Author's note: readers will find it helpful to read prior chapters of "Lovers" to provide context and background on the characters.
All characters engaging in sex are over 18. All characters are fictitious. Any resemblance to living persons is strictly coincidental.
This story presents themes of lactation, adult nursing, MFF three-way sex, and rough sex. If these are not your favorite kinks, please find other stories to read.
Please remember this is a fantasy. Please read it as such.
Part 13 -- The Gradual Coming Out
Lindsey and I were now unattached, except for our attachment to each other. We kept meeting for coffee in the morning whenever we could, and we kept our baristas smiling each time.
We met one morning as usual, ordered, kissed, and sat down waiting for my name to be called. We talked about how we could gradually come out as a couple given, we were both divorced.
My name was called and I retrieved our morning coffees.
I took the lead in the conversation. "Sweetie, I want to have a more public relationship with you, which I don't think is news to you. But I'm only divorced a couple of months, so I feel I need to take it slow. How do you feel about that?"
Lindsey immediately responded, "Of course! I don't want to do anything to make it look like we've been dating before we were 'single.' I've got my own appearances to keep up. We need to take this slow. I've been single for about five months. You're just coming up on two. I think we need to wait until you're single for six months before we can 'come out'"
I nodded in agreement. "The word is out on both of us that we just got divorced. That's not a secret. We need to keep things discreet, and then we can slowly allow ourselves to be seen in public. So, we're in agreement on this?"
Lindsey smiled and said, "Of course we are, we are just so in sync!"
We smiled and looked deeply into each other's eyes.
The weeks and months passed and we continued to be discreet, but also were able to meet in the evening and on weekends at her place or mine without any exposure or concerns. Waking up together was still a wonderful feeling.
Something else we needed to do was make our kids aware we were seeing each other. We believed we had exercised enough discretion that they were not truly aware of the extent of our relationship.
We decided to have discussions with our respective kids absent each other and then plan a formal 'meet' so that we could ease our kids into the idea that we each had a significant other.
As luck would have it, one evening when I had my girls for the night, we were out to dinner and my youngest brought up whether I was 'out there' dating other women. My oldest asked as well, in a, "yeah, what she said" fashion.
I was somewhat surprised, but relieved that they were interested and open to the idea that I would begin dating again. I asked them both, "You think it's ok for Dad to be dating?"
They both said, in different ways, 'yeah, you're not dead, just divorced, go for it, Dad."
I was somewhat relieved and started to think about how I could bring Lindsey into the fold with them.
Lindsey had a boy and girl, so it was a little different. Her boy was trying to be the protective son. Lindsey explained to him that she was capable of handling herself with men, and reminded him that she raised him and knows what boys are after. Her daughter was more aligned with my girls, telling her that she needed to get out there and find someone to 'keep her happy.'
Lindsey and I got together and came up with a plan for each of us to meet the other's kids, and then at some future date, get the kids together. It was complicated by the fact that the kids were away a college. We decided that the Thanksgiving weekend was a good time to introduce our kids to each other on separate nights.
We set it up so that on the Friday after Thanksgiving I would meet Lindsey's kids as her SO, and the following night she would meet my girls as my SO. We were nervous, but both evenings came off easily, and her kids seemed to accept me and my girls accepted her very well.
Afterwards, I talked to my girls and asked them for their honest opinions.
I was on edge, because I couldn't disregard my girls' opinions, but I wasn't going to give up my relationship with Lindsey.
To my joy, both girls loved Linz, thought she was smart, attractive, and just a nice person.
Lindsey had passed the test. I was so relieved.
Lindsey had the same conversation with her kids. Her son was a tough sell, but thought I was a good guy. Her daughter was thrilled that her mom found me and was totally supportive.
I'd passed the test.
Lindsey and I decided that we should plan to get her kids and my kids together sometime during semester break for dinner to get them introduced to each other. We were both on pins and needles for the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Finally, the date came. We had a reservation at a very nice restaurant for the six of us on a Saturday evening. We met at the restaurant, and introduced our kids to each other.
They, of course, hit it off and found things to talk about that were completely foreign to Lindsey and I.
We had a very nice meal, and Linz and I had a nice bottle of wine.
My girls and Linz's kids were getting along like old friends, laughing and enjoying the evening.
Lindsey and I were ecstatic. This was a huge hurdle that we easily leapt over as a group. We finished the meal and parted ways.
The conversation on the way home in my car was very entertaining. My girls were totally happy about Lindsey's kids and were fast friends. They'd exchanged cell phone numbers and were already texting back and forth.
Finally, my oldest asked the question I'd been dreading. "So, Dad, really, how long have you and Lindsey been a thing?" Of course, my youngest could not resist and added, "Yeah, Dad, what's the real story?"
I fudged the truth a bit and told them that once the divorce was a reality, Lindsey and I connected. I provided no other details and told them that I wouldn't. They whined a little, but relented.
Once home, I immediately texted Linz to coordinate the stories. She told me she had the same type of conversation with her kids, and her son was a little more insistent on details, but she shut him down, reminding him she was the mom and he was the son. Her daughter was happy for her. Her story was that we got together once my divorce was in motion, so the stories were essentially the same.
When I was alone with my oldest, we had a candid conversation. She told me she thought something was afoot because she smelled different fragrances on my clothing when we met on occasion during the semester, and she could tell I was happier before the divorce was finalized.
I smiled and told her that she was drawing conclusions from incomplete data.
She smiled and said "OK, if that's your story, I'll go with that."
I thanked her for accepting what I told her. But I wasn't fooling her. She knew. And that meant her sister also knew, because I knew they talked all the time.
I called Lindsey when I had some privacy and related the conversation to her. She laughed and said she had a similar conversation with both her kids. Her son was still playing the protector, her daughter was happy that she found someone to be happy with.
We had gotten past our kids. It wasn't going to be an issue with them.
We had to now figure out how to slowly reveal our relationship to our friends and coworkers. Given that our kids were on board, we decided it really didn't matter how friends or coworker felt. That was a weight off of us.
We continued to meet for coffee and enjoy our morning ritual. Our baristas also enjoyed our morning display. Thinking about it, they were a bunch of twenty-somethings seeing a late forties couple publicly displaying their love. In a world where such a bond was rare, we showed them how it could be. Hopefully, it gave them hope that they could find the person who they could peck on the cheek every morning.