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Big Girls Sometimes Cry

By: Egmont0409



INTRODUCTION

In a near-filled church, Conrad and Lydia Fitzgerald held hands while watching their youngest daughter Bella at the altar in the process of being married to Fergus McDuff.

The youngsters had met unromantically, being arrested for drunkenness. When they appeared in Court next morning they were let off by the Judge who probably remembered his own youth. Being first-offenders counted in their favor. Bella and Fergus had reunited outside the Court and grinning sheepishly they swapped telephone numbers.

Lydia was sorry that Bella, despite her romantic name, was a rebellious young woman  and her idea of dressing up was to wear a fancy top with jeans.

Lydia's mind slipped back to the time when she was nineteen...

CHAPTER 1

"Girls, girls, this just will not do," Lorna Rush had said, clapping her hands. She looked at her three daughters but really focused on only two of them, Bess and Nell whom she thought would both have to work hard to find a husband. Lorna thought her youngster with long-flowing auburn hair looked like her, with high cheekbones, green eyes and a manner that seem to say, 'Hello world; here I am. Challenge me."

"Back to the bathroom Bess. Please brush your hair twenty times with your left hand and thirty times with your right hand and get your lipstick on straight."

The 22-year-old raven-headed beauty said, "Aw mom" but was ignored.

"Nell get out of those pants and skimpy shirt and into one of your best dresses. This could be a defining afternoon for one of you three lassies."

"Aw mom, why pick on Bess and me? Lydia with her fancy name and fancy ways is your pet."

"Whatever you say dear and you know it may or might not be the truth. You both can see your sister is beautifully dressed."

Bess said, "I can't understand why Lydia is included. I'm twenty-two and sexy Nell at twenty-six with her blonde enhanced hair will appeal to a young doctor who is twenty-eight. Lydia is still not out of her teens."

"I run a democratic house Bess and you know it. If anything is a matter of choice I always insist you three have equal rights of selection and if two or all three of you want the same thing it's decided by a toss of a coin. But in this case the young physician will choose."

"Come on Bess to the bathroom; I'm off to my wardrobe where I have nothing to wear. Mom get Miss Perfect to do those flowers... you know she does most things better than you."

"That's because she listens and is obedient Nell but that's an excellent idea. Re-arrange the flowers please Lydia and watch out in that white dress for pollen."

The Rush family lived in the small town of Magnum where the young women outnumbered by 5:1 the young men remaining in town. 

Lorna, formerly Lorna Stewart of Kingussie, a small town in the heart of the Scottish highlands, knew what she had to do because her family lived in a district with a shortage of eligible men who had left after the demise of fishing to chase better work and better opportunities. 

When Lorna turned nineteen her mother sent her to live with an aunt, a doctor's wife, in the town of Magnum in America. Lorna married their son Walter when he joined his father in the medical practice.

Now a generation on the problem of a lack of eligible men had revisited Lorna. She advertised in the newspaper in the city of Newton not too far away and requested contact from eligible men interested in marriage with three sisters to chose from aged nineteen to twenty-six.

A dozen responses had been expected. Lorna received eighty-four.

On Saturday when Walter was away fishing, she sat down with her daughters in the living room and read out the letters, the three girls being instructed to vote on each response.

The girls had opened the envelopes but left the contents unread.

Lorna drew the first one out and blushed and said, "Ohmigod."

Recovering she said, "You girls are well-educated and I have educated you even more at home to be worldly-aware and have allowed you to read literature no matter how depraved I suspected it might be."

"Yes mother," Nell the usual spokesperson for the girls said. She giggled, setting off the other two.

Lorna ignored them and read the first letter. Fearlessly she read the piece, 'I'd love to lube my hand and push it up the cunt of each one of you sisters with your entire family watching and I'd then call to a volunteer or volunteers to jerk me off'.

Lorna watched approvingly as her daughters who'd been laughing so much they were dabbing their eyes. Now was that a sign of maturity or was it what?

Almost half the responses were almost as disgusting as the first one. By the time Lorna picked up the thirty-first letter the girls had twice voted she continue reading. Eight of the letters had received votes, three of them gaining three votes.

That thirty-first letter was out on its own, the writer saying he'd had an extensive education and had lost contact with most women from his younger days and he'd been unable to find an acceptable female who was pretty, graceful, caring and possessed a calm and considered outlook on life.

"That's us," Bess said.

"Yes indeed," Lorna said, flicking a glance at Lydia that was too quick for her daughters to spot.

"Good gracious, what university did he attend," Lydia laughed and Bess said a med school for deprived children.

But there was something about that letter and all three voted for it and when it was decided to select the best three of the eleven letters with three votes and invite the men to visit them, that most favored writer, who'd signed himself as Dr Conrad Fitzgerald, was the first to respond and said he could come on Saturday.

"I really don't think someone with that name comes from a deprived childhood," said Lorna. "He's provided a phone number so I'll call him."

On Saturday at 2:00 a guy in a white suit and wearing black sunglasses drove a red Italian sports car drove up to the house.

"Ohmigod, he's mine even if he has a hairy chest," Nell cooed.

"Out the way bitch; he's mine," Bess challenged. "You'd be better off with the guy who lubes his hand."

"Girls," Lorna said mildly. "You are ladies, remember."

Lorna brought in the tall, slim and quite good-looking guy.

"Conrad these are my daughters."

"Wow."

Lorna smiled. "This is Nell who is twenty-six with a nursing degree and is a hospital theater nurse. Next to her is Bess, aged twenty-two, who is big into sport and horse riding and manages the women's fashion department in the emporium in our small town. And beyond her is Lydia, aged nineteen in her first year studying advertising at college and she does most things well."

"I hadn't really known what to expect Mrs Rush. If you don't mind my saying this arrangement seemed so quaint that it intrigued me. Having said that I expected to find three daughters who were, um, let's say less than generally socially acceptable. Instead what I find is an almost dazzling line-up."

"Thank you Conrad. Well expressed."

"Bess do you ski?"

"Yes I manage to stay upright."

"My daughters love to tease Conrad. Last year Bess was State runner-up champion in the female giant slalom. Look why don't you sit with Bess in the snug and after talking to her for a while you might like to talk to one or both other girls?"

"Yes, great idea."

When Conrad had finished Lorna sent the girls out for a walk and poured coffee.

"You have three great daughters Mrs Rush."

"Thank you Conrad."

He said, "I suppose like me you are wondering what now?"

"Well yes and I hadn't thought this far ahead. But I'll advise them if you wish. I suspect you'll want to date Lydia a few times and then decide what now?"

"Lydia, h-how did you know?"

"I'm a pragmatic Scots-born woman Conrad. If I were a farmer to buy sheep and three were presented to me I would only glance at how they looked right then and from there I would dwell on only one consideration: potential."

"I guess that's what I did. I clearly determined Lydia had the best all-round attributes and I thought, Ohmigod, and she's only just commenced growing into womanhood."

"Lovely words Conrad. And what about the only issue I can see, age difference."

"Oh is there a difference between Lydia and me in age?"

That drew a big smile. "You are clever and a charmer Conrad. I suggest you ring the bell on the back porch and that will summons the girls. Just tell the girls you will dwell on your decision."

"I would prefer telling them now."

"Very well. I have confidence you have the skill to handle it well."

The girls entered and Conrad stood and lifted the coffee pot.

"Hi girls, coffee for everyone?"

They all said yes and he said, "Please sit beside me Lydia." 

"Bess and Nell, I guess you both understand in a three horse race only one is likely to be first to pass the post. I feel there is no need to say more but I thank all three of you for your participation and to your mother for her initiative. Remember more guys still have appointments to visit. If Lydia chooses me then you will no longer have her as a competitor."

"Yes I choose you Conrad. Thank you. What now?"

"I'll call you tomorrow."

After Conrad had left, shaking hands with only their mother, Nell and Bess kissed Lydia and congratulated her.

"Why you?" Nell asked.

"I'm only nineteen darling; how would I know how men think?"

Listening to that reply Lorna was in awe of her youngest daughter. Until now Lorna had always thought because of her high standard Scottish and English education at top levels that she was the cleverest one in the family. But not now. Ohmigod, that response from Lydia was a clever, super-intelligent reply.

Lorna asked Bess what she'd learned about Conrad and she said nothing much apart from the fact he'd been a fan of skiing since his first attempt at staying upright when he was three but now was more into snowboarding.

"Nell?"

"Mom both his parents come from wealthy families. His mom is from Boston and his father from Denver. They gave him the sports car when he finished his studies. He has two sisters and the youngest is a charge nurse at a big hospital in Chicago and the other sister who is two years older than Conrad is a hospital doctor in Boston and intends becoming a cardio thoracic surgeon. His mom is vice-president of a bank and his father specializes in refractive surgery. They must be a super intelligent family."

"Exactly what does Conrad do?"

Bess told her mom he didn't say and Nell said she hadn't asked but Lydia might have asked him.

"He has been lecturing in American literature mom at a university in Denver," said Lydia. His doctorate is in literature and not as we all assumed in medicine. He is house-sitting for his aunt in Newton who is touring England and will be away for another six months. He is writing a novel about a woman surgeon and the heroine is based on his older sister Merrill renamed Medora. The best thing about living in his widowed aunt house is it's in a quiet neighborhood and she paints so he uses her studio that faces away from the sun to write and finds the atmosphere stimulating. But also there is her American spaniel Sophie who is no longer fretting and whenever Conrad speaks to Sophie she rolls on to her back to have her tummy tickled. Being a Fitzgerald he says his favorite writers are Scott Fitzgerald, Walt Whitman, J. G. Salinger, John Steinbeck and of course Mark Twain whose Tom Sawyer led Conrad into an interest in literature."

"I said they were all males and how about a female and he said that would have to be Edith Wharton for her 'The Age of Innocence'. He's read it mom and has read both of my favorite contemporary French writers who are females. He asked could I read in French and I said very fluently, thanks to you mom. He said he'd give me Simone de Beauvoir's 1970 long essay printed in French, 'La Vieillesse' (The Coming of Age)."

"I daresay we'll all love to read that dear. We all read one of her much earlier acclaimed books, 'The Mandarins'."

"Yes and he said we might enjoy Simone's 'All Men Are Mortal'.

Lorna said, "You really learnt quite a lot in interacting with him in such a short time dear. May we ask what did he learn about you?"

"Oh he asked what was I studying at college beside advertising and communications and did I like dressing up and going to parties. He hoped I didn't get too drunk too often and wasn't into drugs and group sex..."

"Group sex," Lorna said weakly.

"I hope you told him you weren't a virgin," Bess said.

"Yes he didn't ask so I told him."

"Oh dear, coffee anyone?" Lorna asked, looking at the empty coffee carafe.

Lydia went to bed that night, her mind in an uproar. She was too young to marry but she didn't want to lose the man she'd only just found and he seemed to want her.

Oh what a mess.

How could it resolve?

Time, said her mind. 

Lydia was unsure whether to call Conrad when he called, where to call him Conrad or start more formally and call him Mr Fitzgerald? Oh she was so wet behind the ears. But this mild turmoil would be nothing her mom would be going through. Her mom would have been expecting Mr Fitzgerald, er Conrad, to go for Nell, the best looking woman in the family. Um the best looking face. It was Lydia who had the best figure, the best personality and related to strangers best and that was why she'd seduced Conrad by her superior persona and body, giving Nell the lesson that looks were not everything and if she didn't eat so much she too could have a lithe body and perhaps still retain most of her breast development. 

Ah, but was mommy dear shocked? Lydia was widely acknowledged even beyond the family for her agile brain and worldliness and seemingly limitless knowledge. Lydia was also the romantic of the family. Put those things all together and mommy dear would have seen a mile off her youngest daughter would have enchanted the bride-seeking hopeful. But wait, there was something strange here. Conrad was good looking with a charming persona. At university cock-seeking wenches would have surrounded him or more refined young woman prepared to do anything to try to win more favorable marks. His mom would only have to click her fingers at her girl friends to say her son needed a female to date and daughter's would have been lined up for his mom's selection.

Lydia was almost asleep when it hit her: Ohmigod, could it be Conrad Fitzgerald was a romantic, that it appealed to him more finding a wife through an advertisement inserted by an anxious mother of three daughters than to fall between the legs of a likely candidate in his car parked behind a bar who had been selected via his mother? 

When would he call her?

Would Conrad ever call her?

Was he in a bar somewhere right now telling his drunken pals how he'd duped a mother and her three pathetic daughters into thinking he was looking for a bride and would like to choose one of them? Oh not the mother of course.

Sleep came to Lydia.

CHAPTER 2

Dr Harold Rush, already dressed, came into the bedroom dragging the house phone on half a mile of extension cord, perhaps that length was shorter.

"Lydia wake up, this call's for you. Some guy who calls himself Conman."

Lydia took the phone and stretched. "Hi Conrad."

"What is the size of your breasts?"

"W-what?"

"And how tall are you."

"Thirty-four B and five foot ten and a half."

"Thank you. I've decided to change one of my characters in my novel to reflect you and your personality. That will give her star quality. At present she is far too insipid."

"I don't wish to be portrayed in your novel thank you very much."

"Is your name Clara Fisher?"

"No and you know it's not."

"Well the character we have been talking about is Clara Fisher. Like you she is not married but unlike you she is thirty-one, has twin boys aged two and is a forensic scientist. Do you see the connection?"

"No."

"Then your admit you are not being portrayed in my novel?"

"Well you have been persuasive so yes. Why are you waking me at this ungodly hour?"

"It's just gone 7:00. Only shift-workers and people home from debauched activity need to be sleeping at this hour."

Lydia giggled.

"Ah that sounds like the charmer I met yesterday. I'm coming out to collect you and take you to college."

"I go by bus."

"It that compulsory?"

"No of course not."

"Then why have you rejected my offer?"

Lydia thought about that. "I suppose it's because I'm shy of you and think you'll be thinking I'm too young for you."

"You shouldn't and you're not."

"Well that's a relief."

"You understood that meant well you shouldn't be shy of me and you're not too young for me?"

"Yes. Am I to take it you are used to women without a brain?"

He laughed so loud Lydia had to pull the phone hand piece from her ear.

"You're a wit Lydia."

"I'm pleased I amuse you. Arrive here at 7:45. I'll be waiting at the gate and then take me to a coffee shop in Newton and talk to me what you like about sex. I need to be at college by 8:50."

"That's not much time to talk about sex," he murmured. 

She laughed and cut the call after saying he could deliver in installments.

* * *

Conrad was apprehensive. Although society was into the seventies one still was expected to act with proprietary with a young woman, more so if she still lived at home with her family.

Shaving and dressing quickly, Conrad hurried out after patting Sophie goodbye and opening the door of the garage patted affectionately the butt of his 2-door red roadster, a Spider 1600 Junior, and roared off to meet ... er his destiny... er Lydia he thought, remembering her name. The name appeal to him, as did she although she was embarrassingly young. Her mother probably named her after Lydia Bennett, the youngest of the sisters in Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'.

Ah yes, that probably was very true. He remembered a line from the book of Lydia talking to her oldest sister, 'Lord, how ashamed I should be of not being married before three and twenty."

Hmmmm.

Conrad saw Lydia waiting at the gate. Oh-oh. He'd kept her waiting and would now receive a dark look. But she presented a bright smile and said nothing about being kept waiting.

"Oh this is a dear wee car, so suited to you."

Huh?

But females never spoke about cars except to asked how much it cost or did it have a heater and in the case of his car could he put on the soft top.

Conrad noted she was wearing a beret so probably would not complain about wind in her hair.

"Do I kiss you? My sisters will be looking out windows."

"Yes, of definitely," he said, attempting to speak romantically. He held his lips forward and was kissed sweetly. 

"You do feel old enough to have sex with an old man like me?"

"Is age a consideration?" she smiled and looked ahead as if telling him she was ready to go.

"Oh the coffee shop? Well here we go."

He floored the gas pedal and could tell she loved the car. She glanced at him, eyes smiling and looked disappointed when he lifted his foot to keep within a speed that would not attract attention, particularly with a cop hungry to write citation notices. Outside town limits he floored the pedal briefly and was delighted when Lydia took off her beret and shook her hair free and yelled, "I love the feeling of wind through my hair."

Oh god, what an amazing young woman. If she were good at sex he'd really consider marrying her if they were still together when she graduated. She was obviously family oriented and would want children and would be great with them... but it was impossible to know what women think.

"Do you want children?" he called above the noise of the engine and whistle of wind.

"They are unlikely since we've not had sex."

For a brief moment the car almost veered off the road.

When the waitress taking their order had walked away and Conrad scratched the back of his neck wondering what to say, about anything, Lydia said, "I did tell you I wasn't a virgin."


Big Girls Sometimes Cry



Conrad who had a bit of a reputation as an accomplished seducer fought to keep his mouth from gaping and said, "This is a nice place."

"God Conrad, you've probably had hundreds of women. You suggested talking sex so talk to me about it."

Ah, he was back on track. "Lydia if you can recall correctly I said when we were at the coffee shop you could talk to me what you like about sex."

She placed an index finger on the tip of her nose and contemplated and then said she thought he'd had a faulty memory of what he'd said or else had decided to twist his recall. But it didn't matter. 

"Well first a confession. I am relatively inexperienced because sex for me has been more sporadic than frequent."

"I see, brief encounters like ships passing in the night?"

She giggled and said yes, but with infrequent sailings.

"Just how frequent would you prefer?"

"With you I'd have to say hourly."

Conrad looked at her gravely and in relief saw the corners of a smile lurking.

"You're a fucking tease," he smiled and grinned when she turned anxiously to look round and then back at him and said, "Should not that language be reserved for private situations rather than in a public place like this with people breakfasting?"

"Yes you are so right."

She sighed in relief and he thought that was the end of that when she rebounded.

"I suspect you are a naughty man. I've read about lovers talking dirty to one another. Will you do that to me when we are established firmly as lovers, um, if you do wish to take up with me?"

"Your mother's advertisement focused on matrimony and did not appear to be a procurement designed to produce sex-oriented men for her daughters' pleasure."

Lydia's face turned bright pink. "Ohmigod, I've been carried away. I am so sorry."

"No it's fine. I want you to be how you are and for you to see me the same way. It is quite proper for you to talk about and explore boundaries as part of the wooing process."

"Wooing is rather an archaic word in this age of licentious reasoning isn't it?"

Conrad was impressed. "So you think we live in a licentious age?"

"I think so and hope it's the age I'm living in otherwise I'd be a phony sitting here and talking to you in this... this..."

"Licentious manner?"

"Oh yes, thank you. You mind is quick for a male."

Contra thought he was being flattered rather than insulted as being of male gender but he'd need to reflect on that.

"Tell me what you feel when the male member inserts into your vagina."

Lydia's face was scarlet as she counseled Conrad to keep his voice down. "I also think that is a conversation for in a parked car or in a bedroom."

"Well frankly I don't. You are fully aware I'm a literary person. All I am doing is engaged on research for my novel."

Lydia gaped at him and then burst into laughter. "I can't believe how interesting you are. Conversation with you is akin to being on a roller coaster. You take me all over the place and virtually tie me in knots."

"Some people call me plain boring."

"Oh yeah. I bet women just roll over for you."

"Well that's correct about one of them, Sophie."

Lydia's expression remained fixed. "Is she your current girlfriend?"

"Sophie is my aunt's spaniel. She rolls over for me to pat her tummy."

Lydia screamed in laughter until becoming aware she was disturbing other people in the coffee shop.

"That was so funny," she tittered. "I need you..."

"To stroke your tummy?"

"... to take me to the college now otherwise I'll be late."

"Oh god, the time," Conrad said, jumping up. "Being with you has been like standing on a beach with the tide running out. Our time has galloped away on us."

"Those metaphors are mixed but endearing. Thank you. We must meet again."

"Damn right."

Lydia laughed and took Conrad's arm and they left, the atmosphere in the coffee shop declining into yawning normality again.

In the car, ignoring the admiring look of late-arriving day students, Lydia leant over and kissed Conrad and placed his hand on the left side of her chest.

"What do you feel?"

"I'm tempted to say a very firm nipple but know I'm expected to say a heart beating fast so I say the latter."

"Good boy. You are marked double A. Be here just after 3:30 and take me to meet Sophie."

"It's a date, possibly the first time I've ever been dated by a female."

Lydia kissed him again and said she hoped he'd have a very productive day writing. "Just as a cock enters my cunt I feel and almost hear a hundred bells sounding."

She jumped out and left Conrad gaping. He stalled the car when failing to rev the motor sufficiently before working the shift lever. She heard the curse as he restarted and drove off smoothly.

Brenda Johnston said to her, "Oh is that your father?"

"No, just an older guy after a virgin Brenda but you won't recall that status, being so long ago."

"Bitch," grinned Brenda, taking Lydia's arm as they walked to their first lecture of the new day.

After making coffee and scratching Sophie's belly, Conrad sat at the desk in the studio and scrolled back to the page when he had left a paragraph marked as unfinished.

He began writing. 

- - - -

Highly aroused Clara tensed as she felt Jason's sleek cock at the entrance of her vagina. She'd jerked his member and he'd fingered her until both of them were dripping.

Clara lacked depth in sexual experience but knew if she could gain control of Jason through sex she'd have him at her side for sometime and would get all the sex she wanted.

Hourly?

Steady on Clara, she giggled silently.

She purred, 'Send it in deeply Jason and let's fuck till we're legless.'

Incredibly because she was pulsating in high emotion, as the cock entered her cunt Clara imagined she'd been transported and her arrival at the golden citadel was greeted by a thousand bells ringing. Her walls closed around Jason's penis with caressing softness and he grunted, 'Oh boy does your cunt have class baby'.

Delighted, Clara grabbed his butt and pulled, determined to get him in so deeply he'd experience the sensation of having his balls chasing the head of his cock'.

Ecstasy began to carry Clara away and her recall would prove rather patchy after that.

- - - -

Conrad read what he'd just written and grinned. He'd not tone it down. He'd leave it to his editor who'd accepted his publishing proposal to underline the bits she wanted edited down and to remind him they weren't publishers of underground porn novels. However in this age of Hippies what had been considered as unacceptable in mainstream literature was being liberalized. Anyway if his editor had been properly fucked she might recall when her sex life has picked up all those years ago she may have experienced what Clara had felt as Jason had at last got a decent run at her.

* * *

Twice Conrad had brought Lydia to the house before taking her home and they had petted, watch by Sophie.

But on this third occasion a Wednesday, sports afternoon, a college friend had dropped Lydia off at the house.

She and Conrad had coffee and petted and when Lydia said huskily, "Take Sophie outside and let her roam," 

Conrad knew what that was about. He almost felt he could trip over his erection in his haste to get the dog outside.

He sauntered back into the living room and faked it. "More coffee?"

Lydia's eyes, appearing huge and luminous, and they raked him. She looked intently at the bulge in his pants. She had touched it a few times but had not unzipped him. She patted the sofa beside her and Conrad responded obediently. What followed would partly be incorporated into the seduction of the heroine in his novel who was Clara's best friend.

"I feel hot."

He teased, "I'll open a window."

But as he began to stand he was pulled down and Lydia's tongue went deeply into his mouth, much farther than ever before. She grabbed his hand and slammed it against a boob and it felt larger than usual and she groaned when his thumb rolled over the taut nipple. She reached behind and fumbled with her bra one-handed.

She was hot all right.

He placed a hand between her knees as he often had done but this time, instead of closing, they opened and as his hand reached a stocking top and played with it Conrad felt her saliva run into his mouth as they tongued in flickers.

Hot all right and ripe for it.

He then heard one of the greatest sounds known to man... the sound of his zip being opened.

She squeezed his balls and then squeezed his cock and queried: "Your underpants are wet. Do you need to pee?"

"It's called pre-cum."

"What does before coming mean?"

"My cock is automatically lubing in preparation for inserting into your cunt."

"Oh god, how dramatically romantic."

"Eh?"

"Don't you see? Your cock knows what it is about to do and that means it's true what women says about a man's cock being connected to his brain."

"Suck it," Conrad groaned.

"Will I like the taste of your cum? I've not liked other samples."

"It's like rice or wine darling. The tastes are acquired."

"But rice has no taste."

"Nor does cum if the female is aroused sufficiently."

"Am I aroused sufficiently?"

"You're smoking hot baby but shut up and live the action."

Conrad dug his fingers into a tit and buried his mouth against her neck.

Lydia remained motionless, a hand still resting on his erection under his briefs.

"What is it?"

"I'm uncertain about how to live the action."

"Oh sorry. I overlooked your inexperience. It's just like kissing. You close your eyes and enjoy the kiss don't you, without thinking about shopping or whether your feet smell fresh?"

"You mean relax and go with the flow?"

"Yes exactly."

"Conrad please dig it out for me."

"No you do it and learn the technique. Just ease it out gently over the top of my briefs, taking care not to bend it or bury it in clothing and then trying to yank it free."

"Why don't you wait for it to be free from clothing before making it erect?"

"Because it's the way it thinks. It thinks Lydia's cunt has a great need for me, snap to full attention you slacker."

"If we fucked hourly you'd have a constant erection when you walked around between fucks."

"Theoretically that would be correct but the way things work after a couple of hours or so at that rate of fucking I would be incapable of walking."

"Oh aren't women superior to men in every way?"

"Careful darling, I'm capable of fucking you so you couldn't walk for a day and might waddle for up to a week. All this talk means I'm beginning to lose my erection."

"Oh sorry. When will we do it?"

"When you get my cock out and stop talking and suck it; that will mean the first principal step of the invasion of your vagina."

"Invasion? God you make sex sound so exciting." 

Conrad lay on his back, hand over his ears, aware his erection had crumbled.

"Oh this is much better being flaccid, that's the word for it isn't it. Oooh, it's slipped out so easily and is so warm in my hand. I'll stimulate it by sucking it flaccid like this. Oooh, it's growing in my hand. Oh Conrad this is amazing, truly amazing. It lives. Oh Conrad you called me darling just a minute ago. I fuck men who call me darling."

"Not all men I hope. Your father might call you darling."

"Now Conrad, there is no need to be disgusting. I meant the guy of the moment who's become very special to me."

"Just get your mouth around it baby and shut up, go with the flow."

"Yes master."

"Oooh, it's jumped into jumbo size. Here I go with the flow."

As they neared the Fitzgerald's home Conrad said, "Your family will know you've been fucked."

"How can they? I had a bath and feel dry down there?"

"You hair's in a mess, you are highly flushed and look er highly satisfied."

"No problem. I'll counter any impression of excessive sex."

The family was waiting for them to begin dinner.

"You look flushed Lydia," Lorna worried. "Are you okay?"

Her two sisters looked at Lydia and giggled. 

Conrad cringed.

"Yes mother. It's just that I have been so stimulated. Coming along the last straight of highway before town Conrad hit one hundred miles an hour."

Her father Walter asked Conrad, "Is that a safe speed?"

"Any speed beyond stationary had some degree of danger sir. But my car is build for speed, is in great mechanical condition being near-new and it was only a short burst before we dropped back to legal limit. It's just that Lydia wished to... er... experience high speed and the wind through her hair."

"So the flush wasn't a legacy of sex."

"Bess!" cried her mother.

The women all giggled and the two men looked at each other and shook their heads in unspoken agreement about the scattiness of women.

CHAPTER 3

Conrad's book 'Medora's Gifted Hands' was published and sold reasonable well because many women will read almost anything about medical matters and the heroine was a leading surgeon but Conrad could not interest his publisher into accepting a second proposal and the story outline failed with other publishers. He decided to return to academic life and was accepted back at his old university as an assistant professor.

Lydia decided to go with him and that caused family grief.

Her mother took her aside.

"I realize you and Conrad have been having sex..."

"How could you possibly realize that mother?"

"Because young women have that special look immediately after sex and I agree it's similar to driving in fast cars but the real give-away is how the woman looks at her man, just like your sisters are now doing with their choice of man attracted by that newspaper advisement."

"But by the noise going on in their bedrooms we know they are having sex."

"Yes dear and thank you for sparing me that embarrassment. I take it you and Conrad have not done it in my house?"

"Correct mother."

"I will consent to you going off with Conrad on two conditions: One that you are married to him and two you promise to complete your degree."

"No problem mother. His aunt arrives home in two weeks; we'll get married after she returns from Europe."

After a honeymoon in Canada, Conrad and Lydia went to Denver and lived in university accommodation. There, soon pregnant, Lydia completed her degree.

Conrad and Lydia had three children, the longest gap between them being twenty months. So at the ripe old age of twenty-six Lydia was mother of three babies, one a boy.

Mostly delightful times followed and with promotion to a professorship and author of twenty-seven academic papers and co-author of the book with noted feminist Dr Ruth Slyfied, 'Literary Heroes Who Dumped Notable Heroines', Conrad and family lived in a stand-alone university house on campus. He traveled widely on short-term appointments as a visiting professor and to give lectures as a celebrated speaker on "Current Literary Trends in English and French Literature."

Twelve years on, not far off her thirty-ninth birthday, the unsuspecting Lydia and Conrad increased their family by one.

Lydia's mother Lorna, a widow by then, moved in to assist with the children and perhaps as to be expected, little Bella was spoilt rotten by grandma and the child's much older siblings.

Lydia pulled out the old story books as Bella turned two and mother, grandma and the two sisters took turns reading the tot about the heroines of storybook literature up to four hours a day. Bella's mother was determined that Bella should have the romantic children she'd been blessed with and her own daughters Zara and Silver had received. Her son Gray had appeared to puke whenever fairy stories were read to him and he eventually found a small taste of literature via comics.

Alas, all this closeted attention seemed to turn Bella into the city's Number One brat. She took great delight in ripping heirloom storybooks apart and drawing on her romantic bedroom wallpaper with crayons stolen from her sister's childhood treasure boxes. The brat hit pre-school and her mother was asked to leave with Bella within two hours of arriving. Bella was banned for two weeks although the senior supervisor was too diplomatic to use the word ban... "I suggest you return with Bella in say, let me see, oh in two weeks Mrs Fitzgerald."

On the second day of restarting Lydia was called to take home "your hair-pulling and tantrum kicking and screaming child. Thank you Mrs Fitzgerald."

So until she turned six Bella received home tuition.

Lydia sat with Bella all day at her first day at school and played with her on the floor. For Bella it was just like being at home except other kids were around.

Next day as soon as Lydia left Bella began walking around pulling hair and pushing boys over. Then she looked up into the face of old Miss Clayton, a teacher who'd learned years ago the way to reform a wayward child was not via a cookie jar.

Miss Clayton bared her teeth, pulling her lips right back. 

Lydia screamed in fright and stayed practically all day in a corner of the room, appearing semi-paralyzed.

When Lydia arrived to collect her at the end of the school day the best hugs and kisses she'd ever received from Bella were greatly enjoyed.

"Oh have you missed me darling?"

Bella burst into tears and held on to her mom like grim death.

Next morning Lydia couldn't get Bella out of bed.

Frantically she called her mom who now lived close to them in Denver.

Lorna arrived and noted the look of terror in the child's eyes at the mention of school.

"You run off to the supermarket darling," Lorna said to her daughter. "Bella is just a little off color, that's all."

As soon as Lydia had left Lorna said, "You are getting dressed and coming to school with me Bella or I'll set you on fire with a curse."

Bella appeared to toss up which was the worst fate and then decided to go to school.

"Miss Clayton, my granddaughter appears to have lost her confidence about this school. Have you mistreated her?"

"Oh Mrs Rush, how can you say that? I love all children."

"Do you mind if I stay and observe?"

"Not at all."

"Bella go with Miss Clayton and do what she says. If you don't I'll set you alight."

Rather than look horrified, Miss Clayton looked at the older woman in admiration. "You obviously are a parent from the old school Mrs Rush."

"There are times when only extreme measures are appropriate Miss Clayton. My guess is you have the knowledge but in Bella's case you over did it a little."

Bella went like a lamb to the cupboard where Miss Clayton not only pulled out the cookie jar but also allowed Bella to choose which cookie she wanted. The other children watched in awe and from that moment Bella was accepted as Queen Bee in the room and her behavior improved somewhat.

Bella's grief over the death of Grandma Lorna took the longest to subside of all the family. This bewildered her mother because Lydia thought a week for a child to get over a death seemed almost excessive but with Bella it was almost three months.

Not long after that Conrad's parents will killed in a small airplane crash and almost overnight the family acquired real wealth. He resigned and the family returned to Newton where Conrad ordered the building of a mansion, the most expensive residence, by far the most substantial residence in the city at that time. 

Conrad returned to writing fulltime, as did Lydia. Her books became good sellers but Conrad struggled to find mainstream readership until the publication of his first novel about two gay guys who lived as if they were a married couple. The novel took the market by storm and Lydia was so happy for him although Conrad's success cost her a few friends but gay women suddenly became very friendly. Lydia began writing about gay women who lived like husband and wife and her book received rave reviews and was published in five languages. She appeared on TV and on radio and became something of a celebrity in magazines, being a female writer then a little ahead of her time although by no means the first to head down that track but then she was being perceived as being a 'normal' married woman who had the courage to venture down that unsavory track.




Big Girls Sometimes Cry



Their oldest child Gray, who gained the notion he was in a dysfunctional family, married at the age of nineteen just as his mother and grandmother had done, and that got him out of home. He and his fellow student wife lived with her parents. 

Gray's sisters were both twenty when they married.

A big shock occurred for Lydia when the high school principal called her to the school. It seemed Bella had gone into the boy's toilet and measured guys' dicks with a ruler.

Lydia was mortified, feeling that had been the most unromantic misdemeanor in Bella's entire life. She took the suspended Bella home and they rowed and then Bella sent Lydia into her biggest shock ever when Bella lied to her about the time Grandma Lorna had threatened to set her on fire.

"You liar, you fucking liar. Oh god I'm sending you to some sort of reform school." 

Terrified at the thought of being incarcerated with a bunch of rampant lesbians, Bella screamed, "I sorry mom, I've been such a stupid bitch lying to you like that"

Bella was so relieved that her mom 'bought' that. She went screaming and sobbing in her mom's arms and Lydia was sobbing too.

Conrad came out to see what the commotion was and scurried away when his daughter lied and said, "I got angry because mom bought me the wrong brand of sanitary pads." 

* * *

Conrad still smarted about his son claiming he was escaping a dysfunctional family. He should have taken Gray to show him what dysfunctional families were really like. He knew of a couple pf prime examples. Bella was to blame for that. In face Bella was to blame for most of what went wrong in the household. Really he ought to acknowledge she was a right little bitch but, he sighed, she was his daughter.

Well it was too late now to do what he should have done from the outset, put down his foot as a father and demanded discipline, especially from the disruptive Bella. The older kids had flown from the nest and Bella was now behaving a bit better and seem to be relating quite well to Lydia, but not before time. Christ Lydia had bent over backwards attempting to accommodate Bella and her errant ways. Thank god she was improving.

That night Lydia told Conrad about Bella being suspended from school and the reason for it.

He went to leap out of bed, almost foaming at the mouth and yelling, "Right that bitch is out of here. Lydia managed to restrain him, pulling at his arm, and Conrad submitted because he knew he couldn't deal with such a crisis being in a rage.

"This is what we have to do," said Lydia.

"Bella is suspended for a fortnight and then there will be a review by the school. I have contacted all the mothers. Some were angry and some thought it was such a giggle. I pleaded to all of them for tolerance and to discuss this with their husbands, adding Bella had done it as a dare and also because her girlfriends were interested. I said it was important for us that our daughter graduated and said we would be generous to the school if no further action was taken and Bella's suspended was lifted."

"Just how generous?"

Lydia said, "That's up to you darling. I didn't elaborate. That stupid young bitch."

"She's our daughter," Conrad said, although are it was necessary to remind his wife of that. "Are you aware none of our children adopted your romantic notions?"

"Very much aware darling. I tried and I failed and accept that. I guess my notions were outdated and I was among the last of the believers."

"I'm truly sorry darling and say our children with the exception of Bella have grown to make us proud of them."

Lydia cuddled Conrad and said, "Darling it's too early to write Bella off. Bide your time before judgment, huh?"

"Well if you insist," he said, reaching down to part the fifty-six year old furrow.

"Oooh. You have remembered its alternative use?"

He chuckled.

Resting after one of the best fucks he'd had for quite sometime, Conrad thought about himself, his parents, his own family and mortality and sighed. Eventually the thought came that left him very happy. But it had to wait till the outcome of Bella's suspension review.

* * *

Bella with her parents appeared before a committee of the school board.

The chairwoman said, "Bella, despite your appalling behavior at times that recently reached a new peak, you have performed brilliantly academically and your teachers speak highly of you. But we still have misgivings despite receiving letters from the parents of all five boys that they have no wish to take this matter further, that they will abide by the board's decision. Whatever this committee decides our recommendation must go before the full board."

Bella began weeping, but she stood between her parents, back straight.

"What have you to say about this young woman?"

"Mrs Marsh, members of the committee." Bella began tentatively, flicking at her eyes. "I erred in my judgment and have fallen, taking my exuberance and risk-taking one step to far. I am sorry, ever so sorry that I have risked harming the reputation of my school. It will be harmed if this gets out. I am repentant but I pose as a liability to this school. You have no option but to kick me out."

Lydia was spellbound, realizing for this first time her youngest was an actress of some talent to be able to lie like that. She new her daughter well enough that no way did Bella wish to leave school.

"Thank you Bella," Mrs Marsh said, looking completely surprised and members of her committee were exchanging glances.

"Mrs Fitzgerald?"

"My husband will speak for both of us."

"Mr Fitzgerald?"

"Chairman Marsh, board members. Right from the time as a baby my daughter has exhibit behavioral problems. It's in her nature as if it's a counter-reaction to her mother who I believe is one of the softest and most romantic women one could ever expect to find. But in Bella's eighteen years this is the first example of totally unacceptable behavior. That being said, I now give you the choice: Expel Bella and I'll send her to finish her year at a private boarding school where the estimated fees will be $10,000. If she stays I'll donate that ten grand to this school's gymnasium extension fund. If the board decides that is unaccepted because it looks like a bribe then so be it. Bella is our daughter and we know she wants to stay at this school and graduate in eight months. My wife Lydia and I thank you for hearing us out and we apologize for our daughter's behavior."

"Thank you Mr Fitzgerald. Please step outside while the committee deliberates."

Bella hugged her father and then her mother and led them out.

"Sorry guys. As I've already told you I overstepped the mark but nothing I'll say will change what I have done. To tell you the truth I really don't feel repentant and that's a bit of a worry."

"Conrad don't," Lydia said. "Lashing out now won't change anything expect perhaps make Bella..."

Conrad interrupted. "I was about to say how proud of her I was when Bella told the subcommittee to kick her out."

Bella and Lydia looked at Conrad, mouths open, and the committee clerk opened the door and said, "Come in please."

"I'll make this short," said Mrs Marsh. "Please do not repeat this. The entire committee is proud that Bella had the courage to say to us we had no option but to expel her. We hope she has gained that backbone from her schooling here."

Mrs Marsh continued, "It is the unanimous recommendation of this committee that Bella's suspension be lifted immediately. A brief meeting of the board will be held at 6:00 this evening to consider that recommendation."

"Bella I will call you immediately after that meeting. I would suggest you be ready to return to school in the morning."

"Mr Fitzgerald, it is the committee's decision to make no mention of a possible donation to the school. If you wish to enact that suggestion of a donation then please approach the deputy-principal who is the appeal organizer. Thank you for your attendance and may I say this school has had the pleasure of seeing Gray, Zara, Silver and now almost Bella pass through this school and especially Bella will be leaving a real mark. Mrs Tang, our recorder from administration, informed us that Bella is on track to become one of the five top highest academic achievers this school has had in its sixty-eighty year history."

Lydia burst into tears and Bella and Conrad hugged her.

During the drive home Lydia sniffed, "But sometimes your marks have been appalling."

"Well this year for some reason I appear to have switched on mother. Perhaps it's something to do with maturity. The marks that really count are this senior year and if I do head the class of this year then Mrs Tang may well be correct. Everything I touch seems to turn golden. I'm by far the most fluent in French, my art has come ahead in leaps and bounds, I consistently excel in science and two of my essays have been entered in interschool competitions."

"You have not kept us informed."

"Sorry mother."

As they drove into the garage, Lydia said, "When you measured the penis of each male student, did you touch flesh?"

Conrad almost failed to stop the vehicle in time.

"Oh yes mother. I had to work them up into erection otherwise how could I measure true length?"

"Ohmigod," Lydia wailed. 

Conrad sat as if stupefied.

Two Saturdays later Gray, Zara and Silver were home without their spouses and Gray's baby. Gray had not been able to make it the previous Saturday for the family conference but this Saturday was okay for everyone.

There was no debate on Bella's school suspension, the reason for it and her reinstatement but Conrad said he'd donated $10,000 to the school's gymnasium fund and his wife and children applauded him.

"Let's have lunch and then I'll make a little speech and presentations," Conrad said.

After lunch ended he said, "I received a big inheritance along with my two brothers and sister when our parents' estate was finally wound up. I made a presentation to your mother some months ago and now it's appropriate to share with you guys. Bella your money will go into a trust account that will terminate on your 21st birthday. The trustee are either me or your mother and our bank's current manager at the time. Each of you is being given $300,000. So Gray, Zara and Silver here are your checks."

The children rushed to hug their father. Lydia went to the kitchen and returned with two bottles of champagne.

Lydia stood back and watched her family with satisfaction. The older children were in their early thirties and yet Bella seemed to be like one of them right now, no longer like a hanger on. Yes, it was true, she'd suddenly have appeared to have matured. The shock of being caught out measuring boys' dicks and realizing how it could humiliate her parents and harm the reputation of her school no doubt had thrust her into adulthood. But Lydia thought Bella would always be a worry for her. She seemed to lack something.

Soul?

After the others had gone Lydia went into Bella's bedroom, hugged her and gave her a check for $2000. "I decided to do this standing in that room when we you stood up, shoulders squared and said to the subcommittee they had no option but to expel you. I'd always wanted my children to grow up with romantic thoughts as my mother did for me. But none of you did and you were the worst. Indeed you were close to being the antithesis of romance."

"I'm sorry to have been such a big disappointment mother."

"You are okay; every since you were little you knew who you were and I knew you'd be your own woman. It's just I would have liked you to have a softer side. I have never forgotten my charmed life being the youngest in my family and so loved by my proud mother."

"Sorry mother."

"Well I do love you and you were so brave when told you couldn't get your hands on that money for another two and a half years."

"It's okay. Big girls don't cry."

"Oh but they do."

"Nah, they don't mom, unless they are romantic."

"Thank you for saying that darling," Lydia said sniffing.

Bella said, "You haven't told me what this two grand is for?"

"You keep interrupting."

Bella just smiled.

"Your monthly allowance is being raised from $800 a month to $2800, the extra money coming from some of the money your father gave me. I can't bear to have you feeling deprived."

"I had said it was cool mom. You know I'm a tough bitch. I'm sorry your other daughters are not romantics either. But I suggest you wait until they have babies, particularly a daughter. Romance could be in their genes, that's not the one spelt with a "J." 

Perhaps it was her growing feeling of gaining maturity. Perhaps it was the hopeful look on her mom's face when she said, "Do you really think that Bella?"

"Yes mom, I do think that," Bella lied. Well perhaps there was a chance one of the daughters would soften.

Lydia looking on Bella's study desk asked, "What's in this folder?"

"Much of my artwork for this year plus stuff I do at home instead of watching fucked-up TV."

"Darling please."

"Instead of watching TV."

"Thank you. May I have a look?"

Bella went back to doing her nails so her mom opened the folder.

The room was silent for quite sometime and then finally, "Bella, this is unbelievable."

Bella looked at the tear-streaked face of her mother. "Mom it's no big deal. All it is I seemed to have gained new feelings and well as greater expertise."

Lydia held up a fairy-tale type figure of a young blonde woman in a blue silk robe reaching to touch the wing of a giant butterfly. The 'princess' was on a mushroom. The work had been rendered meticulously.

"Then what is this young woman?"

"Oh you would have to select that one. Old Ma Perkins told the class the highest mark she'd ever awarded for a sketch was 15/20 and she was awarding me 19/20 for that work and then gave me until 4:00 next afternoon to submit what we had been asked to sketch, a moon rising. I got 12/20 for that."

"Ohmigod Bella can't you see?"

"See what?"

"Oh it doesn't matter. May I take this folder to your father?"

"Waste of time. He's never interested."

Conrad looked through the folder and closing it said, "Jesus."

"Conrad please."

"What?

"Oh it doesn't matter. We have a genius rising, haven't we?"

"Certainly looks like it. Her sketch of you is really quite amazing."

"What was the odd sketch out in that selection Conrad?"

"This one that would have made your panties wet, the Princess and the Butterfly."

"Oh I'm so glad you noticed. She is going to have a romantic side to her Conrad. This is the very first sign of it emerging."

"I thought you'd say something like that."

"You'll probably get good sex tonight because of that."

"That's okay, um very okay, but the best thing is seeing you happy about her. You've always wanted her to be like you."

"That's not true," Lydia lied. "My aspirations for my daughters have always been shared evenly."

"Pull the other toe darling. Jesus it's been a long wait for you and it's not here yet, I mean not completely."

"That is a very sharp observation for a male," Professor Fitzgerald.

"Coaxed out of me only because of your sensitive and loving nature."

"God darling, don't you turn romantic on me. Look the week after next I'd like to take Bella to this adult education advanced writer's course where I'm one of the principal presenters. It coincides with her school break."

"She'll have plans."

"I never pressure her to do anything for me so she'll yield."

"Want to bet?"

"A thousand bucks."

"Wow, serious are we?"

"She will Conrad, I think she's reached the stage where she'd ready to accept she owes us."

"A stage that has taken her eighteen years. Wow!"

CHAPTER 4

Driving back from the four-day workshop Lydia said, "Was that guy Owen Smith you were hanging about with screwing you?"

"Yes as a matter of fact he was mommy."

"God Bella you are only eighteen."

"What age were you when you began fucking mom?"

"Oh look, there's a white horse."

They broke into laughter and Lydia flushed in pleasure when told by her daughter she was all right.

"I'm changing my planned degree course from Business Studies mom. I'll take English Lit slash Writing but will also take Computer Science as a backstop."

"I approve, especially with that backstop. Few people really succeed at writing." 

Bella graduated from high school as top student, taking the top awards for English, writing, art and French plus a trophy for being captain of the B-side hockey team that had won its interschool zone final.

Later that day she stood beside her weeping mother, holding her hand, as Conrad hailed as 'A magnificent donor to the school' had been invited up to cut the tape at the entrance to the new extension to the school gym.

All in all, it marked a great era of the Fitzgerald family's association with that high school.

From that day Bella's much closer association with her mother began to decline.

First Bella arrive home with a lanky guy with bowed hairy legs that Lydia was embarrassed at been seen with when they went to the restaurant. Only smooth talking by Conrad had they gotten him into the restaurant because Leon wasn't wearing socks and shorts were frowned on.

Lydia and daughter had a fight when Lydia told Bella to get a worthwhile guy. Lydia and Leon left next day, refusing to say where they were going.

"What could they do elsewhere that they couldn't do here?" Conrad asked.

"Rut," Lydia snapped, slamming the door behind her.

The next guy Bella showed up with was a couple of rungs up the ladder and because of Conrad's warning not to criticize, when Bella asked what did they think of Jerry and neither of her parents could think of what to say that would be considered safe, all Bella said was, "Well his mother probably likes him."

That was the last they saw of Jerry and of Bella for quite a while.

During the next college break Bella turned up with a music major called Fergus McDuff.

He looked much better and Lydia made sure Bella saw her kiss Fergus.

"What do you think of Fergus mother?"

"I like him." He's a definite improvement but playing a guitar, I ask you."

"He happens to play the piano, trumpet and flute mother but that will fail to impress you. I bet if I said he played the bagpipes you'd be into his bed."

Lydia raised her hand to slap Bella and let it fall.

Bella sneered, "So the romantic doesn't have the guts to slap her daughter to bring her into line?"

Lydia packed a bag and stayed a three nights with each of her other daughters and returning home was told Lydia and Fergus had left that morning.

"Knowing I was coming home?"

Conrad said gravely, "Knowing you were on the way home."

"Jesus Conrad, I'm fucking up my life with my daughter," Lydia shrieked and left the room, slamming the door.

Conrad would have been aware he'd never before heard Lydia speak like that.

They didn't see Bella again until her commencement day. Lydia was surprised to be invited. She went almost fearfully but just as Conrad said it was fine. Bella kissed her quite warmly and asked how she'd been keeping.

"Fine thank you but I have been missing you dreadfully."

"I know. We are just going through a bad patch mother. Just be patient. It will unravel."

"What will unravel?"

"Our bad patch. I don't know how but it will."

"When?"

"I have no idea."

During one of the intervals between degree presentations, the college orchestra took to the stage and Lydia and Conrad noted Fergus was playing electric guitar.

Halfway through the orchestra fell away and he played a stunning solo and then the orchestra came back to join him in a haunting finale.

The MC announced, "We thank the orchestra for that beautiful piece of music. Our soloist of this inter-college prizewinning piece of original music was Fergus MacDonald. Fergus is the composer of that piece he's named, 'Northern Lights Over Arctic'.




Big Girls Sometimes Cry



It was Lydia standing and clapping that led to a standing ovation.

Six weeks later Fergus married Bella at a beautiful wedding. 

Lydia was so proud of them and knew it had been the best wedding she'd ever attended.

But relations between mother and daughter remained strained, not helped when Bella had mentioned to her father than a lot of her $300,000 had been invested in Fergus's career.

When Lydia kissed Bella as the couple were leaving on their honeymoon she said: How are you holding up for money?"

"We are fine. I'm writing in my spare time on a project and working on a good salary as an illustrator."

Lydia thought it best not to pry. "You will call me if you need a monthly allowance to resume. I have plenty of money."

"Oh thank you mom," Bella said, hugging her but still appearing detached.

"Promise to ask if you need money, even if we're not talking."

Bella looked at Lydia deeply and said, "You really mean that don't you?"

Lydia choked up and nodded and Bella was gone.

Only then did she realize what the problem was: Bella had assumed because she'd rejected Bella's choice of men she'd also rejected Bella.

"Oh god," Lydia groaned, falling to her knees.

A guest Larry Watt helped her to her feet. "Slipped or are you drunk Lydia?" he laughed, covering her face with beer fumes.

Three months after the wedding Conrad yelled, "Come an look at this; it's amazing."

Lydia hurried to the snug and sat on Conrad's knee.

"It's an arts program and the presenter has just announced American Fergus McDuff will be shown conducting an orchestra in Norway playing the world premiere of his brilliant composition, 'Northern Lights Over Arctic'.

"The hard drive, record it on hard drive," Lydia shrieked. 

Fergus pressed a couple of buttons on a hand piece and said, "We are recording."

It was a huge orchestra and on a side screen played a film showing gulls flying over ice, trawlers fishing and a close up of some polar bears playing and then the majesty of whales broaching.

"Oh this is magnificent," Lydia whispered. "It's such a large orchestra."

The screen showed the northern lights, scenes of almost indescribable beauty.

"The scenic filming has been synchronized to the music," Conrad whispered and his wife nodded.

The Norwegian audience gave a standing ovation and rose again when the conductor came back with his arm around Fergus McDuff and introduced him.

After checking that the recording had been successful, Lydia called Bella.

"Where are you?"

"Oh hi stranger, at home."

"You father and I have just seen Fergus on TV?"

"Oh."

"Oh what?"

"I was going to call you he was going to appear but decided that might upset you."

Lydia fell to the floor wailing.

Conrad picked up the phone and asked what had happened.

Lydia told him. 

"Come home and we'll sort this out."

"Can't dad, I'll about to leave for New York. Be watching NBC news tonight. I'll be on live and probably there will be a clip on Fergus as well."

"Oh really. Are you on as the lovely wife?"

"No, my little project has become big because I've struck it lucky. Either that or I have more talent than I realize. Just make sure mom is watching."

* * *

Conrad and Lydia sat in a hug on the sofa in front of TV with the hard-drive recorder running.

Towards the end of the news there was an announcement a clip of the world premiere of Fergus's classical music composition played and he was shown smiling, acknowledging the Norwegian audiences acclamation.

After the clip finished the woman newsreader reappeared. "Well done Mr Fergus McDuff. Now here with me, by sheer coincidence I must say, is Mr McDuff's attractive and very talented wife Bella McDuff who originally hails from a small Midwest City called Newton.

"Bella's book recently published is zooming into best-seller status. Here is Bella to talk about her book."

"Hi Marcie. This little project was intended to appease my mom, the most romantic woman I know and I've dedicated this book to her."

Bella held up the book. "I love my book hugely even though I am its author and illustrator. It's called 'How I Found My Way Back to Fairyland."

"Mom and her romantic mother read my older brother and two older sisters fairy tales, hoping to give them a romantic side to their natures. Then along came me, twelve years after my next youngest sister and within a couple of year I began demolishing those precious books."

"Ohmigod," cried the newsreader, shown with her hand over her mouth.

"Yes I was a little thug."

"And so this publication is actually a huge apology to your mother, who incidentally is the successful novelist Lydia Fitzgerald,"

"Yes Lydia. Even her name is romantic. Mom please forgive me and accept this dedication as my effort at redemption."

"I've read the book to my daughter," said the newsreader. "It is so sweet and very original and those sketches must have taken you hundreds of hours?"

"Yes time that placed me into near exhaustion because I had a day job as an illustrator. At times I wilted but my husband Fergus provided me with the love and support to keep on with the grind, saying he was returning the effort when I stood by him when he was struggling at times with his epic composition."

"The heroine Lydia, named after your mother of course. And her daughters Silver and Zara are just names that appealed?"

"No they are real names, my sisters names. My husband and I plan to start a family and our choice for a girl is Kismet."

"Oh how gorgeous. Thank you Bella. We all await your next literary success."

"Thank you."

Conrad rocked Lydia in his arms. "So that's what she meant when she said it would unravel?"

"I would think so. But there's more. They not only plan a family but Bella is already pregnant."

"But you haven't been speaking to her."

"I can tell just be looking at here she's pregnant although she's not showing yet."

Lydia played the recording three times and then went to bed.

Conrad was watching a thriller on DVD when the phone went.

"Hi dad."

"Oh hi baby. We watched you on TV. We just loved it."

"Thanks, I'm on the way to the airport to meet Fergus's incoming flight.

"That's great. Your mom is asleep but I'll wake her. She'd kill me if I don't. Here we go. Wake up Lydia, it's Bella."

"Hi darling. That was some redemption. The book looks magnificent and I am so humble you dedicated it to me. You are very, very talented and we are so proud of you."

"We'll come to you when we leave here in two or three days. I am involved in promos."

"Well just make sure you don't get over tired and stay off alcohol."

"Why's that?"

"You can't fool mommy darling. Little Kismet is on the way."

Big girl Bella, now developing a softer center, burst into tears, proving that big girls can cry.

THE END