The Mother Tracie Deserves Ch 11

SIMPLE PLEASURES, UNTIL...

So, there I was, fixing dinner in the kitchen, buck naked except for an apron. My bare butt stuck out the back for all the world to see. Well, maybe not all the world, but definitely my stepdaughter.

I couldn't get used to the draft, but you know what? I was actually thankful. Anything was better than those abusive videos Tracie had started with. And I appreciated that she had really thought about how to keep me in line without hurting me so much.

She sat on the far side of the kitchen counter with her laptop computer, shopping for costumes that she thought a sicko mother would make her daughter wear. What an imagination this girl had. I chuckled to myself.

While I prepared the meal, I snuck a lot of glances at Tracie. Mostly, she was focused on her costume shopping, with her amused eyes reflecting the laptop's screen. But several times, I saw she was looking at my body.

The apron only fully covered my front between my knees and my waist. Its upper half tapered in from my waist to my neck, so it wasn't great at covering my boobs. I tried to keep my nipples behind it, anyway.

Lucky I was boiling pasta, baking chicken in the oven, and sautéing vegetables, because the heat from the cooking kept me warm from being practically nude. It was early June - not quite so warm that I would choose to walk around the house in the buff. In fact, I'd never choose that, but it's what Tracie wanted.

"You've got a really nice butt, Mom."

I realized my backside was pointed straight at her as I stood cooking at the range. I tightened a bit in embarrassment, but I sniffed a little laugh at how absurd the whole situation was. "Thanks," I said. What else could I say?

My stepdaughter went on, "Honestly, I don't know if I ever told you this before, but sometimes girls on the team talk about who the hottest moms and dads are. You've always been in, like, the top two moms."

I turned to look at her. "Are you serious right now?"

"I'm totally serious," she giggled. She listed for me the other moms and dads who were usually ranked near the top.

"Wow," I said. "And now you get to look at my bare butt while I make you dinner."

In a playful, sing-song voice, she said, "Yes I do."

I blushed, she laughed, then I chuckled too.

Dinner was ready and I started plating it up for us. I said, "Food's all done. Can I put on some proper clothing to eat with you?"

Tracie looked up from her laptop. She smiled as she looked me up and down. She said, "You look so good, Mom, I'd rather you didn't."

I took a chance and pushed it. "Please, honey, let me eat with my daughter like a normal mom."

She sighed and said, "Okay, I guess."

"Thank you!" I hurried down the hall toward my bedroom, covering my butt with my hand as I went.

"Don't cover!" Tracie called after me.

I laughed and let my stepdaughter see my booty until I turned into my room.

Thankfully, for the first half of our meal, Tracie didn't talk about videos, costumes, or any weird stuff. She thanked me for making dinner and said everything was delicious, "as always." That last part made me feel good.

Halfway through eating, she said, "You know, I always thought I could be a pretty good actress, if I put my mind to it."

I said, "I agree. I think you have some natural talent." I tried not to think about the recent acting she had done in those brutal abuse videos she forced me into. Instead, I cast my mind back much further. "I remember when you were in the fifth-grade play, you were the star of the show."

She said, "Well, Mackenzie McClintock had the most lines..."

"Yeah, well, of course she got that role - her mom was in charge of the play. But you stole every scene you were in. It wasn't just me who thought so. The teacher and like ten other parents told me the same thing."

"I guess I did make a pretty good Lonely Squirrel."

We both laughed.

I said, "You were absolutely the cutest squirrel I've ever seen."

She said, "I remember you helped me with my makeup around my nose and lips."

"Yes, but it was the way you tucked up your lip and showed your front teeth - that's what really made it. I don't know how you were able to say your lines like that."

It was so fun remembering my little girl in her school play, back when she was just ten years old. Those were such happy days.

"Dad didn't even see that play, did he?" Tracie asked. She took another bite of her dinner.

I said, "Well, he was so busy building his business at that time. He came and caught about the last twenty minutes or so. He definitely saw some of your good lines."

She looked up at me. "You still defend him, even now."

"I... I guess you're right. It became such a habit for all those years, explaining why he wasn't around."

"You don't have to defend him anymore, Mom. I chose to live with you because you are the one good parent I've ever had. Remember?

You and me...

"

I finished our old motto: "

Against the world.

" I choked up. "You darling thing. I wish, these last couple years, I could have held myself together better."

"You can be better, Mom. That's why we're doing these things, like the apron and the videos. Think of it as making it up to me. And the videos will let me scratch my acting itch."

I quietly ate another forkful of food. A silence stretched on between us. We both picked at our last bites. I could tell Tracie was looking at me, but I avoided looking up.

She softly said, "I always liked when you called me that."

"Called you what?"

She wiped her mouth and said, "Nothing. Never mind. Do you want some help doing the dishes?"

I was surprised. My stepdaughter had not offered to help with the dishes for months. (Not that I had made many meals while I was drinking.) I said, "I'd love that. Thanks, sweetheart."

As I washed out the pots and pans, Tracie took care of the dishes and flatware. It felt good to work side-by-side with my daughter on a normal, everyday task. Setting a pan in the drying rack, I snuck a look at her. She caught me looking and we both smiled.

At one point, all four of our hands were in the sink, scrubbing and rinsing things. I think we both slowed down in that moment, seeing our hands working together, touching a little. Her arm touched mine.

I wanted to say,

I love you,

but it seemed out of place. Instead, I said, "Thanks for your help. I appreciate it."

Tracie set her dishes aside, then wrapped her arms around my waist. "You're welcome, Mom."

It was such a wholesome moment, you'd never know that a half hour before, I was cooking naked, on my stepdaughter's orders.

With the kitchen clean, Tracie called me over to her laptop. She said "Let me show you some of these costumes. I swear, you can think of pretty much any word, add 'sexy' and 'costume' to it, and you'll find something online. What do you think about these?"

She showed me Sexy Rag Doll, Sexy Sad Clown, Sexy Cowgirl, Sexy Bunny Rabbit, Sexy Schoolgirl, Sexy Princess, Sexy Red Riding Hood, on and on. Even Sexy Dead Girl!

Tracie giggled at them. I just shook my head.

She said, "So which ones do you think I'd look good in? How about Sexy Schoolgirl?"

"That's a little too obvious, don't you think? You couldn't find Sexy Lonely Squirrel?"

She laughed. "I'm sure I could!"

I said, "I'm sure you'd look good in any of them, honey. You've definitely got the body."

"Well, then, if you were an evil stepmother, which ones do you think you'd force me to wear for your own cruel pleasure?"

"Goodness sakes, Tracie, I don't know."

"Come on, Mom. These costumes are cheap. I'm going to get like three of them. You need to pick at least one. Are you telling me, after all the times we've argued about what I should or shouldn't wear, all of a sudden you don't have an opinion?"

I laughed. Since my daughter got serious about her clothes around age nine or ten, we had definitely had many heated "discussions" about what was appropriate. "Alright, alright," I said. "But I want to go on the record that this is crazy."

"Duly noted. So? Which one."

"Sexy Cowgirl."

"I knew it!" Tracie said, slapping the counter. "Look at this! Look." She pointed at a file icon on her laptop's screen. "You see that?" The file was named

Mom's choice

. "Open that up."

"No way," I said, double-clicking the file. A text document opened up that said simply, "Cowgirl."

I laughed out loud. "Wow! Is that some kind of magic trick?"

"No, I just know you so well."

"I guess you do," I chuckled.

She said, "I remember those times you'd take me to ride horses and visit farms when I was little."

"You loved all the animals," I said. "And when you were, what, eleven-"

"Yes!" Tracie laughed. "You made me that awesome cowgirl costume for Halloween!"

"You were the cutest," I said. "Those were good times."

She closed the lid of her laptop and took my hand. We smiled at each other. She said, "It's so good to have fun with you again, Mom."

"I'm sorry it's been so long."

My stepdaughter lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. It was such a sweet gesture. She said, "Since we have tonight off from working out, I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie or something together."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said. "We haven't done that in a long time."

"I'd love that! Do you want me to make some popcorn?"

"Eh, maybe after a while. I'm still full from that delicious dinner. You're such a good cook."

"Aww, thanks, kitten. That meal is so simple to make. I can show you how to do it."

She squeezed my hand and said, "I liked how you showed me tonight."

"Oh my gosh!" I said, blushing. I rubbed my forehead with my free hand.

My daughter giggled and kissed my hand again. "You looked so good in that little apron."

I sighed out a forced chuckle. "Girl, I don't know what you're up to. Come on, can we go find a movie, and just watch it, with clothes on?"

Tracie joked with an exaggerated sigh of annoyance. "Fine, if you insist. But I'm not wearing what I've had on all day. Let's get in our jammies."

We each went to our bedrooms to change into pajamas. But I didn't have any. I used to have a nice silk set that Tracie's father had given me years before, but around the time I decided to file for divorce, I shredded those with a pair of scissors.

So, I just put on what I usually slept in - a big, loose, well-worn t-shirt with panties. I added on some comfy sweatpants, too, to keep things appropriate on the couch.

I was excited to watch a movie with my daughter again, just like we had done countless times over the years. We sadly hadn't done it much when I was drinking. But I went through the well-remembered routine: I closed the blinds on the family room window that faced the street, got the TV set up to watch FlickNet, placed the remote control at arm's reach, and unfurled a soft plush blanket, big enough for two.

When Tracie arrived, she took my breath away. She paused at the entrance to the family room, resting her arm high on the wall, posing in a beautiful two-piece satin pajama set. I recognized it as something she made me buy her during one of the recent blackmail shopping sprees. The shorts and short sleeves showed off her toned limbs.

I closed my gaping mouth and said, "Oh my god, you look gorgeous in that."

"Thanks," she said with a sweet smile. "First time I wore it."

"Not very warm, though. The evening's starting to cool down. Come here." I opened the blanket for her to snuggle in next to me.

Tracie sat fully on my lap.

I laughed, "Whoa! What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" she teased, straightening the blanket over us. My t-shirt and her satin felt like very little between our bodies. Neither of us had on a bra. She wiggled her butt, settling in on me.

I laughed even harder. "Girl, you're crazy!" But I loved it.

"Don't you remember?" she said. "The very first time Dad brought you home to meet me?"

"Yes, of course I do," I said, hugging my arms around her. Since she was six years old, this had been the running joke between my stepdaughter and me. "You crack me up. But you're too grown-up to sit on my lap now, you silly-billy."

"No I'm not." She leaned back on me heavily.

I whooped with more laughter. "You know I love my girl on my lap, but how am I going to see the movie?"

"You mean you'd rather see some dumb movie than have your favorite daughter sit in her proper place?"

"Please don't make me choose," I said, breathless from laughing. "Right next to me is good, isn't it?"

"Ugh, fine," she joked, sliding off my lap onto the couch beside me.

I caught my breath, still chuckling. "Girl, you are something else."

She cuddled in next to me. "I always get you to laugh like that."

"Like nobody else," I said, putting my arm around her. I kissed her hair. "That never gets old for you, does it?"

She giggled. "Nope. Does it ever get old for you?"

"Absolutely never," I said, holding her next to me. "Are you ready for a movie now, crazy girl?"

"Yes." As she started working the TV remote, she leaned against me and I delighted in having my arm around her. I rubbed her shoulder slowly. "This satin feels like a dream, and you look incredible in it. I can't compete, with my old, shlubby stuff."

She said, "We'll get you something nice soon. But I don't mind your old clothes. Now that you're not drinking, I like to see you comfy and relaxing."

"Aw..." I kissed her on the top of her head.

Tracie turned and gave me a happy kiss on the lips.

The movie we picked was a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, as predictable as they come, sweet if dumb - in other words, a perfect choice for movie night with my girl. I really enjoyed how Tracie snuggled with me, sharing the blanket and the bowl of popcorn I made half-way through. It felt just like old times.

I loved when Tracie tilted her head onto my shoulder. Nothing was more relaxing than absentmindedly stroking my daughter's beautiful hair. Little moments like that washed away so many days and years of tension and stress.

When the movie ended, it was a bit too early to go to bed. I said, "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I'll actually take a nice, hot bath."

"Ooh, that sounds nice."

I said, "I can't even remember the last time I took one. I think tonight's the night."

"Well, enjoy," Tracie said. "You deserve it."

~ * ~

While I filled the tub with hot water, I thought about the strange mix of things going on between me and my stepdaughter. On one hand, Tracie and I were getting along well again. You could even say we were happy. But on the other hand, she was still blackmailing me.

It was definitely weird, but I chose to focus on the positive. I was once again able to smile even at little things, like finding that my body wash also doubled as a very nice foam bath. I drizzled it into the hot water splashing under the faucet, and took a deep inhale of the luxurious scent.

After tossing aside my old sleepwear, getting in the tub was even better than I expected. It was so relaxing. I felt a relief and renewal spread through my body as I laid back in the steamy, fragrant water. I gathered the suds onto my arms and chest, thinking about how things in my life were improving.

Tracie was right. She had been telling me my workouts and better eating were starting to show. It was encouraging to see myself looking halfway attractive again. I touched my body under the water, and liked what I felt.

The door swung open and Tracie walked in. Standing over me, she set something on the side table and simply said, "Hi."

I covered my privates. "Um, hold on... What are you doing?"

I watched her casually pull off her satin pajamas, leaving her as naked as I was. The pride I felt about my own healthier body was a fraction of what I felt about my stepdaughter's fantastic physique. I couldn't take credit genetically, but I had raised an amazingly healthy, beautiful girl.

She started stepping into the tub with me.

"Honey," I chuckled, "Seriously? There's not enough room."

"Yes there is."

I laughed, "Are you trying to sit on my lap again?"

She giggled, but was seriously coming in.

I said, "Oh Tracie, come on."

"Spread your knees apart, Mom."

With some squeaking and splashing, my adorable but full-size teenage daughter settled into the bath with me. Somehow, with my knees up, she fit between my legs, making the warm suds rise nearly to the top of the tub.

As crowded as we were, I admit I loved it as Tracie laid back on me. She said, "I'm not ruining your bath, am I?"

"No, baby. You're making it better. After all I've put you through, Tracie, the least I can do is share it with you."

"Mmm, feels good," she said.

We laid in the hot water together for a while, just soaking in it, listening to the bubbles fizzing and an occasional drip of water. I felt I could fall asleep with Tracie laying back on me.

Quietly, she said, "Will you wash my hair?"

I smiled. "Just like the old days, huh?"

When I married her father, he asked me to take over the chore of bathing his daughter. He hadn't done a great job of teaching her how to wash herself. But to be fair, she was still only six years old at the time.

Fortunately, little Tracie seemed to really enjoy bath-time back then. She would even ask for it. I'll never forget one time, when she was seven years old, she came to me and said, "Mom, I'm dirty. I think I need a bath." She didn't look dirty at all. I said, "You do? You just had a bath a couple days ago." She shrugged her shoulders and said, "But Mom, I'm a little kid. Little kids get dirty all the time. Everyone knows that." I laughed, and of course, I gave her another bath that night.

Bath-time with Tracie became one of the happy pleasures of being a mom. I guess most little kids love playing in the water, but it made me happy to know she also trusted me.

I remember she was always smiling and laughing in the tub, often more interested in playing with her bath toys than in letting me scrub her. I'd sometimes have to tell her to stop standing or swimming around, but she always was cooperative when I washed her hair. She seemed to especially enjoy when I poured warm water over her head.

For all the baths I had given my stepdaughter, this was the first time we were ever in the tub together. Grown-up Tracie handed me a bottle of shampoo. "Please."

"Well, okay." I looked around for something to pour the water with, just like when she was little. "Hm, I need a cup or something."

Tracie looked around. "Oh, maybe..." She stood up from the water and looked through the bottles and things in the shower niche. Suds slowly slid down her glistening body. I swallowed in awe of how gorgeous she was. Tracie was definitely no little girl anymore. Nineteen years old now, a stunning young woman. I stroked her warm, wet leg.

She found a cylindrical cap of a bottle. She smiled down at me. "This will work as a cup, huh?"

"You are so clever."

"Am I your clever girl?"

"Yes. You've always been smart."

She said, "Am I too old for you to wash my hair?"

I chuckled. "Never." I opened my arms and legs for her.

Her smile widened, and she carefully settled back into the water with me. I hugged my arms around her and kissed her shoulder.

For the next several minutes, we shared that simple, quiet pleasure from her childhood. She tipped her head back, just like when she was six years old, as I poured cup after cup of hot water over her hair. I softly hummed a gentle tune. There was no rush. It was a calming, sensual experience.

Then came the shampoo. I worked it into her hair, enjoying the foamy rustle of white bubbles. Again, no rush. I took time to give my girl a nice scalp massage, and she rewarded me with sighs of relaxation.

She settled back against me, squeezing out the water between us. She held onto my knees as I caressed her temples. I stimulated her scalp with my finger nails, and massaged where her skull met the back of her neck. She hummed in pleasure, and it was just as pleasant for me.