Sweetest of Hearts Ch. 05

I called Claire a couple of days later. When I invited her around for dinner, she started crying, thanking me profusely. I simply told her it was time for all of us to let the past go, once and for all, letting her know what time to come visit on Friday evening. Asking if she could bring her son, I assured her that was fine. Then she dropped her own bombshell.

"I know he wouldn't have been invited anyway, but I wouldn't worry about it. Mark, he was cheating on me..."

I could have been a right bastard and retorted with at least one cutting remark. Things like 'Well, now you know how it feels', or something similar. Instead, I simply said, "I'm sorry to hear that, Claire. And I do mean that. Even after everything that happened, I was genuine in the thought that I wanted you to be happy in the end."

"Now I know how you felt. It carried on for at least a year before I found out. He kicked me out, of course, and moved her in within a month."

"I assume you're getting divorced?"

"We are. I'll tell you more on Friday." There was a pause before she added, "I'm sorry for everything, Mark. Thank you for this. I miss our children so much."

I had a feeling, the older she was getting, the more she perhaps realised that she'd missed so much already when they were growing up. Katie and Hannah had picked up on it the entire time. Add to what she'd done to me, and little wonder that bitterness did remain, at least from our children. I'd put it all out of my mind, but perhaps the one mistake I'd made was not helping my children over that last little hump. I just hope we didn't come to regret it later on.

"No problem, Claire. Just give me a call when you're close."

Hannah and Kelly prepared everything while Katie and I were at work. Arriving home, I could see the difference in all three of them. Kelly appeared amused that I'd be introducing her as my wife. Katie couldn't help but admit to a little excitement, admitting that it was a nice feeling to finally re-connect after so long. Hannah was nervous but also retained some of the deep hurt and perhaps even a little anger about everything. We'd already agreed that she'd would have at least one face to face conversation with her mother. Katie and I changed into something more comfortable, Claire calling me around five minutes before her arrival. That's when my daughters started to freak out a little. Considering her pregnancy, Hannah was on the verge of tears most of the time. Then there was organising the children and babies at the same time.

Opening the door to the knock, Claire stood before me with her son. She'd obviously aged over the past decade, but had clearly looked after herself at the same time. Standing to the side, I gestured as I welcome her in. "Evening, Claire. Come on in."

I could sense her own nerves as she walked inside to be greeted by our two daughters and then my wife. First was the introduction of her son before she burst into tears and hugged Katie first. I'll admit, I smiled when Katie hugged her back just as hard, Claire whispering how sorry she was the entire time. Katie cried at the same time, a genuine smile on her face, whispering that she was glad to see her mother again.

When it came to Hannah, I could sense both looking at each other in trepidation. The embrace wasn't like that of her sister, but Hannah closed her eyes and I noticed more than one tear escape her.

"I'm sorry, baby," Claire whispered, "I'm so sorry. I hope you can truly forgive me one day."

That broke Hannah completely, watching my daughter sob in the arms of her mother. Katie joined in so both were now hugging Claire tightly, all three of them sobbing loudly. Kelly cuddled into my side as I watched their mother enjoy her first genuine loving embrace with our daughters in years. Katie stepped back as Hannah held Claire just a little longer. Motherhood had certainly helped her understand how Claire had felt about things.

"I'm sorry, Mummy, but it hurt for so long," Hannah murmured

"I know, baby. I know. I think we've all done a lot of growing over the past few years. I just never knew how much I hurt you, but I promise to make it up to you."

"We will too, Mum," Katie added, "We were still so young at the time. Even our words had consequences we're only now comprehending."

Finally releasing each other, both wiping their cheeks, Claire turned to me, and I returned the grin she gave me. It was her way of saying 'thank you' for helping facilitate this reunion.

"Claire, this is my wife, Kelly."

Claire knew who Kelly was. She glanced between the pair of us and, to be honest, I was waiting for her to make more than one disparaging comment, no doubt with humour to ensure the atmosphere didn't deteriorate quickly. What happened instead was her brief embrace, which definitely surprised my wife. "Good to see you again, Kelly."

"I'm still surprised this is happening, Claire," Kelly replied, pulling back and holding my hand, "But Mark is right. A line in the sand needs to be drawn. And you also need to meet your grandchildren."

The evening went splendidly. Katie and Claire certainly spent more time catching up, Hannah understandably a little quieter, but I noticed she hovered around her mother all night, both rarely not by her side. Claire also showed an interest in my life, and did ask how Kelly and I did end up together. We admitted to reservations about our dating and then marriage due to the age gap, but the fact was we'd fallen in love, and we were now happy together.

Since that night, Claire would visit once a fortnight, at least. She doted on her grandchildren. Slowly but surely, her relationship with Hannah improved, certainly quicker than even I anticipated. There was no missing how contrite Claire was regarding our daughters, realising just how awful her behaviour had been a times, particularly when she was absent while I spent most of my time raising them. It was what they'd said in court that had driven it home the first time, but that phone call, when Hannah finally unleashed all her feelings, her anger and her bitterness, hate and rage, that broke her spirit completely, but it was the moment she also realised just how damaged her relationship was.

The relationship could still be tetchy at times, but Hannah eventually found it in herself to forgive her mother completely. Katie was the first to do so, pretty much after that first reunion, letting go of any lingering ill-feeling, as she simply wanted her mother back. I forgave Claire simply to give her peace of mind, and to be honest, as I didn't have any lingering hatred or bitterness for her, despite what she'd done, I actually felt sorry for her after the destruction of her second marriage, though at least she had her son with her. Claire managed to see the funny side about it, even in her eyes, figuring it was karma for what she'd done to me.

As for Hannah, the day I arrived home to find her fast asleep on the couch, with her head resting on Claire's lap, my ex-wife turned to me, tears running down her cheeks. Crouching in front of her, she whispered, "Thank you, Mark. I've got my girls back."

"I'm sorry it took so long."

"You have nothing to apologise for, Mark. I got so many things wrong. Completely and utterly wrong."

"I could have done better afterwards though. Maybe the therapy should have continued."

"It doesn't matter now." She glanced down, continuing to stroke Hannah's hair. "I always thought Katie would be the first to contact me. But I never thought I'd get Hannah back in my life. I thought it was irreparable."

"Once she became a mother, Claire, that's when she understood." I took her free hand and squeezed. "I'm glad you're here."

"Thank you, Mark. So am I."

To this day, Claire's focus is raising her son, her relationship with her daughters, and absolutely doting on her grandchildren. She was now living a couple of streets away in a small rental, large enough for her and her son, and a spare room for night visits from her grandchildren. Having her in our house so often is still a little weird for me at times, but I wouldn't hesitate in suggesting that Claire and I were verging on being friends again. We didn't exactly do anything together without the others, but we could easily sit outside by the pool with a drink and chat away about anything and everything while watching our children and grandchildren playing.

I won't say what happened during the latter years of our marriage had been forgotten, but I'd certainly forgiven her. I think I probably done so even before I said those words, but thinking it and saying them to her was a different matter. I guess that little part of me which still hurt, even after all that time, wanted to reflect that hurt onto her. I've never claimed to be perfect, but I did try to be a good person. In the end, showing forgiveness was the right thing to do.

The first time I hugged her since the divorce led to more tears, more sobs of sorrow, feeling her clutch me tightly as it all poured out. The one word that she said more than once was regret. We didn't love each other anymore but we both knew we'd lost something good, if not great. I rubbed her back and assured her that we were a family. We'd both made mistakes during the years, but what mattered most was the future. I'd ensure we'd remain some sort of unit going forward.

What must be noted that, during all this time, Sofia would be in and out of our lives. Out of their four friends, she was the one who remained closest to us. The first time she re-appeared full-time back in our lives would have been when my daughters were twenty-three. Sofia showed up on our doorstep with a black eye and bleeding lip, holding all she had in the world in one bag. I gasped before I pulled her inside, holding her tightly as she sobbed in my arms.

I knew who she was dating. I knew where she lived. "Where is he?" I growled.

"He's still steaming drunk at home," she whispered.

I called the three girls into the living room. They took one look at her and sorted everything. I would call the police though only after I'd paid him a little visit first. "Just don't get arrested, Daddy," Hannah warned.

I assured her I wouldn't get arrested, but I was a man who did not tolerate domestic violence in any shape or form. Sofia was like a daughter to me. Probably not the way to view her since we'd had a sexual... Eh, considering my relationships, I guess it doesn't really matter. Anyway, I had a lot of love for Sofia. If I hadn't fallen for Kelly so heavily, Hannah had always suggested Sofia would have loved being my wife too.

Pulling up outside the small house she had been sharing with him, I knocked on the door and he answered it. Even in his state, he recognised me immediately. "Oh shit," he muttered.

Then I hit him. Perhaps a slight sucker punch, but he was standing in front of me, and he would have known why I was there. He knew who I was and knew exactly who Sofia was to me, how special she was to all of us. I didn't hit him again, that first punch putting him on his back on the ground. Then I just stood over him and gave him a few home truths. He was almost pissing himself by the end, promising him that the police would soon be paying him a little visit. And if we were to tell them about our little meeting... To that point in my life, I'd never seen another man look up at me with such fear in his eyes.

Sofia moved into our house within the matter of a couple of days, as she was not going to return to that bastard. Within a month, my two daughters and wife had invited Sofia into our bed. It didn't last too long, Sofia feeling like an extra wheel, remaining in our house for six months before she needed to leave and move on with her own life.

It didn't last as, unfortunately, Sofia just didn't seem to choose the best of partners. Not long after I turned forty-six, Sofia appeared on our doorstep again. Thankfully, there were no physical ailments but she was a shadow of her former self. This time, I told her she was staying with us and it would be permanent. Sleeping arrangements were slightly changed, either one of my daughters or Kelly sharing her bed each night. No, they were never intimate, or at least I don't think they were, but it was simply to give Sofia all the love she deserved.

She also wanted to be a mother. Within six months of her moving in, she was pregnant with our child. Whenever someone asked who the father was, fingers would be pointed in my direction. They'd then ask Kelly what she thought about. "I'm generally sitting on his face while he's filling her womb," was the usual reply. I certainly enjoyed seeing the reaction. I guess many would consider we had an open marriage. I slept with my wife, my two daughters and now Sofia. Kelly never had a problem with Hannah and Katie, aware they were my life partners. But it was Kelly who'd practically dragged Sofia into our bed, and it took reassurance from us both that, if Sofia was interested, we'd love to be intimate with her.

I guess it wasn't a surprise that Sofia leapt at the opportunity to be with me again. And once she mentioned wanting a child, I didn't hesitate. It certainly helped that I loved fatherhood. My daughters nor Kelly had never felt alone during their pregnancies or while raising our children, or at least that's what I hoped. Once Sofia was experiencing her first pregnancy, she had Kelly and Hannah by her side, every step of the way.

My daughters, Kelly and Sofia were all thirty-two years of age when I turned fifty. There were never any problems with the children I had with Kelly, considering she was my wife, and the fact she was a wonderful mother. Sofia raised eyebrows, simply due to our unique situation, but most people could manage to wrap their head around our arrangement. Thing is, going back to the above, Kelly never wanted another man. Never crossed her mind for a second. Much like my daughters, I would only ever be her one and only.

That didn't stop the girls fooling around from time to time. I certainly didn't mind, and never asked questions about what they did together. It was their own choice and personal decision to fool around. The most important thing was that there was no jealousy involved.

It was the four children with Hannah and one with Katie that I knew raised questions. 'Who was the father?' I heard asked more than once. In most people's eyes, I took on the role of both father and grandfather, though even Bill wondered why my daughters still lived at home with my wife. I had a feeling, the longer it went on, perhaps he was putting two and two together. But he'd never said anything to me, never insinuated, but the five adults who now live in my house can certainly see how unusual our arrangement is.

The party went long into the night. I didn't drink too much, cutting down on the little I did drink as I got older. Hannah had never really recovered her taste for alcohol after her pregnancies. Claire let her hair down, which was fun to see. I saw more than one glance in my direction during the night, and I could see the regret in her eyes. She was a few months from turning fifty herself. She was single, not looking, and she'd confessed to me more than once that she felt lonely. If I'd been a single man and not involved with anyone, I'll be honest. I might have invited her back into my bedroom. The years had been kind to her, at least.

"Mummy wants to fuck you," Hannah whispered into my ear once sat on my lap.

"Which one?" I had to ask. She made an obvious glance. "No, Hannah, I'm not doing that. Not a chance. I like to think we're friends again after all this time, but I'm not inviting her back into my bed."

"I know, Daddy, but even I can't help feeling sorry for her now. At least your friends have forgiven her too. And it was nice Melissa popped by as usual."

I'm fairly sure I'd never not have feelings of love for Melissa, as much as she still loved me. She was still single after all these years, particularly after she ended things with me. From what she told me, I was her last serious relationship. She'd finally gone into therapy about all her issues, but realised she was happier being single. She still dated occasionally, but focused on her work and friendships. Once she learned I'd married, she'd slowly re-established contact, feeling it would now be safer to be friends. We saw each other at least once a month, Melissa generally coming around for dinner. She adored all the children I'd had, though like anyone else, wasn't aware of my relationship with Hannah or Katie.

Kelly, Katie and Hannah had insinuated starting something physical with Melissa again. I'll admit, part of me would have loved it. Our sexual relationship had been fantastic, but more important than that, Melissa was just a genuinely good person at heart. I hated to know she was still single, though in our conversations, she assured me that she didn't feel lonely or alone. We would talk on the phone once every couple of days, she had other friends who kept her occupied, and she stayed busy with work. And, at home, she had a couple of dogs that kept her company.

"It's nice to be surrounded by friends and those I love, sweetheart," I stated.

Katie and Kelly came to sit either side of me. "So how are we celebrating once everyone goes home?" Katie wondered.

"I'm thinking the three of us and Sofia on our knees, and we give the man we love one hell of a blowjob," Katie suggested.

"But who takes the load?" Hannah asked.

"Well, one of us takes it in the mouth and then we share it."

Hannah started to giggle. "Daddy is getting hard."

"I don't need no fucking pills for my girls to get me nice and hard," I growled, "But we have guests, then the kids need to go to bed. Then you four are going to wait on your knees in our bedroom."

"Yes, Daddy," Hannah breathed.

"Anal, Daddy?" Katie asked, "It is your birthday, and I know, despite protestations, how much you love fucking my tight little butt. It's been a while since you've been buried in my back door."

Laughing out loud gathered the attention of most people, noticing the smiles on their faces. More than one person took a photo of my two daughters and wife snuggling up to me. As the day drew to a close, people started to leave, as we didn't plan it to be a party that went into the night. I was always pleased to see my mother and siblings, while my friends mentioned catching up again soon.

Claire was the last to leave with her son. After saying goodbye to her daughters and Kelly, I walked her outside to her car. Once her son was inside with seatbelt on, she turned to me.

"You're the father of all the children in that house, Mark," she said. I didn't reply, didn't react at all. What surprised me was the fact she smiled. "Look, I'm nearly fifty years old. I don't need nor want the drama, and I don't want to fall out with our children again. But I see how Kelly looks at you, Mark. Nothing but unconditional love, the way a wife looks at her husband. I'm sure I used to look at you the same way, particularly during those early years of our marriage. And I see Hannah and Katie look at you exactly the same way. We all see the rings on their third finger, left hand. I know you gave it to them when you got married to Kelly. Everyone probably sees what's going on but is simply too polite to mention it. The girls are happy, your other children are happy, and you've found happiness."

"Quite the accusation, Claire," I said softly.

"No, Mark, not an accusation, not at all. You were a great husband and an even better father. I've only come to that conclusion after my second divorce and seeing how you now live your life. I won't claim to understand it completely. What I do know is that Hannah and Katie are as happy as any two women on this planet, and at the end of the day, that is all any mother wants. I know you won't confirm or deny anything. I don't blame you. I wouldn't tell me either."