When I opened the door in response to the chimes, an angel was standing on the porch. "Come in, Sweetheart." The very first time I saw her I said "Isn't she a little sweetheart." I have called her that ever since. "Want something to drink? A soda? Some coffee?"
"You made coffee? No booze?" She sniffed, smelling the coffee aroma.
"No booze. I quit." Leading her by the hand through the grubby living room into the mess in the kitchen, I hunted and found her a clean cup amid the pile of dirty dishes and refilled mine. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
A flicker of disappointment flashed across her face. "I wanted to remind you of my birthday party tonight." Her eighteenth, I knew. If I had known of the party I had forgotten, or had been too drunk to remember when I was told.
I placed my hands around hers as she had both clasped on her coffee cup and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Sweetheart! Formal? Black tie and tails?"
"No, Silly. Just casual." She grabbed me in a full body hug, giggling.
I pushed her away. "Hey, I stink. I haven't shaved." I rubbed several days worth of stubble. "I need to get cleaned up and at least shine my shoes for you." That got me another hug. "Save the first, no, the second slow dance for me. Your Dad will want the first one."
Another giggle came out. "You know Dad doesn't dance. You get the first."
"Great!" I held her hand as I led her to the door. I swatted her on her rump to send her on her way, telling her I would see her tonight.
"Sevenish." she said as she walked away. I watched as she held her hand on her butt where I swatted her. I did not hit her that hard.
It had been just over six months since my wife, my lover, my soul mate died. We met in elementary school. She was my first and only sex partner as I was hers. We had tried for several years to have children. Finally having tests done, we found she had female problems which eventually led to the cancer which killed her, and I was firing blanks.
When our neighbors, Tom and Sue, brought their baby home from the hospital, Mary became our surrogate daughter. It has been a joy watching her grow and develop into an alluring young woman. I often thought the young man who wins her hand will be very fortunate.
After my wife's death, I went into a drunken stupor. I had very few sober moments. If I had not had my own accounting business, with some very good employees, I do not know how I would have made it. No employer would have put up with my reaction to my grief. That morning was the first in a long time that I had awakened sober and not reaching for a bottle. I had decided it was time to face the world again.
What do you buy for an eighteenth birthday? The last six months I have been completely out of it. I do not know what Mary has, what she needs, or what she wants. My wife had always taken care of such things. She had been an outgoing person, the center of attention, the life of the party, an organizer, the doer, the planner and scheduler. I am quieter, more laid back, but was always ready to go where she led.
I should call Sue, but I decided on five crisp new $100 dollar bills for a present. I knew it was probably excessive, but the joy Mary brought me and my wife over the years was worth ten times the amount. I used an old tie box and wrapped it with some Christmas paper that was not too seasonal.
I arrived at seven on the dot in a sport coat and tie and with shined shoes. Mary met me at the door in a gaggle of giggling teens. Want to feel old in a hurry? Jump in the middle of a bunch of active squirming teens, all talking and moving at the same time. God, the energy.
Mary greeted me with a kiss, which I expected, but with an open mouth kiss, with tongue, which I did not expect! I responded for a moment, then realized who it was, and where we were, and broke it off. I was a bright red when I pushed her away. She was grinning a 'gotcha' grin as she hugged my arm against her breasts and started introducing her friends.
I finally escaped into the kitchen where a grinning Tom and Sue were hiding. "Whew!", I said. "If we could harness that, we could solve the energy crisis."
We were chatting and trying to not intrude on the party, when Mary appeared. She had a slightly disappointed look on her face when she asked what I was drinking. I offered her the glass and she took a sip, then a bigger one. With a beaming smile she exclaimed, "ROOT beer!" As I nodded, she said me this is our dance and drug me into the other room.
Mary danced right against me. I tried to separate our bodies, but she would not have it. Her breasts pressed my chest while our thighs rubbed as we moved. The feel of her body touching mine triggered an instant erection. She rotated her hips against it. I finally surrendered and just enjoyed her closeness, the feel of her body, and the dance. As the dance ended we were alone in a corner of the room.
I took the present from my pocket and gave it to her. She looked at the bills. "This is too much!"
"I didn't know what to get you, so I thought if there was something you really, really wanted, this might help."
"There is something I really, really want, but this won't help." She looked at me and pulled my face to hers. I thought the kiss she started when I arrived was sexy, but this one was off the Richter Scale. I could not help myself. I returned it with all of the desire she had ignited in me. When we broke, she rested her head on my shoulder, and breathed a quiet "Wow!"
With my arm around her shoulders and hers around my waist, we returned to the kitchen. "Sue, there's something I would like you and Mary to help me with."
"What's that?"
"I need to get rid of all of Fay's things. Someone should get some use out of them, the Salvation Army, Goodwill, something."
"Mary can probably wear most of Fay's clothes. Some may need a little alteration, but they would be minor."
I looked at Mary. "Whatever you want, Sweetheart, is yours. Just pick it out. Anything you don't want, we'll give away."
"When?"
"Tomorrow, the next day. Whenever you want to."
"Tomorrow afternoon, then."
I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her forehead. "Happy birthday, Sweetheart, and many, many more." I swatted her butt. "That's the only spanking you get from me. But I'm going home. See you tomorrow."
"No drinking?"
Sue exclaimed, "Mary!"
I waved Sue off. "Nope. Oh, I'll have an occasional drink, but no more swimming in the bottle like I have been."
Three voices were simultaneous. "Good!" Sue and Mary hugged me while Tom gripped my hand with both of his, almost crushing it, saying "Welcome back, buddy!"