[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!"
