The Only Constant is Change Ch. 14

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Parting is such sweet sorrow...
  • August 2019 monthly contest
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Part 15 of the 15 part series

Updated 06/09/2023
Created 07/13/2018
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Author's Note:

Welcome back readers. This chapter closes the book, so to speak. When I started writing the series that became "The Only Constant is Change," my idea was that it would be a series of conversations between a dying man and his coming-of-age son. The stories the man would tell about his life would surprise his son, and along the way, the young man would be sent on adventures of his own in a kind of mentoring. I was having difficult writing it, because the memory interludes were kind of long. It didn't flow right, and so I decided to tell the man's story in real-time, to bring the timeline up to the start of that planned series.

I'd still like to come back to my original concept at some point in the future, so if you've enjoyed the story of Jeremy's life, you might be on the lookout. That series is still in the planning stages, but it will probably fit some episodes from the gaps in "Change" into some of the conversation. Don't know when that will happen, though. My other series, "Carson Evolved," has been going great and is really flowing out. The response has been so positive that I may need to extend that one past the planned 8 chapters. If you like sci-fi, come check it out.

Finally, thank you for continuing to come back to read what I've written. When I posted my first chapter in July 2018, I really had no idea what to expect. Like a lot of readers, I'm sure, I simply wanted to see if I could do better than some of the stuff that I didn't like or emulate those that I did. The response along the way has been encouraging, and if you've written a comment to my chapters or taken the time to send me feedback along the way, you are part of why I've continued to post. So, again, thank you.

About the story: This series covers the entirety of a man's life, with gaps thrown in along the way to keep it moving. I set out to see how my protagonist changes over his life as his experiences shape him. If you haven't read earlier chapters, you probably won't recognize some characters or references that are made, so I recommend you begin in chapter 1 and go from there. Most of the chapters are only 4-5 pages long on the screen, so they don't take forever to get through.

-MB

As always, any sexual activity takes place between adults.

*****

The last two years had been a time of great change in Jeremy's life. Professionally, things could not be going better. All of the time that Jeremy had put in ahead of assuming his position had borne lucrative fruit. His team had quickly developed a reputation for being able to quickly deduce and rectify network issues, often suggesting architecture improvements that greatly improved reliability and security. The workload had increased to the point that Jeremy was now making plans to promote one of his team members to lead and hire a replacement, just so that he could form a second team and build them up in the same way the first team had begun. It was incredibly rewarding.

Personally, Jeremy was experiencing something of a rebirth. He would always love and miss his first wife and their son, but memories of their life together were more wistful than painful these days. True to her word, Cat had taken her place at his side, and she had done everything in her power to help him move on as they built a new life together. Jeremy was incredibly grateful for the respectful way that Cat referred to his previous life. Curious, he'd asked her once how she felt about being his second wife and knowing that he'd had a family before her. Her answer was enlightening.

"Jeremy, you are a wonderful man, and I'm incredibly blessed to have you in my life. But I know that 'we' wouldn't be, if their lives hadn't been cut short. I can't be anything but envious that she had the first chance to share your life. But I don't begrudge her a thing, because I fell in love with the man you are now, not the man you were when Ava was alive. And I think that she probably had a lot to do with that. I said it before, but I'll be forever grateful to her for the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

Somehow, they'd managed to last a year before tying the knot. Jeremy felt like they owed it to each other to begin fresh, as if they hadn't gotten everything backwards and messed up in the beginning. So, they'd dated, and they'd talked, and eventually, he'd introduced her to his parents. Jeremy had been almost as nervous as Cat as they made the journey to his home. He needn't have been so concerned. His parents had welcomed Cat with open arms. Two conversations, one between him and his father, and the other between his mother and Cat, had erased all doubt that his parents were in complete support. One of the conversations, he knew the content of; the other remained a mystery, but he witnessed it from afar.

Jeremy was sharing a beer with his dad, lounging in a deck chair on the patio while his dad tended the grill. He was enjoying the peace of being at home, but his eyes strayed occasionally to where Cat was sitting in deep discussion with his mother in their gazebo. Unbeknownst to Jeremy, his father had turned to say something when he saw the look on Jeremy's face and followed his gaze to where the women were seated. He smiled to himself, pleased to see his son alive again. It had been touch-and-go for a while.

"She's something special, son," he quietly said. Jeremy managed to drag his eyes away from Cat. His father made his way over to sit next to him. Quietly, he said, "Your mother and I were heartbroken along with you when Ava and Joshua died, but it hurt us in a different way, because for a long time it was like you had died, too. We weren't sure how to help, especially with you so far away."

He fell silent, and the two men sat there for some time, sipping beer and quietly contemplating the state of things. His father cleared his throat and said, "I've never been good at all the emotional stuff. We men don't do a great job of showing our emotions, and I didn't know how to help you. Maybe you don't need my advice, but I wanted to tell you two things. First, it's okay to love again. Ava wouldn't want you to be alone. That girl loved you fiercely, and I think it would kill her to know how miserable you've been since she's been gone."

Jeremy had no way of knowing how much he'd needed to hear something along those lines from the man he admired more than any other in his life. A dam that held back a flood of emotions burst within him, and with it came a sense of peace that had eluded him. "Thanks, Dad," he softly said.

Samuel nodded, and then he said, "The other thing you should know is that no one's going to hold it against you. Not your mom and I, and not Ava's family. You should mourn the dead, Jeremy, but you should also celebrate the living. And, from what I can tell, Cat is the perfect woman to help you remember that moving forward. So, if you feel like you're holding back because you need some blessing from us, know that you have it without reservation."

A single tear leaked from Jeremy's eye. With a little grin, he said, "You're not as bad at this emotional stuff as you think, Dad. Until this moment, I didn't realize what it was I was waiting for. I think that might have been it."

His father winked at him and took a sip of his beer, as they resumed their observation of the conversation the women were having.

In the gazebo, Cat nervously sat across from the woman she hoped would one day be her mother-in-law. "You have a lovely home, Mrs. Halperin, and your gardens are just stunning."

"Please, call me Helen, or maybe you prefer 'Mom?'" At the younger woman's surprised expression, she chuckled and said, "Jeremy may like to think he keeps his feelings secret, but I'm his mother, and I can read him like a book. My son is infatuated with you my dear. So, my question is, do you love him?"

With a demure look on her face, Cat nevertheless grinned and said, "With all my heart. He's not like anyone I've ever met before. You must be very proud of him."

Helen's heart was warmed by the shining love on display in Cat's face. It was reassuring to see that her son's affections were returned so strongly.

The ladies were sipping tea, and when Cat replaced her glass on the table, she asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my dear," replied Helen.

"How do feel about...? I mean, I've been feeling...guilty. I know you must have loved Ava very much..." Helen watched as the younger woman struggled to put her feelings into words, and she suddenly realized what Cat was trying to say. She reached over and took her hand.

"Sweetie, we loved Ava, that's true. When we first moved here, Jeremy didn't date for a while. He was kind of shy, if you can believe it." Cat laughed, but Helen assured her it was true. "Somehow, he and Ava started dating, and in the beginning, it wasn't even supposed to be anything serious. They weren't exclusive, for crying out loud. But his father and I could see that there was something special growing between them; her family saw it too. We all worried because they were going to be apart when Jeremy left for the Navy while Ava was in school. But we supported them because it was obvious that they belonged together."

She slid closer to Cat and said, "I've only just met you, but I sense the same connection between you and Jeremy. In a perfect world, his bond with Ava and Joshua would not have been severed. But that isn't the hand he's been dealt, and Ava's death almost destroyed him. Since he's been seeing you, though, I've sensed him beginning to return to life, and I'm so grateful for your love and support for my son. And I'm very much hoping that he is smart enough to invite you to share his life."

At her words, the tears that Cat had been holding back flowed freely. She didn't want anyone to think she was trying to replace his first love, least of all his parents.

"Thank you," she sobbed. "That means so much. I'm hoping for the same thing, and I want you to know that I'll never hurt him. I love him more than I ever thought possible."

The women embraced, a new bond forming between them. That was the only thing that Jeremy knew of their conversation, as Cat refused to divulge the contents later.

A week after that conversation, Jeremy was surprised to receive a letter from Bonnie Powell, Ava's mother.

Jeremy,

I have longed to write this letter for so long, but wasn't sure how it would be received. After speaking with your mother this week, I felt that the time was right.

From almost the day that I met you, I could see that you were a special young man. There was never a doubt or fear in my mind about trusting my only daughter to you. As the days went by, it was obvious to anyone with eyes to see that you two were destined to be together. And it was one of the happiest days of my life when I watched the two of you become man and wife. Holding my grandson, Joshua, for the first time was another.

But life can be fleeting, and tragedy struck. Edward and I were heartbroken when Ava and Joshua were killed, not just because of what we'd lost, but also for what you lost. You became our son when you wed Ava, and my heart aches for you even now. I know the depth of the love you carried for my daughter, and we watched helplessly as your grief at her loss strangled you. So many times I wanted to reach out to you. In my own grief, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know if I had the strength to lend you.

Your mother tells me that there's a new woman in your life. That news prompted this letter. I want you to know that we are genuinely happy for you. Never fear that we would resent you for moving on. Life is for the living, Jeremy, and you deserve to live as happy and free as you can be. Edward and I, and our other sons, will always consider you a part of our family. We wish you the very best in the future. If you don't think it would be too awkward, we would be honored if we could share in your life moving forward. You will always be welcome in our home, Jeremy, along with anyone you choose to share your life with.

With all the love I can give,

Momma Powell

Even more than the conversation with his father, that letter released Jeremy from the anchor chain that had held him back. And so, four months later, he'd taken Cat to be his wife.

*****

His first thought was that it was dark and quiet under the mask. There was one tiny sliver of light at the edge of his vision on one side, but it barely made a dent in the blackness. His earmuffs prevented him from hearing what was happening around him. As he lay there, deaf and blind, Jeremy wondered again at what he was doing and why he was doing this.

What he was doing was lying in the middle of his bed, buck naked except for the mask that Cat had used to playfully cover his eyes after fastening the last of the restraints to his ankles and wrists. Whatever possessed me to make that bet in the first place? he wondered. He got cocky, that's how that happened.

His life with Cat was different in many ways from that he'd shared with Ava. One area that was somewhat similar, though, was that they shared a healthy sex life. Cat had different tastes than Ava, but the same adventurous spirit. Frequently, Cat played the Sub to Jeremy's Dom. They had not invited anyone to play with them, and since Cat was not interested in women, it seemed unlikely that they would. They experimented between themselves often, however, trying different things that one of them had wondered about. He'd done some study on different rope bondage techniques to satisfy a curiosity of hers, and the restraints that he now wore were in frequent use; this was his first time wearing them, however.

The story of how he came to be in his current predicament was actually kind of stupid. With work going so well and their finances in a comfortable spot, they saw no reason to hold off on starting a family. She was coming up on 36-years old, and they didn't want to wait too long.

When they began trying, Jeremy had put Cat in a condition very much like the one he was in now, though she'd been able to hear. He started by murmuring in her ear all the nasty things he wanted to do to her. Then he tortured her alternately with a feather, a dildo, a vibrator, and even a butt plug, in addition to his own body parts. She never knew what was coming next. When he edged her to exasperation, when she finally begged him to fuck her hard, he said these words into her ear: "I'm going to fuck a baby into that sexy body of yours. I'm not letting you out until I'm sure you're pregnant."

She'd groaned and said, "You'd better. After all this, if I'm not pregnant, I'm putting you in the restraints next time."

His fateful response: "You're on."

He'd been sure that she was at peak fertility, and they had quite a bit of sex that week. Unfortunately for Jeremy, sometimes it just doesn't take. So when she'd come back around to him this earlier this week and told him how much she was looking forward to having him at her mercy, he'd groaned in frustration. His pride hadn't let him back out, though, despite his reservations about giving up control.

And that brings us to the present.

"Are you sure about this, Cat?" asked Monica. They were standing in the doorway to the bedroom that Jeremy and Cat shared. Despite Jeremy's earmuffs and blindfold, Monica still spoke in an urgent whisper. "We can't go back from this. I don't want you to get jealous. What if Jeremy gets mad?"

"Relax," her friend said. "I've thought about this for a long time, and I trust you. You've wanted Jeremy for forever; he's wanted you for forever, too. This is just a little fun between friends. Trust me. He's not going to be mad, but if he is, it will be with me, not you."

Despite her nerves, it had been a long, long time since Monica had been this excited. She was dripping wet, and it was taking a lot of willpower not to leap on Jeremy and slam herself down on him. "If you're sure..." Cat chuckled and pushed her towards the bed.

"Have fun," she whispered as she quietly closed the door.

Suddenly unsure of herself, Monica merely stood at Jeremy's bedside for a few minutes, calming herself and relishing the moment. Before her lay the longtime object of her desires. A high school crush grown to adulthood, into a man who titillated her fantasies and dreams. She looked him over, almost wishing she could see his beautiful green eyes, but knowing she wouldn't have the courage to do what she was about to if he could see her now.

Gazing at his naked flesh, she once again admired his smooth, tanned skin. She'd never been with a white man before, and she was fascinated at the difference from the black skin she was used to. Jeremy's hard, muscular body had inspired more than one naughty fantasy, and it wasn't just his muscles that were hard. Her eyes tracked down from his well-muscled chest, across his flat stomach, until finally coming to rest on the manhood nestled between his thighs. She was surprised to see that, while he wasn't shaved, Jeremy had trimmed his pubes close to his groin, making his cock seem even bigger. Even flaccid, she thought he was probably at least as big as her husband had been, but she was looking forward to finding out for sure.

Jeremy's first indication that he was no longer alone was when he felt a slight pressure on the bed near his feet. He felt warm drips of what smelled like coconut massage oil on his legs. He often used the oil on Cat's body as a way to heighten her sensitivity. He'd massage her legs and feet, arms and hands, and eventually work over her entire torso, carefully avoiding her erogenous zones. Inevitably, she would beg him to stop teasing her; he supposed turnabout was fair play.

He felt her hands begin to slowly massage his calf and thigh muscles, long, sweeping strokes that firmly pressed against him and eased the tension they held. "Mmmm," he groaned. "That feels great, babe." Monica smiled to herself, knowing that he was picturing Cat's hands on him. The closer that her hands got to his groin, Jeremy began to respond. His cock began to lengthen and thicken in preparation for his lover's touch. As he expected, her hands massaged oh-so-close, but never quite made contact.

He smiled under his mask. "You're teasing me, naughty girl."

Just having her hands in contact with Jeremy's body was doing interesting things to her own. Monica's nipples were hard, and she was beginning to feel the tingles that let her know she was readying for penetration. She continued to massage his body, moving up to work on his chest and arms. She decided to tease him just a little when she reached his hands. There wasn't a lot of slack in the restraints, but there was enough room for her to lift his hand slightly. She kissed the back, then flipped it to palm-up. Starting at the wrist, she placed light kisses across his palm to his fingertips. Isolating just his index finger, she traced her lips with his fingertip, her tongue occasionally darting out to taste his skin. Then she slid the pad of his finger across her flattened tongue, taking the digit entirely into her mouth before closing her lips and slowly sliding it from her mouth. Reaching the end, she reversed the process, fellating his finger. Working it in and out, Monica began to get excited and her tongue got more involved, as she alternated fingers, and even licked the skin between his fingers.

Jeremy groaned in appreciation, and the sensation went straight to his crotch; suddenly he was hard as a rock. That thick extension caught Monica's eye, and she knew where she was headed next. Moving to kneel between his legs, she gently reached out to grasp his erection. Leaning in, she began to tease him by lightly running her lips and cheeks over his hard flesh. Now that he was fully erect, Monica could see that Jeremy was slightly longer than her ex-husband, but he was a whole lot thicker. It had been some time since she'd been intimate with a man, and she realized it was a good thing Jeremy was on his back; she'd need to control his entry, or it would hurt.