McKenzie, the Hot Babsitter

This story is dedicated to Piper, the TRUE hot babysitter… hopefully, it compares to those cheesy Hallmark movies that you and Mandy enjoy so much!

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“Look at me, Auntie McKenzie!” Timothy shrieked. “Look at me!”

The little boy posed atop a plastic slide in the backyard of his home. His chest was puffed out and his fists were pumped in the air. He was so proud and gleeful that he may as well have been standing on the peak of Mount Everest.

McKenzie dropped to one knee and held her arms out wide. “Come on down, my favorite little man! Auntie McKenzie will catch you!”

Timothy gave a loud “Woo!” as he zipped down the small side. And as he crashed into her hungry arms, McKenzie hugged him, stood up, and laughed all in one smooth motion. She held the boy close and nuzzled his neck, causing him to squeal even louder and squirm in her embrace.

Timothy felt safe, happy, and loved, and in that moment the entire world was perfect.

Timothy wrapped his arms around his babysitter’s neck. The boy couldn’t recall a time when Auntie McKenzie hadn’t been a part of his life. To him, she had just always existed. Sure, when she first started off as his babysitter, she was only around sporadically…. mainly on a Saturday every now and then when Mommy and Daddy needed a date night. But then Daddy, who was a member of the Armed Forces, sadly got shipped overseas. And because Mommy was an ER nurse who often worked crazy hours, Auntie McKenzie quickly became a fixture in his life. Mommy had even given Auntie McKenzie her own room for awesome sleepovers when she had to work late at night!

Auntie McKenzie may have started off as his occasional babysitter, but in what seemed like an eternity to Timothy which, in actuality, was only the span of 18 months, she had become much more to him.

At 4 years old, Timothy considered himself extremely wise and insightful. It was clear to him that Mommy and Daddy loved Auntie McKenzie. They were abundantly nice and appreciative of her, and had even made it a point to get to know her Mommy and Daddy. In fact, the 6 of them had even gone out to dinner a few times when Daddy wasn’t overseas. Auntie McKenzie and her parents felt like an extension of his own family which, the little boy shrewdly theorized, made her more like his Big Sister than “auntie”.

But she would always be Auntie McKenzie.

Though nothing could compare to the love a little boy feels for his mother, Timothy’s affection for Auntie McKenzie came close, but in a much different way. On an intrinsic level, he was aware that they weren’t actually related. After all, Auntie McKenzie looked so much different compared to him! Whereas he, and Mommy and Daddy, had yellow hair, hers was blacker than the blackest black he had ever seen! And while Mommy’s skin was awfully pale— also like his— Auntie McKenzie’s was a pleasing, naturally tan color.

But it was Auntie McKenzie’s eye that captivated Timothy. They were dark brown, and their narrow, slightly-almond shape was very interesting to the little boy. Once, when he had asked her why her eyes were so different from his, Auntie McKenzie laughed and simply stated “It’s because I’m Asian!” as if that answered everything. Timothy wasn’t entirely sure what that meant nor did he care. And though it wasn’t the bulk of it, Auntie McKenzie’s exotic appearance gave her an almost mystic quality that he didn’t understand; it made her seem larger-than-life when she was already a literal giant next to him.

But the little boy always went back to her eyes… there was something about Auntie McKenzie’s eyes that really set her apart from everyone else and filled him with wonder.

Timothy gazed into them solemnly. “Auntie McKenzie?”

“Yes, Timmy?”

“I want to marry you because I love you.”

The 17-year-old girl almost burst out laughing but stopped when she noticed the earnestness in his bright blue eyes. He was being sincere in the innocent way that all young children are and knew that her initial reaction would’ve wounded Timothy grievously. McKenzie smoothly caught herself and set him down, returning a serious look of her own.

“Oh, you want to marry me, do you?” She held out her hand. “Then where’s my ring? Because if you’re gonna ask a girl to marry you, Timmy, you gotta give her a ring!”

The boy’s expression didn’t change as he reached into his pocket and produced a plastic ring.

McKenzie’s eyes widened.

“I wanted to buy you a nice ring, Auntie McKenzie, but I only had $3.42 in my piggy bank, so I had to get this one instead. I bought it from a gumball machine when Mommy and I went to the grocery store.”

This time, the young Asian girl did burst out in laughter. “Oh, Timmy… my sweet little man!” She knelt to his level and hugged him fiercely. “You’re the sweetest boy in the whole entire world!”

He became even more excited. “Does that mean you’ll marry me, Auntie McKenzie? Maybe after the wedding, we can take everyone to the park! Then you and the grownups can sit and talk while me and my friends go play!” Timothy had been planning the entire event for days, and there was no better place for a wedding and post-wedding festivities than the local park.

It’d be perfect!

McKenzie smiled gently as she regarded the boy whom she had grown to love like her own son. “Oh, no, Timmy. I can’t marry you. There’s a special girl out there waiting for you, and someday you’re going to meet her. And when you do, she’s going to make you as happy as you’re going to make her.”

That was NOT what the little boy was expecting to hear and he experienced heartbreak like never before. Even in adulthood, he would always remember the anguish that he felt at that precise moment. “But Auntie McKenzie! I love you! I want to marry you!”

The Asian teen hugged him close as Timothy began to cry uncontrollably. Her amusement was immediately replaced by heartbreak of her own. Sure, she wanted to be realistic with the little boy, but she hated herself for upsetting him. For a moment, neither could say anything until McKenzie looked at the boy sternly. “Timmy, look at me.”

“Yes… Auntie… McKenzie?” he managed between sobs.

“I can’t marry you, but you will always be my favorite little man. Do you hear?” When the boy couldn’t— or wouldn’t— respond, McKenzie repeated her question and was surprised at the vehemence in her own tone. “Do you hear?” she asked again more urgently.

“Y-yes, Auntie McKenzie.”

“Oh, Timmy.” She pulled him close once more; it felt like she was always holding the little boy. This time, she did tear up. “You have no idea how much I love you. You and your parents are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Timothy burrowed into his babysitter with an inexplicable terror as if he was somehow losing her. But the warmth and firmness of her body, and the familiar, soothing scent of her hair made everything immediately better. And even though Auntie McKenzie had just shattered his heart into a million pieces, her mere presence was always enough to make him feel safe and secure.

The teen was emotional herself but made sure that she had recovered and that her eyes were dry before she looked at the boy again. Then she crinkled her nose after she pretended to sniff him. “Pee-yoo! I think my favorite little man needs to take a bath before his Mommy and Daddy get home. What do ya think about a bubble bath?”

“A bubble bath?” Timothy immediately perked up. Mommy and Daddy never let him take a bubble bath because the soapy water always mysteriously ended up on the floor. “Sure!” He was almost already back to his normal self.

“Then let’s go back inside. And when your parents get home, I’ll ask them if I can take you out for ice cream tomorrow.”

“Ice cream! Yea !!!”

Auntie McKenzie cradled Timothy like a mother would her own child, and everything in the world was right once more as they went inside.

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McKenzie knew that tomorrow wouldn’t arrive soon enough for Timmy, so she went to his house immediately after school.

When she arrived, the boy’s mother Carla was dressed in medical scrubs, and gave her a hug and some instructions before rushing out the door. “Dinner is in the fridge. As usual, call or text me on my work phone if anything comes up.”

“I will, Mrs. Vandermire,” McKenzie promised.

Mom eyed Timmy critically. “And you… behave. When I come home, Auntie McKenzie better not tell me that you were a bad boy.”

“Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ll behave.”

Timothy’s face was angelic as he hugged his mother and watched her leave. But as soon as he saw her car pull out of the driveway, he began to hop up and down. “Can we go to the park and get some ice cream now, Auntie McKenzie? Can we? Can we? Please, please, please?”

McKenzie sighed. Clearly, the boy didn’t notice the enormous backpack that she was carrying. She had so much homework to do. McKenzie was a studious girl, and felt the compulsion to at least get started. “Timmy, I’m sorry, I have a lot of school work, and—” Timmy looked like he was about to cry, which was always her weakness. McKenzie transitioned smoothly, “But I suppose I can start it after you go to bed. C’mon, let’s go get some ice cream!”

Timothy leapt into her arms so quickly that she barely had time to catch him. “Love you, Auntie McKenzie!”

“Love you, too!”

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The pair soon found themselves standing in line for ice cream at the local park. They had left the house almost immediately, pausing long enough to for Timothy to don his cowboy hat, cowboy boots, bandana, and holster that carried 2 toy pistols. The little boy was essentially wearing a Halloween costume at the beginning of summer. But the teen didn’t try to dissuade him.

Timmy was just THAT cute!

They were turning away from the ice cream truck, treats in hand, when Timothy noticed a slightly younger girl crying to her mother nearby.

“I’m sorry, honey,” the woman told her daughter. “But I left my purse at home.”

“But I REALLY want ice cream,” the girl sobbed.

Timmy, who was as pure of heart as any child, was mortified, and immediately turned to his companion. “Auntie McKenzie, I’m going to give that little girl my ice cream.” There was no hesitation.

Despite wanting to commend the boy, she replied, “You don’t have to do that!”

The boy’s expression turned as serious as she had ever seen, and she would never forget his next words. “But Auntie McKenzie, you once told me that we should help people who have less than we do. That little girl doesn’t have any ice cream, so I’m going to give her mine.”

McKenzie felt a sudden pain… pain for initially trying to talk the boy out of it and pain because she was so proud. She smiled at the wonderful boy standing before her. “Ok, my little man. If you want to give your ice cream to that girl, then you go ahead and give it to her.”

Timmy immediately sped off. And when he returned, McKenzie scooped him up into a fierce bear hug. Looking past him, she saw the little girl licking the ice cream cone happily. The mother nodded at them gratefully and mouthed Thank You before they strolled away.

McKenzie turned her attention back to the boy she held in her arms. “Timmy, listen to me.”

“Yes, Auntie McKenzie?”

“Whatever you do… no matter how far you go in life… please promise me that you’ll never change. That you’ll always be the sweet little boy whom I know and love.”

It was obvious that Timmy didn’t understand what she was trying to tell him, but he promised, anyway.

McKenzie laughed.

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The only constant in life is change.

People grow older and circumstances change.

The day that was inevitable finally arrived. And Timothy, despite his youth, realized that something significant was occurring when Auntie McKenzie arrived and immediately asked to speak to his mother privately. And when they finally called him into the living room, was it clear that they had both been crying. In fact, Auntie McKenzie appeared so upset that she couldn’t speak.

It was Carla who spoke first. “Timothy… hon. Auntie McKenzie has something important to tell you.”

Auntie McKenzie, he noticed, couldn’t look at him.

Timothy was suddenly scared.

“Timmy, I’m going to have to go away soon.”

The little boy didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean, Auntie McKenzie?”

“I’ll be starting college in the fall, and it’s very far away.”

Timothy was confused. “College?”

“Big person school,” Carla explained gently.

He suddenly became very suspicious. “Ok…”

Auntie McKenzie suddenly knelt as she often did when speaking to him so she could be at his level. “It means that when I go to big person school, I won’t be able to see you anymore.”

“WHAT!”

McKenzie looked desperately at Carla, who couldn’t provide any help as they both began to tear up once more. “I’m sorry, my little man”

Timothy to wailed loudly, “But I love you, Auntie McKenzie! I don’t want you to go!”

Carla had to look away as the teen tried her best to keep from becoming too emotional. “And I love you, too, Timmy. I don’t want to leave you and your parents, but…”

The boy was becoming increasingly terrified. “Who’s going to take care of me?” he shrieked. The fear of abandonment was real, even if that was the furthest thing from reality, for a child whose father was serving in the military overseas… whose mother regularly worked long, irregular hours… and, now, whose surrogate mother was telling him that she was leaving.

Carla’s eyes were bloodshot but she addressed her son sternly. “You will never be alone, honey.”

The little boy was only slightly consoled. “Auntie McKenzie, can you at least come and see me on the weekends?” he pleaded desperately.

McKenzie sighed mournfully as she had been dreading this day. “I won’t be able to, Timmy. My big person school is so far away that I’ll need to fly in a plane for 5 hours to get there.”

“When is your last day with us?” Carla asked quietly.

“2 months from this Friday. I’m sorry, Mrs. Vandermire. I know Timmy’s dad won’t be home before that, but it’s the best I can do.”

The older woman smiled warmly. “That’s plenty of notice, McKenzie. Thank you for being so considerate. I can take time off from work before Eddie comes home, and my parents should be able to help, too.” She hugged the teen. “You’ve been a godsend to us, McKenzie. To me and my husband, and to Timothy. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you for the last 2 years. Timothy loves you like a 2nd mother, and Eddie and I love you like the daughter we never had. We hate to see you go, but knew this day was coming. We wish you the best of luck at college and beyond.”

Both women sobbed as they hugged again.

Timothy felt sick. Auntie McKenzie wasn’t dying, but that’s what it felt like. He knew that his life would never be the same, and the concept of loss and change was not something that he was ready to cope with.

McKenzie saw the frightened look on Timothy’s face, and picked him up before his mother could. She tried to keep her tone even. “You and I still have 2 whole months together, Timmy. And we can do so many awesome things in that time!”

“Ok, Auntie McKenzie.” But his tone lacked conviction.

McKenzie pulled him closer and whispered, “You will always be my favorite little man. I will never forget you because you will always be here… and here.” She pressed his tiny hand to her forehead and then to her heart. “I will never forget you, Timmy, because I love you.”

“I’ll never forget you, either, Auntie McKenzie. And I love you, too.”

The young boy and his beloved babysitter savored their final 2 months together. But the day that everyone had been dreading inevitably arrived in what seemed like a blink of the eye. Timothy was screaming and wailing as McKenzie tried to say her final good-bye. He clutched onto her so tightly that his nails dug into her flesh, and Carla had to pry him off.

“Good-bye, my sweet little man. I head the greatest time with you.” McKenzie wanted to say something profound and meaningful as the boy begged her not to leave, but her words felt hollow. She tried to steel herself as she nodded to Carla one final time, and turned away from Timmy as his mother held him back.

This was not a bittersweet moment for McKenzie; there was no silver lining. She felt even worse than she had anticipated. And her pain rivalled Timmy’s and she hurried into her car and drove off, leaving the people whom she loved like her family.

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Fifteen years later…

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Timothy sighed as he glanced at the clock. Why is the last hour always the most painful? Specifically, the final hour of work on a Friday always seemed to last an eternity. Still, the 21-year-old loved his job and was determined to transition into the weekend on a high note.

He looked at his client.

The Asian woman, who was in her late 40’s but could pass for half her age, flashed the handsome young man her most flirtatious smile. She was currently sitting on a medicine ball hand and gripped weights in each hand. Never taking her eyes off him, the woman slowly extended both arms overhead. And as she completed the lateral press, her considerable breasts stretched tautly in her snug sports bra.

That was on purpose, and her flirty smile broadened even further.

But Timothy, as usual, didn’t take the bait. “Fantastic job, Mrs. Yang. Well, unfortunately, that’s all we have time for today.”

The older woman was visibly crestfallen. She dropped the weights onto the padded floor and rose from the medicine ball. “I always enjoy working with you, Timothy, and our sessions are the highlight of my week.” She casually drew closer to him. “My husband won’t be home for another 45 minutes. Maybe you can give me… an extended session?”

The innuendo was clear.

Timothy sighed inwardly. Mrs. Yang’s come-ons were getting tedious, and he wondered if he might need to drop her as a client. Sure, she was easily the arguably the hottest female he worked with, and he had no doubts that the woman was devious enough to hide an affair from her husband. But that’s not the way the young man was wired.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Yang, but our time is up. I’ll pack of my things and go. See you next week.”

The older woman pouted but Timothy pretended not to notice.

Timothy sighed as he entered his car and drove off. But after a block, he chuckled humorously. Working as a visiting personal trainer in these affluent neighborhoods paid well but he had realized, very early on, that it could be more than just a source of income if he chose. He had countless woman of all ages as his clients, a surprising number who were very beautiful, very lonely, and very, very horny.

But Timothy wasn’t that type of person; he even avoided getting too friendly with his attractive female clients who were single.

The married women were the ones who didn’t like taking “no” for an answer. Whether it was because they were unfulfilled in their marriages or just bored, Timothy didn’t know and made it a point not to find out. The only questions he asked were those that strictly pertained to their training programs.

As he approached the townhouse that he shared with a roommate, Timothy idly thought about Mrs. Yang. The fact that he behaved around his married female customers did NOT mean that he didn’t fantasize about them. My god, she has a fantastic body. He dreamily recalled the way her tits looked so perfect in a tight sports bra… the way they ALWAYS looked so perfect in a tight sports bra!

It didn’t matter that Mrs. Yang was old enough to be his mother; Timothy appreciated beautiful women regardless of their age.

He also had a strong affinity for Asian women.

Timothy’s thoughts wandered inward as he pulled to a halt at a stoplight.

McKenzie…

It was strange how he still thought of his former babysitter after all this time. He’d periodically browse through pictures that his parents had taken of them. As a child, he didn’t notice or appreciate the girl’s exotic beauty. But it wasn’t primarily McKenzie’s appearance that was still making an impression on him 15 years later.

Timothy could still remember the way her hair smelled and the firmness of her chest whenever she had held him close.

But most importantly, Timothy could still vividly recall the way McKenzie made him FEEL. The way the girl could make him feel safe, happy, and loved which were the only things that that he wanted as a child. All the scrapes and falls he suffered as a young boy… all the times the world seemed to be ending when his 4-year-old self couldn’t find his favorite toy… Timothy never forgot how “Auntie McKenzie” could make everything right with just a few words or a smile.

And he could still recall his heartbreak when McKenzie went off to college.

It was those lasting emotions that continued to haunt Timothy, and made him unable to forget about his former babysitter.

So weird.

Timothy parked his car and, as he had been doing more often lately, wondered about McKenzie: where she was, what she was doing now. Regardless, he just hoped that the girl was happy and heathy. No… not a girl anymore…a WOMAN, the young man corrected himself.

McKenzie was in her early 30’s now… 32, he calculated.

Timothy turned off the ignition and berated himself. You’re an idiot! You’re pathetic! Why was he pining over a woman whom he hadn’t seen since he was five years old when there were plenty of hot females available? The young man never had any problems attracting the opposite sex.

But McKenzie… why had he been thinking about her so much lately?

Most likely it was because he was newly single, Timothy thought ruefully. He had broken up with his girlfriend last week after they had been dating for almost a year. Timothy couldn’t really articulate why things with Renee didn’t work out; there was no 3rd party involved. All he could surmise was that their relationship had simply run its course.

Just like with every romantic relationship he had ever been in.

Timothy was still searching for that elusive “someone”.

Timothy was muttering at himself when he entered his rental townhouse. His roommate Gary was strewn out on the couch, and staring intently at his cell phone. Gary was usually in the same position whenever Timothy came home. And if he wasn’t on the couch tapping away on his cellphone then he was in bedroom playing video games online. Gary led a fairly sedentary life and was a huge slob, behaviors which Timothy frowned upon.

Though their lifestyles different, the young men’s personalities weren’t TOO dissimilar, and they had quickly become good friends.

“Hey, Gary.”

“Yo, Tim-may! How’s the personal training going?”

“Good. Spent half the day driving to these huge mansions that I’ll never be able to afford, but at least I’m getting paid, right?”

Gary sat up and grinned. “What you really meant to say is, at least you’re getting paid to put your hands on a plethora of hot, half-naked women!”

“I don’t touch them all the time,” Timothy corrected. “Only when they need that extra hands-on instruction.”

“Man, I don’t get you. You come home almost every day with stories about how these rich, beautiful women are, literally, throwing themselves at you, and you haven’t banged any of them yet!”

“Dude, the last thing I need is for some jealous husband to come after me because I slept with his wife.”

“It’s always the married women who want that extra something on the side, huh?”

Timothy nodded in agreement. “It’s always the married women.”

“Damn, I’ll be they’re really kinky in bed, too.”

Gary suddenly turned his attention back to his phone and resumed typing. Normally, Timothy would’ve commented that he was spending too much time on his phone, but for some reason, he decided to ask, “What are you doing?”

Gary looked up and paused in surprise; his roommate never asked him what he was doing on his phone. “Just checking social media… and chatting with an old friend whom I haven’t seen in a while.”

Timothy raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yea, met this girl at summer camp when I was 12. Man, I really liked her. I decided to look her up online, and found her pretty easily. It’s cool to reconnect, you know?”

“You found her just like that?”

“Just like that.”

While Timothy did not use social media and disliked the mere thought of it, he had, of course, considered using it many times to find McKenzie. But he had always resisted. He figured that his attempts would prove futile because his former babysitter probably didn’t even have a social media profile.

At least, that what he constantly told himself.

The truth was, Timothy was afraid.

Afraid that he wouldn’t be able to find McKenzie.

Afraid that he might come across as a deranged stalker if he actually found her.

Afraid that McKenzie would dismiss him disdainfully once he connected with her.

But most of all, Timothy was afraid that McKenzie wouldn’t be the same person whom he remembered.

He began to second-guess himself. He was just 5 when she went off to college, after all. Who was to say which of his memories pertaining to his former babysitter were accurate, and which were concocted by his mind? Though it was depressing to even consider it, maybe McKenzie was never the girl whom he remembered and idolized.

That thought especially scared him; he did not want to shatter his happy childhood memories.

But what if I can actually find her again…

“You ok?”

Gary snapped him from his deep thoughts. “Yea. Sorry, man. It’s just been a long day.”

“I’d be exhausted staring at half-naked women all day, too.”

They chuckled as Timothy headed to his room.

“Hey, we’re still meeting the crew at Charlie’s tonight, right?” Charlie’s was the local dive bar where the young men routinely hung out with their friends.

“Yup,” Timothy responded. “At our usual time. 10 o’clock.”

He fist-bumped his roommate then retreated to his bedroom. Stripping off his sweaty clothes, he then entered the shower. And as he stood beneath the cascade of warm water, the young man gave much thought to looking up McKenzie on social media.

What’s the worst thing that can happen? Timothy asked himself. Either you don’t find her, or she gets creeped out and doesn’t want to talk to you ever again.

He profusely hoped it wouldn’t be the latter.

Timothy was so anxious that he was still wearing a towel around his waist and hadn’t fully dried himself when he opened his laptop and created a perfunctory profile on a popular social media platform. His heart began to beat faster as he typed in McKenzie’s full name and waited for the app to finish its search.

She’s probably not even on here… and maybe it won’t even matter if she is. She could be living in some other country. Timothy was doing anything he could to prepare himself for disappointment.

And there she was… just like that.

He was staring at McKenzie’s headshot on his laptop.

His former babysitter looked different… and, yet, she didn’t. Her face was slightly fuller in a more grown-up sort of way— it had been 15 years, after all— but everything else her was still the same.

That bright smile…

Those deep brown exotic eyes…

McKenzie was exactly the way he remembered them.

He didn’t understand why he was suddenly overcome with a myriad of emotions. Happiness. Longing. Heartbreak. A sense of victory that he had found her.

Timothy caught himself smiling at McKenzie’s profile pic.

But despite this victorious moment, he hesitated in sending his former babysitter a message. Will she think I’m a stalker? A pathetic loser? What would he even say to her after all these years?

Eventually, however, Timothy eventually found the courage to begin a short, simple message.

Hi, McKenzie. This is Timothy…

And after an agonizing day, during which Timothy forced himself not to constantly check his social media messages and told himself that just because McKenzie possessed an online profile didn’t mean that it was active, he received a response.

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Timothy was so anxious that he wanted to stand up and start pacing. His mouth was dry and his hands were shaking. He stared at the entrance of the coffee shop where he waited for McKenzie.

They had exchanged several messages after he contacted her 2 weeks ago, and she actually seemed happy that he had found her! And though McKenzie had moved several times since high school, Timothy couldn’t believe that now lived only about 2 hours away. They were excited to see each other again, and quickly agreed to meet at a halfway point. He was more than happy to let her choose the time and location.

Timothy’s eyes widened when McKenzie appeared.

The Asian woman’s hair was slightly shorter compared to 15 years ago but it was still silky black and layered. And those brown, almond-shaped eyes, poignant cheekbones, and naturally tan skin were as striking as he remembered. McKenzie had physically matured, and though she was definitely a woman now, she still possessed the athletic, gangly body of a teenager.

Time had been very good to her.

Then Timothy noticed what his former babysitter was wearing.

McKenzie was wearing a tight dress that was the perfect combination of classy and provocative. It was long-sleeved with a skirt that ran low to her calves. And black high heels were a perfect complement to the outfit.

It wasn’t the form-fitting nature of McKenzie’s dress, however, that caught Timothy’s attention the most, but rather its color. The fabric was a tan, and almost the same complexion as her skin to the point that where it appeared as though the woman had strolled into the coffee shop naked! In fact, he had done a double-take when he first saw her.

Still, Timothy couldn’t help but admire the way the dress hugged McKenzie’s body so snugly. It stretched over her form like a thin film, highlighting every feminine curve— her shoulders and hips as well as her breasts and bottom— in the most flattering way. As the young man glossed over her perfect figure, he realized that he remembered each one of those curves as if they were long lost friends whom he was getting reacquainted with, as well.

McKenzie’s curves didn’t have the same effect on him as a child as it was having on him in the present.

McKenzie may have looked nearly the same after 15 years, but Timothy never actually processed that she was THIS beautiful until now.

Timothy gazed at her in wonder; nor was he the only male in the coffee shop staring at her. But he suddenly experienced a strange guilt viewing McKenzie in this light. This was, after all, the woman who had been like a 2nd mother to him when he was a child.

But when McKenzie’s familiar brown eyes fell upon him, Timothy’s heart practically stopped.

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McKenzie couldn’t believe how delighted she was when Little Timmy found her via social media! No… he’s not “Little Timmy” anymore! She had to remind herself that the sweet boy whom she used to babysit so long ago was a grown man now!

Had it really been 15 years?

Though she was delightfully surprised when she first heard from Timothy, the fast-paced craziness of her life had nearly snuffed out that joy. McKenzie had many things going on, both internally and externally, and despite her eagerness to reconnect, she suspected she would’ve forgotten about their planned get-together had she not marked it on her cell phone calendar. The past year had been especially brutal; her personal life was in shambles and she had cried herself to sleep more times than she could remember. And while she was extremely well compensated at a job that she loved, that, too didn’t come without its own stress and tradeoffs.

That was part of the reason why McKenzie was so happy to hear from Timmy; it was a bright moment in an otherwise dark time in her life.

Not Timmy… TIMOTHY!

But as McKenzie entered the coffee shop where the young man presumably waited for her, her mind was partially preoccupied with other matters. There was so much going on in her life, so many things that she had to do, that she felt harried. Had McKenzie been coming to meet anyone but a fondly-recalled long-lost acquaintance, she would’ve cancelled. And even still, she felt guilty coming to meet Timothy with her mind elsewhere.

McKenzie halted as she entered the coffee shop and scanned the patrons. People glanced at her from all directions… men smiling flirtatiously and women studying her with open hostility… but the beautiful Asian woman pretended not to notice. McKenzie, in the most modest way possible, was used to that type of attention.

She froze as she noticed a particular man gaping at her.

Normally, McKenzie would’ve politely ignored him, but something about him caught her attention. He was tall— she estimated that he was around 6’2”— extremely broad-shouldered, and EXTREMELY gorgeous. The woman was particularly impressed by the way the stranger took care of his body, though she didn’t care for the shaggy blonde hair that made it appear as though he just rolled out of bed.

McKenzie quickly scanned his handsome but youthful face and realized that he was probably more boy than man in terms of age.

But those eyes… those deep baby blue eyes…

There was something very familiar about them.

McKenzie’s own eyes widened as she and the young man stared at each other. And as they remained rooted in place, their expressions mirrored the same caution, hopefulness, and disbelief. There was only a short distance between them, but it felt like miles.

McKenzie realized that she had been holding her breath. But when the gorgeous young man didn’t rise and remained gawking at her with a dumbfounded expression, the woman slowly approached. She drew close to him and discovered that he was holding his breath, too.

“Timmy?” McKenzie asked cautiously.

When the young man didn’t react, the Asian woman blushed in embarrassment. She was about to stammer an apology when his face suddenly split into a broad grin. McKenzie felt her heart instantly melt as there was genuine joy and happiness behind his expression. And when the young man bolted up from his chair, she realized that he was much, much taller and way more muscular than she had assumed.

“McKenzie!”

******************************************************************************

The pair hugged excitedly.

“Timmy… omigod, Timmy! It’s you! It’s really you!”

“I can’t believe you’re here! I didn’t think… I kept hoping that…” He stumbled over his words until he cut himself off and regarded her helplessly.

But McKenzie laughed that same musical laugh that Timothy had never forgotten. And she hugged him even tighter. Their embraced lingered for a long moment.

God, you’re GORGEOUS! You smell so good… you feel so incredible.

The young man mentally chastised himself for thinking indecent thoughts, and slowly pulled back. But as he peered down at his former babysitter, he began to grin foolishly. Then, unable to contain himself, Timothy chuckled.

McKenzie was bemused. “What?”

“Uh, it’s nothing.”

She slugged him playfully in the shoulder as if they were lifelong friends who had just seen each other yesterday. “Yea, right. Tell me!”

Timothy was so oddly giddy that he had to compose himself. Finally, he stated, “It’s just really good to see you, McKenzie.”

She arched one eyebrow. “And?”

“And,” the young man began sheepishly. “Well, it’s just that… it’s just that you’re a lot shorter than I remember. I used to think that you were a giant!”

Timothy immediately regretted his oafish comment, but McKenzie merely laughed again. “Well, yea! It’s because I stopped growing at 17 while you sprouted another 3 feet!” She looked up at Timothy who stood well over 6 inches taller than her. Then the Asian woman became serious as she looked at the young man as if seeing him for the first time. “You’ve grown up, Timmy. I have to stop thinking of you as a little boy.” McKenzie’s declaration was grave and quiet, and the young man felt himself grow warm. Then he grew even warmer as she added, “You look great.”

Timothy responded, without thinking, in a dreamy tone, “And you look exactly as I remember.”

McKenzie blushed girlishly and inclined her head in thanks. “Let’s sit. We have so much catching-up to do. I want to know what you’ve been up to for the last 15 years.”

They sat down.

******************************************************************************

Timothy recapped his life after McKenzie left for college, filling her in about his childhood, briefly glossing over his high school and teenage years, and mentioning the more momentous events in his life. He didn’t believe that his past was particularly interesting, and was more eager to hear what McKenzie had to say. And when she opened her mouth, Timothy found himself practically hanging on her every word.

The first thing McKenzie asked about was his parents. He informed her that they had moved to Florida over 2 years ago, and McKenzie was delighted to hear that they were both healthy and doing well. She still considered them family.

“You have to let them know that I was asking about them,” begged the woman, to which Timothy promised that he would.

Then McKenzie began detailing her personal life. After she stopped babysitting Timothy, she attended college, literally across the country in Southern California. Growing up in New York and having never travelled beyond the Midwest, Timothy conjured images of the bright sun, crowded beaches, and gorgeous 6-foot blondes in 2-piece bikinis as he pictured what life must be like on the West Coast. But he became attentive to McKenzie again as she proceeded with the details of her life.

“… so after I graduated from college with an engineering degree, I stayed in California to get my PhD in biomedical engineering.” Timothy found it extremely endearing— and somewhat sexy— how McKenzie’s voice took on a scholarly tone as she spoke about her education. “It was right before I entered graduate school when parents moved out of New York and relocated to Arizona to be closer to my grandparents from my mother’s side of the family.”

Timothy suddenly recalled vague memories of his parents informing him that McKenzie’s parents were moving out of state. And, subsequently, he had a recollection that, as a child, he interpreted that McKenzie’s parents moving far away meant that he would have an even less chance of seeing her again. It was strange that he didn’t remember any of it until now.

Timothy mocked himself: Maybe I’ve been repressing these memories.

“I now work for a major medical company with a dual specialty in advanced prosthetics, and R & D in artificial hip and knee joints.”

McKenzie couldn’t help but smile broadly. College and postgraduate school had been EXTREMELY grueling, and she was very proud that her hard work and academic achievements had led her to a career that was her true calling in life. But as she opened her mouth to continue, she noticed that Timothy had a glazed look on his face. He had been paying attention, but his expression turned from thoughtful to confused.

“You know, McKenzie. I get that you were in school for a long time and that you’re really, really smart. But you lost me with the other stuff.”

McKenzie blushed. She wasn’t trying to belittle him, not that Timothy took it that way.

“I know what prosthetics and artificial joints are, but ‘R & D’?”

“Research and development.”

“Oh, right.”

The Asian woman was suddenly embarrassed. “What about you, Timmy? What type of work do you do?”

“Nothing nearly as cool or badass as you. I dropped out of college during my first year because it wasn’t for me. I eventually got into personal training, and have been doing it ever since. My first job was at a local gym, but after a year or so I started my own travelling business. Now I do personal training in people’s homes.”

Timothy unconsciously looked down at the old concert T-shirt, ripped jeans, and sneakers he was wearing and suddenly felt inadequate before McKenzie, who was dressed suavely yet professionally and looked as though she could be on her way to a modelling shoot. There was such a disparity between their appearance and education as well. He suddenly felt embarrassed.

The Asian woman sensed the change in his demeanor. “Do you enjoy what you do?”

“I love it.”

“And is it enough to pay the bills?”

“Barely.”

“Then we’re both extremely lucky to be doing what we enjoy for a living.”

Her soothing words immediately made Timothy feel better, as if he was a child again, and he nodded in agreement before grinning boyishly. “One major benefit to my job is that I do get to work very closely with a lot of beautiful women.”

“Oh, really? How many of them have you… um, dated?”

“None.”

McKenzie was surprised. Though she had never been even remotely promiscuous, the woman still remembered what it was like to be young. And Timothy was young and very handsome to the point where he could attract any girl he desired. McKenzie found herself curiously probing him about his personal life, and he proceeded to discuss it openly.

Timothy, it seemed, had a healthy dating history.

Though McKenzie normally considered such topics distasteful, Timothy talked about his extensive love life in a modest way that most other men would’ve bragged about. Timothy recounted his past girlfriends respectfully, and excluded the graphic details, much to her relief. There was even something innocent about the way he described his casual flings. The woman didn’t necessarily agree with that type of behavior, but found herself listening to Timothy almost wistfully.

Oh, to be young and carefree again!

Timothy abruptly felt self-conscious as he realized that he had been talking for a considerable amount of time. “What else about you, McKenzie? Are you married? Dating?” He did not possess any ill intent, and was simply curious and wanting to make polite conversation. But her expression immediately darkened. The young man quickly stammered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I wasn’t trying—”

But McKenzie’s features became even more pained, and she began to sob.

Timothy was horrified!

But before he could apologize again McKenzie halted him. “It’s ok, Timmy. Let me explain.” She took a deep breath. “My husband passed away 10 months ago.”

“What! Omigod, McKenzie. I’m so sorry!” Timothy didn’t know what else to say.

McKenzie, however, reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “It’s ok, Timmy. You didn’t know.” She sighed. “My husband’s name was David, and we had been married for almost 7 years. One day, he complained of a headache that ended up lasting for days and, wouldn’t you know, it turned out to be a massive brain tumor. A few short weeks later, he was gone. David was the love of my life.” The anguish in McKenzie’s eyes belied her matter-of-fact tone.

“I’m sorry, McKenzie. I’m really sorry.”

That was all he could manage, but it was enough.

“Thank you, Timmy. I appreciate that. I try to take solace in the fact that his condition progressed quickly, and that he didn’t have to suffer too much.”

Timothy couldn’t begin to comprehend such a tragedy or the inner strength it must’ve required for McKenzie to cope with her husband’s death. “How did the two of you meet?”

McKenzie smiled fondly. “David and I met through mutual friends when we were both in postgraduate school. He was studying to be a physical therapist. He was really interested in math… stuff like angles and vectors… and so was I. And we were both passionate about pursuing a career in healthcare, too. It was a common interest that really drew us together.” McKenzie suddenly chuckled. “God, we must sound like such nerds to you!”

Timothy was still holding her hand and squeezed it. “It sounds like you and David were meant to be together from the very beginning.”

For a moment, Timothy feared that McKenzie might burst into tears. But she suddenly perked up. “Let me show you something.” The woman withdrew her phone from her purse, pulled up a picture, and showed it to him.

Timothy wasn’t surprised that David was the handsomest man he had ever seen. His hair was jet black and his Asian eyes were brown and almond-shaped like McKenzie’s. And he was extremely fit and athletic-looking. At least outwardly, McKenzie’s late husband appeared to be a perfect match for her. The young man studied the picture more closely. McKenzie and David were standing on a pier with the ocean and clear blue sky in the background.

They seemed so happy together, and the pic captured a perfect moment.

Then Timothy noticed that there was a little boy standing between the couple. He was making a silly face and grinning devilishly, and possessed striking features from both parents. Timothy was convinced that the 3 of them were the most physically perfect human beings he had ever seen.

He looked up.

“My late husband David… and our son Bradley.”

“Wow, McKenzie. That is a beautiful picture. Handsome guys, both of them. Your little one is adorable! How old is he?”

“Almost 4.”

Timothy looked at the picture again and grinned. “He looks like a handful.”

“Bradley’s almost the same age you were when I started taking care of you, but he’s WAY more trouble than you ever were! He’s always trying to climb stuff and is too inquisitive for his own good. But I wouldn’t change him for the world and love him more than anything.”

So not only was McKenzie a widow but a single working mother, as well.

Inner strength, indeed.

“It’s like you’re destined to be surrounded by little boys for the rest of your life.”

McKenzie laughed, and she was suddenly feeling much better. “Well, what about you, Timmy? I know you’ve dated plenty of girls, but I can’t believe not one has managed to captured your heart in the 15 years since I last saw you.”

“Well, there was one girl whom I was really serious with, but it didn’t work out. We actually broke up not that long ago.”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. She was nice… like, really nice, but after dating for almost 2 years, I didn’t see our relationship going any further. She wasn’t ‘The One’. And I didn’t want to stay in a relationship just to be in one, if that makes sense. It didn’t seem fair to Renee… like, I’d be only using her until someone else came along. I hope that doesn’t sound horrible or selfish.”

“It sounds like you were trying to do her right, and not be horrible or selfish.” McKenzie looked him more closely. “I can understand why she was upset that she broke up with you, though. You’re a good person.”

Timothy blushed at the compliment and pondered for a moment. “You know, it’s weird. I’ve dated more girls than I can remember,” he admitted modestly. “I’d basically been jumping from one relationship to another. This is the first time that I’ve been single for more than a month since I was 16, and it feels kind of nice.”

A painful emotion washed over the woman. She dearly missed her husband, and his loss would always be a fresh wound. Since his death, she had felt very much alone. But she understood that Timothy didn’t possess the insight to realize how badly his words hurt, and smiled ruefully. “That’s a matter of perspective, I suppose.”

Timothy nodded without realizing her point, and they both grew silent.

“So, what else, Timmy? What else has the sweet little boy whom I used to know been up to in the last decade and a half?”

After Timothy filled McKenzie in on the rest of his life story, she did the same for him.

They talked for hours.

******************************************************************************

Day was beginning to turn to evening when the pair reluctantly stood up.

“It was so good to see you again, Timmy. I can’t even explain how happy I was when I saw your message. It brightened my world and was the pick-me-up that I needed.”

When McKenzie hugged him, it was as if her touch and scent acting like a pheromone on him again. But Timothy was experiencing something akin to panic. He didn’t want their meeting to end, and he felt like he was losing McKenzie all over again.

However, when the woman pulled back, she looked at him shyly, almost expectantly.

Timothy licked his lips and swallowed hard. “It was totally awesome to see you, too, McKenzie. I… I’ve thought about you a lot over the years… where you were, what you’ve been doing… hoping that you were happy and well.” The young man cringed and desperately hoped that he didn’t sound too pathetic.

“Oh?”

“Yea… you just… you stayed with me. Always.”

“I’m glad I made an impression on you.” She was teasing him, but her voice was quiet.

“Can I see you again?” Timothy blurted. The words tumbled out of his mouth much more quickly than he had intended, but he was nervous.

“I’d like that, Timmy. I’d like that a lot.”

An awkward silence followed.

“So, uh, what are you doing this weekend?”

“This weekend?” The woman blushed in surprise, but Timothy nodded eagerly. “Well, I’m not scheduled to work so I’m free, but I don’t have a babysitter.”

The young man thought quickly. “I’d love to meet your son. I can visit you and Bradley, if you’re cool with that.”

“I live 2 hours away from you,” she reminded him.

Timothy grinned boyishly as he shrugged. “And?”

McKenzie’s expression matched his. “Ok, then. If you don’t mind coming to see us, that would save me a lot of time and effort.”

“No problem! I know you’re crazy busy as a parent. Not to mention, it’s probably a hassle towing a little kid around.”

“You have no idea.” She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, I really need to go. I told the babysitter that I’d be home by 8.”

Timothy swore. “I didn’t realize the time! I have a party to attend.”

McKenzie shook her head in amusement. It was Wednesday and, literally, the middle of the work week. Oh, to be young and carefree again, she mused once more.

The pair embraced one final time. After lingering, they eventually went their separate ways. And both left much happier than when they arrived.

McKenzie was happy as she hurried home to Bradley. Her life had been so dark since David passed away, and the only thing that kept her going was her son. But reconnecting with Timmy was such a wonderful thing, and she was eager to see him again.

But a sense of wrongness gnawed at her subconsciousness.

******************************************************************************

Timothy rang the doorbell, and chuckled as he heard excited yelling and screaming. A young boy’s curious face suddenly appeared in the window adjacent to the front door, and Timothy waved. The child studied him gravely, then disappeared just as quickly. Timothy then heard McKenzie’s stern voice behind the door a few moments before it opened.

“Hi, Timmy. Welcome.”

“Hey, McKenzie. Thank you for having me over.”

A small boy stepped next to McKenzie and attached himself to her leg. She smiled down at him and placed an arm around his shoulder. However, the boy appeared distrustful and almost hostile.

“Well, hello there, little dude. What’s your name?”

“My mother told me that I’m not supposed to talk to strangers” he replied bluntly.

“Bradley! I already told you, this is mommy’s friend!”

But Timothy laughed as the little boy appeared as though he was guarding his mother and home from intruders. “Smart boy! Well, my name is Timothy. And like your mother said, I’m her friend. In fact, I’ve known her since I was 5.”

Bradley’s Asian eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes, really. She used to take care of me. Hey, I have something for you.” Timothy was carrying 2 items, and handed a wrapped package to the boy.

“Cool! Mom, can I open it?”

“Sure, Bradley. What do you say when someone gives you something?”

“Thanks, mister!”

“Yes, thank you, Timmy.

“You’re welcome to both of you.” Then the young man looked at McKenzie, and gave her the remaining item that he was holding. “This is for you.”

McKenzie blushed as he handed her a single rose.

“Timmy… you didn’t need to… for either of us.”

Timothy suddenly wondered if his gesture was inappropriate. He was just so happy to see McKenzie again that he hadn’t even considered if the rose was going too far. “I didn’t want to come here emptyhanded.” Perhaps it was too late or too lame, but he spoke the truth.

Regardless, McKenzie nodded appreciatively. “Please, come in.”

Bradley had already unwrapped his present by the time Timothy entered. “Ooooohhh, a Spider-Man action figure! Thank you, mister!” He took a running start at Timothy and leapt into his arms.

McKenzie observed in amusement as Timothy held her son with his arms fully extended and eyed him cautiously. The young man suddenly appeared very uncomfortable. Though he seemed to know how to interact with children, judging by his awkward expression and the way he held Bradley away from his body, Timothy was clearly not used to handling them. “You know, Timmy, you don’t have to treat my son like a sharp object. And he doesn’t bite.”

Timothy looked at her in confusion then at Bradley. And when the boy smiled at him, he finally understood. “Oh… right!” Slowly, he drew the boy closer to his body. But when Bradley began to laugh and squirm, Timothy immediately set him down. “Ok, then, little guy. Down you go before I drop you and maim you.”

McKenzie shook her head. “Omigod, Timmy.”

As Bradley ran off with his new favorite toy, McKenzie led her old friend into her home. Timothy was impressed as he took in his surroundings. The house was palatial! The huge fountain that he had to navigate around in the driveway that was more like a small road was the first indication that McKenzie didn’t live in a tiny shack. Everywhere Timothy looked, he saw expensive-looking furniture that possessed a modern futuristic flare. There were works of art and vases that looked as though they belonged in a museum. And the floors, he noticed, were spotless. He couldn’t detect even the slightest speck of dust anywhere, and humorously thought that that it’d be safe to eat off McKenzie’s floor.

But despite the immaculate and modern essence of the home, what truly made it feel like a home were the numerous pictures of Bradley prominently on display.

Timothy was talented enough to cater his travelling personal training business to a fairly wealthy clientele, but none of his clients lived in anything this opulent.

The young man looked about ponderously. “Wow, McKenzie.”

“Thank you. I’ve been very fortunate with my career. And when David passed, I was grateful that he had the foresight to plan for… the worse.”

Timothy noted her forlorn expression. McKenzie’s pain was palpable, and all he wanted to do was reach out and comfort her. But Timothy felt too inept. However, though he readily admitted that he wasn’t the smartest man in the world, Timothy at least had sense to tactfully change the subject.

Inside McKenzie’s mansion, the two talked well into the night.

******************************************************************************

Like when Timothy was a child, time did not stand still for anything. Hours became days, days became weeks, and weeks became months. But the best thing about the passage of time now, though, was that it seemed to be rekindling his friendship with McKenzie. They still led separate lives, of course, but managed to find time to get together a few times a month.

Timothy understood that life as a single parent who was also juggling a professional career was all-encompassing, so he willing met McKenzie wherever and whenever she could. He was even growing especially fond of Bradley, whom his mother typically had in tow unless she was able to find a babysitter; Timothy found it somewhat ironic that his former babysitter now needed a babysitter of her own. Not that he cared that McKenzie sometimes brought her son whenever they met for coffee or dinner. He was growing fond of the boy, and was even starting to feel more comfortable around him.

Timothy was just glad to be spending time with them.

For reasons the young man couldn’t articulate, seeing McKenzie and her son didn’t just give him something to look forward to; it also gave him an odd sense of purpose. Timothy didn’t consider himself old by any stretch of the imagination and realized that he had the best years of his life ahead of him. But he had to admit that his life currently felt rudderless. Sure, he had a decent job, but he didn’t want to work as a travelling personal trainer for the rest of his life. There was something more that he should be doing, though what that was he didn’t know.

But being around McKenzie had such a levelling effect on him. Though she was no longer the literal giant that he humorously remembered as a child, he still viewed her as a larger-than-life figure in the sense that she was smart and brilliant. She had become an even better version of herself, beyond even the ideal that he had idolized.

McKenzie was an inspiration.

On top of their increasingly routine get-togethers, McKenzie and Timothy found themselves texting and calling each other more frequently, too. The Asian woman was messaging him multiple times per day, from a perfunctory “What’s up?” to more serious topics that were on her mind. McKenzie had to admit that she had initially underestimated Timothy. He was young and acted like an oafish frat boy at times, but she quickly discovered that he was more astute and insightful than he let on, and was extremely sensitive to the feelings of those around him. He also possessed the uncanny ability to know when to listen, and when to speak and offer advice.

It took some adjustment for McKenzie to stop viewing Timothy as a child.

And when she was finally able to come to those terms, the woman began to especially value their friendship. She would vent to Timothy about the stresses in her life… about her job, about being a single parent. And the young man was always there for her and gave her, literally and figuratively, a shoulder to cry on.

However, it wasn’t just their own friendship that McKenzie and Timothy were rediscovering. To the woman’s astonishment, her son and Timothy seemed to be forming a bond without either of them realizing it, too! Timothy was still clearly awkward around Bradley, but he was noticeably becoming more confident each time they got together. It meant a lot to McKenzie that Timothy was putting forth the effort with her son.

Though the friends were now at a point where they could talk to each other about anything, one thing the Asian woman avoided talking to Timothy about was her immense pain that still lingered from the loss of her husband. There were times when McKenzie woke up at night, still expecting David to be lying next to her. And she would grow so emotional that it was impossible to cry herself to sleep. But it didn’t seem right to discuss it with the young man nor did it feel right to put in him that awkward position.

However, while McKenzie had no choice but to cope and persevere for the sake of her son, she nevertheless still suffered moments of despair and panic.

And it was during one of those moments when she called Timothy.

“McKenzie?”

The Asian woman could barely hear him with the music blasting in the background. “Timothy?”

“McKenzie, hold on! Let me get to a quieter place!” He was shouting into the phone, but his voice came in clear a moment later. “I’m here, McKenzie. Are you ok? Where’s Bradley, is he alright?”

“I’m fine, and so is Bradley. He’s asleep in his room. I’m sorry to call you so late, it’s just that—” Then McKenzie heard more loud noises in the background. She momentarily forgot her inner turmoil as she asked curiously, “Where are you?”

“Oh, my roommate and I are just having a house party.”

“Omigod, Timmy. It’s 2am on a Monday night!”

McKenzie could sense him grinning boyishly over the phone. “Then it’s a good thing that I’m my own boss and can make my own hours.” Then his tone grew serious. “What’s up?”

She hesitated. It was as if there was some kind of barrier that she was preventing her from opening up to Timothy. The young man waited patiently as she struggled to speak. Finally, McKenzie sighed. “Tomorrow… well, technically, today… would’ve been my 8th wedding anniversary.”

The woman could sense Timothy nodding in understanding. “Ahhh…”

“I’m sorry, Timothy. I know it’s a lot to dump on you, but I just feel so angry and hopeless and scared right now, and I needed someone to talk to and you were the first person I thought of, and I’m sorry because it’s so late and I shouldn’t have called you, but—”

The woman’s innermost feelings continued to tumble from her mouth as she sobbed, but her friend listened to every word intently.

Timothy didn’t speak until she finished. “McKenzie, I’m glad that you called me.”

“I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Don’t be.”

“I… I just didn’t want to be alone.” The woman wanted to kick herself. You sound like a needy little girl!

“I’m coming to you and Bradley.”

“What!”

“I said, I’m coming to you and Bradley.”

“I heard you. I didn’t mean for you to drop everything and… you don’t have to do that!”

“I know, but I’m coming, anyway.”

“But it’s 2am, and I’m 2 hours away!”

“So?”

“What about your party?”

“My roommate can take care of things here. Just stay on the phone. Keep me company while I come to you.” She could hear him moving, and there was a jingle of car keys. “Tell me how your day went… tell me what you ate for lunch and what you wore to work… if that, uh, doesn’t too weird.”

McKenzie laughed.

“And what does Bradley like to do other than play with his favorite Spider-Man toy which I bought for him, by the way…”

They talked and laughed as Timothy drove to her.

And when he arrived, McKenzie flung open the front door, flew into his outstretched arms, and cried.

******************************************************************************

The pair had stayed up all night talking and enjoying each other’s company when Bradley groggily entered the living room. “Mister Timothy, when did you get here?”

“Hey, dude! I arrived last night after you fell asleep. I came to see you and your mom.” Timothy noticed the boy was clutching something in his hand. “Whatcha got there?”

“Spider-Man!”

Timothy smirked triumphantly at McKenzie who rolled her eyes in mock consternation. “C’mon on, Bradley. Mommy needs to get you ready for school.”

“What about Mister Timothy? Will he be here when I come home?”

“I wish I could stay, but I have to go home and get ready for work.”

“Awww!”

“I’ll see you again soon, buddy.”

“Mom wants to go out with her friends this weekend, but can’t find anyone to babysit me. Maybe you can watch me, Mister Timothy, so mom can go out with her friends.”

“Bradley!”

Timothy did his best not to burst out laughing. “That sounds like so much fun! I would love to!”

“Can he, mom?”

McKenzie turned to Timothy, appalled. “Do not let my son sweet-talk you into anything, let alone babysitting him.”

“I would honestly love to.”

“No, Timothy. You’ve already done more than enough for me.”

He replied softly, “And I would gladly do much, much more for you.”

The older woman blushed.

Timothy continued gravely, “It’s obvious that you need some R and R, McKenzie. Please, let me watch your son so you can have a night out.”

The truth was, she did sorely long for a girls’ night out, but her responsibility as a mother superseded everything else. “You’re too kind, Timmy, but I can’t ask that of you.”

“You don’t have to; I’m offering.”

“See, mom? Mister Timothy is offering.”

“BRADLEY!”

Timothy wondered if he was as smart-mouthed when he was Bradley’s age as he grinned impudently at mother and son. He wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Well, it’s settled then. I’ll see you both this weekend.” McKenzie opened her mouth to argue, but the young man was already halfway out the door. “Bye, McKenzie! Bye, Bradley! I’ll see you both this weekend! We’re going to have lots of fun, big guy!”

McKenzie stared at the front door as it slammed shut.

Timothy was gone.

She couldn’t help but smile.

******************************************************************************

The weekend couldn’t arrive soon enough for McKenzie or Timothy. In the woman’s defense, she did sincerely attempt to dissuade him from babysitting her son, but Timothy remained adamant. And when he showed up at her house again, she was nearly overwhelmed with gratitude.

Timothy, however, was overwhelmed by the sight of his former babysitter in a little black dress.

The slinky dress was shoulder-less and sleeveless. And since McKenzie had her long black hair wound in a chic bun, it highlighted her flawless bronze-colored skin, the sleekness of her neck, and her toned shoulders and arms. Much like the nude-colored dress that the beautiful Asian woman had worn to the coffee shop, this one seemed to be composed of a thin, stretchy fabric that conformed to every feminine curve. It was also extremely short, not even reaching halfway to McKenzie’s knees and showing off her fantastic legs.

But all of that paled in comparison to the strategic cutout in the midsection.

Of all of McKenzie’s tantalizing physical features, her chiseled 6-pack may have been what impressed Timothy the most.

“Wow,” the young man commented when she answered the door. The woman blushed and struck a playful pose, and Timothy was grateful that she didn’t notice the physical effect it triggered. “You look fantastic! You’re in way better shape than anyone I’ve ever seen!”

“Oh, please. I’ll bet your clients look like models when you’re through with them.”

“None of them compare even remotely to you, McKenzie.”

The woman blushed and nodded in thanks. It was another awkward moment but, luckily, Bradley came bounding into view, clutching the Spider-Man figurine once again. He practically crashed into Timothy then hugged the young man’s legs.

“Mr. Timothy! You’re here! What took you so long!”

“Ha! I got here as fast as I could.”

“Ok, mom. Mr. Timothy is here. You can leave now.”

“Gee, thanks, Bradley.” The Asian woman leaned down to kiss her son on the forehead, and hugged him fiercely. “You’ll be asleep by the time mommy comes home… at least, you better be. Remember, no electronics past 8pm… and don’t forget to brush your teeth. And you better listen to whatever Mr. Timothy tells you… or else!” McKenzie tried to keep her tone austere, but it was clearly for show as she hugged the little boy again. She held on tightly, and found herself not wanting to let go. Bradley was all that mattered in life, and her son represented a piece of her late husband. She suddenly wanted to stay home and keep holding him; girls’ night out didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

Timothy was astute enough to notice that his friend was experiencing an inner turmoil. “It’s ok, McKenzie,” he told her softly. “Bradley will be fine. I won’t let him out of my sight. Go have fun.”

McKenzie looked at the young man who was around her son’s current age when she had had first met him. Timothy’s baby blue eyes seemed deeper and more hypnotic than ever, and his shaggy hair appeared messier than ever, too. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed it aside.

“Thank you for this, Timmy. I’ll repay you somehow, I promise.”

“You don’t have to. I offered, remembered?”

“I know, but… I want to.”

The pair stared at each other and blushed again. Each realized that it was occurring with increasing frequency. It wasn’t until Bradly piped up again that McKenzie finally left.

And as the woman entered her car, she shook her head irritably. I know, but… I want to. She repeated her last words to Timothy in her head. How pathetic!

Still muttering to herself— and grappling with a confusion that had only been on the periphery of her awareness but was now being forced to the forefront— McKenzie drove off to meet her friends.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie stared forlornly into her drink.

Yet another man was hitting on her. This one was actually quite handsome. He was seated beside her on a barstool, and possessed a well-groomed face, captivating green eyes, and blonde hair that was slicked neatly to the side. A muscular build beneath was evident beneath his dress shirt and sport coat, and McKenzie had no doubts that many women present were swooning over him.

She wasn’t one of them.

McKenzie’s eyes nearly glazed over as the handsome man droned on and on about what he thought were his best attributes. Is his name Shane or Shawn? She realized that she couldn’t remember, nor did she really care.

The beautiful woman took it as a compliment that a steady stream of men had been vying for her attention all night. After the first several approached her, some of them not realizing that she was considerably older than them, McKenzie thought proudly, I still got it!

Unfortunately, the attention grew tedious and annoying very quickly.

For one thing, all the men seemed to have similar pickup lines, the most grating which was “I have a fetish for Asian women!” And, equally as annoying, they seemed only concerned about talking about themselves, rather than attempting to discover what McKenzie had to offer. It wasn’t that she felt the need to sell herself; quite the contrary! The woman was attracted to confidence, but these men’s inflated egos were too much for her.

What McKenzie craved right now was intelligent conversation, and this nightclub clearly was not the place for it.

As Shane/Shawn continued speaking about himself without noticing her bored expression, the Asian woman looked around and to make sure her girlfriends were safe. Each was dressed to impressed; each was attractive, just like McKenzie. But unlike McKenzie, each had found a man to her liking. 2 of her girlfriends were out on the dancefloor. Another friend was making out in the corner with a guy whom she had just met 5 minutes ago. And the last member of their group was sitting about 5 barstools away from McKenzie, twirling her long blonde hair and purposefully laughing vacuously in a way that ensnared her companion.

McKenzie didn’t blame her girlfriends in the least. They were all single, and 2 of them were recent divorcees. Other than herself, none of the women had children. Her girlfriends had come out tonight to have fun with a single-mindedness.

But McKenzie felt alone even though she practically shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone in the crowded nightclub. Being a widow was something much more profound than merely being single and while she was happy to be with her friends, the Asian woman would’ve preferred someplace quiet where she could enjoy their company and not have to endure the proverbial meat-market.

McKenzie had known that she wasn’t ready to date again, and feeling so far-removed in her current environment only reinforced it.

McKenzie thought about her son as she glanced at the time on her cell phone. He’d be going to sleep soon, and all she wanted right now was tuck him in. She hoped that he remembered to brush his teeth.

McKenzie thought about Timothy.

She shook her head, mad at herself. Omigod, what is going on with you?

But try as she might, the woman couldn’t stop thinking about him. With phone still in hand, she texted the young man a brief message. She did not have to wait long for a response.

Hey, Timmy. Is everything ok?

Hey, McKenzie! Even via text, he sounded happy to hear from her. Yup, everything fine. Little guy tired, went to bed early. McKenzie was shocked; Bradley NEVER went to bed early. I had to remind him to brush his teeth. The woman threw her head back and laughed. She was about to slip her cellphone back in her purse when Timothy texted one final message.

Everything good here. Please just have fun!

McKenzie smiled at her cellphone.

When she looked up, the handsome blonde who sat across from her was still droning about himself, unaware that McKenzie had stopped paying attention long ago. Enough of this crap, she told herself, suddenly feeling energized. She waved her hand in front of the man’s face, and when that didn’t get his attention, she snapped her fingers several times.

Shane/Shawn looked at her, startled.

“I’m really sorry. You sound like an interesting guy, but I have to go.”

The man opened his mouth in a futile attempt to convince McKenzie to say, but she was already gone. The Asian woman went to each of her friends to make sure that they were safe and sober, and demanded that they check in with her as they were leaving the nightclub and again once they arrived home.

Then McKenzie departed.

******************************************************************************

Timothy sat unmoving in McKenzie’s living room. He was happy that she had gone out with her friends, and sincerely hoped that she was having a great time. And he was also extremely happy for the opportunity to bond with Bradley, whom he was quickly becoming attached to.

But he missed McKenzie.

Timothy longed to spend time with her tonight… which admittedly didn’t make sense since he was well aware that she’d be gone all night. He wouldn’t have cared if they just chatted about the weather or watched reruns on TV; any moment with her was priceless. But he kept reminding himself that McKenzie needed this night out, and all that mattered was her well-being and happiness… well, hers and Bradley’s.

Timothy felt a stab of jealousy as he pictured the exorbitant amount men who were undoubtedly flirting with McKenzie right now. It wasn’t surprising; she was drop-dead gorgeous on her worst day yet managed to look even more stunning in the black mini-dress. Timothy hoped those men weren’t being too forward with her, and ruefully wondered if being so beautiful could be both a blessing and a curse for a woman. But the thought that weighed most heavily on him now was the prospect of McKenzie meeting someone substantial.

The mere idea was almost too much for Timothy to bear.

Don’t be so selfish! As long as she’s happy and—

The sound of the garage door opening interrupted his moody reflection.

A moment later, McKenzie entered the living, still clad in her slinky “barely-there” dress, and carrying a large unopened bag of potato chips. Her confused expression almost matched his. “Um, Timmy? Are you ok? You look like you’re in distress.”

“Who me? No, I’m fine. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to be home so early. It’s barely past midnight.”

“Well, some of us old folk don’t have the energy to stay up as late as you young kids.”

“Ha!”

McKenzie held up the bag of potato chips. “Care to join me? I got the worst case of the munchies on my way home. Or, are you not allowed to eat junk food? I mean, your body must be a temple and all since you’re a personal trainer for the rich and famous.”

Timothy laughed again. “I would love to join you for junk food, McKenzie!”

The Asian woman grinned and set the bag on the coffee table. “Let me check on Bradley first, and I’ll be right back.”

Timothy nodded.

McKenzie tiptoed into her son’s room, where he was sleeping peacefully with Timothy’s Spider-Man figurine STILL clutched in his hand. A visible smile creased his lips, and McKenzie wondered what he was happily dreaming about. As usual whenever she looked closely at her son, she could see David, too. The woman sighed wistfully before leaning down to kiss him lightly on the forehead and whisper, “I love you.” Then she quietly padded out of the room.

McKenzie and Timothy stayed up all night talking and sharing potato chips. ******************************************************************************

Timothy was in love with McKenzie, and realized that his feelings bordered on obsession. Her unmatched beauty, soft voice, and witty charm were on his mind constantly, and he longed to be in her presence whenever he wasn’t with her. Every hour that he spent with McKenzie seemed like a second, and even though they were casually getting together almost on a weekly basis, the young man wished he could see more of her.

But the pair texted each other several times per day, and chatted over the phone almost every night. Overall, it was the next best situation that Timothy could’ve hoped for an, in the end, he was just happy to have McKenzie in his life again. After they had reconnected at the coffee shop, he harbored the laughable fantasy that their friendship might be able to evolve into a romantic relationship.

Timothy realized that was pure lunacy.

Never mind that she was over a decade older than him; McKenzie was clearly intelligent, and funny and charming among other things, and, of course, beautiful. McKenzie could have any man she wanted at any time. More importantly, however, Timothy understood that she needed a man on her level… not just on an intellectual or financial level, but on an emotional and spiritual level as well.

Timothy had never even gone to college; what could he possibly offer McKenzie to better her life and Bradley’s? But there was another somber thought that struck him just as hard. And it was something that the young man didn’t have an answer to.

Have could he ever compete with the memory of McKenzie’s late husband?

******************************************************************************

McKenzie peered closely at the prosthetic leg on the workstation before her. Rather than a traditional pylon with plastic foot surrounded by compressible foam, this one possessed a curved limb that appeared like black metal attached to the socket. She had just spent the last several hours modifying the rim of the socket with specialized cutting tools. The socket was composed of a unique carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, and it required a powerful heat gun for melting before McKenzie could trim and remold it.

This particular prosthetic leg was designed for avid runners on outdoor terrain. While this type of “bladed” prosthesis wasn’t a new invention, McKenzie and her team had enhanced this model to be more durable and shock absorbent as well as lighter and springier compared to what was currently on the market. They had spent several years working on this project.

McKenzie was extremely proud of her team’s work.

The Asian woman sighed as she sat down in her plush leather chair. Pushing with her long legs, she rolled herself towards the window. Situated on the top floor of their medical research facility, her private office which was also a workstation faced the neighboring hills and overlooked a crystalline lake that was adjacent to a tranquil wooded area.

Most people in her company would’ve killed for this office view, but right now McKenzie couldn’t see the beauty as she gazed outside. Spring had just turned to fall, and leaves were beginning to wither from the trees, making the branches appear sickly and skeletal. The sun was setting earlier now, casting everything in a gloominess that McKenzie could not shake.

All she saw beyond the window was death.

You need to stop!

McKenzie swiveled her chair to stare at the picture hanging on the opposite wall. Though she couldn’t possibly have known in that moment, it was the last one she had ever taken of David. Most of the time, the woman couldn’t bear to look at it because she feared another emotional breakdown yet couldn’t muster the resolve to remove the picture.

Any special occasions… birthdays, anniversaries, holidays… were difficult for McKenzie since her husband had been unexpectedly taken from her. But it was mid-October, and Halloween— of all events— was especially hard for her to cope with. Since Bradley was too young to go trick-or-treating when his father was alive, McKenzie had fond memories of the three of them dressing up and handing out candy.

Halloween was David’s favorite time of the year.

McKenzie began to cry.

The panic attacks and emotional breakdowns were triggered when she thought of David; sometimes, they occurred without warning. They still happened fairly regularly, and McKenzie was starting to hate herself; she hated the loss of control.

It was happening again…

… then she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

The woman felt better, but the fear and despair were still there. She thought about jogging up and down the stairs in the fire escape— all 10 flights— to rid herself of the nervous energy, a tactic that worked many times before. But her high heels and skirt weren’t going to be conducive today.

McKenzie had a much better idea, but hesitated.

Timothy was becoming more than a friend. The little boy whom she used to babysit was a crux for her. A confidant. McKenzie wasn’t blind or naïve, she was keenly aware that Timothy had developed feelings for her, feelings that the Asian woman privately admitted she was harboring as well. But more than anything, the young man was her emotional outlet for whenever she needed someone to talk to.

Though it brought them closer, McKenzie wondered if she was being unfair to Timothy.

McKenzie still felt like an emotional wreck and knew that she couldn’t give him what he wanted. More importantly, she wasn’t sure if she was what he needed. Timothy was a man but he was a young man, both in body and heart. He was still partying on weeknights and enjoying the freedom of being single, while her life was the polar opposite. Yes, she felt safe and happy in his company, and their long conversations were always meaningful. And, lately, she couldn’t stop thinking about his baby blue eyes and perpetually messy hair.

But sometimes, McKenzie felt that she was burdening Timothy and weighing him down by turning to him so much.

She wasn’t the one for him, and in her heart the woman realized that the worst thing she could do was lead him on and let him believe that they could have a future together.

McKenzie was suddenly aware that she was holding her cellphone. When she had thought of her late husband and began to cry, her instincts automatically sought support from Timothy. It was something that had become very common.

With her heart breaking in a different way, she set her cellphone down.

McKenzie was staring glumly at it when it began to ring and vibrate.

She picked it back up and checked the caller ID. “Oh, Timmy,” the woman sighed. She considered not answering, but eventually did so. “Hello?”

“Hiya, McKenzie. So, um, we haven’t talked or texted in about 4 hours, so I just wanted to say hello.”

McKenzie wanted to tell him that she was busy, that he was calling her at a bad time, but despite herself, she replied, “Thank you, Timmy. I’m… I’m happy to hear your voice. Ironically, I was thinking about you when you called.”

“Oh?” Her statement initially made the young man ecstatic, but he could sense that something was wrong. He grew concerned. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, it’s just been a long day… I was having another moment. Halloween was David’s favorite time of the year, and it used to be mine, too. I was going to call you, but…”

“But what? You can call me anytime, McKenzie. You know that!”

“I know, and I appreciate that, Timmy. It’s just that I hate being such a burden—”

He was suddenly so worked up that he cut her off again. “McKenzie,” he interjected patiently, “you are not a burden, and I want you to call me when you need someone to talk to. Do you understand? I want you to call me.”

The Asian woman was so overcome with emotion and gratitude that she couldn’t speak for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely.

In the future, when McKenzie reflected on her relationship with Timothy, she realized that THIS was their defining moment. Their journey together could’ve gone in many different directions, or it could’ve ended right here. But McKenzie followed her heart and chose the much more complicated route.

“When can I see you again?” she asked quietly.

There was deafening silence.

Timothy was stunned. He was always the one initiating getting together. “I can come see you and Bradley tonight, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” the woman replied sincerely, “but my son has a playdate with his friends later. What about Saturday?”

“Sure. I don’t have any plans tomorrow. And even if I did, I would gladly clear them for you. Just tell me what you want to do and where you want to go.”

McKenzie considered it for a moment. “You know, I don’t feel like staying home. I want to do something fun… be around people.” Then she sighed. “But Bradley…”

Timothy was suddenly quiet again, and she could imagine the gears spinning in his head.

“You said that Halloween is your favorite time of the year, right?”

“Yes.”

“So… 2 questions. One: can you find someone to watch Bradley overnight and, even if you could, would you be willing to and will he be alright? And, two: if you’re willing and able, would you consider coming here instead?”

“That’s like 4 questions, Timmy.” McKenzie wasn’t sure where this was leading. “What do you have in mind?”

“I want to throw a Halloween party for you.”

“What!”

“You just said that Halloween is your favorite time of the year. In fact, you’ve mentioned that multiple times. And what better way is there to celebrate Halloween than with a costume party?”

“But Halloween is still 2 weeks away!”

“I know, like, 20 people who will party with us tomorrow night on short notice. It’ll be fun! You don’t even need to dress up if you don’t want to. And you can finally meet my friends!” The young man didn’t realize how meaningful that would be until now.

“Uh, shouldn’t you talk it over with your roommate first?”

“Gary? Hell, he’ll be as excited as I am!”

A Halloween party did sound like a LOT of fun. “Well,” McKenzie began hesitantly, “Bradley’s playdate was originally supposed to be a sleepover. I told his friend’s parents that I’d get back to them.”

“See?” Timothy practically shouted. “It’s a sign that we need to do this!” But he possessed the insight to realize that being single was much different than being a single parent… or a parent, in general. He added in a much more subdued tone, “But I don’t want you to spend a night away from your little guy if neither of you are comfortable.”

“Bradley has had sleepovers before.”

Timothy was trying very hard to keep the excitement from his voice. “So… does that mean you can come tomorrow? I’ll even pick you up.”

“You do not have to come pick me up, silly! Just let me confirm with the boy’s parents, and I’ll text you as soon as I can.”

“Awesome!”

The beautiful woman was smiling when she hung up. She was truly grateful to have Timothy in her life again on an adult level. Even though going to his place probably wasn’t the best idea, a Halloween party was too much fun to pass up.

And she already had the perfect costume in mind.

******************************************************************************

Gary, who was dressed as a pirate, urgently tapped his roommate on the shoulder. “Who is that?”

Timothy instantly knew whom Gary was referring to without looking. Wearing a Captain America costume, he removed his mask and immediately turned away from the 3 attractive girls he had been chatting with. However, he was woefully unprepared when he saw McKenzie.

The Asian woman was standing in the doorway, and glancing around shyly. Her black silky hair was tied in 2 long pigtails, and a pair of thick black-rimmed nerdy glasses sat on her nose. The white blouse on her petite frame was almost sheer, making it very obvious that McKenzie was wearing a black bra underneath. The top was also so snug that it accentuated every one of her compact curves. However, what was most notable to Timothy about the blouse was how it was knotted at the bottom to show of the woman’s rippling 6 pack. To complete the sexy schoolgirl outfit, McKenzie wore a plaid miniskirt that barely reached below her hips and thigh-high black which still showed off a great deal of her legs.

All eyes turned toward the beautiful Asian woman.

Timothy experienced an instantaneous stiffening in his pants as he gaped adoringly.

She couldn’t seem him through the throng, however, and the young man snapped back to attention when he noticed that she was appearing to look lost.

“McKenzie!”

She turned his way and waved.

He quickly maneuvered to her, and they hugged.

“How do I look?” The woman stepped back, and struck a pose like she had on her girls’ night out.

“You are easily the hottest… sexiest… nerd I have ever seen.”

McKenzie beamed; that was the reaction she had been hoping for.

“Please come in. Let me introduce to you to my friends.” He held out a large hand which she happily took, and led her inside.

The woman regarded all the bodies packed in the relatively small townhouse. “I thought you’d said there’d only be 20 people? There’s more like 50 here!”

Timothy grinned proudly.

Gary was staring at McKenzie with something akin to awe as they approached him.

“McKenzie, this is my roommate Gary.”

“Hi, Gary!” she greeted him pleasantly.

“Hello, McKenzie,” he replied, trying hard not to stare at the woman’s immeasurable beauty. “Nice to meet you.” They shook hands. “How do you now Tim? Are you one of his clients?”

“Oh, no. I’m not one of those girls.”

The young men looked at each other guiltily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply…”

McKenzie threw her head back and laughed, and that was ice-breaking moment. She asked Timothy, “Do you want to tell him?”

“Ha!” Timothy turned to his roommate. “McKenzie used to babysit me when I was 5.”

“This woman used to babysit you?” Gary was flabbergasted. McKenzie looked young… so young, in fact, that she could pass for an actual schoolgirl. Then realization dawned on him. “You’re the one who Tim searched for online!”

“Yep… unless he’s been looking up other women from his past.”

Gary laughed and joked, “Yea, I wouldn’t put it past Romeo here!” Then he pursed his lips while looking closely at the pair. “Now it all makes sense. Come on, McKenzie. You’re don’t have a cup in your hand, and you’re way too fucking sober. Let’s get you a drink.”

McKenzie and Timothy hooted in support as they followed him.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie didn’t know what to expect at Timothy and Gary’s Halloween party, but she hadn’t anticipated having so much fun. She had known about Gary, of course, but was somewhat surprised by his presentation. He and Timothy appeared polar opposites at first glance, but they acted goofy around each other, behavior that the woman wasn’t accustomed to seeing from her long-time friend. Timothy always appeared so serious that it was heartwarming to see him with his guard down. That, in turn, drew McKenzie out of her shell. They woman had arrived worrying about feeling socially awkward and out of place.

Gary wasn’t the only one of Timothy’s friends who surprised her. In fact, most of them weren’t what McKenzie had imagined. They were from all walks of life: there were many people Timothy’s age, of course, who looked as fit and athletic as he was. And it seemed as though there were a constant parade of young women vying for his attention; that was to be expected. Flirting with the opposite sex is what young people did, after all, and Timothy was gorgeous. McKenzie recalled their conversation at the coffee shop about his past relationships, and wondered if he had dated any of these pretty girls.

He’s probably slept with over half of them, she thought wryly.

But beyond polite conversation, Timothy didn’t indulge in any of the girls’ advances nor did his attention waver from his friend. If fact, the more they tried to flirt with him, the more the hulking young man seemed to withdrew behind the petite older woman. This, in turn, caused most of the girls to glower at McKenzie with open jealously.

McKenzie merely sipped her drink and pretended not to notice. She wasn’t about to get into a catfight with girls were who over a decade younger than her. Though, at times, she was sorely tempted to rub against Timothy or laugh especially loud as they spoke to make the girls hate her even more.

It was tempting, but McKenzie didn’t want to be as childish and petty as they were.

McKenzie did also notice that there were many gay couples present as well as a considerable Goth crowd whom she surmised weren’t dressed out of their norm despite this being a costume party. In addition, the Asian woman was somewhat surprised to discover that Timothy had friends here who were much older than her. Overall, it was an extremely eclectic group at the Halloween party

McKenzie chastised herself for being so narrow-minded and insecure.

Then she felt ashamed for stereotyping Timothy’s roommate and friends before evening meeting them. It was bad enough that she suffered from insecurity; but assuming that Timothy would only have friends who were similar to himself was an insult, and he deserved much better than that. McKenzie berated herself for being so shallow, especially when Timothy’s closest friends did nothing but welcome her with open arms.

Well, except for the jealous young girls.

“Are you ok?”

The woman looked up to see her friend’s handsome face and penetrating baby blue eyes filled with concern.

“I’m more than ok, Timmy. I’m having a wonderful time. I’m… happy.”

The young man beamed, and McKenzie wanted to pull him close and kiss him.

Those feelings only intensified as she kept drinking as the night wore on.

Bradley didn’t need to get picked up after lunch, and that afforded her plenty of time to get drunk and recover. Though Halloween would always remind her of David, McKenzie was determined to push the heartbreak aside, at least for 1 night, and enjoy herself. The woman wanted to cut loose and relive her glory days when she was Timothy’s age.

McKenzie kept drinking.

******************************************************************************

Timothy was overjoyed when McKenzie arrived. And when she showed up wearing that jaw-dropping sexy schoolgirl outfit, he wanted to whisk her to his room and fuck her. But while that was what he fantasized, that was not how he acted towards her.

At first, everything seemed fine. McKenzie was clearly having fun and got along great with his friends. They were inseparable, stealing glances and smiling at each other, as they mingled and chatted.

But McKenzie didn’t stop drinking.

Her company didn’t become unbearable as she became progressively more inebriated; it was actually quite the opposite. McKenzie became more talkative and flirtier with everyone with each drink. Normally, that wouldn’t have bothered Timothy, but a warning was blaring in his head. It was as if his friend was trying too hard to have fun and get drunk.

That, along with McKenzie’s rapidly diminishing inhibitions, had him extremely troubled.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie suddenly lost her balance, and fell into Timothy. It was like a leaf landing on a tree trunk, however, and he caught her easily. Without asking, he led her to the living room, and eased her onto the sofa.

“I think you’ve had enough to drink.”

McKenzie’s eyes were glassy and her words were slurred. “But I’m just getting started!”

Then she looked behind Timothy. 2 men who appeared even younger than him boldly made eye contact with her. They had been staring at her all night, and when McKenzie casually pointed them out to the party hosts earlier, neither claimed to know them.

“Friends of our friends,” Gary had mused.

The strangers didn’t bother trying to hid their lascivious and malevolent intent. And in her current state, that was fine with McKenzie. She was drunk for the first time in a long while, and she was feeling giddy. It wasn’t genuine happiness, but she didn’t care. Her better judgement and inhibitions were down but her libido was WAY up, and it made the woman feel like a predator on the prowl.

Timothy was speaking to her, but McKenzie wasn’t paying attention as she studied the two men. They’re just kids… And knowing that they wanted her and probably assumed that she was much younger than she appeared stoked McKenzie’s ego. She felt the urge to herd them into a bedroom and show what it was like to be with a woman.

She would give them what they wanted.

McKenzie would take turns fucking them… no, that’d be boring. She was feeling daring and longed to do something completely out of character; she wanted to be a total slut tonight. McKenzie’s mouth watered as she thought about doing both boys at the same time. A threesome was on her bucket list but if they were somehow too shy, she was feeling slutty enough to let them take turns fucking her.

And McKenzie would demand that they do her over and over again until she was too bruised and battered to move.

Yes… her inner sex goddess was demanding to be released.

But each time the boys looked in her direction, Timothy’s hulking form was a deterrent.

Timothy had noticed them, too. Their intent with easy to decipher, so he remained protectively next to McKenzie at all times while keeping one eye on them. Thankfully, she didn’t try to approach them.

McKenzie leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to close, and she was becoming limp. That was all enough for Timothy. “Come on, McKenzie. You need to lay down.”

“Mmm… but I don’t want to go,” she mumbled.”

“I can either help you walk to my room or I can carry you there. Your choice.”

The woman’s eyes slowly opened, and a smile that was almost sinister spread across her lips. “Your room?” she purred. She rose unsteadily and extended her hand. “Lead the way.”

The young man took it and guided McKenzie away from the party, holding her close so she wouldn’t lose her balance. In a vastly different situation, Timothy would’ve been ecstatic to be taking her to his bedroom. But right now, his troubled expression indicated otherwise.

The 2 young strangers watched as Timothy led the beautiful Asian woman away, misinterpreting his intention and glaring at him venomously.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie was barely conscious by the time they reached his bedroom, so Timothy scooped up her petite form and carried her through the doorway. It was almost 1am and the costume party was still going on strong. Fortunately, there were few people on this side of the townhouse, so it was fairly quiet.

Timothy kicked the door shut then carefully lay McKenzie on his bed. He was barely 21 but had been drunk enough times to possess the insight to roll her onto the side with a garbage below her head. He even brushed her long hair aside to keep her face— and mouth— clear.

Timothy looked down at his friend and sighed. The night had started out so promisingly. McKenzie was having so much fun, and that was his main purpose for throwing this costume party. But something happened. Perhaps the Halloween theme had reminded her too much of David. Timothy knew that she was still heartbroken over the loss of her husband, and he profusely wished he could somehow spare McKenzie the ongoing pain.

Hopefully, though, it was simply a case of her drinking too much.

The young man didn’t even consider returning to the party. He took off his shoes, pushed a huge pile of clothes on a worn-out but surprisingly comfortable armchair onto the floor, and sat down. The armchair was situated in a corner not too far away from the bed, and it was the perfect perch to keep an eye on McKenzie in case she woke up sick… or in case someone came in and tried to take advantage of his friend in her current vulnerable state.

“Timmy? He turned around, but the woman’s eyes were closed. It was a moment before she spoke again. “Timmy?”

The young man knelt next to her. “I’m here.”

He was about to ask the Asian woman if she was ok or if she needed anything when she asked him a very unexpected question.

“Do you think I’m beautiful?”

Timothy was caught off-guard. His first instinct was to tell her the truth but, after careful consideration, he decided to use humor instead. “I already told you, McKenzie, you’re the hottest, sexiest nerd I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s not answering my question.”

“I think you’re really drunk.”

“I wore this costume for you, you know.”

Timothy sighed. He had never seen his friend like this, and didn’t like it.

“Please answer me. I need to know… do you think I’m beautiful?”

He didn’t want to lie to her but now was not the time for a profound conversation. “You’re a smart woman, McKenzie. At least, you are when you’re sober. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“Don’t you want me?”

“Again, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

Timothy swallowed hard and was powerless to confess, “McKenzie, I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted.” It was a simple statement, but oozed with such emotion that struck it woman like a physical blow.

Her eyes were suddenly open. “Then take me, Timmy!” she cried. Her tiny hand grabbed his muscular arm, and she pulled him toward her with surprising strength. The woman attempted to kiss him and though he longed for it, he averted his face.

“Stop. This isn’t you.”

“But don’t you want me? Don’t you think I’m beautiful?” She started to cry. “I’m so… I’ve been so lonely. I want you, Timmy. I need you!”

McKenzie was, literally, begging him to sleep with her; it would’ve been his greatest wish come true. But his heart was broken, not because he had to say no to the woman whom he was in love with, but because the depths of her loneliness and heartbreak were so profound.

“You’re really drunk. You need to rest.”

“But you want me… and I want you… we can make each other happy!”

“I don’t want us to be together like this.” Timothy looked at the woman whom he adored and wanted to be with more than anything. “I also know that if something were to happen between us right now, the only person you’d hate more than me tomorrow is yourself.”

Timothy’s words weren’t intended as a reprimand, but she took it as such. She lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “You must think I’m so weak… so pathetic…”

“I think you’re someone who is still trying hard to get over the loss of someone whom you loved very, very much.” He smiled at her affectionately. “Please, McKenzie. Just close your eyes and rest.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

“Do I need to tell you for a third time that you can figure it out?”

“I think we have some things that we need to talk about.”

There was a flicker of hope in his heart. “Shhh… sleep. We can talk tomorrow… if you still feel the same way.”

McKenzie smiled and slowly closed her eyes.

Timothy made sure his friend was sleep before drawing the blanket up to her chin and trudging over to the armchair where he watched over her all night.

******************************************************************************

It wasn’t quite the worst hangover she had ever experienced when McKenzie awoke the next day, but it was close. She felt weak, nauseous, and achy all over. Furthermore, the woman was hesitant to move because she feared doing so would cause the world to spin. As a result, she remained where she was, beneath the warm blanket in the most comfortable bed she had ever lain in, while lamenting her actions the previous night.

Right on cue, the bedroom door quietly opened and Timothy padded in carrying a tray with a plate of food and 2 glasses. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed she was awake, and he immediately went over to her. “I’m surprised you’re up. How are you feeling?”

“Not too shitty… but shitty, all the same.” She looked down. “I’m sorry about last night.” She wanted to apologize more but was too embarrassed.

Timothy ignored her. “I brought you my favorite hangover remedy.” He set the tray down on its legs so it rested over her lap. There were slices of a banana and several crackers on the plate, along with a tall glass of water and a cup of hot green tea.

McKenzie looked up gratefully. “You’re serving me breakfast in bed after how horrible I was to you last night?”

“I’ve taken care of a lot of drunk people in my time and, trust me, you’re not in even the top 10 list. Or is it the bottom 10?”

McKenzie laughed, and immediately groaned as it caused her entire body, most notably her head, to hurt.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Timothy produced a bottle Tylenol from his pocket. “Needless to say, you better eat something first before you take one.”

The woman eyed the Captain America costume he was still wearing minus the mask. “I was going to call you my knight in shining armor, but you’re more like my personal superhero. Thank you so much, Timmy.”

“Of course.”

Timothy stood by attentively as McKenzie gratefully consumed the food, took the Tylenol, and slowly downed the glass of water. Then she took a sip of the green tea and murmured contently. They both grew quiet.

“So,” the young man began casually. “How much do you remember about last night?”

“Mostly everything, I think. I remember a ton of pretty girls trying to sleep with you all night. I remember those 2 creepy guys who were undressing me with their eyes. And I definitely remember acting like a sloppy drunk.” Then she looked directly at Timothy. “I also recall a very important conversation that you and I started, but didn’t get to finish.”

He chuckled uncomfortably and squirmed. “Yea… about that…”

“Did you mean what you said to me?”

Timothy swallowed hard. This was the moment he both longed for and feared. “Every word, McKenzie. Every word. I thought that maybe… maybe it was just childish infatuation. That maybe I was more in love with the idea than the actual person. But here’s the thing. After spending time with you during these past few months and getting to you know again… it just reinforced what I already knew.” He paused, suddenly at a loss for words, but when McKenzie regarded him intently, he simply finished with, “I love you, McKenzie.”

A flood of emotions washed over the beautiful woman.

“Timmy… you’re so gentle and caring. So intelligent and insightful… so very beautiful on the inside and outside. I was ecstatic when you reached out to me, and your friendship has been one of the few bright spots in my life since David died.”

Timothy braced himself. Her we go, he thought ominously. The fact that McKenzie mentioned “friendship” and “David” both in the same sentence didn’t bode well. He had always expected that McKenzie couldn’t reciprocate his feelings for her, and prepared to have his heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

That’s why he was in such disbelief when she said “I love you, too”.

McKenzie chuckled at his dumbfounded expression. “Come here, silly. Lay next to me.”

Timothy was as excited as he was unsure, so left a considerable gap between them when he crawled into bed next to her. She didn’t draw closer, but touched her forehead to his as a sign of affection. “Can this possibly work?” The woman mused aloud. “Do you think we could possibly work? Or are we just kidding ourselves?”

“I know we’re from 2 different worlds, McKenzie, but we won’t know unless we try. And I’m prepared try with all my heart if you’re willing to do the same.”

She sighed. “You’re right, Timmy, we are from 2 different worlds. But have you truly considered what that means? First of all, I’m over 10 years older than you. I used to babysit you, for God’s sake. What must your friends think?”

“Truthfully? They think it’s pretty hot.”

“I’m serious!”

“So am I.” He turned the tables on her. “Are you embarrassed to tell your friends about me?”

Timothy was reassured when her response was immediate. “No.” But McKenzie continued, “At least our friends won’t be an issue. But I’m concerned about Bradley. I haven’t dated anyone since David died. Part of the reason is because I’m scared… scared to play the dating again. But I’m especially scared about bringing a new man around my son. I don’t know how he’d react.” She looked hard at Timothy. “Have you thought what you’d be getting yourself into if you became a part of my life? Because if you take me, you’re taking Bradley, as well.”

The young man couldn’t completely hide his annoyance. “McKenzie, I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m not completely stupid. And I’m not a child anymore, in case you haven’t noticed. I know your son is the most important thing to you, and I get that whatever you do must be with Bradley’s best interest in mind. But here’s the thing: I love you… and I’ve come to love the little guy, too. I want to become a bigger part of part of your collective lives… but, first, you have to let me.”

McKenzie pressed her forehead to his again, but this time she caressed his face with both hands and drew close. The touch of her body, the fragrance of her hair, and the warmth of her skin was all-encompassing. Timothy wanted nothing more than to remain in this position, staring into the woman’s beautiful face, for a very long time.

“You’ve really grown up.”

“I’m glad you’ve finally noticed.”

“I think this can work.”

“I think it can work, too.”

Time seemed to stop for the new couple as they kissed. Though their pent-up passion for each other was ready to explode, the moment was sweet and gentle, and as wonderful as they imagined their first kiss would be. They were smiling happily as they pulled back.

Timothy longed to remain in bed with McKenzie. But he understood her priorities. He realized that he had to think of everything in a much broader sense now. “I hate to say this, but it’s getting late, and you need to pick up Bradley soon.”

“I know. Just give me 5 more minutes,” the woman pleaded. “It’s like I’m seeing you for the first time.”

“Well, I guess… since you’re twisting my arm.”

They laughed, and fell into a comfortable silence as they held each other close.

After a while, Timothy asked quietly, “When can I see you again?”

“Can you come over tonight? It’s your turn to you spend the night at my place.”

“Mmm… I like the sound of that.”

“Good. Because I’m going to make it worth your while.”

“I REALLY like the sound of that.”

McKenzie sighed. “I wish I could stay here with you. But I really need to get moving.” The woman kissed Timothy one final time, pushed the blankets off, and sat up. She groaned as a spell of dizziness washed over her. When she finally regained her equilibrium, she rose and stretched languidly.

Then McKenzie realized that she was still wearing her skimpy schoolgirl uniform, and looked at her man sheepishly. The look he returned as he stood up, however, was anything but embarrassed. It was smoldering with naked lust.

“I love that costume on you.”

McKenzie rose to her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Timothy’s cheek before asking sweetly, “Can I borrow some clothes?”

******************************************************************************

Gary sat at the kitchen table, barely functional and still dressed his crumbled pirate outfit. His head pounded and the light streaming in from the window felt like daggers in his eyes. Empty beer bottles were littered all around and a sickening stench wafted to his nostrils. He didn’t know its source nor was he particularly eager to find out.

But he immediately perked up when McKenzie entered the kitchen with Timothy right next to her. The Asian woman was wearing one of his roommate’s old and ratty concert t-shirts, but it hilariously resembled a long-sleeve nightie on her tiny frame. Gary humorously toasted them with an empty beer bottle.

“Good morning, ma’am and sir.”

“Good morning to you, too, Gary,” McKenzie returned with her usual pleasantness. “I need to run and pick up my son, but I wanted to thank you and Timmy again for throwing the party last night. I had so much fun!”

Timothy’s roommate was genuinely pleased. “I’m happy to hear that.”

McKenzie hugged him warmly.

Timothy was gone for an extended period of time as he walked the beautiful woman to her car. But his roommate was stilling sitting at the kitchen table and grinning broadly when he reentered. “So, uh, you and McKenzie?”

Timothy chuckled. “Let me be clear, nothing happened between us last night.”

“Ok, nothing happened between you two and that uber-hot woman last night. What about in the future?”

“Let’s just say that I hope you’ll be seeing McKenzie around here more often. Her and her son.”

Gary clapped his friend on his shoulder. “That’s great, man! That’s great! I’m happy for you!”

“Thanks, dude. I really appreciate it.”

Timothy was feeling so excited about life that the prospect of cleaning whatever was the source of that awful smell in the kitchen couldn’t discourage him too much.

******************************************************************************

It took Bradley almost 2 hours to fall asleep.

Timothy had arrived fairly late in the evening but still early enough for him, McKenzie, and Bradley to go out for ice cream. It was a fun time for everyone and, particularly, for the little boy. So fun, in fact, that Bradley didn’t want to go to sleep!

Timothy was waiting patiently in the living room when McKenzie appeared with a cross between amusement and chagrin on her face. “Remind me never to give that boy ice cream after 6pm,” she muttered. The young man chuckled, and her expression softened. “Bradley really looks up to you, you know.”

Timothy was genuinely touched. Then he hesitated, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. “Maybe I can take the little guy out tomorrow? He told me that he’s always wanted to learn how to play catch… so I was thinking of buying him a mitt and baseball, then then teaching him at the park.” He looked at the woman hopefully.

“Bradley would love that.” McKenzie sat next to Timothy and immediately kissed him. It was intended to be a quick gesture, but ended up lasting for a long time as they murmured into each other’s lips. And during that long moment, nothing else in the world existed.

“Mmm… tonight couldn’t come fast enough, McKenzie.”

“I know.” The woman suddenly smirked mischievously. “I have a surprise for you. Well, it’s not really a surprise since you already know what it is.”

McKenzie started to rise, but Timothy held onto her hand needily. He didn’t care if his love was about to gift him a million dollars; all he wanted to do was cuddle with her on the couch. “Stay,” he pleaded. “You can give it to me later.”

“You’ll like it, Timmy. Trust me.”

He didn’t want to argue, so he let go of her hand reluctantly. The woman quickly disappeared, and Timothy thought about her the entire time she was gone. In fact, the lewd thoughts that filled his mind instantly made him aroused. He was so desperate for release that he considered touching himself.

Fortunately, McKenzie quickly returned.

And she was dressed in her sexy schoolgirl costume once more.

Timothy ogled her lecherously.

Her look was all business as she seductively strode over to him.

“Strike that pose for me again,” he begged.

McKenzie smirked and adjusted herself under his intense scrutiny, twisting her upper torso in a way that caused her tight blouse to stretch across her breasts even more provocatively, and leaning slightly forward so that the plaid miniskirt would accentuate her bottom.

“Fuck, I love it when you do that.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really. I can show if, if you don’t believe me.”

McKenzie realized that sexual tension had always been present since that fateful day at the coffee shop. But they had never spoken to each other with such open innuendo, and she discovered that it excited her very much. “I think I need to take a closer look myself.” She slowed turn her head form one side to the other, flicking her pigtails each time. “I even wore the handlebars again for you.”

“Handlebars?” the young man repeated in confusion. McKenzie at him hard and knowingly, and realization slowly dawned on him. His eyes widened in disbelief.

“Stand up, Timmy.” The authority in her voice left no room for argue.

He did so robotically as the woman dropped to her knees. She looked up at him angelically as she began to unbuckle his pants. “I told you that I was going to make tonight worth your while, remember? Now I’m going to give you the greatest blowjob of your life.”

Timothy couldn’t believe what was happening as his love lowered his pants down to his ankles. And he was rather proud as she gaped in astonishment at his enormous bulge. Still, he replied, “McKenzie, I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t… OH FUCK…”

The woman cut him off by slithering one hand into his underwear, wrapping her fingers around his erection, and tugging once.

Still looking up at Timothy from her knees, McKenzie took hold of the waistband of his underwear and carefully drew it down to the carpet, as well. Her eyes lit up as she gazed up his enormous manhood for the first time. It was already fully formed, virtually filling her line of sight, and large purplish veins appeared to be on the verge of bursting through its surface as Timothy’s erection twitched obscenely.

McKenzie’s mouth began to watch and she licked her lips. She hadn’t performed oral sex since David. In fact, her late husband was the only man she had ever been given a blowjob to, but she wasn’t dissuaded. The woman knew what to do. Besides, she thought humorously, it’s probably like riding a bike!

She opened her mouth.

“Wait!” Timothy suddenly injected.

“Wait?” McKenzie echoed in disbelief.

He quickly pulled his lover to her feet then eased her onto the sofa. The woman was confused as Timothy then knelt before her, effectively trading places with her. McKenzie was suddenly mortified. She had been longing for intimacy, but perhaps she was being too forward? All she wanted to do was make this a night for them to remember. McKenzie had intended to be sexy and playful, but not desperate.

She was about to stammer an apology while Timothy boldly yanked her miniskirt up to her waist.

The woman, as he expected, was not wearing panties.

He inhaled the pleasant scent of her sex deeply. Then Timothy leaned in to peer closer between McKenzie’s legs. Like his penis, her clitoris was erect and protruding prominently from its hooded sheath. And also like his penis, it was completely bare and smooth. McKenzie’s slit was perfectly oval-shaped with a visible wetness around its dark, fleshy rim. And 2 of the biggest labial flaps Timothy had ever seen rested on either side of her vagina.

“Your body is perfect,” the young man breathed. “You are perfect.” But he looked up gravely and asked before continuing, “Are you ok with this?”

“I am.”

He took a slow upward lick of McKenzie’s slit and clit, barely grazing them with the tip of his tongue. But the effect on the beautiful Asian woman was immediate as she cooed contently. Shifting herself into a better position, McKenzie scooted her bottom closer to the edge of the sofa, and Timothy assisted her by guiding her hips.

Then he pressed his face between her thighs and lapped her pussy like a dog.

Timothy performed cunnilingus happily. He buried himself into McKenzie, alternating between lathering her clit and labia with his tongue, and sucking noisily on them. As excited and aroused as he was, however, he didn’t want to be overzealous and used her reactions to guide him. However, judging by the woman’s physical and verbal responses, she was enjoying receiving oral sex as much as he was giving it.

Timothy began to eat her pussy even more enthusiastically.

McKenzie suddenly spread her thighs wide and pulled her legs back to her chest, gaping her slit and providing him even easier access. “Is that better?” she inquired slyly.

The young man lifted his head long enough to declare, “You taste as good as you look and feel.”

He resumed his task.

McKenzie slouched further and lolled her head back on a cushion as she relaxed and relinquished herself to pleasure. Her new love clearly knew how to use his tongue, and it made her toes curl and tingle all over. As Timothy nuzzled deeper and deeper between her legs, she met his force by slowly grinding her hips against him.

Without thinking, the woman began to touch herself.

One small hand slipped down to rub her engorged clit as Timothy darted his tongue in and out of her pussy. Her other hand undid several buttons of her blouse and reached inside to cup and massage her breasts. Touching to herself only added to the glory, and the beautiful woman wasn’t self-conscious in the least bit.

Timothy looked up again, staring as McKenzie pleasured herself.

Maintaining eye contact with the younger man, McKenzie took his large hand and sucked on his index finger suggestively.

“My god,” he breathed.

But Timothy was even more stunned when she moved his hand between her legs and inserted the tip of his wet finger into her vagina.

McKenzie was so wet and loose that his digit easily slid in, and she grunted pleasurably. “That’s it, Timmy… a little bit deeper… nice and slow… right there… right there…”

The woman closed her eyes and relied primarily on the sense of touch to heighten her arousal. But she could still feel her lover still watching her so she continued to touch herself intimately to spur him on. In response, Timothy penetrated another finger in her vagina, but when it slipped in easily and McKenzie didn’t resist, he added yet another.

The Asian woman squealed in delight.

“Rotate your fingers,” she instructed. “Palms up… that’s it… now bend your fingers inside of me… that’s it.” Though the woman’s instructions were clear, Timothy still proceeded cautiously and slowly crooked his fingers inside of her as if making a “Come here” gesture.

“OH FUCK, TIMMY….”

He grinned wickedly. “It’s so sexy when you say bad words… and I love it when you tell me what you want.”

“Faster, Timmy. Fingerfuck me faster!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Timothy fingered her with increasing speed, almost peaking at a wild and rapid crescendo. McKenzie was gasping and moaning and cursing, which only aroused him even more. Her pussy was sopping wet and so loose that he suspected that it could swallow his entire fist. Then, without warning, Timothy pressed his face into her again, sucking her clit and flicking his tongue over it as he continued to pleasure her with three— now four— fingers.

“Yes, Timmy… yes! Now squeeze my tits as you play with my pussy!”

Timothy slithered inside McKenzie’s blouse and beneath her bra, covering her breast with one large hand and gave it an affectionate grope.

McKenzie shrieked in delight. “What are you doing to me?” She immediately released her legs and flung them over his broad shoulders. The woman clenched Timothy’s head between her thighs, and then drew him even tighter against her womanhood. It was as if McKenzie was claiming him as her personal sex toy.

The thought made him lick, finger, and squeeze her even more energetically.

Timothy typically preferred receiving oral sex than giving it, but he would’ve been content eating McKenzie’s pussy for the rest of his life. However, the beautiful woman had other ideas. Just when he was hopeful that she might climax, she abruptly pushed him away.

The young man’s lips and chin were glazed with wetness as he regarded her with concern. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

“Shut up and take off your clothes.” But McKenzie was already tearing off his shirt before he could get started. “Now stand up.” Timothy grinned as he slowly rose to his feet, and he made no attempt to hide how aroused the sexy woman was making him. McKenzie purred as she watched his massive erection wagging in the air. “Nice. Very, very nice.”

She reached out and stroked him.

The woman’s touch was like an electric shock. “Jeezus Christ, that feels good.”

McKenzie chuckled evilly as she took a cushion from the sofa and tossed it onto the carpet before her lover’s feet. “Patience, Timmy,” she advised as she dropped her to her knees. “There’s more where that came from. It’s my turn now. Are you ready for your blowjob?”

“Do you even need to ask?” he blurted incredulously.

McKenzie gripped his erection with one hand and planted a sweet kiss on its tip, causing the young man to shudder. Then she lowered her head and angled it slightly as she bestowed another kiss on his swollen sac. Timothy was murmuring something intelligible when she extended her tongue, and traced it lightly— just as he had done to her intimate areas moments ago— up the underside of his shaft, from base to tip.

Timothy was already moaning loudly when McKenzie opened her mouth and coolly took his massive cock down her throat.

The woman made several slow passes over her lover’s entire length, using her lips, tongue, and the walls of her throat to apply the perfect amount of pressure for his maximum pleasure. And each time Timothy groaned and squirmed beneath her oral onslaught, she smirked smugly to herself and continued with even more zeal. After a few more agonizingly slow passes, McKenzie’s cheeks collapsed inward as she sucked hard.

Timothy weaved his thick fingers through the woman’s hair, marveling for the countless time as its fragrant silkiness. But he could barely focus on anything else but the exquisite pleasure she was bestowing between his legs. The young man had received countless blowjobs before, but nothing compared to this.

McKenzie was a woman who knew what she was doing.

McKenzie’s sultry actions— and her overall sexiness— reduced Timothy’s thinking to its basest instincts, and he suddenly wanted to be rough with her. He wanted to seize her head between his hands and ruthlessly pummel her throat. The thought made him stiffen further in her mouth, though he would never act on such a violent fantasy. Instead, he carefully palmed the back of McKenzie’s head as he began to pump his pumps gently to meet her movements.

McKenzie had been a faithful wife, but she had dated enough men prior to her marriage to know what they all wanted. And it was easy to surmise that Timothy wanted more of what she was giving him right now! Bobbing easily on his manhood as he started thrusting, she deftly unbuttoned her blouse and caste it aside before reaching back to unclasp her bra and tossing it onto the floor, as well. The woman was soon naked above the waist, clad only in the plaid miniskirt that was still hiked above her waist as well as the thigh-high black stiletto boots, and black nerdy glasses.

Timothy watched in amazement as McKenzie continued to suck his cock while calmly removing her blouse and bra. ““You’re a fucking goddess, McKenzie. An absolute fucking goddess.”

The woman murmured her appreciation but didn’t stop; she continued to please him yet deliberately took her time to drive him more insane. She relished the fact that her actions were driving her man into a rage, and that it required all of his willpower to hold back. But she was aroused as Timothy was, and didn’t want him to hold back.

McKenzie sucks on his balls and stroked his slippery erection.

Timothy howled.

She looked up at him once more. “Remember, Timmy. I wore these handlebars for you.”

The young man understood at once that it was an invitation for him to be more physical with her, but he still hesitated. Timothy didn’t want to demean the woman he adored nor did he want to accidentally harm her in any way. He froze and stared at her tentatively.

“Remember what you said to me, Timmy. You told me that you love it what I tell you what I want… and right now I’m telling you that I want you to use my pigtails like handlebars as you shove your fat cock down my throat!”

Timothy made a guttural sound. “I’ve never seen this side of you before, McKenzie, and I like it.” He winked at her as she grinned back. “But if that’s what you want…”

The young man took hold of her pigtails, wrapping them once around his fists, and drew her close. McKenzie opened her jaws wide, and he barely had to aim she accepted the bulbous head of his erection into her mouth. She immediately sealed her lips around its girth, sucking the cockhead like a straw and licking Timothy’s shaft like a lollipop. Then she wrapped a small hand near the base, stroking her man to further stimulate him.

“Good girl,” Timothy intoned, pulling on McKenzie’s pigtails like a horse’s reins. He remained cautious, but the woman kept inching her head forward as he maintained pressure, and it wasn’t until she was completely deepthroating him when Timothy stopped. “Handlebars… how about that?” he remarked glibly. Then he recalled how sexy McKenzie appeared when she sucked him without using her hands as she undressed herself. The visual itself had almost been enough to make him cum. “No hands,” he told her, slapping them away. “No hands… just your mouth.”

McKenzie grunted in affirmation as she casually crossed her wrists behind her back, never breaking stride as she seamlessly continued performing oral sex.

The woman maintained a tight seal and suction with her lips as she jerked her head back several times in short, rapid bursts, giving Timothy the sensation again that his cock was being tugged. While he voiced his pleasure, the Asian woman emanated a deep murmur from the back of her throat, sending a pleasant shockwave coursing through his manhood. As if that wasn’t enough, McKenzie, with her pretty face pressed against Timothy’s abdomen, began turning slowly twisting her head in different directions— side to side, up and down— causing his erection to rub against the walls of her throat and mouth, and tongue.

Timothy’s knees began to buckle, and McKenzie’s oral skills had him squirming so helplessly and uncontrollably, that he rose to his tiptoes and nearly lost his balance. A wonderful surge began developed deep with his body, and if his love continued the young man knew that he would experience a climax like no other. “Stop, McKenzie. I’m gonna cum,” he warned her. When the woman didn’t stop, however, his tone became panicked. “Do you hear me? I said, I’m gonna cum!”

McKenzie sucked him more aggressively.

Timothy was on the verge of orgasming when he forcefully pushed her away.

“Why did you make me stop?”

“You were about to make me cum!”

“That’s sort of the point, silly.”

But the young man shook his head emphatically. “No, I want our first time to be…” He looked at the beautiful Asian woman with an expression that was filled with an innocent love. “I want to make love to you, McKenzie.”

McKenzie’s intense expression immediately softened, and she felt as though her heart might burst. Here she was moving so fast, wanting to get her lover off as quickly as possible, thinking that it would make him happy above all else… thinking that it would cement his acceptance of her and their newfound romance. But Timothy clearly didn’t want to be with her just for sex, a feeling that she reciprocated, and she suddenly loved him even more.

McKenzie like she was the younger, less mature person in the relationship.

The woman’s naughty façade disappeared, and though her passion and arousal weren’t any less than they were a moment ago, she was able to channel that energy in a different way.

“Let’s go to my bedroom.”

Pausing long enough for McKenzie to remove the rest of her clothes, Timothy literally and figuratively swept her off her feet as he carried her away.

******************************************************************************

The naked couple kissed nonstop on the way to McKenzie’s bedroom. She felt so tiny and fragile in Timothy’s huge arms that it was like carrying a child. But McKenzie was anything but. And upon reaching their destination, they were still tongue-wrestling in each other’s mouths as the brawny young man gently set on her the bed.

Timothy froze as he was stunned by the woman’s flawlessness once more. Her beauty was unparalleled… her black, silky hair… her smooth, unblemished, naturally tan skin… the perfect shape of her firm breasts… the poignant features of her eyes and cheekbones….

But all of that paled in comparison to McKenzie’s wit, intelligence, and compassion.

Timothy was beginning to doubt if he deserved her.

“God, I want you so badly.” His voice was so thick with emotion that it sounded pained.

“I’m right here, Timmy. Make love to me.”

The young man nodded, and McKenzie slowly spread her legs as he climbed onto the bed with her. Timothy was excited, and had been waiting for this moment… had been fantasizing and fantasizing about this moment for as long as he could remember. But now that it had finally arrived, his arms and legs stiffened and his body felt like a thousand pounds. He was suddenly nervous… no, more than nervous.

Timothy was scared.

It was strange to realize that he was about to make love to McKenzie in the bed that she once shared with her husband; in the bed that the young men felt still rightfully belonged to David. Timothy wasn’t superstitious by any means, but he could almost sense David looking down upon him with disapproval. It was a feeling that the young man couldn’t describe, but he wanted to be respectful of the man’s memory.

But there was also much more to Timothy’s nervousness.

Timothy was too embarrassed to look McKenzie in the eye as he felt his erection deflating. Hoping that she wouldn’t noticed, he casually stroked himself to maintain rigidity. His love patiently waited for him.

Moving robotically, Timothy drew closer and brought the tip of his penis to the entrance of McKenzie’s vagina.

But she noticed his hesitancy before he could enter her. “Timmy, are you ok?”

“Of course,” he replied in a rush tone. “Do I not look ok?”

“You look… well, a little nervous. It’s ok if you’re not ready for this. I just want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy whenever I’m with you, McKenzie. And I want this. For us.”

She smiled lovingly. “Ok.”

Timothy swallowed hard as he approached her once more. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he began to panic. Though McKenzie’s beauty was a cause for automatic arousal, the young man willed his penis to remain hard so he could give her not only what she wanted but also what she deserved. Giving himself mental encouragement, Timothy pressed the tip of penis into McKenzie’s waiting hole, and thrusted.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie was caught off guard by Timothy’s bashfulness. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable, and she couldn’t fathom why. After all, he had openly discussed previous relationships, and she was certain that he had bedded countless girls. McKenzie didn’t want to merely be a statistic, but she believed that their relationship could be special despite the fact that they were at different points in their lives.

But Timothy was growing increasingly uneasy. At first, it was a blow to the woman’s ego as she thought that there was something about her appearance and mannerisms that was turning him off. But she realized it was more than that, and the last thing McKenzie wanted was to force Timothy to do something that he didn’t want to do.

But he still professed his desire to continue even when she gave him an out.

Timothy fumbled awkwardly as he attempted to penetrated her extremely wet and very loose vagina, but missed.

The young man blushed profusely.

“Timmy, it’s ok. We don’t have to do this.”

He appeared pain. “No, McKenzie. It’s not that. I want to. I want to make love to you more than anything.”

The beautiful woman was keen enough to know that there was more. “But…?”

Timothy sighed. “I… I’ve just… never done this before,” he confessed meekly.

McKenzie’s narrow brown eyes widened. “You’re a virgin?”

“I am.”

She couldn’t believe it. “But all those girls you dated! All those girls you told me about….”

“I went far with lots of my girlfriends… did some crazy things. But I never slept with any of them. I swear, McKenzie, that’s the truth.”

McKenzie felt like she was in a speeding car whose driver just slammed on the brakes.

She was supremely mortified. “I am such a horrible person.”

“What? What do you mean? Why do you say that?”

“I’m so sorry, Timmy. I had no right… I should never have put you in this position.” The beautiful woman suddenly felt so ashamed that she reached for the bedsheet to cover her nudity. “I’m so sorry.”

She attempted to rise, but the young man blocked her. “McKenzie, what are you talking about?”

“You, Timmy! I’m talking about you! Omigod, I’ve been taking advantage of a sweet and innocent boy.” She suddenly experienced a terrible self-loathing. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She looked at her love and began to cry. “I thought our relationship could work and be something special. But this was wrong from the very beginning, and I knew it. I knew it! I’m just a pathetic human being, and—”

“McKenzie, stop.”

“— I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

“McKenzie, please stop.”

“—I should’ve known better because I’m the adult—”

“McKenzie… please… STOP!”

The woman immediately fell silent.

“You need to stop treating me like a child! I know what I’m doing, and I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t want to be.”

“Timmy, forget all the other stuff for a moment. You’ve never slept with a woman. I can’t possibly take that from you! I won’t.”

“McKenzie, you’re the most intelligent person I’ve ever known, but sometimes you can be really stupid.”

The woman recoiled as if she had been slapped.

“Don’t you understand? I’ve been in love with you since I was 5 years old. I was in love with you before I even realized that I was in love with you! And all these years that I didn’t see you… I never forgot about you… never stopped thinking about you.” He laughed mirthlessly. “Now you tell me who’s the more pathetic human being between the two of us.” His voice softened. “McKenzie, don’t you see? I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment. I’ve been saving myself for you.”

But the woman shook her head in anguish. “I don’t know…”

“Do you love me?”

“That’s not fair!”

“I know. But it’s a simple ‘yes/no’ question.”

McKenzie’s voice was quiet, but the conviction in her voice was absolute. “Yes.”

“And I love you, too. Isn’t that all that matters?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Timothy looked down and realized that he was fully hard again.

McKenzie noticed, too.

“Are you sure about this, Timmy? I don’t want you to hate me later.”

“I could never hate you. I was just a really nervous, but now… I want you, McKenzie. I always have, and always will.”

The woman sighed heavily. “That’s good, because I want you, too. Badly.”

McKenzie peered up at her love as he beamed. She reached out, almost hesitantly, and gently stroked his erection. Timothy was harder than she had ever felt before, and his skin practically burned in her grasp. Clearly, whatever shyness he experienced earlier was gone.

The woman still couldn’t believe he was innocent in that regard.

“Trade places with me,” she instructed. “Lay on your back.”

Her commands got him even more excited so Timothy immediately acquiesced.

The brawny young man suddenly found himself flat on his back as he stared up at McKenzie, whose smile was rapidly becoming sultrier and more confident by the second. From his lower vantage point, the petite woman once again resembled a larger-than-life presence as she undid her pigtails and allowed her hair cascaded over her face. And as McKenzie climbed over him and straggled his hips, Timothy felt intimated by the moment again.

The woman sensed that his unease was returning and, just like when Timothy was a child, all it took was a simple smile to calm him down.

“You are so beautiful.”

“Hush, Timmy. Let me show you.” She gently wrapped her hand around his massive girth and gave it several loving strokes, eliciting very content murmurs. Still gliding her palm lightly up and down its length, McKenzie also used the bulbous head to stimulate the outer rim of her slit. Between them, there was enough lubrication to make it pleasant for both.

“Fuck, that feels good,” the young man moaned.

Timothy’s erection somehow pulsed harder and hotter. She continued to use his manhood like a sex toy by rubbing the tip against her smooth clit, which was equally as erect. “Mmm… that does feel good.”

“I am so hot for you right now.”

She giggled girlishly. “I can tell.”

“I love you, McKenzie.”

“I love you, too.

McKenzie pressed Timothy’s tip to the entrance of her vagina. Although she was already loose and wet, she still struggled to take him in. The woman sighed loudly as she slowly impaled herself, feeling Timothy’s size stretching her inner walls. McKenzie hadn’t even lowered herself halfway when a powerful tremor seized her entire body. A loud whine emitted from her lips. Timothy immediately placed his large hands on her tiny hips to steady her.

And when the woman regained control of her senses, Timothy slowly but firmly pulled her down upon him.

She shuddered once more and moaned. “That feels so good… don’t stop… gently…”

McKenzie savored every inch of her lover’s hard cock rubbing into her like a sword sliding into its sheath. Her vaginal muscles reflexively contracted, heightening their collective pleasure. The woman remained still, contently to simply feel satiated for the moment.

Then, very slowly, McKenzie began to ride her man.

Up and down, she bobbed in a slow and steady rhythm, wanting Timothy’s first time to be something memorable but being at peace with wanting this moment for herself, too.

Gradually, McKenzie quickened her moments, to the point that she was dropping the full weight of her body with a dull thud of skin-on-skin collision. “Omigod,” Timothy moaned. “Omigod…”

The woman suddenly changed her tactics and instead of moving her body vertically, she now undulated her hips in a back-and-forth motion, grinding heavily against Timothy’s cock that she had completely engulfed.

Timothy stared up at the heavenly vision who was his ultimate love. McKenzie looked ungodly beautiful on a bad hair day and there were times when she looked hotter than usual. But the way the woman sensually writhed on him with a euphoric expression made her appear like an ethereal being who was too good for this world. She was a vision to behold.

The woman arched backwards against as she thrusted her hips forward, causing her chest to heave and gifting Timothy with a glorious view of the undersides of her breasts. His hands immediately shot out to study them intimately. McKenzie purred in encouragement as he began to grope her breasts more harshly.

Suddenly, she slapped his hand away, and Timothy feared that he had gone too far. But McKenzie stared into his eyes intently as she replaced his hand with her own. “Like this,” the woman coached him softly as she cupped her breasts and fondled herself. “Like this.”

Timothy was, literally, salivating. “I’m totally content watching you touch yourself as you fuck me.”

His lover chuckled throatily. “Oh, no, Timmy. You’re not getting off that easily.” She took his hands and placed the squarely onto her breasts again, covering his were her own.

“Your tits are fucking fantastic… just like the rest of your hot body.”

“Ooohhh, I love it when you say bad words.” McKenzie was playfully mocking him, as he had told her the same before. But she was breathing heavily now as she rode Timothy even harder and deeper. And though Timothy was simply laying on his back as the sexy woman took charge, he was sweating and panting, as well.

McKenzie was still rocking her body as she leaned over him, practically on her hands and knees. The ends of her long silky hair brushed across his chest, a pleasant sensation that he had never experienced before. Without thinking, the lovers reached for each other and interlocked their fingers.

Remaining rooted inside of her, Timothy suddenly rolled their bodies in unison, ever careful not to hurt to hurt his love, as they came to a rest in a missionary position. McKenzie was momentarily surprised, but the corners of her lips curled into a smile. Her hands were still interlocked with his, and she gave them an affectionate squeeze. Timothy returned the gesture before letting go to caress her face.

He brought his lips to hers and began thrusting into her with equal tenderness.

The woman spread her legs wide to invite her lover in further. And as they commenced making love again, the sensation felt different as Timothy took over. His penetration was deeper as now she lay on her back as he thrusted, and the burn was exquisite.

“Just like that, Timmy… just like that… oh fuck, just like that!”

Timothy kept things slow and steady at first, but gradually increased the pace just as she had done to him. Soon, he was pumping into her in short, rapid bursts, grunting with each impact that sounded like a fist striking an open palm. And McKenzie’s shrill noises coincided her lover’s guttural sounds.

“Harder, Timmy! Harder! Fuck me harder!”

The young man was roaring as he retracted his hips and drove into his lover’s pussy with full force. He feared that he might break McKenzie in half, but she didn’t seem to care. Timothy was slamming into McKenzie so hard that her body compressed into the mattress, causing her ankles to flap obscenely overhead. A lesser woman would’ve cried in pain, but all McKenzie felt was pleasure that she happily endured.

The both experienced that wonderful surge within their bodies at the same time.

“I’m going to cum,” the young man gasped. “I’m going to cum.” It was a warning as Timothy thought he should pull out, but McKenzie responded by flinging her arms around his neck and pulling him on top of her. And though he outweighed her considerably, she bore his weight as effortlessly as she tolerated the physical sex.

She wanted them to experience this moment together.

“Cum for me, Timmy. Cum inside of me!”

He kissed her again, devouring McKenzie’s lips ravenously while shoving his tongue down her throat, an act filled with as much primal fury as it was with love. But it was impossible to hold back. Timothy felt an exhilaration like no other as he released a mighty surge that emanated from the depths of his pelvis.

He kissed McKenzie hard as the throes of ecstasy seized him.

But the woman matched his physicality with her own.

The pace from which the essence of life flowed from his body to hers lessened as Timothy’s orgasm gradually subsided. Bathed in sweat, his thighs actually felt sore and weak. No workout had ever exhausted like this.

But there was still unfinished business.

Timothy’s erection, which was still buried inside McKenzie, was growing flaccid, but she continued writhing in her own passion. The woman reached down to rub her clit furiously. And the young man’s penis remained firm enough that it still gave her pleasure as he continued to thrust.

Timothy sighed as he thrusted hard one final time. Instead of withdrawing, however, he grinded heavily into her pelvis, making sure to deposit every last drop into McKenzie. McKenzie wrapped her arms and her legs around his body as she squealed shrilly and kissed him back. Their mouths were still mashed together when Timothy felt his penis suddenly bathed in something hot inside her body, yet another indescribable sensation that he was experiencing for the first time.

The beautiful Asian clung onto her man fiercely as she achieved her own climax, and screamed in triumph.

Timothy collapsed on her, their steaming, sweat-drenched bodies still connected as one.

And as they silently basked, warm and naked, in the wonderful afterglow of their union, McKenzie felt happier and more alive than she had in a long, long time while Timothy suddenly realized that wanting was not always better than having, and that life was much more profound than he ever imagined.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie and Timothy’s relationship continued to evolve.

Though it wasn’t intended to be a litmus test, the woman wanted to introduce her new boyfriend to her friends and coworkers, a notion that terrified the young man. It wasn’t so much the age gap that made Timothy nervous; rather, it was that McKenzie’s closest friends, like the beautiful Asian woman herself, were from a different world than him. Particularly, his lack of a higher education never bothered him and never made him feel self-conscious.

Until now.

What could he possibly have in common with McKenzie’s friends, who had PhD’s like she did? What would he even say to them to strike up a friendly conversation? They’d undoubtedly looked down on him and, even worse, he’d probably embarrass McKenzie.

Timothy’s fears naturally proved to be completely unfounded. Not long after the couple consummated their love for the first time, he accompanied McKenzie to a close friend’s birthday party which was being held at a local winery. The affair was fairly formal, something that the young man wasn’t accustomed to and made him feel even more out of place, but then McKenzie’s laughter and presence quickly calmed him.

And so did her friends.

They accepted Timothy, just like his friends had welcomed her with open arms. He was even surprised to discover that McKenzie’s friends already knew much about him, including the fact that she had babysit him in his youth. It was something he still believed the woman would be too embarrassed to admit even though she had already expressed otherwise.

Timothy mentioned as much as they drove back to her place later that evening, where Bradley was already sleep.

“Your friends think it’s cool that you’re banging the hot babysitter, and my friends think it’s cool that I’m sleeping with a guy 12 years young than me,” McKenzie responded flippantly. “I guess that means we’re even.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound pretty cool on both accounts!”

The couple laughed.

Timothy kept his left hand on the steering wheel as he drove, but reached for McKenzie with his right one and planted a loud kiss on her hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Her tone dropped seductively. “Once we get home, let’s send the babysitter away and shower together.”

The suggestion gave Timothy an instant erection. Some of the best sex they had enjoyed so far occurred in the shower. It made them much more daring and spirited when they could clean the mess up right away. “I would love to. I can’t wait to soap down that luscious body of yours. In fact, I have a present for you, too.”

“Hmmm… I wonder what that could be?” McKenzie withdrew her hand and groped the hardness between his legs.

Timothy nearly crashed into oncoming traffic.

******************************************************************************

Meeting each other’s friends were an important step in the evolution of McKenzie and Timothy’s relationship, but reconnecting with each other’s parents again was even bigger one. While the couple still lived in New York, the state where that had grown up, McKenzie’s parents had moved to Arizona during her college years while Timothy’s mother and father relocated to Florida only 2 years ago. Both sets of parents knew that the pair were dating now, of course, and gave them their full support.

McKenzie had clearly inherited her parents’ genetics because they also appeared to have barely aged when Timothy saw them for the first time in 15 years over videochat.

Reconnecting with Timothy’s parents was an even bigger emotional moment for the young Asian woman.

McKenzie and Carla immediately cried the moment they saw each other over the video feed, and even Timothy’s father appeared on the verge joyful tears.

“Mr. and Mrs. Vandermire! It’s so good to see you both!”

“It’s good to see you, too, McKenzie,” Eddie replied.

“We’ve never forgotten about you,” Mrs. Vandermire fervently told the Asian woman. “In all these years, Eddie and I never forgot about you or stopped loving you like family. When Timmy called to tell us that he had gotten in touch with you… I was ecstatic! I cried to my husband. We knew our son had been in love with you since he was a little boy. And when we found out that you were actually dating, it was like our prayers had been answered! Eddie and I are so happy for you both!”

A tremendously happy moment became even better.

Bradley, who was warily hiding out of view, suddenly bolted into the picture. “Hey! I want to say hello!” He looked at the grinning couple. “Hello! Hello! Hello!”

“Well, hello, yourself, young fella!” Mr. Vandermire boomed. “You must be Bradley!”

The brash little boy was suddenly embarrassed, and he latched onto McKenzie and buried his face into her hip. She chuckled and scooped him up, but he still wouldn’t show his face to Timothy’s parents. “Yes, Mr. Vandermire. This is definitely Bradley!”

The 4 of them videochatted for almost 2 hours. Bradley darted in and out of the conversation, attention span permitting, after he rediscovered his comfort zone. And by the end of the videochat, he was referring to Timothy’s parents as “Grandma” and Grandpa”, which delighted them to no end. For McKenzie, though she had 15 years to catch up on with the older couple, it felt as though barely any time had passed since she had last seen them. The Vandermires were still the same people whom she loved like a second set of parents.

And the Vandermires still loved McKenzie like a daughter.

As the woman and his parents continued to converse animatedly with each other, Timothy stood by quietly as he held Bradley, who had become so bored that the little boy was falling asleep in his arms. But that was ok with Timothy. Holding the little guy was precious and gave an inkling of how wonderful fatherhood could be.

Timothy suddenly knew what he had to do.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie sighed gratefully as she pulled her car into the garage. It had been a particularly long day at work. The research and development of her latest prosthetic design was going extremely well but there was an unexpected patent issue, and unexpected patent issues were not her forte. Still, she had achieved much today and while the work was grueling, it was another satisfying day, overall. After exiting her vehicle and shutting the garage door, the woman smiled as she entered her home.

Timothy would be waiting for her.

It had been a month since they videochatted with his parents, and over 10 months since she and Timothy had found each other again. Though the young man hadn’t officially moved in, he was sleeping over several nights a week. McKenzie was even letting him keep a toothbrush in her bathroom now!

Of course, none of this would’ve been possible without Bradley’s permission.

Timothy had previously spent many nights with McKenzie, of course, but they had always attempted to be discreet. However, the woman realized it was time to address her new relationship in a way that her son could understand. Bradley, thankfully, was excited that he’d be seeing more of “Mr. Timothy” and didn’t appear the least bit resentful that another man, for all intents and purposes, might be taking his father’s place.

After McKenzie first spoke to her son privately, the trio held a conversation together that turned out even better than she could’ve hope!

The beautiful Asian woman felt like she was returning home to a new definition of “family” as she entered her kitchen from the garage.

She noticed the trail of roses right away.

Several perfect, long-stem roses were placed on the tiled floor.

McKenzie smiled and shook her head wryly. Timothy could still act like a goofy frat boy at times but was always very thoughtful. He could also be very romantic.

McKenzie’s grin grew broader; her young love was always full of surprises.

The Asian woman carefully collected each rose as she followed the trail into the next room. And when she entered the living room, McKenzie called out gaily, “Honey, I’m home!”

Bradley suddenly came rocketing towards her. McKenzie immediately noticed his hair was neatly combed which was very peculiar because his hair never neatly combed. Furthermore, he was dressed in a suit and tie and carried another rose in his tiny hand.

“Mommy, mommy! Mr. Timothy told me to give you this rose. He also told me to tell you that 11 + 1 makes an even dozen.”

“Thank you,” she replied, stooping down to hug him. But her brow furrowed in confusion as she wondered why her son was so handsomely dressed. Something was definitely amiss. “Bradley, why are you wearing a suit?”

But the little boy ignored her. “Mommy, mommy! Mr. Timothy has something he wants to ask you! He asked me first, and I told him it was ok. It’s really important.”

McKenzie stood up and looked to where he pointed.

Timothy had quietly entered the living room and though he wasn’t dressed as sharply as her son, he was still wearing a dress shirt and khakis which was definitely not his usual attire.

“And why are you so—”

McKenzie’s words died in her mouth. Timothy’s dearest friends including Gary, all whom she had gotten to know and grown to love, trickled in behind him. And mixed in were her closest friends, as well!

What were they all doing here?

Then McKenzie noticed Timothy’s parents…

… and her parents right next to them.

“Mom? Dad? What are—?”

Everyone openly grinned at her.

The beautiful woman was suddenly hit with a premonition.

Timothy solemnly approached, taking the flowers from her and handing them over to Bradley. The little boy took them then skipped over to his grandparents. It was suddenly so quiet in the living room that McKenzie could hear her heart beating.

Timothy withdrew a diamond ring from his pocket and dropped to one knee.

“McKenzie Nakazawa… will you marry me?”

The woman’s hands flew to her cheeks. And as tears of joy began to roll down her face, she squeaked loud enough for everyone to hear:

“Yes!”

Timothy slipped the ring onto her figure and rose to his feet.

The room erupted in cheers as Timothy and McKenzie kissed.

Bradley was patient enough to give the couple a few seconds to savor the moment before he raced over and wedged himself between them. “Mr. Timothy? Does this mean I can call you ‘dad’ now?”

“You can call me whatever you want, Bradley,” Timothy replied, tearing up. He and McKenzie hugged the little boy together. Then her parents were there, embracing their daughter and grandson, and the young man who would soon be their son-in-law.

Then Timothy’s parents appeared.

“Congratulations. Now it’s official: welcome to the family,” Mr. Vandermire told McKenzie drolly.

Timothy’s mother hugged McKenzie warmly. “I’m so happy for you and Timmy. He loves you so much, and Eddie and I couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law. We’re so excited!” Then she scooped up Bradley. “And Grampa Eddie and I couldn’t ask for a better grandson!”

McKenzie and Timothy held hands as they greeted and hugged and laughed and cried with the rest of their guests, all of them dear friends and family. It was a joyous occasion for everyone. And during the whole event, the newly engaged coupled stole glances at each other and knew that they shared the same thought.

This is going to work!

******************************************************************************

The dreary weather reflected Timothy’s mood.

A cold wind chilled the young man’s bones despite his heavy jacket. The ground was soaked and, judging by the overcast skies, there’d be more rain soon. It was the type of weather that brought gloom and despair.

Timothy thought it was ironic, perhaps even fitting, given his current location.

The young man stood quietly with Bradley as he watched McKenzie lovingly place a bouquet on David’s grave. She visited her late husband every month, rain or shine, and brought a fresh set of flowers each time. It was her ritual, and Timothy respected it.

But it wasn’t until their engagement 2 weeks ago that he felt brave enough to ask for permission to come along.

He had avoided asking for a long time. He had dreaded coming to this cemetery. But it was something that Timothy knew that he had to do for McKenzie and Bradley.

And for himself.

The young man admitted that it was a strange feeling to be engaged to a dead man’s wife. After all, he wouldn’t be with McKenzie now if David was still alive. McKenzie would always love and miss him, and understandably so. That did not lessen Timothy’s devotion to her, but he was a deeply thoughtful person and it was something profound that gnawed at him.

How would he compete a dead man’s memory?

It was a profound question, indeed.

Bradley, who was typically boisterous and energetic, stood next to Timothy. Perhaps it was the weather or the realization that he would never know his biological father that made him pensive. “Mr. Timothy… dad?”

“Yes?”

“Did you know my father?”

“No, Bradley. I wasn’t lucky enough to meet him.”

The boy sighed. “I wish I could’ve gotten to know him.”

Timothy knelt beside him. He was beginning to feel like a father to the young boy. “I know, Bradley. I’m very sorry that your father isn’t here anymore. Your mother once showed me a picture of him. You were in it, too, as a matter of fact. The three of you were standing in front of the ocean. He was a very handsome man, and you look just like him.”

“Really?” Bradley sounded very proud.

“Yes, really. I also know that he loved you and your mother very, very much.”

“I don’t remember.” Bradley looked like he was about to cry, but somehow kept his emotions in check. Timothy’s heart bled for the boy and he suddenly recalled his terror when McKenzie had left for college all those years ago. It wasn’t fair to equate his loss with hers and Bradley’s, but witnessing the boy’s sadness made Timothy vow that his stepson would always feel loved, and never alone.

“I love you, Bradley. Why don’t you go next to your mom and pay some respects to your father? It’d be a nice thing to do, and she’d appreciate it.”

“Ok. And I love you, too, dad.”

Hearing Bradley call him “dad” made Timothy feel proud and terrible, both at the same time. But he remained in the background as he watched the boy join his mother before David’s grave. They spoke in hushed tones, and he could only imagine what McKenzie was telling her son right now.

When mother and son began saying their final good-byes, Timothy slowly approached.

McKenzie knelt on the wet grass, kissed her hand and then placed it on the tombstone. “I love you, David. Bradley and I miss you so much.”

McKenzie and Bradley’s unspeakable, heartbreaking loss was palpable.

But the woman seemed at peace as she gathered her son, turned, and walked back towards Timothy. She managed a smile as she came to him, and the young man marveled not only at her beauty and intelligence, but at her inner strength as well. McKenzie clutched Bradley’s hand, and though there was sadness in his eyes, he was managing well, too.

“Ready to go home?”

“Actually, McKenzie. Can you and the little guy give me a minute?”

The woman looked at him curiously.

“I just need a moment alone, that’s all.”

She studied Timothy’s brooding expression and, rather than question him, nodded. “Of course. We’ll wait for you in the car.”

“Thank you.”

Timothy was suddenly alone… or was he?

The young man was lost in his thoughts as he stood with his hands buried in his pockets. He shifted awkwardly, not sure how to begin. Eventually, however, he looked at the granite tombstone before him.

“So, uh… I don’t know if you can hear me, David, but my name is Timothy. First off, let me just say that I’m so sorry for what happened to you. You had everything that a man could want, and the best parts of your life were still ahead of you.” Timothy paused, feeling foolish for talking to the specter of his fiancée’s dead husband. A lump formed in his throat as he was suddenly overcome with a myriad of emotions. But he knew that he had to continue. “You may already know, but McKenzie used to babysit me when I was 5 years old. I know you loved… still love… McKenzie. The thing is, I love her, too. I was in love with her before I even knew I was in love with her… I’ve been love with that woman for so long that I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with her.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “I know that sounds crazy. But I love her, man. I love McKenzie with all my heart… just like you do. And I love Bradley, too.” Timothy struggled with what to say next. “I want you to know that I’m not trying to take your place. I would never insult you like that. McKenzie will always love you, and she will never forget about you. And I will always remind Bradley who his father is. I swear to you that I will always take care of them… McKenzie and Bradley. I will dedicate the rest of my life looking after them, and do everything in my power to keep them safe and happy. I need you to know that, David, and hope that… hope that you can give me your blessing.”

A cold and angry wind suddenly howled.

Timothy remained rooted in place for a long time before nodding at the tombstone in understanding.

Then the young man trudged back to the car with a powerful guilt still weighing on his broad shoulders.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie buckled her son into his seat, lowered the window a quarter of the way, then stood outside the car and waited for Timothy.

Visiting David’s gravesite had once been terribly painful for her. It was as if she had to relive his loss over and over again. But over time, however, coming to see him became therapeutic. The pain would never fully fade, but visiting him regularly made it much more manageable.

It enabled McKenzie to realize that she could let go without fully letting go.

Perhaps time did heal wounds, even if it could never do so completely.

By now, Timothy had been gone longer than the Asian woman had anticipated, but she was more curious than concerned. It meant a lot that he had asked to accompany her and Bradley; Timothy always appeared uneasy whenever her late husband came up in conversation. And while McKenzie knew that her fiancée had primarily come as a show of support, she suspected there was more going on than she realized.

When Timothy finally reappeared, his expression was extremely pensive.

“Is everything ok?”

He stopped before her, too troubled to speak, before peering off into the gloomy sky.

At that moment, the rainclouds parted, and a sliver of sunlight shone through.

When the young man looked back at McKenzie, he was smiling and seemingly at peace.

“Yea… everything is ok.”

There was much conviction and happiness in Timothy’s voice. Something that McKenzie didn’t understand had just occurred, but she didn’t need to know what it was. David was in a better place, and Timothy and Bradley were happy and healthy, and that was all that mattered.

McKenzie embraced her fiancée.

“Let’s go home.”

The End

******************************************************************************

Epilogue

McKenzie was an emotional wreck.

Her misery felt like a bottomless pit and though these breakdowns never last too long, that was of little consolation. Right now, it felt as though the world was ending, and she was tempted to curse and scream at whatever higher power had put her in this current predicament. McKenzie was so restless and distressed that her entire body was sweating and radiating heat even though she lay naked in bed with the blanket cast aside.

McKenzie had only ever suffered this badly once before.

Timothy, who was slumbering next to his wife, sensed her discomfort. “Are you ok, babe?”

“The baby is kicking again, and I can’t fall back asleep.”

Timothy peered at the alarm clock. 3:21am. “What can I do to help?”

“Hold me.” McKenzie, who was 7 and a half months pregnant, was laying on her side, the only position had that gave her any semblance of relief. Timothy shifted so that they were spooning and wrapped 1 large arm around her. His wife immediately snuggled against his stout chest and cooed. “Mmm… that’s better.”

“Do you want some water? Maybe another massage?”

“I don’t think any of that will help.” Then she sniffed petulantly. “This is all your fault. You did this to me.”

Timothy chuckled. “I’m don’t mean to poke fun of you, McKenzie, but I am happy to be guilty as charged.” Then he asked softly, “Can I feel her?”

McKenzie took his hand and placed it over her distended stomach.

“Hey there, baby girl. Mommy and daddy are here, and we can’t wait to meet you. Your big brother is excited, too.” Then Timothy lifted his head and leaned over to place a soft kiss on his wife’s belly.

McKenzie was facing away from her husband, so he couldn’t see her smile. “I love it when you talk to our baby like that.”

“I swear to you, McKenzie, that our children will have the best father ever.”

“They already do. Why don’t you go back to bed? You have work and school tomorrow,” she reminded him sweetly.

Timothy responded by spooning her even more closely. They were warm and naked, and the beautiful Asian woman couldn’t recall a time when she felt this safe and cozy. It made her temporarily forget the discomfort of pregnancy.

As she lay languidly against her husband, however, McKenzie suddenly felt something hard pressing into her bottom. Her eyes flashed open, and she rolled awkwardly to face her him. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Have I ever told you how sexy it is when you say bad words?”

Timothy did, in fact, remind her every time she cursed, but right now she ignored him. “How can you possibly be thinking about that right now?”

“I think of sex whenever I’m with you. In fact, I also think of sex whenever I’m not with you. AND I get an instant hard-on whenever you’re naked.”

“Oh, stop!” She punched him playfully in the shoulder.

“What, this isn’t convincing enough?” He inclined his head at his burgeoning erection.

McKenzie accused plaintively, “You probably think that I look liked a bloated whale.”

“You’re, literally, the hottest woman I have ever seen, and will ever see. And you’ve never looked hotter than you do at this moment.”

“Really?” Her voice quavered.

“Yes, really. I want you so badly right now.”

McKenzie kissed her husband.

Timothy returned the gesture, gently groping his wife all over and to let her know how much he adored her pregnant form. They were murmuring and panting like animals as they continued to kiss, and the young man was so aroused that it hurt. He suddenly, but very gently, turned McKenzie so that they were spooning again. Then he planted kisses all over her neck, which always had a devastating effect on his wife.

“I’m going to make love to you now.”

It was a statement, not a request, and it not only made McKenzie feel loved but also very, very sexy despite her current condition.

Timothy placed his large hand over McKenzie’s tiny one, and they interlocked their fingers as he gently penetrated from behind. He was so hot for his wife that he lasted only a few pumps before ejaculating, and they gripped each other even tighter as the essence of life and love poured into the woman. Timothy remained in her even after he was completely spent, and he couldn’t believe how perfect his life was.

“I love you, McKenzie.”

“I love you, too, Timmy.”

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, warm and naked.