Synchronicity for Six Pt. 07

"Katie, I'd love to promise you that everything will turn out right, but I can't. I can promise you that we will continue to support, comfort, and love you. The whole family cares about what happens to you. I have no idea why your parents are treating you this way. If you get into State with Maggie and me next fall, I'll gladly be your big brother on campus. I would owe Larry that much at least."

Katie's sobs were starting to tail off by now, and she looked up into David's face. Her face was a bit blotchy and her mascara had run down her cheeks a bit. David looked down and saw that his shirt was now quite damp and stained by her tears and makeup, and he gave a wry grin.

"It looks like we're both gonna have to get cleaned up for supper." He bent down and gave a chaste kiss on her forehead. "If you don't mind, I will try to find out what I can from Larry," he promised, and she nodded after a minute of considering. "I'll call him tonight or tomorrow and we can talk again on Sunday morning. Will that be okay with you?" Again, she nodded, then snuggled in closely, breathing him in.

A minute later, Maggie opened the door to advise them of supper's readiness. David loosened his grasp and Katie grabbed Maggie in a big hug.

"Come on, Kat, let's get you cleaned up and presentable. David, honey, you probably should change your shirt before supper."

David pushed past the two girls and headed upstairs to find a replacement shirt. Maggie led Katie to the half bath by the kitchen and left her to clean up.

David soon joined the four at the dining table. Heads were bowed, hands were held, and the blessing was asked. Maggie was delighted once again to sit next to David and touch him. She had been sufficiently distracted by her tutoring and her work not to realize how much she had missed the simple pleasure of his contact. Her reverie was broken by Katie's exclamation.

"Oh, gods, Miss Rose! This is so good! So much better than what my mom makes," Katie said.

"Well, I'm glad that at least one person likes my cooking," Rose declared, arching an eyebrow at the other three. She was inundated by the grateful reassurances of Alan, Maggie, and David. Somewhat mollified, Rose returned to enjoying her cooking, occasionally glancing at Katie.

"No, leave that, momma. I'll clean up. It's the least I can do, seeing as how you slaved over the hot stove for our benefit," David stated while teasing slightly.

"Thank you, David. Katie and Maggie, please come with me," Rose requested as she led the procession back to the media room. "Sit, sit," she directed the girls as she closed the door. "Now, Katie, it's just us ladies here. Is there anything you wish to share? Please know that we love you and worry about you."

"Thank you, Rose. Thank you, Maggie, for helping me do much better on my Trigonometry test. I think I know what you're asking about. No, I am not physically bruised or abused. It's just the stunning indifference that I get from my mom and dad. It's almost like they don't care if I'm around or anything. I've started to think of my home as 'Hotel O'Shea'. Miss Rose, I've got to go now before I make too big of a mess here," Katie continued, sniffling.

"You could stay tonight as well, dear," Rose offered.

"I don't have the clothes with me that I'll need for tomorrow. But I'll be happy to stay over tomorrow night and go to church with you on Sunday." Getting nods from Rose and Maggie, she added, "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Mags. Do you need a ride?"

"Nope. My personal chauffeur is home this weekend. He'll take me there. I could use a ride home, though." Rose was a little baffled by the girls' words but would ask Maggie about them after Katie had departed. "Be sure to bring your Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, too."

"Absolutely, Mags!" Katie stood and the other two Lawsons did as well. Maggie got a big hug of thanks and a whisper in her ear. "I'm so jealous of you and David. Treat him right." Letting go of Maggie, Katie was enveloped by Rose, who pulled the girl's head under her lifted chin.

"Remember, announce yourself and know that our home will always have a loving place for you, child. You'll be here for supper tomorrow, right?" Katie nodded, afraid that she was going to lose control once more. "Good. Drive safely and let us know when you get home, please."

For her words and embrace, Rose received a big hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a whisper in her ear. "I love you too, momma." Then Katie was out the door, pulling on her coat, and dashing for her car.

Rose just stood there, surprised, but pleased as well. 'There's hope for her,' she thought.

= = =

Alan helped David with the clean‑up after the meal, so the chore was finished quickly.

"Dad, what's going on with Katie O'Shea?" David inquired.

"I'm not privy to everything going on, David, but I suspect we'll soon be having a houseguest until you all head off to school in August. It's probably the result of a perfect storm. We seem to be in the path of multiple perfect storms lately."

"Dad, I promised Katie that I'd call Larry sometime this weekend to see if he knew what was going on between Katie and their parents."

"That is very considerate of you, son. Changing the subject, there is something about the future I'd like to discuss with you, if you've got a few minutes," Alan asked.

"Sure. Let's go sit in the living room."

Settling into his comfy recliner, Alan fidgeted with his hands for a moment. Realizing what he was doing, he stopped and interlaced his fingers together.

"David, there's no good way to bring this up, so please bear with me." David just sat on the sofa, waiting.

"Rose and I are looking at buying a new home and selling this one, probably sometime this spring, before we actually get married."

"Have you two set a date?" David inquired.

"I'm guessing it will be the second weekend of June. There's a company picnic on the first weekend, and the third weekend is Fathers' Day."

"Okay, so after I come home from school, then. Fair enough. What's driving the desire for a new house?"

"Honestly, I believe that Rose doesn't want to compete with your mother anymore. This whole place was decorated to Laura's taste, and there are echoes of her all around. Rose would like a place that is ours. One that she can furnish and decorate to her liking." David nodded, able to appreciate Rose's perspective. "And she's added the argument that we'll need more space when you or Tom have children and bring them to visit. Never mind that when the four of you are home there is no room for anyone else to stay."

"Yeah, the week after Christmas was a little cozy, to say the least," David chuckled. "But fun, too, as I recall."

"Yeah, well, according to Zillow, this place is worth a whole lot more than your mother and I paid for it. There's no mortgage on it, but our three bedrooms just don't quite seem to be enough anymore. It was a good thing you weren't home last weekend when Tom and Jules came."

"Well then, if you can find a better place for you two to become grandparents, eventually, go for it," David said, surprising Alan.

"You don't have a problem with our selling this place?"

"You're gonna be selling a house, not our home. Home is where you make it, where you hang your hat, where you welcome in guests. All of momma's arguments seem quite valid to me. Sure, I'll miss this place. After all, it has been the only house I've ever known. But it's been just a house since Mom passed. For now, my home is wherever you, Rose, and Maggie are, Dad." Changing gears slightly, David asked, "so, do you have a new place picked out already?"

"We hadn't really begun looking yet, but this week Rose showed me this one property she found through the credit union that might become available. It's on the outskirts of town and it has five bedrooms plus a little acreage and a pond." Alan's eyes almost glowed when he said the word 'pond'.

"Cool! Can we stop by and look at it tomorrow?"

Alan rocked back in his seat. He had not considered that possibility, and he was frankly surprised at David's very reasonable suggestion. He had expected a whole lot more attachment to this house from his youngest.

"I suppose you, Rose, and I could drive by it tomorrow while Maggie's at work. If we like what we see, then after you leave for school, we could take Maggie and Katie by for their impressions of the place."

Just then, Rose and Maggie appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, that's where you two had snuck off to," Rose observed.

"Is everything all right with Katie?" David asked.

"Probably not 'all right', but better now. She's staying the night tomorrow and going to church with us on Sunday."

"It's okay with me if she sleeps in my room," David offered, magnanimously.

"And where do you think you're gonna sleep, young man?" Rose asked, arching her eyebrows.

"With me, in my bed, just like he will tonight!" averred Maggie. "Exactly where he usually sleeps when he's home." She walked over to him, plunked down on his lap, and pulled him into an embarrassingly deep kiss. "I've missed you so much, Davey."

"And I've missed you as well, Magpie," he replied, rubbing noses with her.

"As much as I'd like to stay here all evening doing this, I think I'd like to dance around with you, David. Can we please make some room for all of us to dance? Mom, Alan, you are going to join us, right?"

"Only if she wants to dance with me," Alan replied.

"Just try to keep me away," Rose riposted.

= = =

"Jules, I never knew how much fun it was just to be with John, and to dance with him! This has been the second‑best evening I've spent with him."

Dawn and Julie had gone into the kitchen, ostensibly for glasses of wine for the four as they were taking a brief respite from their upright couples' time.

"Only the second‑best?" Julie asked with some teasing in her voice.

"Well, that first night we had will be pretty hard to beat," Dawn responded, eyes twinkling as she remembered how John fit her four‑word requirement of an ideal man: 'Cock size and stamina'.

"You slut."

"Yeah, maybe so, but I'm okay with it. Plus, he has all these other wonderful qualities."

Laughing, the girls each carried two glasses of a chilled white wine back to their guys who were lounging and grateful to be off their feet for a few minutes. The ladies made themselves comfortable in their guys' laps; the comfort each felt was palpable. Once they had finished their wine, they stood and danced for another hour before Tom and Julie declared it to be time for bed. Hugs, kisses, and handshakes sent the four off to have some time for private horizontal dancing.

= = =

David had intended to send a text to Larry before going to bed, but thought better of the idea. Very likely Larry was going to be up late playing Dungeons and Dragons with classmates and would not care for the interruption, if he even heard it. The discussion between David and Larry would wait until Saturday.

Instead, he snuggled in, pulling Maggie up against him and inhaled her scent. It was so relaxing that he was asleep within five minutes.

Determining that he was unconscious, Maggie pulled his right hand up to cup her breast after she had kissed his hand. This was simply a slice of heaven on earth for her. She worried about Katie for a little, then she too succumbed to sleep, contented in her boyfriend's protective and loving arms.

= = =

"Rose, what else do you know that you can tell me about that five‑bedroom property with the pond?" Alan asked while they were undressing for bed. "I assume you are privy to some information that should not be generally available. I don't want you to compromise your ethics."

She thought about it for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders and her bra cascaded down her body to puddle at her feet. Alan was entranced as usual by the baring of his girlfriend's breasts. That, in turn, stimulated her, and she teased him a little, knowing full well what the repercussions would likely be. She raised her arms over her head and arched her back to cause her tits to bounce slightly. Alan was nearly hypnotized by the display, and she loved it.

"Come to bed, my love. Show me how much you love my tits. We can talk more about that house in the morning over breakfast."

= = =

Saturday, February 6

David woke first with Maggie still spooned into his front. His morning wood was rampantly evident and pressed against her backside. When he tried to disentangle from her, she pushed back harder against him, rubbing her rear on his hardness. He tried to remove his hands from cupping her breasts, and again she denied him, this time with a soft, "No, Davey. I need you, now."

"But I've gotta pee, Magpie. I should rubber up, too, right?"

"No need. That's next weekend. Hurry back. You don't want to keep me waiting, lover man."

David moved with purpose and alacrity and quickly returned bearing a very warm, damp washcloth. Maggie had stripped naked and was toying with her hard nipples as he entered the room. Saying nothing, he knelt and gently washed her pussy and upper thighs, then followed up with his tongue. It was pure bliss, for both of them.

"Easy there, tiger. She loves your attention, but gently, please," Maggie directed. "Here, these little ladies have been missing you so very badly." She proffered her cupped breasts to illustrate her point. Mindful that aggressive attention was not desired, David gently squeezed her breasts, gently licking then nibbling with his lips on her nipples so they stood up very proudly.

After a few minutes of his attention to her breasts, Maggie coaxed him to enter her, and they proceeded to get their day off to a very pleasant beginning.

= = =

Rose and Alan, too, started their day off in a very pleasing fashion, albeit a bit later than during the workweek. Still, they enjoyed their coupling time and then delighted in washing each other thoroughly in their shower.

"As wonderful as this has been, Alan, I would dearly love a cup of coffee and some cinnamon sugar toast, please," Rose asked, batting her eyelashes needlessly.

"I'll get right on it, my love. Will you come down to retrieve it?"

"In about five minutes, my love."

It was 7:30 when the coffee brewing completed and Alan poured out mugs for himself and his fiancée. The toast had just popped up when Rose appeared in the kitchen. She gratefully accepted the proffered mug of coffee, then sat at the table, watching Alan prepare toast for both of them. He had just sat down when David appeared, having detected the aroma of fresh coffee.

Alan gestured towards the coffee pot where two mugs sat out, and David nodded and smiled his thanks. Waiting until after Rose had taken a bite of toast, Alan picked up their discussion from the night before about the property.

"So, my dear, what can you tell me about this house you wish for us to consider?" David, wanting to hear what Rose had to say, slowed his beverage preparations and began preparing some toast for Maggie.

"We've seen the Google Maps photos, both from the street and from above from Zillow. We know it has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The garage is detached from the house. The property is about six acres of land and has the pond at the rear of the property that has caught your eye. The roof of the house and the HVAC system were replaced three years ago. What is not known publicly is that the loan is about to become a point of concern for the credit union. There has not been a payment made on the loan or into escrow for several months. That's about all I can tell you about this. Oh, it sits just outside the Middleburg city limits but is on city water and sewer, so no well or septic issues to worry about."

"This sounds like it has possibilities, momma," David piped up. "Dad and I have spoken about this. Can we take a drive by the place later this morning?"

"Are you sure about this, David?" Rose asked, and Alan answered, "We talked about this last night while you were dealing with Katie. I was surprised at his supportiveness as well. That will make the changes easier for all of us. I can't imagine Tom having any issues either. He's almost out on his own completely."

"Let's not count the chicks until all the eggs hatch," Rose advised. Then to David, "I think we can arrange to drive by the place for a look‑see today."

"Cool! I've got to get this up to Mags so she can get ready for work. Will you please excuse me?" David asked politely.

"Take the tray, David," Alan recommended, getting the subject tray from atop the refrigerator. He had to quickly wipe it out for the bit of dust that had accumulated since the first of the year.

"Thank you, Dad. I'll bring it back when I take Maggie to work." With that, David returned upstairs with his hands full of breakfast for himself and his girlfriend.

"So, I suppose we have a plan of sorts. Was there anything else we wanted to do today?" Alan inquired.

"Yes, Alan. I want you to make a copy of the house key for Katie. And maybe one more to have ready for a realtor?"

"Not for Justin Case?" Alan smiled as he teased her. "We can stop by the hardware store and have them made on our way. In the meantime, I'd like to look closer at this Zillow website for this 5‑bedroom property you showed me on Wednesday."

"Of course, my sweet man." Rose was very pleased that Alan did not seem to harbor any reluctance to upscaling to a residence better suited for the needs of their expanding family.

= = =

"Up, up!" Dawn called through the bedroom door. "Get up, you two lazybones!"

"Oh... No... worries... he's... all... ready... up," Julie exclaimed, in between thrusts as she rode Tom to a glorious wake up orgasm. Tom found it difficult to comprehend Julie's openness with Dawn, especially about sexual things. He just lay there, being Julie's personal trampoline. His hands were on her hips as she rode him reverse cowgirl. She was nearing her apex and he was ready to fire off himself. Actually, that morning, it was his coming that set her off.

"Get off his stick, Jules. We're taking you out for breakfast. Move it!" Dawn declared, then returned to the other bedroom to check on John. He was putting on his shoes, and he welcomed her kiss.

"Are we still taking them out to IHOP?" he inquired.

"It's the least we can do to appreciate their hospitality, and I'm deeply indebted to both of them for introducing us to each other," she responded. "If I haven't mentioned it before, John, you rock my world with everything you are." He could see that truth shining in her eyes.

He leaned back on the bed and her lips followed him to the point where he pulled her on top of him for a very nice morning make out session. After a few minutes of this, Dawn pushed herself away and wandered into the kitchen to see if there was anything she could do to facilitate the process of getting them out the door. Julie and Tom had washed all the dishes and pans before calling it a night, and the coffee maker was not set up.

Shrugging her shoulders, she returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, waiting for her hosts to make themselves publicly presentable.

= = =

Katie was up with the sun that morning and eager for the day. It wasn't necessarily the money promised by Mr. Johnson that excited her. She had a small sense of purpose now, at least for two Saturdays. Plus, she'd be working with Maggie and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. They had always seemed like nice people. Perhaps a little distant from her social circle, but they had always seemed pleasant.

She prepared a bowl of cereal and was sitting at the table eating when her mother came by. Mrs. O'Shea was rather surprised to see Katie up at that hour and said so. Uncharacteristically, she inquired about Katie's reason and was surprised to hear about the hostess gig for two Saturdays. Katie also informed her that she would be staying overnight with Maggie and going to church with her family in the morning. The words, "Mrs. Lawson invited me," drove a nail through any objections that might have been raised by her mother.