My Lovely Hannah

The day that would change my life forever started just like any other work day. I showered and dressed before walking the short distance from my apartment building to the small nearby Post Office. From a small lockable post box, I took my handful of mail to a corner café which produced the best coffee in town. My favourite waitress smiled on my arrival and promptly set forth towards the kitchen. An order was not required, as a morning regular; my culinary desires were always the same. A strong latte along with a freshly baked blueberry muffin was a fine start to any day.

As always I took a seat by the window to watch the world go by. While waiting for my coffee, I flicked through the pile of white envelopes quickly dispensing of the obvious bills to the table. A hand addressed envelope caught my eye immediately, the many crossed out and redirected addresses suggesting that it had been in the system quite awhile trying to locate me. My interest raised, I tore open the envelope and removed a single folded piece of pink writing paper. Once unfolded, the page revealed little more than a few words.

'Hi, Kieran.

I need to talk to you. Please phone me on 27693106.

Hannah Leavers.

I smiled at the name, for Hannah was an old short term lover from years back. She was tall and pretty, but possessed one of those free spirits that could never be tamed. I would confess that I'm not the most handsome man in the world, and the fact that Hannah would have anything to do with a commoner such as myself was always wonderment to me. The fact that she wanted to talk to me after all these years was somewhat of a surprise, and certainly something to be followed up.

I've worked as a journalist since I left university, and freelanced for the last ten years. A number of times I've been contacted by old friends and acquaintances with little tit bits of information that have turned into substantial stories. The previous year, an old school buddy who was now a teacher gave me a heads up on a scumbag who was renting out rooms to overseas students. Part of his services was to negotiate lower rents for sexual favours. A police investigation turned up nothing, but I had all the time in the world and after a lot of hard graft managed to produce a few confessions, and enough evidence for the police to reopen the case. My reward was an exclusive; my resulting story was sold to the highest bidder and proved enough to pay the bills for several months.

Over the years, I'd covered many war zones, the first Gulf War and the Yugoslavia conflicts to name a couple. The fact that so called civilised people can still inflict such sadistic atrocities on each other in this modern age is something I'll never comprehend. And later watching people come to terms with their grief is something that haunts you for ever, but I suppose that's another story for another time. Anytime I feel sorry for myself, a quick look through my substantial collection of archived photos from those war zones would remind me that I was a lucky man indeed.

I placed Hannah's letter in my pocket for later, and then flicked through the rest of my mail, just the usual bills. The rest of my morning was already laid out, and so busy was I that the letter was forgotten about until later in the day. Over the phone, Hannah's voice sounded just the same, and she seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. For a while we chatted about what we'd been up to, and then Hannah asked if I wanted to drive up to see her, as she had something of importance to discuss with me. With my inquisitiveness nature, I tried to prise out of her what it was all about, but she wasn't having any of it.

Hannah lived in a small town that I'd never heard of by the name of Harvard. I eventually found it on a map and worked out it was a three hour drive away. The following Saturday morning, I set out for Harvard unknowingly ignorant of what was about to befall me. Harvard turned out to be a delightful little town in a sprawling valley which seemed to trap the warmth of the sun and keep out the wind. Rows and rows of tidy homes followed the gentle contours of a swift flowing river. Once in town, I followed Hannah's concise directions, and without a hitch found her street, and then her house. I had to smile, for her home was surrounded with bright and colourful flowers with a tall tree standing high in the centre of the front yard. I was halfway up the front path when the front door opened and a very slim looking Hannah in dark jeans and a red top walked out to meet me. As always, her lovely smile took my breath away.

"Hi Kieran, its good too see you again." she suggested before giving me a peck on the cheek.

"Hi Hannah, its good to see you too."

We stood and looked at each other for a few seconds; then Hannah took my hands in hers.

"Are you brave Kieran, I need you to be very brave for me?"

"Sure." I replied sounding more confident than I really felt.

I could feel her big blue eyes bore through me like lasers, looking for any sign of hesitation; she then led me inside her home.

It was welcomingly cool inside, and I was led through into a large comfortable family room. At the rear was a set of bay windows with a view into the rear yard, adorned with trees and shrubs. My attention was drawn to movement at the far corner where a young girl was swinging high from a swing secured to the branch of a large tree.

Hannah stood beside me and again took my hand in hers as we gazed out the window, "That's Courtney, Kieran, she's your daughter."

I turned to Hannah in complete astonishment, "What?"

"That little girl out there is your daughter. Do you remember that last time we got together down at the beach? Well she's the result."

"Jeeesuz, Hannah. I don't know what to say."

She turned to me with big sad eyes, "You may ask, why now? The thing is Kieran, I'm dying; I'm not long for this earth."

I took her quivering arms in mine and held her close, and we stayed like that for some time; giving me time to take in the implications of the last few seconds. Small footsteps up onto the wooden deck brought us back to reality, and we separated just before Courtney walked into the room.

"Who's he?" asked a little voice.

"Courtney, this is Kieran. He's an old friend of mine."

"Hello Courtney" I said.

"Hi."

I stood and looked down at this beautiful little girl, and any thought that she wasn't my daughter evaporated, the same auburn hair of my mother, along with the small gap in the front teeth which is a family trait. Courtney retuned my stare and then smiled inquisitively at her mother before returning her attention back to me. I could almost read her mind, who was I and what did I want?

"Courtney." I exclaimed. "That's a funny name for a boy."

Her inquisitive look turned to one of scorn, and her little hands were quickly on her hips.

Her mother chuckled, "Take no notice love, he always was a tease."

Courtney smiled and jiggled on the spot when she realised that I was only joking, "Can I go outside and play again?"

"Okay, just for awhile, then it'll be lunch time." her mother replied.

We watched as the little figure scooted back outside towards the swing. Hannah and I sat down and made ourselves comfortable, then looked across at each other. She took a deep breath and then began to tell me all about herself and Courtney.

She had been diagnosed with an inoperable malignant tumour eighteen months ago, and her condition was worsening. Her main concern was Courtney and what would happen to her once she'd gone. Her parents were both deceased, and there was no one really to look after her daughter. Hannah explained that once she was unable to care for Courtney, the authorities would step in and place her in care.

"I've thought long and hard about bringing you into all this Kieran, but you're her biological father and you've the right to know about Courtney before it's too late. I know it's a shock to find out now, but I'm running out of time."

"Why didn't you tell me when you were pregnant?" I asked.

Hannah shrugged her shoulders, "Selfishness really, I wanted a baby all to myself. By the way, I didn't mean to fall pregnant, I just miscalculated the night she was conceived and thought I was safe. Maybe I should have contacted you, but by the time I found out I was pregnant, I'd left town. Anyway, I thought you would've been angry and not wanted anything to do with it because it would've cramped your life style. Whether I was right or wrong, it doesn't matter now, what's done is done, and neither of us can change that."

I stared at the floor while taking in her explanation, how would I have reacted back then when told of my impending fatherhood? To be honest, I don't know. Hannah got up from the couch and walked out of the room returning a few seconds later with a white envelope. She sat on the edge of the chair and leaned close to me.

"Before we go too far, I want to reassure you that Courtney is your child. Do you remember what was special about that night we got together?"

I gathered my thoughts, "It was my birthday."

"Yes it was." Hannah replied opening the envelope and taking out a sheet of folded paper and handing it to me. "Here is Courtney's birth certificate; she was born nine months and three days after your birthday. Please believe me that she is your daughter. You might think I was promiscuous back then, but I wasn't. I hadn't made love to anyone for months with the exception of your good self." Hannah smiled, "Back then I was off men, but I kind of always had a soft spot for you."

I looked over the birth certificate, and it was as Hannah said, Courtney was born a good nine months from my birthday.

"Does Courtney know about your condition?"

Hannah nodded, "She does, but I don't think she realises the implications. And I'm too soft to tell her what they are."

We both sat quietly for a few seconds as our eyes held.

"Well, that's all of the surprises today." Hannah suggested. "I've made us a picnic lunch, and we can go down to the river and sit in the sun."

Half an hour later, Hannah and I were sitting on a blanket watching Courtney playing in the shallows of the slow moving river. It was a nice afternoon, and the reason I was in Harvard slipped slowly away from me. I very much enjoyed the company of these two ladies as we ate and later walked along the riverbank together. The hours quickly disappeared and I was invited to firstly stay for a meal, and then to stay the night. It didn't take me long to bond with Courtney, her sassy nature combined with an exuberant amount of energy made it easy to befriend this lovely child. I in turn teased her unmercifully and had both mother and daughter well entertained. Later that night I was shown to a spare bedroom where I lay pondering what the day had brought me.

It was in the early hours that my door opened and Hannah slipped into my bed beside me. I moved over a little to give her more room and she snuggled up beside me.

"I was lonely." she whispered. "Can I stay here with you?"

"Absolutely." I replied.

"It's good to see you again, even under these circumstances." she said nuzzling up to my chest. "You smell just the same, brings back good memories."

I gave her a gentle squeeze as we lay comfortably in our closeness. I knew this was all about friendship and emotions, and not about sex, which I was okay about. But as Hannah began to breathe deeply in her sleep, my mind drifted back to when we first met.

Back to the Past

Our paths first crossed many years back through mutual friends. Friday nights were usually celebrated at a small bar not far from where I lived. I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on Hannah. She walked into the bar and caused a bit of a noisy ruckus as she acknowledged everyone and friendly insults were traded. We were eventually introduced and I guess that I held her attention for a second or two before she became bored, as I mentioned before I'm no Brad Pitt look-alike. But I was kind of besotted with her, and my eyes continually followed her graceful movements.

Even after all these years, I can still picture her beauty and what she was wearing that night. A simple long white dress hugged the curves of her tall shapely figure; her straight blonde hair fell past her shoulders. Her facial features were fine, and her large green eyes eclipsed a sprinkling of freckles. I was almost in love, but also knew that it was but a hopeless dream. I don't think that I was alone, for there were many male eyes upon her, which she either ignored or wasn't aware of. I never spoke another word to her, and I left the bar that night thankful that I'd been lucky enough cast my eyes upon her.

It was many months before I saw Hannah again, although it was on a Friday night in the same bar. I'd just returned from Bosnia, and after numerous requests was giving a brief account of the escalating violence and the horrific consequences. Hannah arrived and after getting a drink from the bar, joined my small audience of listeners.

I guess I've always had a way with words, and I spoke from the heart about the people and their suffering. A couple of times I caught Hannah's eye, and I realised that she was interested in my story. Later that evening, we talked a little about me being a journalist and some of the places I'd been and the things seen. As well as being quite beautiful, Hannah also impressed me with her intelligence. She knew about Bosnia and other trouble spots around the world, and could hold her own on any debate. Her wishes were simple and all she wanted was peace in the world for all. But she was bright enough to know that it could never happen. We soon warmed to each other, but only in the intellectual sense and not in the physical sense I understandably wished for. I could smell her sweet scent as we sat close to talk over the noise. And when I went home alone that night, I lay and fantasised about Hannah's warm body being beside mine.

Over the following months, Hannah would sometimes arrive for our Friday night festivities. We would usually drift together for another philosophical discussion. On one cool autumn Friday night, a street party involving our bar and close by restaurants was held to celebrate the change of seasons. Our group joined in, and soon a good time was being had by all with the help of a local blues band. When Hannah was continuously hit upon by two inebriated male admirers, she casually walked over to me and stuck her arm under mine.

"You can be my boyfriend for the night." she announced.

And I was proud to be so. We partied hard until after midnight when things started to get a bit unruly, and Hannah suggested we move on before trouble started. An invitation to my place was accepted, and Hannah was soon wandering my apartment taking in my photos and other paraphernalia that I'd collected over the years.

Eventually she turned to me a smiled, "Would you like to partake in a little marijuana?"

"Sure." I replied.

It wasn't something that I used often, but I enjoyed the occasional smoke. We made ourselves comfortable on my long cosy couch and Hannah removed a small plastic bag along with a packet of papers from her handbag. We were soon sitting back and enjoying the smooth effects of the drug. Hannah slipped sideways on the couch, leaned back on the armrest and placed her long legs over my lap. We then chatted aimlessly as we passed the joint between us, and the drug slowly took its toll. While I've never been involved in hard drugs, I occasionally enjoy the odd joint or two. It's got a way of mellowing me out from my stressful life and relaxing my aging body like nothing else. It also has the advantage of leaving me without the usual hangover that I get from alcohol. I found myself gently massaging Hannah's feet and ankles and receiving favourable praise for my efforts.

"Why do you always wear long dresses when you have such nice legs?" I asked.

Hannah smiled mischievously, "Because it's dangerous to wear short skirts without panties." She then chuckled at my surprise, "I hardly ever wear any; I like the cool fresh air and the freedom."

She lifted her dress high up the side of her bare legs while placing her other hand in her lap so that nothing naughty was exposed. I got a good glimpse of bare skin up to her waist which demonstrated a complete lack of any underwear.

"See, nothing underneath." she said.

"I reckon a short skirt with no panties is just fine." I replied with the utmost sincerity.

Hannah grinned, "No doubt, but how safe would I be?"

"Very." I lied.

"If its question time, how come you've never tried to get in my panties, supposing that I wore them? You seem to like me, but you never try to do anything about it."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I always thought you were way out my league. When I see all the other guys looking and trying to pick you up, I always think there's no chance for me."

Hanna pulled a disproving face, "That's stupid. You're one of the most interesting guys I've ever met. Maybe a little too nice though, which is why you probably don't get laid as often as you should?"

"I'll try and remember that."

"Well, here's something to remember. I get very, very horny when I smoke dope, and it's been awhile since I got laid. So if you play your cards right, we could both get lucky tonight."

Hannah's forwardness caught me a little by surprise, and I looked down at her partially exposed legs. Over the next minute or so, I allowed my hands to caress her smooth skin while exploring further upwards as my braveness increased. Under Hannah's watchful gaze, I lifted her dress high onto her navel exposing her pussy for the first time. Her brown curls had been trimmed short into a neat triangle and I suspect they were growing back from a complete shave. I let my hand roam through her coarse bush and her thighs parted slightly in invitation, and then wider as I stroked her inner thighs. A pair of fine lips was now in full view, and Hannah sighed as I slipped a finger gently between them. I turned slightly to my side so that I could bring both hands into play, and Hannah spread her thighs a little wider.

At first, I eased her lips apart and teased gently her clitoris with my thumb as my eyes feasted upon her luscious pussy. Within seconds, her pink lips were glistening with arousal and I then explored her tunnel with a finger. She was warm and tight, and I began to work both her clitoris and her tunnel in unison. With some difficulty, I tore my eyes away from her pussy and looked up at Hannah's face. Her eyes were now closed as she released a breath of smoke from the joint into the air.

I momentarily removed both hands from her pussy and ran them down her lovely thighs, but Hannah moaned in disapproval.

"Don't stop." she whimpered. "Make me cum."

"Do want me to lick you?" I asked.

"Maybe later, fingers are good."

I obeyed and returned my fingers to Hannah's pussy and began to play with her again. I slipped two fingers inside her and then began to work on her clitoris with my thumb. Her legs had now fallen well apart, and her inner thighs were wet from her arousal. She was soon pushing back against me and rotating her pussy slowly, her breathing now deep and purposeful. One leg slipped to the floor and I watched as her thigh muscles tensed as she lifted her buttocks from the couch. I began to slowly increase my rhythm and Hannah instantly met the challenge, her little cries and whimpers convincing me that her orgasm was not far away. I prayed for it to be soon as my hands were tiring from their ordeal, and I didn't want to have to change my technique before she managed to cum. I was relieved when Hannah raised herself high from the couch and moaned in ecstasy as her orgasm shuddered through her body. I continued to stroke Hannah as the little tremors slowly diminished as her orgasm subsided. She reached down and eased my hand away from her clitoris, but left my fingers to slowly play inside her pussy. With my free hand, I reached down and picked up what was left of the joint from the carpeted floor, in all the excitement I hadn't realised that she'd dropped it.