Take Care of Me Ch. 03

Part of me wanted to stop living the moment I heard the awful, awful news . . . but I couldn't. I had Elizabeth to think about. Although I had not legally adopted her, to me, she was like my daughter and, to her, I was her father. She was 15 years old and it was horrible enough to have been abandoned by her biological father and then to have her mother murdered. I had to think about her and the loss she was experiencing.

Of course, Laura's parents lived nearby and they were as helpful as they could be despite their devastation. We all went to the funeral home and made the plans together. We sat together and talked, we cried together, and we held each other. I remember being at the funeral but my memories are not very clear.

After a few weeks, Laura's parents and I talked about Elizabeth. They offered to take on the responsibility of raising her but they made it clear that they weren't trying to take her from me. Laura's parents and I had a very trusting relationship and we all knew that no one would try to deprive the other of time with Elizabeth. I expressed appreciation for their offer but explained that I thought the loss of her "father" and moving to a new home would be too much trauma to add to the loss Elizabeth had already suffered.

Grandma suggested that Elizabeth would need a woman to help guide her through the remainder of her teen years. At this point in her life, Elizabeth was well beyond puberty and she did not need a woman to teach her about her monthly cycle or to help her buy her first bra. If, and when, Elizabeth needed some female guidance, she could still seek that from her grandmother, from her friends' mothers, or from Laura's friends.

They understood and eventually agreed. I went to court and, with the grandparents' consent, was appointed legal guardian of Elizabeth.

Life went on but we both felt like zombies; both Elizabeth and I felt as if our guts had been torn out. Sometimes, I started crying and Elizabeth consoled me. Sometimes, she started crying and I consoled her. Sometimes, we both cried and held on to each other. I tried to reassure her about how much I loved her and she did the same for me. After a few weeks, we only cried two or three times a day.

My employer had been wonderful in giving me a paid leave of absence to deal with the death of my wife. After a month, I still wasn't ready to face the world but I didn't want to stay at home, sequestered in mourning. I was also mindful of the fact that I needed to set a good example for Elizabeth. School had arranged for her to get assignments sent home so that she would not need to return to school immediately, but staying at home was not good for Elizabeth.

I returned to work and Elizabeth returned to school. It was good for us to resume the lives we had previously led. Elizabeth was a good student and she quickly caught up on her classes. I tried to avoid becoming the cliché workaholic because I had Elizabeth to care for.

Elizabeth and I had to have a talk about behavior around the house. When Laura was alive, our family had not been overly modest in the privacy of our home. However, now that Laura wasn't around to "chaperone," I was concerned about what others might think if they thought that Elizabeth walked around the house less than fully dressed. If anyone made accusations about improper conduct in our home, I could lose the guardianship and she would then need to go live with her grandparents. Elizabeth understood though she expressed some frustration with the idea of wearing a bathrobe and the other efforts required to maintain the appearance of propriety.

I recognized that Elizabeth needed more than the usual amount of attention. We began to have "date night" on Friday nights. She would come home from school and get dressed up and I would take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant. Sometimes, we would go to a movie afterwards. I wanted Elizabeth to know how a lady is supposed to be treated because she was beginning to express an interest in dating. I certainly didn't want her accepting less than she deserved.

Elizabeth deserved the best and I tried to give her all that I could without spoiling her. Laura had life insurance that paid me $500,000 and the hospital settled a wrongful death claim based on their lack of security. We were comfortable -- financially -- but all of the money went into investments and I spent only a part of the income that was generated.

Her mother had done a wonderful job with Elizabeth and daughter had the same sparkly, energetic personality as her mother. After the death of Laura, Elizabeth had been subdued for a while but after a few months I began to see the brightness in her spirit and some enthusiasm for the world around her.

Even at the age of 15, Elizabeth was a young woman and not a child. She was considerate of others and well mannered. She had fun with her friends but she didn't seem to be interested in the stupid things that kids find interesting and she certainly wasn't attracted to the thrill-seeking behaviors that got so many kids in trouble.

Physically, she had developed beautifully. She was 5'4" and weighed about 120 lbs. Her complexion was clear and she was fair skinned. She had long brown hair and wide green eyes. Her breasts had developed to a 34A and they complimented her petite frame perfectly. To me, she looked like the actress who played the older daughter on The Partridge Family. She was girl-next-door cute.

She began dating a boy who lived in our neighborhood who was one year older than her. After about a month, I decided that I needed to have a talk with her about the birds and the bees. Like most naïve young girls, she insisted that Rick was just an innocent boy who had no interest in sex.

I explained that almost any boy who had an opportunity would want to have sex with her. I started to tell her that sex leads to babies, etc. but she interrupted to inform me that she and her mother had reviewed all of those things a few years earlier and her mother had offered to start Elizabeth on birth control pills at any time that Elizabeth believed that it was indicated.

I told Elizabeth that I, also, would make the same offer about starting her on birth control pills. I wasn't encouraging her to have sex with boys but would rather have her on birth control pills than have her pregnant.

"Daddy, right now, the idea of a boy doing that to me sounds kind of icky but, if it makes you feel better, you can start me on the pills."

I interpreted that as Elizabeth's way of saying that she wasn't sure whether it was necessary or not, so I made the arrangements and took Elizabeth to her first gynecologist appointment. When we exited the doctor's office with prescription in hand, I said to Elizabeth, "At moments like this, I miss Laura even more."

Elizabeth grabbed my hand and stopped me. I turned towards her and she hugged me tightly. She then kissed me lightly on the cheek and said, "I love you, Daddy. I won't let you be lonely."

* * *

The next few years were filled with learner's permits, driver's licenses, sleepovers with her girlfriends, proms, dances, movies . . . and holidays, when my memories of Laura were stirred afresh. Elizabeth dated a few boys but it didn't appear that she ever got serious with any of them and, as far as I knew, she was still an innocent virgin. For high school graduation, I bought her a new car.

She turned 18 the month after high school graduation. On her 18th birthday, she came to me for a talk.

"So, now that I'm 18, the guardianship is over, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's right. You can live wherever you want and nobody else has anything to say about it . . . as long as you continue to live here with me," I added with a smile.

"Daddy, you know I'm not going anywhere, except to college. This is my home."

"Okay. So what's the point of all this?" I inquired.

"Well, I sleep in just my panties, just like Mom used to do, and I really don't like sleeping with my bedroom door closed 'cause sometimes Bear wakes me up when he wants out." Bear is the cat. "Since nobody can take me away from you now, it would be nice if you didn't freak out if you saw me in just my underwear, you know, just like I used to see Mom in her underwear. You know, I trust you and I'm really not expecting you to try to take advantage of me, and . . . you could relax a bit, too, you know."

"Sweetie, this is your home and I want you to be comfortable here. I want you living here as long as you want to live here. I love having you here and I'm gonna miss you when you go off to college, so . . . do whatever you're comfortable with and I'll deal with it. Just make sure that you keep it presentable when somebody else is around, and by all means, don't tell your grandma."

"Like I was gonna tell her anyway, right? So, where you taking me to dinner tonight?"

* * *

Elizabeth's birthday dinner was at a restaurant that I have patronized for years. I arranged it in advance and we were given a private dining room. Elizabeth asked if she could have a glass of wine with dinner. Since we were in a private dining room, and since the waiter had known me for almost 10 years, and since it was Elizabeth's 18th birthday, and since she is so charming and beautiful, the restaurant obliged. However, one glass of wine turned into three glasses of wine and Elizabeth was a bit tipsy by the time we left.

I helped her into her seat and buckled her seat belt before I got in the car. Within a few minutes, I could tell that she was asleep and she didn't wake up during the drive home. I pulled in the garage and closed the garage door and she still wasn't awake.

I woke her and helped her into the house. She was walking but leaning on me for support. I led her to her bedroom and was turning to leave when she said, "I need to get ready for bed. Daddy, can you help me?"

I turned and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"I need to get undressed," she said. "Can you help me?"

This shouldn't be a big deal. I knew she was feeling a bit tipsy and she had no experience with alcohol of any type, so of course I would help her.

"You'll need to stand up for us to get that dress off of you," I instructed her. I reached under her arms to lift her and she rose to her feet. "Turn around so I can unzip it."

"I can't. I'll fall over," she answered.

I pulled her body against mine so that I could reach around her back and unzip the dress. I pulled the dress off of her shoulders and down her arms and it began to fall to her feet.

"Slip, too," she said.

I reached down and pulled her slip up.

"Over the moon," I said, as if I was addressing a young child learning how to dress and undress themselves. She raised her arms and I pulled the slip over her head. She stood before me in her bra and panties, and her high heels. "Okay. Sit down now."

Sitting down was easier than getting her to stand. As I got down on my knees to unstrap her heels, she spread her legs and scooted closer to the edge of the mattress. I found myself staring at the crotch of her silky bikini panties. I had never thought of Elizabeth as an object for my sexual desire but staring at the camel toe in her panties certainly had me thinking impure thoughts. Somehow, I forced myself to avert my gaze to her feet so I could remove her heels.

When that was accomplished, she quickly added, "Last thing to go is the bra. It's on the back," she said, referring to the bra's fastener. With that said, she leaned forward so that her covered breasts were in my face. I felt my way around on her back and, with some effort, managed to unfasten the hooks that held the undergarment in place.

As soon as I had it unfastened, she leaned back and let the bra slide down her arms. I had never seen her naked boobs and I was not ready for what I saw. Her titties looked exactly like her mother's. Her bra size was a 34A (I knew this because I went shopping with her) and she had little nipples that sat in the middle of quarter-sized areolas. Like the rest of her body, the skin of her breasts was clear, but she had apparently been working on a tan. I noticed that there were no tan lines so I assumed that she was tanning topless when I wasn't at home.

"They're kind of little, Daddy, but I'm hoping they'll still grow some," she said apologetically.

"Honey, you are absolutely beautiful and you don't need to make excuses for your boobs. They're perfect. They remind me of your Mom's boobs; they were perfect, too. You are 100% gorgeous and I'm very proud of you."

"Daddy, you're so wonderful . . . uh, I need to pee."

"Okay, well, I guess I need to get outta here," I said.

She started to stand but was a bit unsteady. "I might need some help," she said in a little girl voice.

"Okay," I said. I lifted her to her feet and she leaned on my arm as I led her to the bathroom. I lifted the toilet lid and said "I'll be standing in the hallway if you need me." I walked out of the bathroom but left the door open, positioning myself far enough down the hallway to give her some visual privacy.

I waited a minute or two and heard nothing so I asked if everything was okay. Receiving no reply, I peeked around the bathroom door and saw her sitting on the toilet, panties around her ankles, head resting in her hands, and obviously asleep.

I walked in and stood in front of her. "Honey, wake up."

"Daddy, I'm so sleepy. Can you help me?"

"Did you already pee," I asked.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered.

"Did you wipe, too?" I asked.

"I don't remember," she confessed.

I pulled some toilet paper from the roll and handed it to her. She spread her legs apart and, for the first time in my life, I saw my little girl's naked pussy. Her pubic hairs had all been shaved and her pussy was barren. Like her mother, she didn't have any protruding inner lips. Externally, all that was visible was two outer lips and a simple crease that extended down between her legs.

She wiped and dropped the paper in the toilet. "All done," she said.

I lifted her to her feet and tried to get her to hold on to the wall while I bent down to pull her panties back up. Unfortunately, she started to teeter and I quickly abandoned the panties. They fell down past her ankles and she looked down and stepped out of them.

"You're the only guy who's ever seen me naked," she said.

"You mean you're still a . . .?"

"Yes, Daddy, I'm still a little virgin with little virgin titties and a little virgin pussy." I had never heard her talk like this before and I assumed that it was just the three glasses of wine having an effect on her.

I led her back to her bedroom and put her in bed. I pulled the sheets over her and bent down to kiss her goodnight. Usually, she waited for me to plant a kiss on her forehead but, this time, she raised up just enough so that her lips found my lips and she gave me a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she apologized. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Elizabeth."