Author's Note - This story has 8 parts which I am releasing as I finish editing them. For the best experience, please read them in sequence or you may not be able to follow the story properly. Although this is a work of fiction, it is based on real characters and events. All names and locations are fictitious. Thank you.
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A Night Of Discovery
Eva
Exiting my shower, my mind was still on Ava as I dried myself off and walked back into the bedroom. I felt full and totally relaxed from the meal, beers and shower. I had to think for a moment on the most likely place I might find my jammers. Since I usually slept in just my boxers, it had been a bit since our 'jammers' days. I dug through the bottom dresser drawers until I found them, slipped them on and headed back down to the family room...
Lounging on the sofa, Eva turned her head to look at me as I came into the room. I paused on the steps and imitated her twirl to show off my attire, my amateurish spin drawing a big smile and chuckle from her as she patted my spot on the sofa next to her.
"I got you a fresh beer," she said, pointing to it on the coffee table. "I also changed the TV channel to some music...I hope you don't mind."
I nodded in agreement as the sounds of classic rock played. "At least you picked some good stuff!" I teased, as I walked across the room, grabbed my beer and slid into my corner. She leaned forward and poured herself some more wine from the bottle on the coffee table. 'She must be feeling relaxed by now', I thought to myself, noting the nearly empty bottle. Leaning back, she swiveled sideways on the couch to face me, tucking her legs up under her butt. I sensed she was finally ready to get serious and tell me what was going on.
She started off slowly, searching for the correct words as she went. Knowing that she usually gave me clues about her feelings and wishes from her facial expressions, I watched intently as she spoke.
Jeff and her had separated...it wasn't because they didn't love one another, but rather because she couldn't have children. She described how they had started trying about a year after they had moved in together. She had gotten pregnant once, but had a miscarriage a few weeks later, then she had trouble getting pregnant again. They finally went to several doctors and confirmed Eva's fears...she had the same problem that her mom had. Ava and I were very blessed to have had Eva. The doctors had said she was a miracle birth, so we had decided to forgo further attempts and just devoted our lives to Eva.
Jeff, however, didn't deal well with the news and wanted a natural offspring...no adoption, no surrogate, no exceptions. It tore them apart in the end. As she told me of her heartbreak, her sadness deepened. After setting my drink down, I instinctively did what I always had done in the past and opened my arms to her.
"Come here, cuddlebug." She placed her glass on the table and crawled into my arms just like she had done hundreds of times before. Cuddlebug was the nickname that Ava and I had given her because it was her favorite thing to do when we had our jammers on...Ava on her left, me on her right and our cuddlebug sandwiched in between us on the sofa. I could feel her softly crying as she burrowed into my side and finished telling me her story of their final breakup and her heartache. I held her in silence, gently stroking her hair while she cried her pain out.
Minutes later, she spoke again. "I don't want to make any decisions right now, dad," she whispered, her voice slightly breaking up. "I just want to be with the one person I know who truly loves me...I just need to feel that now."
"You came to the right place, then!" I answered. She gave me an ardenthug in response.
Her head was tucked under my chin and her cheek was against my chest. When I moved my right hand up to her face and slowly stroked her hair and cheek, she raised her head up and kissed my neck. "Thanks for being here for me, daddy." she murmured in my ear.
"Always!" I assured her.
She shifted in my arms and I relaxed my hold when she declared, "I need to pee! And I'm sure I look like a mess. Don't go anywhere! I need to cuddle some more, okay?"
"Sure thing, sweetie. I'll be right here." As she stood up to leave, I added, "Good thing it's Friday, cuz, I drank a little more than normal." I closed my eyes and laid back as the Eagles 'Peaceful Easy Feeling' began to play. It was one of my favorites and I sang along for a bit...
"And I found out a long time ago...what a woman can do to your soul...Oh, but she can't take you anyway...you don't already know how to go...And I got a peaceful, easy feeling...and I know you won't let me down... 'cause I'm already standing...on the ground."
The song was just ending when I felt her snuggle up next to me again. "I'm sure I know what you're gonna say...but I have to ask anyway...will it be alright if I stay here with you for a bit until I get my act together?... I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do... but I want your input first," she asked. She rested her chin on my shoulder and stared up into my eyes. I could smell the wine as she breathed on my cheek.
"Of course you can, darlin'...that goes without saying!" She promptly planted a big, wet kiss on my cheek, then turned and picked up her wine glass from the table. After taking a big swig from it, she set it back down, then settled back into her normal cuddle position against me.
"I have a confession to make about you and mom," she said in a small, shy voice.
"What's that, sweetie? You know you can tell me anything, don't you?" I had to admit that she had my curiosity peaked.
"While I was in the bathroom, I had a very fond memory pop into my head of when I was younger." She paused and then the next part came in a flood as if she had to get it all out in a hurry, or die. " I'll bet you never knew that you both gave me my very first, real, sexual experience." There was a short pause and she sounded extremely nervous when she continued, "I mean... I played doctor and such... with Billy, Tammi and some of the kids from down the block when we were young... But...this was way different for me... I want to tell you about it...I'm not really sure why...maybe it's because... I'm a little tipsy... I, ummm...I don't know, exactly... but... I want to tell you anyway." She sounded as if she was out of breath as she finished. As she was looking up at my face, seeking my approval, I could feel her trembling lightly against my chest.
"Okay, sweetheart. You know I'm here for you." I tried to sound encouraging, not quite knowing where she was headed with this obviously very personal topic.
She took another sip from her wine, prolonging the suspense. It felt as if she was screwing up her courage to continue. Reaching out, she covered my left hand resting on my left knee with her left hand, interlacing our fingers together. Lifting them to her face, she kissed my palm. She appeared to be thinking of what she was going to say as she lowered our hands back down to my leg.
"I woke up late one night...I had to pee, real bad. As I was walking down the hall to the bathroom, I heard noises coming from your room," she said, with her little girl voice taking over. "Curiosity took over, so I walked to your bedroom and saw that the door wasn't closed. At first I thought someone was sick or in pain, but the more I listened, I realized it was something very different." She was gesturing as she spoke and lifted my left hand up as she did, while I felt something brush my left thigh and glanced down to see her right hand come to rest gently on the inside of my bare leg. At the same time, she lowered our coupled hands down, guiding my palm to rest on her right thigh.