Growing Together

Growing Together

Author's note:

This is a continuation of the 'Together' series. This next installment is about the growth of the relationship between Ken and the women in his life.

There may be some confusion as I shift between the use of the siblings new and old names. Hopefully, it will all make sense to you readers.

Some of the action happens quickly, but remember that this is purely fictional.

This has been an exciting process!

Please enjoy!

Paul found the presence of his Aunt Rachel standing at his front door on a Saturday morning in Florida quite unsettling. For one thing, his aunt hadn't visited them often in the past. For another reason, she was married to some hot shot investment banker and living in St. Louis. Whenever she did visit in the past, she always came alone. Her husband never accompanied her. This usually meant that they needed a break from each other.

Finally, Paul didn't know how she found them in Florida. They had only just moved here not long ago. He thought they had tied up all loose ends, so that nobody knew where they were heading to. Was it really that easy to find them after they'd been so careful?

Paul acknowledged his aunt after calling out to his mom and the others. He stepped back from the door and said, "please come in, Aunt Rachel."

"Thank you, Ken," was all she said. She didn't know that he was using his middle name now.

Paul could tell something was off by her response. His Aunt Rachel was normally very outgoing and somewhat talkative. He closed the door once she had entered before leading her to the living room.

There was some commotion coming from the rest of the house as they gradually woke up from Paul calling out to them. Melissa was the first to come into the living room. When she saw her aunt, her mouth dropped and she stuttered a greeting, "H.... Hi, Aunt Rachel. What a surprise to see you here in Florida."

Melissa walked over and hugged her aunt in greeting. Rachel, for her part, was happy to see her nephew and one of her nieces. She returned Melissa's hug and said, "it's nice to see you too, Katherine." Once again, she didn't know Katherine was going by her other name.

Elizabeth came into the living room next, followed closely by her mother. Paul thought that this might be very awkward to explain to their aunt.

"Aunt Rachel, this is Elizabeth, my girlfriend." At the mention of being Paul's girlfriend, Elizabeth lit up. She also caught on that Paul mentioned this was his aunt. She was confused about the woman's arrival, but to her credit, she went along with Paul's introduction.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Rachel. I apologize for being a little underdressed in our first meeting, but I just woke up." She offered her hand to Rachel, who accepted it.

Rachel looked her over and said, "It's quite alright dear. I know I'm a little early and probably unexpected."

Paul continued his introduction, unsure of how to tell her about Natalie. He opted for the truth not knowing what else to say. "This is Elizabeth's mother, Ms. Pendleton."

Natalie quickly took over for Paul in this awkward situation. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Natalie. Ms. Pendleton makes me sound old." Like her daughter, Natalie offered Rachel her hand.

Rachel shook her hand and said, "It's nice to meet you too."

Before anything else could be said, Lynn walked into the living room. She was just really starting to really show her 4-month pregnancy, but she was wearing a loose T-shirt that hid it somewhat from view. As soon as she saw her aunt, she got a confused look on her face. It vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, replaced with a smile that radiated her face.

"Hi, Aunt Rachel," she said warmly. "It's been a while since we last saw you." She walked up to her aunt and bent down to hug her. She saw Paul over Rachel's shoulder and mouthed 'what is she doing here' before breaking the hug and standing back up.

Rachel was glad to see her other niece. She said, "Hello, Katie, I know it's been a while. It's good to see all of you again and meet new faces."

Everyone noticed her demeanor. The siblings all thought immediately that something was wrong. However, it was Paul who finally voiced the pressing question that seemed to permeate the room.

"Aunt Rachel, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"

"I believe I should answer that question for everybody," Amanda said as she entered the room. She walked over and gave her younger sister a hug. At 5 months pregnant, she had a healthy swell to her belly. She radiated beauty, and Paul loved her and her look. However, he was extremely curious about the reason for his aunt's visit.

"It's good to see you, Amanda," Rachel said. This took everyone by surprise until Ken realized that Rachel had always called their mom 'Amanda'. It was only just recently that she had started using her first name around them and everyone else.

Amanda stepped back and looked at her sister. She said, "I'm so sorry about you and Greg, but truthfully, I think it's for the best."

When she said that aloud, the siblings understood immediately what was going on. Rachel's husband was successful, but he treated her poorly. He never spent time with her and never came with Rachel to visit them. They must be going through a divorce.

Rachel broke down crying, the veil covering her grief finally falling away. Amanda led her to the sofa and guided her to sit down before joining her. Rachel cried for a minute before stating, "that bastard cheated on me, and not just once." She paused before adding, "I just couldn't take it anymore, so once I had enough evidence against him, I got a lawyer."

Amanda just sat there, taking it all in and letting her sister get it off her chest. Everyone had found a seat and was raptly listening to the crying woman.

"I don't know how he found out I was talking to a lawyer, but he came to me and said he was filing for a divorce before I could. He didn't try to deny all the cheating. He even offered me a large settlement to make it go away quietly."

She broke down a little more before continuing. "I asked him why he cheated on me, wasn't I good enough for him? I mean, I'm pretty, aren't I?" she asked nobody in particular.

Paul looked her over. She was indeed very pretty. She was only 9 years older than he was. She had been the result of a broken condom, very unplanned but loved just the same.

Rachel looked like a slightly younger version of the siblings' mother at 31 years of age. She was 6' tall, only an inch or two taller than Amanda. She had the same hair and eye color, the same slender, athletic build, and the same large chest. Despite the age gap, Amanda and Rachel had always been close.

Amanda always spoke fondly of her younger sister. Paul started piecing together the clues that he was learning about Rachel. The reason his aunt never visited much was because of her domineering husband. He wanted to have nothing to do with us, and apparently, he didn't want her to either.

Amanda said, "why don't you ask Paul if you're pretty?"

Rachel was slightly confused when her sister said her late husband's name. "What do you mean by that? Paul's been dead for years." Then she saw Amanda cast a glance over at her son, suddenly realizing who she was talking about. She said, "I forgot that you told me that you were all using your middle names now that you're in Florida."

Mouths dropped open when Rachel made this revelation. Just what had Amanda told her sister before she arrived. All Amanda said was, "well, Paul? Don't you think your Aunt Rachel is pretty?"

Paul sat there shocked before answering. "If you ask me for my opinion, I think Aunt Rachel is gorgeous. Uncle Greg must be a fool not to think so."

The answer warmed Rachel's heart. She had been depressed for years since learning of her husband's infidelity. She said, "Thank you, Paul. I'm glad to hear that at least one man thinks I'm attractive." She smiled, and it illuminated the beauty of her face. She continued, "anyway, I got a lot in the settlement from Greg except a place to stay. So, I decided to reach out to Amanda and see if she could help me, and here I am."

"I'm sure you're all wondering what I told Rachel before she came here." All eyes were looking at her, their heads nodding, except for Natalie, who once again seemed to be on top of the situation.

"Well, Rachel knows that we are using different names since we moved to Florida, obviously. I also mentioned that we were together romantically." This was a shock to everyone. Their secret had trouble staying a secret. Amanda continued, "I couldn't not tell her, could I? After hearing her story and that she had no place to go, I invited her to join us here in Florida."

It all started making sense then. That was how Rachel had found their new house. "Once she got here," Amanda continued, "she would have seen me pregnant. She would probably notice that Lynn was pregnant sooner rather than later. She would have noticed how we interacted with one another. Lying to her seemed out of the question."

"Yeah, but when did you know about this," Melissa asked? "You could have given us a little notice, couldn't you?"

Natalie spoke up then. "We didn't find out about it until late last night. It was a little late to let you guys know." All eyes shifted to her as she said this, questioning how she knew about it and not them.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. "Your mother and I are close. We confide in each other when we're alone." Natalie said nothing more about it, so the matter was dropped.

The focus shifted back to Rachel now. Paul asked, "So Aunt Rachel, what do you think about our relationship with each other?"

"Please, call me Rachel. There's no need to use aunt." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Honestly, I was shocked by this revelation. I would have never suspected anything like this from my older sister. She loved your father so much and never bothered dating anyone after he died."

She looked at each of them before saying, "however, I also know the love you guys share. You banded together and supported one another after your father's death. I wish I could have been there to help, but I was never allowed to spend much time with you due to Greg's control over me. I also noticed a change in Amanda's tone when I spoke to her last night. She seemed much more at peace and happy. It's something I haven't heard much of in a long time."

"I've asked Rachel to stay here permanently," Amanda said bluntly. Several pairs of eyes shifted to her after she said it. She continued, "Rachel needs our support. She has been in a very bad relationship for a very long time."

Paul was the first to speak up saying, "Rachel, it would be an honor if you would join our family. We would be delighted to have you in our home. You won't have to deal with any stupid husbands, and you'll be loved unconditionally."

Everyone in the room nodded the sentiment as Rachel stared at Paul. She could feel his sincerity, and she could see why her older sister fell for him. She said, "thank you for the kind words, Paul. I think I'm going to like it here." She smiled a genuinely brilliant smile that made Paul think of a younger version of his mother.

Once again, the group's lives continued on after an unsettling moment. Paul thought they were having too many of these moments in their young relationship.

Amanda showed Rachel to one of the empty rooms in the house. One of the many things they thought about when purchasing their new house was having extra rooms for family. Although technically it was for the future babies, the room was perfect for Rachel to have as her own. She would need to do some shopping as she waited for her things to arrive. Natalie and the girls were all too happy to show her around the area and do some shopping with her.

Amanda was the only one that didn't go with them. She stayed behind saying she was a little tired and needing to rest for the baby's sake. Paul returned to his seat in the living room, pondering the unnecessarily hectic moment that had just transpired. While he was pondering this, Amanda came and sat down next to him.

Paul looked at his radiant mother as she sat down. She was grinning at him, which made him think that she was up to something. She started by saying, "thank you for taking Rachel in. It means a lot to me, her as well."

Paul thought about it. He simply said, "I just made the statement, but it's not all on my shoulders to accept her into our home. Besides, it was the right thing to do."

Amanda smiled at him before kissing him fully on the lips. "I love you, Paul. Your kind heart is why I wanted you to be the one to voice that she could stay. Everyone listens to you, Paul. Haven't you noticed it?"

Paul only nodded. He had thought about the fact that his opinion seemed to be listened to. He didn't want that to be the case since he felt everyone in the family should have a voice. He just happened to be the only male.

Amanda continued, "I want you to do me a favor." He looked at her questioningly. He had a sneaking suspicion of what it was, but he let her continue.

"Paul, I want you to be with Rachel. She needs a man like you in her life. She's had it rough since she started dating and eventually marrying Greg." She paused to let her words sink in. When Paul said nothing, she said, "I know we've asked so much of you. You really have been the man we all need. Paul, my sister is in desperate need of a man like you."

Paul finally spoke, "you know, this whole situation, our relationship, the hassles of being discovered, moving, has taken a lot of work on all our parts. We've basically uprooted and left behind all we knew for something new and more than slightly risky. I think back to when it started.

I never wanted any of this to happen from the start. It just occurred so quickly, and I didn't react soon enough. I knew in my heart it was right, though. Since that first kiss with Lynn, up to now, our relationship has grown. So has the list of people in the relationship. It's dizzying to think about.

Still, I don't know what I'd do without any of you. I just wanted to love and be loved in return. All of you have done that for me. Even Natalie has been there for me, although we haven't done anything physically."

Amanda spoke silently, almost under her breath saying, "it's not because she doesn't want to."

Paul didn't try to question what he'd heard. He simply said, "the point is that I'm perfectly content with my life. I never thought I would have so many special women in my life. I went from thinking I might be alone forever, to thinking I can't be any luckier than to have all of you here with me. I think I can add Rachel to our relationship, not because you asked me to, but because I can see her need. She deserves to be happy, and if I can provide that for her, I will."

Amanda was overjoyed to hear this from her son. He had grown up into a fine young man. She was glad to be carrying his baby now. She leaned into him, and they snuggled on the couch for a while. Eventually, the rest of the group came home from shopping, and they spent time catching up.

The group decided to have a cookout to celebrate the recent addition of Rachel into the fold. After dinner, they all settled down to watch movies in their movie room (something Paul wanted for entertainment purposes). Paul decided to sit next to Rachel, so they could speak to one another during the movies. Oddly enough, nobody bothered either of them. It wouldn't have surprised him if his mother or Natalie had mentioned he and Rachel would be getting to know each other.

Rachel was glad for the company. She could see that Paul was genuine in his intentions. He was easy on the eyes as well. While Rachel had no doubt his mother put him up to this, she was definitely willing to see where this was going.

"Paul, I'm glad you have been so nice to me," she said as they continued to get to know one another. "You are so much easier to talk to than my idiot ex-husband. Much nicer too."

Paul smiled at her. She seemed to enjoy it the more she saw it. He said, "I'm glad that we can actually get to know the real you. I'm so sorry that you had to go through so much stress with your ex. He was obviously a very stupid man."

Rachel enjoyed the compliment. It made her feel beautiful, but it also made her feel wanted. Her ex-husband Greg never seemed to be able to make time for her. She was thinking about her ex when she was interrupted by a question.

"Rachel, there's been something I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Greg," Paul started.

"Huh," Rachel stammered, coming out of her reverie. "Oh, Greg? Sure, go ahead."

Paul wanted to make sure he framed his question correctly. After some thought, he began. "Well, you were with Greg for a long time. How did you end up in such a disastrous relationship? To be honest with you, I don't ever recall seeing Greg. It's like your relationship was a secret."

Rachel thought about it for a second. "Can we go somewhere else and talk about it? I don't want to deal with any distractions from the movie."

Paul nodded his head, took her hand, and led her to another part of the house that offered them a little quieter space to talk, and a little more privacy. The office he brought her to was one he used frequently when he worked from home. It had a couch and some chairs in a small sitting area beside his desk. It was a great place for quiet conversation.

They both sat on the couch. Paul asked her if she was comfortable continuing her story in here. Rachel nodded and began.

"Greg and I met at a convention. I was working there to earn a little money while I was in college. Greg had just started interning at the company he was ultimately hired to work for. We met in a quick exchange while he was walking around with his boss. I was attracted to him right away. He was only 5'7", but he had a decent build. His blond hair was kept short, very businesslike, but it was his piercing blue eyes that drew me to him.

He seemed to like me as we talked, but he never made much more than small talk until we had known each other for a little while. I found out later that his boss told him if he wanted to make an impression at parties and other business functions, he needed a trophy wife. Apparently, I fit that description at the time," Rachel said.

Paul interrupted her saying, "I think you fit the description still." His compliment was very well received by his aunt.

"Why thank you, Paul. You are a true gentleman," she said before continuing with her story. "Anyway, from that point on, he did his best to sweettalk me. I was young and didn't take much convincing. We started our relationship together, but something felt off about it from the beginning. Greg would show me off to his colleagues, but he didn't allow me to wear heels.

I believed he was a little self-conscious of our height difference. We continued to date and eventually got married in a lavish ceremony. Unfortunately, Greg had no interest in my family. He met both Amanda and Paul and immediately disliked them. He stated that they didn't fit the image he was trying to keep. I suspect he was jealous of their height, especially your mother, who's only an inch or so shorter than me.

I know this is a little personal, but I think another reason he kept away from me all those years was because he was embarrassed by the size of his penis. Greg was not only short, but he was packing about 4" fully hard. He told me before that he didn't see how he could satisfy an amazon like me. Funny enough, all the women he cheated on me with were shorter than him."

Paul let his aunt's story sink in. His former uncle Greg was an ass. Paul was glad he had never met the man. He finally spoke, saying, "Rachel, I'm sorry you had to endure that idiot of a man for so long. I can understand him being a little self-conscious being with such a hot and sexy woman like yourself, but he was stupid to not realize what he had."