Fourth Year After Ch. 01

Then it was Henry's turn to kneel before Toni and he gave her a wedding ring as well, although this one more closely resembled the braided tri-color pattern of the rings he and I both wore, but with a center setting of both diamonds and sapphires. He said, "All four of our wives deserve to wear rings, whether or not there's a wedding license involved. We love you, Toni, and want the whole world to know it. To the public, this ring might only symbolize Tina's and my love, but in private it's from all of us." He slipped the ring onto her finger, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

I saw one tear roll down Toni's cheek, before she was able to say, "I love you all so much. I'm so glad I decided to take that walk down the beach that one night, to discover not only the secret between Drew and Tina, but the love I've always wanted in my life."

After the rest of our gifts were exchanged, we woke the babies, and coaxed them through tearing the paper off of their first Christmas gifts. Following so closely after their birthdays, I doubted they understood a bit of it. It was more for us parents.

~~~~~

Our gift exchange with my Barnes family later in the day wasn't particularly notable.

~~~~~

Mom came to East that night, and climbed into bed with me. "Maria told me what happened, when she came over to West to get her car. The rest of the family knows she left, but not exactly why. I'm sorry, Drew."

"My own fault," I muttered.

"For loving her, and telling her so?" Mom asked. "I hope you don't really believe that."

I shook my head. "No. For not keeping myself from proposing, when she wasn't remotely ready to say 'yes'."

Mom and I simply held each other, until I fell asleep.

~~~~~

December 31, 2015

We hosted our New Year's Eve party in Center. I had called Duke and Jean to let them know that an old flame of Henry's was attending with her kids. I let Ginger know that my best friend and his wife, who had been best man and bridesmaid at our wedding, while Patti and I were matron of honor and best man at theirs, were attending. I added that they were aware of my incest, so she didn't have to worry if that topic came up, but I expected this to be just a get acquainted gathering with her kids.

Patti's parents and sister Jody agreed to watch all of our kids for the night.

Ginger arrived first, giving all of us hugs and kisses. I asked her, "How are your kids feeling about all this, right now?"

Ginger replied, "They're doubtful, particularly Toby. I don't think he's prepared to share Wendy or me, although he's looking forward to seeing Amber and Sandy again. Wendy's more optimistic, but would probably follow Toby's decision."

Jean and Duke were the next to arrive. Before I could even introduce them to Ginger, Jean cried out, "Aunt Ginger? You're Henry's old flame?" They hugged, then stepped apart but held hands, as Duke looked on in surprise.

Ginger recovered quickly, as she turned to me. "Hold on. Drew, you said you were best man at the wedding of the couple who were coming tonight? That's Jeannie and Duke? Your whole family attended?"

I answered, "Yeah, we were all invited as friends of both bride and groom, in addition to Patti and I being in the wedding party."

Ginger sighed, before saying, "My kids and I couldn't make it because my Mom had just entered hospice in Oregon, although it was another five weeks before she passed. Afterwards, I heard from Monica, my sister-in-law, all about how my nephew David got a blowjob from the best man's sister Sandy during the reception. I hadn't met you, yet, or I might have remembered if she said the best man's name was Drew. Sounds like little Miss Sandy, though."

"Did I just hear my name?" Sandy called out as she came out of the downstairs bathroom.

"Yeah, sis," I said. "It turns out that Ginger heard about your exploits at Duke and Jean's wedding as family gossip, because it turns out she's Jean's aunt."

"You're kidding, right?" Sandy snickered. "Is this family just a magnet for coincidences? Dad moves in next door to Tina and Drew, only to find that we all know Patti? Then Amber turns out to know your friend Kenny, Ginger was Toni's sister's doctor and now she's also Jean's aunt? Let me guess, Ginger's maiden name is Parker, too?"

Ginger answered, "Bingo. Jean is my older brother Derek's daughter. I heard the gossip from my younger brother Ken's wife, Monica."

Jean asked, "Are Toby and Wendy coming here, too?"

The doorbell rang, and Ginger said, "That should be them, now. Let's knock their socks off, Jeannie. Hide behind the door, and do a 'guess who?' from behind them."

I flashed back to when Patti did the same thing to Amber at the very same door and could tell from their smiles that both of them were remembering it as well. We watched as Jean stepped beside the front door, and Ginger let her kids in, drawing them into a hug as she closed the door, so Jean could creep up on them from behind.

My first glance of Wendy only confirmed what Ginger had said about resembling Amber, but I could now see traits that resembled both Ginger and Jean, too. She jumped when Jean said "Guess who?" into her ear, and spun around. They both squealed, as Wendy grabbed Jean into a hug and, before anyone could say anything, was kissing her, passionately. Jean melted into it, returning just as much energy back to Wendy.

I don't know whose eyes were widest from surprise, Ginger's, Duke's or Toby's. Duke finally stepped up to them, and cleared his throat. Jean looked his way, and finally pulled away from Wendy, squeaking out an "Oh god, Wen," then turning Wendy around to see all of us watching them. Jean said, "Wendy, Toby, I'd like to introduce my husband Duke Anderson. You guys were visiting your mom every time Duke was in Denver with me, before the wedding. I never imagined this would be the place you would finally meet, but I'm glad you finally did."

Toby shook Duke's hand, but was clearly still focused on his sister, so when Wendy kissed Duke just as hard, Toby finally spoke up. "Wendy? What the hell are you doing?"

She ended the kiss and, turning back to her brother, said, "They know. It's okay now."

"Know what?" Jean asked.

Ginger looked my way, and asked, "Drew, did you tell them?"

I simply said, "No, I didn't. I only told them you three knew Henry and his daughters. I didn't think to share names, or we wouldn't have gotten this surprise."

"What's going on?" Duke asked. "What didn't we get told, that Wendy thinks we did?"

Wendy suddenly looked scared, until Ginger broke the silence. "Well, there's no getting around it, now. Duke, Jeannie, my kids and I share the same incest secret Drew does with his family. He told me that you were aware of their secret, in case anything slipped out tonight, and that's what I told my kids. Apparently Wendy thought I meant you knew our secret, too, without knowing who we were, exactly. Drew certainly didn't know we were part of Jeannie's family."

Jean stepped between Wendy and Duke, and asked Wendy, "Toby and your mom?"

Wendy nodded meekly, then took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "The weird part is it all started because of you. I've always felt like we were close whenever the families were together, even though you're 4 years older. The summer after I graduated high school, when grandpa died and we all got together for the funeral and our families helped clear out his house and settle his estate, I felt myself getting so turned on by you. Then I overheard you admit to Aunt Monica that you were bisexual, but I couldn't gather the courage to tell you what I felt for you. I did write about it in my journal, though. After I joined Toby in college two years ago and we were sharing an apartment, he read those entries and called me on it. That led to him admitting he was attracted not only to you, but to me, too, and we've been a couple since then."

"And your mom?" Jean asked.

Wendy answered, "We told Mom about us last month. Her reunion with Henry and finding out about the incest in his family, had her thinking the same way about us. We had our first time with Mom over Thanksgiving break in Denver, then again while we've been here in Dallas for Christmas. We're actually here to get to know this group better before deciding whether to try being intimate with them, too. Are you two part of all that?"

Jean answered, "I was, briefly, more than two years ago, before the Kilsons were involved, but not now. When I was interning after my Junior year, I became intimate with Drew and Patti as a threesome, before accidentally finding out Drew's secret, then made love with Tina and Toni as well a few times. I met Duke through them, and stopped the sex with them so I could focus on being with Duke. He knew I had been with Drew and Patti, but didn't know the rest until a year ago, at the same time we both learned about the Kilson's incest. I've never been intimate with the Kilsons, and Duke hasn't been with any of them."

Wendy turned to Duke and asked, "Why haven't you? Because of the incest?"

Duke replied, "Maybe a little bit, but mostly because I prefer to stay their friend, rather than risk that by trying to turn the relationship sexual and having it fail, then not be able to go back to being friends. I... I don't make friends that easily, so the ones I have are precious."

"Wendy, what's going on?" Toby asked, confused.

"Isn't it obvious, brother?" Wendy said. "I am still attracted to Jean, and want to make love to her, if she'll have me - have us - in her life like that. I'm trying to figure out how she and Duke both feel about incest, whether mine and yours, or the prospect of having sex with her cousins. They're clearly tolerant of what happens in this household, so I'm hoping they'll be okay with ours."

"Come here, both of you," Jean said, taking their hands. Looking them both in the eyes, she said, "I dearly love you both. Your attraction to me comes as a surprise, though, so it's premature for me to make some kind of decision about that. After all, it's been more than three years since we've even seen each other, between colleges, my being in Dallas and your grandmother being sick in Oregon. We would need time to get to know each other again, for Duke to get to know you, period. Speaking just for myself, I'd say I'm a maybe, with the incest actually not being a major factor. I'll let Duke make his own choice about whether he wants to join me if I decide to say yes." She then walked over to Ginger, saying, "How are you taking all this, Auntie? You look stunned."

Ginger blinked, then hesitantly said, "I feel like I'm in a whirlwind, Jeannie. Three months ago, I came back to Dallas just hoping to reunite with Henry, only to find out that not only was he married, but he considered himself married to his daughter and his legal wife was married to her son, plus there are two more women involved, and they all wanted me to think about joining them in their group. I didn't know how to tell my kids, was afraid of the sexual thoughts I began having about them. Only to find out that my own kids had gotten intimate without me knowing, and wanted me to join them, too, which I did. Now with Wendy propositioning you and Duke today and finding out that you've already made love to some of the same people I have, I find myself faced with choices I never thought I'd have to make."

"What does your heart tell you?" Jean asked. "It usually knows the right answers, even when our heads don't."

Ginger didn't answer right away, then couldn't, as Jean stepped closer and pulled her aunt's head down into a soft kiss. We could hear Ginger's surprised moan from across the room, as Jean put her free hand on Ginger's ass, pulling them tightly together.

Jean converted the kiss into a full-body hug, and softly said, "Wendy said she felt attracted to me several years ago, but didn't say anything. Hearing that brought me full-circle. That was me, a few years before, in my feelings for you. Feeling attracted to you let me realize I was bi. With that knowledge, I had my first experiences with women in my Freshman year. When Wendy heard me confess to Aunt Monica, it was because of how I was looking at you. Without all that, I probably wouldn't have gotten involved with Drew and Patti. I wouldn't have met Duke and I wouldn't be here tonight to tell you I love you, too. I guess I'm asking you for the same consideration that Wendy's asking from me. Will you let me be your lover?"

Jean's question pushed Ginger over the edge. She swooned, and Tina couldn't hold her up. I got behind Ginger, and lifted her into my arms, carrying her to a couch. Henry was checking her pulse when she came to and, once she recognized Henry, asked, "What am I going to do, Henry?"

Henry put his hand against her cheek and said, "You're going to be happy, sweetheart, that's what. You have all of these people offering you love. Who says you have to choose between them? Society expects us to pick one person to love, for ever after, but I've learned to accept that there's room in my heart to love more than one person, and to accept love from more than one. Stop trying to pick, and accept love from all of us. Maybe not all of us at the same time, but I can take turns, too. However much of yourself you can share, I will be delighted to accept."

"No!" whined Toby. "I don't want to share. She's my mom, and she just started being my lover. Now you want her to divide her time between all the people here tonight? That's crazy!"

"I used to think like that, Toby," Amber said to him. "I didn't want to share my Dad with anyone, even when I saw the logic in him dating your mom and then Tina, before we realized Tina's family shared our secret. But Drew, Patti, Tina and Toni helped me see the same thing that my Dad is talking about. Their relationship was based not on possessiveness and jealousy, but being happy when their partners are happy with someone else. Even when I was involved with someone who didn't know about my Dad and me, they loved and supported me. Dad's love for other women doesn't diminish what he feels for me, or how I feel about him. By opening my own heart, I get the love of Drew and my co-wives, even Sandy. I'm hoping your Mom, you and Wendy can join in on that, even part-time. Not because you have to, but because you want to."

"And if I don't feel love for you or your spouses?" he asked.

"Then you don't feel it. But I do know your mom loves my dad and vice-versa, and I've been willing to share him with her from the first day she came back into our lives, because she makes him happier. All you need to do is give her the same freedom. Let her heart feel what it will, then feel happy that she's happy, even if it's with someone else. Is it easier to share her time when you're in the same house with her other lovers, or even in the same bed during sex? Sure it is. That's why we're trying to get to know each other better, to see whether the nine of us develop the feelings that would let us form one marriage. Or maybe it might be eleven, now?" Amber asked, glancing towards Jean and Duke, who were standing nearby. "No decisions have to be made tonight, one way or the other. Let's just have fun tonight, and not worry about the rest until next year, okay?"

"I guess," he answered.

The tension Toby introduced never completely went away, but we tried our best to make it a fun night. Everyone was spending the night, so alcohol flowed freely, except for Sandy and Patti, which loosened people up as the night went by.

Toby and Wendy seem inclined to only socialize with Jean, Ginger, Henry, Amber and Sandy, who they already knew. Thankfully, we had a whole set of games lined up to play, and randomizing the players did get them to interact with all of us over the course of the night.

Henry and Duke, who hadn't interacted much in the past, seemed to click really quickly, engaging in several discussions about the possibilities in new construction methods for possibly custom-building a larger house for our family during and between the games. There was a lot about Henry which reminded me of Duke's father, so I wasn't surprised. Duke's stepdad was almost a complete opposite.

Wendy was flirty with all of the men, and Sandy and Amber, but less so with Patti, Toni or Mom, especially if Toby was nearby. His possessiveness was clear, and remembering what Amber said about his maturity, he sounded several years younger than he really was.

~~~~~

January 1, 2016

When it came to midnight kisses, we were four men to eight women, so two of the pairings were female. Henry was kissing Ginger, Duke was with Jean, Toby with Wendy, and I was kissing Mom. Amber kissed Toni and Patti was with Sandy.

Without saying anything, everyone switched, and Ginger kissed Toby, Wendy went to Jean, Amber came to me, Henry kissed Mom, Sandy kissed Toni, leaving Patti to kiss Duke. While this wasn't the first time he'd ever kissed Patti at midnight, he seemed extra nervous about it.

After, I pulled him aside and asked, "How are you doing, with all the revelations tonight? It's certainly not what I expected tonight to be."

"I really don't know, Drew," he admitted. "I want to do what will make Jean happy, but if she and I get sexually involved with the Carpenters, and your poly-marriage gets more fully involved with them too, perhaps even merging families, how do I keep from getting involved with you guys, too? Your friendship really does mean a lot to me. I don't want to risk it."

I responded, "I can't tell you what to feel, Duke, but if you do have feelings of attraction and love and avoid pursuing those out of fear that things wouldn't work out, I think you would be missing out, and underestimating our ability to stay friends regardless. Patti and I haven't had sex with Jean in more than two years. Did it ever interfere in our ability to be her friend?"

"No," Duke admitted. "Jean considers Patti her best friend in Dallas, perhaps her best friend, period. But I also want you to understand that you didn't have an existing friendship with Jean that turned sexual, then turned back to friendship. You went from acquaintances to sex to friends, mostly because she was involved with me and wound up working at the same company as Patti. You could just as easily have never seen each other after that summer ended and your period of intimacy was actually based on that goodbye actually happening. You didn't have to recover a friendship that you tried to change to something else."

"Point well made. Well, the 'no decisions tonight' applies to you, too. We've set aside Sandy's bedroom in East for you and Jean. Amber, Patti and I are going to be in the East master, while the Carpenters will take the bedroom in Center, and Henry, Mom, Sandy and Toni are going to have West House. Sleep on it, and maybe we can talk some more in the morning."

When the party wound down at 1, we said our good nights to the Carpenters, and the five of us walked over to East, and walked Duke and Jean to Sandy's room, and Patti, Amber and I walked back along the hallway to the master bedroom, and actually settled in to sleep.

~~~~~

Around 3, I felt parched, and got up to go to the kitchen. The moment I opened the bedroom door, I could hear a female moan from down the hall, then "Fuck me, Duke! Oh, god!" pretty clearly, followed by more moans.

I looked back towards my wives, and Amber and Patti were both looking at me from the bed. Patti said, "That's not Jean."

"It doesn't sound like Ginger, either," Amber said.

"That leaves Wendy," I said, and they both agreed. I quietly walked down the stairs, got a bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, and returned. On the way back, I heard another female moaning, and this was definitely Jean's voice. The door to Sandy's room down the hallway was ajar.

After closing the master bedroom door, I slipped back in bed, and Patti said, "It sounds like it's just Jean, Duke and Wendy. I don't think Toby's with them."