Twenty-Three

 

The next Sunday crept up on Marsha. The week had passed so quickly. Work had been busy, especially since Damian had her waitressing again about half the time.

Sophie had been looking into ways to get her documents, which she said would allow Marsha to get a better job. Marsha was content with the one she had, although she did like the idea of being some kind of translator or interpreter. She could see herself translating every language at a United Nations convention. Then again, that might bring her unwanted attention. All things considered, she was better off where she was.

“Nicole says she can come tonight,” Sophie told her and Katie midway through the afternoon. “The kids can’t, though.”

“Brian doesn’t want to drive them?” Marsha asked.

Sophie shook her head. “She said she’s taking an Uber. I’m going to pay her back for it, though. She doesn’t have that much cash.”

“Okay.”

Marsha returned to flipping lazily through the driving manual. She wanted to finish so she could drive like Sophie had—although all of Sophie’s shrieking had made it seem more terrifying than she’d imagined. There was no rush, though. She wouldn’t even be able to get a learner’s permit until she had fake documents. And Sophie had been hesitant to do that since it wasn’t exactly legal.

The three women cooked together so that the food was ready when Nicole arrived. Terry was out with Gary, and Marsha wondered if Sophie planned on telling them about their own relationship tonight.

It turned out that the triplets had more urgent things to talk about. Nicole was barely in the door when Sophie and Katie accosted her about what was going on with Brian.

“He seems to be in a bad mood lately,” Sophie said. “Is that normal for him? What’s going on?”

Nicole’s eyes widened, and she kept her eyes on the bowls of food as she served herself. “Everything is fine.”

“You don’t have to pretend with us,” Katie said gently. “We can see something’s wrong.”

“He’s the same as he’s always been.” Nicole’s face was tight.

“So he’s always been a jerk?” Sophie asked.

“Seriously?” Katie snapped. Looking at Nicole, she turned soothing again. “Look, we’re not going to pry. We’ve just noticed there’s some tension between you, and it seems unusual.”

“So the two of you have been gossiping about me behind my back?” Nicole seemed to have forgotten Marsha’s presence, just like all of them had forgotten the meal in front of them. “Is this an intervention?”

Marsha leaned forward. Maybe a sympathetic outsider would get through to Nicole better than her sisters. “They’re only trying to help, Nicole.”

“I know, but…” Nicole’s face twisted. “He’s been irritable lately. I’ll give you that much. It’s normal, though. He’s stressed out at work, and then he comes home and the kids are all over him.”

“The same way they’re all over you all day?” Sophie asked.

“It’s not the same. He needs a break after work, and he doesn’t understand that I’d like one, too. It’s not so bad during the school year, but the kids are always there during the summer. Always.” She looked exhausted. “It was amazing when they were away at camp. Things almost got back to normal—but only for a week, and then they were back.”

“They’re his kids,” Katie said. “He chose to have them. He needs to take responsibility.”

“It’s easy to say in theory, but this is real life. None of you have kids. You don’t understand.” Nicole forked a green bean on her plate, then set it down. “He’s working all day, working extra hours lately, and I’m home with the kids. I have no responsibilities outside of them.”

“Well, that’s enough,” Marsha said. “Those two are energetic.”

Nicole shook her head. “And then I went and asked him to drive me forty-five minutes to Rocksoil every week. It’s an hour and a half on a Sunday night, and unless we get a babysitter, we have to bring the kids along. He never signed up to be a chauffeur. It’s not fair to him.”

“That’s true,” Sophie said. “At least that part will be a non-issue soon.”

“Huh?” Nicole asked.

“We’re learning to drive.” Katie grinned. “All three of us.”

“You can too, if you like,” Marsha added.

The conversation shifted to how they’d been taking turns with the driving manual, and Sophie told Nicole about her first attempts at operating a vehicle. Marsha wasn’t sure if the others noticed that they’d gotten off-topic. There was a lot more to be said about Brian, but at least they’d made a start. Now Nicole knew she could approach her sisters if anything was on her mind. She could even approach Marsha.

“I think I’m going to get the hang of it.” Sophie took a bite of her roast beef, and as if they’d all been waiting for someone to break the ice, everyone else started eating. “It seemed impossible at first, but we kept trying, and it was definitely a lot easier by the end.”

“You were shrieking a lot less, anyway,” Marsha teased.

Sophie looked adorably bashful. She was the cutest being Marsha had ever met, no matter the species.

 

***

 

The rest of dinner was pleasant, and the conversation stayed on relatively neutral topics. As Sophie brought out a plate of store-bought oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert, she congratulated herself on the conversation with Nicole going smoothly.

The triplets all reached for the cookies at the same time, then laughed.

“It really is like you’re all the same person,” Marsha said, grabbing one herself.

“We have certain differences.” Sophie took a bite and closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the way the sweetness paired with the chewy texture.

“But we’re still similar,” Katie said. “It’s not a bad thing. We did share a womb. And you know, if tonight is our night to confront each other, there’s something else I’d like to talk about.”

Katie’s gaze turned to Marsha. She didn’t seem to know what was going on, either—but Nicole did.

“You’re going to bring up what we talked about?” Nicole asked, leaning forward.

“I’ve been trying to drop some hints about it,” Katie said. “It hasn’t quite worked.”

“Two interventions in one night,” Nicole said, setting her chin in her hand. “This must be a record.”

“No snark right now.” Katie’s face was deadly serious. “Sophie, I love you.”

“So do I,” Nicole said.

“And I love both of you.” Sophie was thoroughly confused. She had an idea of where this was going, and she hoped she was wrong. Kind of.

“Marsha,” Katie said, “you seem pretty cool, too.”

Marsha blinked rapidly. “Thank you.”

“Soph, we need you to know that we love you no matter what,” Katie said firmly. “You could be gay, straight, trans, non-binary. Heck, if you were a damn alien, we’d love you anyway.”

Sophie’s face was frozen. She couldn’t move a muscle.

“If there’s anything you want to share with us, you’re welcome to do so,” Katie said. “Whether it’s now or a year from now, we’re here and we’re listening.”

“Both of us,” Nicole added.

Sophie didn’t say anything. She wasn’t even breathing. Nicole and Katie glanced at each other, and Nicole gave a slight shrug.

Katie started to open her mouth, but Sophie spoke first. Her eyes were shiny, and her voice was faint. “Thank you. I guess I shouldn’t have let this get to the point of needing an intervention. How—how long have you known?”

“Since around the time some girl started living with you and never left, despite you claiming she was just a friend,” Nicole said. “No offense, Marsha.”

“None taken.”

“I had my suspicions much longer ago,” Katie said. “I thought you’d get a boyfriend the second you moved to the big city, and instead nothing happened. And nothing… and nothing… and nothing.”

“I could’ve just been single,” Sophie said, feeling the need to defend herself.

“Looking like that?” Marsha asked. “Nah.”

The other two girls smiled. “I knew you were good for our sister,” Katie said.

“I wasn’t dating, though,” Sophie said, still on the last point. “I never even planned to. And then Marsha just showed up, and next thing I knew…”

“You were in love?” Katie asked, clasping her hands together and beaming.

Sophie’s heart jolted. “I—I guess so.” She met Marsha’s eyes, and Marsha looked completely overjoyed by what she’d just said. “Yes,” Sophie said more decisively. “I was in love. I love you.”

Her face flushed as her sisters applauded.

“So, tell us everything about women,” Nicole said with a huge grin. “Is it easier than dating men? Because men suck sometimes.”

“As if you know about dating!” Katie laughed. “You’ve gone out with one guy in your entire life.”

“More than you,” Nicole snarked back at her. “But Sophie, isn’t it cool to be gay? Do you feel like you naturally understand each other?”

“She can’t really give us a straight answer in front of Marsha,” Katie said.

Marsha pushed back her chair. “It’s okay, I’ll give you some privacy to talk about me. I definitely won’t have my ear on the door, listening.”

Nicole held up her hands. “Wait, before we interrogate Sophie, are there any more huge secrets anyone else needs to share?”

“I have one about Sophie,” Marsha said. “She snores. Loud.”

“We shared a room with her for thirty years,” Nicole laughed. “That wasn’t much of a secret!”

Sophie looked around the table, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her sisters were joking around with her girlfriend, completely fine with Sophie’s sexuality. Her heart filled up with a deep sense of peace.

The only thing that would’ve made this better was if her parents could’ve been here, too. But some things were too much to ask.

 

***

 

Now that Sophie and Marsha were open about their relationship, Marsha could move her stuff back into Sophie’s room.

“Sorry we tried to trick you,” she told Katie, who was lying on the couch.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to sleep on the floor anymore.”

Marsha pushed the dresser through Sophie’s door, and Sophie looked up at her with a dazed smile. “Can you believe that just happened?” Sophie asked. “I sure can’t.”

“I can believe it.” Marsha fell onto the bed beside Sophie and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Any normal person would have no problem with you and me. The ones that do, well, that’s on them.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not even from this planet.”

“Which means I have a broader perspective than you.” Marsha ran her fingers through Sophie’s hair. “Believe me, only on the most primitive planets in the universe would say this relationship is wrong.”

“Are you just saying that?”

“Of course not.” Marsha couldn’t believe how deep-rooted Sophie’s self-doubt went. “Why would any rational person have a problem with how other people conduct their personal lives? As long as everyone involved has consented, where’s the issue?”

“I don’t know,” Sophie mumbled, “but that doesn’t stop some people from having one.”

“Not me. Not Terry. And not your sisters.” Marsha cuddled her tight, trying to give her some comfort with her human body.

Inconveniently, the result was that a flicker of arousal went through her core. She shifted around, trying to stamp it out. Sophie lifted an eyebrow as if she knew exactly what Marsha was doing.

“Sorry,” Marsha said.

“No need to apologize.” Sophie trailed her fingers down Marsha’s chest, looking at the area keenly. “I know exactly how you feel.”

Marsha’s center throbbed. The thought of Sophie being turned on only turned her on more. She ran her hand over Sophie’s backside. “A homophobe would hate this.”

Sophie licked her lips, and when her eyes met Marsha’s, they were full of desire. “Maybe we should give them something to really be mad about.”

With a grin, Marsha started to lift her top over her head. All they’d done physically was touching, and Sophie had yet to remove her own clothes.

Sophie watched her with evident admiration, and then to Marsha’s shock, she pulled off her own shirt.

“Are you sure you’re—Oh.”

Marsha went silent at the sight of Sophie’s gorgeous body. Sophie’s breasts were full, her nipples lush and pink. Heat blazed through Marsha’s core. She had the sudden urge to take them into her mouth, but held back for Sophie’s sake.

“Can I touch you?” Marsha asked.

Slowly, Sophie nodded. “A little bit.”

Marsha cupped one breast, then relished the way Sophie shivered. She ran her thumb over the nipple, and Sophie relaxed down to the bed.

Pressing her lips to Sophie’s, Marsha continued to touch and caress her until Sophie was shaking. Marsha drew back to find Sophie’s cheeks flushed and her teeth digging into her lower lip.

Marsha had pleasured all kinds of bodies in her lifetime. She’d never doubted that she’d be able to make Sophie feel good. Still, seeing Sophie’s obvious enjoyment gave her a thrill of accomplishment. Placing her lips on Sophie’s neck, she drew her tongue lightly up the graceful curve. She was rewarded with a soft moan.

As Sophie’s breath turned ragged, she looked up at Marsha desperately. “I—I—I need…”

Marsha waited for her to complete the sentence. Rather than continuing, Sophie simply squirmed. Marsha didn’t move. She needed full and enthusiastic consent from Sophie. There was no way she was going to do the wrong thing and ruin this.

At last, Sophie took hold of Marsha’s hand. “This,” Sophie breathed as she guided it down the front of her shorts.

Marsha’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a gasp. Her throat went dry as she found Sophie’s wetness. She’d yearned to touch Sophie like this for so long, and now Sophie’s heat was all around her fingertips. She moved her hand over Sophie’s hard bud, and Sophie caught her breath.

“Like this?” Marsha asked hoarsely.

Sophie nodded, her eyes tightly shut.

Marsha pulled herself closer to Sophie, watching her face keenly as she rubbed inside her panties. Her entire body was alight, her heart pounding in rhythm with Sophie’s. She drank in the sight of Sophie’s tight features. The fact that no one else had ever touched Sophie like this made it even more special.

Soon Sophie’s gasps were getting louder, and Marsha’s nerves thrummed with anticipation. Sophie was almost there, and the needy way she was looking up at Marsha was making her want to come, too. Marsha had never seen anything so beautiful on any planet.

Sophie grabbed Marsha with both hands. As Sophie kissed her passionately, their teeth and tongues colliding, her legs shook and she let out a long, low moan.

After Sophie’s tremors subsided, Marsha drew back with satisfaction. She’d made her girlfriend come. She lay down, kissing Sophie some more. She’d brought this beautiful woman to orgasm.

A strange sound came from the other room, and both of them looked up sharply.

“Was that Terry?” she asked.

Sophie looked equally confused as she pulled on her top. “Let’s go check.”

 

***

 

In the living room, Katie was holding her phone at arm’s length as if it was a bomb about to detonate. Her shocked facial expression was at odds with the cheery ringtone emitting from the phone.

“Who’s calling?” Sophie asked.

She suspected she knew the answer, and Katie confirmed it. “Our parents.”

The sisters stared at each other speechlessly until the phone stopped ringing.

“I guess we can see if they leave a message.” Katie placed the phone on the coffee table, her hands shaking. “Or maybe I should call back.”

Before she could do either, the phone started ringing again.

“Pick it up.” Sophie sounded just as shaky as Katie.

“Do you want me to leave?” Marsha whispered.

Sophie grabbed her hand. “Not a chance. I need you here.”

Marsha put her arm around her as Katie raised the volume of the call. “Hello?” Katie said.

“About time you picked up.” Mrs. Dawson sounded as rude and bitter as Sophie had always described her. “Are you ready to apologize yet?”

“Apologize for what, Mama?” Katie asked.

“You know what. Why should I have to explain this to you?”

“You’re the one who called me, so do me that favor.” Katie was keeping her cool, at least outwardly. “Tell me exactly what you want from me.”

“You abandoned us. You left the house without a single word.”

“Well, you two weren’t talking to me.”

“Because you missed our family dinner. We always have our Sunday dinner. You chose Sophie instead.”

“Why was family dinner important, Mama?” Katie held her phone close to her face, her knuckles going white around it.

“Because that’s what we do every week. Family comes first.”

“The problem is, Mama…” Katie’s features shifted, making her look older than usual. “You haven’t been putting family first. You could’ve compromised with Sophie, could’ve seen her another time, and instead you decided to throw your relationship in the trash. Isn’t that right?”

Sophie was trembling.

“Sophie disrespected us,” Mrs. Dawson said. “Our authority.”

“We’re thirty-four years old, Mama. We have our own lives, and we can make our own decisions.” Katie’s calm was seriously impressive. “If Sophie only came every week because you bullied her into never skipping, how good of a tradition was it?”

“You’re our children.” Mrs. Dawson huffed. “I’m extending the olive branch here. If you don’t want it, that’s your prerogative.”

Katie took a moment to respond. “I would love to make up with you, but you need to admit that I wasn’t the problem. Maybe I should’ve told you before I left, but you should’ve never stopped talking to me.”

Marsha really felt like she was intruding on a private conversation, but a glance at Sophie’s pale face kept her in place.

Mrs. Dawson took even longer to respond than Katie had. “Come home,” was all she finally said.

“Does that mean you’re taking some responsibility?” Katie asked softly.

“Come home,” her mother repeated. “That’s an order. Enough with the silliness. You belong here with us. If you ever want to have a relationship with your father and I again, you’ll come back here.”

“But…” Katie bit her lip. “What about Nicole and Sophie?”

“This is your last chance,” Mrs. Dawson said. “They’ve already had theirs.”