Bobbie was sitting at the kitchen table on her cell phone when Ethan came in from work.
She and her husband exchanged waves and then she went back to what appeared to be a somewhat one-sided conversation to whoever was on the other end of the line with Bobbie doing the listening and whoever she was speaking with doing all the talking.
That in itself was unusual. Bobbie normally inserted herself and her opinions into every discussion. And by the look on her face, Ethan couldn't tell if she was intensely inserted in the conversation or in shock. He tried to decide which it was and stared at her, but she was without expression, so it could be anything from awe to disgust.
Ethan grinned -- In over 20 years of marriage, he could count on one hand the number of time Bobbie was this quiet during a call. She normally would be waving her arms as she spoke and gesturing to someone who couldn't appreciate any of it because they couldn't see her. Ethan often said that he wasn't sure if Bobbie was truly Irish or Italian!
In reality, she was both -- dark hair, light eyes, pale skin -- a tight little body she kept firm with years of running and yoga -- she looked good for a woman in her mid-forties -- well, closer to fifty, but a fact that Bobbie denied more vigorously with each passing year. Even with the start of a few gray hairs, she had the body of a woman half her age and Ethan thanked his lucky stars to have found someone who took such good care of herself.
Ethan changed out of his work clothes into shorts and a T-shirt and was heading down to the basement to work out before dinner when he passed Bobbie sitting quietly at the kitchen table staring at her now dormant phone.
"Hey, babe...." He said.
Bobbie looked up at him and said, "We need to talk".
Ethan saw the look of concern in her eyes and figured he better put the workout on hold. He sat across from her and waited. No man EVER liked hearing the 'We need to talk' line for any reason and held his breath waiting for her to start the discussion.
Bobbie is a public school teacher -- having taught world history to middle school students for the last 13 years. She knew how to hold the interest of prepubescent youngsters whose brain was muddled by years of video games, cell phones and hormones that were firing in different directions. She knew the value of timing her words -- and she was an artist with it.
And they had been married long enough for Ethan to know not to interrupt. This was a bit of a dance...he sighed and waited.
Bobbie closed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling and then said, "That was Danielle".
Ethan nodded...Danielle was their niece. Bobbie's sister and brother in law's daughter -- a cute little redhead, senior in college majoring in Communications. She was a spunky fireball, and no one really knew where the red hair came from but it was the brunt of jokes from the time she was born until she reached puberty.
Once she became a teenager and the braces came off, she went from tomboy to a raving beauty...5'2, barely 100 pounds -- cheerleader, gymnast, straight A student. She was the apple of everyone's eye and accomplished at anything she put her mind to. Her curly red hair down to the middle of her back, she was poised and perfect in every way.
Bob and Marion had their hands full keeping the boys from knocking down their door trying to date her and Bob often joked that he went gray early because of his precocious daughter and her suitors.
In reality, she was every parents 'dream -- serious, hardworking, respectful and loved by friends and family alike. Danielle wasn't a saint -- she was known to drink a little and smoke a little pot in college, but she never embarrassed the family or did anything to damage her wholesome reputation.
So, when the subject of Danielle came up, Ethan's immediate thought was a car accident or injury. He took a deep breath and waited for Bobbie to finish her thought process.
"So, our dear niece, Danielle called to ask a favor." She said, with just a little over the top dramatic pause.
Ethan squinted his eyes as he looked at his wife -- he hated drama of any kind in his life and this was absolutely unnecessary, but he knew if he told her to just come out with it, it would cause a fight, so he swallowed and waited.
"Turns out, Danielle has a boyfriend... Actually, more than a boyfriend...they've been living together for almost a year in an apartment off campus. She wants to bring him home for the summer to meet the family and would like our help in breaking the news to her parents."
Ethan exploded.
"For Christ's sake, Bobbie -- why didn't you just say that? What's with all the drama? So, our darling niece is growing up and has a boyfriend....! It's not the end of the world! I'm sure Bob and Marion knew this day was coming. It's not like she's a teenager anymore!"
Bobbie waited -- gave Ethan a smirk and then dropped the bombshell she was holding like a grenade.
"Ethan, he's black." she said softly.
The weight of her words hit Ethan in the gut immediately and he felt his breath leave him like a deflated balloon. He tried not to let the emotion of it show, but Bobbie saw his expression, saw him go pale. All the bravado in the world wouldn't save him now.
Ethan didn't speak for a few minutes as he tried to come up with the right words that wouldn't sound racist or too old or out of touch with the real world...a flood of thoughts entered his mind --
God, what would Bob and Marion say? What about the rest of the family? Ethan and Bobbie were the most liberal minded members of the family -- Bob would clearly blow a gasket -- he was as racist as the day was long and Marion, for her part, tried to change the subject when he would go on a rant about how the world was going to hell in a handbasket due to all the interbreeding and crime in the cities and government handouts to minorities. He was absolutely the poster boy for racism and hatred.
And, what was Danielle thinking? Was this retribution or rebellion against her parents because of some discipline she received as a child? Of all the boys who tried to date her growing up, none of them were Black or Indian or Asian -- Hell, she didn't date anyone who wasn't the same religion or political affiliation as her or her parents. They were strict Irish Catholics who never got in trouble, always paid their bills and never colored out of the lines.
That last thought crept into Ethan's mind and burned into him. "Never colored outside the lines". The image that popped into his brain in that last second shamed and haunted him for days afterwards -- He imagined his sweet little niece naked, riding some dark black cock, her little breasts bobbing up and down as she impaled herself on the boyfriend's dick...her pale slender body writhing as he stretched her out.
