Starting from Scratch Ch. 14

Chapter 14- Legacy, pt 1

A few weeks after flying out to Montana Thomas leased a very palatial stone and beam house. It was almost a castle. It was some rich Californian's third or fourth home. One that was never visited except for a couple of weeks during winter when the owners wanted to host friends on ski vacations. The owners didn't usually lease their home but with a few inquiries and a very generous offer from Thomas, they had decided to lease their home this one time.

The castle-like house sat at the bottom of the valley surrounded by green fields that were usually covered in thigh-deep snow. Stands of trees and forests dotted the landscape before climbing the foothills and mountains that surrounded the house. It was a very scenic location whether a person was far away looking down on the house, or if they were at the house looking out at the mountains.

The reason Thomas leased the property was because there were rooms for everyone including Leslie and Cheyenne once they were released from the hospital. Hannah and Gwyn shared a room. Every room had a king-size bed, and none of the women wanted to sleep alone when not sleeping with Thomas. The reasons varied, but the most prominent one was because as devoted as they were to Thomas, most of them also loved one or two of their female companions.

So, despite having enough bedrooms for everyone to have their own, Cheyenne and Lauren shared a room because they were sisters and because they had long ago bonded in ways that very few siblings ever would to keep Larry from molesting their two youngest sisters, Hannah and Gwyn. Cheyenne's deception of Thomas and the betrayal of their mother had been a breaking point for the two girls, but like so often before, Larry's attack and almost rape and murder of Leslie, Cheyenne, and Lauren had reforged the two sisters' bond anew. It also helped that, whether because of the trauma or some other reason, Cheyenne started softening, accepting, and found a new and fiery affection for Thomas. If Larry's abuse, then attack, and more abuse was the forge in which Cheyenne and Lauren's relationship was forged, then Cheyenne's new affection for Thomas served as quenching waters that tempered and solidified their bond to each other and their goal of making Thomas accept them as his women as well.

Margaret slept with Rhea some nights and with Deborah while Leslie was in the hospital. The three women's relationship had sprouted right off the bat in Florida. Their chemistry together was almost intoxicating. However, Deborah, like Margaret, had her own experiences with loving other women. Most of it was when she was a model and then later as one of Janette Smith's Masquerade Cougars. All of the women that fucked Thomas that Halloween night had become fast, and very fond, friends. Rhea was the only one who never really experimented with lesbianism. She married her first husband, Franklin, young and then was too busy raising children for many sexual extracurriculars. At least, not until recently.

----(!)----

2 Weeks after Thomas left Heather-

The house was so quiet. The kids were out of the house. Annalee was at college, and Damien and Scot were at school. The doorbell chimed and Rhea jumped nearly out of her skin!

She realized then that she had been wiping the same spot in the bottom of her sink for nearly half an hour. It had taken a week before Annalee came home with the news that Thomas had left Heather. He was simply just gone. He hadn't called. He hadn't driven over. Nothing! He was just gone! And now, Rhea was sick with worry over her eldest son's disappearance.

Tears made trails down her cheeks. For the next few days after getting the news, she was a mess--crying all the time. She imagined Thomas out there in the world dead on the side of the road somewhere. She even had nightmares! But then, after calling Martin, and getting a more detailed explanation of what had happened and what was going on, she started to just feel numb and sad for the heartache Thomas must be going through. Martin reassured her that Thomas was alive, but for the time being, incommunicado. He needed time to process. Time to heal, and time to reevaluate.

Rhea could understand her son's needs. She just wished he had come to her for help. She would have cried with him. She would have reassured him--that he was loved, respected, and most of all, he was lovable and deserved a woman who was loyal! She remembered so well how Thomas had come to her after Franklin left. So stalwart for a boy of only eighteen years. She was thirty-seven. Was it really only six years ago?

He came to her and he cried with her--silently--above her head so that she couldn't see him while she sobbed on his chest. He had always been like that--her tower--her fortress. She wished she had been stronger for him and the kids. She hadn't been, but, thankfully, he was there--for her--specifically. From that point on, he was always there for her. He even worked at night and at all times in between so that he was always available when she needed him.

They spent so much time together. Watching movies. Eating dinner. Thomas took her out on dates. He pointed out how attractive she was, and of how many men ogled her. Every month he sent her flowers with personally handwritten cards expressing his love for her almost as if he were courting her! Her own son! Courting her! For marriage!

Thomas gave her everything she emotionally needed and wanted. Everything she was willing to accept from him. Incest had never even entered her mind. Though she knew she would be jealous of the woman that finally won his heart from her. He was a better man than any she knew--leagues better than Franklin!

Now though, Rhea couldn't help but wish that Thomas had come to her for comfort. It was her chance to repay him for all of the unconditional love and support he had given her. And, as she looked down at her breasts and rubbed her hands over her hips, she had to admit to herself that she would have done anything--Anything!--to comfort her son.

The thought shocked her so much that her toes tingled and the hair on the back of her neck stiffened! But, as she examined the thought and her feelings for Thomas, she found her voice even if it was only whispered a silent, "Please, Thomas, come home! Please! I want to love you! I promise--I will do anything for you--I will--I will even make love to you! If you'll have me?"

Hearing her feelings spoken after so many years shocked her even more. But, as she thought it over, she nodded her head and mumbled more firmly, "Yes, son, Mommy is going to show you what a real woman is. I will show you how she appreciates her man. Yes! I am going to love you, and fuck you, until you forget all about that--that woman!"

The doorbell chimed again and Rhea gasped. Oh shit! She was so caught up in her thoughts she forgot someone was at the door! Rinsing her hands off she left the rag on its drying stand by the sink and went to open the front door. When she opened the door she found Anna Lee, her baby sister, standing on her front porch.

Anna was almost a mirror reflection of herself--only nineteen years younger. Bone structure, musculature, and facial structure-wise they were identical. Their differences though were as startling and beautiful as their similarities. First of all, both of them had curly red hair that fell in coils all the way to Rhea's mid-thigh and the bottom of Anna's bum. Rhea's hair was copper in color while Anna's was a flame red. Both women had eyebrows and eyelashes, and, as a matter of fact, pubes that matched their hair color though Anna had long ago paid to have her pubes permanently removed.

Their second similarity and difference was their eyes. Their eyes were the same shape. Almonds that were slightly tilted up to give them both the most seductive bedroom eyes ever seen. Their eyelashes were long and thick, their eyebrows full and beautifully arched. However, Rhea's eyes were beautiful autumn hazel featuring colors of forest green and copper with flecks of gold and darker earthy browns. Anna's eyes were a bright turquoise blue, or as blue as the sky at sunset set aflame with vivid colors from a painter's palette.

Their third similarity and difference, and probably the one that most could not see past their nearly identical physiology, was their skin. Both had milk-white skin with blue undertones and a pink blush. Their difference was that Rhea's skin was flawless milk while Anna had copper freckles across her cheeks, across her shoulders, down her arms and back, across the breadth of her large well-rounded ass cheeks, and down her legs. The only part of her that didn't have freckles was across her chest and breasts, and down her belly all the way to her pussy. It was almost as if Anna were a leopard with spots all across her body except on her belly.

Tears still rimmed Rhea's eyes from her worrying for Thomas, but Anna, well, with that cast to her seductive eyes and that blush to her cheeks and the twist to her usually beautiful mouth, angry was the only word that described her. As soon as she saw Rhea though her visage softened and she rushed into Rhea's arms and hugged her tight. Despite herself, Rhea started to cry and much to her relief she felt Anna crying too.

"I just heard!" Anna sputtered angrily after a few seconds, "I drove over as soon as I hung up the phone."

"Who? How?" Rhea asked in a confused mumble.

"That bitch, Heather, called me," Anna growled, "I can't believe I used to think she was my friend! Anyway, she called to ask if I knew where Thomas was. When I asked why she wouldn't know where he was she said he never came home! So, I told her to call Richard since he and Thomas are always together when Thomas wasn't with her, and she said that Richard was already there with her!"

"Oh no!" Rhea moaned, "I called Martin as soon as I heard from Annalee that Thomas left Heather and he said that Thomas walked in on Heather fucking Richard."

"I thought something was up," Anna replied as she pulled back from Rhea and let her older sister guide her into the house.

Rhea led Anna back to the kitchen where they sat at a small coffee table in a breakfast nook. Once Anna sat, Rhea put on a pot of coffee and pulled out bagels and flavored sour cream. All the while Anna continued talking.

"I knew it as soon as I heard Heather's voice," Anna said while shaking her head, "It was always something in her voice. It changes when she is aroused, and when she is lying. I could always tell with her. That's how I knew the exact day when she decided she liked Thomas. It all makes sense now. I could hear it and I instantly felt uneasy. It was that she was being deceptive when she asked after Thomas, and then she was aroused when she said Richard was already there with her. That bitch! That slut bitch!"

"Language Anna," Rhea chided softly. She really had no heart to chastise Anna, especially since she felt the exact same way about Heather. She just--didn't really want to hear her thoughts given voice at the moment.

Sitting down, Rhea passed a plate to Anna and then used a butter knife to slather sour cream onto a bagel before saying, "I feel the same way really. I hate that woman! I--wish Thomas had never met her..."

"Me too," Anna mumbled. There was a long silence as Rhea took a bite of her bagel and Anna sat there staring at hers before continuing, "I introduced them you know. Back in middle school. Even then she was a bit of a skank..."

Anna trailed off as she remembered her school days with Thomas.

"Heather could be so cool sometimes. She was a real charmer--to the girls but especially to the boys. She used to have a new boyfriend every week. Hell! There was this one time when she went through three boyfriends in a single week!"

"This is the girl you let marry my boy?" Rhea asked, her voice high and scandalized, "This is the girl you introduced to Thomas?"

Anna looked up at Rhea, her expression a mix of sympathy and anger now as she replied, "It was middle school, Sis. I was like thirteen to fourteen years old. So was Thomas. And, I didn't know Heather all that well when I introduced her. She had just moved into the area. She didn't have a reputation yet. And, the way she was with boys it was only a matter of time before she introduced herself to Thomas anyway. At least I had some little bit of control by introducing her myself."

Rhea was almost pouting, but she was also nodding which relieved Anna greatly. Once Anna finished Rhea mumbled, "You're right. I'm sorry, Anna. I shouldn't take my outrage at that--woman!--out on you."

"No, I get it," Anna replied automatically while trying to shrug off the accusation in Rhea's voice, "I hate her too."

The water came to a boil on the stove and the kitchen grew quiet again while Rhea got up to make their coffee. It gave Rhea time to lose herself in the task at hand and it gave Anna time to reflect on her past with Thomas.

Without really thinking about what she was saying Anna confessed, "There was a time when no matter what Heather tried Thomas never would have given her the time of day. He had eyes only for me..."

Anna realized what she was saying and stopped talking. Her face was almost expressionless, but really, inside she was cringing, waiting for Rhea to explode.

Rhea looked up from the coffee cups at Anna with sad eyes. Their eyes met and Anna saw--recognition--she thought. Her older sister broke off and looked back down at her preparations. She poured a little more hot water over the coffee grounds, and then admitted, "I knew the whole time."

"Knew what?" Anna asked without thinking.

"Everything," Rhea answered in almost a whisper.

Rhea added creamer and sugar to their individual preferences and then stirred. Rhea didn't say more and Anna was content to wait her older sister out. If Rhea had known that Thomas and Anna had been as close as they had been without actually having had sex yet, then there was no way Rhea would be this calm. No! There is no way Rhea would not have said something back then to address their relationship.

Rhea finished the coffee, picked them up, and then returned to the coffee table and sat across from Anna. She leaned in to hand Anna her coffee, and then leaned back and brought her coffee cup up and sipped gingerly at the hot liquid. Anna followed her sister's direction tentatively, but then almost projectile spit her coffee back out when Rhea asked, "Why didn't you ever seduce him into sleeping with you?"

At Anna's reaction, Rhea amended, "Just so we're clear, I mean sex. Why didn't you ever have sex with Thomas? I know you wanted to. I know he wanted to. So why didn't you two ever hookup? That's the correct phrase, right? Hookup?"

Anna nodded as she tried to cough and swallow her coffee all at the same time. Finally, once her airway was clear enough to speak she croaked, "How? How did you know?"

Rhea's lips curled only slightly up into a smirk as she answered, "I told you I always knew. I knew when you two started playing almost exclusively with each other. I knew when you two started making out when playing with your Barbie and Ken dolls. I knew when you were hiding under the floats in the pool or out at the beach kissing. I knew when you two played Hide and Seek and disappeared that you two were out kissing and petting. I knew when you made out at Mom and Dad's house and when you made out at my house. I know about the massages and the manual and oral sex. And, I know that for some reason right before you two finally went all the way you stopped cold turkey and wouldn't see or speak to Thomas for months until he got the message and gave up. Shortly after that Heather caught his interest."

Rhea stopped only to take a breath and then she concluded by asking again, "So, my question remains. Why did you suddenly break up with Thomas? Why didn't you seduce him?"

Tears welled up in Anna's eyes. Tears of frustration. Tears of regret. However, Rhea's eyes never wavered from hers. Finally, she let out a defeated sigh and confessed, "I've loved Thomas since I was five or six years old. I loved him when I didn't even know what love was. I've only ever wanted him--as my lover and as my husband. So, why, you ask? The answer is; you, Rhea, and mom. Mom told me she'd disown us if we ever had sex together. She also said that I would break your heart if I took Thomas from you, especially that way."

"Incest incest incest! It's evil! It's wrong! It just isn't done!" Anna went on in a high-pitched nagging voice before returning to her normal voice, "So, that night I cried myself to sleep, I broke my own heart, and then I disappeared from Thomas's life until he moved on. Which, broke my heart all over and even more watching as Thomas moved further and further away from me."

Rhea seemed to be thinking and remained quiet for a long time after Anna fell silent. It was while she was studying her coffee that she said, "I almost wish it had been you that stole my Thomas from me..."

Anna didn't respond. What was there to say? Her lack of response though didn't hide her surprise. And so, Anna kept silent and waited for Rhea to expound on, or, at the least, explain what she meant.

After a few more seconds of silence, Rhea looked up and met Anna's turquoise blue eyes. Rhea spent a moment very obviously looking at Anna--looking at all of Anna--from her long curly red hair to her eyes to her mouth. Rhea ogled--Ogled!--Anna's impressive 36 F-cup breasts, and then looked back up and met Anna's eyes with an expression of pure innocence. Innocence!

Finally, Rhea spoke, but it was soft as if she were talking to herself, "I've often wondered if Thomas fell in love with you because you look so much like me, or, after Franklin left us, Thomas took such devoted and loving interest in me because I look so much like you? I was never able to come to a satisfying answer to that question."

Anna's mouth was suddenly dry when she croaked, "You--didn't--sleep with him, did you? Thomas I mean. Your-- Your own son?"

Rhea's lips curled upward as she considered her youngest sister, and considered what it would have been like to take her own son to her bed. To feel him between her thighs. To feel him slip inside her and return to the womb that had birthed him only eighteen years previously. She considered what it would have felt like to take her own son's virginity and how it might have felt for her to educate him on how to love a woman.

She imagined it all in seconds and then heaved a sigh of regret and answered Anna, "No, Anna, I did not. Thomas always treated me like a queen. After Franklin left he did everything he could to support me, reassure me, and rebuild my self-esteem. He was a perfect gentleman. Only now, in hindsight, can I say that if I had ever suggested to him that sex was what I wanted and needed, he would have done anything I wanted and never batted a lash or uttered a single complaint."

Rhea and Anna's eyes met and locked, and this time Rhea's eyes seemed to sparkle with meaning as she finished, "Only now, in hindsight, can I say that I wish I had taken my son to my bed and taught him the full breadth and depth of the kind of woman he deserved to have as his wife!"

Anna leaned back realizing she was leaning forward and closed her mouth which she realized was hanging open in full-blown astonishment. Rhea's gaze never broke from Anna's and her eyes screamed out the full weight of meaning of what she hadn't said. When Anna finally recovered enough to speak she gasped, "I can't believe what I'm hearing!"

Rhea's smirk deepened.

"No! I don't believe it!" Anna said as she gave a little shake of her head, "Incest, Rhea. Incest! Your saying that you wish you had committed incest with your son!"

"I do," Rhea replied softly.

"But!" Anna cried, then shook her head and firmed her voice before saying accusingly, "You knew! You knew the whole time that I loved Thomas. You knew that we were making out. You knew that he was in love with me as well. And you never said a thing!"