I Promised Mom

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Finding the strength to move on.
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BigGuy33
BigGuy33
3,074 Followers

I looked on with pride as I watched my daughter Haley take her place in front of the stage. She was graduating from high school and getting ready to go off to the University of Michigan to join the engineering program.

She had hoped to make valedictorian, ending up third in her class, but she wasn't disappointed in the least, choosing instead to celebrate what she did accomplish rather than dwelling on what she didn't. This was something I had tried to instill in her and was delighted that I had succeeded.

I suppose if my pride was matched by anyone it was by the woman sitting to my left, Haley's mom and my wife, Trina. She had tears rolling down her face, and I doubt either of us expected things to be exactly as they were today when we met just over 5 years ago.

Okay, I tried to slide that in on you, but even the slowest of you no doubt picked up the fact that Trina and I had been together for 5 years and yet our daughter was graduating high school. So either Haley is a certified genius or child prodigy, or Trina is not Haley's biological mother.

Well, Haley is certainly brilliant, but she is graduating from high school at the traditional age of 18, so obviously that means Trina is not Haley's biological mother. But she has been Haley's mom for the past 5 years in every way possible, and Haley calls her mom as well, so it would be an insult to their relationship to categorize it as a 'step'.

Perhaps you are wondering about Haley's biological mom and how we came to be where we are today. I don't mind telling you; in fact, I always enjoy telling the story, and I hope you find it entertaining.

<><><><><>

It was a Saturday morning and I was headed over to the lake so I could check on some cabins I owned up there. During the spring and summer the cabins were active rentals and they did good business. I didn't operate them personally, though I was a frequent visitor to check on things.

The day-to-day operation was actually handled by a retired couple that lived in Florida during the fall and winter then returned to town in the spring. I had known them for several years and trusted them implicitly.

I made this trip a couple of times a month in the off-season and there was rarely anything out of sorts, but as I pulled up to the cabins from the dirt road that led into the clearing it looked like there was some activity around cabin 2.

It had been a warm weekend and the lake often got some visitors this time of year and this year was no different. Every once in a while I'd find some trash littered about but for the most part the cabins were left unmolested, set back from the lake a bit as they were.

However, some heavy rain had come through this morning and when it comes down like that it can be tough to deal with if you're not prepared, though it had let up by the time I had arrived and was just a light drizzle.

As I sat and watched the cabin I saw a young couple come walking up from the direction of the beach and walk in through the front door. They were carrying a couple of plastic shopping bags full of something and the guy was also pulling a rolling cooler behind him. That confirmed my suspicions so I pulled my truck around behind the office cabin and parked.

I didn't know how many people were in there, and while I suspected their intentions were only to get out of the weather and hang out, I couldn't ignore the possibility of malice (theft, vandalism, etc.) so I would have to be prepared. And that meant being armed.

I kept a small handgun for this very thing, and while I've had cause to wield it in the past I had only ever shot it at the targets in the gun club I visited occasionally. So I was nervous but I was ready.

I came up behind the cabin and peeked into the bedroom window but it was empty. Cabin two had just the one bedroom so that meant everyone would be in the big room at the front. I walked quietly around toward the other side, taking another peek in the side window that looked into the main room. I saw what appeared to be 4 couples just hanging out and having a good time. I estimated them to all be in their late teens or early 20's and it looked like they had simply wanted to get out of the rain, as I suspected. I'd need to look into better locks for the front doors.

I kept the safety set on the gun and had snapped into the shoulder holster I preferred to carry it in. I walked around to the front and simply walked in the front door.

The guys decided to be tough guys and jumped up from their sitting positions around the room.

"Hey asshole, what do you think you're doing? This is private property."

To their credit, they placed themselves between me and the ladies. I guess chivalry wasn't entirely dead. I smirked at their display of bravado and turned a bit, allowing the holster to come into view.

"You're quite right, young man. This is private property, which leads me to wonder why you're on it, since it belongs to me."

The guys shrunk back a little bit, probably mostly from having seen the gun against my rib cage but also because I wasn't immediately intimidated.

"Hey mister, we don't want any trouble."

This came from the same tall, blonde guy that had spoken the first time. I would later find out his name was Steve.

"Then maybe breaking and entering and trespassing weren't the best course of action to take; I assume you saw the No Trespassing' and 'Private Property' signs posted around the perimeter."

"We just...we were going to camp on the beach but didn't expect the rain. We didn't bring tents or anything for cover; just some blankets and sleeping bags. We just wanted to get out of the rain."

"You went camping for the weekend without tents this time of year? Have you ever been camping before?"

"Yeah...well, I mean kind of. I mean, we crashed on the beach over the summer and thought this would be just like that. The weather report said it should be clear all weekend."

"Yeah, well, summer's over and at your age you should know not to trust a weather report. Mother Nature tends to have her own ideas."

I looked the 8 of them over and none of them seemed particularly hostile at this point. They were just some people looking to have some fun and had been woefully unprepared for the weather they encountered. They actually reminded me of me and my friends when I was younger, and the funny thing was that I was aware of what they thought of me, because I know what I thought of Mr. Jameson back in the day when he ran us out of the local schoolyard where we had been hanging out with some girls. What a boring old man I thought he was for not wanting us to have any fun, though we weren't on his property like these guys were on mine.

"Look mister, we'll just gather our things and head back out on the beach or home. We're sorry about any trouble we may have caused."

I scanned over the faces of the guys and the girls. (Is it just me or are girls prettier these days than they ever were before?) I could see the disappointment on the faces of all of them but it was the ladies in particular that got to me. I've always been a sucker for a woman with a sad face. Crap.

"Wait a minute. You guys have ID with you?"

"Sure."

"Okay, here's the deal. You all seem nice enough so I'm gonna let you stay as long as you promise not to trash the joint and clean up when you leave."

"No shit?"

This contribution came from one of the other mental giants that had been standing behind Steven. I just smiled and nodded at him.

"Guys, I need each of you to bring me your driver's licenses. You boys are going to be held responsible for making sure everything is just as you found it when you leave. If you guys don't think it's fair that only the men are on the hook then I encourage you to accept it now. The men will always be held responsible for everything, whether it's your fault or not; especially when you get married."

As the guys retrieved their identification I scanned over the ladies they were with. They were all wearing shorts and bikini tops. Sitting on the right end of the couch was a pretty brunette with a blue top. She had really short hair (I think they call it a pixie cut) and a slim build, with very little holding up that bikini top. On the other end of the couch was a blonde that wore a black top and was a little on the plump side, though she was quite pretty and was the largest up top.

On the first chair was another blonde. She had far too much of a tan and I'm pretty sure her boobs were fake. Her hair was really long and had a bit of a wave to it. In the other chair was a very pretty woman with straight black hair that went below her shoulders. Her pink bikini top held moderate-sized breasts but she had a smile that I loved. I had to tear myself away from her to bring my attention back to the guys.

They handed me their ID's and I took a picture of each one. This way I could track them down if needed. I asked if these were their current addresses and they all said yes, and I took them at their word.

"All right, guys, have a good time. My name is Henry and I'll be just over there in cabin 3 until Sunday evening so if you have any problems just let me know."

I left among a chorus of 'thanks Henry' and 'this is great' and walked over to cabin 3. I typically spent the weekend when I came up here just to have a little time to myself. My daughter, Haley, would spend the weekend at a friend's house and she was a good kid so she never wore out her welcome. I was glad of that.

I spent a few hours wandering the grounds to pick up trash and check out the other cabins. There are 5 of them plus the cabin attached to the rental office where my employees stay. I checked all the plumbing and gas lines and everything seemed to be working great, which is usually the case.

I made it back to cabin 3 at about 4:30 and pulled out a couple burgers I planned to cook for dinner. I also filled a pot with water so I could steam some broccoli. I took a quick shower and then started cooking.

I had just finished eating when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find the black-haired woman standing outside. I noticed with some disappointment that she had pulled a t-shirt on over her bikini top.

"Hi. Did you guys need something?"

"No, not really. I did want to thank you again for letting us stay. It was really nice and you didn't have to."

"I was your age once. I know what it can be like. Besides, I didn't want to be the grumpy old man telling you kids to get off my lawn."

That made her laugh.

"That can't have been too long ago. You don't look very old."

"I turned 35 two months ago. I know you never ask a lady her age so..."

"I'm 24. My name is Trina, by the way."

"It's very nice to meet you, Trina."

Her voice had a lyrical quality to it and I enjoyed listening to her speak. She was still standing there, and the silence was getting awkward.

"Was there something else, Trina?"

"Can I come in? I'd like to talk to you."

"About what?"

Okay, I was a little thick in the head, and didn't have the faintest idea what was going on. I had assumed her knock on the door was because of some issue with the cabin and I couldn't get past that idea.

"Nothing in particular; just to talk."

"Um, sure, of course."

I opened the door all the way and stood back while she came walking in. I closed the door and followed her over to the couch, though I ended up sitting in one of the chairs so we could face each other a little better. The whole time I was simply wondering what this beautiful young woman had in mind and why she wanted to get to know an old fart like me.

"Won't your boyfriend mind you being over here?"

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh, I guess I assumed since you were pretty cozy over there with one of the guys."

"That was just Tommy. He's not my boyfriend. He was just my guy for the day."

"Guy for the day?"

"Yeah, well, the eight of us have been friends for a long time but the only ones in an actual relationship are Steve and Joanna. Steve was the one doing all the talking and Joanna was the other brunette; the one sitting on the couch. The rest of us just take turns."

"Take turns?"

"Yeah. Today and tonight I would spend with Tommy. Last night I was with Ben, and tomorrow I would be with Alan. We do something similar every weekend."

"So you girls just hop from bed to bed with those 3 guys on some rotating basis."

Her face fell when I explained it like that.

"It's not like that, well, not for me. I kiss the guys and stuff, but I've never had sex with any of them."

"You don't have to explain anything to me."

"I just don't want you thinking that about me, Henry. It's important to me. Bree, she's the kind of fake looking one, she'll only f**k Ben. She's wants him to herself but he says he's not ready to settle down, and just between you and me he doesn't like her fake boobs."

I was right!

"Laura, she's the other blonde girl, well, she'll let any of them screw her, or most anybody else for that matter. She's kind of low on self-esteem and thinks she has to put out for a guy to want to be with her. We keep trying to tell her that has become the only reason other guys are with her but she won't listen."

"That's too bad. But still, if he was expecting you to be with him tonight, won't he be upset that you're gone."

"A little, I guess. Tommy and Alan kind of have a thing for me. They've both asked me to be their steady girl but neither of them interests me like that. I mean, we're good friends and we kiss and I let them play with my tits and stuff but that's it. He'll probably just join in with Ben on Laura. She enjoys being double-teamed."

"Wow."

I really had no idea what else to say.

"So, your wife doesn't like to make the trip up here."

My head drooped involuntarily. It still did that even two years later, and I couldn't seem to stop myself from doing it.

"Gwen died two years ago. She actually used to love coming up here."

"God, Henry, I'm so sorry. She was so young."

"She was just 33; cancer. But I'm starting to handle it better. I don't burst into tears every time I think of her anymore."

I flashed a wry smile to let her know I was doing okay and making a little joke at my expense.

"Do you have kids?"

"Haley just turned 13. We had planned to have more but it just wasn't in the cards for us. I thank God every day for Haley, though. She was far stronger than me when Gwen passed."

"It must be so tough growing up without her mom. I don't know what I would have done without mine."

"She has a lot of friends, and a lot of their moms have taken up teaching her girl things, like feminine hygiene and shaving her legs and stuff. I would have done my best but I've appreciated the help."

She paused in the conversation and asked for something to drink. I'm not an alcohol drinker myself so I could offer her water, soda, or tea. She took water. I brought her a glass and she patted the sofa next to her, wanting me to sit there, which I did.

Sitting this close to her I was able to appreciate how very beautiful she was. She reminded me, well, of Gwen when we were first married. By that I mean in the sense of her youthful beauty with seemingly a whole life ahead of you. Even with the few lines and wrinkles that Gwen had picked up over the years she was as beautiful to me as the day we had met.

I came out of my reverie and looked again at Trina. She seemed to be turning something over in her mind.

"Trina, just go ahead and ask or say whatever it is. I won't be offended."

"Was I that obvious?" I nodded. "I've just never lost anyone close to me. How...how do you deal with that?"

"One step at a time. Even though she had been sick for a few months and we knew it was coming, it was still hard when she finally went, but not as bad as if it had been sudden. Haley and I were able to have lots of conversations with her and say all those things that you think there will be time for. It helped a lot."

Trina's eyes were getting a little misty, showing the empathy and caring nature I would grow to love about her.

"After that you just have to find a reason to do things. Haley was mine. Without her I probably would have followed Gwen into the grave before my time. I took a lot of time off from work and got to the point of annoying Haley because I was always around her. But she never said a word. She knew it was something I needed to do."

"It's good you had an understanding boss so you could take the time off."

"The boss is always understanding when you're self-employed," I quipped.

"What do you do, other than own a bunch of cabins, that is?"

"I own an HVAC and appliance service company. I have a friend of mine that helps me run it and he took over for a while after Gwen died."

"He sounds like a good friend. It's nice he was there for you."

"So, anyway, it's been about 2 years now, a little less actually, and I still miss her every day but I'm trying to move forward."

"Do you date much? I'm sure that's the hardest part."

"I've gone out a few times, just to get a feel for it. In fact, a friend of mine loaned me his wife for a couple of dates..."

Her face suddenly showed a look of shock, which amused me for a moment before I realized what I had said.

"No, Trina, not like that. We sort of simulated a date. I picked her up and we went out to dinner and dancing. It gave me a chance to get used to the process again without the pressure of it being an actual date."

"That's actually a clever idea."

"I thought so. But I'm tired of talking about me. Tell me about you. What do you do?"

Trina was currently working in a daycare while she worked toward her certification to work with special needs children. She had met all of her friends currently occupying cabin 2 while they were in college and they've been hanging out together most every weekend ever since.

"They're great friends and I enjoy spending time with them, but I've grown a little tired of things. All of the fooling around was fun at first but now it feels more like a chore, I guess. I'm not interested in any of the guys long-term but we've been doing it so long..."

"Is this something new you're feeling?"

"No, I've been feeling like this for about a year. More and more I've just told the guys I wasn't in the mood. Messing around doesn't really do anything for me anymore without there being something more meaningful behind it. I think early on I thought maybe one of the guys would turn out to be the one so I was more willing, you know, but it hasn't turned out that way."

There was a knock on the door, which I presumed was going to be Tommy since it was 'his girl' that was sitting beside me. I got up and opened the door, and sure enough...

"Is Trina still here?"

I moved backwards to clear the sight lines so he could see Trina sitting on my couch.

"What do you want, Tommy?"

"Aren't you coming back to our cabin? You've been here for a long time."

"Maybe later; I'm talking to our host."

Tommy glanced over at me and I tried my best to remain expressionless. This wasn't my fight.

"But it's my turn...with you."

Even as he said it Tommy seemed to realize it was the wrong thing to say. It suggested an entitlement that he didn't have and he knew it.

"Your turn? You don't own me, Tommy. None of you do. And you certainly have no claim on my time. I spend time with you guys because I choose to, and right now I'm choosing to spend it with Henry."

He looked over at me again, like I somehow had something to do with this or was unduly influencing her. He should know by now, and I would later learn, that Trina did exactly what she wanted to do and nothing else, and you could only hope what you wanted aligned with what she wanted. I would learn to love that about her as well.

BigGuy33
BigGuy33
3,074 Followers