(Readers: Thank you for continuing to support this story. This installment represents Day Three of Phil and Susan's four-day cruise on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. Like prior installments, I've tried to make it as accurate as I can recall from a prior voyage on this ship. (Full disclosure: I never went into the spa!) Thanks, as always, for your attention to this series, your feedback, and your ratings!)
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Okay... fuck.
Now I can't sleep.
Fuck... fuck... fuck.
After some incredible sex I drifted off in post-coital bliss with Susan curled up in my arms. But now this happens. Now, I'm wide awake.
As I've gotten older I periodically experience a little insomnia. Since I live by myself, it's no big deal. I can get up and check Literotica, watch a movie, surf some porn, or do other things until I get back to sleep... or not.
Susan is breathing softly beside me and I almost feel trapped because I feel the need to move, but I don't want to disturb her slumber. She's as gorgeous asleep as she is awake, except I can't look into her phenomenal eyes.
Thankfully, Susan rolls to her opposite side with her back against me and I'm able to softly slide out of the open side of the bed.
As long as I can remember, I've always slept to my bed partner's right side. My late wife, Amanda, was left-handed so for our 29 years together -- on the rare occasions when she would get handsy with me -- it was to our mutual advantage for me to be on her right.
Now I move as quietly as I can to grab my phone and locate my gym shorts that I brought with me from my stateroom before Susan and I fucked last night.
I slip into Susan's bathroom to pee, swirl away my night-breath with a little toothpaste from my dop kit, then move to the sofa (where Susan and I fucked yesterday morning) and find a place to get comfortable. I put a pillow to my left, against the arm of the sofa.
I've gotten another text message from my oldest daughter, Paige. She's just checking in on me. My eyes dart to the upper corner of my phone to look at the current time; it's just after 3:00 AM wherever we are. I have no idea what time it is in South Carolina. Paige and her family live on Sullivan's Island, about fifteen minutes from my town house.
My two girls and I have a standing rule in our family. It's never too late to call. It's never too late to text. It might be inconvenient, but it's never not allowed.
Me: ["Are you up, sweetie?"]
After a long several seconds, Paige replies:
Paige: ["Hi, Daddy! Yes, Gabrielle woke me up wanting some water. She'll probably wet the bed now. Is everything okay??"]
Me: ["I'm great!] Then:
["Her name is Susan."]
Paige is confused. Because she knows that I know that her daughter is Gabrielle.. we call her Gabby.
Paige: ["Her... who...???] (there's a long pause and I see the little bouncing dots while Paige types her reply.)
["Oh... you've met someone?!?"]
Me: ["Met... and then some."]
Another long pause. Then:
Paige: ["Daddy!!"]
Me: ["It's kinda what you and Mandy (and me, I guess) were hoping for, right?"]
Paige: ["Well, yeah,......... How do you feel about her?"]
Me: ["I feel wonderful. She's beautiful! She's smart, she's successful, she's funny, she's talented...
["We met at check-in. We've hardly been apart for a minute since."]
There's another long pause, then the bouncing dots return.
Paige: ["Are you with Susan now??"]
I might as well come clean.
Me: ["I'm in her stateroom, Paige. She's sleeping. I was, too, for a little while. Then my insomnia kicked in."]
The reality of that statement isn't lost on my oldest girl.
Paige: ["DADDEEEEEEEEE!!!"]
Readers, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm having this kind of conversation with my daughter.
Paige has a doctorate in clinical psychology. She specializes in a category called "family care." She's an expert in trying to keep families together, or in facilitating them separating if there's no hope for resolution. In fact, Paige was actually, surprisingly, supportive of me pursuing a divorce from my late wife before Amanda got her cancer diagnosis.
Plus, Paige gets me. We've always been close and we've grown closer in the three years since Amanda died. I trust her judgement.
The dots return. And the clinical part of Paige enters the chat.
Paige: ["Daddy, why are you telling me this? What's wrong?"]
I'm always honest with my daughters.
Me: ["I'm not sure anything is wrong. It's all just moving really fast, that's all.
["That was my problem in college before I met your mother. I would go on one date with a girl and all the sudden I'd want to pick out china patterns and baby names.
["Then one summer I made a conscious choice to do a one-eighty on that behavior. And then - bam - I met this woman... named Amanda."]
Paige: ["Mom told me more than once that you were very hard to... convince."]
More dots bounce in the message panel.
Paige: ["So... you want to see Susan after the cruise..."]
It's a statement and not a question. It makes me pause and think about it. Paige finally sees dots bounce on her phone.
Me: ["Yeah, I do. I wouldn't mind seeing her every day for, like... forever."]
Paige doesn't answer. Clinical psychologists know when to shut up and not say anything. And so I continue:
Me: ["But Paige, that's my struggle.
["I met this woman what?... two days ago?... and now I'm thinking about FOREVER?!? That's crazy!!"]
The screen is still for a few long seconds. Then:
Paige: ["Daddy, hang on. I need to go get something from my office."]
A half minute goes by and the dots begin to bounce again.
Paige: ["Do you remember when I was struggling with a decision about leaving home for college or staying close because I thought I was in love with Jeremy Settles?"]
Me: ["Jeremy Settles! Jesus, I haven't thought of that kid in ages!
["What brings him up now?"]
Paige: ["This isn't about him. It's about something you told me back then. I wrote it in my diary and I went to find it just now."]
From almost the time she learned to write, Paige has always kept diaries... then journals. Her autobiography is probably already ninety-seven percent written.
Me: ["What the hell did I say way back then?"]
The dots bounce and bounce and bounce. Finally the message appears.
Paige: ["This is straight out of my journal:
'Daddy told me something tonight that I'm going to remember as long as I live. He said:
['Paige, try to not chase after forever. And then don't chase it away. Forever has a mind of its own. Let forever make its own choices. Just be open to whatever forever decides should happen to you.'
["Do you remember saying that, Daddy?"]
I don't and I relay that to Paige.
Paige: ["That's okay. But I've remembered the spirit of those words ever since. Bobby said something similar when we were dating. That's when I knew I was in love with him... because he reminded me of you like that."]
The white letters on the dark background of my phone all the sudden get a little swirly. As the dots continue to bounce I blink my eyes a few times to get the letters to settle down.
Paige: ["Whatever is going to happen, Daddy... just let it happen.
["Susan has a choice in this, too. You know that. But there's nothing wrong if forever makes its mind up in a hurry.
["Is there."] It's another statement and not a question.
The dots bounce as Paige continues to type into her phone.
["But Mandy and I would REALLY appreciate it if you'd wait until you get off the ship to get married! Don't ask the Captain to do it! (They actually can't anyway. That's kind of a myth.)
More dots bounce on my phone.
["Bobby is starting to grumble at me. I'll tell Mandy you're having a wonderful time. You can tell her about Susan yourself.
["Love you, Daddy!!"]
Me: ["Love you too, Baby Girl."]
And I click my phone to darken the display. I sit in the dark and blink away the tears in my eyes.
There's a stirring from Susan's side of the bed. She rolls onto her back and her right arm sort of sweeps across the bedding like she's looking for something.... or someone... or me.
Not finding me beside her, Susan sort of pushes herself up from the mattress. She looks my direction in the stateroom and sees me sitting on the sofa.
"Hey," she says softly with a sleepy smile. "Are you okay?"
"Mmm-hmm," I whisper back. "Just couldn't sleep."
Susan throws back the duvet and does a cat-like stretch on the bed. Her back arches and the dim moonlight from the balcony illuminates her pert boobs as they rise up from her chest. My cock twitches a little at the sight.