24 comments/ 42648 views/ 20 favorites My Little Witch By: past_perfect "Mummy, let's go." The kids were getting restless. As much as they had enjoyed the party at Sharon's house, they were looking forward to the trick or treat bit. Sharon smiled somewhat exasperated. I suppose she was happy that her contribution to the day was coming to a close now also. It had been a long day already, a long week for that matter. Halloween was an imported holiday I still couldn't relate to properly, but of course the kids loved it. It had been not been easy to make a proper costume for Darlene, my five-year-old daughter, out of nothing. Now she was sporting the witch costume with pride, although she kept ignoring my explanations as to what the broom was for and started sweeping surreptitiously whenever she felt unwatched. I didn't know where she got that from, I am certainly not houseproud and her father is anything but that. Her father ... Robert. It had been two years since we split up, half a year now that the divorce was through. I had learned from my solicitor that he was in prison two weeks earlier. As if my life hadn't been difficult enough already. I got laid off from my part-time office job half a year ago, when they started restructuring the company I had worked for during the past three years, so the sole source of income was gone. Back on unemployment benefit I had only the intermittent alimony payments from Robert to make a difference. It wasn't that he didn't want to pay, but he could never hold on to a job for longer than a few months. Not that he wasn't a good worker, he just couldn't keep his big mouth shut; he never could. He was a good man, really, and he loved Darlene as much as I did. I was getting suspicious when he started increasing the payments out of his own volition and had hoped he could hold on to that obviously well-paid job for once -- just to learn that he had been fired and on top been imprisoned for embezzlement. I was still trying to make up my mind whether I should visit him in prison. After all we had been through together, after all the heart-break, the financial disaster we had created together, the pain, the anger, the agony of separation and the certainty that we would not get back together again ever, I still loved him. I escorted the bunch of effervescent kids to the first houses, where they said their piece in exchange for their first sweets. Looking at those bright starry eyes of my little angel, I could forget all the trouble for a few moments, her exuberance was infectious. For a few precious moments I could forget the debts, the sleepless nights; the rejection letters from countless job applications. The sad little eyes when we passed something in the supermarket that she liked, but I couldn't afford. She was a great kid though, never complained about that; was very mature for her age. However, her sadness was getting to me, eating me from the inside. At least she would get some sweets, even that I couldn't afford lately. I felt exhausted. If it wasn't for her, I would probably not even get out of bed in the morning. Sharon and a few of my other friends tried to get me out of the house and occasionally attempted to set me up with someone, but I squirmed out of dates and appointments, incapable of focusing on myself, of allowing myself to escape that shambles of a life I desperately tried to keep together. The kids were getting tired too, after all it had been a long and exciting afternoon for them already -- Sharon had outdone herself for that Halloween party and walking about in the neighbourhood, was taking its toll also. I didn't get any protest when I suggested that we make our next target the last for the evening. My little witch rang the doorbell and took her place in the line-up, expecting their last victim for the day. The door opened and a somewhat bewildered man in his thirties stood there, his face unshaven, his hair standing on end, dark rings under the eyes, strangely magnified by his spectacles. "Trick or treat?" The man's bewilderment seemed to deepen and he appeared to be at a loss altogether. I tried very hard to remember who he was, he looked familiar and I recalled vaguely that there was some sad story attached to him, but I couldn't come up with any details. "Um ... oh ... I see ... Halloween, is it?" "I told you." The voice of the sulking boy in the background prompted my memory. His nephew: Jack. Of course. He must have been a few years older than Darlene, as he was in school already. I had heard that the man's sister had died half a year earlier and that he was taking care of her only son now, though his name still eluded me. He glanced over his shoulder and distorted his face into a pained grimace. "Darn ... Um ... we don't have any sweets I am afraid..." His eyes wandered helplessly and met mine. "Um ... Will cash do? Can I give the kids some cash instead?" "Yay." Little Peter in his skeleton costume answered the question for me. "Oh ... ok. Back in a sec." He disappeared and returned with his wallet, counted the five kids and then looked at me for confirmation. "Um ... is a fiver each all right? I haven't got the faintest idea what is appropriate here ..." "No ... that is far too much. Give them a few coins, maybe a quid each max, something like that." "Ah ... ok ... thanks ... sorry, I'm in a bit of a state today. Here you go." He gave a shiny coin to little Peter who received the treasure with big, sparkling eyes. Darlene was the last to get some coins. "Here you go ... oh, you are a witch are you? Very scary costume ..." Darlene smiled and tilted her head to the left, fixing the man before she drew her wand from her little leather belt. She tried to put on a mysterious face and pointed the wand at him. "I spell you ... that you fall in love with my mum." ---- The second phone call of the day I really didn't need. The first was from my customer, who was getting more and more shirty about the number of bugs that were still in the program, although I had told him that he would have to expect just that when asking for the implementation long before the agreed deadline. Truth be told, it would probably have been equally buggy tomorrow, since that was the original deadline. I just couldn't concentrate properly, and my work suffered. A lot. The second phone call was from Jack's teacher, alerting me to anti-social behaviour and severe disciplinary problems she was having with him. I wasn't at all surprised. Ever since his mother died, he was angry and sometimes downright rude. Maybe I was too lenient with him. Maybe it was because I understood him all too well. He had every reason to be angry. I would have been if my mother bailed out on me like that. That was not a rational thing. On that level, we were very similar I suppose. I felt the same way. Of course Chris hadn't bailed out on us. Two years ago, she had asked me if she and Jack could stay at my place for a while. I knew she was in trouble, but she refused to tell me what it was. At least not in the beginning. She had been a single parent from day one, the guy who had knocked her up died in a freak accident at the factory he was jobbing at when she was four months pregnant. Chris had been anything but responsible before Jack was born, a girl who liked to party and enjoy life to the fullest, starting lots of different things she never finished, trying out countless jobs in the hope of finding something that really gave her what she desired. No luck there, but I was amazed how she changed after Jack was born. I have never seen anyone so dedicated to her child, how lovingly and caringly she tended to him, how she grew as a person with him. We had never been particularly close after our childhood, as our lifestyles didn't agree that much, but I had loved her as a sister, and for me it was absolutely natural to take her in, especially since the three of us were the last surviving family members. My parents had passed on a few years back. In fact it was great to have these two living with me. My life had been a solitary one, dominated by my work and my music. My music, how long had it been since I had had time for that? It was half a year after they had moved in that she dropped the bomb. She had headaches often, sometimes even migraine attacks; then she started vomiting without feeling sick beforehand. She downplayed the episodes for a while, but when I confronted her and told her to see a doctor, she suddenly cracked open and spilled her guts. There was no need for her to see a doctor, as she already had the diagnosis: A large, lethal brain tumour, inoperable, unlikely to be affected by chemo or radiation treatment, which she had refused up to that day. I was shocked, helpless and a little bit angry that she hadn't told me before, also that she had refused treatment. I couldn't understand why she didn't, even when she said that it would probably buy her another half year at the most. No one who has not lived through this agony with a family member can understand what I went through in the following year. The attacks got more frequent, she started to have double vision, and when she finally relented and did start the chemo it only got worse. She lost her hair completely, was often incapable of getting out of bed, became really depressed first and then occasionally very mean and vicious. Her doctor had explained to me that personality changes weren't uncommon for that particular type of tumour, but it is one thing knowing that and quite another experiencing it. That wasn't the worst though. The worst was seeing her fade away. I did my best to shelter Jack from all this, but you can only do so much. During her illness I didn't even think about what would become of him after she died. It was only during her final weeks in the hospital that we actually spoke about that. Everything was too overwhelming already anyway, but when she asked me if I would look after him, not as a plea or a wish, but merely inquiring about her son's future, I immediately said yes. Jack was incredibly brave throughout all this. Of course, there is only so much a six year old can comprehend, but Chris really made an effort to explain the situation to him when she was still able to. During her last weeks she was rarely lucid and I retreated into a strange emotional detachment, saying my good-byes long before she was actually gone and trying to be there for Jack as best as I could. The last night at her bed, the funeral, dealing with the authorities to convince them that I could care for him all went down in a haze. Last month, I finally got custody. However, as easy as it had been to deal with Jack when Chris was still around, now it was getting more and more difficult. Our lives had been on hold during all that, but now they were back in full swing, he went to school and I had to take on more work, as I had mostly lived on savings during that time. When I am working on larger projects, I am living in another world. That is my gift actually, to be able to shut out everything else and focus completely on what I am doing. Before, it had been perfectly normal for me to work up to twenty hours per day, living of pizza, coffee and cigarettes. That routine was broken now; I had to get up earlier than I used to, to bring Jack to school and had only those precious hours in the mornings and late in the evenings to focus on what I had to do. In the afternoons I attempted to spend time with him, or at least be there for him, as he hadn't managed to bond with any of the children in the neighbourhood and spent hours alone in his room -- not even playing, as I occasionally noticed, just sitting there, brooding and sometimes crying. As I got more and more involved in my current project, I failed him more and more often. I forgot to buy his favourite cornflakes three days in a row. I repeatedly promised to help him with his homework and then forgot all about it. In the afternoon, he had been withdrawn and somewhat edgy again. I surmised that I had forgotten something important once again, but I really had to figure out the problems with my software. As a matter of fact, I had not slept more than two or three hours during the previous nights, nor shaved, showered or even put in my contact lenses for that matter. The door bell rang. Jack was watching one of his favourite shows on telly and refused to answer the door. Grudgingly I got up and answered it. A blonde woman in her late twenties and five little children, all dressed up in odd costumes, carrying shopping bags and looking at me expectantly. "Trick or treat?" I was really at a loss what that was supposed to mean. After all Halloween was one of those imported holidays I had no connection to from my own childhood experiences. "I told you." True, Jack had told me all about it. True, I had forgotten to buy sweets. I tried to salvage the situation as best as I could and offered the kids some money. The blonde woman was kind enough to help me figuring out how much to give them. One kid caught my eye, dressed up like a witch, with a shock of blonde curly hair, probably the lady's daughter. When I complimented her on her costume, she took her "magic wand" out of her belt, pointed it at me and said: "I spell you ... that you fall in love with my mum." --- As cute as Darlene's histrionics and slightly offish grammar had been, it was a mortifying experience for both the man, whose jaw dropped, and me, when he gazed at me for assistance. The little boy, who had been in the house before, now joined his uncle at the door, first glancing at Darlene and then me with an indefinable expression. After what seemed like an eternity, he started grinning, thus breaking the state of suspended animation we all had been in. I tried to smile as well, but I am pretty sure that all I managed was a freaked out grimace that resembled the one on the poor guy's face closely. "Sorry about that, don't know what's got into her ... and thank you for your indulgence ..." He cleared his throat. "Um ... ha, not at all, not at all ..." "I had better take the kids home now, they are really tired; it has been a long day for them." "Certainly ... certainly." I got Darlene to stop pointing her wand at him and took her hand, getting my little platoon ready to leave the scene. However, I couldn't help but taking a closer look at the poor chap before he closed the door, wondering what had prompted Darlene to that weird outburst. Despite his rather scruffy look, he was good looking, not really my type, but not unpleasant to the eye nevertheless. His eyes, magnified by the thick glasses, were probably his most striking feature, beautiful, deep and somehow very sad. I didn't ask Darlene what had prompted her that evening. She was so tired that she almost fell asleep at the supper table. I had a strange dream that night, of me lying on a beach watching Darlene building a sand castle with that boy Jack. They were completely engrossed in their play and looked both very happy. I felt someone putting his arm around me and snuggled up to him. That was when the alarm went off. A week after this, I had forgotten all about this episode. Robert's mum had given me fifty pounds for Darlene -- it was Darlene's sixth birthday in a couple of days. I still couldn't make up my mind whether I should visit him or not. According to his mother, it was unlikely that he would get bail before his trial, as he stubbornly refused to co-operate and a sizeable amount of money was still missing. She cried a lot when we met. The divorce hadn't changed the fact that we were close. The money she gave me was a life-saver. I had tried to save some money for this birthday. But then our washing machine died on me and I had to use all of my savings to buy a second-hand replacement. I could probably use twenty pounds or so for some small presents, the rest we would need to live on. A party was out of the question altogether. The prices in this toy shop were outrageous. I sighed and put the doll back into the shelf. So far all I had got her were colouring pencils and books. That stuffed horse looked cute, but twenty-five quid was definitely out of order. "Difficult to find something for them, isn't it?" The voice startled me out of my frustrated daze. I turned around and saw a man wearing a suit and carrying a laptop case. He looked only faintly familiar. "David Mingay ... We met at Halloween. Your daughter was dressed up as a witch and ..." "Of course, sorry, I didn't recognise you." He wasn't wearing any glasses; that had probably thrown me. I noticed that I started blushing. "I am Claudia Phillips, Darlene's mum. Again, I am sorry for her little performance. I don't know what got into her." He smiled sheepishly into the awkward silence that ensued. "So ... that horse no good? It looks cute." "Yeah, it is, but it is much too expensive. It's Darlene's birthday on Thursday and I am trying very hard to find something that I can afford." "Thursday? Jack's birthday is on Sunday. I really don't know what to get him. I got this lorry and a jig-saw puzzle, but I don't even know what he is playing with these days. He rarely seems to play at all." "I must be difficult for you ... I mean raising him all by yourself ... I heard about your sister." "You have no idea ... Oh, well, what am I saying? ... You are a single parent yourself, aren't you?" "Yes." Another awkward silence. He looked at his wrist-watch. "Listen, I have a couple of hours left before I have to pick him up from school. Can I invite you for a cup of tea or something, after we're done shopping here? Maybe we can help each other out." --- 'Blast, I should have invited her into a café or something.' The place was a mess, I hadn't done any dishes for the last four days, nor any other cleaning for that matter. As if the whole thing wasn't awkward enough already. I wasn't exactly in the habit of inviting strangers into my home. Especially not women. I had spotted her in the toy shop quite a while before I approached her, but she hadn't noticed me. She looked distraught, close to tears on several occasions. Apparently she was in financial difficulties and having trouble finding something for her daughter's birthday. The meeting I had with my customer earlier that morning went better than expected, but he wanted more features that weren't included in the original specs. All manageable, but that would mean I had to work non-stop for at least another month. I needed to figure something out for Jack, not just birthday presents. During my conversation with Claudia I saw a possible solution for both our problems. If she would agree to come around during the afternoons with her daughter and look after Jack for a while, I would have more time to focus on my work, and she would get some money for it that helped her out too. I had enough money and work coming in to make her a generous offer. "Oh ... That is very kind of you, but this would be way too much ... Unless ..." She looked around demonstratively. "Unless I help you out with your chores here also. What do you think about that?" "That would be even better. Again, sorry about the mess ..." "Don't be silly, I can see how this happened." We talked for another hour and I learned about her admittedly similarly complicated circumstances. It was strange, I felt really comfortable around her. Maybe it was because we both felt the need to open up to somebody. She was crying a lot when she told me her sad story. I sincerely hoped our arrangement would work out and the kids played along with it. We decided to spend this afternoon together and confronted the kids with our plans. Jack put on a poker face. "Whatever." Darlene seemed positively chuffed, looked at me with her big blue eyes and grinned like a honey-melon. Claudia started busying herself with the chores, while Darlene went up in Jack's room, tugging him behind her. It was amazing to see how docile he was; how little he seemed to mind being bossed around by her, considering what his teacher had told me about his behaviour in school. When I checked up on them a little later, they were building something together, both completely immersed in their play. My Little Witch Claudia started helping Jack with his homework the next day, and he appeared to appreciate it. I appreciated being able to focus on what I had to do. Darlene used that time to draw me a picture while I was working more or less undisturbed on the project. I got a lot more done than before. We decided to make Sunday the day to celebrate both birthdays and took the kids first to the cinema and then out for some hamburgers. For the first time since his mother had died, I saw Jack laughing. For once, everything seemed to be working out just fine. --- Jack's reading was getting much better. But that wasn't my personal merit, it was Darlene who pestered him until he relented and read something to her. They were acting like brother and sister after the six weeks they had spent together now. He was one of the few that had the patience and interest to follow her complicated thought up games, even when we had some of the other kids around. He was still a bit shy around them, but he and Darlene were just getting on famously. Four days until Christmas. Thick snowflakes formed white halos around the windows. It had been snowing most of the afternoon already. I had seen Robert probably for the last time in the morning. His trial was over and at mid-day he had been transferred to the prison where he would spend the five years of his sentence. I could see the disappointment on his face when he noticed that I was alone. He had wished to see Darlene as well, his mum had told me. But I was leaving it up to her, whether she wanted to see him or not. She didn't say a word, just looked really serious and shook her head. Maybe it was better this way. Robert was a mess. He had gained weight; his face looked pale and puffy. I felt sorry for him, although he was responsible for his actions; he had brought all this upon himself. Perhaps he would get out after two and a quarter years or so. I watched David through the open door of his study. Both his computers were running as he was debugging his program. In a fashion, he had been debugging our lives. Soft music wafted over from the study. Maybe he was composing on the second computer again. Last week he let me listen to a little piano piece he had composed. It was beautiful. There was so much love in it, in him. He looked so much more relaxed and content these days. Of course we would be spending Christmas together, a holiday we both had been dreading just a few months back. Now I was almost looking forward to it, and the kids certainly were. I had planned to make a few decorations with them later. David joined me in the kitchen and put the kettle on. "Okay, I am done for today. Looks like everything is working now. I managed to get rid of the last few bugs I think." "Glad to hear that." "Yeah, now I have more time for you lot again. We need to do some shopping for Christmas, don't we?" "True, a few things we still have to get. If we go tomorrow early in the morning the shops won't be that full." "No problem. It's still snowing outside. Let's hope they clear the streets until then." "Yeah." The kettle boiled and he made us both a cup of tea. "Maybe you should stay here." "You mean tonight? Do you think it is that bad? It's just a ten minute walk from here." "Yeah, why not? We can have breakfast together. The guest room is as clean as a whistle, thanks to you." "Hm, I don't know. It makes sense though." "It would make sense not only tonight." "What do you mean?" He handed me my cup. "I mean, you spend most of the time here anyway. I have two spare rooms, the guest room and the smaller room I am using for storage at the mo. You and Darlene could have them." That suggestion startled me a bit, although he was of course right. Especially now in the winter, my flat was anything but luxurious. The gas fireplace hardly managed to heat up the living room, and Darlene's room could only be heated with an electrical heater, which cost a fortune. On the other hand, we had only known each other for six, seven weeks now. "Oh ... I don't know. I have to think about it." "Yeah, that is nothing to be decided straight away. I just wanted to give you the options." "Thanks, I will think about it. Definitely." "Okay." "I'll take you up on tonight though. I am sure Darlene will love it." "Great. Um ... I'll play around on the computer a bit more, if you don't mind." "Go on. I'd love to hear another piece of your music. I loved the last one." "Oh, then you will like the new one too, hopefully." His eyes had lost the sadness; there was even a trace of happiness in them now. I realised that something was growing between us. Something tender and warm, that makes you feel comfortable and safe. In the evening we watched some telly together, in opposite corners of the sofa, enjoying the peace and quiet we had after the kids went to bed. David eyes were glued to the TV, so he didn't notice the furtive looks I was casting at him. He was good looking, kind and intelligent. He made me laugh; for the first time in months, someone had made me laugh. He got on really well with Darlene. In many respects, he was exactly the man I had wished Robert to be. I realised that the decision to move in would mean a bit more to me than just another convenience arrangement. Now that all the stress and pressure had subsided, I felt the void Robert had left. And that was the scary part of it. I could easily fall for David. I think I was filling a void for him already -- the one his sister had left. And that was basically how he approached me, like a sister, or a very special friend. I waited until the commercial. "David, about moving in together ..." "Yeah?" "Do you really think this is a good idea? I mean ok, for the time being, it certainly would be easier for us and definitely an improvement for Darlene and myself ... but what about possible future developments ... do you know what I mean?" This was awkward. From the innocent look he gave me, he had no idea what I was talking about. "Future developments?" "You know, what if ... either of us ... finds someone ..." "Oh." He avoided looking at me directly. "I didn't even think of that." I started blushing. "Don't get me wrong there ... it's going to be quite some time before I could even think about that myself ... you know, with Robert and all that. I think his transfer will finally give me the distance and closure I need. But I am twenty-nine ... you know, so far I stopped wanting anything for myself in order to give Darlene all she needs ..." "Yeah, I think I understand what you mean." He paused, you could see his mind racing -- that was the expression he wore when he was "trouble-shooting" or debugging. "Really, I didn't even think about that. Hm. I am sure we could find some arrangements there though. I don't think ... it shouldn't be a problem, really. I don't know. I have to think about it some more." The TV show resumed now, thus ending our conversation. --- It was almost perfect. The kids got on really well together, and I had enough time for work and even some spare time for my music. It was almost like when Chris was still alive, before I learned about her illness. Whenever Claudia and Darlene went home though, the house was conspicuously empty, something was missing. Giving Claudia the option to move in was born out of pragmatism, or so I thought. However, when we spent our first evening alone together, she broached the subject with an aspect I hadn't thought of. Or hadn't allowed myself to think of? I was lying awake for hours. Of course, that is what people do. They fall in love, have relationships, marry; lead normal lives. I haven't even had a girlfriend after the first year of university. Before Chris had moved in, I had a dull, solitary life without any highs or lows. On very rare occasions I remembered that I was a man with needs and had paid women to fulfil them. Then Chris came and all of a sudden I had a family. Someone to care for, worry about, shower with love and attention, occupy my thoughts and heart. Mourn for. Then there was Jack to keep me occupied, until I met Claudia and Darlene. Now it felt like a family again. Pictures of Claudia flashed before my eyes. Her playing with the kids. Her making dinner. The way she made her cheeks hollow when she was worrying about something, the way she played with her hair and smiled when she was happy. She wasn't just an incredibly nice person; she was a very attractive young woman. How did I miss that? This was really confusing. How would I react if she really found someone else? Maybe her moving in wasn't such a splendid idea after all. I recalled our first encounter. Darlene casting her "spell" on me. Had it worked? Was I falling in love with Claudia? Without even noticing it? Questions I had no good answers for. We didn't speak about it during the following days. The Christmas preparations and the kids took up most of our time. We had no trouble finding presents for the kids together. It was infinitely more difficult to find something for her. It had to be special. One present I made myself, a little piano piece with some string arrangements and a flute. She seemed to enjoy my music, so I was pretty sure she would appreciate that piece too. I noticed that I was putting a lot more into it after our conversation. That there were passages in it that almost made me choke up when listening back to it. I addition, I found a pretty little heart pendant, after roaming shops for ages, being pushed around by frantic shoppers whenever I lingered somewhere to make up my mind. When I looked at it at home, I wasn't so sure whether it was appropriate though. It looked rather like a thing you would give your wife or girlfriend. I sighed. This was getting complicated. I noticed that I was much more self-conscious around her now. There was an odd tension building up whenever we were alone together. Claudia and Darlene were spending Christmas at our place. The snow had thawed, so there wasn't going to be a white Christmas after all. The kids were really excited and it took quite a bit longer than usual to get them to sleep. Then we had time to wrap their presents and put them under the tree for the morning. "The kids are positively giddy about Christmas, aren't they? I think we can expect them to be up at six or something ..." "Yeah, it has been a long time since I have seen Darlene this way. Some more wine?" "Cheers. Shame about the snow. I have to admit, first time for ages I am really looking forward to it too." She smiled and twirled her hair. "Yes, me too." "Hm ... it is past midnight already ... Merry Christmas." "Oh really? Merry Christmas to you." "Um ... since we have a little peace and quiet ... I could give you your presents now ..." "Oh ... Shouldn't we wait until the morning? Hm ... but why not? ... Hang on a sec." She went off to the guest room and came back with a thin package, ornately wrapped as I would have never been able to. My Sellotape-massacre looked heartless in comparison. I hoped the content would make up for it. We both unwrapped our presents simultaneously. She got me three very nice looking ties. She must have noticed that I had only two -- one of them being black for funerals. I thanked her, then watched her unwrapping the CD with my little composition first. Following her wishes, I put it on immediately. She paused to listen and then started unpacking the second gift. The music sounded much better on the hi-fi system in the living room than it had on the computer. She opened the little jewellery box to the sound of the first flute arpeggios. "Oh ... that is really wonderful. Thank you." She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek. Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to look away first, but then opted for trying on the necklace. However, she had trouble with the clasp. "Can you give me a hand with this please?" "Sure." The small mechanism appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle for both of us. For me because my hands were trembling like mad, as I had to home in on her and her closeness was throwing me completely off balance. For her, because she probably even couldn't see the bloody thing, since her eyes were watering profusely now. My face was just a few inches away from hers. The urge to kiss and touch her was getting stronger and stronger. Then I managed to close the clasp. I almost fled back into my corner of the sofa. We listened to the dying notes of the piece. Then it was unnaturally silent. "That was really beautiful too. Was that an older piece or is it new?" "Brand new. I made it for you." She smiled through her tears. "Sorry, I don't know why I am bawling like that. Thank you. For everything. I'd better go and rinse my face." "Um ... okay, I am going to the kitchen for a quick fag in the meantime." I had managed to control my bad habit since Chris first moved in. From that time stemmed the arrangement that I just smoked in the kitchen and in my study. I desperately needed that cigarette. I felt light-headed and that couldn't have been the two glasses of wine we had. Nor could they be responsible for the distinct knot I felt in my stomach. Claudia only returned shortly before I had finished my cigarette. "Can we listen to it again? I don't know how to operate your stereo." "Sure." I sat down next to her and played it again. She snuggled up to me. Placing an arm around her was instinct. Her warm body, the scent of her hair, it all felt so familiar and yet so strange. We were sitting like this long after the music had stopped; unable to speak or move. She had closed her eyes and placed her head on my chest. When it suddenly dropped a bit, she startled and sat up; apparently she had dozed off. So much for my ability to excite women. It was late though, and it was to be expected that the kids would indeed get up really early, so we gave each other a last kiss on the cheek and both went to bed. --- It was one of the nicest Christmases I ever committed to memory. On Christmas Eve David and I prepared everything for the morning and then drank some wine and relaxed. He seemed anxious to give me his presents, so we exchanged them shortly after midnight. He was always wearing the same old tie when he went out to see customers. When I had put up his shirts in the closet, I noticed that this was the only one he owned, apart from a black one. I was relieved to have found something I could get him and he apparently liked the three I had chosen -- actually spending much more on them than I had originally planned. But when I saw what he got me, tears welled up in me, breaking dams that had sheltered me from any stray emotion for a good deal of time. He had written me a piece of music, so beautiful and full of exquisite tenderness that it rendered me speechless. And then there was a little silver heart pendant with matching necklace, very pretty and plain, just the way I liked my jewellery. He helped me putting it on; his hands were trembling; I could feel his breath on my neck. I slowly moved my hands to embrace him, but then he closed the clasp and retreated. We both needed a second to recover from this, so I went to the bathroom to restore my face while he went to the kitchen for a cigarette. I stared at the bathroom mirror; my mascara had run, leaving hideous trails under my reddened eyes. My face was pale; I was feeling slightly sick. My heart was racing and my whole body felt numb. I cleaned myself up as best as I could and stumbled back into the living room. We listened to his music one more time and this time I just huddled up, as he tenderly placed his arm around me. I could hear the heart-beat in his chest, a soothing confirmation of not being alone, being sheltered and accepted. I drifted off in a warm, cosy haze, before we eventually got up and to our rooms. I listened into the silence, brushing my hair and getting ready for the night. I heard him closing the bathroom door. I held my breath for a few seconds, until I heard him wandering off to his bedroom and another softly clapping door. I had left mine ajar; for him. He didn't come. --- The kids were up at seven the next morning and couldn't even be moved to dress before opening their presents. It was after eight before the first excitement died down and they settled at the breakfast table with us. David seemed a little overwhelmed when he got hugged and kissed by Darlene for the stuffed horse he had given her, as well as from Jack, who followed her example unquestioningly, as he did so often. It started snowing again in the afternoon, and although it was too warm for it to stay, it was a great backdrop for our walk. The kids were running around a lot and ahead of us. David and I had not spoken much, but it seemed perfectly natural to link my arm to him for most of the walk. I saw the kids whispering when they noticed that. As beautiful as that day had been, I was exhausted after dinner. It was Jack who brought Darlene into her improvised room, where David had managed to remove enough stuff to put up the travelling bed for her. She had assigned reading duties to him and he obliged until she fell asleep. I kissed her forehead before closing the door quietly and looked in on Jack, who was about to drift off too. I wanted to tiptoe out of his room, but then heard his voice in the darkness. "Do you like uncle David?" "Yes I do." "I mean, like ... a lot?" "Yes. I like him very much. Sleep tight now, sweet dreams." "Okay." David was sitting on the sofa, trying to find some entertaining movie on the telly. "Are they both sleeping?" "Yes. Jack's reading is getting much better. He read "The little duckling" to her until she fell asleep." "He he, I don't know how she gets him to do all these things for her." "Well, he likes her a lot. Actually, he just asked me if I like you ... a lot." "Oh ... Now I have to ask: what did you say?" I curled up next to him. "That I like you very much." "Hm ... ditto." Not exactly the most romantic response a girl could hope for. But it was the sentiment behind it that counted. We watched some silly Hollywood flick, although I didn't really follow the story at all. I was just happy cuddling with him, enjoying his tender touch and soft little kisses. We both fell asleep at around the same time I suppose. When I opened my eyes again, he was stroking my face. "Hi there ... it's after one o'clock already. Maybe we should go to bed." I sighed and rubbed my face against his hand. "You are bloody gorgeous." I couldn't help but smiling. As refined and subtle as he was as a man, here he seemed a wee bit out of his element. "Thank you. And so are you." I stretched myself a bit, and his hand glided through that motion onto my left breast. He froze, held his breath. His eyes were meeting mine, appealing for approval. I moved my head closer to his, while I brushed over his thighs with the back of my left hand. We stopped half an inch before our lips could meet, his middle finger circled around my nipple through the fabric of my satin blouse. I pressed my lips hard against his, drawing out his tongue to roam about inside of me. The kiss was a melt-down that made my entire body tingle and whisper to be touched. His soft sinewy hands obliged, caressing both my breasts, then stroking all the way down to my thighs and ever so lightly back up, lifting up the seam of my dress in the process. I moved my hips and thighs, so it would ride up even more. I wished his hands to touch me there, where dampness had already darkened a spot on the silken fabric of my panties. His right hand advanced, slowly, his fingers spread out and moved higher, until his middle finger arrived at the desired location. I gasped into the kiss, mumbling my pleasure into his mouth. He rubbed up and down my panties and this time I couldn't help it but break free from his lips and let out a whimper. We stopped, breathlessly, looking deep into each other's eyes. My Little Witch "I think we really should go upstairs now." "Yes. Yes." He took me by the hand and led me up the stairs. I had wobbly knees when we arrived in his bedroom and closed the door behind us. --- Claudia stood in front of my bed and started undressing. I put on the lamp with the softest light and switched off the main one, then followed her example. Her body was breathtaking, a monument to timeless voluptuousness, ample curves wherever one could hope for them. She removed her hair band and sprawled out on bed, her eyes glued to mine, her hips heaving in anticipation. I joined her on the bed, caressing her body with mine, pressing my stiff and hot member against her belly. Her eager lips re-welcomed mine, kindling even more heat than there already was. And there was plenty, I was burning from the inside out, yearning for her insides to complete me. Our hips realigned with no conscious effort on their own, before the tip of my masculinity eclipsed the moon of her slick and receptive womanhood. She pushed against me, taking half of me inside, then retracting; waiting for me to take control and possession. I explored her moist cavern deeper with each push, making my presence known. Haltingly I broke our kiss and looked into her eyes, trying to intuit how she wanted to be taken. Her lips puckered slightly and she panted heavily when I subjected her to a test battery of speeds and intensities. My body learned to read her much faster than my mind, which was still reeling from the fact that this was actually happening. Hers became almost as active as mine, making the output of each push entirely unpredictable. Her breathing was getting more and more rapid and irregular, until I felt her contracting into a wailing sound of relief. I gave her a few seconds of being in that moment; then pounded her back to the brink of where she'd just been. Her ecstasy begot my own. I lost control altogether, dissolving me and my passion into a spasm of frightening length and intensity, right into her. We had a hard time explaining the kids why we couldn't stop grinning throughout the next day. I think they gathered though, that something had occurred that brought our relationship to another level. We made no secret out of it. We were in love. By the end of January Claudia and Darlene had moved in, but Claudia never slept in her room. Jack seemed a little overwhelmed by the story first and retreated palpably from Claudia. I couldn't figure out why. It was only when Darlene prompted him to ask Claudia to get a game from a shelf he couldn't reach, that we got a good idea of what was pestering him. "Mum, can you get that box there down for us please?" He froze immediately after he uttered those words. Claudia didn't even notice that he had called her mum. "Certainly. The brown one there?" Jack didn't answer and ran out of the living room. "Huh? What was that? Did I say something wrong?" "No, but he thinks he did. He called you mum." "Oh ... I see. Should I go after him and talk to him?" "Maybe I should." Neither of us got a chance. Darlene went after him, sat down next to him on his bed and whispered in his ear. Whatever she said, it brought him out of his dark spell. And after that episode he continued calling her mum. Claudia started working again at the beginning of March. I had overheard that there was a part-time vacancy for an assistant at one of my customers' and got her an interview right away. I am pretty sure that this was the extent of my influence -- she got the job because of her good references and excellent attitude. One fine Sunday morning in April, Darlene woke us up, jumping up and down on our bed. She was wearing her pyjamas and the hat of her Halloween costume, flailing her arms, the magic wand in her right hand. When we had both opened our eyes she stopped and pointed the stick at us. "I spell you ... that you get us another child." "Tsss. Come here darling." She was just too cute. --- At the beginning of July we took our first and well deserved holiday together. A friend of mine owned a lovely little cottage at the seaside in southern France. We spent a sublime week at the beach. I taught both kids to swim, before the weather became more unstable and we used the clear spells to explore the surroundings. Claudia had been very quiet for a few days and when we went shopping in the nearby village, she asked around for a pharmacy. "Are you not feeling well?" "I am just a little bit off, don't worry. I think I know what it is." Her French was much better than mine, so she send me and the kids to get some ice cream cones, while she went inside the pharmacy. She didn't say another word all afternoon, until we were back at the cottage. The kids were playing in the garden. I was reading the English newspaper I had procured in the village when Claudia returned from the bathroom and sat down next to me. "You know what David, we really have to have a chat with Darlene." "What about? What do you mean?" "She can't just go around casting these spells on us." "Huh? What do you ... hang on, does that mean you ... oh, wow ... you are, you actually are? ..." "Pregnant is the word you are looking for. And yes, I am." All I could have replied with words would have been gibberish at this junction so I forwent vocal communication and hugged her instead, tugging her as close to me as I possibly could. When I finally managed to let go of her, I saw our little witch standing right in front of us, nudging Jack next to her and saying, "Told you it would work."