Sandy, Mark and Helen Ch. 06

We were sitting in our study, getting ready for the new semester that would start shortly when we received a call from Helen saying that something totally unexpected had happened and she would see us tomorrow. She wouldn't say another word because she just couldn't explain it over the phone. We were shocked, of course, and Sandy, who had talked to her, said that she sounded all wound up and was almost incoherent. It seemed obvious the news of her pregnancy had not gone over well. We pointlessly speculated as what had happened and what was going to happen, but all we did was worry ourselves more.

The following morning, we waited nervously for Helen, not believing that any news she brought would be good. Fortunately, classes hadn't started yet, so we could wait together. Finally, at almost 11:00, Helen's car came up the drive and we rushed to greet her. As she got out of the car, she had the most indecipherable expression on her face. We hurried to her, asking, at the same time, "What happened, what's going on!"

"Let's go inside do I can explain what happened from the beginning." We did just that, our curiosity killing us. We sat down in the living room, literally on the edge of our seats as she spoke. "Ok, I got home and found the message that Richard wouldn't be there for three more days. That was a very long layover, but I assumed, as he said, that there had been a plane engine problem, so I didn't think much of it. Anyway, he came in and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek as he always did, but he seemed quite perturbed. We sat down in the living room and I decided to break the news to him immediately and get it out of the way, so I said, "Richard, I have something very important to tell you and I hope you'll be happy."

"Before I could break the news, however, he interrupted and said. 'I have something to say first and I don't think that you will like it or be happy.' I, of course, was shocked and filled with foreboding, but I had absolutely no idea what he could be talking about. All I could think of was that somehow he knew that I was pregnant and also knew that it wasn't artificial insemination. Before I could react, he went on. 'We have a serious problem as you know. You very badly want a baby and I have been totally unable to provide you with one. I know that you've been hurt that I have been able to have an erection with others, but not with you. I assure you that it has nothing to do with you. We've had what I believe has been a very happy marriage, but I've been living a lie for the last two years. Contrary to what you've been assuming, I haven't been with a bunch of female groupies or attendants. The truth I've hidden from you is that I'm gay! I tried to hide it from myself when we married and for a year afterwards, but you are what you are, and I'm gay!'

"I looked at him in astonishment and the whole thing came into focus. Right from the beginning he couldn't get hard with me and I just assumed that it was our mutual lack of interest in sex! I'm sure that I sat there with my mouth hanging open, not saying a word about the bombshell he had just landed on me. He just stared at me, waiting for my response and I just didn't know what to say. What do you say to an announcement like that!

"Finally, I was able to collect myself to ask, 'Why are you telling me this now? You've hidden it for two years. Why now? Is it because you can't give me a baby?' That obviously was not the time to give him my bombshell.

"That's when he delivered the second part of his shocking news. 'No, Helen, that's only a part of it. There was a man I met while I was in the service and we were very close the last year while I was stationed in Okinawa - that is, when we were in Okinawa. I've seen him each time I've flown to any of the Asian cities. He's come to the U.S. and I've been with him for the last three days. We were together on a number of times when I told you I would have a long flight with a layover. Helen, I still love you as a friend, but I want to be with him permanently. I can't stand this sneaking around and living a lie. I want us to get a divorce so I can be happy and you can find a man to give you what you want.'

"I was in shock, as you can believe. I didn't tell him my news. I didn't need that complication. You know, I feel a little foolish that I never suspected a thing. I guess it was because there was no sudden change in our relationship. In retrospect, it seems like such an obvious explanation for everything, but, it's the usual 20/20 hindsight. Anyway, that's my news."

We hadn't interrupted her through that long statement, seeing that she had to get it all out. To say that we were shocked would be an understatement, of course. We both, in turn, hugged her and held her, but not knowing what to say to comfort her. The obvious question was, "How do you feel and what are you going to do now?"

Her response, basically, was that she didn't know. First, she said that there were no recriminations. She was surprisingly calm and she accepted the situation as not a reflection on herself. Fortunately, we have come to accept that a person's sexual orientation is not a matter of choice and, she admitted, reluctantly, that she was relieved to find that he wasn't rejecting her for another woman. Even the thought of divorce didn't hit her as hard as she would have expected. She also admitted that with her eyes open to the pleasures of sex, a sexless marriage actually didn't appeal to her as it once had. In addition, she wasn't facing the world alone as she would have if this had occurred a year ago.

So, there was a sense of loss. A relationship that, overall, had been happy, was gone, but she wasn't being dropped into the abyss of loneliness. She had friends she loved and loved her, she was pregnant and the world wasn't dark. They had talked in a civilized manner - much better than Richard had feared I assume - and peacefully settled things which can lead to animosity and, even, hatred and long court battles. That made it easier for Richard to agree to send her a guilt-free percentage of his pay for the next ten years and she to agree to an uncontested, no fault divorce. Subject to lawyers wrapping up the agreement, it was a peaceful dissolution of what for several years had been a happy marriage.

Helen sat there with a sad look on her face, not surprising under the circumstances, of course. She was very quiet after the story had been told and we had reacted. Finally, after several long minutes, she broke her silence. "You know, I've been sitting here thinking about what went on between Richard and me about all of this. We talked about an hour, as I said, very calmly and civilized and that bothers me in a way. Like our marriage, there was no passion. Neither us seemed to feel a major loss. We were good friends who had been together and enjoyed ourselves, but it was time to say goodbye. I didn't shed any tears, but it was sad to see it end, almost like saying goodbye to college friends as each went their own way, probably never to see each other again. I loved Richard, but it was like love for a high school sweetheart - feeling deep and intense at the time, but with more time revealing how shallow it was. I guess I'm sad that the ending didn't hurt more. Thank heavens I didn't get pregnant sooner! I don't know what that complication would have meant.

"The amazing, and scary, thing about all of this is that if Richard had come to me two years ago and said that he was happy with our marriage, but that he was gay and sex between us wasn't interesting to him, I might well have shrugged it off. I wasn't interested in sex either, so if he had outside affairs with men rather than female groupies, it might not have bothered me. It was only my desire to be a mother that would have been a deal breaker between us. In fact, I don't know what I would have done even now: if he hadn't wanted a divorce and he accepted my pregnancy, would I have stayed with him since I have you two? Fortunately, I didn't have to face that traumatic decision! At least, Richard made that decision for me!"

It was all wrapped up quickly. It was an uncontested divorce with everything settled before filing. Their lawyer did his work, the papers were signed, there was a brief hearing before the court, followed by a nostalgic kiss goodbye and the marriage was effectively over. Their condo had been rented furnished so there was no physical property to dispose of. Clothes and personal possessions had been packed and the separation was complete. Of course, we invited Helen to move in with us until she decided what to do. Actually, I think we all knew at that time that the move was likely to be permanent.

Sandy and I talked about the situation, and it quickly became clear that we both, in fact, liked the idea of Helen moving in with us on a long term basis. It may seem odd that a couple which was so concerned with privacy that they forbore the income from renting out their mother-in-law suite just to ensure it, would now lessen that privacy to invite someone else to live with them. However, we each, independently, came to the conclusion that Helen enhanced our relationship and, surprisingly, it wasn't because of sex - not that sex didn't help. Why? It would be hard to explain verbally, but we both just enjoyed having her there.

We told her that, and I'm sure that she accepted that she was welcome, but it's hard to convey just how dedicated we were to her. We wanted to make our commitment to a permanent relationship with her more explicit and concrete. So, Sandy and I drove into the city and visited a jewelry store to make a very significant purchase - something very precious for Helen. Our first item was a diamond engagement ring and we selected one very similar to the one I had given Sandy years ago. Oddly enough the other was more difficult - a wedding band that matched Sandy's exactly. We finally had to place an order to get an exact duplicate and, when it arrived, we had Helen-Mack-Sandy (alphabetical order), engraved inside. To the quizzical eyes of the clerk, Sandy said, with a straight face, "It's a second marriage with three children." A week later, we picked up the two rings and went home to Helen.

The three of us were sitting in the living room, watching the end of a TV program. I turned the set off, took the box with the engagement ring out and Sandy said, "We know that you didn't get an engagement ring because of your sudden marriage and you finger looks empty, so we got you this."

Helen opened the box and her eyes got big. "Oh, it's beautiful! It's so wonderful of you two! I've always wanted a ring and Richard just never thought of getting me one. Oh, I'm so glad he didn't for this means so much more! Mack, please put it on me!" I took it and slid in on her finger next to her wedding ring and she raised her hand and let the light hit it and she suddenly realized that it was almost a duplicate of Sandy's. "Oh, Sandy, it's like yours! I could cry!" Her face was wreathed in smiles as she said it, but the emotion was real.

"It was as close as we could find, honey! Now Mark is engaged to you just as he was to me years ago."

At that point I asked her to put it on without her wedding ring to see it by itself. Without thinking, she did as I asked. However, before she could put the engagement ring back on her bare finger, I held out the second ring box and said, let's put this one on first. I opened it and showed her the new wedding ring. Taking it out of the box, Sandy and I, holding it together, slipped it on her finger, saying, in unison, "With this ring, we thee wed!"

Helen sat there, stunned, her face expressionless, unable, at first to comprehend what was happening. Suddenly she burst into tears as she dived forward and tried to embrace us both. She was totally incoherent as she tried through her tears to express her joy and her love for us. Sandy started crying with her and, I'll admit, several very sentimental tears formed in my eyes. I have no idea how long that very moving period lasted, but it unquestionably was one of the most emotional moments of my life.

The tears finally dried up, but the radiant smile on Helen's face just wouldn't go away. "I honestly think that this is one of the happiest moments of my life, maybe the happiest. This is a wedding that means more than you can imagine. It may not be recognized in law, but I wouldn't trade it for the biggest church marriage in the world. I really feel married to both of you. Now Mark really has two wives! Oh, I love you so much!"

One thing was certain. The emotions she expressed were clearly sincere and were returned by us in equal measure. Of course, the tears flow again, briefly, when she saw that the ring was an exact duplicate of Sandy's and, again, when she saw the engraving! Finally, she proudly put the engagement ring on with it, displayed her hand and just glowed with pleasure. We then retired to our bedroom where we happily consummated the new marriage - several times over. Male-female with each, female-female twice. When you add licking, sucking and a considerable amount of manual manipulation, it was a consummation of epic proportions. And very satisfying!

It was amusing, and touching, to see Helen's delight in her new rings. Somehow she managed to have her left hand on display far more often than was necessary. It was also interesting when the three of us sat at a booth, me on one side of the table, the women on the other. If, as both of them regularly did, they rested their hands on the table, I would see those near duplicate sets of rings across from me. My two wives!

However, giving Helen those rings was more than a just a romantic gesture. For both of us, it was a commitment that she really was a part of our family and would be living with us permanently. I'm sure that part of her emotional display was because she knew that the rings represented that commitment.

So, the emotional aspect of Helen living with us was complete, but the physical living arrangements still had to be worked out - and that was going to create difficulties. As Sandy pointed out, "With Helen coming here for two of three days at a time, we had no space problems. She brought an overnight bag or a small suitcase. There's a nice sized closet in her room, but she'll be bringing all her clothes and other possessions! They'll never fit in that space!"

Helen nodded, agreeing, "I hate to such a problem, but Sandy's right. I have a lot of clothes and other things still waiting in the condo. Some I can store, of course, but that will still leave a lot." She looked at me and added, "I'm afraid that I'm going to be more of a burden that you expected!"

"Probably, but you may be worth it! I'll let you how you can pay me for my trouble." The last was said with a leer and a wink! "I hadn't gotten to the question of space arrangements, but I think that we most likely can make things work. There's plenty of space because these rooms are very large. As I remember, before the house was remodeled, there were six small bedrooms on this floor and now there are only four. I'll meet with the contractor who did the work and see what he thinks we can do."

Two days later, I presented them with the proposal we had come up with. "What he thinks we can do is shrink the two rooms a bit and add a big walk-in closet in the bigger room, the one facing the back yard across from ours. It's almost as big as our master bedroom. He proposes taking four feet off of that room, include the three feet making up the present closet plus taking five feet off of Helen's present room. That's a twelve-foot walk-in closet and the smaller room will still be twelve by fifteen, which certainly is big enough. Then, he will remove the present bathroom between the two rooms and, in the space from the closet to the outside wall. Then he will add two en suite bathrooms, back to back, each with a window to the side of the house."

The women were thrilled with the plan, with Sandy saying, "My god, Mack, that is perfect. A big closet and private bathroom for Helen and the smaller room is still quite large for a guest room - or a nursery!"

"Oh, yes, Mack, it sounds wonderful! I've never had a room like that anywhere I've lived! But that's going to cost a fortune! I certainly didn't want to cause this much trouble!

"Happily, it's not going to be as expensive as you might think. As he said, moving the walls is simple and, since the plumbing is already there, even the bathrooms aren't that bad. The only real expense is for the new fixtures. I think that Sandy will agree that you are worth a few plumbing fixtures! Anyway, he promises to have the whole thing done in a month if he can get the fixtures ordered right away. I told him that you two would see him tomorrow and select the things you want."

So, our top floor was disrupted and Helen's new room was unavailable for a month. She moved downstairs to the ground floor (technically the basement but, as I said before, it is open to the outside on three sides) into the mother-in-law suite. We had originally thought that she might like to stay there since it really was a very nice small private apartment, but she wanted to be on our level. With babies coming, that really made sense.

In any case, the contractor lived up to his promise - the winter being his slow season helped - and soon Helen was absolutely thrilled as she moved into, as she said, the nicest place she had ever lived. I assure you that she did her best to thank us - both verbally and physically! So, the three of us lived together as man and wives. The following weekend, we used a U-Haul trailer to remove the last of Helen's things from the condo, end the rental contract, turn in the keys and make the final move to her new home.

With Helen there all the time as opposed to two or three day visits, life changed in many ways. As I said several times, for all intents and purposes, I had two wives. Helen had her room, her private space, but she frequently was in our bed with any combination of two or three. In addition to those occasions, the value of having a second wife was demonstrated two weeks into the semester when Sandy and two others took advanced Spanish classes on a field trip to New York to visit the Spanish consulate and the U.N. Normally, when Sandy was on a trip I would read, watch a movie on TV or just do school work. This time was very different! One wife was out of town, but the other was home. I came in from class on Friday and was met at the door by a smiling Helen who greeted me with a kiss, just as Sandy always did.

It was mid-afternoon, but not long afterwards, we were upstairs on the bed, completely nude. It was strange being there with Helen but without Sandy. It was strange being alone with each other like that, but it did add a very pleasant spice of depravity even if it really wasn't cheating. We were very comfortable with each other despite the newness of the situation for, by then, we knew each other's body and desires.

I kissed her a few times while fondling and squeezing those superb breasts, saying, "I love your tits! They feel so good in my hands!"

"As you know, I used to dislike them because of the problems they caused. I think that my whole personality was shaped by my need to hide than. Now, I'm happy with them, at least in part, because you like them. Somehow I don't really care if people stare at them. You know, the first time I met you I really liked you, but what really impressed me was how careful you were not to stare. I know that Sandy warned you, but you were such a gentleman, even when I stopped hiding them when the three of us were alone together. I could tell how badly you wanted to feel them, but you never made a pass at me. After avoiding groping hands with air force pilots, I almost expected it.

"The change in my feelings about you from a friend to something else began that night when Sandy and I decided to let you feel me a little, as she said, to get it out of your system. Even when I sat beside you on the couch, snuggled up against you, you couldn't bring yourself to make a pass at me."