Family Perspectives

A multi-part story of the highs, lows, and perceptions of reality in family life past, present, and probable futures.

** Dave's perspective of the present *****

Dave Richards watched his wife Rachel descend the steps from the upper patio with their daughter Carrie. Both women were dressed in the age appropriate but no doubt latest fashion lounge wear, shorts over swimsuits, loose shirts, big floppy sun hats and sunglasses.

They were dutifully bringing cold drinks and sandwiches for him and son Joe, who had both been busy since eight that morning pulling up the rotten flooring in the old summerhouse. Rachel swayed on her heeled sandals as she stepped on to the uneven ground at the bottom stopping suddenly making Carrie have to dodge past.

A smirk crossed Dave's face as Carrie let rip at her mother,

"For fuck sake Mum, I nearly dropped the drinks! Why wear stupid sandals like that!"

"It's not my sandals, it's the uneven ground!" Rachel shouted back,

"And don't fucking swear at me because your father has pissed you off!"

Carrie stomped off in her sensible trainers to the lower sundeck leaving Rachel to totter over the grass. Mother and daughter had the same spiky temper and when roused could conjure up language that could grace a building site anywhere in the UK.

Dave nudged Joe and nodded towards the sundeck,

"Looks like lunch is ready, go get cleaned up a bit I can finish the last of this later, but beware of your grumpy Mum and even grumpier big sister!"

"I heard," he answered, "At least it's you they're pissed off with not me!"

Joe dumped the load of rotten wood in the wheelbarrow, picked up his tee shirt and jogged up to the sundeck, said something to Rachel who smiled and nodded, then he went up to the house. Dave followed shortly after dusting himself down and washing his hands in the summerhouse.

"Aren't you going to have a shower?" Rachel asked, "You're filthy!"

"It's only a bit of dust," Dave replied, "Anyway I still need to finish the crossbeam after lunch, so I'll shower later."

"Oh," she shrugged, "Joe said you had finished!"

"No, Joe has finished, I told him I can sort the rest out and he can have the afternoon to himself!" Dave explained,

"So what have my favourite ladies made me for lunch?"

Carrie scowled at me, saying "Nothing to do with me!"

Rachel glared at her, then said,

"I've made you tuna salad sandwiches and there's wine or some cold beers."

"Great, I'll have a beer, as I'm back on the tools!" Dave responded cheerily putting two doorstep sandwiches on a plastic plate.

"Do you want a glass for your beer or are you going full hairy-arse builder and swigging from the bottle?" asked Rachel with a hint of sarcasm.

"Glass, please I am still smooth arsed management, at least until Wednesday lunchtime!" Dave replied.

"Well, the beer is in the cooler and the glass is on the tray," Rachel said testily, "I'm not your fucking servant!"

Dave smiled, grabbed a beer and a glass, and poured it slowly then raised it in a toast,

"To a long and happy retirement," then added, "And a contented family!"

"If you want a contented family, you better get that path sorted out by the landscapers," Rachel replied testily.

"And get the Summerhouse finished!" piped up Carrie.

"All in hand," Dave smiled, sitting down on a sun lounger, "Whilst you were both getting your beauty sleep Joe and I have cleared the flooring and nearly finished prepping the supports for the hot tub."

"Also," he continued, "I arranged the engineers to come in on Monday to repair the leaks and refit the filtration machinery, I rang Don and confirmed his crew are taking over the landscaping and construction on Monday now the other lot have finally finished the drainage."

He addressed his soon to be 23-year-old daughter, "So provided there is no epic flooding this week my beautiful, calm and serene daughter, can have her 'Summer Birthday Ball'"

Then to his wife,

"And you my sweetness will have a properly completed terraced patio, summer house with renovated sauna and hot tub and Joe will have a repaired greenhouse for his tomatoes or whatever he is going to grow."

Dave bit into his sandwich and waited for the response.

Rachel smiled came over to the lounger bent down, gave Dave a lingering kiss on the lips. She then drew back and muttered,

"Sorry for moaning, I just wanted the garden finished."

Dave slipped a hand under her open shirt and squeezed Rachel's right tit,

"Do I just get a kiss?"

"We'll have to see later," Rachel cooed, "When you're showered, and you get rid of the fishy breath!"

"Get a room!" called Carrie jokingly, her tone noticeably more agreeable now she could continue her party plans.

"Is someone jealous, that Mummy and Daddy are still sexually active?"

Dave asked jokingly as Rachel pushed his hand down and walked over table to get her food,

"Don't you want to be just like us, when you grow up?" Dave continued.

"Ugh, there are somethings children should not be subjected too!" Carrie giggled,

"Or have to think about. Anyway, who says I need to grow old just to be a pervert?"

Joe appeared freshly showered wearing board shorts and sleeveless t-shirt,

"What perverts shouldn't we have to think about?" he asked having only caught the tail-end of the conversation.

"Mummies and Daddies, playing Mummies and Daddies!" Carrie laughed heartily at her own joke.

"Have you been smoking again?" asked Joe.

"No," declared Carrie, "But if you've still got some gear, I feel like chilling in the sun this afternoon."

Joe looked nervously at his Dad, then glowered at Carrie,

"Sorry Dad, I know you don't want weed around the house, but Sid came round on Tuesday last week and left some behind."

"So, I take it you were smoking it when he came over?" Dave asked accusingly.

"Dave, I said it was okay," piped up Rachel, "The boys are both over eighteen now and adult enough, beside they stayed down by the greenhouse."

Dave knew his son and daughter smoked dope occasionally and he would have been a hypocrite to forbid them as he and Rachel had done the same at their age. He had warned them both about being careful when they had work or were driving the next day, however, most of all he was concerned about Rachel indulging with them whilst he was not around.

The kids and most of their family and friends did not how bad Rachel had sunk on various occasions over the years they had been married. She was not addicted to weed but as their marriage counsellor and various therapists had agreed, it made her impulsive, sometimes reckless, and occasionally, the other destructive Rachel Rebekah Richards, those emotions were the thing she was addicted to.

"Okay," Dave said relenting, "But you were meant to be working the next day and for my best mate, if you test positive on a site, he could lose his contract."

"Sorry Dad," Joe mumbled again, "Percy, I mean Uncle Don, had given me the day off because he was going over to Ipswich to price a new job."

"Alright," Dave said smiling at his son's use of Don's nickname, "End of lecture, now eat your lunch."

Then proceeded to devour the remainder of his tuna salad sandwich and drained his beer.

Carrie picked up on the use of the nickname, "Why is Uncle Don called Percy?"

"Because his surname is Dalton, as in Percy Dalton's peanuts," replied Dave to a vacant looking Carrie.

"That's not what you told me," laughed Rachel, "You said it was because his todger looked like a shrivelled monkey nut when he was in the shower."

"Well I was trying to provide our innocent children with the clean version," Dave laughed, "But I suppose they are old enough to hear the naked truth."

Carrie chirped up, "So as were now experienced adults and we're not working tomorrow, can we chill out here this afternoon, Daddy?"

"Apparently it isn't up to me! But if I were Joe and you were my older sister, I would make sure you paid for your share," Dave replied before standing up,

"I have some woodwork to finish, and final reports to check, just don't get completely off your heads if you want to go out for a meal later."

"Does that mean I can chill too, Daddy?" asked Rachel with a grin on her face,

"I'll make sure I give Joe something for my share."

"If you must," Dave said wearily adding, "But you only have to call me Daddy when you have your special uniform on in the bedroom."

"Ugh," squealed Carrie feigning vomiting, "Pervert alert!"

Satisfied he may have at least put his daughter off her lunch Dave returned to the Summer house, reasoning that in the confines of their own garden and with the kids in attendance Rachel could be responsible especially as he was around too.

Periodically peals of laughter erupted from the sundeck whilst Dave sweated in the increasingly warm and aptly named summer house, even the occasional breeze only wafted the pungent smell of weed without giving any relief.

He could have done with Joe's help, but he could hardly ask now that he had warned against working whilst under the influence, he stripped to the waist and mopped his chest and arm pits with the tee-shirt. Finally he manhandled the last cross brace into place and pushed the bolts home, then he took a couple of photos on his phone to send over to the hot tub engineers to prove that it was ready for them to arrive on Monday.

He then took a quick selfie next to his handiwork and sent it to Don with the message,

'See I still have the skills, now off for a shower. Catch-up next week for a decent beer, at my retirement do.'

His phone pinged five minutes later as he was packing the last of his tools away, fishing it out of his pocket he saw Don's reply,

'Looking buff too for a soon to be OAP, has the rest of the equipment kept in good nick?'

Dave sniggered, finished packing away his tools and with his tee shirt slung over his shoulder he headed back to the house and a shower.

Rachel, Carrie, and Joe were reclined on the double sun bed that the previous owners had left behind, as it was a bespoke wooden built unit and probably too cumbersome to transport elsewhere. They seemed very stoned already, Carrie and Joe lay either side of Rachel with their heads resting on her shoulders taking in the sun and no doubt copious amounts of dope. Rachel and Carrie had removed their shirts and sun hats, and Rachel had one arm around Carrie's shoulder holding the spliff they were sharing as Carrie took a long drag. She switched hands as if to feed Joe next, but his eyes seemed droopy and he did not respond, so she placed it to her own lips took in a deep lungful.

Dave thought about joining them then decided he need the shower and a pee first but not in that order and he needed a clear head while checking the final reports for the Edinburgh project.

Rachel puffed out a stream of smoke and raised her arm in an exaggerated cheery wave as he climbed the steps past the far edge of the sundeck, Joe's head slid down and he face planted on Rachel's stomach which started more giggling from Rachel and Carrie as Joe's head bounced up and down in time to Rachel's laughter.

Dave shook his head in despair and leaving them to it, headed indoors. After taking off his work boots and sweaty socks by the rear door Dave went up to the main bedroom and kicked his shorts and boxers off before going into the ensuite bathroom. He sat on the loo and let go a long stream of urine. His phone bleeped as he dried the end of his cock, washing his hands he picked up the phone and thought how domesticated he had become after over twenty-eight years of marriage.

Another text message from Don, 'Well you didn't reply, are you having trouble finding the old man these days?'

Dave smiled, 'Fuck you, the old man was up for duty last Sunday night!' he typed as the reply.

Ping, 'What happened in between or does he need a few days to recover now Mr OAP...'

Two minutes of fat fingered texting later he had managed to reply, 'No fear, I managed to piss Rachel off as you well know, so the Thursday homecoming fuck was off the menu, but with a bit of luck the old man will be in double demand later tonight.'

Dave and Rachel were back to good sex, twice or more a week since therapy, and HRT and he thought himself an incredibly lucky fifty-year-old judging by the lack of activity claimed by lots of his peers. He turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature, then the phone pinged again, this time a selfie of Don in his back garden with his top off in a superhero pose, with a caption,

'Aren't you glad I came to the rescue. If Rachel knocks you back anytime, I can give you a helping hand.'

Dave's face flushed as thirty-year-old memories came flooding back, he hesitated, then texted,

'Might take you up on that, if you can still handle it!', a click of the camera and then hit send.

There was no immediate reply, so Dave put the phone down and stepped into the walk-in shower. The cool water felt great and he stood for a couple of minutes letting the water cascade over his body. Looking down he smiled as he remembered Rachel's explanation of Don's nickname, the name had stuck since their apprentice days playing in 5-a-side football leagues.

Another guy had been called curly whirly (not because of a liking for the popular chocolate bar at the time) but because his cock had a pronounced curve to the left, Dave was called Davy The Dangler, one because it rhythmed and two because his own cock hung straight down, although when he got a hard on it never grew much more than an inch longer and just a little fatter.

When Rachel first handled him she had been surprised at its length when soft and slightly scared of what it may grow to (she was certainly not innocent when they met so had some expectation), later she had also admitted being slightly disappointed that it didn't turn into a monster cock.

Dave found himself stroking his semi-hard cock, whilst daydreaming about the past. He heard a phone ping and turned to see a grinning spaced-out Rachel taking a photo of him having a slow wank.

"Oh, big boy does The Dangler want to play?", giggled Rachel snapping another picture, capturing the frontal view of her wanking husband.

"What about the kids?" Dave asked, knowing a sober Rachel was normally reluctant to screw during the day if they were home.

"I was just thinking it would be just us," she laughed wriggling out of her shorts,

"I can go and ask them if kinky Daddy wants them to watch?"

Although smoking dope could have a really bad effect on Rachel, it could also be a massive bonus to their sex life. Dave's cock twitched and hardened fully as she peeled the straps of her black one-piece swimsuit off her shoulders stopping just before revealing her nipples,

"Well does Daddy want to show his little girl how he uses his big boy cock on Mummy?" Rachel teased using her little girl voice.

"Show me your tits," Dave gasped, "God I want to fuck you now!"

Rachel exposed her right nipple, which was already hard.

"Daddy hasn't answered yet?", she insisted,

"Doesn't Daddy want Mummy to show her little girl how to be a bad girl when she sucks and fucks Daddy. Or does Daddy just want to show Baby Girl himself, how to be bad!"

Dave stepped forward, grabbed Rachel, pulled her into the shower and twisted her to face the shower wall.

"Baby Girl," Dave hissed, "Now, stop teasing and bend over!" he demanded as he yanked her one-piece over her hips.

"Oh Daddy, make me bad like Mummy!" Rachel gasped.

Hardly waiting for Rachel to step out of her costume Dave wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, gripping his cock in his over hand he rubbed the tip up and down her slit. Rachel's pussy lips were already swollen and slick with juices, Dave pushed in hard making her wail as he forced her open. As his hips mashed into her backside Dave held her tight and he felt her pussy muscles contract and flex around his cock, he held in place as she struggled to make him start thrusting.

"Please Daddy fuck me hard, make your little girl pay for being a moody bitch!"

Rachel pleaded and braced her arms against the shower wall.

"Don't worry Daddy will fuck some sense into his little girl," Dave replied joining in the kinky talk.

Dave pulled back an inch and stabbed his cock back in getting another wail from Rachel, a few deliberate short hard strokes later Dave loosened his grip and lengthened his strokes. Rachel was babbling with pleasure as Dave's fingers found her clit a rubbed in rhythm to his thrust. Then without warning he landed a stinging open-hand slap to Rachel's left arse cheek. Rachel squealed and came at the same time, her body tensing up and shuddering as Dave tried a few more strokes before emitting a low groan from this throat and six days pent up spunk from his cock.

"Oh, shit that was good!" Dave gasped having to support Rachel as she sagged at the knees.

Gradually she turned to face Dave and they hugged in silence as the water cascaded over them. Rachel lifted her face to his and kissed him deeply, then breaking the kiss and pulling a face.

"You still taste fishy," Rachel laughed.

"Well I only just got in the shower when I was seduced by the best-looking MILF in the neighbourhood," Dave replied caressing her skin and rubbing his flaccid cock against her thigh,

"I hadn't even lathered up before her assault on my manly body!" Dave laughed,

"Anyway, I fancy some more fish before brushing my teeth!", dropping to his knees he began kissing Rachel's pubic area.

Rachel had to steady herself as she squirmed,

"Not here, it will be easier on the bed," Rachel gasped turning off the shower.

They both shivered as the temperature dropped without the water, grabbing for a robe Rachel disentangled herself from Dave and made a dash for the bedroom. Dave grabbed a towel and followed trying to dry off as much as possible. He found Rachel spread-eagled lying on the edge of the bed, feet on the rocking her hips enticingly.

"Mummy now wants her baby boy to suck out naughty Daddies mess and make her pussy feel nice and tingly!" cooed Rachel.

"Yes, Mummy I'll kiss it better," Dave agreed and sank to his knees again and covered her clit with his mouth.

Rachel came twice more in quick succession as Dave licked, sucked, and fingered her pussy, finally Dave still only half hard again crawled on the bed beside her and kissed her on the mouth.

"Nice fishy!" murmured a contented and now sleepy Rachel as she scooted further up the bed and put her head on a pillow.

"Doesn't Mummy have the munchies yet?" Dave asked hopeful of some oral stimulation to ahead of a third round.

"Nap first, baby, Mummy is a tired sex kitten!" mumbled Rachel and closed her eyes.

Although the consequences of her dope smoking had caused a lot of hurtful worrying moments in the past, he tolerated her compulsive episodes not just for the freaky reaction she had just demonstrated but also because he still loved her deeply but just now he felt extremely frustrated.

Dave listened to her shallow contented breathing, as he studied her forty-eight-year-old body. Her skin glistened après orgasm and showed only minor signs of aging, a hint of grey around the temples and some laughter lines on her face were the only tell-tale signs. Her tits weren't big bouncers but amazingly formed saucer shape, taut with very little sag even lying on her back they sat proud, topped with neat suckable nipples, her stomach was smooth with hardly a stretch mark but with a small mummy bump as witness to her pregnancies, and a nice dimpled belly button which he loved sticking his tongue in on his way down to that neatly trimmed landing strip over a prominent mons pubis.

Just to the left of her pussy, in line with her clitoris was her 'intimate Branding' as she called it, a small heart shape tattoo with the tiny inscription "Property of DLR". That had seemed a great idea on that first drunken, dope induced night in Amsterdam until the next morning they soberly realised DLR stood not only for David Leonard Richards (Dave's full name), but also Docklands Light Railway. He had not escaped the tattooist needle but had got away with his similar branding on the right cheek of his arse, "Property of RRR", Rachel Rebekah Richards.