Foreword
These stories are based in Australia and written in the idiom the characters would use.
Some issues in language variations I anticipated and built translations into my narrative. Others have caught me by surprise especially in their intensity. Generally, the intended meaning will be clear from the context if you don't cling too tightly to your usual usage.
Crutch/ Crotch has been a subject of much comment. Australians more commonly use 'crutch' and that meaning of the word is supported by the Macquarie Dictionary.
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Story
From fairly early in our relationship I had started thinking about how our families could all spend Christmas together.
Greg's family generally celebrated Christmas Day at their place where they were joined by Greg's mum's sister, her husband and three kids of around our age. Greg's mum was from the day I meet her warm, friendly and generous to me and both he and I were fairly sure his parents would be only too happy to invite my family to join them.
My main concern was that we might end up having to go up to the country hinterland to join the friends of my parents there. Fortunately they were going interstate to have Christmas with one of their own children; so there was no invitation to compete with that of Greg's parents and the day was arranged.
When the day came around it was interesting watching the families come together.
What struck me first of all was how similar all three mothers were. Greg's mum and her sister could have been twins, even though they were several years apart. The scary thing was my mother could equally have been twined with either of them; at least on a fraternal basis. Not only were they much the same height and shared the same youthful figure, their personalities were very similar too; friendly but a little reserved and completely lacking β like me β any wild streak. They even smiled the same way.
They say a man marries his mother. If I'm anything like mine then Greg and I might as well get married now.
The dads were both tall and skinny, but whereas mine is your typical passionate surfer and a passionate follower of footy and cricket both with a strange combination of a hippie background and the professional manner of the accountant he is, Greg is very much like his father; quiet and a little shy, but intelligent, sincere and friendly.
The third father was very different; both more solidly built and more confident vergin; on (if not actually going into) bombastic in his personality.
The kids in Greg's extended family shadowed their parents.
His 18 year old sister Jenna β just finished her HSC β was quiet and reserved by nature, pretty, slim figured and with small triangular shaped breasts. She was like a younger not fully ripened version of her mother.
The aunt's children were in a different league. In the case of the daughters you could see they were based on their father's genes. Quite attractive, they had their fathers more solid figure; more busty, curvy and overtly sexual than ran in my or Greg's immediate family. They were also more outgoing; not as bombastic as their father but I didn't doubt they'd been a handful as teenagers. Their younger brother had more of his mother in him and was superficially similar to Greg, but didn't seem as sweet or kind as Greg.
The families had agreed not to exchange presents, so each family had their own gift giving before they came to lunch. However, soon after we arrived Greg pulled me aside and gave me one he'd bought for me; a waterproof pocket digital camera with still picture and video mode together with a high capacity SD card. I loved it and as he'd pre-charged the battery immediately took it out to take photographs of the day.
Modesty prevents me telling you what I bought him but rest assured he loved that too.
Christmas lunch was had on long trestle tables set up on the back lawn facing the river; a glorious setting on a day when the weather was perfect for an outdoor lunch by the water. The food was plentiful and delicious and the hot weather encouraging somewhat of an overindulgence in drink for those who weren't the designated drivers.
After lunch everyone decided to go for a swim. The backyard of Greg's family's house ended in a sea wall that dropped down to a sandy beach on the river. A jetty extended from one corner out into the river, at the end of which was tied up an open inflatable outboard powered small boat. The beach itself shelved gradually into deeper water. With an incoming tide and no heavy rain for weeks to stir up silt, the river was crystal clear, the sandy bottom of the river being visible even in the deepest water at the end of the jetty.
The kids were all dressed in their swimmers in no time; indeed since most of the girls had come in bikinis under a skirt or dress and the boys with boardies as shorts, most were pre-dressed. The girls were all in string tie bikinis; although my pants, like those of Jenny's were low waisted pantie style without tie sides. There's something about this town that seems to encourage full breasted girl to choose undersized bikini tops; a trend followed by the Aunt's daughters.