All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!
Samantha and went to the Rizzuto house but couldn't find Ella or her mother. This was worrying. Samantha didn't want to bother Noah in the middle of whatever he might be doing with his mom, but as they fruitlessly searched around the home, she decided it was time to text him an SOS. Just as she pulled out her phone, she received a text from Ella letting her know that Ella's family had gone to her aunt's house for Christmas.
"That's a dicey decision. What if her mom goes canine on their trip?" Kathy read the message over her friend's shoulder.
"Maybe getting away from the painting will help Mrs. Rizzuto." Samantha was trying to make the best of it, but she didn't like Ella's decision either. "Maybe her dad didn't give her a choice." She texted Ella back, asking her to keep them in the loop if anything strange happened. Ella didn't respond.
When Samantha got back to the Reader's house that evening, the family was about to sit down to dinner. She didn't get the chance to debrief Noah. After dessert she sat and chatted with the readers while he went straight to bed. By the time she got up to his room, he was already snoring. She stared at his sleeping form for a while, thinking about waking him. Was he giving her the cold shoulder? Had things changed now that he and his mom had done... whatever they'd done? And how on Earth had he broken his bed? It was slopped to the floor by his feet. How could he even sleep like that? Boys were so strange. She shook her head but didn't wake him. It took her a long time to fall asleep that night.
~~
"How nice to have you here, Lauren. You haven't attended one of our Christian Ladies of Clover Falls meetings before." Shannon smiled at her guest and handed her a cup and saucer filled with steaming tea.
"I... um... well..." Lauren Keitaro looked around Shannon Botti's living room. It was filled with six other chatting and smiling ladies. She did feel a little like a fish out of water. "I've been meaning to for a while. And now... with Melanie home... some things have been difficult. I'm really looking to connect with God."
"Well, we welcome everyone. Even those that seek Him only in stressful times." Joanna Mill's smile was tight and contained.
"Yes... thank you." Lauren sipped her tea and looked away from the pastor's wife. She knew all these women from church but didn't see much of them outside Sunday services. Other than Joanna and Shannon, the group was made up of Holly Murphy, Zoe Haberle, Sofia Fischer, and Kim Kannur. They were all fine Christian wives and mothers. After what had happened with her mirror painting, Lauren didn't feel worthy of breathing the same air as these upstanding women. Everybody was staring at her. "Thank you," she said again. "Thank you for having me."
"Well, it turns out you've arrived at a special moment for our church. And an extraordinary day for the Christian Ladies of Clover Falls." Shannon paused to make eye contact with each lady in the room. "You will all be connected to God today in ways you only dreamed about before." She beamed at the thought of getting to bring these women the good news.
"Really?" Holly brushed a lock of brown hair off her forehead and raised an eyebrow at the pastor's wife. She leaned toward Joanna, who'd always been the unofficial leader of their group. "What's Shannon talking about?" she whispered.
Shannon's smile faded. There were frowns all around the room.
Did these women just want to sip tea and gossip at every meeting? Couldn't they see that their lives were about to change?
"I am trying..." Her voice died away when Joanna raised a hand for silence. Shannon pressed her lips together and waited. She reminded herself that this was why they had recruited Joanna before anyone else.
"Breathe in deeply, ladies." Joanna put down her teacup and demonstrated for them, inhaling deeply and slowly exhaling. She kept at it until everyone in the room joined in. She could see the intoxicating effect of Paul's scent on their faces. Smiles sparkled. After five minutes of deep breathing, there were no complaints. She could see several of them squirming. Holly's eyelids fluttered. Zoe and Sofia rubbed their legs together under their prim dresses. "Now then..." Joanna picked up her tea. The cup rattled faintly on the saucer, her fingers trembling. "How do we all feel?"
"Your house smells lovely, Shannon." Kim beamed at her host.
"I feel something... something... wonderful." Sofia gazed at her companions in awe. "Is this the connection to God?"
"It's only the beginning." Shannon nodded vigorously. "I am so glad you all feel His presence."
"Indeed, we are eager for you to learn about the epistle of fecundity." Mary strode into the room with confidence. Her blond hair was up in its traditional braid. She wore her Colony Control uniform that was far too snug for her voluptuous curves. She stopped in the middle of the room and placed her hands on her hips, enjoying the expressions of surprise and wonder. "You will join with His holy purpose as a lock mates with its matching key. Your lives will be pregnant with divine design." She clapped her hands together and rubbed them energetically. "Let's begin."
~~
"Hey, Mom." Hailey rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. Sobriety made her sleepy. Her mom was sitting on one of the cushy armchairs in the living room, a blanket thrown over her. There was already a merry fire crackling in the hearth. "Have you seen Noah?"
"Um... no... I haven't." Jessica had trouble focusing her green eyes. She wore a Christmas sweater, a crooked smile, and a distant expression. "I'll tell him you were looking... ugh... looking for him. There's... um... waffles keeping warm... in the oven." She shooed her daughter away with a wave of her hand.
"Okay." Hailey turned to go but stopped and looked back at her mother. Something odd was going on. The lump under the blanket seemed too large and... she spotted the bottom of Noah's socks sticking out from under the blanket on the floor. His socks were clearly filled with his feet. Which meant that Noah was... on his knees between their mother's legs. Hailey's eyes widened, but her mother didn't register her surprise. "Okay, I'll go get those waffles." Hailey turned and quickly left the room. She desperately wished she could think things over with the help of a few puffs from her bong. But it was long gone.
"That was... too close." Jessica pulled her son out from under the blanket. His face was shiny.
"Can I finish, Mom? You haven't even... you know." Noah waited for her to give him the go-ahead to slip back under the blanket.
Jessica paused, her thoughts vacillating. She heard the clink of dishes from the kitchen, and that spurred her decision. "We have to stop." She saw his face fall. "We really have to be smart about this. What if your sister discovered us? We can't risk this family for a little bit of fun."
"Even if that fun makes you whimper and tremble?" Despite his words, he knew she was right. Before she could respond, he put a finger to her lips. "It's just hard keeping my hands off you, Mom. Now that I know I can have you." He smiled at her. "Now that I know how you feel about me." He reached into her hair and grabbed a fistful.
Jessica gasped and went limp in his grasp. When he quickly let go, she composed herself. "Yes... um... yes... we won't stop, Noah. But we have to be smart."
"Roger that." Noah stood and saluted her. "I'll check in on Sam. She was still asleep when I left her."
"Do that." Jessica nodded. "But clean your face first."
"On it." Noah left for his bathroom.
