Sienna

This story is about an overweight girl who slowly overcomes that issue with the help of a widower next door. In the process, she learns much more than good eating habits and exercise, he learns that caring for someone helps you get past the heartaches of life. There will be those who scream, "fat shaming" as they read. This story has nothing to do with any such insinuation, there are people of plus size everywhere who lead peaceful productive lives. This is but one example.

Sienna

How would I ever replace her, the woman I had loved since childhood? In my saddened mind she had left me far too soon. The question that loomed in my mind was, will I ever be able to care again, to love again, for anyone other than my children and their children? The answer would appear in a fashion one could never imagine, not even in their wildest dreams. At least not mine.

I was 52 when my wife of 27 years got promoted to heaven. It was one of those rare things that always happens to someone else. After all, who dies after going to the dentist? Debra had undergone a root canal Tuesday afternoon, she went to bed early that evening and I thought nothing of it, it's what I would have done. She stirred when I came to bed, gave me a soft goodnight kiss, muttered something about not feeling well and went back to sleep.

I lay there next to my childhood sweetheart and lifelong marriage partner as she slept, her breathing soft and slowed. As I drifted off to sleep it never entered my mind that it would be the last kiss I would ever get from her, or that something more than a headache might be involved. I woke just after five to use the bathroom and get ready for the day, as I walked back from the bathroom I realized something wasn't right. Touching her face I knew instantly that she had died in her sleep, the flesh was already cooled, I had no idea how long she'd been dead.

I laid down next to her on top of the covers with her back to my chest, with my arm draped over her body I wept silently. I knew I needed to call someone, but I wasn't ready for them to take her away, in my mind another half hour wouldn't make any difference. After holding her while I let go mentally I rose and called the kids, then the police. With the kids scattered to the four winds it was decided we would do a memorial service when spring came. She was to be cremated, none of them would be able to get home in time to see her anyway, I strongly suggested they all stay with their families and remember her full of life and vitality.

The boys understood and complied, the girls had a more difficult time, but in the end acquiesced to my wishes. All the common questions were asked, would I be okay alone, who would cook for me, who would do laundry, what would I do in that big old house alone? I rolled my eyes at their ignorance of what we did together once they'd all fled the nest. We shared household chores including laundry and cooking. She did most of it, but there were times she didn't feel well or simply didn't want to cook or wash clothes. Stepping in to do such things was never a burden to me, it's what couples do for each other after you've been together as long as we had.

I took the rest of the week off, made arrangements for the cremation along with what legal eagle paperwork needed to be taken care of. The autopsy didn't point to anything specific, it was speculated that with a temporary pack in the opening to continue draining that somehow the poisonous substance had gotten to her heart. A second autopsy reached the same conclusion, they could find no definitive cause. A couple of low-life ambulance chasers contacted and hounded me to have them sue the dental practice. When I told them to fuck off in no uncertain terms they finally left me alone. The dentist didn't kill her, what the hell is wrong with people?

Being the foreman of a rough-in carpenter crew I had the ability to be on the job of building houses without all the drama of having just lost my wife. The guys all relayed their condolences and went out of their way to not burden me, but there were houses to build, it was our responsibility to accomplish the rough-in stage within a given amount of time. The neighbors were great, caring and trying to make sure I didn't go without, wanting to help anyway they could. I'd reached the point where if someone brought one more casserole dish I was about to go bonkers.

Next to us lived an older black couple, I didn't know their exact ages but knew they had been retired for several years. They had already lived in that house almost twenty years when Deb and I had moved in nineteen years prior. The year prior to Deb dying we noticed a young girl living with them, she looked to be in her late teens or there about. Since Deb and AnnaBeth (the older neighbor lady) often had coffee, it was discovered that Sienna was their granddaughter and would be living with them. We learned that she was their only grandchild, her parents had both died, there was no family other than Roger and AnnaBeth.

She had lived over one thousand miles away, being in a new town and school was overwhelming enough, the fact that she was seriously overweight made it all the harder. In medical standards she would be referred to as obese, when in reality she was just thick.

Though she wasn't short, she was large in the hips and tummy, her thighs were thick, her butt wasn't overly large, probably most notable were her very large breasts. One evening before Deb had died I commented on her size and that I felt sorry for her, I was sure that as mean as kids can be she was made fun of at school. We were doing dishes, Deb stopped and turned to me.

"You have no idea Butch (My name was officially James junior, but I'd always been referred to as Butch) AnnaBeth said she's come home crying several times. She's a size 24 and only 18 years old, that has to be hard. I know Anna's working with Sienna to try keeping her at that weight or less, she certainly doesn't want her to get any bigger. She's such a sweet girl Butch."

I had been under the impression she was 17, after all she was in her junior year at school, "Wait, I thought she was 17. She's only a junior."

"Yeah, that puzzled me as well. She missed so much school the year her mother died that they held her back a year. She's been on the honor roll since, but yeah, she's 18."

Deb had been gone a little over three weeks when I heard a knock at the patio doors off the kitchen. Sienna was standing with a casserole dish in hand. I invited her in, set the dish on the table and opened the refrigerator door. Sienna began to laugh when she saw it was full of casserole dishes from top to bottom. It was the first time in all the time I'd known her that I'd seen more than a forced smile on her cute chubby face. Standing she reached for the dish she'd brought.

"I can see you don't need any more food, I'll tell gram to spread the word. Do you need any help with laundry or cleaning Mr. Clark?"

I pondered her question a moment, "Mmmm, I don't think so Sienna. I'm pretty versatile."

I noticed a disappointed look on her face.

"Why so sad looking Sienna?"

I was aware she was struggling with how to respond and stood patiently.

"Well. Gram and pop don't have a lot so I don't ask, but I would like a little spending money of my own. I hate having to ask for girl stuff cuz it's pop who does all the shopping and it embarrasses me. Maybe if I had some money of my own I wouldn't have to ask. That's all."

As a foreman my hours were reasonable, I was home most days by six. I thought, "why not, I can use the help and she's willing to work for a little money. It's a win-win." I motioned for her to sit again. Sitting across from her I leaned forward,

"Since you put it that way, I may have some things you could do. I don't have an issue with cooking or laundry, I keep the bathroom clean, and the bed made. But, and you know there's always a BUT. I hate to fold clothes, vacuum and dust, Deb knew it and never asked me to. If you would want to do those things, I'll be more than happy to hire you."

She was almost bubbling she was so happy, "Really Mr. Clark? Oh thank you. I'll do a good job, promise. When should I start?"

"How about Saturday morning. Maybe we should talk about payment as well. How much would you like to earn?"

She looked flustered, "Would ten dollars be too much Mr. Clark? I don't know how much my time is worth. I've never been called to babysit or stuff like most other girls my age."

I reached across the table and put my hand atop her chubby fingers, "That won't do."

Her face dropped and I could see her eyes begin to well with tears.

"I won't let you do it for less than twenty-five dollars, and if I need you to do more, I'll pay you more. Would that be okay?"

Though her skin was a deep brown I knew her cheeks were flushed. Looking down and not at me she spoke so softly I couldn't hear her.

"You'll need to speak up Sienna and look at me when you talk. My ears aren't what they used to be and sometimes I need to watch people's lips to know what they're saying."

"I said thank you and that $25 is way more than I expected. I'm so excited, I can't wait to tell gram about it. She'll be so happy for me."

I sat back chuckling, "I'm sure you'll do just fine. I seldom if ever lock the patio doors, just come in Saturday, say, by nine. Is that too early?"

"No sir. I'm up early, is eight too early? I like to get an early start if that's okay."

As I stood she followed suit, escorting her to the door I smiled and told her eight would work out well.

I was just finishing the few breakfast dishes I had Saturday morning when I heard the patio door open. As I turned Sienna gave me an honest to goodness smile. She was dressed in loose fitting sweatpants and a loose-fitting cotton blouse open one button at the top.

"Good morning Mr. Clark." She chirped. "I'm ready to get busy if you'll show me where supplies are."

I raised a finger, "Let me finish drying these few dishes and I'll be right with you."

I had no more than turned when I felt the breeze of her body passing mine. She took the plate from my hand and removed the dishtowel off my shoulder. Looking down I grinned as I thought, a go getter, I like that. I drained the sink and wiped down the counters as she dried the few items there were. With the dishes dried she wanted to know where to put them, I pointed to the upper cabinet to her left. With that done she faced me and smiled.

"I like working here already Mr. Clark. Okay, show me the laundry and where the vacuum is."

By mid-morning I was cleaning the attached bathroom to my bedroom when Sienna walked in.

"Where should I put the clothes?"

I waved her off, "You don't need to do that, just put them on the bed."

She in turn gave me a scolding look, "Nope, I wanna do that. I don't mind at all and next week I'll know where things go without asking."

When Deb was alive we shared a double dresser for underwear and smaller items. Mine was on the left, hers on the right. I pointed to the dresser and nodded. From the reflection on the mirror I noticed she had inadvertently opened Deb's first. I had never cleared her underwear drawer, I kept her intimates in it to preserve her wonderful aroma. There were times when I missed her so badly that I would sleep with a pair of her panties under my head, breathing the essence of my lifelong love throughout the night.

I would think of all the nights and mornings when she'd shimmy out of those panties and pull me on top or mount me. Those were the hardest times to cope with her demise, it was also part of the reason I kept all her lingerie in the drawer. Sienna took a few pair of the silk panties and rubbed them between her fingers, then the lacy bras Deb insisted on wearing for me, only me. She would grin and say.

"There's only one man who gets to see me in panties and bra, that's you junior and I want you to like what you see. I don't mind wearing sexy stuff for you if it isn't uncomfortable, and I love the end result when you take it off."

I watched as Sienna picked up a pair of lace stretch panties and looked at them against the mirror, her fingers were clearly visible through the material. She giggled and put them back, closed the drawer and began putting my socks and underwear along with those already in place. As a boy I can remember mother saying you can tell a lot about a person just by the condition of their underwear drawer. Are they neat and organized, or is it in disarray? However it is generally gives you insight as to the rest of their lives. I never forgot those words and always have my underwear drawer in order.

I'm not fanatical enough to iron my drawers or shit like that, but underwear goes here, socks go there, and t-shirts over to the side. Deb had me put two dividers in her drawer, one for panties, the middle one for bras and the one on the far right for her sexy teasing lingerie and stockings. I made sure I remained busy while Sienna put clothes away finishing the same time she did. With her brown complexion I couldn't see any signs of embarrassment, but she was definitely flush. We were done by eleven, I had an envelope with $25 on the kitchen table, as she was about to leave I caught her arm.

"Hey, don't forget your pay."

She looked down, "Gram says you're a good neighbor and I should help you without being paid."

I didn't let go of her arm, "Well I'm not gram and in my house we go by my rules. I'll talk to your gram this afternoon. Take this money Sienna, you certainly earned it. Same time next Saturday then?"

She was like a kid with a handful of candy. "Thank you Mr. Clark, thank you so much. Yes sir, I'll be here next week and wait with the dishes, I'll help."

I quickly drew her to me and gave her a side hug as I looked down in her smiling face.

"It's a deal. See you next week."

Watching her walk away I noticed she looked in the envelope and held it tightly to her chest with both hands as she nearly skipped across the lawn, at the gate she turned and waved goodbye. I found her to be cute in her own particular way. Yes, she was heavier than she would like to be, but there was much more to Sienna than body size. And not to make light of her body size, she still possessed all the right curves and bumps signifying she was all woman. Her face was soft and sort of angelic looking, her lips looked soft and inviting, the right guy kissing those lips could get lost in their subtle invitation. Her manners were impeccable and once you got past the wall she'd surrounded herself with there was a fun spirited girl.

Over the next few months our Saturday mornings became something we both looked forward to. I had spotted her looking at Deb's undies, especially the silk items, more than a few times on those Saturdays. I think she was imagining what she might look like in something that soft and delicate. We had gotten to a place where we were comfortable enough around one another that I wanted her to begin calling me Butch. She'd asked if she was allowed to do that in a very polite manner, she was never disrespectful to me, I saw no harm and agreed.

During those weeks I noticed her gramps seemed to be absent a lot. When I brought it up the tears began to flow, I hugged her to my chest and let the tears soak my shirt. Pushing back she looked up.

"He's dying. Gram says he'll be under hospice care soon and if I'm correct that means he's close to the end. I just hope he can hold out until I graduate, that's only five weeks away. I'm not sure what I'll do when that happens, gram wants to move into assisted living. With me going off to school I don't blame her, I won't be around during the day to help."

I was a bit confused as I was under the impression she had little to no money. I was pleasantly surprised by her answer.

"When my parents were alive they set up an education fund in my name through a lawyer, I can take money out for secondary schooling. The rules are I must maintain at least a C average and work toward a degree that can actually be used in a work-related situation. If there's money left I can use it however I want. Actually I'd like to go to school to be a dental hygienist, which isn't a four-year course, but I could then use any remining funds to start a life on my own."

I knew what the answer was, but I needed to talk with AnnaBeth first. I was a reputable person, I had a large home empty except for one lonesome creature, me, and someone to care about would help revitalize my otherwise sullen spirit. Goodness knows there was certainly ample sleeping accommodations. Along with the master having a private bath there was also a spare bedroom with an attached bath, she would have all the privacy she wanted. Yup, I knew what needed to be done, it was only a matter of talking with AnnaBeth to see if she felt comfortable with my idea. Harvey went into hospice three days after Sienna told me about him going, I stood with AnnaBeth and Sienna a week later at Harv's memorial service.

After the service people gathered at their home where just about everyone they'd known showed up with a plate of sandwiches or desserts. I tried being a help by making sure glasses, plates and trash was picked up and out of the way. Sienna and I washed dishes three times during the three to four hours people visited. By the time the last one was ushered out we three were exhausted. Sienna was snuggled tight into Anna's side when Anna brought up what I'd been avoiding.

"Sienna, honey. What are we gonna do about you with gramps gone and me wanting to move into assisted living? I'm not kicking you out or anything like that, we'll just need to figure out what will be best for you. If that means me not selling and staying here until you start school, then that's what I'll do."

It was time for me to join the conversation. "What if she were to come live with me Anna? I've plenty of room and it gets lonely in that house having no one to talk with. The housing market is strong right now, you could sell while it's a sellers' market and know Sienna will be looked after. We get along great, our Saturdays cleaning together are always fun, we laugh as much as we work. Please, give it some thought."

Sienna smirked, "Can I get a kitten if gram lets me live with you? I've always wanted a kitten."

I held up my hand, "That's all well and good, but kittens grow up to be cats. If you get a kitten it will need to be spayed or neutered and you, young lady, will need to look after it."

Sienna sat upright, "I would do that. I don't think I have the money to sterilize one though."

I looked at Anna who was grinning from ear to ear as I spoke. "Well, if you get a cat I'll cover those costs. Just so we're clear, you'll be responsible for the litter box and things like that."

"Really." Sienna cried out. "That would be a dream come true. What do you think gram? Can I go live with Mr. Clark? I've made up my mind, I'm going to tech for dental hygienist this fall, which means I could live in town and see you every week. It's a two-year course, but I'm sure I would be hired right away, those positions are in high demand."

Anna squeezed Sienna tight to her once more.

"We'll talk about it in the morning sweetheart. Your old gram needs to rest and give this more thought. Butch, can you come for supper tomorrow night? Say around six."

Things were looking up, "Sure, I'll make sure to pull off by five thirty, although we're about roughed so I may be home early. The guys will appreciate a nine-hour day instead of ten. Can I bring anything?"

Anna chuckled, "Yes, a big appetite. Do you like roast beef with potatoes and fresh green beans?"

I nodded. "Good, because that's what I'm cooking. Now girl, it's bedtime for us. Goodnight Butch, see you for supper."

The following day went by quickly, on the way home I stopped for flowers, though the house was full of them I wanted to present Anna with something special, something from my heart. In the process I also picked out three red carnations and told Trudy to make them look nice. She and I had been in school together, she winked and went about doing as I asked.