From: Bistander <vallucanbe@gmail.com>

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Potential

bistander

Chapter 40

Act Happy

The trajectory of increasing risk, inappropriateness, and dangerous sexual encounters had reached its apex. Evan crashed down on his desk chair, clutching Candy's overalls to his chest. He smelled Candy as she had been right before he stripped her naked and fucked all of her holes. Jeez, Evan thought, that sounds like a porn movie, Mom-No holes bared. His mother wanted it that way, wanted it to be wild and risky, but why?

Only a few minutes had passed since his father, Candy's husband, got home, and Evan was already feeling lonely, guilty, sad, and scared. The next time he walked into the same room as Candy, Evan wouldn't look at her if his father was there. What about when it was just him and his mother? Candy made him promise, and Evan had done it, agreed, sworn, and meant it; he wouldn't do anything inappropriate after his father returned. Evan understood why it had to be that way, and even came up with rules to follow. That didn't mean he wasn't sad about it.

Candy hurts, too, Evan reminded himself. Maybe even worse? His mother was in love with Cindy. Evan had seen the pictures and read their messages. Candy's heart would be broken. But, they didn't live together under the same roof with the man who was keeping them apart. Cindy didn't have to face his father and Candy at the same time. Did that make his situation worse, Evan wondered? Would Candy and Cindy's pain be greater because they couldn't talk, text, or share naked photos, and Cindy couldn't show up and make love to Candy whenever it was convenient? At least she doesn't have to see Candy, Evan thought. How am I going to look at that gorgeous, sexy woman and not get a boner, regardless of who is in the room? Would everyone, Deana, Gloria, Candy, Cindy, and Evan be walking around with broken hearts, fighting their urges, wishing John hadn't come home?

He's my father, Evan thought, not an evil villain in a suspense, romance novel. Candy is Dad's wife, not my lover; I'm the bad guy here. Sure, his father was a jerk at times, but Evan was the one who had been fucking a married woman, his stepmother, not to mention his kid sister, and his twin sister. It had been easier to ignore all that when he could fuck his thoughts away. Now, there wouldn't be sex, sex, and more sex in every room of the house. And outside the house, Evan mused. The only place he hadn't fucked somebody was in the garage.

Evan pressed the overalls to his face and inhaled deeply. His brain released all the pleasure and lust chemicals associated with Candy's hugs, kisses, tits, the taste of her pussy, and the sensation he felt every time his cock entered his mother. The way his body responded terrified Evan. How was he going to face his father? Evan's mind scrambled desperately trying to find a solution, but only mindless chatter echoed inside his head. He needed his other half, Deana, to help him, but even she was gone now. Why the fuck would his sister go to camp without mentioning it to him? It didn't make any sense. Evan knew something strange was going on, but he was too emotional to try and figure it out.

For days, Candy had lived with a sense of growing dread. Wouldn't a sane person have spent that time preparing for John's return, Candy thought. I could have stopped seeing Cindy, gone back to dressing the way John expected, cleaned the house, done laundry, and caught up on my transcription work. Instead, I made Evan fuck me like a whore. It had been stupidly dangerous, but it worked. Their lewd, incestuous debauchery had turned off the roaring voices in Candy's mind and made her feel powerful. That was something Candy hadn't felt before Evan. Too bad it couldn't last.

When John appeared in the driveway, it had shaken Candy to her core. She literally had run naked to her room and straight into the shower. Her legs were weak and her whole body trembled under the hot water. Her son's seed was seeping from her pussy and asshole. And, Candy already missed Evan and longed to have his strong, yet compassionate hands on her. If he were there now, Evan would wash her back, slide his soapy hands around to her breasts, squeeze her nipples, and reach down between her legs. They would fuck again, then get in her bed and hold each other.

John would be mad that Candy had gone into the shower right when he got home. She was supposed to greet him, act happy he was home, and be interested in his trip the way a child would be. Hopefully, he'd get over it quickly because Candy needed something from John. It was the same thing she had to get before he left. If her pregnancy came to light before something happened, there had to be a plausible chance it was John's baby. That's why Candy planned to act like a shocked kid caught naked coming out of the shower, and let John fuck her any way he wanted.

How would she endure sex with John after being with Evan so many times? The boy stared in awe every time he undressed her and treated Candy like a princess. It was always as if it was their first time, every time. And, Evan always gave her an orgasm. At least one, and more that day than John had given her in years.

The plan was to keep her eyes closed, picture Evan, and think about the baby inside her belly. That, and Evan's cum inside her, would be a big fuck you, asshole, your son already impregnated me. Too bad I'll never be able to say that to him, Candy thought.

How satisfying would it be to look John in the eyes and tell him, "Evan fucks like a real man," then shoot John? Or, Candy thought, I could kiss Cindy in front of him, then shoot him. The amount of time Candy spent imagining ways to kill John had increased exponentially since spending time with Sally and Bobby. The anger Candy had harbored for Sally and Bobby for abandoning her-years of compounding rage-was all focused on John now. Sally had missed fifteen years of Darlene's life. Bobby had been separated from two daughters and his sisters. Cindy had never known Sandra as her mother, or Deana and Evan as siblings. John would have to pay for all of that.

"What do you think Mom and Evan are doing?" Gloria asked as Deana climbed the ladder out of the deep end.

Deana's lips squished over to one side. "Hmm." She had been trying not to imagine what it would be like at their house, counting down the minutes until their father walked in.

Gloria said, "I hope Evan fucks Mom, fucks her and fucks her, right up until he comes home." Gloria pulled a bikini up her legs.

Deana suspected there would be some fucking, but she prayed they wouldn't take any chances. "I wish we could call and see how they are." Candy promised to call them at Sally's when it was safe, but they were under strict orders not to call her or anybody else. John couldn't know about Sally, and they were supposed to be at camp without phones. Evan would never believe that, but he'd never find them at Sally's house. Hopefully, Candy would find some way to put Evan off when he started asking questions. A safe way, Deana hoped.

"Yeah, me too," Gloria said and lay face down on a lounge chair. "It's weird hiding out here even though I'm glad I don't have to see him. I never wanna see him again."

Deana straddled Gloria's chair and adjusted her bikini bottom so it lined up perfectly with the existing tan lines. Gloria's pale skin showed the effects of the sun quickly, so Deana convinced Gloria that her white rump would stand out like a lighthouse on a foggy night, a beacon of fuck-me sexy that Evan wouldn't be able to resist. Like she needs that, Deana thought as she fought the urge to shove her face into the girl's ass cleavage. Moments like that, and having seen Sally swimming naked earlier, made Deana sure about her sexuality. Dicks weren't on her mind unless it was her twin brother's cock being thrust into her, but that wasn't like having sex with a boy. It was like joining herself to more of herself, a part of her that only existed in Evan. It was like entering the fourth dimension of love. They were one person, sharing everything, except Deana's secret. Keeping that had become more difficult each time Evan pounded her into a blissful orgasm.

"Girl," Deana smacked Gloria's butt before sitting on the chair beside her sister, "if you didn't have a boyfriend, mm, mm, I'd fucked you silly right now." That sure would take her mind off Candy and Evan, Deana thought.

"Boyfriend?" Gloria lifted her head, turned it toward Deana, and laid it back on the cushion. "You have an actual girlfriend. I have a brother who fucked me . . . twice."

"When you say it like that it sounds so, um." Deana was suddenly embarrassed by her thoughts. She loved Rebecca, no doubt about it, and wanted to be with her, but sex, sex, and more sex were on her mind. Since they arrived at Sally's house last night, Deana had been resisting the urge to fuck Gloria. Earlier, when Sally was swimming laps, it had been like watching Darlene swim. That made Deana think about the day Darlene fucked her at Style's house, and made her fantasize about Sally doing her. Deana had also been thinking about Evan doing Candy, and most of all, she wanted to see Candy and Gloria together. A mother fucking her own daughter, how incredible would that be? If Sandra hadn't been killed by her father, Deana imagined her mother would make love to her. Was there no limit to how much sex she would have and with whom? Maybe everything would be different, Deana thought. Maybe I wouldn't be like this at all if Mom was alive? Would I be happier that way?

Gloria took a shot at finishing Deana's sentence. "Nasty, but in a good way?"

"Yeah," Deana said and lowered the top of her chair until her head was at the same level as Gloria's. "Does that make me a bad person, wanting to fuck you even though I'm with Rebecca?"

"If it does then I'm worse than bad."

"Really? How so?"

"At least you have a girlfriend and know that's what you want," Gloria said. "I'm just as confused as I was before."

Deana understood the constant back and forth, the questioning, and the fear associated with thinking you might be a lesbian. She also knew the relief that came with finally being sure, even if going forward still traumatized you. "Let me guess, you were hoping for a bolt of lightning once you had sex and you'd know?"

"Like getting hit in the head with a baseball, isn't that what you said?"

Deana nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't say it would make you forget about that sexy as fuck redhead you're in love with."

Instead of refuting Deana's claim, as she had the last time, Gloria said, "Dee, I love them both, really love them, but I hardly know Darlene, and she may not love me that way, and Evan, I think he does, but." She sat up and turned sideways on the lounge chair, leaning forward so she was staring down at Deana. "He's still my brother, and I still couldn't choose. It was good, I loved how Evan made me feel, and love him more now, but if Darlene wanted to, I'd let her fuck me. Shit, I'd let you do it, or my aunt, and I even thought about-Never mind. What's wrong with me?"

Nothing, I hope, Deana thought and forced her eyes away from the tits that were about to tumble out of Gloria's bikini top. "Don't never mind me." Deana lifted her legs, turned, passing it over Gloria's head, and sat up. She closed her thighs on Gloria's knees, forcing them together, and placed her hands on Gloria's legs. "Now tell me the never mind stuff so I won't feel so bad about all the people I've been with since me and Rebecca got together."

"All," Gloria straightened, "the people? Who? How many?"

"Hmm." Where do I start, Deana wondered, and how far should I go? "I think about sex so much, and other than Rebecca, it's always taboo, doing it with someone I shouldn't."

"Like who?"

"Okay, but I'm only telling you so you'll feel comfortable talking." Deana held up a fist, "You'll be sorry if you repeat any of it."

"Like you need to tell me that?"

It still felt wrong to admit how much of a slut she had been, so Deana tried, "Your aunt gets me wet every time I'm near her."

Gloria smirked. "Yeah, and who wouldn't get wet? I think about her, and she's my aunt. But it's worse than wanting my aunt, and the things I think about you and Evan doing to me."

"Ooh, me and Evan . . . doing you? Yeah, that has happened a thousand times already in my mind," Deana said. "It's what I already did that scares me."

"How about you tell me, and I promise to tell you the one thing that is the worst of the worst. It's not anything you or any normal girl would think about."

The expression on Gloria's face made Deana believe it was seriously troubling her little sister. And, sadly, that made Deana tingle between her legs. "Darlene fucked me even though I was trying to be faithful to Rebecca. I'm such a slut. It was before you and Darlene, so don't be mad, okay?"

"Yeah, but that's Darlene. There's something about her. Mm, God, she's . . . she's, I don't even know how to describe her. Did you know she fucked Kimmy at the party? And fingered Ann right by the drinks? She told me she did it because of how Ann reacted when she heard about you and Rebecca."

"Oh my God." Deana grinned. "I figured something happened to Kimmy upstairs, but Ann-No fuckin' way."

"Yes fuckin' way, I watched. She told me what she was gonna do. I think Evan suspected something, but nobody else, and Ann came all over Darlene's hand." Gloria blushed. "I tasted it, sucked her finger when Darlene came back and sat next to me. Now who's the slut?"

The shame radiating from Gloria's expression made Deana say, "Mom and Cindy fucked me."

"No way. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, it happened. They seduced me, and I loved it. Mom, I've fantasized about her for a long time. Cindy . . ." Deana trailed off, unwilling to admit how strong her feelings were for Cindy, or how bad that was considering their true relationship.

"Mom and Cindy!" Gloria's nipples bulged under the tiny triangles of thin material. "Mom and Cindy? Wait a minute, no fuckin' way, is that who you were talking about when you said Mom might have-Mom and your cousin? Fuck me running. That's incredible."

Cindy's my sister, Deana thought. "Fuck me running?" Nobody said that except- "Jag27?" She suddenly didn't feel bad about having sex with her stepmother and sister. "Chaperone, you've seen that?"

"Obviously you have too, and it makes our family seem as normal as rain."

"I think Rebecca was trying to tell me that when she sent me a link to it." Deana had devoured the depraved incestuous comic strip. "So now you know my thing. What about you?"

Gloria's mouth opened and closed a few times, but all that came out was, "Ma, ma, wow."

"It shocked me, too, but it's true. It started a while ago, but they had stopped. Then it started up again when he left for China. Mom's really in love with Cindy."

"I was thinking, kinda hoping it was you and Mom, but Cindy, wow, might as well be you, I guess."

Deana took a few seconds to imagine a life where she and Candy were together as lovers, in the same bed every night, and they would share Evan and Gloria whenever the urge came. No fear, judgment or jealousy, just love and lots of sex. "As much as I'd like that, my sis-cousin, Cindy got there first." Shit, Deana thought, I need to stop talking before I tell her everything. Didn't Gloria deserve to know the whole truth?

"You'd be like my stepmom if you and Mom were together," Gloria said. "That would be weird."

"Is it your mother?" Deana asked. "Is that what you don't want to say? You wanna be with Mom?"

Gloria shook her head. "Not only would I do it with Mom, I'd tell you about it."

"God, girl, you got me stumped, and seriously curious. What is it?"

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you, but it's not like I'm thinking about doing it, or really even want to do it, but I imagined it . . . more than once." Gloria took a deep breath. "You went to Ms. Style's house with Evan."

"Yeah, that's when Darlene fucked me in the pool. She got me off right as Evan was about to catch us. You're right, there is something about that girl." Sure is, Deana thought, and Gloria was just like Darlene.

"Wow, that's hot," Gloria said. "Did you see the dog? The huge, black dog?"

"Hard not to." Deana stop. "You saw his dick get hard, didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Um, it was hard," Deana giggled, "to miss, but-Oh, you thought about that. Would you do it?"

"Hell no, but I imagined it, and it excited me. What kind of girl gets excited thinking about that?"

Deana didn't want to answer that question, so she said, "My pussy got wet when you mentioned it."

"Would you?" Gloria asked.

Before Deana could figure out how to not answer that question, her phone rang. "Well, look at that, it's the sexy as fuck redhead who you're not sure has feelings for you."

Clearly excited and hopeful, Gloria said, "Darlene," then added, "She's calling you."

Deana shrugged. "Calling my phone, but-" She thumbed the answer button. "Hello, sexy." Deana chuckled, nodded at whatever Darlene said, and resisted bringing up Kimmy and Ann. "Sure, she's right here." She held the phone out to Gloria and whispered, "It's your girlfriend."

Gloria's threatening face didn't scare Deana at all. "I'll be floating in the pool," Deana said with a smirk.

Darlene calling was a surprise. The shock was how it made Gloria feel. Her stomach fluttered and her heart thumped. She took a deep breath, raining in her emotions, and said, "Hello?" as if not sure who it was.

"Hey, beautiful," Darlene said. "What's up?"

Beautiful, Gloria repeated in her mind, and suddenly she wanted to declare her love and cry. The sound of Darlene's voice does that to me. What's wrong with me? "Hi," tears swelled and boiled on the rims of Gloria's eyes, "Darlene."

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She knows, Gloria thought and bloated droplets tumbled down her cheeks. Unexpectedly, and not as an answer to Darlene's question, Gloria said, "I miss you," then she gasped.

"Okay, me too, but that's no reason to cry."

"I'm not." Great, Gloria thought, she thinks I'm a blubbering, needy child. "I'm, I'm just." Just what, Gloria asked herself? "It's . . . there's just some stuff going on. Nothing, really."

"Nice try, blondie," Darlene said. "Did it happen and it wasn't good or didn't it happen and you're upset?"

"Did what happen?"

"Girl, don't make me come over there and kick your ass."

"I'm not home." Gloria bit her lip, hoping Darlene didn't ask.

"Where are you?"

Shit, now what, Gloria wondered? Then, even though she and Deana had sworn repeatedly not to tell anybody, Gloria said, "I'm at my aunt's house."

"Oh, you and Deana are at Sally's," Darlene said in a mechanical voice. "Who else is there?"

"Nobody. We're alone. My aunt is, um," Gloria paused long enough to think, fuck it, "gonna be gone for a while. Maybe until tomorrow sometime. Why don't you come over? Can you?" She wanted to see Darlene and watch her face when she told her about losing her virginity. Darlene would be excited, happy for her, but part of Gloria didn't want that reaction.

"Uh, I don't know."

"Please," Gloria said. "I gotta tell you something. Are you at Ms. Style's?"

"You really need me?"

Gloria hadn't thought of it that way, and she didn't understand why, but Darlene was right, she felt as if she needed Darlene. "I really do . . . need you, but you can't tell anybody we're here, not even Evan knows."

"Oh," Darlene said. "I'll be there in a little while. See ya."

Gloria stared at the screen until it went dark, thinking, Darlene knew it was serious, and she wants to be here with me. Maybe she does share my feelings? A sense of relief washed over Gloria. It was followed by a pang of guilt.

The sight of Deana walking up the gradual incline grabbed Gloria's attention. Water cascaded down her dark skin. She turned and walked toward Gloria. Her nipples blossomed into swollen, pink crowns. It was hard for Gloria to comprehend how beautiful her big sister was. Deana walked like a swimsuit model, except she wasn't wearing one. "Dee, you are . . . I don't know if there are words to say how beautiful you are." Gloria got up and moved toward Deana.

"Really," Deana said and spun, swinging a long rope of wet hair at Gloria.

Gloria screeched as the cold hit her hot skin. Deana wrapped her arms around Gloria and pressed her cool, wet body against Gloria's. "You told Darlene we're here, didn't you?"

Deana took a step back, but her hands were wrapped around Gloria's throat. "Gloria, this is serious, if Evan finds out what's going on." Deana sighed. "Well, did you?"

Gloria nodded. "I couldn't help it. I got so emotional. Darlene must think there's something wrong with me. I just blurted it out, told her I needed her. I cried. Dee, something is wrong with me."

"And she's coming here?"

"Why did you say it like that?" Gloria asked. "You surprised she'd want to see me?"

Deana acted as if she was distracted by Gloria's tits until she finally asked, "How's she getting here?"

"I'm not sure," Gloria said. "She didn't say, and I didn't give her the address."

"Do you know the address?"

"Somewhere in the middle of nowhere," Gloria said.

Deana pinched Gloria's nipples and watched them grow. "There, now they're ready for your girlfriend."

"Stop with the girlfriend thing," Gloria said. "You think I should call her back? No, that seems needy. She might not even want to see me."

"I don't know, seems like someone who would drop everything to come see you in the middle of nowhere is more than just a friend."

"Or she isn't coming and that explains why she didn't ask where I was." Gloria crossed her arms under her breasts and hugged herself. "Dee, I'm nervous. Why am I nervous? I started crying when I heard her voice. What's wrong with me?"

Deana pulled Gloria into a hug, and her little sister clung to her. "Baby, you had sex for the first time, and it was with your brother, you're questioning your sexuality, and dad is coming home today. I'd be worried if you weren't emotional. Plus, you're love struck, and feeling guilty about Evan now that Darlene called." Deana ruffled Gloria's hair. "There isn't anything at all wrong with you. I better get something on before your girlfriend gets here."

"Yeah, you're a distraction wearing clothes, but naked," Gloria shook her head and slapped Deana's naked ass so hard it hurt her hand. "Don't call Darlene my girlfriend in front of her."

"Hey, that hurt."

Gloria rubbed her hand. "I know, and if you embarrass me there will be lots more of that. Darlene wanted to spank you at Rebecca's party, so she'll help me, and she's really strong."

Deana placed her hands on her butt and imagined Darlene and Gloria holding her down for a spanking. "Okay, I promise to behave."

"So you think she'll come?"

"Baby girl, I'm sure she'll come." Gloria reached out and they shared another hug. "You might want to throw a sundress over that body or Darlene won't be able to think about anything other than fucking you." Deana stepped back. "And she won't be the only one."

Gloria blushed and her dimples deepened, and suddenly she was so cute Deana had to laugh.

Candy had anticipated the worst, then imagined it being more horrible than that. Can someone really imagine Hell, Candy wondered?

John had responded as expected when she squeaked like a little girl and tried to hide her nakedness with two hands, but Candy hadn't followed her plan. It was impossible to completely mask her true feelings. Mock resistance triggered Candy's fight-or-flight instincts, and John yanked her by the hair. She saw stars and didn't want to play anymore, but it had never been a game to John. He bent Candy over the bed, with her face smashed into the mattress, and fucked her violently from behind. Candy hardly noticed John's tiny dick sliding through Evan's cum, yet it was still horribly painful to have him touching her. After it was over, she rubbed her wrist, knowing a purple ring would form where John held on and pinned her arm behind her back. That wouldn't be as easy to hide as the finger marks on her neck which her hair covered. Candy had been so wrong thinking it wasn't possible to hate John more.

Less than thirty minutes had passed since the phone call, but it seemed like hours to Gloria. She was still standing where Deana had left her, shifting weight from one foot to the other, staring at the amazing pool and yard that surrounded her. Just like everything inside the house, it was all perfect. Gloria felt as if she were in a movie about really rich people.

Deana had seemed so sure that Darlene would show up, but why, Gloria wondered? It didn't make sense, yet she believed Deana. There were "reasons" why her mother hadn't protected her from John, and Deana knew what they were. Deana knew a lot of things she didn't want her to know, Gloria was sure of that, and one of them had something to do with Darlene. The only reason she hadn't pushed Deana for answers was the compassionate, loving expression on Deana's face. Her big sister had her back, always.

Gloria's whole body jerked when hands squeezed her shoulders. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"You're here." Gloria turned around and faced Darlene.

"Of course." Darlene brushed Gloria's hair back off her forehead. "You said you needed me."

Gloria couldn't remember saying she needed Darlene, but her mind and body seemed to sigh with relief, yet her stomach churned and her heart pounded. Darlene's glistening blue eyes seemed genuinely concerned. They're so blue, Gloria thought, and suddenly she knew what Deana was keeping from her. The truth about who Darlene was and why she felt as if she had always known Darlene. Since they met at the mall, it had been in her mind like something on the tip of her tongue. Gloria was about to say it, but Darlene kissed her.

Nobody kissed like Darlene. The girl's lips and tongue were hungry, consuming like an orgasm, and they sucked all conscious thoughts out of Gloria's mind. More, more, more of whatever the redhead had to give was all Gloria wanted. She did need Darlene and loved her more than she could have imagined.

Their chests crushed together. Gloria felt her bikini top come loose. Her swollen nipples pressed into the warm cushions of Darlene's breasts. A thick, denim-covered thigh forced its way between Gloria's legs. She squeezed her thighs on it and sucked in Darlene's hot, panting breaths.

Darlene held Gloria's lip between her teeth and pushed a hand down the front of her bikini. Gloria whimpered like a wounded animal as three fingers reached her crotch. Two massaged and manipulated the bald swells of flesh while Darlene's middle finger furrowed between them. Gloria's knees got weak and her insides quivered. Darlene locked her in an intense stare and purposefully ground Gloria's inflamed clit. She moaned and hunched with need.

Darlene stopped abruptly and said, "Let me help you."

Gloria understood what Darlene really meant, and nodded as her eyes closed and her mouth went back to Darlene's. Somebody did kiss like Darlene, and it was Gloria.

In a systematic rhythm, Darlene rotated her hand and bumped her thigh upward against it to help her fingers go deeper inside Gloria's body. The base of them slammed Gloria's clit each time they bottomed out.

Tears of pleasure, love, and fear filled Gloria's eyes. Nothing like that had ever happened, so her brain couldn't find any past connections to help Gloria understand it. But, she was starting to understand what the something about Darlene was all about. The redhead was strong, aggressive, wildly sexual, and took control in a way that should have been intimidating. Except, Gloria wasn't intimidated. Darlene's presence brought a sense of peace Gloria hadn't had since John started fucking with her, and the redhead's touch was-What? It's everything and more, Gloria thought. It's like touching myself, except better because Darlene actually loves me.

The tiny bubble of pleasure that started when Darlene first kissed Gloria had been growing like a glob at the bottom of a lava lamp, building and fighting upward through the liquid. When it broke through, Gloria wanted to scream, but nothing came out. Tears poured down her cheeks. Darlene grabbed Gloria's ass, lifted her, and shoved her leg upward until her foot was on the edge of the lounge chair. Gloria floundered on tiptoes with her crotch crushing down on Darlene's thick thigh. She threw her arms around Darlene's neck to hold herself up and buried her face in the red hair that covered Darlene's shoulder.

Darlene pulled Gloria tight against her body, stroking her hair and rubbing Gloria's back. "Just let it go, let it all out. I got you, I got you."

Deana blew out the breath she'd been holding and wiped her eyes. That was incredible. Most kids at school probably saw Darlene as an angry, tough, and at times mean girl. That's what Deana used to think, except Darlene had just given Gloria the most wonderful, loving climax Deana could imagine. Her chin wrinkled and her lip quivered as she watched the redhead hold her sister. Gloria was going through exactly what Deana had gone through with Rebecca, except Evan was her twin brother, so he wasn't actually someone Deana could be in love with. Not that way. How was Gloria going to choose between Evan and Darlene?

Deana eased back toward the house, knowing Darlene could be trusted with her little sister. What on earth would happen if Sally came home and saw her daughter for the first time? Deana wanted to call Candy so she could warn Sally, but that wasn't allowed. They were cut off, out of contact with Candy and Evan. Knowing that, intensified Deana's sense of isolation and loneliness.

Evan doubted the one time he played a tree in a school play would help him act normal, but he tried to recall what he had learned as he walked downstairs. Smile, don't act guilty, imagine nothing ever happened with Candy, and pretend you're interested in China, Evan told himself. Oh, and act like you're happy he's back. Of course I am, Evan thought, what son wouldn't be happy to see their father? This is going to be harder than I thought. I do, and I should feel like a piece of shit. Candy is his wife and my mother. I'm the bad person in this scene, Evan thought.

John shocked Evan with a hug and a pat on the back. What the fuck, he never hugs me. Does that mean he knows something and wants to make this worse, Evan wondered. Stop being stupid and smile, Evan told himself. "Dad, welcome home, I guess." It hadn't been that long, but it seemed like six years had passed since his father left for China. "Was it a good trip?"

"It was productive enough."

Whatever that means, Evan thought. "Oh, okay."

Rule one was, don't look at Candy, but Evan glanced past his father. Candy was on the other side of the island, at the counter, facing away from Evan. The island blocked his view from the waist down. That's a relief, Evan thought, I can't see Mom's ass.

"Your mother tells me you didn't give her any trouble about being grounded," his father said.

Evan nodded and broke rule one, again. Candy turned away from what Evan imagined was dinner preparation, and crossed the space to stand in front of the island, facing him. There was no turning away, or pretending he couldn't see it. In less than an hour, a complete transformation had taken place. It wasn't just the hair that seemed to have been left to dry without being brushed or the bland color of the formless shirt that covered Candy's top half. How is this possible, Evan asked himself. Candy, the sexy, vibrant, fun, and happy woman who had been acting like a horny teenager, was his mother again.

Instead of following rule two, mental denial-never think of anything we did, Evan tried to imagine Candy in the overalls, waiting to get fucked. It didn't work. All Evan could see was the old version of Candy, their mother from back before he knew Candy wasn't happy. Evan remembered the conversation he and Deana had the day his sister met him in the basement to work out. She gave him an amazing blow job instead, then, discussing their mother, Deana said: "It wasn't a quickie hello hug, either; and she wasn't wearing a bra. She seemed happier, too. This might sound weird, but it felt like, um, she felt like Candy, not Mom. It was like the way she used to be when she could still get us out of trouble."

There hadn't been any better words than, "Felt like Candy, not Mom," to describe what Evan had been feeling at that time but couldn't explain. They had other more somber conversations about what Candy had been through, given up, and how unhappy she must have been. But, until now, seeing it as if a switch had been flipped, turning off the joyous, bright, in love glow Candy had, Evan had never fully grasped it. Hiding his guilt suddenly wasn't a problem, but how was Evan going to disguise the sadness and lurking anger?

"She said you stepped up and handle everything, like the man of the house."

The voice got Evan's attention but not soon enough to be sure what his father said. "Sir?" He saw Candy's eyes widen and her head nod urgently. "Yes, sir, I did."

Candy leaned forward with her elbows on the counter. Her upper arms squeezed her breasts together and the low-cut neckline filled with that wonderful, deep cleavage Evan loved. Candy smirked, and straightened up, and her glorious tits reverted to shapeless mounds under the shirt. "He was wonderful, took care of us girls, and never complained when I asked him to do . . . do something . . . for me."

It was as if Evan heard Candy say, do me, do something to me. What the hell is she doing? "Yes, sir, I did everything," And came in every hole. Evan wanted to shake his head violently to stop the naked Candy slide show his brain was running.

"That's good," his father said as he dropped a huge hand on Evan's shoulder. "I guess you learned your lesson." He squeezed hard enough to remind Evan of the punch.

If you mean don't try and stop you from hurting Candy, then no, Evan thought, I didn't. "Yes, I did."

"Great," his father said. "I'm lifting your restrictions."

Act happy and grateful, now, Evan told himself, but a smile wouldn't form on his face. "Thank you."

Candy's posture changed as if her whole body had sighed with relief. "I'm working on dinner, so don't go far."

"No, I'm not going anywhere," Evan said. "Um, you need any help?"

Candy smiled at Evan as if she too had been thinking of the potato washing incident. "No, honey, I can manage, but thank you for asking."

"Sure," Evan said and left the kitchen breaking rule three on his way to the basement. He planned on kicking the shit out of rule three, Don't think about them having sex.

As Darlene lowered her to the lounge chair, Gloria felt like a child being laid down by her mother. By a mother who would actually do anything to protect her. Darlene opened her pants, and Gloria stared in amazement as the tattered jeans were peeled down like blue skin off Darlene's thighs. They were inside out when she pulled her feet from the leg holes. Gloria waited eagerly as the T-shirt collected and lifted Darlene's breasts. The large, pale tits dropped with a satisfying bounce, rolled outward, and jiggled when they bumped together and rested against each other. Gloria smiled at a line of freckles, then she ran a fingertip down an identical line that ran into her own cleavage.

When Darlene was naked, she sat with one cheek on the edge of the cushion, her hip touching Gloria's, and bumped Gloria over to make more room for more of her ass. She placed a hand on Gloria's belly and asked, "How are you?"

In love, Gloria thought, but she said, "Fine," and rubbed Darlene's thigh. "Thank you for coming." A giggle escaped, and Gloria blushed with embarrassment. She was such a child. "That wasn't what I was expecting when I asked you. Not that I'm complaining."

"The first thing I saw when I got here was that big sexy ass stuffed in a tiny bikini. How could I resist?"

Gloria hoped her cheeks weren't crimson. "How did you get here?" She sat up and lifted the back of the chair halfway.

"Uber."

"Yeah, but how did you know where it was? I didn't give you the address."

"Your aunt gave it to me." Darlene held Gloria's hand.

Gloria blurted out, "She's your mother."

While nodding, Darlene asked, "Does it bother you that we fucked and we're related?"

"No." Gloria sat straight up, slid her hand up Darlene's inner thigh, and kissed her passionately. "Would it bother you if I, um, if I love you?"

"Of course not. I love you."

The physical orgasm might have waned, but the beautiful sexual encounter still had Gloria's emotions soaring. If not, she wouldn't have said, "But it's not just that kind of love. I'm, I think I'm in love with you." Shit, Gloria thought, I just ruined everything. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"Shh. I know." Darlene's fingernails moved tenderly up and down Gloria's wrist. "Does it bother you that we're in love and related?"

Gloria replayed Darlene's words, We're in love. "Really?"

"Really." Darlene gave Gloria a quick kiss.

Play it cool, Gloria told herself, she didn't actually say, I'm in love with you. Or did she? "Um, when did you know, find out we're related?"

"I wasn't sure until yesterday. She told me yesterday. What about you?"

"I didn't really know for sure until just now when you told me," Gloria said. "But I guess I knew, should have known the first time I saw you. I sensed something then . . . when you looked at me. Your eyes, then when I met my aunt for the first time-" She stopped and steeled herself against the emotions. "I feel like I've always known you . . . and, and loved you."

"I felt the same thing when we, when I looked at you. But it seemed impossible. How could I believe that somehow we're related? How is that even possible?"

"God, this is crazy . . . it's all so crazy." Gloria's cheeks ballooned as she blew out against tightly sealed lips. "Shit. You just found out yesterday?" Gloria had wondered how it would feel to meet her father for the first time since she was old enough to understand. "Oh my God, Darlene, how are you? How did you-Fuck, you met your mother for the first time yesterday?" Gloria's eyes stung with threatening tears. "Oh my God."

Darlene kissed the first droplet as it rolled down Gloria's cheek. Then she pressed her lips to Gloria's forehead and held them there for a long time. "We have so much in common, so much."

That wasn't what Gloria expected to hear. "Really?" Then she saw the same knowing, compassionate, pleading expression she had seen the day Darlene made love to her at Style's house. Darlene saw straight through her facade, and Gloria had wanted to purge herself, vomit up the truth, but shame and fear forced her to swallow the sick secret just like she swallowed daddy's cum. It was always safer to swallow and smile. "I guess we do," Gloria said. "Tell me what it was like. If you can."

Darlene sighed heavily and shook her head. "Baby," she kissed Gloria on the mouth, "I love you." She took a deep breath. "I've never said those words before. I have never loved a single person my whole life until I met you. And I don't give a fuck what he did to you, I still love you. You're beautiful, and I love you."

The words were so unexpected and uncharacteristic that Gloria struggled to process them. They played back in a loop, the speed and volume increasing until they were a scream. Gloria crossed her arms over her breasts. Of course Darlene had known the truth, but hearing the redhead say, what he did to you, while staring into her eyes made it horribly real. It was as if Darlene had seen it, watched her act eager and happy, sucking him fast and hard like she loved it so he would cum quickly and leave.

The rest of what Darlene said was what kept Gloria from puking. Darlene still loves me, Gloria thought. She has never loved anybody before, and she loves me. Suddenly, what had been tiny pricks to Gloria's conscience became spearing guilt, ripping into her guts. "I, ah, I . . . I did it, me and Evan, we did it."

What seemed a genuine expression of joy on Darlene's face didn't bring Gloria any relief. No, it was a wave of sadness that washed over her. That was ridiculous, of course, but if Darlene really loved her, she should be-What?

"Was it that bad?" Darlene asked.

Did that mean Darlene wanted it to be, Gloria wondered? This was fucked up; she was in love with two people. "It's crazy," Gloria said. "I, um, it wasn't bad, but Evan's my brother. So?" She shrugged.

Darlene placed a hand on each side of Gloria's face, pulled her close, and stared into her eyes. "And we're sisters."

It felt like something was squeezing Gloria's chest, pushing heat and pressure up into her head. "Sisters? What? How can we be."

Darlene's thumbs swept across Gloria's cheeks. "Half sisters." She kissed Gloria. "Does that make kissing me a bad thing?"

"No, but-"

"Good, because I don't wanna stop kissing you."

"Does that mean you're, ah, um, jealous?"

"Do you want me to be?" Darlene asked.

"I think, yes, I do."

"Well I kinda am, but I have no right to be. I encouraged you to do it, so how can I be jealous?"

At that moment, the joy and love exploding in Gloria's heart pushed out the horrible pain of what had happened to her, or what might still happen. She said, "I love you." The words had been easier to say and meant so much more now.

"Me too."

When their kiss ended, Gloria had to catch her breath. It had been consuming and probably more meaningful than any kiss she would ever have. "Kissing sisters doesn't sound as cool as kissing cousins, but that took my breath away."

Darlene drew in a long audible breath. "It really doesn't bother you, me, kissing-" Darlene stared at Gloria for a few seconds. "You really love me? Loved me before you thought we were related?"

The vulnerability Darlene was showing, shocked Gloria. It was like a snarling Pit Bull had rolled over on her back, stomach up, wagging its tail. "You have no idea. Since that first day at Style's house. It was like I had always loved you." Gloria knew for sure John wasn't her father, so. "Sisters, how? Who?"

"I, ah, I'm not sure. Sally only told me we were half-sisters," Darlene said. "This is overwhelming. Me and Sally talked for a long time. I knew, I knew that first day we kissed. When you've been through it, it's easy to see. I screamed at your aunt yesterday for not stopping him, but she told me things, bad things."

Gloria noticed Darlene had used Sally and your aunt, not mom, and it made Gloria think about how angry she was at her father, whoever he was. Their father, now. Sally had left her baby, left her behind and went off and got rich while Darlene was getting raped by foster parents. Hate reserved for John made Gloria imagine punching Aunt Sally in her face until she couldn't punch anymore. But Sally and Candy had gone through the same thing, Gloria knew that. Had they suffered as much as me and Dee? "Do you hate her? I wouldn't blame you if you did. That's how I feel about my, our father, sometimes, but Aunt Sally, she-"

"Wait." Darlene held up a hand with a grin on her face.

"What's funny?"

"How fast you talk when you're wound up."

"Oh, I know, I'm sorry, but when I get nervous, emotional, and there is so many things that need to be said, questions, I, ah, I have so many-"

This time Darlene silenced Gloria with a kiss. "God, you're so fuckin' cute."

"Thank you." Gloria didn't care anymore that her cheeks were on fire. She loved Darlene more every time she looked at the redhead. "My aunt . . . your mother, she got, she was, um, Sally-"

"Baby, I know. I think I know more than you, and it's worse than you think. All the hate I had, how angry I was at Sally, it's all for John now. I'm going to figure something out, no matter what it takes, I'll stop him . . . kill him if I have to."

Gloria saw spots for a second when the blood rushed out of her head. "No, please, please, don't. He's dangerous, and if he hurt you, I can't lose you now that-I never want to lose you."

"I'm tough and dangerous, too. And I hate him for what he stole from me, and Sally, and mostly for what he did to you . . . and Deana. He doesn't deserve to just get killed."

The scars from where Darlene had stabbed and cut herself reminded Gloria how tough Darlene was. "Tell me what you know?" Deana, Gloria thought, why would she know about Deana?

"Your mom should probably do this, but here's what Sally told me."

Darlene started talking and Gloria listened. The things she had already figured out, assumed, and heard from Deana and Sally had made her think John was the worse kind of horrible she could have imagined. Now, after hearing what Darlene said, Gloria knew horrible wasn't the right word. "He's evil, a god damn evil mother fucking asshole. We could have been together, sisters, all this time. We could have been together, been a family, had a real family."

Along with her rage came a furious rush of adrenaline that kept Gloria shouting until it faded. Then the fire went out of her and a deep, dark sadness swallowed Gloria. She should have been crying and sobbing, but her body had seized up, gone stiff except for tiny twitches and flapping eyelids. Was it emotional exhaustion or shock?

Darlene straddled the chair behind Gloria and sat. Gloria felt her sister's warm body against her back. Arms came around, holding her, and Darlene whispered, "Take a breath, breathe. It's gonna be okay." That's when Gloria finally broke.

Style Pioneer entered the park from the South. Sally was walking from East to West. They met where the trails intersected, hugged, and sat on a bench. "Thanks for meeting me," Style said. "I didn't wanna do this over the phone."

"This is better, anyway," Sally said. "We barely see each other since I came back."

"For obvious reasons," Style said. "So, when are we going to tell Darlene?"

"I don't know. Everything is so raw right now. I'm not sure what she'll think if she knows we're friends."

"Friends!" Style slapped a hand down on Sally's thigh. "We've known each other for thirteen years, and considering-" Style's hand moved in an upward, swirling gesture, "everything we've been through together, I'd say we're more than friends."

Sally put her hand on Style's and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Yes, of course, we've been through it all . . . and taken care of each other. What you've done for Angela, Darlene, I'll never be able to thank you enough. That's why I don't want her to think I sent you to spy on her, or to think you've only been there because I told you to. She'll never believe you really met by accident. She might run from both of us."

"I was spying on her for you, but it was because you love her, and she knows how much I love her. That's not why I picked her up hitchhiking, though."

"She'll never believe you happened to see her on the road."

"She knows me, knows I would have stopped for any young girl in a short skirt. God, that's so dangerous. The girl is just like you; she fears nothing."

"Okay, but let's take it slow. She said she doesn't hate me, but the girl has been through it, really run through the shit because of-"

"I'll kick your ass right here in front of the pigeons and squirrels if you start talking like that. You went through the shit, suffered more than anybody, and you came back to try and make things right. Darlene knows that now."

"But she said she needs to go slow," Sally said. "I don't want to pressure her."

"Well not so slow that she didn't take an Uber to your house."

"My house?" Sally didn't like that. Darlene, Deana, and Gloria weren't supposed to be talking, let alone seeing each other. "That's bad, Style. She loves Gloria. I think she's more angry about what's happened to Gloria than herself."

"Maybe," Style said. "Things changed after she met Gloria. I think Darlene suspected they could be family right after they met. She wanted it to be true, needed it, and it's been good for her. Really good."

"It is, and it's not."

"You can trust her not to tell anyone the girls are at your place."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about what she might do." Sally turned sideways on the bench. Her bent leg moved across Style's thighs. "You know me from the early days, remember the guy in Van Nut."

"That guy deserved exactly what you gave him."

"Maybe, but there's a difference between stabbing a creep in an alley and planning to kill someone. We have to keep her, all of them away from John until." Sally's head jerked right, left, right, her eyes scanning the park. Nobody was close enough to hear, still, she whispered, "You know."

"Yeah, I know, and-" This time it was Style who acted paranoid and lowered her voice. "I spoke to Pearl yesterday."

The pupils of Sally's wide eyes dilated as the blood drained from her face. "Fuck, Style, what the fuck?"

"I know we agreed to forget we ever met her, but she knows how to handle problems like John. That's what she does."

"It is, and that's why she told us to never even speak her name again. She doesn't want to hear from someone after the job is finished. Damn it, Style, we agreed, and you promised to stay out of this. If something happens, goes wrong, you have to be here for my girl."

"And you promised to get help, let Bobby help, but you seem to be taking it all on."

"Bobby has a wife and little girl, and Candy has Gloria, Deana, and Evan. I'm the only one, I'm . . . I'm the only one with, um, who knows how to handle bad shit."

"Fuck that! You're Darlene's mother, she needs you. You have to be here for her . . . I don't, so let me work with Pearl on this."

"No, it has to seem like an accident, random, and the way Pearl handles things." Sally's body stiffened. "No. I've got a plan. This one will work, and nobody will ever think any of us had anything to do with it."

"Okay, let me hear it."

Sally shook her head dismissively. "If nobody knows, nobody is culpable."

"You gotta let me help."

"You can help. Keep an eye on Angela. I mean really watch her, and let me know if she starts Googling bomb making, or guns, or poisons. Stuff like that. Please."

"Okay, I'll do it, but if there is anything else-"

"No." Sally held up a hand. "Nobody is going to know if, when, or what. Now, I better get home before those girls get up to something."

"Don't be surprised if they're all naked around the pool. Or worse."

Sally smiled for the first time since she arrived. "That wouldn't surprise me at all."

Deana approached the scene cautiously. Darlene was behind Gloria on the chair. She had her feet on the concrete and her legs were opened to fit Gloria's butt between them. Gloria was using the redhead's tits as a backrest. Deana moved in front of Gloria. Tears fell to Gloria's chest and the arms that were wrapped around it. A mix of emotions tugged at Deana's heart. Gloria was her little sister, and she wanted to be the one comforting her, but Darlene obviously loved Gloria, and they were sisters. Deana pushed aside the pangs of jealousy and gave Darlene an appreciative smile. Darlene gave her the slightest nod and moved one finger, telling Deana where to sit. She lifted the flimsy sundress to her hips and stepped over the chair in front of Gloria, who opened her eyes and tried to smile. Deana sat with her legs over Gloria and Darlene's thighs.

Darlene grabbed Deana behind her knees and yanked her forward. Gloria wrapped her arms around Deana and nuzzled her face into the crook of Deana's neck.

"You okay?" Deana asked.

Gloria didn't respond, but Darlene looked Deana in the eyes and answered for Gloria with a nod. "What about you?" Deana asked.

"We're all going to be fine, just fine."

Deana reached around Gloria and Darlene and hugged them hard. Squished between them, Gloria said, "I love you."

Deana and Darlene both said, "Love you, too."

Under the sun, the three-way hug quickly became a sweaty, uncomfortable mess. Deana leaned back and fanned the front of her dress. Darlene said, "Either you're overdressed or me and Gloria are embarrassingly naked."

Deana couldn't imagine Darlene wasting a second thought about embarrassment, but she said, "Ah, well, ya'll are kind of naked in the backyard."

Gloria dragged the crook of her arm down her face, wiping away tears and snot. "Dee, she's my sister . . . we're sisters. I'm gonna kill him. I don't know how, but I'm gonna find a way."

Deana had listened to Janie's got a gun so many times, fantasizing about ways to end her father, but she said, "No, don't think like that. I know how much this sucks, but you can't think like that."

"No, no, you don't know. We should have been sisters all this time, but he, he-"

"I know, I do know," Deana said forcefully enough to capture Gloria and Darlene's full attention. "Cindy is our sister." Even though she had known it for a while, Deana had never spoken those words out loud. It caused something to snap in her mind. "Mine and Evan's sister. I think he killed our mother, and got rid of my sister, and Sally, and you, you, you and Darlene."

Gloria held one of Deana's hands and Darlene the other, but neither spoke while Deana wrestled with her emotions. Finally, Deana asked, "How are we gonna do it?"

Darlene and Gloria both asked, "What?"

In a calm, level tone, Deana said, "Kill him." If Deana could have seen the intense, focused rage in her coal-black eyes, it would have scared her as much as it terrified Gloria.

Darlene grinned while nodding at Deana, and an unspoken agreement was reached. Neither of them would let Gloria be involved.

Sally reached her house without getting arrested for going more than 25 MPH over the speed limit. Now, she sat in the car, listening to the pings and pangs as the excessive heat radiated out of the exhaust pipes. She had thought about different ways to approach a conversation that might reveal any ideas the girls had about John. If Darlene was as much like her as Sally thought, the girl wouldn't crack, so she'd have to focus on Gloria. She was like Candy, and once she got nervous, as long as she didn't barf, there would be no shutting her up.

Once Sally was on the porch, reaching for the doorknob, the magnitude of what she was walking into paralyzed her. That was her daughter in there, the baby girl she had been forced to leave behind. This would only be the second time they met since then. Why would Darlene have come there? Did she want to see me, Sally wondered? Had she told Gloria they were sisters or who their father was? Suddenly, it seemed harder than facing Darlene yesterday for the first time. Sally wished they were anywhere other than here, at a house she had shot porn movies in.

Too bad, Sally told herself, you're her mother, act like it.

Sally went straight to the back door. Deana and Gloria were sitting on towels in the shade, facing each other. Their expressions made Sally think they were discussing something she wished they didn't know anything about. A quick scan of the patio and yard made her heart sink. Angela was gone. She didn't want to see me, Sally thought.

A splash of pool water made Sally's joy and nervousness soar again. Without looking at Deana and Gloria, she walked straight to the pool and watched in amazement. Stroke, kick, stroke, kick, red hair swapping side to side, trailing in the wake her daughter made. "How the fuck is that possible," Sally asked nobody as she rubbed her eyes.

Deana watched Aunt Sally walk, no, it was more like march to the pool. Gloria poked her knee and asked. "Is she mad?"

Not knowing what to think, Deana said, "Why would she be?"

"I don't know, but she didn't even look at us, now she's standing there, staring, talking to herself."

"I don't know, but this morning I realized Darlene swims just like your-Like her mother."

Gloria thought for a second before saying, "Yeah, I had seen that before. But there are so many other things they have in common. How is that possible? They only just met yesterday."

"I don't know. Genetics, I guess, but look." Deana pointed.

Neither made a sound while Sally undressed, and eventually joined her daughter in the pool. "Genetics, yeah," Gloria said whimsically. "I sure hope some of them genetics happen to my tits and ass."

Deana playfully lifted each of Gloria's breasts. "You got nothing to worry about. Come on, let's watch."

They stood naked, shoulder to shoulder, watching the two redheads as they matched stroke for stroke.

Darlene had seen Sally standing by the pool, watching her, but she kept on swimming. Then, Sally dove in and caught up. Darlene pretended she hadn't noticed, and picked up her pace. The woman started to pull ahead, so she got alongside and stayed there, pushing her mother hard. No matter how fast Darlene went, Sally was there with her. They made their turns in unison, pushed off, and surfaced together, perfectly matched.

When she stopped swimming, Darlene laid her forearms on the edge and rested her chin on them. She needed to catch her breath. Sally popped up and put her arms and chin in the same position, except she wasn't panting. "I thought Gloria was making it up."

"What," Sally asked.

"She said her aunt swam laps like me."

"You mean naked?"

"She told me that too," Darlene said.

"Does that bother you?"

Darlene could feel herself grinning even though she had been trying not to smile.

"No. Does it bother you that you found me naked in your pool?"

"Of course not. I'm happy you're here." Sally turned. "I wanna hug you."

Darlene faced Sally. "Is it the naked thing that's stopping you?"

"No, well, maybe it should, but no, I'm afraid you don't want me to."

Darlene hadn't expected to see Sally, hadn't wanted to, and she certainly didn't want to feel whatever it was she felt now. Was it some ridiculous force of nature, telling her that Sally was her mother? Is that why she couldn't stop smiling when Sally looked at her? The woman just showed up yesterday, Darlene told herself. Fight it, it's too soon. Nothing had changed, she still wanted to wait, hold back, punish Sally for abandoning her.

Their tits smashed together, and their legs bumped and rubbed as they tread water, holding each other. Darlene's brain told her to resist, push away, but she couldn't. It was what she had always wanted. The woman hugging her was her mother, her real mother, and it felt almost as good as hugging Gloria.

Darlene wasn't ready for it to end, but she broke free and said, "This is a great house."

"Have you been inside yet?" Sally asked.

"No, Gloria told me she was out here, so I came around the side."

"Is that why you're here, because Gloria called you?"

Darlene tried for an indignant why else expression and nodded. "But I called her, Deana, and asked to talk to Gloria. She didn't sound right. I was worried and insisted she tell me where she was."

"Was she?" Sally asked.

"What?"

"Alright, you said she didn't sound right, is she?"

The fuel that propelled Darlene through life, her go-to emotion, anger returned. "What do you think?"

"I know she isn't, and I know-Can we get out, go talk? We should talk."

"We should."

Darlene climbed the ladder with Sally following right behind. Deana mumbled, "Fucking genetics."

Gloria said, "Huh," without taking her eyes off the two redheads.

"Can you imagine?" Deana stopped. Sally pulled towels from a cabinet. She and Darlene dried their ridiculously proportioned bodies. "How can they both have such small waists with those giant tits and asses? It's astonishing."

"Astonishing? What are you practicing SAT words?" Gloria asked. Her eyes were still locked on her aunt and sister.

"Doesn't that deserve an SAT word?"

Gloria was nodding when she asked, "Do you think I would feel this way if I had always known them . . . grown up knowing Darlene as my sister and Sally as my aunt?"

As if she didn't know exactly what Gloria was talking about, Deana asked, "Do you mean like having both of them take you upstairs and fuck you until you're stupid?"

"Yeah, I guess, kinda. This can't be normal."

"I've been asking myself that a lot lately." Sally waved, pointed at herself and Darlene, then at the house. Deana nodded. "Baby girl, I don't know what normal is, but I'm pretty sure we're not it."

"You and Evan, you grew up together, so maybe me and Darlene would have ended up together anyway, but none of my friends." Gloria finally looked at Deana. "You think anybody we know is, has to-I can't say it, but you know. How would we know? I never told anyone, and you never told. We didn't even tell each other until recently. You think what he did caused us to be the way we are? Are we bad, what we do, does that make us-"

"Woe, hold on. We're not bad. Fuck that, we're not, and fuck him. Fuck him, fuck him, fuuuuuck that son of a bitch. Fuck!"

"Dee, stop, stop. You're scaring me."

"Sorry, sorry." Deana was panting. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have done something for you. I should have helped you. I hate myself for not-"

"Stop! Fuckin' stop it, stop. We're kids, we're just kids. How could we do anything after what he told us?"

"Yeah, okay," Deana said. "I don't know why we're like this, but I know it's not bad. We love each other, we love Evan, so if we do it, we're making love, and that's not bad."

"Good," Gloria said and kissed Deana.

"Girl, kissing you is like . . . like-I don't know, but I hope your girlfriend doesn't mind us kissing."

"How's that gonna work? She's my half-sister and my girlfriend."

"Oh, really, girlfriend," Deana said. "Does that mean I can't do any of the things I've been fantasizing about doing to you?"

"Not sure, we'll have to ask her tonight when we're all in the same bed."

"Is she staying?'

"I hope so," Gloria said with a mischievous smile. "I haven't asked her yet."

"One way or the other, I'd suggest not worrying about how everything with who's who works out. For now, be young, act happy, and enjoy it."

Sally took Darlene on a quick tour around the downstairs, pointing out the three bedrooms and bathroom, then they went upstairs to Sally bedroom. Darlene stared at the four-post bed. It was the biggest bed she had ever seen, yet it only took up a small portion of the room. She had a double bed at home and it used up more than half of the floor space. "How long have you lived here?"

"Not even a month, and it's-" Sally turned away, staring into the mirror over the dresser.

"What's wrong?"

"Honey, my production company bought this house. It's been a few years since we used it, but we did shoot movies here . . . porn. Shit, I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that."

"I'm glad you did," Darlene said.

"Why?"

"It's honest, makes me think you'll be honest with me."

"Yes, honest, but it might seem creepy or weird or something."

Darlene laughed. "Because people fucked here?"

"Ah, yeah, I suppose so, but more so that I was in some of the movies."

"I don't care, mo..." Darlene said. "I only care that you're here now and you aren't going to let him hurt Gloria anymore. Right, you're not gonna let him?"

"Of course not." Sally sat on the foot of the bed. "Is it good that I'm here? I mean for you. Are you happy I'm here?"

It took a few seconds, but Darlene did finally nod. "If you can't, I will do something."

"I get it, you're mad. Probably about Gloria and yourself and mad at me. I get that, but please let me handle this," Sally said and stood up. "Because I'm pissed, furious about you, what you went through, and Gloria, and Deana and Candy. I'll handle it."

Darlene swallowed hard, thinking, I'm glad Sally isn't mad at me. She's crazy, and I love it. "Okay, but you better keep Deana away from him. She's pissed, too."

"Dee, yeah, I know. I will. That's why they're here. Please, don't tell anybody."

"You mean Evan?"

"Yes, I mean Evan."