The Tear

“Should we try to count how many chocolates Lucy can cram into her maw,” I queried when a commercial for some facial cream flashed onto the screen. She looked startled for a moment, then turned to me with a warm smile.

“No,” she replied simply, and rose from the sectional and strolled over to where I stood meekly. She had taken her shoes off at the door, so my chin rested squarely on top of her head when she embraced me. We kissed again, only now the shyness was replaced with passion as my arms slid around her back and her arms pulled my face to hers. We kissed for an eternity, the warmth of her being chasing away the few remaining traces of emptiness from the deepest recesses of my soul. Her hands slid underneath my sweatshirt and began exploring every pore of naked skin concealed there. In turn, my hands slid beneath her sweater and caressed the deliciously delicate skin that melted beneath my touch. Our breathing became rapid as our hearts proclaimed the level of excitement burning in our loins. My hardness began to exert itself against her tummy and she pressed against me firmly acknowledging her desire.

The phone rang.

“Damn,” I hissed as I broke our embrace. It was Ned, wondering if I was alright.

“Yeah, thanks Ned. . .well I met a gal last night and. . . I know this might be a bad time, but do you think I might get a few days off. . .you’re coming over. . .well take it slow and park in the covered stall next to mine as the neighbors won’t be home till next week. . .OK, see you in a few.”

Cindy smiled at me half apologetically, and half disappointingly as she walked towards the kitchen. She wriggled her toes in the carpet with every step she took until she reached the cool tile. Fumbling through the cupboards, she quickly found the coffee mugs and poured some coffee. In turn, I reached for my trusty highliter and a pen and pad in the desk by the stairway, and grabbed the papers she had brought before dropping into my favorite recliner. She handed me the coffee nervously, and sat next to chair on the carpet.

I began to half mumble through the lines of legal jargon, trying to find the basis for Tara’s kidnaping when Ned knocked on the door. Cindy sprang to her feet and had the door opened before I could get the recliner to its upright position. “Well, who’s little girl are you?”

She turned to me and pointed accusingly. “His.”

“Howdy Ben, and you are. .?”

“Cindy.”

“Hi Cindy, Im Ned. Ben and I have worked together for. . .years!’

“Longer than I care to remember Ned!” I retorted. “Don’t care to date myself.”

“Indeed, how did it go last night?”

“Ned, if it wasn’t for Cindy, I’d probably be an icicle! How did it go with you?”

“I’ve definitely had warmer home comings, but when I explained the personnel disruption, she took it pretty well.” He paused for a moment and silence fell like an A bomb. “I smell some coffee, got any left?”

Cindy turned on her heel and within moments handed a steaming mug to my boss.

“What do you have there anyway, Ben.”

“Child custody papers, the State got involved with Cindy’s daughter and I’m trying to wade though this legal bull to restore Mother and Daughter.

“I don’t know, I hear those child custody things can get kind of messy depending on the judge. Let me have a look if it’s alright with you Cindy. “

She nodded resignedly.

Ben studied the papers slowly, thumbing through the text slowly amidst occasional grunts and nods. Finally, after reading the last page, he looked up at Cindy and I while rubbing the stubble on his chin. “They have some pretty serious allegations here. I don’t see any easy solutions except one.”

“What’s that, Ned?”

He sighed and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “Cindy, looks like you better settle down with someone with a broader security base than you have.”

“Come again,” she queried.

“Your current income of 12k per annum won’t stretch far enough to provide the habitability requirements the State requires. A good health insurance, for example, will take almost a quarter of your income not including a housing upgrade and ‘non-specific’ expenses as required by law. Have you ever considered a higher paying job?”

“I’ve tried, desperately, I’ve tried,” she countered quickly.

“With all of the lay-offs at our plant it would be highly unlikely. . wait a minute!” Ned’s eyes lit up like a pile of hot charcoal sprayed with starter fluid. “We could take you in as a student aide, and that would give you 18k a year.” He fell silent again.

“What is it boss,” I queried anxiously. “I don’t know if that alone would convince the judge. Putting the ‘Mother - Daughter’ argument aside, you’d have to finish high school before I can put you on the payroll. You would also need to change your residence, and prove that your income will be steady for the next several years. There are several other requirements, but the increase in income should resolve those. It looks like a GED would be your best bet, Cindy, but even so, it will take at least several months before you can get Tara back. Would you like me to speak to the administration on your behalf?”

She nodded gravely and stared at the carpeting in front of where she sat.

“Ned, this may be way out of line, but what if Cindy and I got hitched?”

“Ben, that would put Cindy into a really awkward position but, to answer your question directly, that would probably be the quickest way to reunite this lovely gal with her daughter. It’s your decision, but it would take a lot of work - you’d have to adopt Tara immediately and she might have something to say about that!”

“Good points, as always my friend. I’ll take it under advisement.”

“Seems to me, you two have a lot to talk about.” I’d better be heading back to the Misses anyways, I owe her a dinner after last night and would just as soon get the score settled now rather than listen to her nagging.”

I got up and walked him to the door with Cindy at my side. I gave him my warmest handshake and Cindy threw her arms around him appreciatively. He smiled and left with a wink when I cautioned him to stay in the ruts. Closing the door quietly, I turned to my new found love to find tears in her eyes. She gathered the coffee mugs together and washed them silently as I struggled to find the right words to say. Wiping her hands she turned to me without making eye contact.

“Please take me home,” was all she said.

“OK, if we hurry, we can get your things moved in before nightfall.”

“I can’t,” was all she said, as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

I took her hand a silently led her to the sofa. “Look,” I began as I tried to form my words knowing full well they carried the weight of our future. “Last night, while you were probably in the lowest point of your existence, you allowed a drunken stranger into your home and offered the best of what you could offer. I can’t believe loneliness was your sole motive, especially after the trust and caring you showed me. I know a lot is happening to us right now, and I’m not going to pressure you into something you’re unsure of.” She glanced up at me inquisitively and sniffled. Undaunted I continued; “But I’d never forgive myself for letting go of one of the most precious souls I’ve encountered.” I reached into my wallet and pulled out one of my few remaining business cards. “I’ll take you home now, and give you time to sort things through, but know that I’m more than willing to build my life around you and Tara if you’d offer me the same commitment.”

I rose from the sofa, strangely relieved, and held out my hand to her. She took it shyly while still staring at her feet. We got our coats and shoes on and headed out into the afternoon breezes where clouds obscured the bright sun of a few hours earlier. I took it as an omen as we drove silently to her pad. She opened the door quietly and slid out into the cold. Her eyes turned slowly to meet mine expressing volumes of heart songs before turning back to her lonely world. Once inside, I pulled away slowly to return to mine. The snow began to fall.

Skags damn near ignored me when I opened the door, reminding me that I had overshot his morning feeding by over six hours. I stumbled over to the pantry and pulled out his favorite, as a deafening numbness chilled me to the core. The football game turned out to be a bone biter until the last final seconds when the Hail Mary pass landed in the first row of the end zone seating. I began to zone on the events that led me here, and succumbed to the gentle whispers of fatigue. Sleep can be such a blessing.

At first, I thought the gentle rapping was connected to my dream until a second, more forceful report stirred me from my slumbers. A quick glance at the wall clock confirmed the darkness that fallen around me. I turned down the thermostat as I reached for the door handle. I opened to behold the shivering form of Cindy, adorned in several layers of clothing. She reminded me of the Michelin Man after losing a bout of mud wrestling. Beside her was a large overstuffed suitcase and there were several carpetbags in her hands.

“Why didn’t you call,” I croaked as my heart leapt into my throat.

“I don’t have any money,” she mumbled as she reached for the suitcase and crossed the threshold. “And I needed the time to think.”

I took the suitcase and one of the smaller bags from her and followed her as she walked up the stairs and directly into my bedroom. She dropped her shivering torso on to the bed and looked up at me as she slowly unbuttoned her dark wool coat.

“What’s going on, Cindy?”

“Last night as you slept, I saw something in you . . .”

“Perhaps it was the same thing I saw in you this morning when a tear crossed your cheek.”

“Perhaps,” a slight smile crossed her face, “If what you saw made you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“Tomorrow, let’s get the rest of your furnishings, and . . .”

“All of what we have are in these bags; I gave the key to the manager.” She had now disrobed to a long red knit sweater that covered her completely to below her knees where the oversized sweat pants emerged in loose folds all the way to her ankles. I could almost feel the falling arches in her tiny feet, and immediately dashed for the bathroom and my foot massager. As I plugged in the machine and immersed he feet into the warm soapy water, I beheld her tired features transform into pure ecstacy. Her sweat pants were in a crumpled heap next to the clothes hamper. I propped several of my larger pillows behind her to keep her upright and stowed the luggage in the back of my walk-in closet.

After heading back downstairs to secure the TV and lock the front door, I mixed a Baileys and cradled it gently as I made my way back to the bedroom. She was asleep, and in her repose I saw an angel with the face of innocence emerge. As I set her drink on the night stand, she stirred back to my world and smiled again. Her hands took mine and rubbed them gently against her face as she cooed softly. Pulling me towards her, we embraced and rolled onto our side at the head of the bed. Her hands began to tremble as she fumbled with the buttons on my shirt and jeans. I became instantly aroused, and began to explore the smooth textures of her thighs where there was no underwear to hinder me. She was shy, yet driven, and began pulling at my clothes almost in desperation. I was literally overwhelmed with her passion until my hand found the smooth shaven patch that masked her femininity. Her body responded instantly as she caught her breath and closed her eyes. Taking advantage of her momentary pause, I eased her onto her back and dove into the musky dampness like a hungry bear. As my lips found her swollen lips, her body convulsed violently several times. A long wail heralded a fountain of her essence that damn near blinded me. This was too easy! I went in again, burying my face within her bush until my tongue found the center of her passion. Her back arched at almost a surreal angle as she groaned in orgasmic agony. There was far more liquid than I could possibly consume erupting from within her, and I began gasping for air as she held me firmly to her quivering pussy. Her ecstatic sighs were the sweetest music I’ve ever heard.

Somewhere amidst the continual convulsions her body arched skyward for one final orgasm in which every single muscle in her body appeared to tense to its limit, before she collapsed with a weak sigh. I thought I’d killed her and had visions of explaining to some plain clothed cop the events leading to her demise. As I reached for the phone, I felt her hand touch my arm and turned to the softest eyes ever placed in a persons head. Her fine brown hair was splayed around her face, and again, I swear I saw an angel appearing where she lay. We kissed, and more was said during that brief interlude than in a lifetime of Headline News.

She pushed me on my back and removed the last vestiges of my attire. Her eyes widened and she paused to examine my body with the awe of a child in Disneyland. “Your perfect,” she whispered, and covered me with the gentlest kisses and caresses imaginable. When she reached my straining manhood, I was far to stimulated to endure any further torture. Pulling her onto me, I slipped between the delicious folds of her sex only to feel her force her body onto my groin. She threw her head back and whimpered as I enjoyed the tightest velvet enclosure my organ had ever been surrounded by. There was a sudden warm rush of her essence as she climaxed again and crumpled onto my chest. The muscles within her contracted rhythmically to her sighs, and with just a few short thrusts, I had to let go within her. The burning ecstacy lasted for an eternity as my seed pummeled her womb. Again, I felt the familiar tightness in her body, as she was wracked with yet another orgasm; her contractions forcing my seed back out into the cold, cruel world.

We slept fitfully until the phone rang early the next morning. It was my boss.

“Coming in this morning, Ben?”

“Want to be my best man, Ned?”

“Well that answers my question; I got you covered.”

“Thanks boss, I owe you.”

She turned to me sleepily, grabbed the phone and returned it to the cradle. “You own me now - mister,” she murmured as her hand found my erection.

“Mind if give you a breast exam?”

She giggled and her sweater soon landed atop her oversized sweat pants. I threw the pants away later that day, as we headed for the courthouse.

In conclusion; I got the girls, the promotion and a bright future. Cindy got her GED and is now working as an administrative assistant to the CEO. Ned told the directors where to go that Monday and is now the CEO. The three of us visit “the dive” together ever now and again but we always go home after the first pitcher is drained. And Skags is now Tara’s cat - what a traitor. Life is good.