Reunion With Aunt Carol

I had not been back home in a little over twenty years, being terribly busy with my military career since enlisting in the Air Force, after going through ROTC in college. I did not have much of a family back there, since both my parents and older sister were all killed when our family home caught fire and were unable to get out.

I was in college at the time, and to say the news was devastating to hear would have been an understatement. The only family member I had left around there was my dad's youngest sister, Carol, who was a year younger than I. Carol stayed by my side, putting her junior year of college on hold, so we could help each other get through the family loss.

She helped me plan the funeral, found a cheap apartment for me to rent while staying there, and was already a wiz on how to deal with the insurance company on the life and homeowners claims. She ended up staying with me for a year before she had to return to the university, or risk losing her scholarship.

Not long after, I left for the Air Force to start my career as an officer. Carol and I stayed in contact with each other through letters and phone calls, but after a while those became farther and few between until I lost contact with her, just before social media came to be. The letters I sent her came back with the stamp, "person not at this address, no forwarding." I was heartbroken, not being able to find her.

Luckily, when Facebook started up and I created a page, I was finally able to find her. Carol had gotten married and moved to a different part of the county. The postal service in that area really sucked at the time, so they just did not want to forward my mail to her. I sent her a message through Facebook, and she was elated to be back in touch.

My career kept me constantly on the move, mostly through the foreign theater of military operations, those of which I cannot mention, so even though we made a vow to get together for a reunion, that never seemed to come to fruition, so the two of us had settled with staying in communication through our pages.

Recently, I noticed that Carol was not posting very much on her page, and I had not been getting any messages through the messenger app, so one evening after I had gotten back to my apartment, I sent her a long message asking why she was being so quiet lately. I saw that my message was read, but I did not get a response from her, until a day or so later when I got this email from her and it read:

"Hi Dave. I am sorry that I have not responded sooner or that I did not message even beforehand, but I have been going through a very tough time and I really did not want to burden you with it since you are off fighting for our country. I know I am going to catch Hell from you for thinking that. Anyway, Tom and I are getting a divorce and it's being finalized tomorrow."

"He'd been having an affair with a woman at work for several months now and when I confronted him about it, he confessed that he was in love with her and that it was over between him and I. He completely blindsided me, Dave, and I have been devastated by it, but in some ways relieved."

"Something I never told you about Tom is that he is abusive, not physically, just emotionally and mentally. He used to say such terrible things to me and to be honest, when it stopped is when I began to suspect he was having an affair. Anyway, that is the gist of what's been going on with me."

"Before I sign off, I have a question for you? When you and I used to live together for that brief time after the fire, did you ever have any feelings for me other than normal family feelings? Tom always accused me of being in love with you, but I always told him he was wrong, that you were my only family."

"I know, silly question. Listen, I would like to spend time with you, if I am permitted on the base where you are. I took leave from my job to clear my head so would it be, okay? Talk to you soon, love Carol"

I finished reading the email and my heart ached for her. I felt so bad that she was going to a terrible time like that and knowing how she stuck with me after my family was killed, I had to be there for her now, but that last question popped up in my head and it got me to really think about how I felt about her.

Carol and I were always awfully close growing up, since we were so close in age, but now that she mentioned it, when her and I lived together, I often thought about how I would love to meet a woman, just like Carol, fall in love and live happily ever after.

Well, here I am at 45 years old, and I never met that special someone like Carol. I dated several women over the years, had some of them want to get serious with me, but it never panned out. The funny thing is, after reading Carol's email, one of those women, angered over my not wanting to get married to her, told me that no one would ever measure up to Carol, before she broke up with me.

So, I called my squadron commander and asked for a couple of weeks of leave, explaining the situation. She approved it, since we were in a bit of a lull with the budget battle going on in DC. I thanked her, hung up the phone and immediately began to draft an email back to Carol:

"Hi Carol, it's good to hear from you and yes I was very worried about you, but now that I have, all I can say is how sorry I am you have to go through this. I will not let you go through it alone and I have already prepared for you to come stay with me. I hope that you have your passport up to date and let me know if you don't so, we can make other arrangements. Text me to let me know as soon as you can. Talk soon, love, Dave"

I sent the email and hoped she would respond quickly, but when I remembered that I was about eight hours ahead of her, she would still be sleeping, so I got busy making plans for her to come, then that question she asked came back into mind as I felt the excitement growing inside. Were my feelings for her, more than just in a family way?

A few hours later, I received a text from Carol, and it read:

"Dave! Yes, I have my passport! When can I come?"

My heart leaped into my throat, and I quickly went on the military travel page to see if she would qualify as a family member. I read through and since she was the only close family I had; she was permitted to use it, so I booked her passage and sent the details back to her in another email, then I texted her back saying:

"Carol! Great news! I just emailed you the travel info! Pack your bags and get ready to enjoy REAL Italian food! No worries about the travel expense, either, I have it covered! Love you!"

I hit the send button, and the feeling I had in my heart just answered my question, at least I think it did? Did I really love Carol?

Five minutes later I got a text back from her, and it read:

"Yay! I cannot wait to see you! Love you, too!"

I just smiled and my whole body felt happy inside. Now, I had to hurry and get my apartment cleaned up, something I was never the best at doing, so I scanned through the local help section and hired a cleaning service to take care of it the next day.

There was a small snag at first, I only had one bedroom, but I quickly waved it off since I had a fold out futon in my office, that I would sleep on, and give her my bedroom. I was going to miss that nice new king-sized mattress that I just bought, but for Carol, it was a non-issue.

I remembered all the snacks and foods Carol loved and made my way to the commissary to get all that I needed. I was not sure if she needed any personal items, so I figured we could just come back after she got here. The woman at the checkout, that I see working quiet frequently, smiled when I came up to check out, only to have her face look at my cart in shock.

"Wow! Are you buying up for some kind of event, Major?"

I laughed and said, "No, I have a family member coming in to visit and my pantry was pretty bare."

She smiled and said, "Oh, that's awesome and I am happy to hear that. Well, I hope you have a wonderful time."

I thanked her, paid for my supplies, and headed back to my apartment. The cleaning company had finished before I had gotten back, and the place looked and smelled amazing. I put all the stuff away and sat down to text Carol.

"I hope you are getting excited, and I hope you are on your way to the airport by now. I got all stocked up on groceries and just waiting for you to get here!"

Two minutes later I got her response:

"Yes, I am extremely excited! At the terminal now, will text you when I land! Cannot wait for your cuddles!"

I just smiled and felt that warm feeling in my body again, but then something else happened, I got an erection? Thoughts began to fill my mind, remembering how Carol and I used to cuddle when she lived with me. It was great therapy, for us dealing with the family loss, and the cuddling never went beyond that. I remember getting aroused a time or too, but just dismissed it as a natural reaction, but was it?

I got to the terminal of the military travel center and since I had top clearance, I was able to go right to the gate to see her when she arrived. I waited as the people filed off the plane but did not see her. What could have happened to her?

A few minutes later, I heard Carol's voice behind me with the familiar giggle, "Well, I guess you don't recognize me."

I turned to see her and was completely blown away.

Now let me set a brief backstory, Carol was always a short chubby girl growing up, not fat, just chubby. When I last saw her, at the age of twenty-four, she had brown hair, was only about five feet tall, and not much of a shape on her, including not having any breasts to speak of.

Back to now, the 44-year-old woman in front of me, who still had those same beautiful sparkling eyes and that sweet smile, but her hair was now blonde, down past her shoulders, and she was thin to the point of being waifish. I saw the muscle tone in her arms giving evidence that she worked out a lot and she was small but looked like a stick of dynamite ready to explode with excitement.

"OH MY GOD, CAROL! LOOK AT YOU! YOU LOOK AMAZING!"

I help open my arms and Carol leaped into them, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I held her tight as her joy became overwhelming and she began to cry into my chest. I fought hard to fight back the tears, too, as I held here there, while people milled around us, some smiling seeing our happy reunion.

Finally, after several minutes, she stopped crying and set her back on her own two feet. She pulled some tissues out of her back and wiped her face then looked back at me with that smile again.

"Oh my gosh, Dave, it is so good to see you again! I have missed you so. There is only so much you can get out of messages on Facebook or text, you know? So, how do you like the new me? I know, pretty thin, right? Years of being shamed for my weight, had one positive thing. I hit the gym and lost weight for me, not him."

"Well, you look great and as long as you are happy with yourself, that is all that matters," I said to her, smiling, my entire being filled with joy at seeing her.

"Ah Dave, you are going to make me cry again. You always were my best supporter, no matter what I looked like," Carol said, then finished, "Let's go get my suitcase so we can get out of here."

I nodded and Carol put her arm through mine as we walked to the baggage claim. I was an incredibly happy soul right about now, and nothing was going to change that while she was with me.

We got to my place, and I rolled her suitcase into my bedroom, showing her where she would be sleeping. She looked confused and asked, "Dave, where are you going to sleep if you are giving me your room? I thought you had a bigger place, and would never have thought to put you out like this?"

"No worries, I have a futon in my office, which is quite comfortable (I lied), so it's not an issue, although we will have to share the shower since the other bathroom is just a toilet and sink," I said putting her concern to rest.

"Now just a darn minute, you have this huge bed, Dave. We can just share it. I don't need my own room and if I need privacy, I will just go into the bathroom. I am not having you sleep on a futon in your own place," Carol said adamantly.

I put up my hands and smiled. Carol was a little thing, but she was feisty. How her ex was able to be mentally abusive towards her, is beyond me.

"Okay, but I sleep naked so, you'll just have to deal with that, then," I jokingly said while laughing, knowing that I was not going to win.

Carol shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, so do I, but who cares? It's not like we have never seen each other naked before, right? We are both mature adults, so I think we can manage it. It's settled, we share your room."

I was not sure how much of our banter was joking as thoughts of seeing her naked again, began to creep in. Maybe seeing her moving around the apartment like that on occasion back when she stayed with me is the reason why I did get physically excited around her sometimes.

Then I felt her hit me on the arm. I turned to her in surprise, and she asked with a giggle, "Are you thinking about me naked? You got lost there for a few moments."

"Ha ha, no, er uh, I don't know, maybe, ANYWAY, do you want me to make you something to eat while you get settled? You must be tired?"

Carol smiled, she knew she had me, and said, "Sure, sounds great, I am hungry. I'm going to take a nice hot bath, while you make dinner."

Carol came in for another hug, with her face buried into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her for several minutes, rocking back and forth, then said to her, "I am so glad you were able to visit, and I am so sorry for what you have been through. If I could make all your pain disappear in a flash, I would do it, but I know that is not in my power. I will do what I can to help you get past it, though."

Carol began sobbing into me as I felt her tiny body shake, then after a few minutes she looked up at me with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes, patted my chest and said with a half grin, "When did you get so damn big?"

I just chuckled as she pulled away and headed into the bathroom, after getting some stuff from her suitcase. I watched her go in and hoped that I could help her forget her pain.

I threw some food together and started setting the dishes on the table when Carol came back out. Her hair was still wet and looked a little stringy. She had an older looking college t-shirt on and a pair of gym shorts that hugged her little bottom perfectly. Carol may not have been perfect to Tom, but she was to me.

She sat down with a grin, looking at the dishes I had prepared. I grabbed a couple of plates and silverware, then joined her at the table. She quickly dug into the food, taking a quick bite of each item, with her eyes going wide and nodding her approval with each one. I just sat there watching her for a few minutes, smiling.

Carol looked at me with a mouthful of food, finished chewing, swallowed, and said, "What? Are you going to eat, too, and Dave, when did you become such a great cook? This stuff is amazing!"

I nodded and said, "Thank you, and yes I am going to eat. I was having fun watching you stuff your face for a moment.

She looked at me and grinned with another mouthful of food.

I laughed and said, "I took some cooking classes here from a local chef friend of mine. She taught me quite a bit."

Carol, swallowed again and asked with a playful smile, "She? Just a friend? Hmm, I just bet. Are you two bumping uglies?"

I laughed aloud and said, "No, and once you meet her, you'll understand."

"Okay, but will you please eat now, before I eat it all and you get nothing," she said then stuck her tongue out at me and grabbed more food. Same old Carol.

We finished eating, and I started cleaning up then turned to her and said, "I didn't plan to do anything this evening since I assumed you would be tired from the trip, so I thought we could just chill out here. I have a few bottles of wine if you'd like to sample some good Italian wine."

Carol smiled, nodded, and said, "That sounds wonderful but right now, if you don't mind, I am going to take a little nap."

"I don't mind at all, go make yourself comfortable and if you need anything, just give me a yell."

Carol nodded again and headed into the bedroom, while I finished cleaning up. I got done with our dishes, grabbed a beer and headed into my office to fold up the futon, that I was no longer going to need. As I passed by my bedroom, I looked in to see Carol curled up on the bed, with a throw over her upper body, already fast asleep.

Those shorts that she had on, were small to begin with but as she had curled up in a fetal position, the cheeks of her ass were now partially exposed. I had to admire her for a few minutes there standing in the doorway before heading on into the office. I never remembered having been physically attracted to her but seeing her cute little ass like that really began to stir the hunger inside me.

When I got into my office, after putting the futon up, I sat down at my computer to do some web browsing. I looked over some stuff that her and I could do while she was here, including a tour of Venice. That was a must-see while being in Italy for anyone. Then I came across some photos of the beaches that we would be going to, and then it hit me that I had forgotten that most of these beaches were "tops optional" for women.

I'm not sure Carol would like that, and I know she would not go topless either as she always hated the fact that she was nearly flat chested, having just barely a slight swell in her breasts, not enough even to fill an A cup bra back when we lived together and as thin as she was now, she probably didn't even have that. I wrote down some stuff for us to do and went back out to the living room to watch some television until she got up.

Not long after I sat down, I heard Carol yell, in a panic sounding voice, "Dave!"

I jumped and ran into the bedroom to see her sitting up, her hair a mess and tears streaming down her face. I jumped on the bed and gathered her up in my arms, as if she were a child needing comforting, her head buried in my shoulder.

"Carol, what's wrong?"

She sniffed and said in a wavering voice, "I thought it was all a dream, that I had come here and when I woke up, I didn't know where I was. I'm sorry I am such a mess, Dave."

"Nonsense, that's one of the reasons I asked you to come, so I could help you like you helped me back then. No more apologies for going through a rough time, okay?

Carol nodded, then looked up at me. She lifted her hand to my chin, lifted herself a little and kissed me on the lips. It was just a brief kiss before she stopped, wiggled herself off me with a smile and headed into the bathroom, while I sat there humming with desire just from the touch of her lips.

Now I was sure that my feelings for her went beyond simple family love. Perhaps that is one thing Tom was right about, maybe her and I were in love. I got up and went out to the living room where Carol joined me a short time later, now looking better with her face wiped off and her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Do you want to try some wine now? It is some of the best the Italians have to offer," I said, while getting up.

Carol nodded and said with a smile, "Sure, but you do realize that I know nothing about wine, right? Tom's idea of good wine was bringing home a bottle of Riunite occasionally."

I laughed and retrieved the glasses from the kitchen and a bottle from the wine rack. I popped the cork and took it with the glasses back into Carol. I poured her a glass and then myself and then put my glass up and said, "Salute!"

We raised our glasses and took a sip. I already knew what the wine tasted like as I had gotten this particular selection on previous occasions, so I knew it was good, but seeing the expression on Carol's face brought a smile to mine.