The Greatest of These Is Love

Continuing to follow Dawn's and John's paths ahead. For those who are familiar with my other tales, it is set in the same universe and has common characters. Reading all the other stories is not crucial to enjoying this one, but you should read Parts 1 through 6 of this arc first. The number of pieces to this arc is still undetermined. This is not the end of the arc, though. All people having intercourse are over the age of 18.

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Sunday, December 20, 2020, continued

John directed Dawn down state roads, following the Missouri River, back to the interstate. Once there, she would not need further guidance until they approached the Kansas City area. Now that he had a decent signal on his phone, John called home.

"Hi, Mom. ... Yeah, we're on our way now. We should be home in a couple of hours. ... I think that would be nice, but let me check."

He covered the microphone on his phone and shifted slightly to look at Dawn as she drove.

"Mom says she'll hold off on serving supper until we get there. Is that okay with you, or did you plan on us eating out tonight?"

"I really hadn't gotten that far in my thinking, John. I wanted to let our time with your grandparents determine the schedule. I think we should eat at your parents' place, though. One, there's no need to spend the money if we have an alternative; and two, not to eat her cooking would probably be seen by her as a snub. And third, I want a little more time with them so they can see how good we are together and to get used to the idea that I'm not going anywhere. I'm pretty sure your father and brother like me, but your mother doesn't seem to. I just don't want to end my visit on a sour note."

Once again, John marveled at Dawn's sense of social propriety, something he knew he lacked.

"Those are excellent points, love." John uncovered the microphone and said, "If you'll hold off on serving supper, we'd appreciate a home‑cooked meal... Yeah, Grandma served a big lunch of leftovers, so we'll be fine until we get there. ... Okay, it should be less than two hours. ... We'll be careful. ... Okay, bye."

After a few more miles, Dawn raised a sensitive subject.

"John, what do you intend to tell your parents about our visits with your grandparents and the overnight stay in between?"

John exhaled gustily as he gave it some thought.

"I think we go with the truth, sweetheart. You never have to remember what you said if you stick with the truth. Maybe we dress it up a bit for Mom; you know, 'be careful what you ask for because you may actually get it.' I don't know what her issue is with us having sex, aside from the fact that she doesn't trust us. I don't know where that comes from. There must be something in her past. If I think about it too much, it just makes me upset with her."

"I hear you, John. I get the same feeling that her trusting others, us in particular, doesn't happen often or easily. Let me think about how much to tell them. You know she's going to ask."

John chuckled a little at the thought of Dawn being very explicit about their rumpus time in the hotel. 'Maybe Mom's just jealous,' he thought. He needed a one‑on‑one talk with his dad.

They returned to the Wilson residence just after 6:30 PM, and they both groaned slightly at the thought of an unpleasant interrogation from Susan. They were also slightly stiff from their trip from John's grandparents' home.

"I hope you're planning to stop frequently and stretch your legs tomorrow," John said. "That drive is three times longer than our trip today." He wouldn't voice his worries about Dawn making the cross‑state trip, but he still had them. He reached into the car and carried their overnight bags into the house.

"Ah, you're just in time," Susan stated as the pair entered the house. "Supper will be on the table in five minutes. Go wash up."

Susan was a good cook; she just didn't have many opportunities to show it. She knew that Dawn would be leaving in the morning, so she decided to fix a supper of roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and Pillsbury biscuits as a 'bon voyage' (which she co‑opted to be French for 'good riddance') meal. While Susan didn't care for the idea that her eldest son now had a girlfriend, she had to admit, deep in her heart of hearts, that the pair did seem to be good for each other, and Dawn appeared pleasant despite Susan's gruffness toward her. Now that John was back at home for the holiday, Susan would press him for more information about Dawn. Henry had opened some bottles of sparkling cider to add to the specialness of the meal, and smiles abounded.

"Oh, this is so good, Susan!" Dawn declared once she had tried everything. Dawn's smile was both genuine and infectious, and Owen and Henry soon were smiling themselves.

"Thank you, dear. I wanted you to have a nice meal at least once while you were visiting," Susan replied smoothly. "After supper, I want to hear all about your visits with my and Henry's parents. Goodness knows that John won't volunteer much."

"Mom!" John said in mock outrage.

"What‽ If I were to look up the word 'laconic' in the dictionary, I'm sure I'd see your picture," she riposted. John hung his head with a rueful smile of his own at the truth of her words. Dawn surreptitiously reached her hand into John's lap and whispered, "That's okay. I prefer the strong, silent type anyway." Her words made him blush a little bit more, as well as making Owen and Henry chuckle.

"Boys, would you please handle the clean up tonight? I need another round of girl talk with Dawn before she heads for her family tomorrow morning," Susan requested. "Come, dear, let's go sit in the living room."

John and Owen quickly addressed the dining room clean up while Henry tagged along with Susan and Dawn. Henry purposefully sat where he could catch Susan's eye if the need arose, but he sat back and let the discussion unfold.

"So, Dawn, how did you find our parents?" Susan lobbed a softball question to start.

"Your parents are wonderful, Mrs. Wilson. I found them to be very warm and welcoming, even your father. Your mother was unaware of John's field of study but was extraordinarily pleased when he spoke about his Business Finance major. Like I said, they welcomed us both with open arms and very little recriminations for John's absence at Thanksgiving."

Susan gave a very brief pout at Dawn's words, and Henry softly cleared his throat in warning. Dawn turned her head to look at him as he quickly came up with his own question.

"Were you as bored with the countryside as Owen usually is on these trips?"

Dawn chuckled, smiled, and bobbed her head.

"Oh, yes. I think I fell asleep for a while on our way. Once we got to Fayette, though, things went very well."

Dawn turned back to Susan.

"Your father smelled like wintergreen."

"He chews Wint-O-Green Life Savers to combat the stench of his infrequent smoking. My mother doesn't care for his smoking. He generally only smokes when he's nervous, so he must have been a little nervous about meeting you."

"He didn't show anything beyond an initial hesitation to get out of his recliner. Once I had the chance to work my magic on him, he was very pleasant. I think he surprised your mother toward the end of our visit with the announcement that he had booked the cruise for them for next summer. Maybe that's what he was nervous about.

"We both had one‑on‑one time with each of them. Before we left, they asked me to call them 'Grandma and Grandpa Smith' instead of 'Dr. Smith', which I'm happy to do.

"So, where did you two stay on Saturday night?" Susan prodded. Her expression was beginning to show her umbrage, and she wanted this little hussy to admit to using her son for sex.

"At the Hampton Suites on the south side of Columbia," John answered as he stepped into the living room with his brother on his heels. John gave a mischievous grin as he added, "In a nice, big, comfy bed, unlike that torture device masquerading as a sofa that you're sitting on." John craned his arm to rub the small of his back.

Susan's eyes widened in surprise at her son's words and tone as he continued. Susan's lips pressed still tighter until the blood flow into them slowed.

"Classes had let out for the holiday break, and the football game was away, so there wasn't a lot of the usual clientele. We got a very good rate on the room. We ate Chinese for supper. Which reminds me: thank you, Mom. Supper was very good tonight. I'm glad we could have a very nice meal for Dawn's last night with us."

Dawn was feeling a little left out, so she re‑inserted herself into the discussion.

"This morning we went to church with your parents, Mr. Wilson," Dawn related, addressing Henry this time. "I was so worried about not having brought a skirt or dress to wear which I do when I'm home. Fortunately, the church has a sign about God not caring what was on your back but what was in your heart. I was rather put out with John for letting me worry about nothing. Your Aunt Jewel and her cousin Helen were there as well, and they practically dragged me to sit next to them. Afterward, we drove out to your parents' place and had a nice lunch. Aunt Jewel joined us and we all had some very pleasant discussions until we had to leave. John navigated as I drove us here."

"And how did my parents behave toward you, Dawn?" Henry inquired.

"Your father was very open and accepting from the start, saying that he hoped I was on my way to becoming part of the family. Your mother was a little stiff at first, but she gave me their approval and blessing as we left, so I think everything's just fine with them. Aunt Jewel is now certain that I'm 'non‑blooded kin'." Dawn cracked a big smile at the recollection. "Oh, and they're trying to get your grandmother to come to the reunion."

Henry's eyes lit with delight at the prospect of visiting with his grandmother. He was certain that she wouldn't be around a whole lot longer.

Susan looked like she wanted to pursue the previous night's sleeping arrangements, but Henry interrupted by standing and taking Susan by the hand.

"Come, dear, I think we need to talk,

in private

. Let's let John and Dawn have the rest of this evening together." Henry pulled Susan to her feet and refused to let go of her hand as he led her upstairs.

"I think I'll follow their example and leave you two to each other," Owen decided with a sneaky grin. "I'll get up to say goodbye in the morning, Dawn. Thank you again for your help with my social problems on Friday."

"You are quite welcome, Owen."

He headed for the doorway, then looked back over his shoulder at her. "Wow," he said. With that, he quietly departed for his room, leaving John and Dawn alone in the living room.

"Well, now that we've chased the family away, how shall we pass our last few hours alone together?" John asked, cheekily.

Dawn shifted around so that her back was pressed into John's chest, and she pulled his arms around her. "Just like this, my love. There is no tomorrow; there is only here and now."

John sniffed her hair and relished the closeness along with the tactile comfort of holding the one you love. They remained like that for a couple of hours, just talking about how the visits had gone and other subjects.

Upstairs in Henry's and Susan's bedroom, an entirely different scene was unfolding. Gently, yet steadily and persistently, Henry had pulled Susan into their bedroom and had given her a gentle push toward their bed. He quietly closed the door, took a bath towel, rolled it up, and placed it at the bottom to block sound and light from escaping. When he turned to face Susan, his face was red with anger, and his expression scared Susan. In a tightly constrained voice, somewhere between a whisper and normal volume, he laid into his wife.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Susan?"

She shrank back, uncertain how best to proceed. She had never seen Henry this way, and it took away much of the bluster that often filled her when confronted. Still, she refused to back away from her chosen course of action.

"I'm trying to get to the truth about their relationship, about how she's using him," she snapped.

The edge to Henry's voice was razor sharp.

"I'll tell you the truth that I know about John and Dawn. They're in love with each other. You can see it in every glance, every touch, every word that comes out of their mouths. They trust each other. They back each other up. Sure, they probably had sex last night and/or this morning. If she's using him, he's all for being used by her.

Henry took a breath and continued.

"I don't know if this has registered yet, but you are the only person in this family who isn't on board with Dawn being in John's life. Your parents approve of her for him. My parents and aunt approve of her for him. It would seem that her family approves of John. He was invited to their home for Thanksgiving week. Yet you have not been welcoming her. She will likely become our daughter‑in‑law and you won't be able to stop it!

"I'll tell you this: If you don't pull your head out of your ass, Susan, the next time John leaves this house, it may very well be the last time he does so. Your efforts to keep your 'little boy' safe are only driving him away from us."

Henry was practically spitting those last words out, and Susan was doing the whole goldfish‑out‑of‑water thing.

"One more thing. Owen is hot on John's heels. That kid notices everything. Kid! He's almost a man himself. I suspect this is all resulting from your brother's untimely death, but you can't save anybody from themselves. We've done our best to instill the values we hold dear in both of our young men.

"If you want to have our sons and their future families in your life, you have to let go. Don't push them into choosing to abandon us. That's what will happen if you keep doing what you've been doing. The more you try to keep them safe, the more they will withdraw from us."

Henry turned his back on Susan and went to their bathroom. Tears began to stream down her face. With her head in her hands, Susan began to sob softly. Henry had nailed her. It was only when his latest warning began sinking in that she could understand his point of view.

This wasn't what she wanted, at all. It was very difficult for Susan to admit she was in the wrong. Henry almost never pushed back on her. That alone should have been a warning sign to her. As she thought back, this was not the first time that Henry had cautioned her about driving John away. Was it true that everyone in their families, except her, approved of how good John and Dawn were together?

Henry returned from the bathroom, and his heart went out to his wife. He never wanted to hurt her, but sometimes a person needs a karmic slap to the head. He sat next to her and pulled her into his embrace. She burrowed her face into his neck, still lightly sobbing. He kissed the top of her head and suggested they get ready for bed. Things should look better in the light of day.

Monday, December 21, 2020

John was simultaneously happy and sad as he stripped the hide‑a‑bed and folded it back into the sofa. He was happy that he would not have to sleep on it in the coming nights. He was sad that Dawn would be leaving for her home that morning, and he would no longer need to sleep on it in the coming nights.

Dawn was still sleeping when Henry and Susan had to leave for their respective jobs, so there was no communication from Susan that morning. John had heard them as they prepared for their workday but decided not to provoke them further. There would be plenty of time in the coming weeks to have some difficult discussions about his future and Dawn.

Dawn came downstairs while he was putting the hide‑a‑bed away, and they flopped onto the remade sofa, leaning against each other. They held hands, interlacing their fingers, but said nothing. Neither one of them wanted to speak, knowing that their emotions were very close to the surface.

"Have you packed the Tony Gonzalez jersey in your bag?" John asked.

"Not yet, my love. It still needs something from you," she answered as she waggled her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose once. "Oh, but I will need a couple of large plastic baggies for it as well as some other stuff I don't want to get mixed up."

John smiled. It was a running joke between them about placing some of his 'Business Man' cologne near the collar of whatever was worn as sleep shirts. They had done that for Ginny and Jenny, and now Dawn wanted some for her jersey.

"Let me see what I can do."

He disentangled himself from her and meandered into the kitchen in search of a sealable plastic bag. With a pleased cry of discovery, he returned with the box of gallon freezer bags. Dawn's smile was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds, and John had another brief, shining moment of having pleased his girlfriend.

"I think I can make this work. Thank you! I'll be right back. Get your cologne ready, please!" With a toss of her hair, she took the box and swirled out of the living room and up the stairs.

'Great God in Heaven, but I love it when she does that thing with her hair,' he thought as he gathered up the linens and took them back to the washing machine.

For her part, Dawn was excited about what she was going to leave behind for John. As she passed the bathroom, it sounded like Owen was up and just getting into the shower. She ducked into John's bedroom and pulled his Chiefs jersey from the clothes hanger in his closet. She quickly folded the shirt and carefully stuffed it into one of the baggies, being sure it would fasten closed. It was a tight fit and she had to cram it in a little, but she got it in and it would seal and stay closed. She placed it in her duffel bag and paused to listen for a moment.

She heard the shower still running, so she closed John's bedroom door and shimmied out of her jeans. She lay back on his bed and played with herself for a minute to get her juices flowing and soaked into the gusset of her panties. She then removed her damp pink satin bikini panties and closed them up in a second baggie, which she tucked inside his pillowcase on the bottom side. She grabbed her last pair of clean panties from her duffel bag and redressed.

Carrying her bag, she closed John's bedroom door behind her and nearly collided with Owen. He was wrapped in only a large bath towel and had been hurrying to his room.

"Oh!" both exclaimed and they awkwardly circled around each other.

"Are you leaving soon?" Owen asked, and Dawn nodded. "Well, can you please hold on until I can get dressed and say goodbye properly?" Dawn nodded again, and Owen quickly closed his bedroom door. Dawn let her racing heart slow down before making her way back down the stairs to John, then handed him the baggie with the jersey in it.

John carefully dribbled some of his precious cologne around the collar of his Tony Gonzalez jersey which no longer fit him. He was thrilled that it would see new life with his girlfriend. Dawn carefully resealed the airtight baggie after pressing all the air out of it and placed it in her duffel bag. She breathed in the fragrance and her eyes glazed slightly at the memory of that scent on John.

She looked up at him and noticed the tears beginning to pool in his eyes. His emotions were getting to her and she sniffled in sympathy. Wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve, John carefully put his cologne away. Dawn's thoughts were struggling with their impending long separation.

"You could come with me," she offered without thinking. "I'm sure Mamma and Daddy would be happy to have you come visit again."

All John could do at that point was to pull Dawn in for a long hug and passionate kiss. He didn't trust his voice, and he needed his mind to rule the day, not his lust. His thoughts flashed back to the week he spent at Thanksgiving with Dawn's family in Phelps Bluff. All the nights they shared Dawn's larger bed; the outright acceptance of him by Dawn's mother and sisters and the only slightly delayed acceptance by her father; the sad brown eyes of Gypsy as he and Dawn left to return to school.