The Greatest of These is Love Pt. 04

Once they were driving away from downtown, Dawn started babbling away in her giddiness. She was thrilled to have found just the right items right away. They were halfway to her home when she realized that she had not heard John say anything since thanking Aunt Margie in the store. She looked over at him, puzzled.

"John, is something wrong? You've been awfully quiet."

When he did not immediately answer, Dawn pulled the car onto the shoulder and shifted the transmission into Park. Unbuckling her seat belt, she turned in her seat to face her man. He was biting his upper lip, trying to come up with the words to communicate.

"John, my special, wonderful man, just talk to me. What's the matter?"

John gulped and gave himself a little shake, then took a deep breath.

"Dawn, how much were those shirts for the twins?" he asked.

"I dunno. I didn't even look at the receipt. Aunt Margie didn't even say anything. I just knew they were perfect for our needs, and I was pretty sure they were less than $100."

"Right. That whole little scenario is totally alien to me. Given my circumstances, I have to be extremely thrifty. Whereas you seem to spend money freely, without even knowing or caring about the cost. I'm concerned and a bit afraid that this could become a deal‑breaker for me, for us. You just whip out that card and Mommy and Daddy pay for it. That's irresponsible, Dawn. I simply cannot condone that attitude."

Taking a deep breath to keep from saying anything, Dawn rummaged in the bag and came up with the receipt. She examined it and then handed it to John for his perusal.

"See? The total cost was $61.39. Aunt Margie gave us a 25% discount, basically one of the shirts for free, and then there was sales tax. I wouldn't say that it 'broke the bank', John. I'd like to remind you that it's really my money that is paying the bill. Do you remember how we talked about this on our way back to school over Halloween weekend? Curiously, it was about how I used my credit card to buy the two sweatshirts from Aunt Margie's that Saturday.

"I knew that Aunt Margie would give us a deal, although I did not expect 25% off. Maybe they were not selling and she was going to have to return them. She did have to search for them in the back room for a bit. I can't begrudge her making some profit. I'm sure she did, even with the discount she gave us. She's not running a charity, you know."

"Yeah, I know." John bowed his head, looking sheepish at the teacup maelstrom he'd instigated. "I'm sorry about getting upset how you spend your money, Dawn. I'll try to relax about how you allocate your money. I still have to watch every dime that goes out from my pocket. My budget's still very tight. Thank you for getting these for the twins."

"If it will keep their grubby paws off of you, it's worth it. Come on, let's get back home and sneak these downstairs without them realizing. It may be a little squeeze, but each one should fit into a gallon Ziploc bag, to preserve the freshness and the fragrance."

"Uh, Dawn, that wasn't very kind of you," John pointed out. "You were the one who wanted me to use some of the cologne to make a good impression on your mother and sisters."

"That's true, but Gin and Jen are nearly as bad as Gypsy for hanging on you. I've seen the calves' eyes they've been making at you over the table. I've practically lost my dog to you, and the girls have already laid claim to you if I ever let you go. I'm looking forward to going back to school just so I can have you all to myself."

That got a grin out of John, and his mood lightened up considerably.

When they arrived at Dawn's house, Dawn went straight to the kitchen. Verifying that both of the twins were still there, she gave John the okay sign and he slipped down the stairs to Dawn's bedroom with the bag of shirts. Dawn went to the pantry and retrieved four one‑gallon Ziploc bags then headed to her room.

They applied a couple of spritzes of the 'Business Man' cologne inside of each sleepshirt, and folded them. They decided to package up only two of the shirts, one pink and one yellow shirt, in the Ziploc bags. The remaining two shirts were put back into the plastic shopping bag to be presented to the girls as John's promised gift that evening. As these would be worn only around the house, it would not matter if the cologne affected the fabric.

With time on their hands before supper, John took Dawn's hands in his.

"Dawn, I'm very sorry if my penny‑pinching ways have caused you concerns, today or at other times. After so long of having to watch my limited funds being spent, it's nearly impossible for me to turn that off."

"John, I appreciate your honesty and concern, especially about my money. This is just another example of how we balance each other so well. I probably could benefit from a healthy dose of fiscal responsibility. Yes, I do whip out the card without a whole lot of care. But I know to keep the occurrences down. I still have Mamma and Daddy watching out for me. You don't have anyone else watching out for you though, do you?"

"Not like you do, no." John dabbed a tear away with his shirtsleeve.

Dawn leaned over and kissed the tear track on his cheek. Then she shifted her target a bit closer to his mouth. Then to his mouth, and then the tongues came out to play with each other. Very quickly, they were oblivious to anything else in the universe except each other.

Once the supper was eaten and before anybody got up, John asked for a moment to speak with everyone.

"My week here with all of you has been wonderfully special. I wanted to thank each of you for how you welcomed me into your home during this family‑oriented holiday. Dawn and I are heading back to school tomorrow afternoon because I have some assignments due that need to be finished up. I promised Jenny and Ginny a little something for them to remember me by. Once the dishes have been cleared and the leftovers put away, could you all please join us in the family room?"

With that, the womenfolk all made quick work of the cleanup while the menfolk all staked out their choice of seating. John brought up the shopping bag from Aunt Margie's shop with two of the shirts and left the two Ziploc bags in Dawn's bedroom.

Dawn joined John in standing in front of the fireplace while Emily, Ginny, and Jenny settled themselves. Junior and Danny were occupied by something on their phones; otherwise, Dawn and John had everyone else's attention.

"Dawn and I got these at Aunt Margie's shop this afternoon. We both agree they are perfect for you two," John gestured at the twins. "One is soft pink and one is pale yellow. Do you have a color preference, girls?"

Jenny just shrugged her shoulders while Ginny thought for a moment then answered, "Pink for me, please."

Dawn and John pulled out the sleepshirts and shook them out while holding onto the shoulders, making sure the graphic was facing the girls.

Danny gave a combination snort and cough while Junior simply shrugged with his indifference. Josh had a wry smile as he saw the graphic and read the 'L'il Angel' caption. Emily's eyes lit with her delight at John's thoughtfulness. The twins were stunned, mouths agape. This was not what they were expecting.

John gestured for them to stand and come closer. He held the pink one out for Ginny while Dawn had Jenny's gift. They got the twins to turn and face Emily and Josh and they pulled the shirts up against the younger girls' bodies. The length looked really good. Then the scent of the cologne reached the girls' noses. It was subtle but definitely present. Eyes grew wide as they yanked the shirts from the hands holding them, and pressed the shirts to their faces.

Squealing with delight and joy, Ginny and Jenny wrapped up Dawn and John in tight hugs. Letting go, they hurried to Emily's side to demonstrate the full nature of John's remembrance gift to them. A sly smile crept across their mother's face.

"I'll come talk to you both before we head off to bed," Dawn promised. "You're gonna want to take good care of those shirts. Go show Daddy now." With vigorous nods, the twins took their gifts over for Josh to pass his judgment.

"You got these at Margie's shop?" Josh asked John as the father touched the fabric, testing its durability.

"Yes, Josh. She had to go in the back to find them. You'll notice they are 100% cotton jersey cloth. Very durable, especially when used CAREFULLY," John emphasized the last word at the girls.

Josh nodded his approval and accepted cheek kisses from his youngest ones, and they disappeared down the stairs clutching their fragrant gifts. All the way down the stairs, John could hear their giggles of delight and joy.

Junior looked up and asked, "Is that all?" while Danny scarcely even looked up from his phone. His thumbs were displaying their youthful nimbleness, and John thought Danny was texting Aileen.

"Yeah, that's the extent of what I had," John answered. Junior snorted, stood, and tapped Danny on the shoulder.

"C'mon, Danny Boy. Show's over."

Without so much of a "may I please be excused?", the two boys ambled down the hall toward their lairs. John appeared a bit surprised at the apparent rudeness but honestly did not expect much better from those two.

"John, why don't you check in with your brother? You know, see if the dust has settled a bit from yesterday's pronouncements," Dawn suggested. "I've got to show those two how to properly care for those shirts." With that, she pulled John into an atypically brief kiss with lots of promise and flounced away down the stairs.

"I'll go sit at the table and make this call, if you two don't mind?" John asked politely. Emily nodded and Josh just waved his hand, dismissively, but had a smile on his face nonetheless. He could see how John listened to Dawn and took her suggestions as commands.

"Hey, O. I thought I'd check and see if the house was still standing, after yesterday's call."

"Both sets of grandparents called once they got home safely, J. Everyone was unhappy you weren't here yesterday, but we did enjoy hearing you. Both sets of grandparents want to see you and meet Dawn over Christmas break. Mom and Dad headed off to bed shortly after everyone else left. I could hear some giggling and gasping as I walked past their door. I think Mom's okay, for now. But you'd better be skedaddling home just as soon as your exams are done. No lollygagging around Springfield if you don't have a very good reason."

"I'll take that under advisement, Owen. We're heading back to school tomorrow, a day early, so I can get some stuff done before finals. I'll call you again next weekend, okay?" John confirmed.

"That's fine. Be safe, John. I missed seeing you as well."

"I love you, Owen. We'll talk next weekend. Bye."

John ended the call and stood to bid his hosts 'goodnight'. Josh was waiting for him just outside the dining room.

"John, I know I've said this to you before, but it bears repeating: Treat her like a queen, but don't let her treat you like a subject."

"Yes, Josh, I understand. No skirts in my future. But her recommending that I call my brother is just another example of how we shore up each other's weak points. It hadn't occurred to me to do so, but as soon as she mentioned it, I realized it was the right thing to do. We tend to do that sort of thing for each other."

"Good man. Have a good night, son."

Dawn had stopped by her room to retrieve the two empty Ziploc bags, then knocked softly on Jenny's bedroom door and waited. There was no response and when she opened the door, the room was dark. Dawn then knocked on Ginny's door and was immediately directed to 'enter'.

The twins had quickly attired themselves in their gifts and kept lifting their shoulders to breathe in the scent of John's cologne. Dawn smiled broadly in her amusement, remembering how she and Julie had done much the same with Tom's shirts that Julie had claimed for them. She sat on Ginny's bed and her sisters quickly sat on either side of her and wrapped her with strong hugs. They looked a little puzzled by the sealable plastic bags in Dawn's hands.

"If you only wear the shirts to bed and immediately fold them up and put them away in these bags, the scent will last a lot longer. Washing them will quickly diminish the scent. I'd imagine that you could probably get two weeks' of wearing them before Mamma insists that they be washed. Even so, treasure them for the gifts they are from me and John. They're soft and feel nice, don't they?" The girls nodded enthusiastically. "And if you're good, maybe I can get John to 'refresh' the scent sometime before Christmas."

Jenny and Ginny squealed softly in delight at the thought.

"Is he coming back over Christmas?" Ginny asked with a slight quaver in her voice.

"I don't think so, sweetie. His family was very unhappy that he was here with us all week instead of being home with all of them. He probably won't even be able to visit during the Christmas break. I may be spending a few days at the beginning of the break with him so we can visit his grandparents. But I think there's a good chance I'll be bringing him home again over Spring Break. How's that?"

"How are you going to get him to 'refresh' the smell?" Jenny demanded.

"I'm still working on that, punkin'. I have a couple of ideas that he and I need to discuss, okay?"

The girls squeezed Dawn tightly as Ginny said, "You're the best big sister, ever!"

Saturday, November 28, 2020

"John, before you take our bags upstairs, there's one last very important thing we need to take care of," Dawn advised. They were alone in Dawn's room, and they had just finished packing their clothes after a leisurely breakfast with the whole family.

"Oh, like we didn't 'take care' of each other, over and over, last night? 'But John, it's our last night together in a bigger bed,' you claimed."

"Oh, yeah, we 'took care' of each other pretty well last night; and this morning, too! I know how much you like 'wake‑up coitus'. Truth be told, I enjoy it as much as you do. You fill me so completely, John, and there's just something almost tangible about your love and affection for me. Something I never experienced until I met you."

John chuckled and began to croon part of "Lookin' For Love (In All the Wrong Places)". He was halfway decent at keeping the tune, and Dawn had no idea he was aware of the song by Johnny Lee. John had these little ways of surprising her nearly every day.

"Okay, my love. What's this one last very important thing?"

She pulled out the two sleepshirts in the Ziploc bags.

"We need to give a good dose of your cologne on these shirts and reseal the bags to be as airless as we can. The twins are already a bit worried about losing the scent on the ones they wore last night. I'll hold them off as long as possible, but I may have to tell them where to find these before Christmas."

"I suppose it's all in a good cause," John answered, pulling his bottle from the top of his duffle bag. They gave both shirts a good dosing before refolding them, placing them back into the bags, squeezing all the air they could from the bags, and resealing them. Dawn placed them in the bottom drawer of her dresser and piled a couple of sweaters on top, just in case someone got curious in her absence. John looked at his bottle of cologne and could tell that the content level had dropped a little already. "If this keeps up, we may have to find another bottle of this cologne," he mused. He replaced it in his duffle bag and zipped it closed before carrying their bags up the stairs and set them down at the front door.

"Thank you again, Josh and Emily, for your hospitality this past week," John said once everyone had gathered. "It was very special to be included in your family for Thanksgiving." It was chilly outside, so the goodbyes and farewells were said indoors. Josh extended his large hand and John accepted it, clasping it with both of his hands. The boys were hugging Dawn while the girls stood back with the beginning of tears forming in their eyes. Emily pulled John into a warm and very caring embrace and she kissed him on the cheek whispering, "You do smell good, John."

Josh had to elbow Danny and Junior to get their handshakes with John, but the younger guys complied after getting a meaningful glare from their father. They still did not like the idea that someone, like John, would be taking Dawn away from them.

Then it was the twins' turn. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" they kept repeating as they hugged him, sniffing deeply. They may have been sniffing back their tears; or not. It didn't hurt matters that he had given a single spritz of the cologne on his chest, right where their noses landed while hugging him.

"Please don't cry, little sisters. I'll be back; I promise."

"You had better or we'll send Gypsy out to drag you back," Jenny mock threatened.

Finally, it was Gypsy's turn for goodbye hugs from both Dawn and John. She did not understand why her persons had to leave; only that they were leaving. Accepting their hugs and ear rubs with a drooping head, she wagged her tail forlornly.

"I'll be back soon, girl," Dawn assured her collie.

With the farewells said, John picked up the bags and headed to the car. Dawn remained behind and had a brief and quiet hug with Emily before skipping down the steps and getting in the car with a big smile on her face.

"Let's get this semester over with; whaddya say?" Dawn asked her boyfriend as she started the car and they headed off to Springfield and two more weeks of classes followed by the dreaded final exams week.

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End of "The Greatest of These is Love, Part 4"