I had originally posted much of the Mister Gabe series in 2013 and 2014. However, the story was going off track, and needed substantial rework prior to finishing it. I had the webmaster pull the stories so that I could do that. Here now is the revised version of the Mister Gabe tale.
All characters are 18 or over before involvement in sexual activity.
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David and Jennifer's Anniversary...
September was a terrible month.
Erin was gone, although she called me every couple of nights and it was fun hearing about all of the new things in her life at college. She had a new roommate who she was struggling to get along with, and she had a couple of bouts of homesickness, but overall things were going well for her while I was at home missing her at least as much.
Sara was also back at school, and Brock back to work with his dad's company. Having them both living in the house with us took some adjusting, but everybody took it in stride. Sara and I spent some time together, but I made a point of limiting those to only a couple of nights. I wanted her relationship with her husband to grow and forced myself to consciously step back from her.
Jennifer was a ghost. She walked through the bedroom at the beginning of each day, dressed for work and heading for the kitchen for breakfast with the kids. Normally 'C' would have it ready, and we all just sat down to eat. Jen would talk with the kids, and 'C', but all I got were monosyllabic answers. The Mister Gabe imposed communication barrier took its toll on me I have to admit.
Mike was Mike. A teenage boy - brash and self-confident. He started working out at the school gym to add muscle to his growing frame. Molly noticed Jen's treatment of me and made a point of returning it to her tenfold, refusing to engage with her mother on anything.
'C' was a godsend to our family, becoming the glue that held us all together. She took care of most meals, and ensured that homework was getting done. Her efforts underlined the fact that Jennifer was less and less a part of our daily lives, her daily 'appearances' not-with-standing. 'C' spent most nights with me, and we talked a lot about her future. She was delighted in the prospect of getting a job but was uninterested in finding her own place - even though she now knew that she had the money to do so.
MP's wife arrived at the Black residence the first week of September. She dressed up in a suit similar to 'C's old concierge outfit and took to doing all of the things that 'C' used to do for him. The first time she appeared in the backyard while the kids were there was interesting as I watched Jennifer and Mrs. MP struggle to explain why the wife of their dad's highly paid boss was working for the neighbor as a servant. When they looked to me for an explanation I just shrugged and pointed them at their mother. I had absolutely no intention of getting involved in that discussion.
I was successful locating the part of the firm's library in which all of the documents pertaining to Mister Gabe's business was stored. I took to working late many nights, perusing the papers, as a plan started to form. I had reached an agreement with anouther firm to move to them, but with my discoveries, I agreed with the new firm to delay my move until the first of the new year. I would need that long to pull things together. They were long hours, but all dedicated to a good cause in my mind.
And of course, the horrific events in New York over shadowed everybody's lives.
October...
As October opened, 'C' and I were both surprised and delighted one evening to find Jennifer waiting for us in the bedroom when we retired for the night. Jen, still ignoring me completely, told 'C' that she had set up an interview with the Principal of her school, who was looking for an office administrator. The role was not up to 'C's education or previous experience, but it was a foot in the door. That weekend 'C', Jen, and Sara spent a Saturday shopping for business outfits for 'C'. The interview the following Monday was a success and she was scheduled to start her new job at Jennifer's school the next week.
Given our surreal life since I gave Jen to the black bastard, and the chaos leading up to Sara's wedding, let alone the wedding itself and the couple of weeks right after it, I had completely forgotten that my anniversary was in October. The anniversary of the day that I had wed the love of my life was on the Sunday before 'C' started work.
I wasn't reminded of it until the night of, after a busy day at work - yes, I was working weekends - and a normal'ish family dinner.
After dinner we had spent some time sitting on the patio having a drink as the sun set. Brock and Sara were at his folk's house for dinner and we didn't expect them back until late. Mike and Molly were swimming in the pool for a while before Mike dried off and headed in to the house. 'C' was sitting beside me on one couch while Jennifer sat beside Mister Gabe on the other. They weren't too close to each other as the kids were around, but I could see her hand drift over to touch him occasionally. Everybody was wearing summer casual - shorts, t-shirts - as the day was a warm one. When Mike left, Molly dried off and then came to join us, plopping herself between 'C' and I, staring coldly at Mister Gabe and her mother.
An uncomfortable silence ensued until, now glaring at her mother, Molly acidly asked, "why don't you just kiss him mother? I've seen you do it often enough before. Go ahead!"
Mister Gabe looked at our youngest for a moment, and then glanced at me with an eyebrow cocked in inquiry. "I think that I'm going to go up to bed," he said. He stood, and then glancing pointedly at Molly, bent over to kiss my wife on the lips. It was chaste compared to what I had seen them do in the past, but there was no doubt that tongues engaged for a minute. Molly snorted and looked up at me. Mister Gabe straightened and with a nod to all of us, headed into his side of the house leaving Jennifer on the couch by herself.
Jennifer also rose, and then surprising the shit out of me, she came around the fire pit to lean down and give me a kiss on the lips. Brief, chaste, but still it was a kiss. Then she straightened, softly caressing my cheek as she gazed down into my eyes. The coldness that I had seen there since the wedding was gone. She whispered, "I'm going to bed too. Don't be long David." Huh?
We all watched her head into the house. Molly rose and departed, leaving 'C' and me. I grabbed her arm and pulled her over so that she was sitting on my lap sideways. First I gave her a kiss on the neck and then started to snake my hand under her t-shirt, cupping her breast. "David," she whispered throatily. "No, not tonight," and she stood, adjusting her shirt as she did. "Good night David."