Sienna

"Who are the lucky lady's Butch?"

"Anna Beth and her granddaughter. I'm having supper with them and wanted to do something special."

Trudy chuckled, "Well she doesn't need more flowers after all those we delivered for Harv's service, but these will be special. Give her a hug from me."

I waved at the door, "Sure thing. Say howdy to that redneck you married."

"Hey, dimwit. That redneck happens to be your lifelong friend." She quipped.

Calling back as the door was closing I yelled, "Yup, that's why I get to call him a redneck."

I had time to go home and shower before I was due for supper. After shaving I changed into some casual slacks and non-descript button shirt. I'm no fashion horse, but a little voice inside told me to wear something other than jeans and a tee. At the back door I knocked, Sienna instantly opened the door as if she'd been waiting for the knock.

"Hi Mr. Clark. You look handsome, I've never seen you in anything but jeans before. Supper is ready, we were waiting until you arrived."

I handed the carnations to her, if her skin hadn't been dark I'm sure she'd have been the color of deep red. The smile would have gone around her head if she didn't have ears, she smelled them, looked at me and smelled them again. I was about to move past her and hand the remaining flowers to Anna when I heard her whimper, almost in tears.

"No one has ever given me flowers. Thank you Mr. Clark."

I touched her shoulder, "What's with the Mr. Clark? I thought we agreed you could call me Butch."

"Gram says I must call you Mr. Clark."

I leaned forward enough to half whisper only loud enough for Sienna to hear.

"Okay, grams house, grams rules, but at my house I'm Butch. Are we good?"

Again her smile dominated most of the muscles in her face, "We're good, and thank you again. I'm gonna go find a vase. Gram, look what Mr. Clark brought me."

It had been months since I'd eaten a delicious home cooked meal of that status. Oh yeah, I cooked, but not like Anna, or so I thought. When I complimented her on how delicious everything was she pointed at Sienna.

"You can thank her, she's the one who made supper. She's turned into a darned fine cook if I say so myself. She only has to be shown once, oh, she made brownies for dessert so save a little room."

I was going to help clear the table and do dishes, Anna took my arm.

"She'll be fine, she usually does the dishes. Come into the den with me, we need to talk."

We spent the next half hour going over Sienna's life, her lifelong battle with weight control, her desire to please almost to a fault, and her dreams of one day having a husband and family. We were on the couch, Anna turned sideways staring into my eyes.

"Junior, I trust you to treat her right and look out for her. I think it would be a good idea for her to live with you, maybe the two of you can do things Harv and I were too old to do. You know, walks, maybe take her camping and teach her how to fish. I think if she had someone to eat healthier with, she might be willing to change her diet."

"But you eat healthy Anna. I'm not sure what you mean."

Anna shrugged, "Yeah, but with Harv dying she was left to her own more than she should have been. Butch, her comfort zone is food when she depressed or feels lonesome. With you around maybe it will help her focus. She's a size 24 now, that has to be taxing on her health."

About that time Sienna strolled into the room holding the thin vase that held her carnations.

"I didn't know if I had a favorite flower before, but I do now, it's carnations. I'm going to put them on my nightstand so I can smell them all night."

I asked Anna how soon she might be able to move into assisted living.

"Oh, I can get in right away. There are two vacancies, but they'll fill fast. What's holding me back is making sure Sienna is taken care of. If you're serious about her living with you I'll make the arrangements tomorrow. I have enough money to last a year or more until the house sells. Harvey made sure I was taken care of if he went first. Bless him Lord."

I looked at Sienna, "What do you think? How soon would you like to move in? You graduate in three weeks, should we wait until then?"

Sienna's answer was swift, "No, I want to move in right away if gram is okay with that. Maybe this weekend if she can get into assisted living. There won't be anything going on for my graduation, no one would come if I invited them, so I have no hidden expectations. Maybe we can grill something and have our own celebration in your back yard. What do you think gram?"

Anna patted my hand, "I think we'll be moving this weekend. I won't be taking much since I'll only have a one bedroom, so the rest can stay here. Sienna you're welcome to whatever is left honey. I'll get ahold of Harv's younger brother Sid and his two boys, they'll move me. Being right next door you two should be able to manage by yourselves."

Saturdays move went without a hitch, we had Sienna's bed and clothes moved by noon and set about getting the few other items she wanted, nightstand, etc. When I asked her about lunch she shrugged her shoulders. I had an idea.

"Are you up for a grilled chicken cobb salad? That new chicken place on Pinehurst has good salads, I've eaten there twice and have been pleased both times."

She had a surprised look on her face, "You eat salads? I never knew a man who eats salad, gramps called it rabbit food. I like salad, I just don't like being the only eating one while everybody else eats something different."

I stood and reached for her hand, "It's settled then. Come on, we'll get them to go and eat them here."

"Do we have to go in Butch? I don't like it when people point at me and laugh."

"Sure thing, we'll do the drive through. I was thinking pork chops in gravy over rice for supper. Does that sound alright?"

"Only if you'll show me how you make it. I'll go light on the gravy, just enough to mix with the rice. Do you have any applesauce? I like applesauce with pork."

We were pulling up in line to order, "I believe I do Sienna. I buy the smaller single serving size. Will that do?"

I devoured my salad in its entirety, she only ate about half of hers saying she'd save the rest for a midafternoon snack. She had a small amount of laundry to do, I showed her how my machines worked and stepped away. I could see her glance my way as she loaded items into the washer, most of it was underwear which was anything but flattering. Large white full briefs with a few mixed color fabrics interspersed. I knew she was embarrassed, I went out of my way to make sure she didn't think I was watching. We were just finishing supper when the washer stopped. I decided to be bold.

"I'll get out the drying rack to hang your bras on. Gloria always air dried hers if that's what you do as well. She dried her panties the same way, but you don't need to do either if you're uncomfortable with the idea."

She was quiet as we cleared the table, then spoke softly, "I usually dry my bras on a rack, but I just throw my other underwear in the dryer. Nothing I have is delicate enough to warrant air drying. Gram bought whatever was the least expensive, usually online stuff. You know, six pair for twelve bucks' kind of panties."

I left it at that and went about my business. About seven thirty she wondered if I minded her taking a shower.

"Goodness no Sienna, you don't need to ask. Take a shower anytime you want."

"Well we used to run out of hot water, so I always asked."

I chuckled, "Won't happen here sweetheart, it's an on-demand unit. You'll have all the hot water you want. You should have plenty of towels in your linen closet next to the bathroom. I'm going to bed about 9, I'm tired from the day's activities. Feel free to watch Tv or whatever. I'll see you in the morning."

I didn't see her anymore that evening, I had been on the phone with the kids deciding on a date for Deb's memorial service. Breakfast was simple, she had fresh fruit, I had oatmeal. Her bras were still hanging on the rack when I had gotten up, being a man with a normal libido I snuck a look at a tag. 40F, holy cow, I knew she was big, but I never imagined that big. Deb had been a 34D and I thought those were a fun plaything. I grinned to myself as I imagined caressing a pair of F size breasts.

I quickly got my mind out of the gutter and back on track. Sienna was here to live and be safe, not have her bodacious boobs held and sucked by a 53-year-old Chester the molester. The days leading up to her graduation went quickly, our schedules began to mesh. Sienna and Gram attended the memorial service, the kids all knew AnnaBeth but had never met Sienna. The weekend and service went well, only the youngest daughter thought it odd that a 19-year-old girl was living with me. Once I assured her nothing torrid was going on she left it alone.

Coming home from work the day after the kids left I was ever so pleased when I got home. My nostrils were titillated with the aroma of something great cooking as I walked from the garage into the kitchen. From that point forward cooking supper became something she did almost every night of my work week. It was as though we were a married couple, she wanted to please me. On Saturday we'd treat ourselves to a grilled chicken cobb salad.

I made sure she got around to see Anna at least every five to six days. With graduation only three days away we made arrangements to pick up Anna and take her with me to the ceremony. Each student was allowed two tickets for family, which was Anna and me. Instead of a party we grilled steaks and had early sweet corn, a little too early, it was yellow but had no taste. The biggest part of our day came after we'd dropped Anna off, as I pulled into a custard place Sienna stared at me.

"Why are we here Butch? I shouldn't be eating these sweets, they'll make me fatter."

Stopping in a parking spot I turned to her, "Honey, a small sundae isn't going to make you fatter. If you deprive your body of everything it enjoys, sooner or later that will turn into a craving, and when that happens is when we go off the rails. I've been watching, you've lost some weight haven't you?"

She smiled, those chubby cheeks with dimples, "Yes, but I've lost more inches than weight, I've dropped seventeen pounds since I came to live with you. I'm gonna keep doing that, I really want to lose more weight. I'm young enough that my body can still look okay if I take more weight off."

I laughed, "Then you deserve a treat. I'm having a small turtle, how about you?"

"I'll do the same, I like those."

Over the next month our lives carried on much as they had from the beginning, she would cook and clean, I would praise her for what she did, we were getting along great. I came home early one afternoon and found her in my bedroom softly caressing Deb's delicate panties. When she realized I'd walked into the room she shrieked and ran from the room. When she didn't start supper I knew I needed to see how she was. I knocked on her door twice before she opened, her eyes were red, it was obvious she'd been crying the entire time.

I sat on the end of the bed and patted next to me. Sitting three feet away she began to cry again.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Clark. I'm not a pervert or anything like that. I just like to touch her things, they're so soft and delicate, not like my crummy old panties. I hate them. Someday I'll be small enough that I can wear stuff like that. I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Please don't be angry with me."

I moved close enough to give her a side hug, "I'm not angry. I just need to know why you liked touching them. I've seen you do that before. I do have a question though. What if we were to order some silk undies for you like what Deb wore?"

"But I'm too big. Fat girls can't wear stuff like that."

With my arm around her shoulder I squeezed gently, "Sienna, I know for a fact that they make silk underwear for plus size girls like you. How about if we make a deal. I'll buy you a few pair of panty/bra sets of your choosing, you continue to focus on losing more weight and when you can get into a size 20, we'll order all new undies for you. Bras, panties, even a garter belt and stockings if you want."

"Oh Mr. Clark, I mean Butch. I love the feel of her silk stockings, I've imagined myself wearing one of those garter things to hold up a pair of real stockings. But once again, that stuff isn't for fat girls."

I moved away enough to turn to the side and look at her. "Sienna, you need to change the words of your mouth. I don't see you as fat, yes, you're overweight, but you're not morbidly obese. And as far as those people who are nasty to you, just remember. You can lose weight and be different, but they'll always be assholes. So get your chin up and stop calling yourself fat. I'll help you if you want, but you have to want it."

"Do you really think I could lose a lot of weight Butch? I want to, really, I do."

I stood to leave, "You'll never be a skinny rail, or on the cover of a magazine, but you can take off a lot of what's there. Heck, even if you got down to a size 16 and went no lower, you'd still look and feel so much better. There's more to you than your body Sienna, never lose sight of that fact. There are some leftover scalloped potatoes, should we do that for supper?"

Standing she looked up at me, "You can, I think I'll have a salad. Thank you Butch, you make me feel so confident. Can we start walking or something like that? I don't wanna go to a gym or fitness center."

She wasn't very pleased the next morning when I woke her at six to walk. I encouraged her get up and dressed, we'd take a short walk to start, she was out of school, she could take a nap later. She liked that idea and met me at the door fifteen minutes later. We had only gone a few blocks when I noticed her beginning to struggle, our town still has benches along the sidewalks. I spotted one and suggested we sit a minute. I saw the defeat in her eyes, I was sure she thought I was stopping because she couldn't hack it. I decided to defuse the bomb wanting to explode in her mind.

"I need to rest a minute Sienna, I'm no spring chicken anymore. I've got some water, wanna share?"

She giggled as she handed the bottle back to me after we'd both taken a long drink.

"What's so funny kiddo?" I asked.

She was flush in the cheeks, her demeanor changed, not in a bad way, "It's kind of like kissing, sharing a bottle of water."

Lifting her chin I grinned and leaned forward, "Then give me a smooch girl."

I didn't give her time to think about it. The kiss was more fatherly than romantic, quick, a simple peck on the lips, but it took her by surprise. With a look of astonishment and quivering fingers over her lips she smiled.

"I've never been kissed before Butch. You're my first, sweet 19 and I've finally been kissed. Thank you."

Thus began our morning walks three times a week. She was indeed losing inches more rapidly than weight, I did a bit of research and found that was normal. During conversation over supper I asked if she was ready to order new underwear.

"Nope, not yet."

I raised an eyebrow, curious as to why not.

She continued, "I decided to wait until I'm size 20 before I do that. I'm almost there, I tried on an old pair of jeans that are size 20. I got them on but had to suck in my tummy to button them. In a few more weeks they'll fit better, then I want to order all new underwear, like you said."

I nodded, "I'm proud of you Sienna. You set a goal and are about to achieve it. Congratulations."

"One more thing Butch. Can I order the stuff by myself? I think I would be embarrassed to do it with you sitting next to me. I've done some research and have a couple of places in mind. Would that be okay?"

She always sat to my right, just as Deb had for decades. I reached and put my hand over hers.

"Yes honey, that'll be fine. Just let me know and I'll give you my credit card to use. You can return it after you've ordered."

It was mid-July, the temperature and the humidity were nearly unbearable without being in a conditioned space, such as the car or our house. Our walks had expanded considerably since that first day, we were now doing at least two miles every morning. Walking by one of the community swimming pools I noticed her looking at it intently.

"A nickel for your thoughts Sienna."

A few minutes later she started talking, "I wish I could go there sometime. I can swim but I haven't for years. Everybody laughs and makes fun of me."

I said nothing more about it until after dishes were done and put away. The evenings were cooler on the back porch with the sun on the opposite side of the house. With the overhead fan going and a cold drink in our hands it was actually pleasant. She had changed into a pair of shorts I had never seen before, they weren't tight, but they were certainly snug. Her legs were no longer like tree trunks and her tummy had reduced enough that one could actually see a waistline. On top she wore a strapped type pull over shirt and though I didn't stare long enough to be sure, I swore she was braless.

As dusk settled in I turned to her, "What would you think if we went to a lake where you could swim without lots of people around?"

"That would be okay, but as hot as it is won't everybody be going to lakes? Besides, I don't have a suit."

I pondered her question as I went inside for more lemonade. Handing the glass to her I signaled for her to move her legs to the side of the lounger so I could sit on the end.

"I haven't been there for a few years, but we own a small chunk of land with a cabin on a thirty-acre lake. There are only four cabins on that lake, the closest is a few hundred yards from mine. We could go there this weekend, the water will be cooler than the pool but more refreshing without all the chemicals."

She was staring down and then looked up, "I don't have a suit though. I could wear some shorts and a tee if you don't mind."

If I didn't mind. I may have been a widower a bit less than a year, but I was still all male. I wouldn't mind seeing a water-soaked shirt encasing her ample breasts. In my research it said one of the first places a woman loses weight was in her breasts, not Sienna. Those puppies were still huge. Up to that point I had kept my mind out of the gutter when it came to Sienna, seeing her as she was that night made me take notice of her attributes more keenly.

"Sure, that will work. Tell you what, I'll take off at noon Friday, we can head out by two and be there by five. We'll do a quick grocery shopping before we go to the cabin, for supper we'll do fish fry at the American legion Hall. It's delicious, you'll like it.

She was giddy, giggling, scooting around on the chair as if she had ants in her pants.

"Oh Mr. Clark, I mean Butch. I love you so much for doing this. I just know we'll have a fun weekend."

I held up a hand, "I'm not sure how clean it will be, I haven't been there in a long time. We'll probably have to do a little cleaning when we get there."

"You know me, I'm your cleaning girl. It'll be just like Saturday mornings at home. Can we have bacon for breakfast? I haven't eaten bacon for weeks, in fact months."

"I smiled and patted her calf, "Bacon it is. Time for me to hit the hay young lady, it was a long day and if I'm gonna take off at noon on Friday I need to start early tomorrow. G-night Sienna, see you when I get home from work. You'll still be sacked out when I leave."

When I left the job Friday I made it a point to pick up a half dozen red carnations. I hadn't gotten her flowers in some time and wanted to surprise her. When I walked in she was in the kitchen putting away dishes. As she turned she saw the carnations and began to cry. Taking them from me she looked up.

"Thank you Butch. You're the best guy I've ever known. I'm ready to go if you are. I hope you don't mind, I packed your stuff. You know, underwear and things like that along with your shaving stuff. I wasn't sure what clothes you wanted so I thought I should let you pick them out."