Frankie's Story

It still took her some time to get some sleep, the storm had moved along the valley some time ago, it was her breathing that gave her away. Finally that changed and I was left to my own thoughts and the sight of that tattoo in my mind on her back once again. The sunshine through the window both woke me and once again reminded me why I wasn't a morning person, as I opened my eyes, a figure drifted across my still blurred vision and it took me a second to focus and remember that Frankie had slept here.

When I fully opened my eyes she was sitting on her legs, it was plain to see she had been crying, when she noticed me awake she wiped her hand across her cheek, her hand then went back to her thigh.

"I instigated the argument with Mom. I wasn't expecting Dad to take sides, he usually never does. That's why I came here, you gave me conditions to stay here and I accepted them, but I'm asking you to please give me a day or two. I need to get it all right in my head before we talk about it again. Please do this one thing for me."

Something was bothering her and even her asking that little of me made me realize this was more than just a bump in the road between my niece and her mom.

"If I accept what you say will you tell me everything, and that includes the tattoo?"

For a moment Frankie stiffened and then nodded her head. In return I nodded mine and Frankie gave me one of those thousand watt smiles of hers.

*******

For the next three days I had my niece back. The storm never returned and Frankie slept in her own room. I always thought I was an early bird but she always seemed to have breakfast made and the smell as it wafted into my room pulling me out of the shower. Our time was spent mostly between the cabin, the porch or the hot tub and although we covered many conversations, by mutual agreement there was one topic we skipped around. Even when she slid into the hot tub and I could clearly see the top half of that tattoo over her bathing costume I kept my mouth shut and that was the hardest part of agreeing to this.

Frankie saw me looking at her sometimes, she knew what I was looking at and would always come over and give me a hug before saying 'soon' or 'thank you' I'm not sure if I had ever seen her happier than the last three days and I will admit to enjoying her company. Frankie did get smart about one thing, if she wore her bathing costume she would always put a tee shirt on over it, the shirt only came off when she was just about to get into the hot tub and it was always the first thing that went on as soon as she got out again.

It was the back half of that particular afternoon I caught on to something else, she had been watching the sun as it made its way towards the mountains and although she tried to remain in good spirits, it was plain to see she was getting agitated. Frankie found me at the kitchen table; she sat across from me and waited. I put my cup down and sat back, watching her.

"Thank you once again for trusting in me. But I need something from you before we start. I need you to trust me one more time. You said that all I had to do is take that key to the barn and you would all but disown me."

Nodding my head seemed to be the only thing I could think to do. She thought for a moment before looking at me once again.

"I need something from my car, I know once I explain everything to you things will get intense around here. Please let me get what I need from my car before I tell you everything."

I nodded my head and lent back on the table, enjoying my coffee. Frankie stood, took the key and disappeared out the back door. I had barely placed my cup back on the table when a panting Frankie came back and put the key back on the hook. She again sat across from me, beads of sweat glistened over her forehead, highlighted by the last rays of the sun as it seeped through the kitchen window, she was clearly out of breath.

"You don't think I was going to leave you wondering did you. I ran both ways, oh and did you know you left my car keys in the ignition, someone could have stolen my car."

With that she tossed her car keys onto the table and I picked them up and placed them on the hook along with the key to the barn.

"It's time, Frankie."

A cloud seemed to fall over Frankie at that moment and she nodded in agreement with me. For a time all she did was pace the kitchen, occasionally she would cross her arms only to realize what she was doing and put her arms down. Then she stopped and looked at me, her eyes all puffy and close to tearing up once again.

"Gran told me once that you were an 'oops baby'. You weren't planned but since you were here they made you welcome. Even though their energies were channeled towards Dad you kept surprising them, he got straight A's all through school and college. You were good with your hands and the internet came into it's own around then."

I had to admit I did smile at that term. Mom had made no secret that I was unexpected hence the 'oops' part. I had got used to the term, it never bothered me and I didn't even realize that Mom had told Frankie any of this.

"Dad went to the big schools while you locked yourself in your room with your computer. Dad joined the big law firm while you became the geek who had the audacity to try and follow in his footsteps."

Frankie sat down, I knew she wouldn't stay sat for long. She just wanted to emphasize something, even leaning across the table to do it, looking directly into my eyes when she did so.

"None of them figured it out, did they Uncle Jack?"

When she noticed I would not be forthcoming with any information. Frankie told me that she knew that while Daddy was out there climbing the corporate ladder trying to eventually make partner in his law firm. I had already sold one dot com company and at nineteen years old and still at college my net worth was more than her Daddy's and Granddads put together.

It was time for Frankie to once again pace the kitchen. To be honest, I admired her knowledge and I still wondered how she found this much out, it wasn't until she opened her mouth that I realized she knew even more than that.

"So Daddy married the socialite, my Mom, and between them decided that children weren't for them." She looked directly at me and said. "Yes Uncle Jack, I'm an 'oops baby' as well."

My heart went out to her. I had known nothing of this yet she had it thrust upon her.

"When did you find out?" Was my only question.

It was then I got a little giggle from Frankie.

"That would have been my eighteenth birthday. Mommy commented on the fact that even though I was an accident they hadn't done too badly out of the deal."

Something didn't seem right, yes it was around the time she went off the rails but Frankie had always been mentally strong enough to find out about being an 'oops baby'. Both Shannon and I had noticed she was a little distracted at her birthday party, but her mood was still upbeat and she soon got into the swing of things when the party really got started. I went back to my coffee; my niece was now getting to the point.

"About a week after my birthday I told Mom I was going to visit Cassandra for a few days. It was when I was about halfway there that my friend called me and said she had a bit of a family emergency and she needed to cancel, that wasn't much of a problem since I was now on the road and you were just under an hour away so I came here."

Something nagged at me about what she had said. Marci and Shannon had an understanding, if my niece was ever going to visit Marci always called ahead. But for the life of me I don't remember that visit, then it dawned on me, I was in Houston four days after the birthday party and didn't get home for another ten days. Something else came to mind and all I thought was 'oh shit.'

Frankie once again leaned on the kitchen table watching me closely. "I went through the cabin and looked out onto the porch, I spotted Aunt Shannon in the hot tub so I came out and joined her. To say she freaked would be an understatement. I've seen Aunt Shannon naked before when we changed into costumes for the hot tub so I couldn't see the problem, she tried everything to get me to leave or even go into the cabin so she could get out. I knew she was hiding something and I wanted to know what it was."

So now I finally knew, yet in three years she had never confronted me with any of this. My own thoughts got put on hold as she went on.

"Eventually Aunt Shannon gave up and stood up in the hot tub and then got out. Twelve Uncle Jack, twelve black and blue bruises on the body of the woman you love. Of course Aunt Shannon wanted me to sit down so she could explain, by then I was already heading into the cabin for the phone to report you to the police."

Frankie seemed to flush slightly, looked down and her eyes misted at the memories of that day. My poor niece had a lot thrust on her over the course of a couple of days.

"As you can gather I never made it to the phone, Aunt Shannon pushed me to the ground and sat on me."

Our eyes locked on each other and we both laughed, now that I would have paid to see. I made us both something to eat and we took it out on the porch. Frankie needed to regroup and the picture of a naked Shannon sat on our niece's chest just wouldn't go away either.

"I grew up that day Uncle Jack, I learned what a submissive is, I learned of my Aunt's need for pain and how that pain kept her comfortable with you being away from her for days at a time. How she looked at those bruises every day and watched them fade and smiled knowing that as they faded you were one day closer to being back with her. When she finally got off my chest I learned so much more about your relationship. She showed me the play room, although she wouldn't let me touch anything in there."

It was the sudden way she stopped talking that made me look at her. Although she was looking out towards the valley beyond I could see her crying. We both sat and waited but with the sun all but down and the evening chill now in the air, we returned to the kitchen in silence. When Frankie was ready she would continue. I never realized just how even this much had taken a toll on her.

"Over the course of the next year I got into the habit of coming here as much when you were here than when you weren't. Aunt Shannon knew why and warned me of the consequences. I refused to listen, I think by then I loved my Aunt more than I had ever loved my Mom. She taught me so much Uncle Jack, but only because I kept pushing her to and was forever asking questions."

Shannon had told me none of this and I must admit to feeling in unfamiliar territory. We shared everything in our lives yet for some reason my own wife kept something as important as this from me. My misgivings and soon disbelief slowly intensified as Frankie continued to talk.

"Over the year Aunt Shannon told me how she could be her own woman yet submissive to the right man and she emphasized that point all too well."

It was then she caught me looking at the locked room in the corner, a small smile danced across her lips as she did. She even winked at me when she knew I had been caught.

"We talked about rope play, the times you tide her to the X-frame and what you two would do and sometimes she would even bring an item from that very room and explain what it was called and even how it was used."

It was also then her face darkened for a moment, the arms were crossed and the pacing of the kitchen once again began.

"Aunt Shannon phoned me once while you were away and asked me to come over. It was the first time she had even done that and I must have busted a few speeding laws to get here. She told me that she could no longer hide the conversations we had from you."

For the first time Frankie looked so intensely at me, the pain deeply etched on her face.

"She knew Uncle Jack that she should have told you the very day you returned from your visit to Houston. I was prepared for that, but it was her choice not to. I can't tell you why because she simply never told me when I asked her. When I got here she gave me two choices, to stop coming here when you were not here or she would tell you everything, more so now that you had both found out she was pregnant. As you can gather, I stopped."

My attention was totally drawn to what she was saying, by now Frankie had sat on her chair, her arms still crossed as she tried as best she could to gain some comfort from holding onto herself. Slowly she began to rock back and forth every now and then she would wince as a painful memory forced itself to the front of her mind.

"Two things happened in quick succession a little while after that. I was now in a relationship and spending less time here with you two, or my folks for that matter. The second was Aunt Shannon dying in childbirth."

By now Frankie's head slumped forward and she burst into tears. I got up and pulled her from her chair as pain racked sobs just seemed to burst forth from her. What she had told me so far was hard enough on her. Simply letting her continue in the state she was now in was just too much. Both of us needed time apart, to absorb what had been said and the implications as well. I picked Frankie up and carried her to her room almost as soon as her body touched the bed she curled up into a fetal position and simply laid there.

Even though I sat with her for a few minutes it was plain to see that mentally she was exhausted, the tears still misted her eyes and drew their own little river down her cheeks. Only silence came from her. I kissed her forehead pulled her blanket up along her body and left the room. Even the minor chores like cleaning up the remnants of our day and the washing up was done halfheartedly. Switching all the lights off and slipping into bed was a fruitless exercise to be honest.

The full moon outside allowed me to do little more than stare at the ceiling as my mind once again replayed everything that Frankie had said so far. Finding out that my own wife had introduced Frankie to our lifestyle when we had both gone to great lengths to keep it from both our families was hard enough.

I understood that at the time she had no choice and a small smile once again lightened my mood as the vision of a naked dripping wet Shannon sat on Frankie's chest and refusing to move as she told her of our lifestyle did lighten my thoughts for a moment.

But the fact that Shannon continued to keep this from me even when I returned from my trip and over the course of eighteen months continued to tell Frankie other aspects of our lifestyle was a dangerous path. I'm sure she had her reasons I just wished she had shared them with me when she was alive, being hit sideways with this was something I simply wasn't prepared for.

The click of my bedroom door and Frankie walking in was I suppose something I half expected. She must have been feeling incredibly vulnerable right now and sleeping alone had proved to be too much for her. Instinctively I checked and she was wearing a tee shirt, as I pulled the covers back and without a word she climbed in and snuggled in as close as she could. It was still a few minutes before my niece found sleep, mine took a few hours longer to find.

*******

Frankie had gone when I woke. The sound of activity in the kitchen and the smell of breakfast soon let me know where she was and a quick shower brought me out of my room and sat at the table as she served. It was clear to see that yesterday had taken its toll on her, the dark circles around her eyes only highlighted the redness within them.

"Do you want to leave the rest for a few days? It's plain to see this has been difficult on you."

My niece took a moment to think about my question. She even looked at me trying to decide herself what to do. I was ready to settle on a nod of her head.

Then she said. "Can we leave it until this afternoon please? I never realized until last night just how much there was to tell you."

I saw no reason to push her so I agreed and after breakfast we went out onto the porch and ignored the elephant sitting in the corner. It was even Frankie that suggested some time in the hot tub, she almost skipped to her room when I agreed and went over and turned it on, leaving it to warm for a few minutes while I made drinks and came back out. Frankie was already in her bathing costume, sat on the edge of the hot tub dangling her feet into it, the top half of that tattoo visible above her costume.

Knowing every detail I could even see it all with my eyes closed, two cherubs resting against each other, both looking down at a piece of ribbon beneath them and the names of Shannon and our daughter Angel inscribed within it. To me it would always be a gentle reminder of my wife and our daughter, I knew it was there so having it on my shoulder was to me the best place for it. In my heart they would always both be sat on my shoulder yet seeing Frankie with exactly the same tattoo only much bigger obviously showed that it meant even more to her.

When Frankie saw me she went into the hot tub and sat down, but the reminder was already there.

"Daddy doesn't know you own the valley, does he?"

"No and I never saw a reason to tell him, your Father has always been the competitive type in the family, I suppose he inherited that from your Granddad." I said.

"You two are chalk and cheese when you think about it Uncle Jack, that mansion we rattle around in was a must for all those back stabbing social climbers and Daddy's work colleges we entertain on an almost monthly basis."

I had to smile, heck she even got a small chuckle out of me before she continued.

"We both know what Mom and Dad think of you. To them you are a geek who works as some computer techie for some company. They don't even know you own the company, do they? The patents you hold via your company mean you don't ever have to work a day in your life yet you do. I even like the way you managed to keep yourself out of the Forbes rich list because you know Daddy reads stuff like that."

Blushing once again this young lady knew more about me than most and it was just a little unsettling.

"I like to think of myself as grounded." I said.

I think Frankie would have bent double laughing if it wasn't for the fact the water in the hot tub was chest deep since we were both sat down.

"Aunt Shannon said the same thing, she told me once that when she actually found out what your worth was she simply couldn't understand why you were with her and not off with some super model or some silicone enhanced Barbie doll."

My answer was heartfelt. "Your Aunt Shannon made my life complete in every way just as I made hers. Neither one of us had a need to look elsewhere from the day we met. I wore my wedding ring with pride and I loved her more each day. To many that may sound corny but that was us and we were happy with what we were and our lives."

Frankie took a deep breath, as though what she was going to say next may pain me.

"You never signed a pre-nup when you married, why?"

What she asked didn't pain me, Shannon had asked me the same question just before we married I gave Frankie the same answer I gave her then.

"The day I sat next to your Aunt at college I knew in my heart that she was the one I would spend my life with, on our first date she warned me that some would regard her as not normal. I looked her square in the eyes and told her I wasn't either. Our lives became more interwoven from then on."

We both sat with our own thoughts for such a long while. Eventually Frankie got up from the hot tub and with a towel wrapped around her walked back into the cabin. There was a term my niece had used concerning my brother and me, we were chalk and cheese. In my eyes my brother and I had never been competitive, the eleven year age difference seemed to sort that out, heck we didn't even look much alike. I got on with my life and I simply assumed he did the same.