For your improved enjoyment, please read the previous chapter before starting this one. This story follows an increasing number of characters; thus, to reduce confusion the reader will find a 'list of the characters' at the end of each chapter with approximate ages and how they 'fit' into the plot. Enjoy.
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of -- Chapter 3
The house at Niland Springs was magnificent. Several obvious additions had been made over the years to the original contemporary home. The place was well built and had been maintained by someone that really knew what they were doing. Nothing needed to be done to the house, and even the decorating was simple and tasteful.
The owners, Greg and Linda White, were retiring to the Sun Belt and wanted to cash out of this home so they could afford to buy down south and have some of their capital in more liquid form. The two of them escorted the six of us through the home, pointing out the many niceties of the residence. I think there were a little confused as to why six of us were looking at their home.
There were three master suites and four other bedrooms. Each suite had a bathroom, and four other bathrooms were scattered around the house. The basement housed a huge playroom and separate home theater and exercise rooms. I noted that both Greg and Linda were in great physical shape for their ages. Greg had build a large bar-b-que for outdoor grilling. A pool commanded the backyard, along with a spa, and an expanse of grass that invited play and relaxation. Beyond the grass, a small pond capped off the view. The place was gorgeous.
Each of us loved the house. We whispered our approvals as we went from room to room, and saw all the possibilities for us. We wanted this house; it was perfect for us.
In spite of the cool temperatures, the eight of us sat in the backyard for a while and talked with the Whites about their house, the neighborhood, schools, and things like that. They were a likeable couple that I wished had been in my circle of friends years earlier.
A breeze came up and Linda suggested we move inside for tea. Greg took the guys on a tour of the basement, the utilities, and the five acres the house sat on. Linda took Mar, Beth, and I for an in depth look at the kitchen. I sensed Linda had something on her mind.
After Linda seated us on stools at the kitchen counter and had served tea, she asked us, "Do you six plan to live together? Are you living together now?"
The directness of her question caught us all by surprise.
I blurted out, "Yes, we will live together. No, we don't live together now. We gather at Tom's apartment on weekends when we can just be ourselves. It's the largest place any of us have."
She bluntly asked, "Do you all have sex together?"
I answered again, "Yes. We're all in love -- with each other. It's special -- very special."
There was a long silence as Linda digested my reply. I expected a severe judgment and rebuke, particularly from someone in their fifties or early sixties.
Instead, Linda said, "Oh, I wish Greg and I could join with you. Our family has all moved away or they've forgotten us. Our son, Tom's friend, only comes by once every couple of months. We're still vital, just not to them. I guess we're paying the price for being busy parents when they were growing up. We both want to find some meaningful ... really meaningful and loving relationships." Tears rolled down each cheek.
On impulse I rose and went to Linda. She was shorter than I am, and that made hugging her an easy task. As my arms embraced her, I felt Beth and Mar join me. Linda started to sob against my chest. I kissed her, and we all hugged her tightly.
We held her for perhaps three or four minutes until she got her sadness under control. She dried her eyes on her apron and scurried us back to our seats. She poured us more tea.
There was a long silence. Greg, Tom, Peter, and Dave stood in the doorway to the kitchen. They'd been listening to the conversation. Greg had tears running down his cheeks too; he moved to his wife and hugged her.
Beth asked softly, "How long have you lived here?"
Linda said in a jerky voice, "Thirty years. We build the original house and all the additions. We put a lot of sweat equity into it."
Mar said in a low tone of sympathy, "It means a lot to you ... you hate to move away?"
"Oh, dear, yes, but we need some of the cash from the sale for our retirement."
On impulse I said, "What if you became part of our family? What if you could come back to this home -- your home -- any time you wanted? It'll be different; I mean we'll all live here, but we could always make a place for you here -- not just to visit but to stay for a long time if you want. Would that be too weird for you?"
Tom nodded to me and smiled. He moved to my side and gave me a hug. Mar moved to his other side and under his arm. Dave and Peter moved to Beth. I thought of the tableau we formed -- six lovers.
Greg said in a low voice, "And you'll change the house to meet your needs?" I couldn't tell whether it was a statement or a question.
Tom answered carefully, "Honestly, yes. We'll eventually do our own decorating, and maybe an addition or dormer over the four-car garage. We might even enlarge our family -- children or other people dear to us that join our family -- our commune."
Greg nodded his head vigorously in a positive way. He said, "I want you all to have this place, and I may be kooky, but Linda and I both want to be part of your family. If there's an initiation, tell us what we have to do. We'll pull our weight even though we'll be in Florida a good part of the year. We'll work something out on the price." He came and hugged Tom and me, and then each of the others.
I announced, "Welcome to our family -- and now we have a home."
*
We closed on the house ninety days later. The price was right, we raised enough equity for a significant down payment, and buying the house provoked all kinds of interesting situations for us.
Josh, my brother, became pivotal in our purchase for a while, plus it gave him an excuse to come to the city and make love to his sister -- not that he needed an excuse any longer. Through me, Josh also got introduced to and subsequently made love to Beth and Mar. As we explained what we were doing, Josh stated his desire to join the family. The guys liked him and he made a good impression. He was in. He immediately started to take the steps to transfer to the local office of his law firm, something he thought was eminently doable.
