THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FIRST VIDEO
We sat side by side on my stepdaughter's bed, and I felt my hand growing cold in hers.
Part of me wanted to run from the room, from the house, from the world - anything besides hearing about that night. But I wouldn't run from my daughter, no matter how painful it might be. It wasn't her fault I had sunk so low back then. The least I could do was listen. It would hurt me terribly, but I deserved it.
Tracie took a deep breath and exhaled. She said, "For a long time, I never knew for sure whether you were just pretending to have no memory of that night. But now I believe you really were black-out drunk."
All these months, Tracie knew things I didn't know about that night - not that I wanted to know. I regretted giving her that burden, but I was shaking with fear to find out what she knew. As her one hand held mine, her other kindly stroked my wrist.
She said, "I remember it was really hot on my birthday. It was some kind of record, I think. Things had gotten so bad by then, you were drinking so much, that I had already been thinking about making videos of you when you were drunk. I figured that would be so embarrassing, I could blackmail you to stop drinking. And sure enough, when I got home from school, there you were, passed out on the couch again."
My head dropped in shame. How bad I had made things; how I had neglected and hurt my stepdaughter. Yet now, after all that, she was still here with me. Did I deserve such love?
She said, "I was so hurt and mad at you for forgetting my birthday, and even madder after we fought about it. I went to my room and I felt so alone. I didn't talk to any of my friends about it, because I didn't want them knowing what was going on."
"I'm so sorry, Tracie..."
"I know you are, Mom. I know. I would have gone for a long walk or something, but it was so hot out. So I just took a cool shower and spent the rest of the day here in my room with the fan on. To keep myself from crying, I just scrolled through videos and social media on my phone for a long time. After a while, the phone battery was getting low, and I remembered my phone charger was out by you."
I listened, my eyes closed. I couldn't bear to look at her.
She continued the story. "So I came out, wearing just my panties and that really small t-shirt I wear to bed when it's hot, the one cropped up really high. You were sitting at the table with your glass and a half-empty bottle of vodka. I walked straight to my charger, grabbed it, and as I passed you, I gave you a dirty look. You were as drunk as I'd ever seen you."
I cringed in embarrassment. My hands grew clammy. I tried to control my breathing to calm myself.
"Mom, it's okay." My daughter wiped a tear from my face. Her voice was gentle. "So, I started walking back to my room, and you said, 'It doesn't last, Tracie.' I didn't know what you meant. I just ignored you and kept walking. Then, you started saying stuff I couldn't believe."
"Oh, god," I mumbled, growing colder.
"Do you remember at all what you said to me, Mom?"
I shook my head no, squeezing my eyes closed tight.
She went on, "I was walking away from you, and you said, 'That perfect, juicy little ass.'"
"What? No, I didn't!" I said, in disbelief. "Who talks like that?"
"You did," she said, laughing. "I remember exactly what you said. 'That perfect, juicy little ass.'"
I shook my head, tingling in fear of what was coming next.
Tracie sounded less amused as she went on. "So I stopped in my tracks. I was like, 'Excuse me?' and you started going on this rant. You said, 'You don't know how hard it is when you're older, missy. You're just a teenage schoolgirl. Of course you have a perfect body. Any man would kill to get a hold of it. They'll marry you. They'll say,
You don't need to work; stay at home; you'll be such a good mother; raise my children.
And you'll do it, because you think they love you.'"
I started to cry. I had no memory of saying these things, but they rang true, like they had come straight from my broken heart. I said, "Tracie..."
"No, Mom, don't cry. Please, just listen." She reached for a tissue on her nightstand and handed it to me. As I wiped my face, she moved to sit closer, twining her arm around mine. She went on, "So I said, 'Is that the only reason you stayed at home with me, Mom? Because Dad asked you to? You didn't even love me?' And you got really loud and you said, 'Of course I love you! No one will ever love you like I do! I'm your mother!'"
I looked apologetically at my daughter and said, "That much is true."
She rested her head on my shoulder, hugging my arm tight. "I know, Mom. I'm sorry about what I said next. I told you, 'Well you don't act like you love me anymore.' And you got even angrier. You said, 'You don't even know how much I love you, Tracie. You couldn't even understand.' You were looking at me in a weird way. And you said, 'You don't know how hard it is keeping things straight, with you walking around here in your little panties and your sexy little shirt, like...' and then you put your fist over your mouth and just stared at me, looking me up and down. So I said, 'Like what, Mom? What were you going to call me? A slut?' And you yelled, 'I never called you that! I would never call you that!' You were really upset."
I winced and struggled to keep myself from sobbing there on my child's bed.
"It's alright, Mom."
"No." I shook my head. "My mom used to call me that, when she was drunk."
"Well, you didn't call me that," Tracie said, stroking my satin sleeve. "You didn't. But still, I was so mad. You kept looking at my body, so I decided to mess with you and see what I might get on video. I said, 'Maybe you
want
me to be a little slut, huh, Mom?' And you said, 'That's disgusting. You're my daughter. Girls shouldn't talk like that.' And I said, 'I'm your stepdaughter, and I'm nineteen now.' And this surprised look popped on your face, and I said, 'You told me what a man would do for my body, Mom. But what would a woman do? What would
you
do?' And I stroked my belly, like in a sexy way, to see how you'd react. I thought it would make you even more angry, and I wanted to make you angry, and I had my phone ready to record you freaking out. But you didn't say anything. I realized you looked like you were actually thinking about it - like you were getting turned-on a little as I touched myself."
I could only tremble deeply at this story, in my core. I knew Tracie wasn't lying. Who wouldn't be attracted to my girl's amazing body, if she wanted to arouse you? No one could deny how beautiful she is. And I had been so lonely, for so long, and I was so drunk that night.
My daughter's arm was still twined around mine, but I felt too ashamed for her touch. I started to pull away, but Tracie said, "No, Mom." She held onto me more firmly.
Her hand caressed lightly up and down my arm as she continued. "So I could tell I was getting a reaction, even though it wasn't the one I expected. You looked nervous. You poured yourself some more vodka and took a drink, but the whole time, you kept looking at me, and I kept showing my body off for you. I could just tell something was going to happen, and I knew my phone probably had enough battery to get something on video. Then, finally, you said, 'You know the best part of all those long, long, long-ass volleyball tournaments, Tracie? It's seeing you girls in those skin-tight little booty-shorts.'"
I gasped, "I did not say that!"
"Oh, you totally did, Mom. You
totally
did. I wish I had got that part on video! So I turned my butt to you and, like, stroked it and said, 'So this is probably even better, huh, Mom?' and I pulled up on my panties to give myself a little wedgie for you. You really don't remember any of this?"
I shook my head. I didn't want to hear anymore, but of course, I had to know.
My stepdaughter giggled and went on, "Then you were like, 'What are you doing, Tracie?' and I said, 'What do you want me to do, Mom?' But you just stared at my body. And I let you. You were breathing heavy through your nose, and you took another drink. I tried to act all sexy, and I said, 'So you like looking at all of us in our volleyball shorts. Who on the team has the nicest butt, Mom?' and you said I did."
I was nauseous hearing this, especially because, somewhere deep down, I knew it was true. I had thought things like that, even sober. Any person with eyes would. But of course, as a mother, I kept such thoughts buried deep down, filed away as just being glad my child had good fortune in the looks department. I couldn't believe I got drunk enough to say such things out loud.
Tracie said, "To be honest, it was kind of cool to know my stepmom thought I was hot. Part of me was excited. But I was still so mad at you, and I wanted to get you saying or doing something on video - something you'd never, ever want anyone to see. You were so drunk, you might do anything. So, my phone was ready and I walked up to you. You were sitting there so wasted, you were, like, swaying in your chair. And I stood next to you and you were staring right at my boobs. So I started touching them all sexy, to see what you'd do. And I said, 'And who has the nicest boobs, Mom?' I lifted my shirt just a little, so you could see the bottoms of mine. And you looked up at me and blinked your eyes real slow, and then you looked right back down at my chest. You didn't say anything. You tried to raise your glass for another sip, but you couldn't even lift it. You just kept watching me touch myself through my shirt. I said, 'Do I have the nicest boobs?' And you said, 'Yes,' like you hated to admit it. So I said, 'You want to see them, Mom?' You kept staring, and finally you said, 'Yes.'"
My stomach clenched and I covered my eyes with my free hand. I had to restrain myself from jumping up off Tracie's bed and running away.