Welcome back, everyone! I have jumped forward in time again. I have combined several things in this chapter so I can wrap things up. There will be three (maybe four) more chapters before the end. Copyright LATL August 2022.
Life After the Lottery, Ch. 76
Moving forward
"Look what I found," Samantha said while Dawn and I were eating lunch. She had been outside looking at the hanger.
Dawn looked at what she had.
"Those are Bald Eagle feathers," Dawn said.
"They are pretty. They look like the ones you wear now."
"They are, honey. Sam, you can't take those outside of the house."
"Why?"
"Only Native Americans can possess Eagle feathers. The ones I have are allowed because I am Cherokee."
"Here. I want you to wear them more," Samantha said, handing over two Eagle feathers. "I wonder where they came from?"
Dawn took the feathers and held them up, and said something in Cherokee.
"What did you say?"
"I was thanking the Spirit of the Eagle for blessing us with its feathers."
"Is there an Eagle around here?"
"I haven't seen one, so these are very special. The Eagle flew over and dropped them for me so I can honor him by wearing them."
"Will you wear these?" Samantha asked.
"I will put them with the ones I am going to wear now."
"You look pretty wearing them," Samantha said.
It is now the last week of May, and we are getting ready to leave for Hawaii. Everyone was out of school, and Claire had moved just a few weeks earlier into the first house we had looked at. Claire was doing well and even looked much better now. The process of getting her moved and shopping with her daughters for furniture and clothes had made her much happier. We had offered to take her to Hawaii too, but thankfully, she declined because of flying.
Dawn and Samantha had worked hard and received their VFR ticket after accumulating their solo hours. Dawn and Samantha had even flown us to the reservation a few times. I still needed 5 hours solo. Dawn had planned the IFR classes when we got back and more training. Jeanine was also going to work with us and was flying with Dawn and Samantha on weekends, often letting them cross-train on Linda's big helicopter. They were wrapping up erecting the steel for the hangar, so they could work on that while we were gone.
I had flown some on the weekends, but I didn't have a chance to get the rest of my solo hours. I wanted to fly to the reservation by myself for the last five. Now it was Monday, and we were getting things ready to leave for Hawaii early Sunday.
We had asked Claire to come by to show her everything she needed to know to check on the house for us occasionally. Dawn had made the three of us lunch because Amy and Samantha had gone shopping for more and bikinis as if they needed new ones or would wear them.
"We will be back on the 28th, probably late," Dawn said as we sat and ate.
"You all should have a good time with your family going too," Claire said.
"Are you sure you don't want to go?" I asked.
"No way!"
"Maybe next time. Claire, I can help you overcome your fear of flying," I said.
"Maybe next time..."
We ate quietly for a minute.
"Can I ask you two about something?"
"Sure, Claire," Dawn replied.
"If it is none of my business, just tell me."
"Okay."
"Well...I have sort of gotten the impression that you two...fool around."
"'What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
"I mean...do you two fool around with other couples?"
"We do," Dawn said straightforwardly.
"I thought so."
"Does that bother you?"
"Oh, no...I was just curious."
"Claire...you should know that Amy and Samantha fool around with us," Dawn added.
"That is what I thought."
"Are you concerned about all of us having sex with other people?"
"I don't guess so. You are all adults."
"But..."
"You two...if that is what you like to do and my girls like doing it, good for all of you."
"So you are not concerned about this?" Dawn asked.
"Oh no...I...uh..."
"You have a question?"
"Well...I thought that since you all did that...maybe...you could...give me some...advice?"
"Oh?" Dawn replied.
"I need to ask you about something...but don't say anything to my girls."
"Claire, we don't keep things from them."
"Well...don't say anything yet...please."
"Okay."
"You two met the couple that lives next door to me."
"We all did. They seem like a nice couple."
"Oh, they are! They have come over when I was working outside and helped. They even asked me to dinner a few times."
"That's good. You are getting to know other people your age."
"Well...that is what I need your advice about. I think they...are hitting on me."
"Oh? Why would you think that?" Dawn asked.
"You know. The more we get together...the more they get touchy-feely."
"I see. Claire, why do you think they are doing that?"
"Well...Ella came over Friday afternoon. We were having some tea, and she asked...she just came out and asked if I would like to spend the night with her and Paul."
"Oh. Now I see."
"I think they...well...you know. I don't know why they would ask me that."
"Why not, Claire?" I asked.
"Well...the two of them are cute. I'm not."
"Claire! Why would you think that?" Dawn asked.
"I'm just not."
"Claire, don't you think that," Dawn scolded her. "You are very pretty. Stop underestimating yourself."
"I'm not pretty."
"Yes, you are, Claire," I said.
She looked at the two of us a moment.
"You really think so?"
"Claire, yes, you are. I have watched you bloom since you moved here. I see where Amy and Samantha get their beauty and sexy bodies," Dawn said, and Claire giggled.
"You don't mean that!"
"Claire, you are only a few years older than we are. You are just as pretty as your daughters."
"My husband never thought so..."
"Claire, you have got to stop judging yourself by your husband. I am sure he never appreciated you or ever told you how pretty you are. It is time you moved on and learned to see yourself as others see you. Other people will realize how pretty and nice you are," I told her.
"Thank you, James."
"I can understand Ella and Paul hitting on you," Dawn said.
"I guess...maybe. But, I don't have a shapely body like my girls. I have gotten older."
"Claire, why would you say that?" I asked.
"I am approaching fifty. I don't have a girlish figure anymore."
"From what I have seen...you do," I told her.
"What have you seen!" She teased me.
"I saw you swimming with the girls."
"I don't swim naked like they do!"
"You should! But that one-piece suit they talked you into looks really good on you."
"You are just being nice..."
"Claire, you must look pretty good to Ella and Paull," Dawn said.
"Maybe...but I don't have a body like you do, Dawn."
"Claire, I work out all the time to stay in shape. I had to when I was working for Dr. John. Standing up for 8 or 10 hours during a surgery can be grueling. I also still go to classes for my martial arts training. If you think you need to tighten up things on your body, I can show you how."
"I worked to stay in shape...but my husband never appreciated it."
"I am guessing you are like the girls. You can eat all you want and never gain weight!" Dawn said and laughed.
"I have been lucky about that!"
"I can show you what exercises to do if you want to get in better shape."
"Maybe...but I will never have firm breasts like I did as a kid."
"No woman will!" We all laughed. "That was why I had mine lifted a little."
"You look good."
"Claire, if that is something you would like to do...I know a good doctor!" Dawn said, and they laughed.
"I don't think I could do something like that. My girls would think it was silly."
"I have news for you. They have already asked about having some help when they get older. I didn't have mine made bigger...well...a little...I just had them lifted up some. I showed you," Dawn said and started pulling off her T-shirt.
Dawn sat there topless as Claire looked. She mashed her tits together.
"Now there just back where they started 20 years ago!" Dawn said, and they laughed.
"You do look nice, Dawn."
"All the men think so, too," I said.
"You two really...have sex with other couples?"
"It's not something we have done ever since we were married. We just decided to have some fun the last few years. That may stop once we all have children," Dawn said.
"I hope not!" I exclaimed
"Claire, we just look at it as having some good clean fun. So do our friends."
"And you are okay...with James having sex with another woman?"
"I am. I also like to watch him have sex with other women."
"Really?"
"Yes, I do. And he enjoys watching other men have sex with me?"
"Can I ask why you two enjoy that?"
"Claire, the first thing you must understand is that it has nothing to do with either of us not being pleased by each other. Dawn and I have incredible sex and always have. We just discovered we also enjoy watching the other have great sex. Part of it is we enjoy knowing that we each get pleasure from it...and have a good time. There is no worry between us about getting romantically involved with someone else, " I explained to her.
"What about Amy and Samantha?"
"I guess that started with the two of them enjoying having sex with both of us at the same time. There was never any question of jealously when the four of us had sex together. The two of them are so...mature about this. When we discussed having sex with other people, they understood why we would enjoy it, and...they joined in. We were a bit surprised when they both immediately enjoyed being with Dawn," I said.
"Do you think that is because the two of them had been doing that?"
"I think that may be part of it, but you have to understand that they love Dawn and me very much. And for the four of us, that is just an expression of our love," I told her.
"I am glad that is how they feel about it," Claire replied.
"They have never done that just so James could watch or anything like that," Dawn said. "I had never experimented with another woman before Amy. But after we did, I just got so much pleasure from feeling the love between the two of us, then with Sam."
"They have talked to me about that some."
"Claire, you should be discussing this with them too. They would be happy to help you get back into the game," I said.
"You don't think the two of them would have an issue if...I joined Paul and Ella?"
"Claire, I think it would make them very happy to know you now felt good enough about yourself to enjoy having that kind of fun," I told her. She smiled.
"Maybe...but I have probably forgotten how to have that kind of fun anymore."
"Why would you say that?" Dawn asked.
"My husband...had not been able to perform for years."
"That was due to the alcohol," Dawn said.
"I guess..."
"I am sure you would remember what to do quickly!" Dawn teased her.
"Maybe!"
"But, you are not sure about something?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know if...I would know what to do with a woman."
"That's not what James told me."
"James!" We all laughed. "That was twenty years ago!"
"Just twenty?" Dawn asked.
"About that!"
