Silver

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*** If you are under the age of 18 or are not of legal age in your jurisdiction, please exit this story immediately ***

Author's note: Thanks to all for your kind words regarding the continuation of the Silver series; your comments were greatly appreciated! And so we continue with the romantic series with Silver 12 as Marlene and Michael continue their lives together.

As I have always stated before, your comments are so very much appreciated! Please take the time to vote, leave me your thoughts, positive criticisms, and wishes for future stories in the series! Private emails are also very much welcomed! I would love to hear privately from my readers about their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions for future stories!

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"Hi Mom... No, everything is alright... No Mom, I'm fine... Yes, I'm sure; I just wanted to see if you would like to go out to dinner tonight... Yes, with me... No, just you and me... No, it's just that we haven't had much time to sit down alone and talk... Mom, no, I promise, everything is fine... OK, I'll see you tonight!"

Shaking her head in amusement, Marlene placed the phone back into the cradle of the receiver, slightly easing the leather chair back from her walnut desk and without notice, rocked back and forth. Her engagement to Michael, his accident, wedding plans, and work had all but occupied her time. She and her mom hadn't had much of a chance to relax and have a nice mother, daughter conversation. Chewing on the cap of her pen, Marlene drifted back in time; a time when the relationship with her mom was strained to say the least. "Rebel should have been my name," she whispered to herself, thinking back to her adolescent years when the sudden death of her father and younger brother, accompanied with her mother's deep depression which had followed, drained her of all emotion.

The buzz of her phone made her jerk upwards in her seat, "Hey, Marjie, what's up?"

"A Mrs. Tomlinson to see you?" Marjie replied.

"Yes, please send her in."

**********

"Hey Mom, I'm home, are you ready?"

"Almost Honey, I'm back here trying to clasp this darn necklace," Mrs. Cassidy exclaimed from her bedroom.

"Here, let me help you out," Marlene said in a tender voice as she entered her mom's room.

"Thanks, Honey, these old fingers just don't want to do what I tell them anymore."

"That's OK, Mom, I have the same problem if that makes you feel any better!"

After clasping her mom's necklace and adjusting her collar, Marlene changed into her more comfortable jeans, sweater, and stylish heels before touching up her makeup and grabbing her handbag.

"Ready Mom?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," her mom laughed, shrugging her shoulders to adjust the wool coat she had chosen to wear.

"You look great, Mom; I only hope I look as good as you when I'm your age!"

"Oh Marlene, thank you Honey; I'm sure you'll look much better than this," she sighed as she fastened the last of her buttons.

"Where to?" Marlene asked her mom as she placed the SUV into reverse.

"Oh, Marlene, I don't know, that's up to you, Honey."

"OK, I know a nice Italian place..." Marlene said in a dreamy voice.

**********

The two women were guided through the small restaurant and seated at a secluded table. "Good evening ladies, my name is John and I'll be serving you tonight."

The two women looked toward the elderly waiter as he stood before them, Marlene with a bright smile on her face; "How are you, John?" she asked.

"You look vaguely familiar," the waiter whispered, "Yes, I remember, you were here with the blind, I'm so sorry, the visually impaired gentleman, right?"

"You're correct," Marlene answered with a broad smile, "I'm Marlene, and this is my Mom, Joan."

"Yes, Marlene," the waiter stated, "And your friend, Michael, right?"

"Yes, John, Michael..." she replied, her face glowing at the mention of his name.

"And your Michael; is he well?" John politely inquired.

"Quite well, and as mischeivous as ever," Marlene giggled, recalling how they had laughed the night away at the restaurant as Michael became a bit giddy from the wine.

"He has a gift," John smiled, "A very special gift."

"A special gift?" Mrs. Cassidy interjected.

"Yes, I'm so sorry, Joan, please accept my apology, it is a pleasure to meet you. You are as beautiful as your daughter. I didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation."

"Oh please... Thank you, John... No need for apologies, but you were saying?" Mrs. Cassidy continued in a flustered voice.

"Joan, look at your daughter's face, her eyes... Look how her skin glows and those beautiful green eyes sparkle at the very mention of his name. He is special to her. He lives within her; in her heart, in her very soul," the waiter whispered as if he were looking through them.

Marlene's mom reached across the table, taking her daughter's soft, delicate hand into her own, "He saved my baby, John..."

"Indeed," the waiter commented as he gazed down at Marlene.

"Um, may we have two glasses of wine?" Marlene asked in a slightly uncomfortable voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I've gone off on one of my rambles; what may I get the two of you?" the apologetic waiter asked.

"Mom?" Marlene inquired.

"I think I'll have a glass of chardonnay."

"I'll have the same," Marlene answered as she looked up to John.

"Very well, I'll be back with your drinks in a moment," the waiter kindly replied, turning away after excusing himself.

**********

Continuing to grasp her mother's hand as she sipped the chilled wine, Marlene asked her mom if they could talk about some things.

"Sure, Marlene, but before you ask, he absolutely adores you!"

"How did you know?"

"I was in your shoes before, sweetheart, and I can recall the uncertainty most people retain about themselves; especially with your situation, you being constantly put down and abused in your previous marriage. Your selfesteem was so, so depleted."

"Mom, do you remember that day?" Marlene asked, looking down as her diamond ring sparkled in the candle light of the table.

"Marlene, I can still see the white breath coming from his mouth; I can even tell you what he was wearing," her mom replied with a smile.

"Mom, I was nothing but a shell of a person; I felt nothing, not a damn thing, and then by some miracle, I picked up my coffee and looked out into that frigid winter morning. He was just there, at the blink of an eye, he was just there, a broad smile on his face as he spoke to Misty as they walked together. Mom, I see that picture of him in my mind every night before I drift off to sleep. Mom?"

"What is it, Baby?"

"Do you believe in things?"

"Things?"

"Yes, things like angels?"

"Oh Honey, I don't know about angels... I mean... Here's what I believe, Baby; I believe in love, kindness, thoughtfulness, caring, empathetic people. People, who with a grin on their face, can light up a room; who with a simple smile, can warm your heart, and with a kind word, can touch your very soul. If that is what you mean by angels, then yes, I believe Michael is your angel!"

A tear formed in the one corner of Marlene's eye, and like a single raindrop on a window pane, found a slow path down her cheek.

"Did you think of Daddy when you guys weren't together?"

"Marlene, I thought about your dad every minute of the day; he was a wonderful husband, and we were so much in love."

Mrs. Cassidy squeezed her daughter's hand as she spoke of her late husband, reaching across the table to brush back a strand of Marlene's hair as it rested against her eyebrow. "He loves you, Marlene; his face lights up as soon as he hears your voice. He looks at you when you are doing something. Even though he can't see you, he watches you; it's uncanny."

"Hmm, I thought it was just me," she grinned, "I thought it was only me that thought about my Michael when he isn't with me."

John had returned with soup and salad for the women, placing it before them and asking if they needed a refill on their wine. Declining a second glass at that moment, they continued speaking while digging into their pre-dinner appetizers.

"Mmm, Mom," Marlene began, doing her best to withhold a laugh while chewing her salad, "You should have seen him the other day when we went clothes shopping."

"Oh no, what did he do now?" her mom asked with a laugh.

"Oh my God, Mom, he was dancing naked in the dressing room," she answered, dropping her fork to her plate and picking up a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth as she continued laughing.

"He what?" Mrs. Cassidy asked in a contagious laughter.

"He started dancing, telling me he was getting jiggy with it... In the dressing room... After I told him he needed a tan because his butt was so white. He started rubbing against me while he danced and sang," Marlene explained in a high pitch, squeaky voice.

"Oh Marlene, he didn't," her mom laughed.

"I had to leave the dressing room before I peed myself," she laughed. "The people at the checkout were laughing at him when I finally escaped out into the men's department. When I returned to check in on him, he acted like nothing ever happened! Mom, he is so funny and can make me laugh at the drop of a dime."

"Oh Marlene, that is so funny," her mother replied, still laughing at her daughter's humorous story.

"The bigger problem, is we have to go to the tanning salon to get spray tanned this Saturday."

"Honey, can you record that for me?" her mom laughed while slapping her hand on the table.

Their meals were served and glasses of wine eventually refilled for the final time of the evening as they giggled like two teenage girls speaking of the crush they had on a cute boy.

"Mom, I need a little advice," Marlene said after sipping her wine, this time in a more serious tone.

"Sure, Honey, I'll try as best I can."

"Mom, I don't know how to put this without sounding offensive, but it concerns Michael and his finances."

"What about them?" her mom asked in surprise.

"Well, we're planning our wedding as you well know, and...well...Michael lives on Social Security from the government; disability insurance to be precise."

"And?" her mom asked.

"Mom, it's not a lot; he pays his mortgage, utility bills, and that sort of thing; I don't know how he manages, but he makes it work. I can't even imagine how he was able to pay for my ring."

"Marlene, his home is beautiful. He seems so happy and so comfortable, but what are you getting at?"

"Mom, this wedding is going to cost a bit of money, and I know he doesn't have the ability to help pay for it. I however, have more than enough money to pay for the whole thing and intend to do so, but I don't want to offend him."

"Did you discuss this with him, Honey?"

"No, I wanted to, but haven't found the right time. Well that, and I wanted to get your advice if you have any."

"Marlene, Sweetheart, the both of you are so much alike; you both show kindness and thoughtfulness towards each other. Your love and compassion for each other measure up to no one, and from what I have observed, you both so easily communicate with each other. I think you need to have an earnest, loving talk with him and tell him how you're feeling."

"Mom, I wish it was that easy; what do I say; where do I begin?"

"Begin at the beginning," her mom softly replied as she once again took her daughter's hand in her own, "Marlene,marriage is a union of two people; a union with the understanding that both people are there to love and support each other no matter the circumstance. While finances are sometimes difficult to discuss, I believe the man you adore will appreciate your honesty. The only suggestion I have is to offer him your opinion and help."

"Yes, I guess so," Marlene replied, nervously stirring her pasta after listening to her mother's advice, "But it didn't work out so well last time."

"Marlene, you can not possibly compare that abusive son of a bitch you were married to to Michael," her mom spoke in anger.

Marlene was taken back by the language her mom used. She had rarely, if ever, heard her mother use such aggressive language, yet alone in a public place.

"No, Mom, I'm not comparing David to my Michael; it's just he wasn't able to handle my success, and it scares me a bit to this day."

"Have you ever had a problem speaking to him?" her mom added as she watched her daughter transfer strands of spaghetti from one side of her plate to the other.

"Yes, the first night we met," Marlene grinned with a gleam growing in her eyes, "I thought I was going to have a panic attack when I first said hi to him. If Misty hadn't been there for me to pet, I probably would have passed out right then and there! I actually had to ask him if I could sit next to him on the step to gather myself!"

"You knew from the very first time you saw him, you were going to marry him, didn't you, Sweetheart," her mom said in an almost tearful whisper.

"Yeah, Mom, I knew... I don't know how, but I knew for sure I wanted to be with him the rest of my life."

**********

"Shh, baby-girl, we don't want to wake your daddy," Marlene whispered to the jubulent black Lab after stepping through the front door sometime after midnight; "OK, I'll rub your belly for a second, but we have to go to bed after that, OK?"

"Hey, Handsome, it's just me; I was missing you and couldn't sleep."

"Hmm...mmm... Hi, Beautiful," I moaned, not alarmed by her entrance into my bed as I slept, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm more than alright now," she whispered in my ear before wrapping a soft arm around my chest.

I felt her warm breasts pressing into my back, and the wonderful fragrance of her perfume as she held mee tight. "I love you, Michael... I love you so, so much," she whispered in my ear, her voice quivering as she spoke.

"Beautiful, why are you crying?" I asked as I twisted around to face her.

"Because...because I love you...and...could never imagine...my life...without...you."

"Hey, hey, hey, it's OK, Beautiful; I'm right here, I'm right here..."

I kissed Marlene's trembling lips, tasting the salty tears which had collected along their edge. My hand reached up, repeatedly brushing her hair back and letting it fall gracefully across the pillow on which she laid. I caught every tear as they slowly rolled over her cheek and onto my waiting lips. Marlene pulled me tighter against her before running her fingers up the back of my head, and through my thick hair. A chill raced through my body as her long nails raked my scalp.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered as I kissed the wet trail upward to her eye, "I could lie here with you forever, do you know that?"

Marlene shook her head in agreement, taking a fist full of my hair in her hand and let it gradually slip between her slender fingers. "Michael?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"Will you love me like this forever?"

"I will adore you, my sweet baby, for as long as you let me."

"Promise?"

"With all of my heart," I whispered, nuzzling into her neck.

"Will you make love to me?" she meekly asked.

Marlene guided me to her entrance, and with a whispered "I love you," opened up and accepted me in. Two moans grew into one as our bodies met, my cock buried deep within her as our lips met for a soft, loving kiss. Slowly withdrawing and easing back in, we made soft, slow, passionate love. We silently rolled to different positions, Marlene being the unintended victor, sitting astride me as she leaned forward and drew her fingernails across my eyebrows while rocking against me.

"You are so handsome," she whispered, this time witha smile to her tone.

"You need your eyes checked," I grinned beneath her.

"You'll never admit it, will you?" she asked, her tone giving the slightest hint of a giggle.

"Nope," I smiled.

"Then I guess I'll have to keep saying it until you see it my way," she replied, her fingers dropping from my eyebrows to my cheeks and giving them a squeeze.

Marlene continued her slow thrusts against me while resting her head into my shoulder. Her warm breasts pressed hard into me, and I felt their presence as I moved my hands up her sides.

"Michael, I'm coming," she moaned as her lips sucked on my skin.

"Go ahead, Sweetheart, let yourself go," I encouraged in a soothing tone.

"Oh, Michael, yes, it's so good," she panted, trying to keep her slow, deliberate pace.

I felt her body tense as her head lifted, letting out a long gasp before collapsing into me. Reaching down to caress her ass, I asked her if she were alright. Marlene shook her head as her face laid sideways against my chest.

"Are you able to roll onto your side?" I asked.

"Do I have to take you out of me?" she moaned in minor frustration.

"Well..." I spoke out loud, "Probably."

"Michael, please, I want you to stay inside; I don't want this to stop," she whined, almost sounding like a small child whining to a parent, wanting to stay at their favorite playground instead of leaving for home.

I finally realized how tired my beautiful Marlene had grown while she was lying on top of me. "You stay right where you are, Beautiful," I whispered, gently kissing the top of her head.

She let out a long moan and nuzzled her face into my chest. I pulled the blanket over us, making sure her shoulders were properly covered. We drifted off to sleep together, my cock resting snuggly inside of her, a sensual night of love coming to a silent end.

**********

A cold, wet nose lifting my arm, woke me from my slumber. Marlene's arm and leg were draped over my body with her face pressed into my shoulder. My arm was tossed upward once again by the furry black snout which was announcing it's desire to have the rest of what it was connected to, let outside for the morning romp.

"OK, girl, I'm coming," I whispered, doing my best not to stir Marlene from her sound slumber.

Misty's tags jingled as she gave a big shake in acknowledgement. Sliding as easily as possible, I worked myself from under my baby. "Michael, no..." she murmered, her hand reaching for my belly as I slithered over the mattress.

"Shh, Sweetheart, I have to let Misty outside."

She mumbled something incoherent as I tucked the covers snuggly around her before giving her a light kiss in her tangled hair. My fingers trailed down the length of the blanket as I left her and walked from the room. Misty danced impatiently at the back door as I rounded the corner into the dining room. She raced across the deck and into the backyard in the blink of an eye, the sound of her nails scraping over the composite deck filled the otherwise silent, damp March morning. Praising my faithful companion for her ability to hold her bladder for long periods of time, I closed the door, gave her fresh water, and a generous amount of food in her bowls.

Flipping the radio on, the news channel announced the top of the hour. "Eight o'clock?" I gasped as the sound of coffee filtered into the pot.

Briskly walking to the door to let Misty in, I quickly made a cup of coffee and brought it back to the bedroom. Placing it on the nightstand, I lifted the blanket and slipped next to Marlene as she laid curled up. "Beautiful, it's eight o'clock," I whispered, tenderly stroking her cheek and brushing away the strands of hair I felt as my fingers grazed her skin.

"Mmm, mmm," she moaned into my chest while straightening her legs beside me.

"Marlene, Sweetheart, do you have work?"

"Mmm," was her only reply.

"Beautiful, you have to get up," I laughed as she nuzzled closer into me.

Her silky leg slid up and over my thighs, coming to rest on my pelvis while wedging her foot between my knees. Marlene's arm was next, draping over my stomach and resting her hand flat on my chest.

"Hmm, this is where I started," I thought to myself, "The only thing missing is Misty's nose under my arm."