My Daughter's Feet

The funeral procession which awaited Dan's return was nothing short of marvelous. The local VFW had arranged the whole thing. It was a surprise to see all the people who lined the streets to show their respects until his funeral ceremony at the high school gymnasium. Sheriff squad cars led the procession and our two ladder trucks held a huge American flag between their fully extended ladders when the motorcade slowly passed through the main intersection in town. Kayla no longer hid her pregnancy and looked radiant even in a totally black widow's outfit, periodically rubbing her stomach. Dan's final resting place will be in Arlington National Cemetery.

Stephanie decided on her own, since there was so much tragedy in the family this year, everyone should come home for Christmas. I balked at first since Christmas Eve was my duty day, and I was secretly planning on taking a mini-retreat with my church group to solidify my decision of retiring or not. However, since everyone thought Stephanie had a great idea, I put my plans on hold and started to get into the Christmas spirit. Katrina and Meredith arrived on the 21st, and stopped in at the station to let me know they were here. They both were going to return to Miami on the second. Ken, Stephanie and their daughter Julie, and Kayla with Trenton and Trevor would be there on Christmas Eve. Dan's parents were going to stop in on Christmas day for Christmas cheer. When I got home the next morning, Katrina was making breakfast, coffee already made. She was fully dressed wearing jeans, shirt, socks and shoes. I gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning Treen." I said into her fiery red hair as I placed a kiss on top of it.

"Morning dad." She responded. "Have a cup of coffee and a seat. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." I poured myself a cup, looking at her out of the corner of my eye. She caught me. "What?" she smiled.

"Nothing." I said to her. I turned with my coffee mug in my hand and took a sip out of it while looking at her. She had that 'I just got laid' look on her face.

Katrina looked at me again and smiled. "What is it?" I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head at her. "Don't give me that look dad." She said as she pointed the spatula at me. "What's up with you?"

"Really it's nothing." I replied as I took another sip out of my coffee. "Just glad to see you and have you here. I haven't seen you since Dan's funeral." I gave her another kiss on her exposed cheek and took my seat at the table. "Where's Meredith this morning?"

"She's upstairs doing some work on the computer." Katrina replied while pushing around the scrambled eggs in the pan. "We took the master bedroom again. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." I replied looking her over. "Put the bed to use."

"Dad!" Katrina gasped. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"That's not what I meant." I said laughing at her. "I don't sleep in it anymore. You two can sleep in the bed. I'm used to sleeping in the recliner."

"Oh. My bad." Katrina laughed as she put some scrambled eggs on a plate and brought it to me. "Duh. Where is my mind this morning?" she finished with a laugh setting the plate in front of me.

"Yeah Elmer." I slyly said deciding to spar with her a little. "Where is your mind this morning? Don't tell me you did more than sleep in it last night."

Katrina slowly turned her head at me while putting scrambled eggs on another plate. She gave me her little smile. "I wasn't Elmer last night dad." She winked. "Or this morning." She finished with a giggle.

I fake gasped at her. "Didn't I just tell you not to tell me that?"

She laughed as she sat down with her plate. "I couldn't resist."

Katrina and I ate breakfast together after she explained Meredith didn't want any this morning. We talked about projects she was working on and what she planned on getting everyone for Christmas. "Don't tell Meredith..." she whispered to me. "...I'm getting her a wedding ring." I raised an eyebrow at her and stopped chewing on my breakfast sausage. "What!" She looked at me surprised. "It's illegal for us to marry, but I can still get her a ring." I forked the remaining eggs into my mouth. She dropped her fork on the plate and crossed her arms. "I love her dad. She makes me feel special."

I finished chewing and swallowed. Katrina scowled at me. "I'm sorry Trina. I didn't mean to react like that. I'm just surprised. That's all. I know you love her. You both have been together a long time, and I've accepted her as more than just your friend. If she makes you happy, then I'm happy." I got up from my chair to take my empty plate to the sink. I leaned down to kiss her on her fiery red hair. "Honest. Make sure it's a very pretty ring." I kissed her again. "I love you no matter what, and I love her for making you feel special. You deserve it."

Katrina unfolded her arms and reached up to hug me around my neck. "Thank you dad." She whispered and placed a kiss on my cheek. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you love her too." She let me go and I took my plate to the sink. She reached around me and put her plate in the sink as well, then hugged me from behind. "Can you do me a small favor though dad?" I held her hands against my chest and leaned back into her.

"Of course Treen." I softly said. "How much do you need?"

"I don't need to borrow any money dad." She lightly laughed into my back. "Will you...please come up with a pet name for her? She doesn't think you like her because you don't have a pet name for her."

I turned around to hug her and kissed her forehead. "She knows I like her." I chuckled. "We've talked."

"I know." Katrina sighed, glanced down at my crotch for a second, then back at me. "She told me everything." She gave me her little smile again.

"Everything?" I asked her and Katrina nodded her head yes. "Even what we talked about?" She nodded her head yes again.

"Dad." Katrina softly said as she reached up with her hand to touch my cheek. "Meredith can be very...promiscuous." She gave a little laugh. "I know...I'm in love with her because of it." She put her arms around my shoulders again and looked into my eyes with her mother's beautiful brown eyes. "It doesn't bother me what happened, or what was said over a sandwich in the kitchen. I found it quite... exciting." She quickly glanced down and back. "We're soul mates and don't keep secrets from the other. Just like you and mom." She gave me a soft kiss on my cheek. "I love you dad." She let me go, picked up her purse off the kitchen counter and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm going to go get some rib eyes for you to grill out for supper tonight. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Oh really." I flatly said to her. "And what makes you think I want to grill steak tonight?" I chuckled at her.

"Because you're my dad." Katrina gave me her little smile again. "And you love me." She laughed as she swayed her ass a little at me while walking out the kitchen door.

I went upstairs to the bedroom to get a change of clothes and a shower. I lightly rapped on the bedroom door which was halfway open, and cautiously peeked around it. Meredith was on her cell phone, smiled and waved for me to come in. She was sitting on the bed in her pajamas, sitting on her right leg. Her left leg was fully extended and she was barefoot. Her pajamas look like silk pajamas, pink, with a top and pants. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail, and she wore large red framed glasses like the ones that were popular in the 80's. She continued to talk on the phone, talking to somebody at the firm her and Katrina work at. I motioned I was just getting some clothes. She smiled at me and nodded her head. I took my clothes and watched her wiggle her bare toes at me as I left the room.

After my shower and a change of clothes, I went out to the garage to get all the boxes of Christmas decorations. I had the boxes stacked three high, and struggled a little bit to get them into the kitchen. As I set them down on the kitchen table, Meredith entered the kitchen. She was still in her pajamas wearing slippers.

"Good morning Mr. Baldwin." She sang as I placed the boxes down. "Oh my. Why didn't you ask for help?"

"Morning Meredith." I said to her. "Well...you were on the phone and Trina went to the store. No biggie. I got it. I have a few more boxes to get if you would hold the door for me."

"Of course Mr. Baldwin." Meredith responded and smiled at me. I went out to the garage to get the other three boxes. We sure had a lot of Christmas stuff. I don't remember putting up this much stuff. Then again, Corinne always put it up because I couldn't do it right. "Watch your step Mr. Baldwin." Meredith sang again as I came back into the kitchen.

"Well." I said as I rubbed my back. "Guess I can start with making sure the lights work. That was always my job before Corinne would take over the decorating."

Now it was Meredith's turn to tell me all about her exciting projects she was working on. She continued to rattle things off about her job, boss, co-workers, and a big sexual discrimination suit she took pro bono involving a mother vs. gay father for child custody. She was helping me untangle the jumbled mess of lights and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, she dangled her slipper off her toes. I made small comments while she was talking nothing for her to respond to, just to show her I was listening. I was too busy untangling the endless cords of lights and plugging them in, marking with tape which lights were burned out. It's not that I wasn't paying attention to what she was saying, just not paying close attention. She put down a string of lights in her lap and gave me a pleading look.

"Mr. Baldwin..." she lightly whined at me. "...you haven't heard a word I said have you."

"Don't be silly Meredith." I responded without looking at her continuing to untangle the string of lights. "I've been hanging on the edge of every word." I lightly chuckled.

"If you were, you would've answered with something different than 'sure' when I asked what I should get Kayla's boys for Christmas." Meredith responded.

"You were talking so fast Meredith..." I said with a slight smile on my face continuing to untangle the endless string of lights. "...I was catching up and didn't get that far yet."

Meredith laughed at me. "Way to cover your ass, Mr. Baldwin." She lightly kicked me with her slippered foot.

Katrina returned with the steaks, and as I started to marinate them, her and Meredith started to put up most of the Christmas decorations. Meredith doubled as a bartender and was mixing some very strong Captain Morgan and Pepsi's. The both of them were joking about how Corinne would be so serious putting up the decorations. I found myself laughing a lot watching them and their goofy antics. I didn't notice right away, but Katrina and Meredith seemed to be a little more touchy feely with me. Whenever Katrina was near me, she would reach out and lightly touch my hand or rub my arm. Meredith always gave me a light peck on the cheek when she returned with a freshly made cocktail for me. As the day wore on, and we all became more inebriated, the impromptu party started to get out of hand. Both girls started showing affection toward each other, kissing and rubbing each other and making sexual innuendos between the two of them. Meredith was the first to take it further. While I was in the kitchen preparing the salad, she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"What the...." I jumped, a little surprised. Her right leg hooked around mine and she ground her crotch into me.

"Oh my goodness." Meredith growled. "Your daughter is making me soooo horny." She pulled me down to her a little and bit my earlobe. "Can I fondle your cock again before I pound her pussy?" she breathed into my ear and kissed me behind it. Until then, only Corinne knew where my weak spot was. She lowered her hand and began to stroke my cock through my shorts. The brashness of what she said, her warm breath against my ear, and the way she stroked me practically turned me to jelly.

"Corinne, forgive me." I whispered. Meredith gave me another kiss on my cheek, followed by her little laugh as she stopped her handjob.

"Just foolin' ya Mr. Baldwin." Meredith let go of me and I turned to look at her. "I just figured it was time you were included in the little sex games her and I are playing today." Her manicured hand lightly patted the cheek she just kissed and she gave me one of her big smiles as she picked up my glass. "I won't make them so strong anymore we have to get a tree yet tonight." She looked down at my shorts tented out. "Better control that before somebody else sees it. " She giggled. I was still speechless as I tried to continue to slice the cucumber I was working on. She placed my refreshed drink on the counter next to me and I instinctively jutted my cheek out at her preparing for the light peck I had gotten every other time today. "Uh-uh." She whispered before she cupped my chin and turned my head toward her. Her doe eyes smiling at me as I accepted a lingering kiss on my lips. As she pulled away from me, and wiped the side of my mouth with her thumb, I noticed movement in her other arm. We both looked at the same time at the cucumber I was slicing. She was stroking the remaining part of the cucumber with her thumb and forefinger. We both started to laugh but she didn't stop stroking it. Looking back at me she raised an eyebrow. "Later? I will finish you off and milk your balls empty." I shook my head and again we laughed at each other. Katrina walked into the kitchen.

"What's so funny?" Katrina asked with a smile on her face.

"Ohhh...."Meredith drawled out. "I was just showing your dad how I stroke cock using a cucumber as a prop." The way she said it, just made me bust a gut and I couldn't help laughing again.

Katrina simply replied: "Weird." After another round of laughter from Meredith and I, she added: "Ok you two.....I think you both had enough."

Meredith and Katrina went back to hanging Christmas decorations leaving me alone in the kitchen trying to concentrate with a few less brain cells on preparing the perfect salad.

"Hi dad." Kayla said as she put her arm on my shoulder and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"What the heck...."I started to say: "When did you get here?"

"My little sister texted me." Kayla laughed slightly at my reaction. "She told me I needed to get over here because you were grilling steaks tonight and apparently you're too drunk to get a tree."

I laughed at her. "Well. That explains why Trina bought the family pack."

Kayla took a seat at the kitchen table and removed her flats after taking a pair of slippers out of her ridiculously oversized purse. She continued to ramble on about Katrina's text message and how she was able to drop the boys off by Dan's parents for a little while so she could help Meredith and Katrina with the remaining decorations, and laying out a plan for obtaining the perfect tree for Christmas this year. I couldn't help but admire her suntan nylon toes, and begin to get a semi in my shorts so soon after my encounter with Meredith. Her pregnant belly was in the way of allowing her to put her slippers snugly on her feet.

"God! I am so sick of being pregnant." Kayla slightly whined. She looked down at her pregnant belly. "Aren't you ready to come out of there yet?" She said to it.

Kayla placed her foot on the floor and used it to snug her slipper on her foot before doing the same with the other. "Now now..." I said to her as I turned away so she wouldn't see my slight hardness. "What do you have? Less than a month? Not much further to go."

"Yeah I know." Kayla sighed. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad if Dan...." She trailed off. I turned to look at her and she wiped a stray tear off her cheek. "The last time I talked to him he was going to put in for leave so he could be home for Christmas." She wiped another tear. "I argued with him and told him to take leave in mid-January." Her hands fidgeted in her lap and her leg started to shake like it always did when she was upset or nervous.

"I understand." I softly said to her. "You wanted him to be home for when you gave birth."

"Yeah. Well. 'nuf of that." Kayla said as she stood up. "I better start helping with decorations before Trina thinks I'm ducking out of responsibilities." She gave me a little smile and hugged me the best she could with her pregnant belly in the way. "Thanks dad." She softly said. "I think I really need this today, getting out of the house and away from my rowdy boys for a little bit. Can I ask you for a small favor though?

"Sure." I answered her. "What time should I be available to watch my little grand-hellions." I laughed at her.

Kayla laughed back at me. "That's not what I was going to ask dad. It will take an hour of your time." She sweetly said. I need a replacement coach for tomorrow night. It's my last night of Lamaze class and my normal coach can't make it."

"No problem." I said as I kissed her forehead and let her go. "What time?"

"7." Kayla answered. "I'll pick you up at 630."

Katrina entered the kitchen. "Oh you are here." She said surprised. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show."

"And miss out on dad grilling steak?" Kayla laughed. "Not a chance."

They both went into the other room, Katrina explaining to her what she needed Kayla to help with. I busied myself with getting the grill set up and setting the table, laughing to myself whenever I heard Katrina and Kayla fighting over which decorations had to go where. I propped myself against the doorway between the kitchen and living room watching my girls argue like they did when they were little. Both of them would end the current little spat they were having with; "you're so like mom." Meredith cut in only once by asking if that meant the other was so like me, which made them both groan. A laugh escaped me and Katrina looked at me sharply. "What are you laughing at father of mine?"

I put my hands up. "Nothing." I chuckled. "I'll be in here if anybody needs me." I laughed as I ducked back into the safety of the kitchen.

Kayla and Katrina stopped their bickering for a little while when we all sat down to eat. After supper we went to find the perfect Christmas tree and the sibling bickering started again when Kayla and Katrina could not agree on a tree. After a little while I just picked one out and announced the family Christmas tree was found. The girls behaved themselves while trimming the tree and after I put the angel on the top, Kayla turned the lights off and we all basked in the glow of the tree.

"Girls." I whispered, being careful not to ruin the moment. "Such a beautiful tree. Corinne would be proud. Thank you." Katrina placed her arm around me, Kayla held my hand, and Merdith draped her arms over me standing on her tip-toes to peer over my shoulder.

Meredith whispered back first. "Merry Christmas Mr. Baldwin." Then she lightly pecked my cheek.

"Merry Christmas dad." Katrina followed suit copying Meredith.

"Merry Christmas daddy." Kayla copied Meredith and Katrina. "It was so nice to see you laughing this afternoon."

"My strong drinks might have something to do with that." Meredith chimed in causing us all to laugh.

After the amazement wore off, Kayla left after reminding me of the Lamaze class. Meredith led Katrina up the steps to the bedroom they were sharing, and I settled in to my recliner. Holding Corinne's ankle bracelet and staring at the wedding picture of us on the wall like I did every night since she died, alcohol induced sleep finally found me.