knew she knew I was holding something back. I just gave her a slight shake of my head and mouthed, "Later." I asked the boys how they were doing in school, and that conversation carried us until we got home.

The girls ran out and started hugging everybody, even the boys, who really weren't into shows of affection. We got the luggage taken inside and stored away. The girls entertained the boys while Tom, Joan, and I sat around the kitchen table, discussing our plans for tomorrow. I called Mom and told her Joan's family was here and settled in. I passed the phone to Joan to talk with Mom while I got up and refreshed our drinks.

After Joan hung up the phone and sat back down, she asked Tom to check in on the kids. Tom knew Joan wanted private time with me, the smart man he was, so he smiled and got up and left the kitchen. As soon as he did, Joan turned to me and said, "Okay, spill it. What's up?"

"I've found someone I'm falling in love with," I started, not wanting to give anything away just yet.

Joan looked at me intently, noting my hesitancy and my hand wringing, and suddenly smiled and asked, "So, who is she?"

My jaw dropped in surprise, and Joan laughed at the look on my face. I recovered quickly and asked, "How did you know?"

"Sis, I shared a bedroom with you up until you went off to college," Joan said, scooting her chair over and pulling me in for a hug. "I knew you were not into boys, and you never talked about boys. The only times you would ever get emotional or upset about a relationship was when you told me about rocky patches with your girlfriends."

I hugged Joan back and said, "I never realized I was into girls until I went off to college."

"Mom and I figured that out," Joan said, pulling back but maintaining her grip on my shoulders. Looking me in the eye, she continued, "Imagine our surprise when you brought Jon home and ended up marrying him."

With the mention of Jon, I suddenly thought, "Did I really love Jon, or did I think I did because I was so scared of being a lesbian? Did I use him to deny myself what I really wanted?" Then I thought about my two girls, and I knew, with certainty, they were both conceived out of love. I teared up, and Joan pulled me back in to hug me as I sobbed on her shoulder.

Once I got myself back under control, I said, "I really did love Jon. That was not a mistake."

Joan patted me on the back and said, "I know, Sis. That was so obvious to everyone we started to doubt our thinking that you were into girls."

Again pushing me back so she could look me in the eye, Joan asked, "So, who's this woman. Tell me about her."

I spent the next few minutes talking about Virginia. I told her about our connection through Alex, the woman I had my first Sapphic relationship with. I told her about Virginia's struggles with being unable to claim her two sons to be her own. Finally, I wound down and pulled Joan in for another hug and said, "I'm so glad you're okay with this. It means so much to me."

"Of course," Joan said, "You're my big sister, and I love you no matter what. Who you love is your business, and I'm just glad you found someone."

"So, is Tom going to be okay with this?" I asked.

"If he isn't, there'll be hell to pay," Joan snarked.

We laughed and then got up and went into the living room to see Tom. When I told Tom, he smiled and hugged me and said, "That's great, Judy. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Tom," I said, hugging him back.

Now, I just had to sound out Al and see what he thinks about it.

We all went over to Mom and Dad's place to visit. My worrying about what Al would think was short-circuited. As soon as we came into the house, Al came up to me with a big smile, and pulled me in for a hug, and said, "Mom told me you found somebody. I think she thought I might be upset or something. I have no idea why. You're my sister, and I love you. I'm so happy for you."

I teared up again as I hugged Al. "Thanks, Al. That means a lot to me."

After all of the other greetings were taken care of, Joan and I went into the kitchen to help Mom prepare tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner. Wendy was there, and she came over and hugged me and said, "I heard the good news, Judy. I'm so happy for you."

I turned to Mom and said, "So, you had to tell everyone?"

With a look of innocence that would have put Jesus to shame, Mom said, "I have no idea what you're talking about, dear."

I pulled her in for a hug and said, "Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, dear," she said. "Now, let's get that stuffing prepared for the turkey."

To say I really enjoyed Thanksgiving this year would be the understatement of the year.

***

After a great Thanksgiving weekend, I was looking forward to going to work today. The girls checked out my outfit to make sure I looked nice for Virginia. I couldn't help but smile as I walked into the lobby, and Peggy greeted me with, "Good morning, Judy. You look like you had a great Thanksgiving."

I replied, "Yes, I did, Peggy. I hope you did too?"

"I did, Judy," Peggy replied, a huge smile on her face. "Have a great day!"

I made it to my office, turned on my computer, and started going over my calendar for the day. I was engrossed in my calendar, but I did look up and see Virginia heading into the break room. I quickly grabbed my coffee mug and headed for the break room.

Virginia must have been expecting me because she was facing me when I entered the break room. I stopped and hoped my jaw wasn't hitting the floor when I saw how beautiful she looked in her pale yellow outfit. Her slacks and blazer fit her trim athletic body, and her white blouse emphasized her bust and hips. Our eyes locked, and I could almost see her leaning forward like she just wanted to lean in and ravage my mouth with hers. I felt my body responding to her longing, desiring the same thing.

Virginia broke our gaze and turned toward the counter as she said, "Good morning, Judy. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your family?"

With the mood having been broken, I walked over to the coffee pot as I answered, "I did have a great Thanksgiving. It was so good to see my brother, Al, and sister, Joan. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving?"

As Virginia continued fixing her tea, she said, "Yes, I did. It was so good to have Matthew back home for the weekend."

We both turned to face each other, and I struggled to not step up to Virginia and take her in my arms. I could see from the look on her face she felt the same, but I saw an almost microscopic shake of her head in warning that what we both wanted was inappropriate at this time. We both then leaned back against the counter, and I smiled at her and said, "The girls wanted me to pass on their greetings."

Virginia smiled when I said that, and I could tell she was thrilled to hear the girls had thought about her. She then said, "I talked to Matthew, and he and Mark are really looking forward to having dinner with you next month."

I was happy to hear that, and I said, "That's great. I'm looking forward to it, too."

With that, it was time to get to work. We went back to our offices, knowing we'd see each other shortly at the staff meeting. I heaved a sigh when I sat down, knowing the next three weeks were going to pass slowly until our dinner date. My heart thrilled at the word 'date,' and I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy meeting Virginia's boys.

Over the next two weeks, I labored over planning the schedule and requirements for Phase 3 of the e-PUT update while Bob led the Phase 2 development effort. Of course, this was all tentative until phase 2 was completed and implemented. Once the testing for phase 2 started, I knew I'd be busy with that, so I wanted to get as much done on the planning for phase 3 first.

December 1994

At lunch today, Virginia told me Matthew would be coming home next week, and we were on for dinner next Friday night. I was so excited I nearly jumped up to hug her, but I settled for reaching across the table and taking her hand in mine and giving it a squeeze. Virginia squeezed my hand back and smiled at me, enjoying my excitement.

Friday and dinner with Virginia and her boys were finally here. I tried hard to concentrate on my work, but I kept finding myself sitting there thinking about tonight. While I was doing so, I heard a knock on my door. I looked up with a big smile as I recognized Virginia's rap. Virginia smiled back and asked, "You didn't forget about tonight?"

"How could I?" I replied, my heart clenching. "I've been looking forward to it for weeks."

"Great! Matthew and Mark are looking forward to seeing you, too," Virginia said as she stepped into my office.

"Shall I bring a bottle of wine?" I asked.

"Sure," Virginia replied. "Whatever goes good with pot roast will be fine."

I thought quickly before saying, "That sounds like a bottle of red wine, maybe a Cabernet Sauvignon."

Virginia smiled and said, "Works for me. I'd better go get my work done."

I got up to walk Virginia to the door as I said, "Me, too. See you tonight."

I watched Virginia walk away, ogling her ass as it moved so suggestively in her tight-fitting slacks. Tearing my eyes away from that sight, I saw Sue sitting there with a slight smile on her face, pretending to be working. With a sigh, I went back to my desk and tried to get some work done. Finally, it was time to leave. As I left the office, I noticed Sue was on the phone, speaking softly, having an animated conversation with someone. When Sue saw me looking, she stopped talking, and when I smiled and said, "Goodnight, Sue," she smiled back before going back to her call as I headed out to my car.

When I got home, I spent a lot of time on my toilet, ensuring I was pretty for Virginia. I would wear a lovely pale lilac v-necked A-line dress that came down to just above my knees. I hoped I wasn't exposing too much skin. To complement the v-neck, I wore a lovely pendant necklace Jon had bought me for our first anniversary. I touched it and misted up thinking about Jon. Getting myself back under control, I finished getting ready.

When I came downstairs, the girls swarmed over me, making sure I was put together correctly. I honestly think they were more excited about this dinner than I was, and that was saying something. Finally, we were ready to go, and I dropped the girls off with Mom and Dad before heading over to Virginia's place.

The drive to Virginia's house went smoothly. When I pulled up in her driveway, the front door flew open, and Virginia's two boys hurried out to meet me. I recognized them from Virginia's descriptions. Matthew opened the car door for me, a big smile on his face. Mark stepped up, a big smile on his face, and I handed the bottle of wine to him. He took it and stepped back as Matthew offered his hand to help me out of the car. "What a perfect gentleman," I thought to myself as I took his hand and got out of the car. I smiled up at him in thanks as we walked up to the door where Virginia was standing, a huge smile on her face. I loved the navy blue sheath dress she was wearing. The choker with the sapphire in it really made her eyes pop. She looked so lovely; looking at her made my heart hurt. I could see the pride she had in her boys on her face as she hugged me and said, "Welcome to my home, Judy."

I hugged her back and said, "Thank you, Virginia. I'm glad to be here."

Virginia then formally introduced me to Matthew and Mark. I hugged each of them as they were introduced, and I thanked them for their help. I told each one how handsome they were, getting big smiles from each of them. Virginia then said, "Matthew, Mark, would you please keep Judy entertained while I finish getting dinner ready?"

"Yes, Mom," Matthew said and motioned for me to follow him.

"Yes, Mom," Mark echoed, falling in behind us as Matthew guided us into the living room.

I followed Matthew into the living room, and he directed me to sit in a nice wingback chair while he and Mark sat on the couch. I decided to carry the conversation because I could see they were a little nervous. "So, your mom tells me you're both soccer players?"

They both grinned in relief, and Matthew answered first, "Yes, ma'am, I'm on the team at UC Irvine. I'm not a starter, but I hope to be next year."

Then Mark answered, "I'm a starter on my team at El Segundo High School. I should be a starter next year, too."

I smiled at Matthew's polite response and said, "That's great, Matthew. You should be proud of your accomplishments, and I'm sure you'll be starting next year."

I then turned to Mark and said, "Mark, your mom tells me you're a pretty good striker?"

Mark blushed and said, "Yes, ma'am. I was the high scorer for the team this year."

Then the two boys took turns, asking me questions about what I did. I was so impressed with how polite they were. I knew Virginia was proud of her two boys, so I paid them the attention they deserved and didn't talk down to them. Like my daughters, they definitely were not children anymore.

Before the conversation got too spirited, Virginia announced, "Dinner is ready. Matthew, Mark, please show Judy to the dining room?"

We trooped into the dining room, and Matthew showed me to my chair. He pulled it out and helped me sit and push the chair into the table. I saw Mark was doing the same for Virginia. I smiled up at Matthew as he went to sit himself to my left. Once Mark was seated, I smiled at Virginia, and we thanked them for their courtesy. I couldn't help but say to Virginia, "Your two boys are such gentlemen."

"Yes, they are," Virginia replied while smiling back at me. I could clearly see the pride she had for her boys in her face. Virginia then said, "Let us pray." We all crossed ourselves before Virginia prayed, "Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen." When she finished, we all said, "Amen," and we crossed ourselves again.

The boys then handed the dishes to Virginia and me to serve ourselves first before they helped themselves. We all dug in, and I really enjoyed the food and told Virginia so, saying how delicious everything was. The boys also chimed in with their praise. Virginia smiled and complimented me for the wine I had selected. I had to admit it went perfectly with the pot roast.

Virginia asked, "Judy, how are Amy and Emily getting ready for swim season?"

I smiled at Virginia and started going on about my girls, proud of their achievements in the pool. The boys asked questions, and I did my best to answer them, looking them in the eye as I responded to show them I was genuinely interested in their queries. When the questions started petering out, I turned the tables on them and asked them about their soccer seasons just finished up.

Matthew started telling me about his soccer season and how he wasn't a starter because he was just a freshman. However, he did start getting some playing time as the season went on. I could see the pride in Virginia's eyes as Matthew answered my question. When Matthew finished, I turned to Mark and said, "Your mom tells me you made the All-Star team." Mark smiled and eagerly told me about what he had done to get that honor.

Once Mark had finished telling me about his accomplishments Virginia declared that dinner was over. The boys jumped up and again helped us with our chairs. Virginia and I took our wine into the living room while they cleaned up the dishes. When we reached the living room and sat on the couch next to each other, I turned to Virginia and said, "I really enjoyed dinner tonight. Your sons are delightful, and I'm glad I got to meet them."

Virginia looked me in the eye, and I could see a hint of moisture in her eyes as she said, "Well, I just want to say that they certainly like you. I'm glad you got a chance to meet them."

Feeling daring and hoping I wasn't going too fast, I could feel a blush coming on as I said, "I think my girls would like to meet your boys sometime in the future."

"Yes, I think Matthew and Mark would like to meet Amy and Emily, too," Virginia said, smiling widely, as I heaved a sigh of relief.

We sat there, gazing at each other in silence, exchanging smiles as we were each lost in our own thoughts. Virginia took a drink from her glass, and I followed suit. Before anything else was said, the boys came into the living room and sat down in the side chairs.

"Judy, I'm glad I got to meet you tonight," Matthew said.

"Me, too," Mark said. "I'm glad that you and Mom are friends."

"Thank you," I said. I looked at Virginia and smiled as I said, "I'm glad we're friends, too."

Virginia blushed at that, and I noticed the boys shared a look and grinned at each other. We sat and chatted for a while. I got up and walked over to the mantle to look at the pictures and trophies on it. I spent some time looking at the photograph of Virginia, Bonnie, and the boys. I could understand why Virginia had loved Bonnie so much. She was a beautiful woman, and I wished I could have met her. I then looked at all of the trophies, praising the boys for their sporting achievements.

I went back to the couch to sit down next to Virginia, and I reached over and took Virginia's hand in mine. We both hitched our breath, and our eyes dilated as I felt so comfortable here that it was only natural we could hold hands in front of the boys. I noticed Matthew and Mark exchanging a look and smiling at each other. We chatted a little longer, talking about nothing in particular until the boys asked to be excused to go to their rooms.

When they did, I said, "I'd probably better get going, too. I need to pick up my girls and get them home."

With that, we got up. I said, "Good Night" to the boys before they went up to their rooms. Virginia and I walked out to my car. Before I moved to get in my car, Virginia said, "Thanks for coming, Judy. We really had a great time."

I turned to Virginia before saying, "I'm glad I got to meet your sons. I had a great time, and I'd like to do this again sometime."

"Oh, yes," Virginia said before my head tilted down while Virginia's head tilted up for a kiss. Our lips met, and our eyes closed as our lips met. Despite how many times I had fantasized about kissing her, and the one time I did kiss her, I was unprepared for how incredible it felt when her lips met mine. The world went away for a while. All there was were our bodies molded together as our arms instinctively went around each other. I thrilled at the feelings going through my body as my nipples hardened and my pussy got hot and wet. We both softly moaned as our mouths opened, and our tongues invaded each other's mouths.

Eventually, the world came back, and we broke our kiss. Virginia stepped back, and my empty arms returned to my sides. I turned and opened my car door before getting in. Before closing my door, she said, "Goodnight, Judy. Drive safely."

"Goodnight, Virginia. I will," I said as I started the car. As I backed out of the driveway and then drove away, I saw Virginia watching me until I turned the corner, taking her out of my view.