A/N - Apologies for the length of time between chapters but I had a bad case of writer's block regarding this story. I took time focusing on other projects and eventually returned to this, the creative juices started flowing once again, and I'm pleased to say that a further four chapters are written and are currently being edited. That will wrap up this series.
Editing suggestions and proofreading by
OhDave1
. My thanks to him as always.
*****
Mum couldn't stop crying as the removalists continued to carry out furniture and boxes. I made sure I always had tissues at hand, and ready to hug her when she needed the comfort of her son. Kyla and Aimee were also sad to be leaving the family home after so long, but it was Mum who had turned a simple house into a warm, loving home. Despite what happened with my sperm donor (otherwise known as my father), his memories had long since disappeared and our lives had been wonderful as we'd grown up in a home of love.
Thanks to the fact my mother, my two sisters and I all made good money, and thanks to the money I made from personal sponsorships, having recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with a global sports brand in the past couple of months, I could easily afford to put down a deposit for two houses, ensuring we would still be living within reasonable distance of all our workplaces.
Leaving Mum with Kyla and Aimee once the last few things were being taken out, I walked up the road to Kim's house, where her things were already in a smaller van. Knocking on the door and walking in, her mother greeted me by crying and hugging me tightly. "Sorry I'm taking her from you," I whispered, repeating words I'd said more than once since Kim told them she was moving out.
"I'm just going to miss my little girl so much. But I know she's going with the man she loves."
"Once we're settled, you must come around for dinner."
"I'd love that, Danny."
She leaned back and I recognised the look in her eyes. Her mother was attracted to me, but unlike others, it would remain unspoken, and she was a married woman, though Kim had mentioned to me for a number of years that their wedded life wasn't exactly blissful. And don't get me wrong, I thought she was a beautiful woman in return. If she was a vision of what Kim would look like at a similar age, I was going to be a lucky man.
Kim walked out of her now empty bedroom with just a bag of her essentials. Her father wasn't about as he was off doing something, her mother walking with us back to the house as the removalists were packing up the last pieces. Wendy had arrived while we were away, giving Kim and me a hug. Kim's mother was aware of our unique relationship, and Wendy hugged Kim's mother tightly in greeting.
Mum was searching me out, still crying as she needed her son to provide more comfort on what was proving a difficult day for her. She sobbed into my chest as I whispered that our future was now together forever. We had found a four-bedroom house and had put forward plans to add a second level. That was now complete, having paid top dollar to ensure it was all ready to go before the start of my second season as a full-time professional rugby league player, while also ensuring the girls' studies were not disrupted. Our new home had multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, two living rooms, an enormous kitchen and a backyard, including an inground pool, spa and jacuzzi.
A second home was purchased on the opposite side so we could tear down the fence, so it was all now one property. The original idea of how it would all work had changed slightly as the house I would now call home would now be with Kim, Wendy, Kyla, Aimee and my mother. The second home would be lived in by others.
Taking Mum by the hand, I walked her inside as we took a few moments together for one last time in the place I'd always called home. Standing together in her old bedroom, she turned and hugged me tightly. "I made love to my son in this room," she murmured, "I'm going to miss that the most."
"We've got an enormous house where we can make many more memories, Mum," I replied, leaning back and lifting her chin with a finger, ensuring her eyes gazed into mine. Caressing her cheek, she smiled as her eyes closed. I loved the feeling of her soft skin on my fingers. "We're going to remain a family, Mum. A larger and perhaps unusual family, but we are a family, nonetheless. I love you, Mum, and I resolved in my mind long ago that we were going to be together. Moving into an entirely new suburb, far away enough from the area we've always called home, that we will hopefully have some anonymity."
"I love you too, baby. Thank you for looking after us."
"Anything for you, Mum."
Everyone else was waiting for us to walk back out, the realtor having arrived to exchange keys and we signed the last bits of paperwork. Walking to our cars, the vans and trucks had already departed as they had keys to get into our new homes, aware of where we wanted the big items, plus I'd already explained that it was the perfect time to update plenty of other things.
Mum would take Kyla and Aimee to our new home. Wendy and Kim would be joining me as we drove to Wendy's house. Pulling up outside, the three of us walked inside to find her mother sitting on the lounge waiting for us, a pair of suitcases sitting and waiting nearby. As soon as she saw me, she was up on her feet and hugged me tightly. "Thank you again, Danny," she whispered, moulding her body into mine.
Anne had always been a struggling single mother. The ex-husband and father of Wendy had rarely fulfilled his financial responsibilities, let alone keeping in touch with his daughter. The small house they'd called home was of poor standard, like so many rental properties available nowadays. As soon as I'd decided that we needed to find somewhere else to call home, I offered Anne the chance to join us. She thought I was joking until I showed her the paperwork that listed her and her daughter as tenants, and that she would be paying nothing for rent, and would only chip in for utilities.
"You've struggled long enough," I told her as I sat between mother and daughter the night I made the offer, "It's time someone looked after you, Anne. And I'd happily be that person."
I held her as she wept for what felt like an hour, knowing all the years of stress and struggling to survive was overwhelming at times. Wendy had never done without, but Anne was working two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their bellies. I knew how fortunate I was, considering I was getting a hefty pay rise with my second season looming, so wanted to help those who mattered most to me.
The only thing Anne didn't know was the unique relationship I had with my family though Wendy had been dropping plenty of hints about her bisexuality and kinks she might like to explore. From what she told me in privacy, she had a feeling her mother was rather open-minded, confident that their closeness would hopefully lead to them having fun in the bedroom.
Anne wasn't sad to be leaving behind the house, aware she had the typical scumbag landlord who continuously raised rent while doing nothing to ensure the property was at a certain standard expected. And Anne simply didn't have the funds to do anything about it.
Rolling her suitcases outside and placing them in the boot, she hugged me again. "I'll never be able to thank you enough, Danny," she said softly, caressing her back as she was a tiny thing, even compared to her daughter. "I was dreading being alone in that house once Wendy left home."
"I look after friends and family," I replied, giving her a gentle squeeze, "And I wanted to do something nice for Wendy. And that means doing something nice for you too."
Once in the car, Kim next to me with Wendy and Anne behind us, I don't think any of us stopped smiling during the drive. Anne had left nearly everything behind, most of the furniture second-hand at minimum, or part of the furnishings provided. Both had only taken personal items and perhaps one or two things that had meaning, otherwise, Anne wasn't bothered as she knew that we would be providing.
Pulling up outside our new home, we walked into the house I would be calling home with my two girlfriends and family, Anne had not seen either house yet, so I took great delight in taking her hand and leading her around the place I would be resting my head. She gasped more than once, and when seeing the bedroom where Wendy would sometimes be sleeping, she barely kept her emotions in check.
"It's so big compared to her old room," she exclaimed, "My god, it's even bigger than my old bedroom!"
"I hope you'll visit, Mum. We can get together, eat chocolate, drink wine, and watch sappy romantic movies."
Anne turned and smiled at her daughter. "I'd love that."
Leading her outside, she loved the size of the pool and her eyes lit up at the jacuzzi. "I plan on entertaining all my girls constantly," I told her.
She glanced at me with a sweet smile. "Danny... Am I one of your girls?" she asked quietly.
"You are in the sense that I'm going to look after you, Anne. You deserve to have a man who adores you. I love Wendy and I adore her mother. I want to look after you from now on. You've worked so hard for Wendy, and she absolutely loves you for it. Now I'm going to do the same for you in return."
That earned a soft kiss on my lips before she blushed, trying to apologise. I smiled and hugged her. "I can't believe this," she whispered, "I've dreamed of someone coming along and doing anything like this for me."
"I haven't finished just yet," I told her, taking her hand again and leading her across the backyards. Opening the back door, the house wasn't as big as the one I'd call home, but for those who would be living there, either part-time or permanently, it would be clean, quiet, comfortable, warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and I would make sure Anne's bills would be minimal. I'd already told Wendy her mother would be paying barely anything as I'd be taking care of most without her knowledge.
She was barely capable of walking, in floods of tears as she took in the modern, stylish kitchen, the comfortable and warm living room, and the bedroom she would call her own already had a queen-sized bed and more wardrobe space than she probably knew what to do with. The ensuite bathroom had her nearly on the floor, already filled with the soap, body wash and hair products she loved to use.
"What have I done... What have I done to deserve all this?" she asked, clutching me tightly as she slowly calmed down.
"Produced a wonderful daughter who I happily tell anyone that I'm in love with." Leaning back, she couldn't stop smiling. "We're having dinner at ours tomorrow night once we're settled in. A few guests will come around. You're going to let your hair down." Taking both of her hands in mine, I made sure she looked into my eyes. "I don't want you working two jobs any longer, Anne. Find a job or a career you enjoy. Wendy agrees with me. You've spent her entire life sacrificing. Now it's time for your daughter and her boyfriend to look after you."
"Thank you doesn't seem like enough, Danny. I could never thank you enough for doing this for me and my daughter."
"You're welcome." She leaned back and smiled as I met her eyes. "I mean it, Anne. You're welcome. Sometimes, a simple 'thank you' is more than enough. I'm doing this because I want to help you and doing that also makes Wendy happier. And her happiness is one of the most important things to me."
Her home was already filling up with furniture as I explained the situation. The house would be hers to share with her daughter part-time, and Kim would also stay with her while studying so I wasn't around to distract her. When I added she might soon have a roommate in the guise of my aunt, she couldn't stop the smile that formed. "You really are close to your family, aren't you?"
