Authors Note:
My thanks to Dr Mark for his help and advice.
Also thanks to TheSwiss for his help and work on the discord.
PM
Caleb 58 - Siblings and Neighbors.
I woke the next morning with Marcia snuggled into my side. The twins were snuggled with Melanie, while Jules and Ness were on my other side. The bed was starting to feel a little full.
After our 'talk' yesterday afternoon, Marcia had stayed to eat dinner with us and ended up staying the night, although we didn't get up to anything more than had already happened.
For the first part of the evening, she couldn't look me in the eye. Every time I looked in her direction, she dropped her gaze. After I'd cleared away the dishes from dinner, and was sitting out on the deck, she came and sat beside me.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"I thought we already dealt with that," I remarked. She smiled.
"I guess," she answered, "but I wanted to tell you again. Amanda and I had a long talk. Like you, I was brought up in a house where the rules were very different than they appear to be for people with powers. I judged you against those rules, even though I knew that I'd been lied to."
"It's something I can't criticize," I said. "I was brought up a norm and am having to really re-evaluate everything I was taught. Sharing was a big problem for me. Not me sharing, although that was an issue at first, but the thought of any of my girls with someone else, especially another man, really tied me up in knots. It's taken me some time, but I've learned what's important in a relationship and what is not.
"But as an example, and this is not meant as a criticism at all, why did you get upset when you saw me with Melanie?"
"Because you introduced her as your sister," she said instantly, "and I was brought up to believe that it was wrong."
"But," I said, "you were happy enough to take the twins to bed?"
She opened her mouth, and then closed it again.
"So, I'm a hypocrite as well," she said sighing. "Great!"
I laughed. "Like I said," I said, "I'm not criticizing. I had exactly the same conversation with myself. When I first realized Melanie was interested, my thought was 'she's my sister'. But then I thought about the twins, and Jules and Ness, and realized that her being my sibling wasn't the most important factor."
"What was?" asked Marcia.
"Whether I had that kind of love for her," I said, "and if she did for me."
Marcia sat and thought about that for a minute.
"So, do you have to love everyone you sleep with?" she asked.
I shook my head, "You know that's not the case," I said. "We've already talked about sharing. I wouldn't sleep with someone I had no feelings toward at all or actively didn't like. But love - no."
"And what about me?" she asked.
"Are you asking if I love you?" I asked, smiling.
She chuckled. "I guess not," she said. "But you confused me. You made me feel so... so wanted, so safe, even when you were dominating me. There was no fear, just the knowledge that I was bound to do as you instructed. And yet I could have stopped at any time, I just didn't want to."
"A lot of people don't understand what it is to be truly submissive," I said. "In many ways, you are the one in control of the whole relationship. You are placing a huge amount of trust and faith in the person you are submitting to, forcing them to understand your need and how to give you pleasure while controlling you.
"You tried that once with a guy and he let you down badly. Perhaps you should be looking for a submissive male?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if it's my upbringing, or what," she said, "but my father was a very domineering person and, before you get any ideas, no, we never 'shared.' My grandfather was also a very strong personality. I guess that's where I get it from, but I could never accept a submissive male. I just, I don't know, wouldn't respect them. I can and do like submissive girls, in fact Amanda is the first girl strong enough to flip me."
I smiled at her.
"You know all about sharing now," I said, "and Mary and Amanda, and I would be happy to share with you again, if you wish. I don't know about Jules and Ness, you'd have to ask them. Your sharing with Mary and Amanda doesn't necessarily need to include me."
Marcia smiled. "I've got about another week's work here," she said, "then I'll be moving out of your lives, probably to never meet again, unless you want some more work doing."
"Well, that depends," I said. She looked at me, an eyebrow raised.
"On whether you do a good job this time. If not...."
She laughed, punching me gently in the shoulder.
I reminisced about our conversations as I did push-ups on the deck. I could comfortably do seventy to eighty push-ups before having to pause even once, and now wasn't pushing for more reps, but was making sure my technique was perfect - that I was in perfect alignment, and I was going to the required depth. I figured I could push harder on the test day. I knew that as long as I could get them right, I could do enough to easily pass that portion of the fitness test.
The same thing with sit-ups. I could again comfortably do fifty to fifty-five in the minute, but I was slowing down again now to ensure that my technique was perfect. My hands on my shoulders, my elbows hitting mid-thigh exactly as it showed on the video. Once more I resolved to ask Marcia about fitting a pull-up bar on the deck somewhere.
I did that over breakfast.
"A pull-up bar?" she asked puzzled for a moment, but her eyes cleared when I explained.
"Mounting the bar wouldn't be too difficult," she said. "I've put up a few in my time. You can buy specific ones on fitness websites, and I'll fix it to the exterior wall on the deck. It'll take me an hour at the most. If you order one and can get it delivered this week, then I can do it while I'm here.
"Perfect," I said. "I'll take a look today and get one ordered up." She smiled at me.
"What's your plan for today?" Melanie asked me.
"I have to go to school," I said. "I have Ethics, and then a couple of hypnotherapy sessions after lunch. I'll be back around four."
Melanie pulled her face.
"What am I going to do?" she asked.
"You could help Marcia," I said, "or you could do some reading?"
She looked at Marcia. "Do you need help?" she asked.