Ric and Julie - Brother and Sister

Author's Special Note: The author has revised and expanded this story for the readers of the story and for those readers who have not had the opportunity to see and read the original story.

Rick's Flight to DFW

I'm Rick Davidson and I graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA, first in my academic class. Because of my academic excellence I was designated valedictorian of my graduating class. My high scholastic achievement was rewarded with offers of full academic scholarships to several nationally renowned universities in my home state of Texas and several others of the surrounding states as well.

Since I really wanted to attend a university in the state of Texas I chose the internationally known engineering university in Houston. I enrolled there and chose Mechanical Engineering as my major. Later I chose to add a double major of Petroleum Engineering along with my Mechanical Engineering major. At the end of the four years I graduated from the university with my Bachelor of Science Degree in both of my major Engineering disciplines. After receiving my BS degrees, I decided to remain at the university to pursue my Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Upon receiving my MS Degree with honors, I was offered a job with a medium sized nationally known oil and gas exploration and production company with main offices located in the nearby city of The Woodlands, Texas just north of Houston. Through my hard work, my level of expertise, my level headedness, my attention to detail and my ability to get along well with and supervise others I quickly rose to the level of Director of Engineering and Research.

That position involved a large responsibility principally for the support of exploration and production operations, subordinate employees as well as a very large budget reporting directly to the Vice President of the company. This responsibility required a large amount of my time including working late into the evenings and on many Saturday mornings as well and even some entire weekends. I was also required to do quite a bit of traveling for my company both domestically and internationally with some international travel requiring travel time durations of up to and once in a while exceeding one month.

This Saturday morning, leaving my Manager of Research in charge of the entire department during my absence, I left my office in The Woodlands and drove to the Houston Intercontinental Airport a short distance away where I caught the late morning flight to DFW where I planned to meet my sister, Julie. She had agreed to meet me at DFW so that we could drive directly to the little town about 30 miles from Fort Worth where we both had gone to elementary, middle school and high school. Our parent's large cattle ranch where we were both born and grew up was located about ten miles west of our hometown. To most people of the cities we were considered to be way out in the sticks also referred to by urban residents as -- BFE.

Ordinarily, I would have chosen to drive the nearly 300 miles from The Woodlands to our hometown. Texas is a little bit larger than most states as most people already know. However, that would have been at least a seven hour drive or more to our hometown. Julie and I were invited to attend a wedding in our hometown and that of my best friend in high school, Sam, and Julie's best friend in high school, Margarete, at 2 o'clock this afternoon. There just simply was not enough time for me to make the long drive, meet my sister and arrive at the church for the wedding on time.

I had been invited to be Sam's best man but, the 300 mile distance and my work load prevented me from doing that. Sam was my "go to" wide receiver when we played football in high school. Margarete had been Julie's best friend since they were in elementary school. Julie was invited to be Margarete's maid of honor but Julie's law firm's work load had prevented her from accepting that honor as well.

My flight arrived at DFW airport right on time and as I got off of the aircraft I walked through the concourse toward the main terminal where Julie was waiting for me. As I neared the main terminal I could see my sister standing there talking to an older lady who looked remarkably like our mother. I could see Julie's shining, shoulder length, honey golden blond hair and her pretty face with her cute, engaging dimples on either side of her face close to her mouth. Julie's beauty was enough to melt the heart of most virile men and raise an intense longing in them for such a gorgeous looking young woman.

Julie was dressed in a meticulously tailored business suit that accentuated her striking and alluring 36C-26-36 hour glass figure. Julie who is 5 ft.-6 in. tall with a 120 pound frame is a noticeably statuesque, gorgeous, young woman and I remarked to myself how beautiful she looked and how lucky I was to have such a gorgeous and sophisticated looking young woman for my younger sister. Julie had told the older lady she was visiting with, "I'm waiting for my older brother to arrive from Houston who is tall (compared to Julie), trim with broad shoulders, and he has light brown hair somewhat darker than my own hair color."

Shortly thereafter, the older lady saw a distinguished looking young gentleman resembling the description Julie had related to her coming from the concourse who was about to step into the main terminal. She told Julie, "I think that the gentleman just coming toward us right now might be your brother. He certainly looks like he could be your brother." Julie turned and looked in my direction and her eyes and face lit up with her bright, sparkling deep blue eyes and her broad, engaging smile. Looking at her I could see that she was dazzlingly beautiful. She briefly and politely thanked the lady, told her she was happy to have met her and that she enjoyed their brief conversation. She then said good bye to the lady and hurried over to meet me just as I stepped into the main terminal just beyond the security barrier exit.

I set my luggage and brief case on the floor beside us and lovingly gathered my warm, beautiful sister up in my muscular arms as she stood on her tippy toes to throw her arms around my neck. I gave her a warm embrace while Julie kissed my cheek with a warm sisterly greeting. Good Lord, it was so pleasing to have her warm, lithe body in my arms. I told her, "Sis, I love the beautiful fragrance of your perfume, Julie." as I knew it was her favorite fragrance that she often wore and she was very glad that she had dabbed it on this morning preparing to meet me.

She quickly replied, "Oh, Rick, you're just saying that because you're happy to see me again. And I'm happy to see you again, too, after almost a year, Rick."

"Absolutely, I'm happy to see you, too, Sis. How could anyone not want to see such a beautiful young woman as you are?"

It had been almost a year since I had found the time to travel to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to see and visit with Julie since our mother had passed away. Since both our father and mother had passed away Julie was my one remaining, living relative. Julie greeted me with the endearing name she had called me since we were toddlers, "Rick Baby", and I greeted her with the name I had called her during our childhood days of "Miss Julie".

Although we have kept in constant contact, we were very happy to see one another. Julie told me, "I'm so happy to see you after nearly a year's separation, Rick. I wish we lived closer together so that we could see each other more often. I really miss not having you here to talk with and to go out to eat supper with me."

In response, I told Julie, "I've very much been looking forward to seeing you again, too, Sis, as there is so much for us to talk about and catch up on. But, we'll have to talk about all that later after the wedding at home on the ranch tonight."

About Julie Davidson

Julie Davidson is my only sibling and she is two years younger than I am but, we were raised from the time we were toddlers to be very close to one another and to look out for one another. We were very close to one another all during our childhood and all through our school years. I had always diligently looked after my baby sister and I have always been very protective of her. Most guys in high school knew all too well not to mistreat her in any way because they knew that they would have to answer to me and they knew that I would not tolerate anyone mistreating her. Thank God, I never had to take anyone to task for mistreating Julie. Julie had looked up to me and always vigorously stuck up for me at all times if any untrue comments were ever said about me.

Julie who was not to be out done by her older brother and she graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and she, too, was designated valedictorian of her graduating class. She had always wanted to work toward a law degree and was offered several full scholarships at several universities in the State of Texas and some of the surrounding states as well. She chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin, AKA "The Longhorns" or to many in Texas "Tea Sippers", and she received her law degree there. Julie wanted to attend a Texas university so that she would not be that far away from our parents and their ranch outside of Fort Worth and not be that far from me, her brother, in the Houston area either.

Julie had worked diligently through pre-law and law school, received her law degree and immediately set about the task of taking the bar exam. After passing the bar exam and being admitted to the Texas Bar she was offered a position with a small law firm in Fort Worth that principally dealt in land lease acquisition for oil and gas exploration.

She had joined the law firm as a junior attorney and was quickly promoted to senior attorney. Julie had rented an apartment in Fort Worth conveniently located not far from the law offices of the law firm where she was employed. Working in Fort Worth her apartment was close to her office and she could spend many weekends visiting with our parents on the ranch and some of her high school friends that remained in the general area and other friends as well.

Rick And Julie's Parents Passing Away

About a year after Julie had settled into her new job and her new apartment she received a telephone call from our mother saying that our Dad had been critically injured in an accident on the ranch. Our Dad had been taken to a major trauma center hospital in Fort Worth. Our Mom asked that she call me and tell me about our Dad and then meet her and our mother at the trauma hospital.

I was able to leave my work and fly to DFW immediately that day and meet Julie and our Mom at the hospital. Along with our Mom we stayed by our Dad's side during the night but, he passed away the next morning from his injuries. Of course, our Mom, Julie and I were overcome with grief on our Dad's passing.

I stayed with our Mom and Julie as long as I could after our Dad's funeral but, I had to return to The Woodlands to my work. Julie continued to stay with our Mom at the ranch at night as our Mom told Julie and me that she needed Julie to remain with her at the ranch. Our Mom said that she could see the ghost of our Dad in every corner. Since Julie's work was within driving distance of the ranch she commuted to her office in Fort Worth each day to work. She later gave up her apartment and moved back to the ranch to spend her nights and weekends with our Mom.

Julie and I had thought that life had begun to return to somewhere to near normal but, then a couple of years after our Dad had passed away our Mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Our Mom was given only six months to live and she was transferred from the hospital to a hospice. When her condition grew so severe Julie called me to let me know her condition had become much worse. I then immediately flew up to be with them before she passed away.

The evening before our Mom passed away she called both Julie and me to her bed side. She told us in her very weak voice how much she loved each one of us and how proud she was of us for what we had accomplished thus far in our lives. She also said that she knew that our Dad had loved us both very much, too, and he was very proud of us, too. Each of us told our Mom that we loved her and our Dad very much, too. She then made us promise her to continue to stay very close to one another and to look after and take care of one another. little did she know just how very close we would become.

Our Mom then passed away early the next morning. Julie held up pretty well during the time Mom was sick but, there were a few times that I saw tears begin to form in her eyes. I knew that Julie's love for our parents especially our Mom was boundless. However, when she realized that Mom had finally passed away I could see the clouds of grief and sadness slowly spread across her pretty face in the same manner that a midsummer afternoon Texas thunderstorm slowly spreads across the Texas prairie from horizon to horizon refreshing all the land stretching between the horizons and quenching and refreshing the earth with its drenching rain.

Julie got out of her chair stepped over to me with her eyes full of tears. She put her arms around me and laid her head on my chest, her tears flooding my shirt like that Texas thunderstorm. Julie said, "Hold me tight, Rick. I loved her so much and I'm going to miss her terribly and now she is gone." as she sobbed with her head laid on my chest expressing her grief. I knew that I had to maintain my composure for Julie's sake even though I was on the verge of tears myself. I put my arms around her, had held her tightly and very close to me kissing her forehead and her cheeks gently holding her head next to my chest with my unspoken brother's love for her. Julie could feel my love for her as I was holding her in my arms and I could feel her love for me as she melted into my arms.

"I loved her, too, Sis, and yes she is gone but, you know that she has left us a treasure of her and Dad's love. But, most of all she has left the pain and suffering of her sickness behind her and she is in a much more peaceful place now. More importantly she left all of her love here for us like she told us last night. You know that she is now with Dad and they are holding each other just as we are holding each other right now. She is telling him how much she missed him and how proud she is of us like she told us last night. They are holding and kissing each other as both you and I have seen them do a thousand times all during the time we were home as kids on our ranch. Let our grief for her turn into happiness that she and Dad gave us all that they did and they are now together for the rest of eternity."

"Rick, I don't know what I would have done without you here. You always know how to make me feel better about things and make me happy in times of sadness and grief like this. I can't tell you how much I love you, too, Rick." as she kissed my cheek and then she very lovingly kissed me lightly on my lips. I felt that the love she was showing me was much more than our sister brother love for one another.

"I always want to make you happy, Sweetheart, because when I see that you are not happy I'm not happy either. Julie, I think that the love Mom had for us and left with us is that much more that we are sharing with one another right now. And I want us to continue to share that love with one another the rest of our lives." As I tried desperately to keep my half stiffie from developing into a full stiffie and hoping that Julie didn't feel it poking into her lower tummy as she held me so tightly to her.

I knew that I shouldn't have this kind of a reaction to my beloved sister but, damn, how the hell do I control my emotions when I am holding such a beautiful, soft, warm young woman tightly in my arms who just happens to be my very beautiful and very loving sister? Julie did not indicate that she felt my half stiffie poking into her tummy; she just looked at me with that knowing look in her eyes.

The expression on Julie's face slowly changed in the same way the bright sunlight that often comes out right after that Texas thunderstorm has moved on across the Texas prairie. She dried the tears out of her eyes and her eyes became very bright with her love. Then she squeezed me very tightly as if to say, "I guess that is why I love you so much, Rick, and I'm never going to let you go just like Mom wants us to do."

After our mother's passing and her funeral Julie remained on at the ranch and managed it with the help of our loyal and trusted Ranch Operations Manager, Carlos, with the insightful help from me over the phone or on Face Time.

Rick And Julie Attend The Wedding

Julie and I walked out of the main terminal of DFW to the parking garage chatting as we walked and I was carrying my luggage and my brief case with Julie's arm entwined with mine. Meanwhile, Julie dug into her purse, got out the keys to her car, taking the brief case from his hand she handed the keys to me. She then asked me, "Rick, I want you to drive to the church for the Sam and Margarete's wedding ceremony. Will you drive for me please?" After loading my luggage into the trunk, I opened the passenger door and gentlemanly helped Julie get into the car and carefully closed the door for her.

Once in the car and underway I asked her, "Are you getting tired of the heavy traffic on these freeways already, Julie."

"Yeah Rick. I get tired of the people that tail gate me and cut me off when they change lanes and the obscene gestures that they make to me and other women on the freeways especially those truck jockeys in their 4WD monster pickup trucks who feel like other people haven't any right and shouldn't be on the road."

"Well, so far the traffic hasn't seemed to be as bad as the traffic on the Houston freeways. We should get to the church in plenty of time for the wedding. I guess that is because of the time of the day. The real rush hour hasn't started yet."

During the drive we chatted about the wedding and Sam and Margarete, more about the ranch and Carlos, our respective work and workloads, our friends and what we expected for the future. Julie said to me, "In all the excitement I almost forgot but, I have some important and exciting news to tell you; however, since we're so close to the church we'll not have time to discuss it in detail now but, we'll have time later after the wedding and we can have a full length discussion about my good news later."

We arrived at the church about half an hour before the wedding was to begin and we took our places in the church pew in plenty of time to see the flower girl, the ring bearer, the bride's maids, the maid of honor and the bride proceed up the center aisle, take their places before the minister and then the wedding ceremony began. Julie was so taken by the wedding that she had to borrow my hand-kerchief when her tears began to flow as she thought that Margarete was such a beautiful bride and it was such a beautiful wedding.

After the wedding ceremony was over, the bride in accordance with an age old wedding tradition stood on the church steps and threw her bridal bouquet backwards over her shoulder to the marriage eligible women and girls in attendance. Julie being somewhat taller than most of the other women and girls there, caught the bouquet. Having caught the bride's bouquet is traditionally supposed to signify that she would be the next woman to be married. Julie thought to herself that is the best omen that she could think of not really putting much credence in the old custom. But, none-the-less it is a quaint custom for the bride and the eligible women to engage in after the wedding.

The wedding reception was held next door to the church in the church hall and, of course, Julie and I attended the reception to congratulate the newly married couple and visit with them and other friends that we had not seen for quite some time. I was visiting with several of my friends while Julie visited with several of her friends as well.