Living In A Motorhome
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“Well, we have a bit of a problem,” she said as soon as I got back from my morning walk.
I walked up and sat down at the dinette table with her. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“We need to talk about our living arrangements.”
“Oh? What about it?”
“I’m pregnant!”
“Pregnant?!?!” I was completely shocked!
She smiled shyly. “Yes, I just took another test this afternoon and it came out positive.”
My eyes grew wide. “But … but… that can’t be right! How did you not know? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because I knew something might happen like this! That is why I bought the RV. It has its own bathroom and kitchen so we don’t have to camp next to each other all night long.”
“How do you know for sure you’re pregnant?”
“The test said so,” she responded with a little smile. Then she reached over and put her hand on top of mine. “I am really sorry for keeping something like this from you like this for so long,” she apologized, “but I had my reasons. Can we try to make a go of things?” She looked into my eyes hopefully.
“You are serious? We aren’t going to fight over this?”
“No. We need to work together on this if we want any chance of having a baby. So, let’s get married and see what happens!”
That seemed reasonable enough to me so I agreed to marry her. As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one who had taken that test recently; in fact, it turned out that both of us were expecting babies! We got married on December 20th and decided to wait until the New Year before letting anyone else know.
After our marriage, we started making plans to raise our children together. At first, we planned on taking turns spending time at home while the other went out to work. But then I thought, “Why should one of us always have to stay home while the other goes off to work?”
We discussed it and decided we would take turns doing whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. I worked hard all day long and came home every night to a warm, loving wife and family. My wife would come home from her job and cook dinner for us.
After that, we would relax together watching TV or playing board games until bedtime when she would read to me in bed. We had such a great life! We could barely wait to share it with our kids.
As soon as we found out about our pregnancy, I stopped working entirely. The next few months passed without me missing work at all. When our son was born on August 19th, my wife took off a year of maternity leave and stayed at home with him.
They had a wonderful relationship! I loved being there for them too since I’d been staying at home with my daughter during the days, so it worked out perfectly for everyone involved. I had a good friend who was an auto mechanic, so he helped me get my driver’s license so I could get around easier once the weather turned colder.
In October, my daughter was born. We named her Sarah. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and big round cheeks. She was very sweet.
Our lives continued on this way for many years, until eventually, my wife’s parents moved away and we inherited their house. We were sad they left, but also grateful because we no longer had to deal with them and we now had more space to live ourselves.
Our kids had their own rooms (with plenty of closet space) and I got an office upstairs where I spent most of my time writing books. I still had my RV parked behind my parents’ old house, so we could always retreat to that if things got rough again, but fortunately, everything was going along swimmingly.
One day, after the kids had gone to school, I came home and my wife greeted me at the door with a large bouquet of flowers. When I told her that I’d gotten her flowers for her, she smiled and thanked me. She then took me by the hand and led me up to her room. There, sitting on the bed, was a woman wearing a wedding dress.
“Hello, Dave,” said my wife’s mother, “this is Mrs. Robinson.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” I replied.
Mrs. Robinson nodded and turned to my wife. “Hi, honey, how’ve you been?”
“Great! This is my husband, Mr. Robinson,” my wife explained.
Mrs. Robinson shook my hand again. “Please call me Mommy,” she said warmly. “I think you’ll fit right in here.”
I was a bit confused, but Mrs. Robinson must have picked up on my bewilderment because she added, “Dave is your father in this story,” she said gently.
My jaw dropped open. “What?! But … how …”
“Oh yes, you remember,” Mrs. Robinson continued, “you’re the baby that I gave birth to after your dad and I split up.”
I tried to respond but I couldn’t speak through the shock.
“It happened when we were dating,” she explained. “His father died suddenly and it made his mom and him miserable, so we broke up. I was heartbroken, but you know how guys are. He didn’t want to give up on us, so one night when he came back drunk from the bar, I let him have sex with me and got pregnant.
It was only meant as revenge, I assure you! But I couldn’t stop thinking about how happy I was to be pregnant, so I kept the baby.”
I was speechless, and not just from surprise. I was shocked and disappointed, and angry all over again too. I felt like all my childhood fears about having a stepmother had just come true. I looked at my wife and saw her expression change as well.
She looked down at the floor sadly, and I knew she was feeling the same way I was. How could she? How could she do this to me, to us? I was so angry!
“But why tell me now?” I asked quietly.
“Well, Dave,” explained Mrs. Robinson, “after we moved into this house, my husband started acting strange. I figured out pretty quickly that he was having an affair and I confronted him. That’s when he admitted everything.
He said he was sorry, but that we needed to make some changes if we wanted to save our marriage. So he decided to stay here while I move back to California and start a new life there. We’ve been talking for years about me raising the two of you as my own kids. This gives us the perfect opportunity!”
“So what happens now?” I asked cautiously. “You’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am,” replied Mrs. Robinson. “And don’t worry, we will be staying in touch. You’re my children now too.”
“But I’m not yours!” I protested. “I love you both, but I can never call you Mom or Dad! This is just cruel and selfish!”
“Don’t be silly, dear,” responded Mrs. Robinson gently, “of course you can! Just call me ‘Mom,’ and we’ll get used to it together. Besides, you have a new little sister to think about now!”
With that, she walked over and hugged Sarah tightly. Then she gave me a hug too. “We’re all family now,” she said with a smile. “Isn’t that right, Sarah?”
Sarah gave me a big smile and a thumbs-up sign.
“See? Doesn’t that feel better?” asked Mrs. Robinson. “Now come help us pack!”
The next day went by slowly, mostly because I kept imagining Sarah’s face when she found out that her real parents were getting a divorce. My mind was spinning with questions, doubts, and fears about what kind of impact this would have on her. Would she blame me? Would she hate me?
After Sarah and I finished eating dinner, we went upstairs to her bedroom to hang out before bedtime. As I walked into her room, she looked up at me curiously. “Daddy,” she asked softly, “are you and Mommy really going to divorce?”
I was caught off guard by her question but managed to muster a response. “Of course not,” I answered, “we’re still married.”
“But Mommy says you’re moving away!” she cried. “Why can’t we go with you?!”
My heart sank as I realized that this conversation was about to get ugly. I tried to keep my voice even as I spoke. “Honey, I need to go back to college,” I explained. “I won’t always be able to see you, but we will visit each other often, OK?”
“Why does Mommy have to move away?” Sarah demanded.
“Well, she doesn’t want to leave, but it’s best that she moves somewhere else. Her company has offices all over the country.”
That seemed to satisfy her for the time being, which was good because we were both getting tired and cranky.
As usual, we brushed our teeth and got ready for bed. While Sarah was changing, I sat down next to her dresser to watch TV and wait for her. She came out of her bedroom looking very serious.
“Dad,” she began hesitantly, “are you and Mommy ever gonna…”
She searched my face for clues, but I wasn’t sure how to answer her. I thought about what Mrs. Robinson had told us, and then my mind drifted back to the things Sarah had said during her sleepover with the twins last weekend.
She had seemed pretty clear about how she felt about us, so maybe I should just be honest. “Are you asking if Mommy and I are ever going to have sex again?” I asked with a grin.
Sarah giggled shyly. “Sorta,” she whispered back. “When we did, I liked it.”
“Well, I like doing it with Mommy too!” I said proudly.
Sarah grinned excitedly and nodded. “OK,” she responded happily, “then maybe someday we can do it again? But only if you and Mommy agree!”
“What?! Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?!” I said in mock shock.
“I guess so!”
I could barely believe the words coming out of her mouth. My heart was pounding as I stood up from the dresser and looked into her eyes. “I love you so much, Sarah,” I told her. “I don’t know if I can give you more than that, but… well, maybe.”
“Really?” she squealed. “You mean it?!”
My head was spinning with excitement and doubt as I reached out to her. My hands trembled as I took hers in mine. I couldn’t remember anything feeling quite so sweet as having pressed them firmly against hers. We stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds until I finally broke the kiss and pulled her close to me.
Her lips parted as our tongues danced around each other. Our lips met again and soon we were passionately making out while the rest of the house slept.
It seemed to go on forever, but eventually, our kisses slowed and we stopped breathing heavily. Sarah rested her forehead against mine as we stayed in a long embrace.
“Do you still want me, Daddy?” she asked quietly.
“More than anything,” I responded in kind.
We kissed again as she laid down on her back with her arms wrapped around my neck. After a few minutes, I rolled over to lay beside her, pulling her onto my chest and holding her tight. She snuggled up closer to me and sighed contentedly.
“Thank you, Dad,” she said, “for making me a part of your life.”
I stroked her hair and held her tightly as I thought about all that had happened over the past couple of years. In so many ways, I felt like the luckiest man in the world, but it had never occurred to me that Sarah might actually come to view me as a father figure. It made me realize just how important her parents were in molding her into the person she is today.
I knew I wouldn’t always be there for her, but she was already showing signs that I would have no choice but to accept her as an adult one day. That didn’t change the fact that I loved her dearly or the way it felt when she was lying against me. As long as Sarah was happy, that was enough for me.
***
We arrived at campus two days later. My parents picked us up at the airport and drove us to the hotel where they’d reserved a room for us. They insisted on paying for everything, insisting that I needed some time to relax and focus on school without worrying about anything else.
Mrs. Robinson had also promised that she would take care of everything related to moving, including finding us an apartment.
The trip back home was quiet and strained. I tried to stay calm and positive, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what had been discussed between Sarah and me. I hadn’t seen her since our last night together, so it was nice to get reacquainted after the long flight.
We had a late dinner and went upstairs to our respective rooms. I walked in first, surprised by how clean and organized everything appeared. There were fresh towels, a small stack of new books, a new toothbrush, and tube of toothpaste, and even a little box filled with some snacks.
“That’s really thoughtful,” I noted as I turned towards Sarah. She was sitting on the edge of her bed wearing a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top. It looked like she’d changed since our arrival, but it wasn’t obvious unless you got up close.
“Mom called earlier,” she explained sheepishly. “She asked if she could make me feel better while you showered.”
I smiled. “That’s really nice of her,” I said honestly.
Sarah nodded with a small smile. “But…” she paused and bit her lip nervously. “I’ve been thinking about all the stuff we talked about before you left, and… I’m not sure I can handle seeing you naked or touching you. You know, things like that.”
I shook my head and sat down next to her on the bed. “No, you don’t need to worry about those kinds of things, Sarah. The most important thing is that we trust each other to keep our secrets safe and to be honest with each other. If you ever have any problems, please don’t hesitate to talk to me, okay? No matter who you are with or where I will always be here for you. I promise.”
I watched as Sarah considered my words carefully. Finally, she gave me a slight nod and looked away. I reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently and trying to let her know that she didn’t have anything to hide from me. I wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, but I was worried that she might feel like she owed me something for saving her dad.
Sarah looked back at me hesitantly, then leaned over and kissed me briefly on the lips. Her skin smelled faintly of lavender bubble bath and the scent of her shampoo. I pulled back and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“Thanks, Dad,” she whispered softly, “but this isn’t over yet.”
I nodded. I still had no idea how far Sarah was willing to go, but I knew that she needed some time to think about things. We were both exhausted and ready for bed, so we decided to call it a night.
***
It was the weekend before classes started, so the two of us spent a lot of time walking around the campus. I wanted to see all the places that Sarah mentioned that she liked, including the library and the student union building. We even found the athletic center where the girls’ volleyball team practiced twice a week.
The weather had turned cold, and it was raining lightly outside, but Sarah insisted that it wasn’t cold enough to cancel our plans. I had planned a special surprise for her, and she was determined to keep it secret until the big reveal.
My plan was to drive into town early Saturday morning and take Sarah to a spa where they offered massages and facials. I figured it would help clear her mind and give her a chance to relax a little before starting her final year of high school.
The massage therapist that I hired was an older woman named Janice who worked part-time at a local health club. She was tall and very thin, but incredibly strong and capable. I told her that I was planning on taking Sarah to a spa for a massage, and she agreed to take care of everything. She even offered to pick Sarah up in the parking lot.
After dropping off our luggage, we headed back to campus, stopping by a café near the dorms for some breakfast. Once Sarah saw that she wouldn’t be able to keep our secret from Janice, she finally opened up a little about her father’s situation.
He’d been released from prison shortly before we left, but he wasn’t allowed to return to work until his probation officer cleared him. That process could take another month or two, but the family had already filed for bankruptcy because of their massive legal bills.
While it broke my heart to hear Sarah speak about her parents like that, I knew that we had no choice but to support them now that I had taken over their finances. After finishing her breakfast, Sarah paid the bill and gave me a long hug goodbye. She seemed nervous about leaving, but she didn’t complain one bit as I drove away.
The End