The Ugly Duckling - Afterwards

[After "The Ugly Duckling – Epilogue", (the sequel to "The Ugly Duckling"), was published readers were severely split on whether a further chapter was needed to clear up some outstanding questions; (as one reader put it: "An Epilogue to the Epilogue!") A majority wanted another story, with a minority, (but a vocal minority), insisting that everything that happened later should be left to the imagination. So for those who wanted a sequel ... read on ... and for those who didn't ... no peeking!!! - PS]

[All characters in this story who are involved in serious sexual situations are at least 18 years old - PS]

* * *

Alice rolled over in bed, and then stretched. It was Saturday, and a February sun, cheerful to see, but no doubt it was somewhat cold outside, illuminated the room through the bedroom blinds. It was a beautiful house, originally Christopher's parent's home; but they had decided to move into a condo many years ago so they could travel, and had basically given it to Christopher, since he was going to inherit it eventually anyway.

She let out a sigh, but one of contentment, as she recalled the previous night. Lovemaking, or more perhaps more correctly sex, was definitely part of her feelings of bliss, as she recalled what she and Christopher had indulged in before they went to sleep. Hopefully she hadn't made too much noise, God knew that she wouldn't want Molly to overhear ... although maybe that would be a good thing; in a twisted sort of way!

Molly was her daughter ... actually she and Christopher's daughter ... why take all the blame! Molly was also; in the interests of stating the very, very obvious ... a one hundred percent, Grade A, fully certified geek ... all she needed was an official label on her forehead!

As she lay there contemplating the situation, with Christopher sleeping peacefully beside her, she couldn't help but to shake her head with exasperation. It wasn't that Molly was unattractive ... OK, OK ... she had the same bad teeth and poor eyesight and skin that her mother had suffered through as an adolescent. But unlike Alice, she and Christopher had got the braces, and acne, and near-sightedness totally dealt with by the time she was fifteen. All Molly needed to do ... instead of spending all her time on her computer ... was fix her hair, rather than just tying it off with and elastic band ... and ... God forbid ... dress a little better and wear some makeup, and who knows ... boys might start paying attention to her?

Of course for those early teenage years, it was almost a relief that Molly wasn't socially active. And, she thought to herself, let's confess the unvarnished truth ... and Christopher is as culpable as I am; we were both happy that Molly wasn't dating! But now, turning eighteen, and probably never been kissed: "Houston ... we have a problem!"

They had named her Molly as a remembrance of that emotional evening so long ago, when she had agreed to accept Christopher's invitation to go to the prom.

Alice came from a very poor family, and her friendship, and then love affair with Christopher had started almost by accident. On that momentous night when he had asked her to go with him she had initially refused ... what would she wear? Hiding out afterwards in an upstairs bathroom to conceal a torrent of tears, she was discovered by Christopher's sympathetic mother ... and that had ultimately led to an offer to purchase her a suitable dress ... a shimmering blue organza cocktail length dress ... she still had it ... that she had eventually worn. Later, on that same eventful evening, after she agreed to Christopher's invitation, they had watched an old movie, "A Summer Place", where Sandra Dee played one of the female leads, a character named Molly ... and so many, many years later they had made their own daughter a namesake. It was more than 32 years since the real beginnings of their love ... 32 years with so much in between ... a first kiss ... the blue prom dress ... a first lovemaking ... and a second one, and an almost magical third time, perhaps even now the best of her entire life ... a summer filled with intense wonder and discovery ... and then separation ... and ultimately an agreement to "just be friends" ... Christopher's first marriage to Jackie and his first child Ryan ... his presumed death in Afghanistan ... and a first hesitant reunion after he miraculously escaped captivity and came home ... and then marriage, and Molly.

Today was Valentine's, and also her birthday, she was turning fifty ... imagine! And by some jest of fate it was also Molly's eighteenth birthday; she had been born on Alice's thirty-second birthday; it was a very difficult delivery.

When Molly was two, Jackie died, horribly, from breast cancer. Ryan, Alice's stepson, who was nine at the time, had come to live with his natural father ... everyone, and Jackie's second husband especially, agreed it was for the best ... and by now she regarded him as her own. Given the circumstances, Christopher and Alice decided to forego the risks of any further children; they already had a rather complete little nuclear family, with both a boy and a girl!

Christopher had a special evening planned; his parents, as well as Ryan and his girlfriend Samantha were joining them for the celebration. The young couple lived together, and appeared very much in love; Alice rather suspected that something featuring a diamond was in Samantha's immediate future now that Ryan had almost completed his MBA ... but she didn't want to pry ... and besides, if he needed money for a ring he could come to Christopher, or even his grandfather ... sort of a man-to-man, guy type of thing, she thought to herself with a smile ... no girls allowed!

The thought made her happy. Samantha was a lovely girl, and a teacher, just like Alice ... Kismet! In fact Ryan had met her through Alice, although matchmaking was hardly Alice's intention that particular late June afternoon when he had come to her school to help her carry a number of heavy cartons out to the car. You could see the obvious attraction from the moment they saw each other ... and the fact that Alice could supply not only an introduction in the hallway, but also later on, a phone number and relationship status, probably didn't hurt either!

Alice got up and headed to the shower, taking care not to wake Christopher ... he had been working so hard lately. She squeezed some of the lightly scented bath product she favoured from a bottle, and began to wash herself, paying some attention to the intimate area between her legs, which had received a bit of a workout the night before. When it responded with the familiar warm tingle as she scrubbed things gently, her sense of humour took over.

She was, she decided, giggling at her own silliness: "the proud possessor of a perfectly pleased pink pussy ... take that ... English teachers everywhere!"

Maybe later on, after the celebration, there would be an encore performance in the master bedroom ... imagine ... two nights in a row!

Something else had also happened last night that was a bit remarkable. Despite the fact that Christopher hadn't spent very much time on foreplay, she had achieved a quick short climax the moment he entered her; that had never happened before. And after that, better and better, a really intense sustained one towards the end of their lovemaking ... apparently there was going to be was life after 50!!

After she finished her shower and got dressed, she went downstairs to make breakfast. Since it was a special day, she decided to make French toast as a surprise for Molly and Christopher. She had a large Valentine shaped cookie cutter, left over from the years when she used to bake for her kindergarten class. Maybe she'd use it to punch out the French toast into hearts, just for fun, she decided a little whimsically.

When she got to the kitchen she discovered that Molly was already there, sitting in her dressing gown, playing on her laptop, with an empty glass of orange juice beside her.

"That figures," she thought to herself ruefully, "we should have that computer surgically attached to her hands."

At the same time she noticed that Molly's robe was hanging open, exposing her modest eighteen year old feminine assets for the whole world to see.

"Morning Molly," she ventured, trying to ignore her daughter's partial nudity, "and happy birthday ..."

"You too Mom," Molly answered brightly, shifting around on her chair, which caused the bottom of her robe to slide off her lap, exposing a dark thatch of pubic hair at the intersection of her legs.

"Molly really," Alice scolded, "your father could walk in here any moment ... do up your robe."

"So what," Molly replied breezily, "he's seen a naked women before!"

But Alice did note with some satisfaction that Molly adjusted the dressing gown so she was at least partly covered.

"Well if you're going to sit around like that on a Saturday morning, at least put on some panties," Alice lectured, as if it was going to do any good! Molly just didn't care about how she looked, or what the other members of the household might get to see from time to time ... she was so different than Alice when she was young; so much more uninhibited ...maybe it was this generation?

"You know," Alice said, hoping to make a point, "if my grandmother saw the way you run around this house sometimes, in plain sight of your brother, at least when he lived here, or father, she'd practically faint!"

"Was she a prude?" Molly asked.

"No," Alice answered, "she just grew up in a world where female anatomy was something that was kept very much hidden."

"That's pretty weird."

"Maybe so ... but she told me more about sex than my mother did," Alice admitted, "and all I had to do was just ask her ... she had a way of making me not feel embarrassed ... even though I was pretty shy about my body when I was your age ... not at all ... AHEM ... like a certain person in this kitchen!"

"Oh Mom!"

* * *

It was just about two months later, and her daughter's world was now completely on its ear! It had started innocently enough, a boy Mark, who shared Molly's interest in computers. They would get together after school, or on weekend afternoons, so they could play some cooperative game over the Internet ... some sort of role playing thing. They were sort of cute, sitting together in the den, hunched over their laptops, and talking excitedly to one another as they played. At first Alice was discouraged ... apparently Molly had not noticed that Mark was a boy; and a decent enough looking one as well.

But then subtle changes began to take place; the unflattering baggy jeans were no longer being worn to school, and certain tops that Alice detested, but that Molly insisted on wearing, managed to disappear into the trash bin ... and then one morning ... lip gloss!

And sometimes the discussions in the den were conducted "sotto voce", so Alice couldn't overhear. Molly was coy about Mark, but Alice wasn't fooled, she well remembered another ugly duckling some years ago who had undergone a transformation because of a boy, although that particular young woman was affected by circumstances, not by choice!

History seemed to be repeating itself, she thought with an inward smile, as she watched Molly trying to make herself attractive for Mark.

* * *

"Mom?" Molly asked.

It was another Saturday morning, in the kitchen. Christopher had gone to the building supply store and Molly had slept in late, and was still in her dressing gown ... at least so far it was done up!

"Yes dear?"

"Can I get a prom dress?"

"Oh, has someone asked you to go?" Alice said, trying to sound matter-of-fact, but actually intensely curious.

"Mark is taking me," Molly admitted, "but I don't have anything to wear."

"I think we can solve that," Alice said, totally delighted at this piece of news, "come upstairs with me."

When they got to the master bedroom Alice reached deep into her closet, pulling out a garment bag that was hidden away there.

"Now if you don't like this, you don't have to wear it, but it was incredibly expensive ... your grandparents bought it for me for my senior prom.

Molly nodded; she had heard how her parents met.

Alice lowered the zipper and retrieved the dress from the inside of the protective covering. Molly gasped when she saw the blue organza dress, shimmering in the morning light.

"Why don't you try it on?" Alice suggested.

Molly discarded her robe so she could slip into the dress.

"At least she's got panties on today," Alice observed with an inward sigh.

Molly was taller and slimmer than Alice had been at the same age, so the dress was well above her knees. The rouching of the bodice gaped in front of her breasts, it would need to be taken in, and it was too loose around the waist as well, which could be easily fixed.

"What do you think?" Alice asked.

"It's so beautiful," Molly said excitedly, twirling around, which made the soft folds of the skirt, and transparent glistening matching material that covered it, swirl magically.

"It's a little shorter on you than it was on me," Alice said, "or when Susan wore it."

Susan was Alice's younger sister.

"But that's perfect," Molly said, "it's totally in style for a cocktail dress right now."

"Now, how does Molly know that?" Alice thought, perplexed. Her daughter had never shown the slightest interest in clothes; and Alice doubted that she would have even known what a cocktail dress was before now! Evidently her relationship with Mark was having a number of consequences.

"We'll need to get it altered, and buy you a strapless bra," Alice observed.

"Why," Molly countered, "I hardly ever wear a bra anyway?"

"Maybe so," Alice said provocatively, "but even after we fix the bodice, if you go without one Mark might be able to see all sorts of things ... although I suppose maybe you might want that!"

"Oh Mom!" Molly said with a giggle and a blush.

But Alice was very happy, as she admired Molly in the dress.

"Another ugly duckling has turned into a beautiful swan," she thought to herself in a satisfied way.

However, being that Molly was eighteen and going to her senior prom in the dazzling, and alluring, blue dress, there was one other thing to discuss. She went over to Christopher's night table and opened the drawer, retrieving a couple of condoms from a box of them he kept there, although they didn't need to use them anymore.

"Do you know what these are?" she asked Molly.

"Oh Mom!"

* * *

"Happy birthday," Molly said, as she entered the kitchen.

She had just come in from work, and looked so grown up to Alice in her tailored skirt and blouse. It was hard to believe that she was only 23! This weekend she was moving out of the house and into an apartment with a girlfriend. It made Alice a little sad to see this next change in their lives.

"I got you something," Molly said proffering a small present with a shiny red bow.

"Put in the dining room ... there is something there for you as well; we'll open them after dinner."

"Are Ryan and Samantha and the baby here yet?"

"No ... but pretty soon ... would you like a glass of wine?"

"What about my grandparents?"

"They're not coming ... they're both sick and don't want to give anything to the baby ... or anyone else for that matter."

"That's too bad ... and yes, I'll have a glass of wine ... I can get it."

Later on, after dinner, they opened their gifts. Alice received a lovely ring with a large amethyst, whose facets burned with a purple fire; her birth stone. Molly got a pendant, also with an amethyst. Both gems sparkled in the candle light as they showed them off.

"They're cut from the same stone," Christopher explained proudly, "I had them specially made. Many years from now, Molly, when your mother and I are gone, you can wear the two together as a set."

"Don't talk like that," Molly protested.

"It will happen someday," Christopher said simply, "it's just the natural order of things."

"But not tonight," Ryan interjected, clearly closing off the subject.

Alice looked around as the others began a new conversation.

They were all there together, her first and only true love, Christopher. Ryan, his lovely wife and beautiful new daughter ... maybe someday she might wear the blue prom dress too? And then there was Molly, who would carry she and Christopher's chromosomes down the great stream of time ... she had told Alice recently that she wanted to have children ... she already adored her little niece; you could see it!

Her life, she thought, fighting back tears of joy, had turned out like a fairy tale ... a modern fairy tale!