Reformation

Chapter Eight

Family Togetherness

Veronica lay awake that next morning and dared not move. She had no intentions of leaving the bed until she absolutely had to. It wasn't a desire for more sleep which kept her under the covers of her warm bed; it was the desire to hold the hot body of her sleeping mother just a little longer. Veronica gently stroked the long black hair away from her mother's peaceful looking face. Karen was still curled up next to her daughter, their limbs intertwined in an intimate embrace that only lovers know. Karen had her head resting on Veronica's chest and the top of her head rested against the young woman's cheek. This was a moment that Veronica wanted to remember for the rest of her life, this was the morning after the first night her mother had come to her as a lover, as a humble Slave. Even if they never had sex again, Veronica would treasure the memories of the previous night and that morning until her dieing day.

At that very moment Taryn hummed to herself as she moved around the dining room table placing cutlery beside each plate. Taryn wore a lovely pink dress that clung to her body and flowed unhindered by undergarments over her womanly curves. The top of the dress was cut low and stopped just four inches above her nipples. The top of the dress went straight across her body and one, two inch strap went over each shoulder. The result of this cut was that the dress revealed the tops of her breasts and considerable cleavage was on display. The hem of the dress stopped mid thigh and clung to her shapely thighs. As slim-fitting as the dress was, Taryn could easily move about in it, as she had been wearing dresses like this around the home for the past four years. The only recent addition that she adored was the Slave collar around her neck, which served as a constant reminder of her bond with her Master.

Rosina was wearing a yellow dress that was cut exactly in exactly the same style as the one that Taryn was wearing. She too was wearing no undergarments under her dress and proudly wore her Slave-collar, as a show of her love of belonging to her Master. Instead of setting the table for breakfast, Rosina was busy making breakfast for the five occupants of the house.

"Master is still in the shower. I suppose I should wake the two lovebirds," Taryn said as she walked into the kitchen and put her hand on Rosina's shoulder.

"Yeah, we've let them sleep long enough," Rosina replied after kissing Taryn on the lips.

"That looks done, dish up breakfast, Cat," Taryn said as she glanced into the pan of scrambled eggs that Rosina was still stirring, before patting Rosina on the bottom as she walked away.

"Yes, Mistress Red," Rosina said with a shudder of pleasure as she glanced at the swaying hips of a departing Taryn.

Veronica groaned to herself as she heard someone approach her door. The peace of the morning was broken by the swift and sudden opening of her bedroom door. Taryn flipped on the light as she strode into the room a few paces and looked at the cuddling women on the bed without shock or surprise.

"Breakfast is ready, you two had better get up, it's getting late," Taryn said with a loud and confident tone of voice.

"Thanks, Mistress Red, good morning," Veronica replied calmly with a bright and proud smile on her face as she held her mother intimately.

"Good morning, Ronnie. Had a great night I see," Taryn said with a conspiratorial giggle as she winked at Veronica.

"Fantastic," Veronica replied with a giggle as she shook Karen gently to wake her up.

"Hmm, What?" Karen said as she slowly woke up and looked around her to get her bearings, "Good morning, Honey," she said as she kissed Veronica on the lips with a lingering, romantic kiss. "TARYN!" she shouted in shock once she noticed that Taryn was standing in the room.

"Breakfast is ready and you two are running late," Taryn replied calmly as her face wore a smirk.

"I . . . I was just c . . . comforting Ronnie! She had a bad dream so I . . ." Karen started to nervously stammer out with a terrified expression as she tried explain her presence in Veronica's bed.

"Don't even try to deny it, Karen, we could hear you from our room last night! Besides, Nobody will make a big deal out of it!" Taryn said with a confident tone as she looked at Karen in a motherly manner.

"Fine," Karen replied in an embarrassed manner.

"Nobody cares, Mom," Veronica said as she pulled Karen to her and forcefully kissed her mother on the lips.

"See you two lovebirds at breakfast," Taryn said as she winked at the kissing women as she exited the room.

A few moments later everyone was seated around the dining room table in their usual spot, having breakfast. Karen sat at the head of the table, at the spot closest to the outside wall, opposite the entrance to the hall. Veronica sat in the chair to Karen's right, and Rosina sat beside her. Tarn sat on Karen's left and beside her sat Owen. Nobody sat in the chair at the end closest to the entrance to the hall. Even though everyone at the table knew that Karen and Veronica had sex the previous night, everyone at the table behaved as if nothing unusual happened. One person was eager to hear news of the momentous night, and couldn't keep silent.

"So, Ronnie, how was last night?" Rosina asked Veronica in a conspiratorial tone, wearing a smirk as she shot Veronica a sideways glance.

"OH . . . MY . . . GOD!" Veronica said in a loud, slow and animated fashion as she turned to face Rosina. "When Mom first knelled nude before me I almost . . ." she started to explain in an eager and excited manner, her face all aglow.

"VERONICA!" Karen snapped angrily as she shot Veronica a harsh glare and instantly Veronica stopped talking. "What we do in private is to be kept just between us," Karen said with a calm and deliberate tone of voice, her face red with anger and embarrassment, as she glared at Veronica.

"Yes, Mother," Veronica replied in an embarrassed and genuinely sorry manner.

There was a tense moment when everyone looked at each other and quietly ate their breakfast. Nobody knew just what to say to break the tension nor could they talk about the "elephant in the room," it seems. After the thick tension had stretched out for a full minute, Karen sighed heavily and put her fork down on her plate.

"Fine, I suppose it is no secret that I went to Veronica last night and we did share our first session of 'Playtime'," Karen said in an uncomfortable manner as she tried to look as dignified as she could while being thoroughly embarrassed.

"That's wonderful, Karen! Good for you! How did it go?" Owen said in a friendly and encouraging manner as he smiled at Karen.

"Everything went fine, and there were no . . . complications," Karen replied as tactfully as she could while her face still beamed bright red.

"But that was last night, and today we are here as mother and daughter, having breakfast with the rest of our family," Veronica said with confidence as she cut Owen off from asking her embarrassed mother any further questions.

"The rest of our family?" Karen asked curiously, silently relieved to shift the conversation away from "Playtime."

"Yes, Owen, Taryn and Rosina," Veronica replied with a serious tone of voice.

"What?" Karen said with a perplexed tone of voice.

"C'mon everyone, am I the ONLY one who has grown closer to everyone in this house? Does NOBODY else in this place feel like we are one big family?" Veronica asked incredulously as she looked at each person sitting around the table with an expectant look on her face.

"Well, I know I do. I didn't know if we were supposed to say anything or not," Rosina said with a warm smile as she put her hand on Veronica's shoulder.

"Well, we have been through a lot together since Master, Cat and I arrived," Taryn said with a friendly smile as she nodded agreeably. "Strife does bring people closer together, don't you agree?" she added as she glanced around the table, looking for agreement.

"Absolutely, and I feel even more at home since we have been able to be ourselves around here," Owen said as he too smiled at each person around him.

"I was a little worried how we would get on all five of us crammed in this tiny place. But we've got on well, and now it doesn't feel cramped, but cosy instead," Karen said with a warm smile as she started to explain with a reminiscent look on her face.

"QUITE cosy some nights," Veronica said in a low tone and winked at Karen. In response Karen sighed and rolled her eyes as before she chuckled and gave Veronica a light shove.

"Now, that you mention it, Ronnie, I see it now. It may seem strange to anyone looking outside, but we all do fit together like a family. I don't know what I would do if you three left us. This place would seem empty without you here," Karen said with a sincere and urging tone of voice with a tear coming to her eye as looked around the table, finishing up looking at Taryn.

Taryn looked back at Karen and smiled as a tear came to her eye. Taryn and Karen were the first to hug but this was soon followed by Veronica and Rosina. After that there was a flurry of hugging which ended up with everyone hugging everyone else. At the end of it, everyone was clumped together in a group hug, smiling and giggling at each other.

"I know why we're a family, it's because of the one thing we all share in common," Rosina said with a naughty giggle to her voice. There was a tense pause as Rosina looked around at the others she was hugging before she added, "Our love of family." Everyone laughed and hugged one another tighter.

"I feel so blessed right now," Karen said in a teary voice as she squeezed everyone tighter, her gaze resting on Taryn the last.

"I know what you mean," Taryn said as she returned Karen's teary expression with one of her own.

"We all are," Owen said as he smiled at each woman in turn, smiling the longest at Veronica.

The warm, heartfelt celebration of the expression of their close bond with one another was short-lived, as everyone had to get on with their day. The newly formed "family" broke up and went their separate ways, yet their hearts were still connected to one another in an unbreakable bond. Taryn and Karen felt closer to one another that day than they ever had; the admission of how close their families had grown warmed their hearts.

The final exams were fast approaching for Owen and Veronica so that meant long hours of studying in the evenings. That night after supper, Owen and Veronica could be found in their chosen study areas. Owen was sitting on the couch reading a textbook and his books and other study materials were spread out over the coffee table. Veronica on the other hand was in the dining room and had her books spread out over the dining room table. Taryn and Rosina were washing up the dinner dishes and Karen was busying herself by tidying up the house.

As Karen entered the living room she looked over at Owen who was sitting on the couch with his back against one of the arms. Owen had a bored look on his face as his eyes passed over the words on the page. Karen wondered if the long hours of studying were starting to take a toll on him, she wondered if he was retaining any information at all.

"Want some help?" Karen said with concern in her voice as she continued to clean the living room.

"I just need to study this, I don't know what you can do to help me," Owen said as he glanced up at Karen and paused momentarily to look her over.

Karen was wearing a light-brown coloured summer-dress that had a scooping neckline and a hemline which reached just above her knees. When Owen first started living at Karen's she would usually wear sweatpants, jeans or other casual "comfy clothes." While she was not wearing a dress that was as daring as Taryn and Rosina, it seemed that their attire around the house had started to affect her. Owen had noted but not commented on that lately, more often than not, Karen would change into a dress once she got home.

"I can drill you?" Karen said as she approached the couch.

"I don't know, there are a lot of legal terms in here," Owen said with a touch of concern as Karen continued to approach him.

"Please! I was married to a lawyer who loved to talk about his work, I think I can handle a few legal terms," Karen said a she took the book out of Owen's hand just before she sat down on the other end of the couch.

Karen settled into a comfortable seating position, resting up against the other arm of the couch and faced Owen. Their feet touched and intertwined while they relaxed on that couch. Karen then drilled Owen with questions from the textbook that he had been reading from. Owen was surprised that Karen indeed had little trouble with the legal terms and how much this drilling was helping him in his studying efforts.

Owen appreciated more than just Karen's studying assistance, he appreciated her beauty as well. Karen's usual "frumpy attire" around the house and spa did little to showcase her beauty. Indeed most of the time she would look older and much less attractive than she truly was. In the dress that she was wearing to help Owen study, she looked very beautiful. Owen couldn't help but trace Karen's curves with his eyes, admiring the swelling of her breasts, and the roundness of her hips. An absent-minded Karen even lifted her knees and inadvertently put her conservatively-trimmed pussy on display for Owen. Upon hearing someone approaching, Karen quickly dropped her legs down, thereby ending the "free show." The timing of Karen lowering her legs left Owen to wonder if the knee raising had indeed been an innocent mistake.

Taryn and Rosina arrived to report that the kitchen was clean and ask if there was anything else Owen required. After Owen had politely told them no, Rosina picked up the cleaning where Karen left off. Taryn went into the dining room to assist Veronica in studying in the same way that Karen was helping Owen. What followed over the better part of the next two weeks was a routine where in the evening the three ladies would take turns helping Owen and Veronica studying. The one who wasn't helping either of them study would clean the house, make meals, do dishes or somehow keep herself busy.

The family had undertaken this burden together and as one unit they were determined to help two of their family members do the best they could on their final exams. That is why everyone happily spent long hours reading, reviewing and quizzing material that they didn't need to. When Owen or Veronica would take a final exam, they would call home as soon as the exam was over and inform Taryn and Karen how they did. In turn Taryn or Karen would call Rosina and pass the information on to her. Everyone genuinely wanted to know as soon as possible the results of all their studying efforts.

The unexpected benefit of all this activity was that their family bond deepened. Over that time they truly started to think of and act like they were one family, instead of two families crammed under one roof. What's more the family became more "touchy-feely" with each other. Hugs, kisses, light touches of support and familiarity became the norm amongst all of them. Nudity was less of a shock or concern amongst them; the bathroom door was never locked and rarely closed. The tight hug and kiss that Veronica had created for her mother became the norm whenever any family member greeted each other.

The late night and hectic studying pace had taken its toll on Owen and on the bus ride home one day Owen dozed off. By the time he woke up he was already a few bus-stops past where he usually got off. Cursing himself for sleeping on the bus, he rang the bell and got off, three stops too far. As Owen walked along the tree-lined, trendy shopping avenue that was home to Karen's Spa, something he had not intended to find caught his eye.

Across the street and up half a block Owen saw a sign for a Christian bookstore and he stopped in his tracks. Owen knew that Rebecca owned and ran a Christian bookstore in this area and instantly knew this must be hers. One glance in the window confirmed it as Owen saw Rebecca Moore, his "Mouse" standing at the front counter, serving a customer.

Owen and Rebecca had shared some special times when he was staying at Heather's. She was the first woman with whom he had explored bondage and BDSM, and for that she would always have a special place in his heart. Even though he could not Collar her like she had wanted, because she was married, he still wanted to be friends with her and had told her so.

Owen looked at her and wondered if she was just up the street from him why she had not stopped by once to say hello. Owen told himself that since he never knew where her shop was could not have not stopped in to say hello. Owen knew that this was just an excuse, he knew her shop was in the area and an extended walk would have revealed its location. Owen had been busy with the daily demands of his own life to make the time to maintain a friendship with someone he didn't want to lose touch with. Owen saw this as an opportunity to renew that friendship and walked across the street, walking towards the Christian bookstore.

"Good afternoon, Sir, can I help you?" Rebecca greeted Owen in a chipper, yet well rehearsed greeting that she gave to all customers.

Rebecca was wearing a puffy, white dress that was full of ruffles and wrinkles as it fell down below her knees. The dress was not very flattering and when Owen laid his eyes on it he was a little disappointed as it hid her feminine attributes quite well. Her golden blonde hair was well combed and spilled out in slight wave as it fell down her back. On the whole she looked wholesome and innocent, pure and pious, and in this environment she seemed at home. Looking at her now you would never imagine this innocent creature even thinking of doing the many things that she and Owen had done together.

"I was in the area and I thought I would stop in and say hello, I haven't seen you in awhile," Owen said with a bright smile to Rebecca who smiled sweetly in reply.

"Isn't that nice of you, we always welcome new customers, what can I help you find today?" Rebecca said in the same sweet and practised manner she had before. The only thing which betrayed her calm façade was the fear that lived in the corner of her eye.

"Rebecca, it's me, Owen. How you been?" Owen said with a slightly aggravated tone and puzzled look on his face.

"Certainly we can help you sir, right this way, let me show you where they are," Rebecca said with a warm smile as she walked out from behind the counter, ignoring the strange look on Owen's face.

Rebecca walked down one aisle and Owen followed her, not sure where this was going, but willing to play along for the time-being. Half way down the aisle, Rebecca spun on her heels and glared at Owen who had to stop in a hurry to prevent himself from crashing into her.

"What are you doing here?" Rebecca hissed at Owen under her breath.

"I haven't heard from you in three months! I thought we were friends, what gives?" Owen asked with a slightly hurt tone of voice as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Here we have our selection of bibles, Sir. Did you have a particular bible in mind?" Rebecca said in a calm tone of voice that was loud enough for Harold to hear across the store.

"I guess, just a plain one," Owen replied in an unsure tone of voice.

"I put my sinful life behind me when I repented and turned away from that den of debauchery!" Rebecca hissed as she forcefully poked Owen in the chest.

"What?" Owen replied in shock as he stared at Rebecca in disbelief.

"I have re-dedicated myself to God and to my husband. I refuse to have anything to do with anyone connected that horrible place, that includes you! You're worse than the rest because your perversion runs deeper and more heinous than anyone else I know!" Rebecca angrily rebuked Owen in as low a tone as she could manage to keep herself to.