The Meaning of One Word

"No. Cults have too much dogma, too much paperwork. All we want you to do is let us love you, love Sara and love Neela. That's it." Carol went back to work. Megan got out of the elevator and brought us food and two blankets.

Lee spoke to me. "Two at a time. Either you or Sara and I should go first. Half an hour later I'll come out and whichever of you isn't inside will go in. Half an hour later the one who has been in for an hour will come out and trade. While you're out here, eat, drink and nap. Whichever one of you is going with me, come on and I'll show you how to gown up."

Sara went with Lee. Megan got me to eat and lie down. I wasn't going to sleep, just rest. Two hours later Connie shook me awake. I gowned and joined Megan next to Neela. She was sitting beside her bed, holding Neela's hand and whispering. Even after I sat across the bed from her I couldn't hear her voice. After I sat, she stood and without letting go of Neela's hand she leaned over the bed and kissed me. Her lips were very soft and quite warm. She kissed me, sat back down and resumed whispering to Neela. I sat still watching Neela's face, the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed and the occasional flutter of an eyelid.

Half an hour later Megan kissed Neela's hand, released it and walked around the bed to me. She bent to me and kissed me on the cheek and whispered, "Neela knows she is surrounded by love. So are you." She turned and walked out. A few minutes later Connie came in and kissed me, kissed Neela's hand, held it and sat down.

Over and over in my mind I repeated Megan's words, "Neela knows she is surrounded by love." When the clock showed that I had been beside her for an hour I kissed Neela's hand, stood up and walked over to Connie. She stood and didn't let go of Neela. I attempted to kiss her cheek and got kissed lips to lips. I got a one armed hug as well.

Outside I was met with food, water and hugs. I met two members of the family I'd never seen before. Sara replaced me in with Neela. The doctors checked Neela three times that day and the nurses monitored her hourly. Sara and I were pampered and met six other members of the family. Food and beverages showed up and I was never asked for money. I kept distrusting that strangers would give so freely to us, strangers.

At one point we had talked to the doctors and they said that they would be bringing Neela out of the coma in about four hours, keeping her for twelve hours and then we could leave the hospital with her.

Megan was back and when the doctors left she told me that when they released Neela the family wanted to have all three of us at their house. There would be round the clock care for us there and Neela could get all the love and care she'd need.

Sara had talked to many of the family as we sat with Neela and she was of the opinion we should accept their offer. She made a good point, we would be so worn out trying to do everything for Neela that we'd end up not being able to do what she needed.

Megan and I were with Neela when she woke up. We kissed and I introduced her to Megan. She asked Megan why she was there. Megan said, "The simple answer is that in my heart you, Nick and Sara are family and we're here to love you."

"Are we related?"

"Not the way most people think of related, but in the same way a husband and wife are related, yes. Related because we say so and behave like it's so."

"You've been here while I recovered, haven't you?"

"You were out for two days. We've been here since you came out of surgery. By we I mean members of our family, not just me. My Dad, Lee, was here. Momma Connie was here, as were Beth, Manny, Fran, Bart and Trina. Dad's going to be here when you're discharged with our van. If it's Ok with you we'll take you home with us and all of us will love you."

"Are you for real?"

"Do you feel loved?" Megan asked.

"Yes." Neela and I both answered.

"Then we're for real."

Lee arrived just as the doctor came to meet with us. He brought a woman with him who identified herself as Commander Cross, USN, a nurse at Point Mugu Naval Air Station. She made notes and told Lee, Sara and I what the doctor told her. She told us as we drove to Lee's home. Megan drove my car. Sara and I rode with Lee and Commander Cross. Her real name was Corine. We positioned Neela between Sara and me. We held her and talked to her as Lee drove us to the beach.

Inside Lee's home we got Neela onto a couch, surrounded her with pillows, and she met three more members of the family; Jon, Beth and Fran. We were fed and shown a bedroom set-aside for us. Megan left to go to work. Corine left to go back to the base and told me that another nurse would be there in the morning.

Sara went in the bedroom and slept. I stayed on the couch with Neela and we napped, holding hands. Just about every time I opened my eyes there were different people there, waiting to see what they could do for any of us. I held Neela's right hand. Someone held her left hand, bracketing her in love and care.

Sara came out of the bedroom in the early evening. She took the other side of Neela. Neela woke up. Fran brought her some soup and Sara fed it to her. Sara said, "I went in and crawled into that bed. I was so tired I went to sleep quickly, but it wasn't good sleep. Then it was, deep and restful. When I woke up I realized why. Someone had crawled into bed with me and held me so I could sleep."

Neela softly said, "All the time I was out I knew I was Ok. I don't know how I knew. When I woke up here I saw Fran and I knew her. These people are real. They are loving us. We're safe. We're home."

We sat with that for a long time. Bart and Lee helped me to the bed and told me to sleep. It was very dark when I woke up, spooned behind a woman I knew wasn't either Sara or Neela. When I moved she rolled and faced me. It was Megan.

She kissed me. The kiss was soft, warm and loving. I wondered what she was communicating with that kiss. She knew I was married to Neela and that Sara lived with us. Before I could ask what the kiss meant, I got another. My body responded.

Then she spoke, "We aren't kidding. We love all three of you. My kisses are a way for me to say I love you. You don't need to do anything with my kisses or my love. We don't need to join, unless you want to."

"I'm married."

"To both Sara and Neela. We know. Dad is married to Connie, Fran, Pam, Kat, Rina and probably twenty others in the same way you're married to Sara. You three have been adopted into the family and you're invited in as deeply as you want. What we do is love. If it shows up as offering you a bed to sleep in or a sandwich, that's how we say I love you. You'll be given a house key. You never need call before you come. It's your house too."

She leaned the inch and our lips touched again. I knew I needed to talk to Sara and Neela. I said as much and heard Sara's voice right behind me. "Nick, Lee talked to us while you were asleep. So did Fran, Connie and Bart. We're in. I felt loved and accepted when Neela brought me home to both of you. I feel it stronger now."

She crawled onto the bed and kissed Megan as she pressed her naked body on mine. Things progressed and soon the three of us joined and shared saying I love you without words.

It was fully morning when I joined Neela on the couch. Lee was there already, holding her. When I sat down Lee helped lift Neela into my lap and I held her almost like she was a young child curled up in my lap. We kissed and talked softly while the family moved around us being attentive and allowing us space at the same time.

"Nick, do you feel it?" Neela's voice was soft enough I could call it a whisper, but I was pretty sure she was at the best volume she had available.

"The love? Yes, I feel it. I feel it the way a fish feels water. It surrounds us."

"Is it warm outside?"

The front door opened and a Navy nurse walked in, tall and stunningly beautiful. She smiled at us and said, "It's seventy-six at the moment headed for eighty. Would you like to be outside?"

Neela nodded. The nurse came to us and said, "Hi. I'm Pam. Let me get out of the Navy and we'll get you outside. Megan came into the room carrying a hanger. She stopped, kissed Pam and held the hanger as Pam hung her uniform on it. When she was nude Megan took her clothes and shoes and put them somewhere else. Pam was incredible to look at. Taller than most women she looked to be about five foot ten or eleven. Her body was toned and strong looking, with large breasts and well proportioned hips, shoulders, and legs that seemed to go on for days. Her pubes were devoid of hair and she had no tan lines. She asked two people coming out of the kitchen to ready a chaise lounge outside and they kissed her and moved out through the sliding door. I heard the sound of water coming from outside.

Pam partially knelt, picked Neela up and effortlessly carried her into the back yard. The two people she had asked for help stood beside a chaise lounge. They had covered the cushion with a huge towel and one asked Pam, "Sun or shade?"

Neela said, "Sun, please." Pam repeated the request louder. The moved the lounge. Pam sat Neela on the chaise and knelt beside her. She began unbuttoning her dress and Neela relaxed and let her. I knelt on Neela's other side and helped get her undressed. I wanted to cry, seeing the bandages from surgery and how frail Neela was starting to look.

Pam looked at me and said, "I'm a nurse. As a nurse I'm often bossy. I want you naked and on the lounge, holding Neela." She waited. I didn't move fast enough. Pam smiled and said, "Today!" I got out of the t-shirt and shorts and sat down. Neela leaned back against me. I wrapped my arms around her, gently, and Pam covered us with another large towel. She said she'd be back soon.

When she came out she carried a bucket and was followed by four other people. She scooped water from the hot tub and passed washcloths to the four and one to me as well. She removed the towel from us and said, "It's Ok to get the bandages wet. They'll come off easier if they get wet. Get both of them clean, Please. Love them clean."

We felt loving hands cover us with warm soapy water, gently scrub yesterday and the day before from us and Pam used the bucket of hundred degree water to gently rinse us. Four towels rubbed us mostly dry and the sun completed the job.

Neela was crying. Pam said, "We are telling you we love you. I wish I could take the whole family up to my hospital and do this for all my sailors and marines. They need this loving."

Sara came out of the house, nude and carrying a platter of snacks. She put them on a nearby table and brought Neela and I a few choices. Neela ate six grapes and a piece of cheddar.

We stayed out in the sun for a couple hours. We talked with various people and started to get comfortable with the family and how they thought. People came and went without ceremony. The front door opened and the front door closed. From the chaise I could see the front door through the sliding glass doors and I saw that no one knocked. Most of the time the door stayed open and people came in and out. They greeted each other with hugs and kisses.

Lee came back and Connie was with him. They disappeared for about an hour then came out and talked with Sara, Neela and me.

"Want to ask questions?" Connie asked.

"How do we really become official members of the family?" Sara asked.

"Officially?" Connie smiled. "You need to stand nude after you've had three orgasms and say you are a member of the family."

Sara smiled and said, "I need one more orgasm!"

"You want to pick someone to give it to you or wait for a volunteer?" Lee asked.

Neela said, "I want to join, too!" She said it softly, very softly.

Sara said, "I want to give you an orgasm! I love you, Neela."

I helped Neela spread her legs and Sara moved between Neela's legs and began eating her. I held her breasts in my hands and kissed her neck. Connie kissed Neela's breasts between my fingers and caressed her skin. After a few kisses she said, "You really don't need three orgasms to be family. You are already family."

Neela asked, "Can I have them anyway?"

No one answered and no one stopped loving her either. Sara brought Neela to her first orgasm and she shuddered and shook as she crested. Suddenly she went limp. She had passed out. We held her and within a minute or so her eyes fluttered and she came back. She looked at Sara, still between her legs and smiled. "I love you, Sara. Thank you."

She looked at each person present and put her hands on my hands over her breasts and said, "I love and thank each of you." Each person kissed her and told her she was loved.

Sara leaned Neela forward and asked me to get up so she could hold Neela. I helped her into place and then I went inside to use the bathroom. As I passed Pam she said, "Maybe Sara needs time alone with Neela right now. They're saying good-bye. A private, girl-to-girl, lover-to-lover good-bye."

In the bathroom I knew Pam was right. Neela was dying. I stayed in the house for an hour. Maybe the longest, hardest hour I'd ever spent in my life. I knew that hour would never be available to me with Neela again.

As the second hand passed the twelve finishing the hour I stood up to go outside. I saw Sara untangle herself from Neela and stand. I moved quickly and joined them. No one else was in the back yard.

Neela said, "Nick, I'm almost gone. I want one more thing before I go, if it's Ok. I want you inside me."

My first thought was, 'I'll never get hard.' As I had that thought Sara swallowed my cock and sucked life into me. Neela watched and soon I was ready. Sara helped Neela welcome me and the three of us kissed and joined. We cried and tears fell from Sara and me unto Neela's chest and face. Sara rubbed her own lube on her fingers and used them to rub Neela's clit. I moved in and out of her. Neela whispered, "Love each other forever. I love you both." Her body shuddered, shook and went limp.

She had not passed out in her orgasm. She was gone. I slowly withdrew and Sara tasted our combined juices for the last time. We gathered her into our combined arms and sat holding her for a time.

I closed my eyes at some point. When they opened there were over twenty people gathered around us. Hands were on Neela, Sara and me. Hands held all of us connected. Lee spoke two words, "Thank you."

They were echoed by every voice. I knew Sara and I were home. As I looked at every face I could see I saw tears on the face of young Mr. Lee. My heart filled and overflowed with feelings I'd never had before.

Pam said, "The paramedics will be here in about ten minutes. Let's be dressed when they arrive." She bent and kissed Neela's forehead. Every member of the family followed her example, then went inside and dressed.

Pam and Connie came back and held Neela while Sara and I dressed.

The EMT van arrived and a minute later the coroner's van arrived. We all walked Neela's remains to the van and watched as it drove away.

The family grew in the next few hours as we gathered and Sara and I spoke about Neela's life. Food arrived and we did eat. I didn't have a plate, but was fed bites from many plates. Sara was fed like I was. At some point we were led to bed and slept.

When I woke up I was aware that we were not alone. There were two other people in bed with Sara and me. I looked and saw six others sleeping on the floor of the bedroom. I made it to the bathroom and back without stepping on anyone. As I settled back in Sara kissed me. I felt a hand on my chest drawing my back against another woman's chest. A hand touched my leg. I was being told I was connected, loved, cared for.

I finally understood the word family.