CHAPTER 9
Toni and I went out to dinner Friday evening then I took her to the first home football game. By now we’d been seen in public dozens of times and almost everyone in the community knew about Lizzie and her DVD’s. I never did know how, but our situation was common knowledge. We sat near the fifty-yard line with Carl and George Jeffers, our new athletic director. It was a fine clear and cool evening that would have been ideal if only we had won the game. Unfortunately, we played nearby Bay Shore, a perennial powerhouse in both football and basketball. We were routed 42-17.
Toni and I retreated to her house where we made the most beautiful and intense love until almost four in the morning when we succumbed to exhaustion. We fell asleep in each other’s arms, covered in semen and pussy juice, so much that we were stuck to each other when we woke to the alarm at nine. Showering together, we were cleaned up, shaved, and dressed before ten. We stopped at the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through for coffee and donuts then drove to my house where we swapped my car for Lizzie’s SUV. A few minutes later we walked into Lizzie’s room. Toni packed the clothes from the dresser drawers into a suitcase while I carried the clothes from the closet to the rear of the SUV. We had everything done, including Lizzie’s toiletries, blanket and pillow in half an hour. Throughout the entire move Lizzie had sat passively, looking out the window and not even once recognizing our presence.
Dr. Thompson had told me that a special section of the medical center had been enlarged to handle the two hundred Alzheimer’s residents. Toni and I led Lizzie into the lobby and were directed to room136 just down the hallway and then to the right. Toni stayed with Lizzie while I brought in the suitcase and toiletries first then her other clothes later. Toni stayed with her while I went with a nurse to learn all about giving injections. She laughed at my expression when she handed me a large grapefruit. “Imagine this is your wife’s butt cheek.”
“That does require a lot of imagination,” I commented with a chuckle. Then the nurse became serious.
“We have a full schedule mapped out for Elizabeth—day by day with the exact dosage, starting low and increasing until we hopefully see a result. The injections are intramuscular rather than intravenous to allow for gradual absorption of the drug. That will also make giving the injection much simpler. Any place in her cheek will do and you won’t have to worry about air bubbles which would be a major concern in her veins.”
“An embolism, you mean.”
“Yes…Dr. Thompson told me you had a Master’s in bio so I assume you’ll know a bit more than most of the spouses.” Then she gave me the full course. Three hours later I had given more than one hundred successful injections of different volumes. The nurse checked me on every one. That damned grapefruit looked like a yellow watermelon that’s how swollen it was from the saline I’d pumped into it. I thought I was done when she brought out a liter bottle with Lizzie’s name on it. With it was a plastic folder with several sheets of paper and columns for the date, dosage, a place for my initials, and a line for notes although the nurse had explained that it could be weeks or longer before anything might happen.
I took a new syringe and carefully inserted the needle through the rubber gasket before pulling out the plunger until 1.5 milliliters exactly had been extracted. I pulled the needle out and covered it with the protective cap. I initialed the sheet and grabbed a packet with an alcohol swab and another with sterile gauze pads. A deep breath later I was, hopefully, ready to administer my first injection.
I could see the look of concern on Toni’s face when I entered Lizzie’s room. “Sorry, honey…I was learning how to do this. I pray to God I can do it right.” I moved over to Lizzie and pulled her up so she was standing. “Lizzie, darling—I have to give you a shot. It has to go in your butt, but don’t worry I’ve seen your butt thousands of times and I’ll give it a tender kiss once I’m done.”
Toni helped Lizzie to lean over the bed as I lifted her dress and dropped her panties to her knees. I tore open the foil packet with the alcohol swab and wiped it over a small area of her left cheek. A second later the needle was in her as I spoke with a soothing voice to calm my wife. I dabbed the area with gauze in case there was any blood then leaned over and kissed my wife’s butt. It was the most personal and intimate thing I’d done with her in more than five months and I’d done it in front of my lover and Lizzie’s nurse. I disposed of the syringe and the nurse left, giving me a high-five for a job well done.
Toni and I spent most of the day with Lizzie, trying to engage her and telling her about her change of residence but it all went over her head. She spent most of the day looking out the window even though her view was restricted by the rear wall of the hospital. We left in the mid-afternoon, returning the following afternoon to administer another injection.
That’s pretty much the way things went for more than a month with absolutely no sign of improvement. “God damn it, Toni—they’ve given her the placebo. There’s no hope for her…none at all. I’m so depressed.” I was, too—so depressed that I didn’t even want to make love with Toni that night. However, she did get to me the following—a Friday night that I spent at her house. I confess that I took out my frustrations on poor Toni’s body. God bless her—she understood completely, even as I pounded her pussy relentlessly. All the same I was really down the following afternoon when I saw Lizzie at the hospital for her shot. Being involved in this experiment was a full-time commitment. There were no days off for me or for Lizzie.
Lizzie turned when Toni and I walked in. “Oh, are you here to give me my shot?” Toni reacted in an instant, gripping my arm tightly before whispering that she’d notify the nurse.
“Yes, I am, darling. I know you’re just waiting for me to kiss your sweet little butt, aren’t you?” She giggled as she dropped her Capri’s and panties. A minute later I had once again kissed her butt cheek and helped her with her clothes. I hugged her and she, for the first time since she had been placed into the home, hugged me back.
She seemed to make a little progress every day as her dosage continued to increase until Toni and I walked in exactly two weeks later. Lizzie turned to face us when we opened the door. Her eyes fluttered several times and when they opened she called my name. “Chuck? Is it really you?” I rushed forward to hug my wife. She held me tightly while Toni stood by, a smile on her face and a tear in her eye. Lizzie broke the hug, but only to engage me in the strongest, most loving kiss of my life. Her passion was beyond belief. “I’m back, Chuck. You’ll have to explain everything to me.” Only then did she realize that we weren’t alone.
“Are you going to introduce me, Chuck?”
Holding her hand I extended my other to Toni. “Do you remember making some DVD’s before you became really ill?” She seemed to be thinking, but I wasn’t sure that she really recalled everything. “You asked me to promise to find a surrogate for you—someone to talk with and socialize with and someone to have sex with. I’d like to tell you that I found Toni, but she actually found me. We’ll tell you the whole story one of these days.”
Lizzie stepped forward to hug Toni. “Thank you for taking care of Chuck. I know what a burden he can be.”
“It was my pleasure, believe me.”
“I certainly hope so. I’d be angry with Chuck if he didn’t take good care of you.” Damned if I didn’t blush at her remarks. Lizzie and Toni noticed immediately and laughed then hugged again. This time Toni broke it.
“I’ll go and tell the nurse. Don’t forget to give Lizzie her shot, Chuck.” She kissed my cheek and left, leaving me with my wonderful wife.
I held her again as I whispered, “I’ve waited too long for this, my love.”
“I’ve waited too long for something else, Chuck. I remember the DVD now and I remember promising you something special. I can hardly wait to have you in me.” Unfortunately, that would have to wait. The nurse and Toni practically ran into the room with Dr. Thompson not far behind them. Lizzie was taken for an EEG, leaving Toni and me alone in Lizzie’s room. For the first time in months there was an awkward silence between us. Toni broke it by reaching to me, taking my hand in hers.
“This is what we’ve prayed for, Chuck.”
“I know. On the one hand I’m thrilled, but on the other I feel like part of me has died.”
“I know exactly how you feel. Part of me is dying, too. I remember what Lizzie said in my DVD, Chuck…what she’ll want you to do. I can’t say I blame her. I can barely go four days without you in me. What am I going to do now? Oh, Chuck!” Toni collapsed in my arms. I held her tightly for almost half an hour until we heard a commotion in the hall. It was Lizzie talking and joking with the nurse and Dr. Thompson. She became serious once we were alone again.
“Do you have your car here, Toni?”
“No, I came with Chuck.”
“Would you mind taking his car home and returning for him around six? I’d like to have some time alone with him, if you know what I mean. It’s been a long time…too long. That’s what we were laughing about in the hall. I was warning them to expect a lot of noise. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, Lizzie…this is the moment Chuck and I have been praying for.” She rose from the chair, took my keys and kissed my cheek. A moment later she was gone and Lizzie was in my lap.
“C’mon, Chuck…let’s get naked. All of a sudden I’m so horny.” She turned to straddle me, gripped my head fiercely and pushed her moist sweet lips into mine, her tongue darting into my mouth. We pushed and pulled the clothes from our bodies, buttons popping as they flew across the tiny room. I lifted Lizzie as I stood and carried her to the bed. It was barely big enough for one so I thought it would be perfect. I lay back with Lizzie lying on top of me. She pushed her breasts—C-cups now—into me as she ran her moist slit up and down my hard cock.
“I hope Toni wore you out last night, Chuck. I need you to last a long time. I’ll want to do this every single day from now on…several times a day. I want you in every one of my holes, even my ass. Hell…especially my ass!” She laughed before continuing, “I just want you so badly.” I pushed her up and granted her wish as I pushed my cock into her cunt oozing with her creamy nectar. She responded with a low guttural moan as she bottomed out, the tip of my cock brushing lightly against her cervix. I knew from prior experience that I’d soon be bashing that sensitive tissue with every bit of force and strength my legs and hips could produce.
Lizzie and I began to move—slowly at first—as we savored the sensations of each other’s body. Lizzie went crazy on my cock. She was accustomed to mind-blowing sex four to five times a week and this was her first time in more than eight months. Her breathing was rapid and shallow as she implored me to pinch her clit and twist her nipples and kiss her. “Oh, God—just do it…do it all.” One hand went to her clit, another to her nipple, and—breaking the kiss—I leaned down to bite her other nipple. Lizzie came, her body twisting and turning, totally out of control until it ebbed and she fell onto my chest. I released my grip on her clit, wrapping my arm around her back. My mouth went from her nipple to her ear lobe. She loved when I licked and sucked on it.
Lizzie lay on top of me, seemingly in Heaven, as I wondered when she would notice. She did—almost five minutes later. “Chuck…you’re still hard.” She moved up, looked me in the eyes, an evil grin on her face. “Just how many times did Toni take care of you last night?”
I chuckled. “You know a gentleman never tells. Just be glad to be reaping the benefits.”
“Oh, I am. Remind me to thank her when she returns. Now…I think I’m ready for round two.” She locked those sweet lips onto mine as she began again to rock into me. This time I worried her nipples with my big strong fingers, leaving her clit alone for now. Lizzie pushed it into my abdomen as she spread her legs wide. This always forced her clit out from under its hood. I could feel her groaning into my mouth as she rubbed her hypersensitive tissue into me.
Although her need was urgent, her pace was more leisurely. We’d had hot frantic sex the first time. Now we were making love. Lizzie’s hips bent my cock back and forth, left and right, and—sometimes—both at the same time. She flexed her powerful cunt muscles to bring me along with her. After ten minutes our relaxed pace making love once again became hot frantic fucking. I pounded her like I had just two weeks ago with Toni, lifting my wife almost a foot with every forceful thrust. I felt the rumbling at the same time Lizzie began to shake. I knew her body as well as I knew my own. I came with three more strokes and Lizzie came with me, screaming as she did. She was a sweaty mess when she collapsed onto me, her hair hanging down in strings.
I held her for a few minutes before pushing her up and off. “What are you doing, Chuck? Don’t you want to hold me?”
“Of course I do, but I need my phone.” I pulled it from my pocket then lay under Lizzie again. The number was speed dialed in seconds.
“Hi, Dad…how are you?”
“I’m great, Beth. Hold on, I have someone here who wants to speak with you.” I could see Lizzie misting up as she took the phone. She spoke with Beth for almost twenty minutes and they were both crying when the call ended. I took the phone back, kissed Lizzie and speed dialed David. That conversation paralleled the one with Beth almost word for word. I dropped the phone to the floor once they were done.
Lizzie pushed me back as she moved between my legs. She grinned as she began to lick my organ clean. Of course, she had something else in mind and my cock responded exactly as she had hoped. She scrambled into reverse cowgirl, leaning back so I could reach her nipples and clit. I knew how much Lizzie loved this position, although I also knew that she loved all of them. Making love like this always went slowly, a half hour or more, and knowing that I’d cum less than an hour earlier meant it would take even longer. Lizzie experienced three orgasms before I was able to squirt just a little semen into her.
We had lain together for almost an hour when Lizzie asked, “Will you sleep with Toni tonight?”
“Sleep…probably, but that’s all. You know I’d never cheat and she’s the same. She was married and her husband was a serial cheater, plus she’s a judge….”
“A judge?”
“Yes…she’s a judge in the Suffolk Family Court.” I spent a few minutes explaining how we had met and how we had progressed to having sex together. Lizzie had her head on my shoulder as I spoke, but I could tell that she was thinking.
“Chuck, how long do you think I’ll have to stay here?”
“I’d guess they want to run some more tests on you, but I want you home by Thanksgiving. I was thinking we could invite Toni and Carl. I think they’d be good together.”
“Hmmm…maybe, but I think we should get dressed. Toni will be back for you soon.” She was right—my watch read 5:30. I jumped up to the bathroom for a quick shower and had just finished dressing when Toni—ever the proper judge—knocked on the door. As she had stated earlier, Lizzie did thank Toni.
“Uh…what am I being thanked for other than leaving you alone all afternoon?”
“Well, for that, of course, but mostly for taking such good care of him last night. He had…well–let’s just say he had unusual staying power this afternoon.” Once again they laughed while I turned crimson. Lizzie hugged and kissed me good-bye and then she hugged Toni, taking a few seconds to whisper in her ear. We were out in my car before I asked Toni about it.
“Sorry, Chuck…girl talk, besides I promised not to tell you.” I gave her an incredulous look as I started the car and drove away. I wondered now exactly where we would be going. I was stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. I loved Lizzie with every fiber of my body and I loved Toni every bit as much. All I could see of my future was winning and losing. All the same, I told Toni we were going out to celebrate.
I drove into Garden City to Ruth’s Chris. Dinner was great, but our mood was subdued. The mood continued once I had pulled into Toni’s driveway. “What are we going to do, Chuck?”
“I guess we’re going to do everything except make love. I don’t know how much longer we’ll have so I want to make the most of our time together.” Five minutes later we were naked in her bed. We kissed and held each other. How we managed to stop before making love amazed me, but somehow we did. We slept naked, spooning with my hand just below her breast.
I took Toni out for Sunday brunch after Mass before driving out to visit with Lizzie. I was surprised to see Dr. Thompson there so I pulled him aside for some questions. Yes, the doctors wanted to run Lizzie through a series of tests, but she could go home in another week. He explained that the chemical I had been injecting into Lizzie was rapidly oxidized by the body so she would have to receive shots daily for the rest of her life. He assured me that we would receive an ample supply as long as we would continue to participate in their testing program. I was smiling when I joined Lizzie and Toni a few minutes later.
“Great news, Lizzie—you can come home in another week…just in time for Thanksgiving. We’ll want you to join us, Toni.”
“Yes, Chuck…we were just discussing that. I’m sure that David and Beth will be glad to see her again. Be sure to invite Carl, too. I explained to Toni that we’ve had him every year since he became superintendent. “It’s a shame, but he has no family…none at all.” We visited all afternoon, leaving just after five so I could take Toni to dinner and then home. We both had work tomorrow—Monday morning. Toni and I held each other for almost thirty minutes before kissing and saying good night.
I was in school early that Monday morning with I smile on my face and joy in my heart. I greeted the students just as always before returning to my office. I always had students read the morning announcements and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This morning I joined them in the sound booth. Jackie Henderson was today’s reader so she introduced me.
“I know that many of you have been praying for my wife who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Recently, she has been participating in a program with a new experimental drug. I want to thank all of you because apparently someone was listening. My wife has shown complete recovery since Saturday afternoon and she will be coming home next Sunday—just in time for Thanksgiving. Once again, thank you so much.” I received handshakes and good wishes all day.
I visited Lizzie every afternoon, meeting Toni every day but Thursday when she had a meeting with the other county judges. We brought sandwiches, pizza, and Chinese food so we could eat with Lizzie. On Friday we packed up most of her clothing and Toni helped me put them away in our bedroom. I was thrilled that Lizzie was coming home, but I was already missing Toni terribly. Those feelings were only magnified on Sunday when Lizzie left the hospital to return to her home for the first time in almost nine months. We led Lizzie into the house and unpacked her clothes, dumping her dirty clothing into the hamper and placing her toiletries back into place in the bathroom.
CHAPTER 10
Lizzie, Toni, and I chatted all afternoon before going out for a celebration dinner. Lizzie was extremely accommodating in giving me more than thirty minutes to say good-bye to Toni once we were back home afterward. I was pretty sure that she understood what we meant to each other. Toni and I stood in the dark November evening holding, hugging, and kissing each other while we cried over the death of our relationship. I did my best to wipe my eyes with my handkerchief, but there was nothing I could do with the redness of my eyes. I turned off the living room lights and led Lizzie up to our room where we spent most of the night making the most beautiful love imaginable. I confess to thinking occasionally of Toni during that wonderful evening. Whoever made up that saying “between a rock and a hard place” was certainly on target so far as I was concerned.
The next three days at work were a blur as everyone looked forward to the long Thanksgiving weekend. I took Lizzie to the supermarket Monday afternoon to buy the food for our feast. Tuesday afternoon saw us drive in to LaGuardia airport to collect our children. It was an emotional reunion with the four of us bawling like babies as we hugged and kissed in the baggage area. The ride home was filled with love even as we drove to the Chinese buffet before getting home around nine. Lizzie and I excused ourselves so we could shower and make love. Wednesday afternoon everyone other than the coaches and their teams left early with my blessing. I was out the door less than a minute later.
I needn’t have worried. Between Lizzie, Beth, and David the house had been cleaned from top to bottom and a healthy supply of beer, soda, and snacks had been laid in. Lizzie had bought two pounds of extra large shrimp as an appetizer in addition to several boxes of frozen hors d’oeuvres. A check of the refrigerator showed that Beth had been busy, too. There were several bags of sliced peppers, carrots, radishes, and broccoli. On the shelf just above was a big bowl of Lizzie’s turkey stuffing. I remembered then just how much weight I usually put on during this weekend…and why.
Lizzie really surprised me that night. “Do you remember what I told you Saturday afternoon, Chuck?”
“Sure…you wanted to make love every night.”
“That was part of it. Do you remember the rest?” I sat silently for almost a minute before admitting that I didn’t. “Well…let me tell you that I’m really clean for you tonight. I had to do it while the kids were out this afternoon…twice.” I was sure I looked confused because I surely was. The mist suddenly cleared when Lizzie reached into her night table and retrieved a tube of anal lube.
“Are you sure, Lizzie? This could really hurt. Why don’t we just make love the normal way?”
“I trusted you when I was ill, Chuck and I trust you now. I’m sure you’ll do whatever you have to do to make it good for me. From what I’ve read there are three ways—doggie, cowgirl, and missionary with my hips on a pillow or two and my legs up on your shoulders. I want to try them all, but let’s start with the missionary…okay?”
I took the lube and moved Lizzie to the center of the bed, placing two pillows under her hips. Her legs on my shoulders, I leaned forward for a kiss. Breaking it, I moved back to open the lube and spread some on my fingers. My first finger was in Lizzie’s ass for almost five minutes, spreading lube around her sphincter, when I pushed my second into her. Lizzie’s moans grew louder and there was no sign of pain. I’d stop in a heartbeat if I saw or heard one.
My third finger made Lizzie gasp, but I thought it was more from pleasure than pain. I rubbed a handful of lube over my rock-hard cock and changed fingers for cock in an instant. My hands went to Lizzie’s shins as I began to fuck her hard. The lube made everything seem smooth. But there was no denying the tightness of Lizzie’s anus. I knew I wouldn’t last as long as usual so I reached down to Lizzie’s clit with my cleaner hand—the one covered with lube, but not anything from her ass—to rub and twist her clit. The bed was really rocking when I came, pumping five hot jets of thick white semen into my incredible wife. I was just finishing when Lizzie began to shake wildly. I continued to worry her hard clit until I knew that Lizzie couldn’t take any more then I released her legs and, my cock still in her ass, I leaned forward for another kiss.
“Tell me why we didn’t do that sooner, Chuck.”
“I guess because I was afraid to hurt you. We can do it again, but not right away. C’mon, we need to clean up this bed and then shower. We have a big day tomorrow.” I kissed Lizzie again and pulled her up, my cock vacating her ass with a big “pop.” Working and showering together we were done and in bed fifteen minutes later.
Lizzie and I lay together naked, her head lightly on my shoulder and her leg over my thigh when she whispered, “Are you looking forward to seeing Toni tomorrow?”
“Yes, I am. We meant an awful lot to each other for more than eight months. It’s tough to stop seeing someone who meant that much so suddenly. I’m thrilled to have you back with me, but right now I’m wishing you had never made me promise to find a surrogate for you. I love you, Lizzie, but you and your promises….” I stopped speaking then, realizing that Lizzie was asleep.
I made breakfast as I had always done on Thanksgiving morning. Bacon, sausage, and stacks of hot pancakes were enough to hold everyone until this afternoon when we’d serve the shrimp and hors d’oeuvres. Once breakfast was done and the dishes in the dishwasher I began with the turkey, adding the stuffing to the cavity and covering the chest with thick-cut bacon. My mom had taught me to do this back when I was just a boy. Bacon would keep the turkey moist and we wouldn’t have to baste it every thirty minutes. I put it into the oven at 11:30.
I greeted Toni at the door with a hug and a relatively chaste kiss. I put her jacket into the closet while Beth and David hugged her then Lizzie came out of the kitchen for a hug, too. We talked while I made drinks for Lizzie, Toni, and me. I had just served them when the bell rang. Carl joined us a few seconds later. He gave Lizzie a big hug and kissed her cheek then gave me a gift. I knew what it was—a bottle of Hennessy VSOP brandy—the same present he always gave us. Lizzie and I often finished a meal with a wee dram so it was a welcome thought.
We sat together in the den watching the Detroit Lions lose yet another football game. The atmosphere in the room was warm and friendly, but there was an obvious tension between Toni and me. It let up briefly when Lizzie asked Toni for help in the kitchen. They were gone almost a half hour until Toni returned and asked me to remove the turkey from the oven. I rose from my chair immediately, surprised at the expression on Lizzie’s face when I strode into the kitchen. She told me where to put the turkey and to remove the stuffing so she could mix it with the rest. I carved the bird an hour later and we all sat at the table.
I found the seating arrangement interesting. I was at the head with Lizzie on my left and Toni at my right. Beth was next to Toni and Carl was next to Lizzie. Finally, at the other end was David. I asked everyone to hold hands as I said the blessing. I would have sworn that I saw a quick glance exchanged between Lizzie and Toni, but I moved forward. “This is the time when I usually make up something I’m supposed to be thankful for, but not this year. We all know what I’m thankful for today…Lizzie’s return. Thank you, Lord.” My verbal prayer ended there, but silently I also thanked God for bringing Toni into my life. I also prayed for guidance in our relationship, provided we even had one in the future.
It goes without saying that we all ate too much and, after cleaning up, we returned to the den to relax, talk, and watch another football game. I noticed the tension between Toni and me had seemed to be gone. I didn’t understand why, but I would almost a week later.
I was up and ready to leave for work the following Wednesday when Lizzie told me we’d have company for dinner. “Who?”
“If I tell you it won’t be a surprise. I need you to trust me. Will you do that?”
“Of course—I’ll always trust you.”
“Good,” she said, reaching up to kiss my cheek. “I’ll also need another promise from you.”
“What?” I admitted to being confused.
“I’ll tell you tonight when I ask you for the promise. You need to trust me. Will you?”
“You know I will.” She kissed me again and shooed me out the door.
Work that day was a blur. I was almost always busy—most days too busy. I often laughed when I heard people ask why we needed so many administrators. With 1700 students and 156 staff to supervise I could easily use another assistant, but I knew I wouldn’t get one. I rushed home at 4:30, greeting Lizzie once I was in the front door. I was surprised when she came out of the kitchen with Toni in tow. I hurried forward to hold and kiss Lizzie and to kiss Toni gently on the cheek.
“Dinner will be early tonight, Chuck,” Lizzie told me with a smile. Toni grinned, too, but I was still confused. We sat down to dinner at 5:30, roughly an hour earlier than normal. Lizzie spoke seriously once we had finished. She held out her hand for me and I took it. “Take Toni’s too, Chuck.” I did, holding hands with the two women I loved.
“You know, Chuck—I thought I had considered everything when I made my DVD for you, but I realize now that I didn’t. I didn’t think I’d ever come back. I thought I’d spend the rest of my life in that home. Also, I never gave any thought to the idea that you’d fall in love with my surrogate.” I started to demur, but Lizzie stopped me before I had two words out of my mouth.
“Please don’t deny it, Chuck. I’ve known from the first minute I saw you two together. It’s so obvious from the way you look at each other and the way you touch. Relax…I’m not offended—not at all. I’m ready now to ask for your promise, Chuck. I want the three of us to get together regularly…dinner every Friday night…maybe the theater on Saturday, but I want all of us to get together a minimum of once a week.
“On Fridays you and I will pick up Toni at her house and go to eat. After, you’ll drop me off and spend the night at Toni’s.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Promise me that you will, Chuck. I’d never view it as cheating. You wouldn’t have gotten together if not for me. You did and you fell in love. That’s understandable, especially considering what the two of you went through. It’s what I want, Chuck. I created this problem so it’s up to me to resolve it. Promise me, please!”
I took a deep breath, looking first at Lizzie and then at Toni. It was obvious that she had known what Lizzie was going to do. There was hope in her eyes—and love. I should have realized that Lizzie would figure it out. I really was between that rock and…. I gave up. “Okay, I promise.”
“Good…and thank you, Chuck. Now, take Toni home. Stay there for several hours and make love with her. You’re overdue.” I hesitated until Lizzie rose, leaned across the table, and kissed me. “Just save a little for me when you get home.” I was in the car with Toni a minute later.
“When did you two set this up?”
“I don’t think we ever set it up, but Lizzie did tell me our love for each other was obvious when we were in the kitchen on Thanksgiving. I had no idea she would suggest this.”
“I should be furious with her, but I’m not.” Looking across the console I confessed, “I’ve missed you terribly.”
“I know…just as much as I missed you. I plan to rip your clothes from your body as soon as we’re in my house. Thank God I changed the sheets this morning.”
We were silent the rest of the trip, but Toni did make good on her promise. My sweater was pulled over my head and my pants never made it to the living room. We were both naked by the time we reached the hallway to the bedroom. I was as hard as granite even though Lizzie had kept her promise to make love every night.
Toni pushed me against the bed then, kneeling, inhaled my cock in a single attempt. She stopped only when my pubic hair tickled her nose and lips. Then she teased me by slowly pulling back. “Is this what I have to expect? Teasing? Why don’t you let me taste you?” I pulled back onto the bed, leading Toni with me. We kissed—oh God, what a kiss—as our tongues dueled and danced and wrestled with each other. It was a kiss to end all kisses—a kiss that the two of us had thought would never happen.
Toni pulled back to look into my eyes. “I think I’m going to have to wait on that tasting. I need you in me…NOW!” Balancing on her two feet and her left hand she led my pulsating cock to her wetness…to her heat. Once in place she slid down me in a single stroke. “That’s worth waiting for, Chuck. I only pray that I won’t have to wait again.” She spread her legs wide, exposing her clit to my muscles and my fingers. For now my fingers found her hard nipples; I spent the next few minutes worrying them between my fingers and pinching with my nails.
Toni had begun a slow deep rhythm on my cock—deep because she bent low to force her naked clit into my pubic hair and musculature. Toni’s eyes were closed, her back arched, and her head back in her ecstasy. I leaned forward until my lips touched hers then her eyes opened, her hands gripped my head and her mouth opened as her tongue met mine. I drove into her, no longer worried about pressing against her cervix.
I’d love to tell you that we fucked for an hour, but you’d never believe me. Half an hour? No—we were both too excited. Truth be told, we both came in less than five minutes, although calling it “cumming” couldn’t do it justice. We EXPLODED together. I know that I had never cum so hard or for so long. Toni told me later that she had felt as though she had died and gone straight to Heaven.
“I’d love to try for another, Chuck, but I know Lizzie is waiting for you at home and I will have you all Friday night. I think I should take you and Lizzie out for breakfast Saturday morning. C’mon, let’s get a shower and then I’ll kiss you good-bye.” That’s exactly what we did—a quick shower and a long slow kiss before I drove home to my absolutely incredible wife.
Lizzie was waiting for me in bed and she was wearing my favorite outfit—absolutely nothing. I stripped quickly, throwing my clothes onto the floor. I was in her arms as I told her how lucky I was to have her. “I must be the luckiest man in the world to have you for my wife. I love you so much.”
“As much as you love Toni?”
I knew she was teasing me so, why not tease her back? “Hmmm…that’s a tough one,” then, with a huge grin, “…not! I could never love anyone as much as I love you. My love for Toni is different. We went through hell together. Seeing you every day so out of it…so unresponsive and not even knowing who I was…that was so difficult and Toni was always there for me, even at my blackest when I took out my frustrations on her body. I know it wasn’t easy for you either.”
“I’m sure it was easier, Chuck—I had no control over my consciousness and I had no worries. Those were all addressed by you or the home. Damn, what a fucking awful disease. In some respects I think it’s even worse than cancer.”
“I can’t argue with that, but right now I have something else in mind.”
“Oh goodie, you did save something for me.” I spent the next thirty minutes giving her all I had, falling deeply asleep in seconds once we were done.
CHAPTER 11
Lizzie, Toni, and I were inseparable from then on, going out to dinner several times a week, traveling into Manhattan to the theater, fishing once the weather was warmer, even to the Yankees several times during the season even though they both wore Mets jerseys and caps, teasing me from the second we picked up Toni until the instant we dropped Lizzie off at the house.
I made love with Lizzie five nights a week and with Toni two although Friday nights were usually marathons that went on until three or four in the morning. My love for Lizzie and Toni grew with each passing week. That’s how my incredibly delightful, but exhausting, weeks went for almost two years—right up until Lizzie had what I could only think of as a relapse.
It was on a Saturday morning when Toni and I returned from her house, intent on taking Lizzie out for breakfast. I called out to Lizzie. What she called back terrified me. “Chuck…please help me! I can’t control my hands or feet.” After a quick glance at Toni I took the stairs two at a time, finding Lizzie sprawled across the bed, her bra and blouse only half-way on her body and her slacks bunched up at her ankles. I moved to her and took her into my arms. “Chuck…I couldn’t fasten my bra or button my blouse. I couldn’t pull my slacks up my legs. I’m scared.”
I held my love for a few more seconds before hearing Toni tell me she would help Lizzie dress. “I think you should call Dr. Thompson…tell him what happened. Go ahead, darling. I’ll take care of Lizzie.” I backed off, giving Toni room to work and pulled my cell from my pocket. I was put through to Dr. Thompson quickly once I gave Lizzie’s name and said it was an emergency even though he was home at the time. He listened silently while I explained what Lizzie had told me then he instructed me to bring her to the University Hospital ER as soon as possible. He’d wait for us with a wheelchair and he’d make arrangements for an MRI and EEG.
We were back in the car en route to Stony Brook three minutes later and walking through the hospital’s doors less than twenty minutes after that. I had driven like a madman east on Sunrise Highway then north on Nicoll’s Road and running the light for the left turn into the university. As promised, Dr. Thompson was waiting for us. He had a load of questions for me—almost as many as I had for him. He asked that I wait until Lizzie had been examined.
I could barely sit still while waiting for the test results. Thank God I had Toni to lean on. She was my rock, holding and calming me while I cried unashamedly in the hospital lobby. It was more than two hours later that Dr. Thompson found us. He pulled up a chair in front of us. I knew it wasn’t good news when he began wringing his hands. “Give it to me straight, Doctor. What’s wrong with Lizzie?”
“I…we don’t know…not for sure. I’m sure you know that the human brain is more complex than the most powerful computer ever devised. I can tell you what’s happening, but I can’t tell you why. I don’t think anyone can.” He hesitated for about a minute before continuing. I suspected he was thinking of how to explain something medically complicated in language simple enough that we could understand it.
“Elizabeth’s EEG was something I’ve never seen before…and neither has anyone else on staff either. It shows that her brain is shutting down bit by bit. The MRI shows atrophy in some areas of the cerebellum and medulla oblongata and none of us have ever seen that before either.”
I knew that meant serious trouble for Lizzie. The cerebellum controls muscular coordination and the medulla manages all of the bodily functions that must be done automatically without conscious thought like heartbeat or breathing. “Could that be from the medicine…from the shots?”
“It’s possible. We just don’t know. We were all so hopeful with this drug, especially since it’s found in a normal brain all the time. Could it be the concentration–the duration of the shots? Once again we just don’t know.”
“What’s going to happen to her, Doctor?” He didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. His expression said it all—Lizzie–my dear sweet Lizzie–was dying. “How long?”
“We don’t know for sure…a month…maybe less. She’s in a room now and she seems a bit better, but that’s probably to be expected. She’ll have good moments and bad. The bad will increase right up until the end. I’m sorry. I’ll show you to her room.” We rose and walked slowly to Lizzie’s room, knowing that I couldn’t hide the truth from her. She could read me like a book. I was a terrible poker player.
Sure enough, Lizzie looked right through me as soon as we had entered. “That bad, eh? How long do I have, Chuck?”
“Dr. Thompson says maybe a month…maybe less.”
“Then you need to get me out of here. If I’m going to die I want to do it at home. Toni, will you help me to dress?” She did while I went to settle the bill. Thank God I had excellent health insurance. When I got to the billing office I learned that the entire bill had been charged to the drug project. We left as soon as I could get the car.
Toni and I helped Lizzie up the stairs to our room. Toni helped her to undress while I prepared myself to make the two phone calls I had prayed I’d never have to make. David was in law school at Fordham so I phoned the dean there who assured me that David could do whatever was necessary. I received the same response from the dean at Duke where Beth was now a senior. I steeled myself for the calls to our children. Needless to say they did not go well. David dropped everything to drive home. Beth made arrangements to get to the Raleigh-Durham Airport while I phoned American Airlines for a flight to LaGuardia where I would meet her while Toni stayed here with Lizzie.
I rushed back to our bedroom to find Lizzie sitting calmly in bed with Toni sitting to one side. Both were smiling–why I didn’t understand. “Come over here, will you, Chuck?” I did, sitting on the side opposite Toni with Lizzie between us. “Chuck, I’m going to need two more promises from you. Will you promise to do as I ask?”
“Of course, Lizzie—you know I could never deny you anything.”
“Thank you, Chuck; I knew that already. The first has to do with mourning me. Promise me that you will only mourn me for two weeks. Life is for living not for pining over the dead. I could never see what good that did anyone. Do I have your promise?”
“Yes, Lizzie…I promise,” I said with a heavy heart.
“There’s a reason for that which you will soon see. Thank you, my darling. I also want you to marry Toni no more than thirty days after my funeral. I think you should ask her first, don’t you?” I sat there more than a bit confused until Lizzie continued, “Go ahead, Chuck…you can ask her now.”
I looked at Lizzie then at Toni who extended her hand to me. I took it in mine, took a deep breath, and asked, “Toni, will you marry me?”
“Yes, darling…I’d love to.”
“Well, kiss her, you fool.”
“Yes…kiss me.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever leave you two alone again. You’ve been scheming against me, haven’t you?” I leaned across the bed, placing my hand behind Toni’s head and pulling her in for a long deep kiss. Breaking it after a minute I told her, “I love you.” and looking back to Lizzie I told her how much I loved her, too. “I couldn’t believe that you loved me so much that you would give me to another after your DVD and I can’t believe you’re doing it again.”
“Speaking of DVD’s, would you get my laptop, a blank DVD, and an envelope? Then I’d appreciate some privacy.” Toni and I closed the door behind us and walked downstairs. We were halfway down when we heard Lizzie again, “Don’t forget to buy her a ring—an expensive one.” This was my life’s biggest downer, but I couldn’t suppress a chuckle. All the same, I broke down and cried like a baby for more than a half hour with Toni crying next to me as she tried unsuccessfully to soothe me.
We sat there in silence for more than an hour until Lizzie called us back to the bedroom. “Here, Chuck—please show this at the funeral. Now, I’d like to discuss the arrangements.”
“How can you take this so calmly?”
“What good would it do to cry hysterically? I’ve been dealt a bad hand. That’s all there is to it. Under other circumstances I’d worry terribly about you—how you would survive after my death, but I know now that you’ll be well cared for. Okay, I want….”
David arrived about an hour later and ran up the stairs to his mother’s side. I drove to LaGuardia after dinner to receive my bereft Beth. Her eyes were red from crying. I put my arm around her and kept it there until we were in the car and on our way home.
Sunday was a somber time with only Lizzie being upbeat until she demanded we sit and listen to her. “I know you’re all upset, but let’s look at this a different way. What would have happened if I hadn’t received the experimental drug? I would have been dead to all of you for the past two years—alive, maybe, but somewhere else where you couldn’t reach me nor I you. Instead, I’ve spent two wonderful years with all of you. It was a completely unexpected bonus for all of us. Stop crying and let’s enjoy our last days together. How about pizza for dinner?”
We had pizza—Lizzie’s favorite kind—and Chinese the following night. Tuesday night we had my famous California cheeseburgers—no onion. None of us felt much like eating Wednesday night. My dear Lizzie passed away that afternoon. She’d taken a nap after lunch and I’d found her gone when I went to wake her around four. Dr. Thompson had said ‘a month…maybe less.’ Lizzie hadn’t lived even a week.
I notified the police and after a brief and routine investigation Lizzie’s body was taken to a local mortuary. I’d been home on personal leave so I phoned Carl to give him the bad news. It was Wednesday so Toni and I met with the director of the funeral home that evening to share Lizzie’s final requests. She would be cremated prior to her wake on Friday evening and funeral Saturday morning. Her urn and a photo of the two of us would be on display, but not her body. Lizzie thought the whole ordeal would be easier if we didn’t have to view her in a coffin. As bad as this mess was I had to agree. Seeing their mother laid out would be horribly difficult for David and Beth—and not much better for me, either.
There was a big turnout Friday night from the high school. The entire staff and many of the students came to pay their respects. I wasn’t at all surprised to see George and Marsha Henderson and their daughter Jackie who was now a student at a local university. Beth, David and I greeted all the visitors, with Toni remaining in the background for now. We were exhausted emotionally and physically when we left the funeral home at ten.
We slept poorly in spite of our exhaustion, but were up early Saturday morning. It was the first time Toni and I had slept in Lizzie’s and my bed. I thought at the time that Lizzie would approve, but I still found the whole thing disturbing. Toni told me she agreed. Rather than cook I took everyone out for breakfast before arriving at the funeral home by 9:15 for the funeral service at 10:00. As Lizzie had requested I began the service exactly at 10:01 by thanking everyone for coming. Our pastor talked about Lizzie’s life and her illness between prayers, readings from the Bible, and several hymns. Then he sat down with us while the lights were dimmed and a large screen was lowered from the ceiling. A moment later Lizzie face appeared.
“Hello, everyone…I’ll bet you never expected to see me, did you? If you’re watching this I have passed on and you’re at my funeral. I have a few things to explain so none of you will criticize Chuck for what’s going to happen.
“I made several DVD’s when I first became ill asking Chuck to find a surrogate for me—someone to socialize with and, yes, someone for sex. That’s right—I wanted Chuck to have sexual relations with another woman.” I could see Beth and David smirk out of the corner of my eye as they imagined the reactions of those who had known nothing of this. Lizzie continued a moment later.
“If you know Chuck you also know that he always keeps his promises. I asked him to promise to do this and to bring her to meet me. I had no idea that my Alzheimer’s would go into remission as it did just about two years ago. Not only did I meet this woman, but she also became my very best friend. She and I have shared Chuck for the past two years. It was the least I could do. I brought them together and it was because of that that they fell in love. Chuck has loved both of us and undoubtedly would have for the foreseeable future had I not died.
“I have asked Chuck for two final promises—to mourn me for two weeks only before moving on with his life and to marry Toni within thirty days of this funeral. He and Toni are doing this for me…so I’ll know that he will be well taken care of for the rest of his life. Toni is a wonderful, caring, and intelligent woman who I know loves Chuck as much as I do. We’ve spent many hours together over the past two years.
“Chuck, I’m sure we will meet again in Heaven. Eternity is a very long time so I’m sure Toni and I will find plenty of imaginative ways to share you. Good-bye, my darling. I wouldn’t trade my life with you for anything. Only one more promise, sweetheart—love and care for Toni as you have loved and cared for me. I have loved you since we first met and I will love you forever.” She brought her hand to her lips and blew a kiss to me. I cried again even though I had promised Lizzie that I wouldn’t. Pastor Robertson invited everyone present to Fred’s Bar and Grill for a celebration of Lizzie’s life. Toni, Beth, David and I followed him out the door where we met and thanked all who had come, asking them to join us at Fred’s.
The food was great and the booze flowed like water—so much that Beth who was underage had to drive us home. We slept in Sunday morning and, despite our hangovers, we all went out for a wonderful Sunday brunch. We ate plenty—omelets, boiled shrimp, prime rib, and baked Virginia ham among other things—but drank only iced tea, pausing repeatedly to toast the finest woman ever to live.
We were in the car on the way home when Toni asked if we could meet with her parents the following Saturday. Of course, we agreed so she phoned her mother on her cell. “Hello, Mama…yes, it has been a while, but I’ll explain everything next Saturday when you meet my new family. Yes, Mama—I’m getting married to a wonderful man who has two incredible children, one in college and one in law school. I have to go now. We’ll see you Saturday afternoon. Let’s go out to eat at that little Italian place you like. Make reservations for six–early enough for us to get the train home afterwards. Bye.”
“That seemed kind of rushed.”
Toni laughed. “I thought you’d notice. My parents and I don’t get along too well. Hell—we don’t get along at all. They pressured me into marrying Mario, my first husband. He had all the right credentials—Italian, Catholic, and owned his own business, a real estate agency. What they either missed or forgot to mention was that he was screwing several of his agents at the same time he was having sex with me. He gave me Chlamydia. I gave him the boot. A year after we split he was still philandering and wound up HIV-positive. My parents begged me not to divorce him. I would be excommunicated and they would be disgraced. My priest told me not to worry about it. He’s a bit on the liberal side and he told me that adultery and giving me an STD were justifiable grounds for an annulment.
“Anyway, things have been strained between us since.”
I never could leave well-enough alone. “I wonder what will happen when you introduce three Methodists to them.”
“I think,” Toni began with a laugh, “that you’re going to convert. You have a better attendance rate than most of the parishioners, not that I really care. You’re plenty good enough for me—that’s all I care about.” She leaned across the console to kiss my cheek. We dropped Beth and David at the house so we could go ring shopping.
I had suggested we go to a fancy jewelry store in Manhattan, but Toni nixed that idea cold. Instead we went to the diamond district. Our first stop was the Ronkonkoma Station for a round trip to Penn Station. It was a pleasant spring day so we decided to walk the thirteen blocks up Eighth Avenue to 47th Street. The diamond district was less than a half block away. We moved from stall to stall checking the merchandise until we found an engagement ring and matching wedding bands Toni loved. One of the best things about shopping here was that the price could be negotiated, but only if one paid cash. I had fifteen thousand dollars in a special sweater I’d bought for traveling. After fifteen minutes back and forth I paid $8,400 for the ring with the proviso that I could return it if an independent appraisal was for less than $12,000 and another $5,800 for the wedding bands.
No sooner had we left the building than Toni turned, took me into her arms, and kissed me deeply for several minutes much to the amusement of several passersby. Once she broke it we began our slow walk back to Penn Station, stopping occasionally so Toni could admire her ring—the symbol of my love for her and my love for Lizzie. An hour later we were on the train back to Ronkonkoma.
Beth couldn’t wait to see the ring—a 2.5 carat solitaire in a 14-karat yellow gold setting. Toni showed Beth how her wedding band fit around the engagement ring with another 2.5 carats of small diamonds forming a ring around the larger solitaire. My band was a simple gold strip with three small diamonds. Beth loved them. She would get most of Lizzie’s jewelry, but her engagement ring would go to David, hopefully for his lifetime commitment to a woman he would love as I had and still loved Lizzie. Between the stress of Lizzie’s funeral and our trek in Manhattan we were too tired to cook or even go out to eat. We called out for pizza delivery.
I was entitled to five days bereavement leave so I was covered through Wednesday. After that I planned to use two personal days although Carl had told me not to sweat it. My attendance record at work was exemplary. I had never missed even a single day in more than seven years. Toni was using vacation time—she told me she had plenty–that she had never had any reason to take time off in the past. I hoped that would change now.
I thought it was time to discuss our future while David and Beth were here to share in the decision. After several hours we all agreed that I would sell our house and move into Toni’s. It was almost as big as mine—three bedrooms vs. four, but on the same sized lot—almost a half acre. Whereas our house was still mortgaged, Toni owned hers outright—the sole benefit of her marriage to her “asshole husband”—her words, not mine.
CHAPTER 12
Monday was the start of an extremely busy week. I began to remove Lizzie’s clothes. It was painful to be reminded of her every time I touched an article of clothing. Truthfully, this could have waited, but I wanted to do it while Beth was here so she could select any pieces she wanted. After several hours of cleaning out Lizzie’s drawers and closet Beth had selected three sweaters, a Duke sweatshirt, and a small black purse that one would use for a fancy dance or the theater. Everything else went into plastic bags for Goodwill. I also began to remove my clothes to Toni’s. Beth and David did the same. We were all moved in there by Wednesday. On Thursday we moved much of our furniture into storage. That afternoon we bid our final farewell to Lizzie.
David hooked up the boat trailer to the SUV and just after four that afternoon the five of us—Beth, David, Toni, and I along with Lizzie’s ashes–drove to the Captree ramp. Beth and David handed the urn with Lizzie’s ashes carefully onto the boat. A few minutes later we were en route to the inlet. All of our other boating forays were high-spirited as we anticipated both the swimming or fishing and the guy-gal teasing we always did, but today the mood was somber.
I slowed the boat once we were about a quarter mile into the ocean, turning the helm over to Toni, as Beth, David, and I moved to the stern. She kept the bow into the waves which, thankfully, weren’t too big. All the same I kept an arm tightly around Beth who was having a really hard time with this. Each of us said a few words that reminded us of the wonderful woman who had been our wife and mother before sprinkling some of Lizzie’s remains into the water. Once we were done I dropped the urn over the side, completing my promise to Lizzie. David, Beth, and I sobbed as we turned back to Toni. She took me into her arms as we began our slow trip not only toward land, but toward our future life together.
Okay—that wasn’t the last of my promises to Lizzie. I had one more promise to fulfill. Toni and I got our marriage license the next day. I asked her to tell me about her parents. “They’re both immigrants from Genoa and they act as though they were both sorry they left even though my father has a successful florist’s shop in Brooklyn. We’ll pass it on the way to my parents’ home. To say they were strict with me as a kid would be like describing King Kong as a big monkey. I was never allowed to date in high school and they were a big reason why I went away to college. Even then I was afraid I’d get into trouble so all I ever did was study.
“Then I received a grant to law school—you know that I went to Columbia. I made up some story that I needed to be near campus to have access to the library and my study groups so I wouldn’t have to live with them. They fixed me up with Mario as soon as I graduated. He was ‘perfect’ and ‘a great catch’ so I let them wear me down over the next year. I do have to admit the sex was good…not as good as you are, of course.”
“Of course,” I interrupted with a smirk on my face.
Toni slapped my shoulder before continuing, “You know most of the rest. I went to work for the Suffolk County DA and he went to work on his two female agents even though they were both married. He gave them Chlamydia, too and both were divorced by their husbands. He was also fucking some skanky hooker, although I don’t know why. He was doing me three to four times a week and each of his work-mates at least twice. How much sex does a man need, anyway?”
“Until recently I was getting it about ten on average.”
“You’re different. You were in an unusual relationship with Lizzie and me. Of course, we didn’t have to make love so often.”
“Oh…you cutting me off now that we’re going to be married?”
“Not a chance; you know that. I love having you in me. You’re just what I need after a long miserable day in court.” After this discussion I could understand Toni’s reluctance to deal with her parents.
We left Ronkonkoma Station at 12:37 Saturday afternoon, changing at Jamaica in Queens for a train into Brooklyn, arriving about 2:40. We followed Toni who was obviously nervous. She had my hand in a death grip. “That’s my dad’s shop,” she explained.
“Do they usually have flowers at home?”
She tilted her head. “Ever hear of the shoemaker’s kids?” I had—they never had decent shoes—so I suggested we stop and buy a big bouquet for her mother. Toni stayed outside as I walked in with Beth and David. “If I go in Maria will just phone my parents as soon as we leave. Why don’t I stay outside?” We were only in the shop a few seconds when the clerk asked if she could help us. “Yes, I’d like a big bouquet. We’re going to meet my fiancé’s family and we’d like to take some flowers.” She’d put together a large colorful bouquet when Beth asked if they had any baby’s breath. A few minutes and fifty dollars later we were back out the door.
“Tell Toni I approve of her choice,” she called out just as we were exiting. We hadn’t fooled her at all. Toni’s parents lived only three blocks away in what I
considered to be a typical house in Brooklyn or Queens. It was brick and narrow, but deep with a detached garage at the rear. The lot was small and the houses close together. That they took excellent care of their property was obvious.
Beth rang the doorbell and was the first to speak when Mrs. DiNardi answered. “Hi, I’m Beth and this is my brother, David. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Mama, this is my fiancé, Chuck. This is my mother, Julia DiNardi.” We stood there for more than a minute until I asked if we could come in. Any longer and we were going to walk back to the station. I thought Toni’s mom was rude and I was sure that Toni agreed with me. Still, these were my future in-laws. Beth handed the bouquet to Mrs. DiNardi who did thank her. We went inside to meet Toni’s father who was even colder toward us than her mom.
We had been there for about a half hour that seemed more like a week when Mr. DiNardi asked what religion I was. “I’m a Methodist,” was my reply.
“I think the Antonia should marry a Catholic. Actually, she should still be with Mario.”
“Well, we all know how that worked out, don’t we? Personally, I think that Toni is old enough and smart enough to make up her own mind.” Then came the question Toni was dreading, but I was eagerly anticipating—how did you meet?
“I really owe our meeting to my wife.” Beth and Toni suppressed a giggle. “She had Alzheimer’s and she had me promise to find a surrogate for her. You know…someone to socialize with and….”
“Someone to have sex with,” Toni finished. “Yes, Chuck and I had sex while his wife was in a home for Alzheimer’s patients. She recovered and she and I shared him for almost two years until she recently passed away.”
“That is disgusting. I think you should leave.”
“To be honest, sir—that’s the only thing I’ve agreed with since we got here.” I stood, holding Toni’s hand tightly. “Don’t worry, we can see ourselves out.” I pulled Toni behind me and a few seconds later we stood in the front yard. I turned to face my wife-to-be. “I’m sorry about that, Toni. I had hoped we’d have a positive relationship with your folks.”
“You were more optimistic than I was, Chuck and you have no reason to apologize. You were a perfect gentleman which is more than I can say about my father.” She reached up to kiss me even as her father looked out the picture window.
“You knew he was watching, didn’t you?”
“Of course—my parents are the biggest busybodies I’ve ever met. C’mon, let’s go for a walk then get a bite and head home.” Toni held my hand with Beth and David following us as we walked about ten blocks to Coney Island. Even though it was only April many of the attractions were open for the weekend. We strolled on the boardwalk for more than an hour as we window shopped and fed the pigeons and sea gulls before turning back in search of the Italian restaurant where we had planned to eat dinner.
I had to admit it was the highlight of the day. At least it was until we returned home—Toni’s home, now our home. Beth and David were watching TV in the living room when Toni decided to excuse us for the night. “Have fun, you two!” Damn, but Beth was becoming just incorrigible! Toni just grinned as she pulled me into the hallway to the bedroom.
Once there she pulled me to her for a long searing kiss. “I’ve had a stressful day, Chuck.” Then reaching into my slacks she continued, “I need my special stress reliever.”
“I have two for you,” I replied, sticking out my tongue to match my hard pulsing cock.
“I think I’d like to try the smaller one first, if you don’t mind. I have two for you, too.” We were naked a few seconds later and lying on her bed, her glistening cunt just inches above my mouth. I took a deep breath, savoring her musky aroma. I always loved the way Toni smelled. Slowly, I began to kiss her silky thighs, wondering as I had done with Lizzie why this part of a woman was always so soft and smooth and sexy. I must have spent five minutes on those thighs when I moved to her core. Using the breadth of my tongue I started at her clit and licked my way all the way up to her asshole.
I’ve never had any desire to lick an ass or stick my tongue into a filthy bowel, but…if I was to do it I’d do Toni’s ass, for sure. Toni had narrow hips which gave her a firm round and muscular butt. Licking her just resulted in her making more of her pungent juice and after a few minutes of my treatment it was running like a river. Meanwhile she was doing one hell of a job on me. I knew I wouldn’t last long so I amped up my efforts on her, fucking her tunnel until my tongue tired then sucking her clit through the tiny space between my teeth. Toni came so hard I had to release those nipples I was pinching to restrain her thrashing body. I erupted into her mouth just as she was coming down. She sucked me dry then licked me clean.
We lay on the bed for almost a half hour as darkness enveloped the house. Living in one house as Lizzie and I did for more than twenty years had made all the environmental noises a part of our lives. Now, in Toni’s house, every squeak of the floor, every car on the street, every trash can being placed at the curb was new, unusual, and even disturbing. I woke often in those early days only to fall back asleep when I felt Toni’s soft smooth skin against mine. We always slept completely nude, even into our sixties and seventies.
Toni raised her head as she placed her leg over my thigh. “Tell me about anal with Lizzie.”
“Why would you want to know about that, Toni?”
“She asked me to promise…promise that I’d ask you about it. I want to make sure I’m taking the very best care of you.”
“I guess I’m not the only one to make promises to Lizzie. Okay, we started after she came back from the hospital. She said something about wanting me in all her holes and then one day after she’d been home about a week she told me she wanted it. She’d had two enemas while Beth and David were running some errands. It was good, but messy. There was lube all over the bed and all over us, too. The lube made everything feel smooth even though I know the anus is loaded with muscular ridges. The feeling was one of tightness more than anything else. I know that Lizzie enjoyed it—the orgasm part of it anyway. She said it was a bit uncomfortable but that she definitely wanted to do it again. We did, roughly once every two or three months and it was always something she initiated.”
“You didn’t ask for it?”
“No, I had Lizzie and I had you. That was more than enough for any man. You’re more than enough for me. I think we should get to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow…the biggest.” Toni lowered her head and pulled the blanket around us. We fell asleep quickly. Tomorrow was our big day.
CHAPTER 13
We rose early and went to the kitchen, surprised to fine Beth and David there ahead of us. “We couldn’t sleep, Dad. We’re nervous and excited. Toni, now that you’re going to be our mother, should we call you ‘Mom?’”
“You’re very sweet, Beth, but…no. ‘Mom’ belongs to your mother and only your mother. I’m perfectly happy with your calling me Toni. Chuck and I have talked about this and we want to remember Lizzie in our daily lives. She was a fantastic loving and giving woman. We’ll have plenty of her photos around the house and, in time, we’ll have plenty of your dad and me, too.” I knew then, for sure, that marrying Toni was the right thing for me.
We dressed–me in my best navy blue suit and Toni in a chic cream-colored suit with matching shoes. A close friend of Toni’s—a judge in the State Supreme Court—had agreed to marry us. He and his wife arrived just before ten that wonderful morning with Carl right behind them. Toni and I stood together in the living room with David as best man and Beth as maid of honor and with Carl and the judge’s wife as our witnesses. It was there that our bond became legal and binding. There was no doubt it would be “for better or worse and ’till death do us part.”
We left the house at 11:30 for The Snapper Inn on the waterfront in nearby Oakdale. We ate and drank and celebrated our union for hours until I felt guilty about taking up the table and suggested we return home. Judge Rogers and his wife, Adele, left for their home instead as did Carl, reminding me that we both had to be at work early Monday morning.
David drove back to Fordham that afternoon just before Toni and I drove Beth to LaGuardia for her final month at Duke. Six weeks later Toni, David, and I flew into Raleigh-Durham to attend her graduation. Beth had already been hired at a hospital in Pittsburgh and she had plans to continue her studies at least until she had a Master’s.
Thus began our marriage; together, but alone as empty nesters—our children now adults elsewhere. I looked forward to getting home to be with Toni. I still remember her telling me about her first day on the job as my wife, being introduced as “The Honorable Antonia Spangler-DiNardi.” We agreed that it was quite a mouthful.
“And, speaking of mouthfuls,” Toni kidded me as she undid my slacks and took me into her mouth. Following a tradition established by my wonderful Lizzie my new bride insisted on sex at least once each and every day, even during her period. We never did actually do anal. I never saw the need and I guessed at the time that she didn’t either.
That summer we finally took our honeymoon, flying to China for a three-week tour that was incredible, especially the five day cruise up the Yangtze past the Three Gorges Dam. Once on board we were able to upgrade from our tiny cabin with beds that barely qualified as twins to a suite with a king-sized bed and huge sitting room. We made love on one side of the bed and slept on the other. We still had a week off once we returned so we went fishing and—yes—Toni did continue our history of teasing and—worse—she actually out fished me almost every time.
There was only one thing I didn’t like in our relationship—monthly dinner meetings of the Bar Association. Lawyers must not only be the most boring and the cheapest people on the planet—I bought many drinks, but not one of the wealthy lawyers ever reciprocated–but the level of their conversations was barely above that found in junior high locker rooms. Comments about this woman’s ass or that woman’s tits made me cringe. I pulled one guy into a men’s room stall when he commented about Toni’s body, letting him know that he’d get the beating of his life if I ever heard anything like that again. He bolted from the room, his tail between his legs, when I released him. Toni asked me once we were home what had scared him into leaving so early.
“I must confess…it was me. He made some crude comment about your body and I took umbrage. I hate to say this, but most lawyers are real jerks…present company excluded.”
“Unfortunately, Chuck I have to agree. It’s probably why lawyers have such a rotten reputation. Unfortunately, I have to attend these meetings. I’m up for reelection in November and I need their support. You can stay home if you prefer.”
“And leave you alone to suffer their comments and groping…not a chance. Did you see that one guy copping a feel on the dance floor? I’ll kill anyone who does that to you.”
Toni reached up to kiss me before whispering, “You do realize that I’ve been attending those meetings solo for almost twenty years, don’t you?”
“You weren’t my responsibility then. You are now. I’d never allow anyone I loved to be treated like that. No, I’ll be happy to fill your dance card even if my feet
fall off.”
“C’mon, Sir Galahad—time for your reward.” She took my hand and led me to Nirvana—my heaven on earth.
Toni was reelected in an uncontested election. Let me take a moment to explain politics in Suffolk County. Think “CONSERVATIVE!” Almost every single elected official was a Republican. While that may have suited some in the county it also created a few problems. There was nobody to watch the store—no system of checks and balances in place. Over the past few years several officials had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, either receiving graft in exchange for profitable contracts or downright bribery or misappropriation of funds. The newspapers had headlines almost every day about stings run by the state police or the FBI.
Beth phoned us at least once a week telling us about her adventures on her new job or her roommates, both of whom were nurses at the hospital. She’d been on the job almost a year when she called to tell us that she had a new roommate. Something about her tone of voice was different so Toni suggested we go to visit over a long weekend. Sure enough, the door was answered by a handsome young man. “Hi, Mr. Spangler…Mrs. Spangler, I’m Gary. Beth’s still in the shower. Why don’t you come in and sit while we wait for her?”
We were seated a few minutes when Gary spoke again. “Actually, Sir I’m glad to have this time with you before Beth joins us. I’d like to have her hand in marriage, with your permission. We met at the hospital where I’ve been an orthopedic surgeon for the past three years. I specialize in hand surgery so Beth and I have worked very closely. It was almost four months before I got up the nerve to ask her to dinner. We’ve been together ever since. I know that I love her more than anything and I believe that she loves me. She’s told me all about your marriage with her mother and your relationship with you, Mrs. Spangler. I pray that we’ll have the same kind of relationship.”
“Prayer won’t give it to you, Gary. It takes hard work every day…give and take and honest communication. It takes love, of course, but these days that seems to be a cheap commodity. Everyone claims to be in love, but they’re more concerned with their own happiness than that of their partner. Lizzie and I always wanted the best for each other. That’s why I met Toni and it’s a big part of why we’re married now. I’ll gladly give my approval if you’re prepared for total commitment to her.” We heard some noise in the hall and Beth bounded in a few seconds later. She hugged me and then Toni before depositing herself in Gary’s lap. They became engaged two weeks later and, following a tradition begun by Toni and me, were married very shortly thereafter.
David graduated in the top ten percent of his class then surprised all of us by taking employment with the FBI. He made quite a name for himself fighting organized crime. He was in his early thirties when he finally settled down, marrying a woman who had lost her husband in Afghanistan. She had two young children who loved David as much as they loved their mom.
Toni and I worked until I reached my sixtieth birthday. By then we knew we’d have more than enough to retire on. I had earned more than enough to support Toni and me so her full salary had been invested. Additionally, we were both entitled to hefty pensions—more than $300,000 a year and our investments were more than six million.
Toni and I took up golf in addition to fishing. We took lessons, but basically we sucked. We couldn’t have cared less. We were only there to have a good time. When we weren’t playing golf we were either fishing or travelling or spoiling our grandkids rotten. Once they were old enough we took them to Disney World and the other parks in the Orlando area.
We continued our sexual practices well into our sixties then we began to slow down, making love only five days a week. We still slept naked, enjoying the sensation of skin on skin through the night.
We had just celebrated our forty-second anniversary the week before. I was eighty-nine and Toni, eighty-six. I begged off on sex that night, telling Toni I just didn’t feel right. She kissed me good-night then snuggled that still slender body against mine. I had just closed my eyes to sleep when I saw Lizzie standing right in front of me. She looked young again—about the same age as when we’d first met.
“Welcome, my darling—I’ve been waiting for you.”
I looked down at my youthful body then up at my wife. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”
“Yes, darling, but you’ll live forever now with me.”
“What about Toni? Will she be okay without me?”
“She’ll be extremely upset, but she’ll recover long before she joins us.” When I gave Lizzie a quizzical look she continued, “It’ll be almost another five years before she comes to us. C’mon, I’ll show you around then I think we should go to bed.”
“You mean…”
“Of course—there’s no adultery here, but married couples are free to enjoy themselves as they see fit. I’ve been waiting for you too long.”
“Then why don’t we skip the tour and….” That was the first time in ages that I heard Lizzie laugh. I’d hear that musical laugh trillions of times over the next several billion years. Lizzie showed me to her…I guess it was her house although it looked more like a cloud. She led me in and we were naked in an instant. We made the most beautiful love for hours with neither of us ever tiring. I came twenty times that wonderful day and Lizzie came even more.
Five years later we were standing at the edge of Heaven holding hands when my other love joined us. I lagged behind as she and Lizzie talked and talked. I knew what they were doing—planning how they were going to share me. Yes, there’s incredible sex even in Heaven—sex without limits for those who truly love each other.
Although this is a work of fiction it describes a problem that impacts far too many people and far too many families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association as many as 200,000 of the more than five million Americans with Alzheimer’s have the Early Onset form of the disease, many affected even in their thirties and early forties. Although research is ongoing there is currently no cure and no way to control the terrible progress of the disease. I claim no expertise on Alzheimer’s so if I’ve made a few mistakes I apologize. Luckily, I have no relatives or friends with the disease.
I readily admit to being a sucker for a happy ending so I invented the “miracle drug” that enabled Lizzie to return for those two wonderful years she was able to spend with Chuck and Toni. In real life there is only a downward spiral that ends in despair and death. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death in the top ten that cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed. Thanks for reading. Senorlongo