It was 1951 on a small ranch in central Oklahoma. In those days, proper sex education was scarce and times were changing fast.
As a preacher's daughter, Leah savored the intimacy of giving her adult offspring a private baptism. An unofficial one. She saw it as a way of keeping them pure before they headed off towards the big cities. Her eldest son had moved away many years ago and soon had a family of his own. Her daughter moved away to college just two years after.
Her sights turned to her youngest son, 18-year-old Thomas, who will soon head off to college when the summer is over.
In the morning hours, after the sun had risen and her husband was tending to work on the field, she brought Thomas to the lake near their property. They were both dressed in light clothes and it was a warm day. She brought towels to dry themselves when the baptism was over.
After putting their things down on the log and taking off their shoes, they made their way into the water. No one was around and they had complete privacy as they ventured deeper into the lake, until the water was up to their waists.
Leah knew the words and ritual by heart. She had seen this all her life. It was a blessed experience to do this with her youngest son, to make him a man, ready for a world filled with sin.
She dipped Thomas into the water, and when he emerged from the water, she loved him even more than she thought possible. Her heart swelled from the holy act. This was truly God's gift.
They laughed and splashed each other with water like they always did whenever they were in the lake together. Thomas was always the playful one in the family.
Suddenly, Thomas became serious and stopped splashing, and Leah wanted to know why. She looked down and saw that the thin white fabric of her top had become see-through. She was braless and her large brown nipples were poking through her top. The cold water had given her body its natural reaction.
"See anything you like?" she asked with a wry smile.
Rather than cover up, which is what she normally would have done, she decided to keep a brave face and her hands down. How could she be modest with her body after the soul cleansing they had done?
A body is the purest and most natural thing in the world, she rationalized. Thomas was also a man now and Leah couldn't shield him forever. She wanted to ensure that her son had some level of experience with women. How else was he to start his own family?
"Sorry," he said with a blushing smile, turning his head away. "I wasn't expecting that."
She laughed and splashed him. "It's okay to look. Have you ever seen it before?"
"No, never."
Thomas returned to his jovial mood and tried to relax when they faced each other again.
"I've just cleansed you," she said. "Don't lie. You can be honest with me about this. I know how young men are... and what they like."
Thomas gulped. "I've seen glimpses of... that."
"And? What do you think?"
"They're pretty."
Leah's curiosity was piqued, and surprisingly, she was relaxed with her hardened nipples poking through her top while her son looked on.
"Whose have you seen?" she inquired. "Were you a dirty peep? Did someone show them to you? Or was it an accident?"
"It was an accident. I'm not as lucky as James is."
Leah's oldest son was the charmer of all the siblings. Thomas, although smart and handsome, was shy around women. She felt a touch of sympathy from the hurt in her son's voice. Lack of self-confidence was never a good thing.
"Well, whose nipples have you seen?" she asked lovingly. "Were you caught?"
He pursed his lips. "No, I wasn't caught."
"Are you going to tell me who they belonged to? You've made me curious."
"If you really want to know, someone older," he teased. "That's all I'll say. I think you'd be furious if you knew."
Leah's mind wandered. Was her son cunning enough to peep on the teachers at school? That must have been it, surely. Or worse? Had Thomas peeped on one of his aunts when they visited? Leah tried to shake those thoughts, which were simply too impure, so she just smiled.
"You're much like your father," she said. "Full of curiosity about women, and presumably a dirty mind. That's how it was when we got married."
Thomas laughed. "I told you it was an accident. Now, are we going to swim around the lake or get ourselves dry and prepare lunch?"
"Which do you prefer?"
"We've still got time. Why don't we swim around together? I could use a few laps."
Leah's heart warmed. "I'm not dressed for it, but okay. If you're anything like your older siblings, you'll leave this town and I'll rarely see you anymore. Let's enjoy this."
They swam around the small lake for nearly twenty minutes, submerging in and out of the water with their strokes. Leah's initial thought was correct; she was unprepared for a swim and wore the worst possible outfit. Her top struggled to remain in the right position while she swam.
When the final lap finished, Leah was certain that her top would cling to the skin of her breasts, and that the color and shape of her nipples would be fully visible. She hoped Thomas would get out of the lake first and she'd be able to have a little privacy before getting a towel.
They remained treading water a little bit, breathing slightly heavy. She was glad to tread for a moment, because at least her breasts wouldn't be showing.
"That was a lot of fun," he said energetically. "Trust me, I'll be back as often as I can. You know how much I love this lake."
"I know you do. I love it also. It's almost magical. You and your siblings were all baptized here, so it holds a special place in my heart."
He smiled. "We can always add you to the list of people in our family who've been baptized here."
"I don't need it."
"Why not?" he asked. "I've learned at school that plenty of people have a second baptism as adults. It'll be fun. Tomorrow, we'll do it right here in this same spot."
She laughed with the most loving expression. "Oh really? How would that work?"
"Same thing you did to me. It's easy. I'll say a prayer and dip you in the lake."
"Is this really about your generosity? Or have you finally found an excuse to dunk me in water?"
"Everyone's a sinner," he shrugged with charm. "Isn't that what you've always said?"
"Using my words against me? Fine, you win."
"Great, then I'll be dunking you in tomorrow."
She laughed some more. "You are truly a blessing. God's gift from heaven."
Her heart was still warm and full of love. She'd miss these times. She loved her son dearly. She loved playing with him, teaching him, enjoying his sense of humor.
To reward him, Leah took steps out of the water. Slowly, her chest came into view. The thin white fabric clung to her skin, tightly hugging her round breasts. She looked down at her chest. The brown color of her big nipples were visible and they were both protruding proudly.
She looked at the expression of her son.
Awestruck.
"Well, are you going to be here all morning?" she asked, teasing him with her protruding nipples.
"This is embarrassing."
"I'm the one that's dressed indecent."
"So am I," he replied, blushing. "In my trousers. Can I leave after you?"
Leah's heart skipped a bit. Had she given her son an erection? With her body? Her own breasts? Surely this was a sin written somewhere in the Book. Her heart felt like it was rushing.
"We'll step out of the water together," she said, holding out her hand. "There's nothing to be bashful about. What we did was an amazing ceremony before God. How can we suddenly be ashamed of our bodies?"
Eventually, he nodded. "You're right."
As they approached each other to hold hands, Leah noticed her son's eyes take quick glances at her chest. These were the same breasts that used to nurse him and provide him with vital nutrients. Now they were stimulating to him. As they stepped out of the water at the same time, her legs had become just as visible.
"You're becoming a man," she said as they held hands. "You have the desires of a man. Your eyes are looking at me differently."
Thomas looked away. "Sorry. You normally wear a bathing suit."
Breaking the tension, Leah pulled at her son's arm and tried to laugh off the situation. Suddenly, the revelation hit her. It was immediate and jarring. But she knew in her heart of hearts that it was true.
"It was my nipples that you saw," she said, alluding to their earlier discussion. "It was my breasts. Wasn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"The first time you saw a woman's bare flesh, it was mine. You seemed coy, as if you knew I'd be upset. Well, be honest with me. This lake is a place where we can tell the truth with each other."
"It was," he reluctantly admitted. "Are you mad? It was an accident a long time ago by this very lake."
Immediately, Leah knew the moment her son was talking about. It made all the sense in the world and she was surprised she hadn't realized it earlier.
"Last year, when everyone came home. I changed into a swimsuit behind that large tree. I heard footsteps when I finished and you came to ask me about something. I assumed you didn't see anything."
He pursed his lips. "Are you mad?"
"Not unless you tell me what you saw."
"It was only a glimpse, but I kind of saw your butt when you were putting on your swimsuit."
She lifted an eyebrow. "And?"
"The side of your boob. Your nipple."
"Did you like seeing it?" she asked.
He nodded. "It was better than any of the magazines that my friends secretly brought to school."