Too Clever by a Mile Ch. 07

Chapter Seven

Cathy's Sacrifice:

Not everything was perfect. One evening Cathy and Steve were cuddling in the bedroom. It had been a light day, nothing momentous had happened. Cathy was wearing a red two piece baby doll nightie. It looked really cute on her. The shoulders, top, and sleeves were made of the softest billowy pleated pieces of dyed taffeta, and the panties were very much the same. Ruffles rimmed everything; the sleeves, collar, hem of the panties, top and bottom too. It was the ultimate little baby outfit. She looked as sweet as a candied apple.

Steve asked her, "Have you ever thought about anything like?" He took his hand and rubbed across her rear end.

Cathy had never considered anything having to with her behind as being even remotely like sex. She'd read about it, and she had to admit, out of curiosity she'd looked at some pictures on the Internet. It wasn't that she thought it was just disgusting, she considered it just about the most degrading thing a man could ask a woman to do.

After she'd seen it she thought a woman had a vagina for sex, and she had her mouth if she wanted to give the man she loved something sweet and extra. But anything anal was just this side of female brutality, almost beastial.

She smiled at Steve, "No never, have you?"

He kept massaging her ass cheeks with his right hand, "Well yes, I guess from time to time."

Cathy paled at the thought, "You'd like to do something like that to me?"

He kissed her cheek, "Not if you don't want to."

"You've thought about it though."

"Well yeah, I guess so."

Cathy looked down and away. She wondered if he understood what he was suggesting, "I will if you want me to."

Steve had thought about it, but only as a wild pipe dream, something he'd seen on the Internet, and thought about, it was something he'd never done and probably never would. But the idea of trying it did have a certain appeal.

He kissed her again, "You want to try it."

She inwardly cringed, "Well I guess so, sure."

He gently rolled her over on her stomach. He considered the mechanics of the thing, "Maybe you should get on your hands and knees?"

Cathy got on her hands and knees, but buried her head down in the pillows.

Steve got up behind her. He took his hands and rubbed her ass cheeks. He looked at her peach, that opening to her ass. It was very small, very pink, and very pretty. He took his right hand and carefully pushed against it with his index finger. It seemed tight. He whirled around it a little; just on the outside of the cavern. It was real tight.

Cathy cringed into the mattress. She tried to think about something else. They were at the swimming pool; she was taking a bath, something she was sure she'd want to do after this was over.

Steve squeezed in a finger. It was really tight. He bet the pressure on his cock would really feel great. He leaned forward and kissed her little asshole. He gave it a soft lick. For an ass hole it was really clean; all pink and pretty.

This was too much. Underneath Cathy was almost ready to cry. She kept praying to herself, 'No Steve, please no.'

Steve got up real close. He rubbed his penis up and down the crease of her ass. He thought about how soft it looked, how inviting it looked. Then he glanced down at her vagina. It was dry. It looked like the Sahara desert. He considered, if he was getting ready to do something great, she sure wasn't. He leaned back a little and gently smoothed up and down her puss with his fingertips. Yep, dry as a bone.

Steve leaned back down and took his tongue and kissed her vagina. He let the moisture from his mouth dampen the cleavage between her labial lips. He'd noticed her inner labia were always a little extruded lately, but not now. He touched her ass again with his fingertips. She flinched.

That settled it for Steve. He got down on his elbows in front of her uplifted vagina and began to kiss and suck on it. She didn't get very wet, but he'd figured out why. He sat up on his knees, and very slowly and very carefully entered her vagina. He moved as slowly as he could. In the doing he felt her start to moisten. He realized this was right. This was the place he was supposed to be.

She felt his penis at the door of her ass hole. Then she felt him kissing her vagina. He was licking her pussy. She felt him as he slowly penetrated her puss. She pressed back against him. She shivered. Inwardly she said, "Oh what delight, what heavenly loving wonderful delight!"

They began to move back and forth in unison. Slow at first then a little faster. He was too excited. He came in swift strong pulsating waves. His sperm sloughed down inside her vagina.

Cathy enjoyed the feeling. He'd gotten in farther this way than ever before. There was no peak moment, but it felt wonderful. He'd gone inside her where he was supposed to go.

Once it was over, and it hadn't lasted long. She rolled back over on her back and pulled his head down to her tiny breasts. She wasn't crying, but she was in tears, "I love you Steve I love you so much."

He whispered, "I'm sorry. I just didn't think it was right."

She kissed his neck. She nibbled on his ear, "I'm so in love with you. You're such a good man. I'm the luckiest girl alive."

It was then Steve realized how much she'd hated the thought of what he'd proposed. He was so happy he hadn't taken advantage of her love, of her sweetness. He whispered in her ear, "I love you too sweetheart. Forgive me if I'm a little stupid sometimes."

She snuggled his ear, bit his earlobe, kissed his neck, "You're all right Steve Murphy, You're an all right guy."

He'd never felt so good. In fact he was starting to plump up again. Of what a wonderful night this was going to be.

++++++++++++

For the next several days things couldn't have been better. The Spanish ladies had been on an extended vacation; they were back. Theresa and Cathy had first been talking and then texting back and forth. Whenever Steve appeared to see what she as doing with Theresa Cathy shut down her phone or clammed up. She tried to get Glynnis and Carol to talk on the phone or at least e-mail, but they both had too many excuses. She figured they'd come around when they were ready,

Steve and Cathy followed the same script; some occasional sex but lots of warm interaction. Cathy had her own car; actually it hadn't been, but Steve saw to it her car was signed back of over to her though her insurance was still on his policy.

Steve started back on a more rigorous schedule at the hospice. They'd lost another child, but two new ones had come in. Steve was looking for children a little less along, but the hospitals and clinics in the area were turning to him more and more with children who were the very sickest.

There were some theological concerns, but nothing came of it. Steve, not being a religious man only tolerated the clergy, he didn't seek them out. Some clerics, particularly some of the Protestant denominations in the community had been grumbling about not being in 'Murphy's Loop'.

The state had been in and out, as was customary, and the facility was given the highest possible rating. The hospice had an excellent reputation; he had an excellent reputation, and the doctors who came in and out were among the best. Still, it was a place where children came to die. It was a melancholy situation. Then something very interesting happened.

It was late afternoon, a sunny Tuesday in the spring time. It was a time for new birth and optimism, but there were so many children at the other end, and no matter how hard he tried to hold his end up Steve just couldn't overcome an overwhelming feeling of ennui, a morose sense of foreboding that haunted him day and night. The hospice was his life's work, but it was killing him. There was just too much sadness, too much death. He was looking out the window. Cathy had been all over town doing things that didn't make sense. Sometimes he wondered how she could still be so positive, so full of hope when all around him all he saw was grief.

He sat at the window thinking about the little boys and little girls, all of whom were much too close to eternity when he saw a car that looked just like Cathy's pull up. Some strange looking person, it looked like a child, got out of the car. He or she skipped up the sidewalk and straight into the front door. He picked up his monitor and called the nurse at the front, "Who was that who just came in?"

The nurse at the desk responded, "Ms. Shoreham, why?"

"What's she doing here?"

The nurse replied, "Don't you know. She's comes here every day around 3:00 p.m."

"You sure it's her?"

"Yes I am. You didn't know?"

Steve was perplexed, "You mean my Cathy?"

"She's the children's entertainment."

"Entertainment?"

The nurse started to explain, "Cathy has been coming in every day dressed up for the children."

"Dressed up?" he turned off the monitor. He had to see what was going on. He got up and left his office for the main corridor. He started down the corridor when he heard some very strange sounds. Someone was somewhere pretending to make little girl giggly sounds. He turned the corner and he saw. There in the playroom were the children who weren't in deepest need. They were sitting in a semicircle around Cathy. She was all dressed up in some kind of costume. She had her back to him so he crept up quietly to find out more.

Cathy was sitting on the floor. In front of her were eleven children all sitting or lying on big futons. She was dressed up in a bright red dress.

He could make out some big puffy shoulders, a wide white peter pan collar, and she had on a pretty red cape. He hair was done up in red ribbons, his red ribbon. She had on white gloves, "So Little Red Riding Hood said, oh what big eyes you have! And the big bad wolf answered all the better to see you with. And then Little Red Riding Hood said, but what big teeth you have, and the Big Bad Wolf said, all the better to eat you..."

Steve fled the room! He realized why Cathy wanted the make-up, the body paint, and why she'd bought all those things weeks back. This was her way. She wasn't a nurse, she wasn't a doctor, and she couldn't help with the paperwork. Cathy had found a way to be a part of the hospice, and oh what a way!

He sneaked back to the door and peered in. The story was over. Cathy was crawling around the semi-circle going from child to child. She was kissing, tickling, and cuddling each one. They were all laughing and giggling. He watched as she got up. What was she saying?

Cathy got up, "Now children I want you all to take a little nap. While you're resting up I'll go fetch Sheriff Black Bart. He's been out on the range. You know what the range is."

Steve watched as the children all nodded their heads up and down.

Cathy continued. "Well I'll go rustle up the sheriff." She took her hands and arms and made like she was rustling something up, "I'll get Black Bart, and he'll tell you about the cattle rustlers. As she started out the door she said, "Now you guys rest a while now."

As she ran out he could hear the kids laughing. Then crying back, "Come right back Miss Cathy. Yeah and bring Black Bart."

Cathy ran out of the room right into Steve, "Oh, I didn't know you were here."

He laughed, "And I didn't know Back Bart was here either."

She pushed by him, "I have to get ready. Black Bart's costume is a little more complicated than this one."

He asked "Cathy?"

"Yes Steve."

"When did you start doing this, and what gave you the idea?"

She giggled, "I saw on the Internet where they do it at other places. I guess I thought of it when I was looking at the nursing schools. I sort of got tired of the idea of being a nurse. I wanted to do something that was positive, but didn't require two more years of college training." She leaned back against the wall, "I can be a dog, a mouse, a cat, a little girl, a cowboy, Cinderella, anything I want. The children love it, and I get to make them feel a little better."

Steve leaned against the wall beside her, "You're wonderful. Did you know that?"

She giggled, "No you're wonderful. Look I have to get back." She pointed back in the direction of the children with a white glove. "My public you know."

Steve smiled, "OK I'll leave you alone."

She laughed, "Oh I'm not alone." She scampered down the hall to get ready to be Black Bart.

He turned to go. One of the nurses, an older lady, someone who'd been around since the start was standing near him. She smiled at Steve, "Isn't she wonderful? Since she's been coming the place has changed so much. They get so excited when she comes."

He looked back. She was gone. He guessed she was someplace getting changed, "Yeah she's something."

The nurse was looking to where Cathy had disappeared, "An angel, she's an angel."

Steve had to get out. He was too emotional. He went back to his office and called Theresa. When he got her on the phone he asked, "Do you know what's going on down here."

Theresa responded, "Where you mean at the hospice? You mean about Cathy?"

"You knew?"

"She warned everyone not to tell you. She thought it was best if you found out for yourself."

He was shocked, "Who else knows, and for how long?"

"She started a while back. I've known from the start. Most everyone else has known since she started too. What do you think?"

He spluttered, "What do you think? What do you think I think?"

Theresa replied, "I think we've all been a little stupid."

He gruffly replied, "Yeah." He packed up early and went on home.

Cathy got home a little after 6:00. She was exhausted when she came in the front door. Fortunately she had her costumes all worked out for the week, and she gave herself the morning off to rest up and do other things Steve knew nothing about. She figured the only times she'd go in other than the late afternoon would be if someone was getting too close to home. She'd also been seeing the Methodist pastor, and he'd been a help in other ways.

She got in the front door and saw Steve in the sitting room. The sitting room or television room was a seldom used place in their house. Ever since she'd been there everyone was usually too busy to take the time to just pop off. She wondered what he was doing there. She walked down, "What are you doing in here?"

He sat back on the old love seat and grinned. There in front of him on one the low table was a food spread. She saw several kinds of fruit, a tossed salad, some coleslaw, and a small selection of lunch meat, especially her favorite, corn beef brisket, "What's this?"

"It's for you."

She walked over and sat down on the loveseat. "This is nice Steve."

He reached over and started to make himself a little corned beef sandwich on a roll, "You're nice Cathy."

She sat back and relaxed, "I mean it, this is nice."

He nibbled on his biscuit, "I mean it, you're nice."

She fixed herself a corned beef biscuit and a small salad.

He turned on the television, "I ordered a video."

"Really what?"

"I'm not sure it's something about a girl whose father sends her out west to marry some young guy she doesn't know. It's supposed to be a love story."

Cathy curled up on her portion of the loveseat, "Let's see what it's about."

Together they sat back on the loveseat and watched a movie. She ended up lying down with her head on his lap. He didn't get excited or anything. He just felt really warm and happy.

Cathy dozed off a little about half way through the movie. As she lay there, her head in his lap, corned beef in her tummy, she sighed. She thought it was good to be home.

++++++++++++

Theresa had been skyping back and forth with Cathy for several days. All she heard was Cathy and Steve, Steve and Cathy, Cathy, Cathy, Cathy, Steve, Steve, Steve; they just didn't get it.

Theresa knew the truth. Cathy knew nothing. Steve knew nothing. If they knew they wouldn't feel the way they did. No, it would be entirely different. Theresa remembered, she remembered everything. Steve wasn't this great guy Cathy talked about. He was a cad, a bounder, the worst kind of creep. She knew. She knew the truth.

When Leah had been alive Steve had been the wiliest Tom Cat in six states, a real night owl, a sexual prowler. Leah found out, she'd learned what a creep Steve was. That's when she turned to her, to Theresa. Theresa had been there for her; she'd always been there. Cathy had asked her if she had a significant other. Well she did, and she had; in fact she put flowers on her grave every week. No one else did. Steve never did. He was too weak.

When Leah found out about Steve's wanderings she'd fallen into Theresa's to arms. They made love. Leah became her paramour. She and Leah; it was idyllic. Leah was on the verge of telling the bastard she was going to leave him. She was going to leave him for her. Imagine, Steve's wife dropping him for a lesbian. If Leah hadn't gotten sick it would have happened too! It would have been Leah and Theresa, not Leah and Steve.

But Leah did get sick, and Steve fell into a funk. He collapsed in his own effluvium. Call it guilt, remorse, regret, whatever, Steve's sadness knew no limit, but it wasn't a normal kind of gloom. Steve had felt trapped, snared. His happy go lucky life style had been overturned. He was suddenly swamped with new concerns, new problems, and for the first time he was inundated with real responsibility.

His problems would have broken him if it hadn't been for her. When he was down, while Leah lay dying, and then afterward, it had been Theresa, good old Theresa who'd come to the rescue. Theresa had saved Leah, and then she'd saved Steve.

But Leah had told her everything. She told her about the lonely nights, the discovered infidelities, the anger, then Leah had told her about Allen, yes Allen. Good old Glynnis never knew, and still didn't know about her wonderful loving devoted one and only. He hadn't been that wonderful loving one and only after all.

Theresa wondered how it would all pan out if little Stevie, cutie pie Cathy, and Ms. Perfect Glynnis, and of course that stalwart of fidelity Allen all got the news. What if they all got the news at the same time? What if they did? Well they had it coming! Theresa wasn't sure what to do. In her way she loved Steve. She liked Cathy too. Glynnis was an old friend. They all mattered. They just didn't understand. How would they? It was like there was this circle. Whenever someone drew it they were on the inside, and she was on the outside. Theresa didn't know what to do; she just didn't know what to do.

++++++++++++

Cathy wasn't the best when it came to reading other peoples thoughts, but she hadn't grown up in a compete vacuum. Her father had been one mean son of a bitch. She hated him. Still, she guessed he had his reasons, not that it excused him.

Cathy was a firm believer in retributive justice; a person does wrong, they confess, we forgive, but they still get punished. In fact, if they confessed, and are really penitent, they should want to be punished.

Steve was still carrying around a lot of guilt and anger. After talking to Theresa she bet she had some skeletons in her closet too. Then there was Leah, but she wasn't saying anything. Then again, maybe she was. Steve, she knew, was capable of hurting people, but she was convinced it didn't happen without provocation. He beat her poor rear end mercilessly, but she'd figured it out, that hadn't been her ass he was walloping, it had probably been Leah's, and not just for dying.

She knew a few things. She had Steve's number. She could and certainly would make him a happy man. But then what about Theresa? There was no reason for her to do anything for Theresa. That woman had done things to her that had been unnecessarily mean, maybe a little bit anyway.