A Love Story: My Father, My Lover

Literotic asexstories – A Love Story: My Father, My Lover by SweetKitty_123,SweetKitty_123 The warm, breezy, summer air flowed into the bedroom through the two open windows. The soft rustle of the white sheers as they flew out from the wind gusts, was a relaxing sound. Jessica was slowly waking up, feeling the sun’s rays coming through the window, hitting her skin and warming her all over. She was on her stomach, turning her head on her pillow so she could feel the warmth shine directly onto her face. She hadn’t yet opened her eyes, instead, suddenly feeling chilled from the inside out.

It was a thought, a feeling, a shocked wonderment…why, at 23-years-old, was she still alone? Well, she really DID know the answer to that, she always had, from the time she was a kid. But, as always, she’d kept those thoughts and emotions to herself, buried deep inside, where they belonged.

When the aroma of freshly brewed coffee whiffed through the air, Jessica opened her eyes and smiled broadly, “Daddy,” she whispered to herself. She got up and put on her light-blue and white cotton bathrobe, and walked downstairs to the kitchen.

“Morning, daddy,” she said, smiling at him as she walked over and kissed his forehead.

“Morning, Jess,” he smiled back.

Her father drank his coffee and smoked a cigarette while he waited for her to get her coffee and sit down with him; this was their daily morning routine and they both quite enjoyed it. It was relaxing, fun, and it was a bonding they’d done now, every single morning, for many years.

Justin, Jessica’s father, was a very handsome man by all accounts. He was 6’2″ with blonde hair and blue eyes. Since his days in the military, he had kept up his fine physique. He was toned and fit from his daily lap swims and gym workouts.

Justin had been married twice, both ending in divorce. His first marriage had occurred not long after he entered the military. He was young, 18-years-old, and being quite macho back in the day, he believed getting married would make him appear more mature to his fellow military pilot buddies. So he decided to find a girl and get married; unfortunately, however, he met a girl in a local bar, while on a weekend pass and only one week later, married the girl; only 5 weeks after that, he was served with divorce papers. She’d found another man, non-military, and said she wanted to be with him instead. It was a very quick and neat divorce.

After Justin’s first divorce, he started a relationship with another girl almost immediately and she became pregnant almost as quickly. The relationship was not a strong one as it was constantly ‘on again/off again’. However, she gave birth to Justin’s oldest child, a son, Jayson, when Justin was 19. About six months later, after they tried to reconcile then broke up again for the final time, she discovered she was pregnant. As soon as Jennifer was born, she signed over her full parental rights to Justin, for both children, telling him she wasn’t ready to be a mother and settle down. Justin then became a single dad raising two children.

Justin’s next two children, another son, Jamie, and another daughter, Jessica, were from his second wife, whom he married not long after Jennifer was born. Justin’s second marriage lasted for about 7 years. When he divorced this time, he devoted all his energy into raising his children, as he had full custody of all four.

Every other weekend his ex had all four of them for visitation. The older two, even though not her biological children, were nonetheless close to her, and she with them, so Justin never had issues with all four children spending weekends together with her. She was good to all four kids, and treated them equally and lovingly, despite the bitterness that she and Justin had for each other.

Justin had been a career military man as a pilot. After his ‘retirement’ from the military, given his stellar education, he has a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, he was a well sought-after Engineer, known for his brilliant, specialty-aircraft engine designs. He started his own company, providing his services on a free-lance or contract basis. His business was very lucrative and afforded his family to live very well.

Two of Justin’s children, Jayson and Jennifer, were always a bit more independent than Jamie and Jessica. As soon as they graduated high school, they were off to college and to make their way in the world. However, still maintaining their close relationship with their father, they would faithfully call their dad every week and talk to him, always cheerful and very happy to hear his voice, and always exchanging several, ‘I love you’s’, before hanging up.

Jamie had gone to college as well, however, he elected to stay closer to home; going to school in Virginia, where they lived. It was a two hour drive from home, so he lived in the dorm during the week, but tried to make it home at least every-other weekend.

Jessica had always been more of a home-body type of girl. She was sweetness and cheerfulness, personified. She’d always been a ‘daddy’s girl’. When Jessica graduated high school, she had refused to go away to college, like her siblings had. She wanted to live at home while attending the University.

Given how smart she was and her academics, she graduated from high school at age 16; and graduated from college with her Bachelor’s Degree when she was 20. After graduation, she wanted to start her own company, working from home. So, with her father’s help, they remodeled one of the bedrooms, making it into an office on one end of the room, and her product storage on the opposite end. She had a good business head about her and now, three years later, she was single-handedly managing a very lucrative business.

As is their regular morning routine, father and daughter, after they have a couple cups of coffee and chat for a bit, they each go to their own rooms and shower and dress for the day. Since both their bedrooms and home offices were upstairs, after they’d each get ready, they’d meet in the hallway and chat for a few more minutes, then each go to their respective offices to start to work. For lunch, they always ate together, going out about half the time, giving them a chance to get out of the house and clear their heads before returning to work. The same routine exists for supper, as well. To most, it might sound like a boring or lackluster way of life, but for Justin and his daughter, Jessica, they love it. It’s homey, it’s being together, it’s comfortable, and they’re content, just the way things are.

Things would have probably continued as they always have been, if Jessica hadn’t had a small accident. That one unforeseen fluke, changed everything.

Jessica had recently changed bedrooms and moved into what had formerly been the ‘in-law suite’. It had a large bedroom with a private bathroom, and a separate, also private, small living room. Growing up, it was kept as a guest bedroom. But when Jessica needed a larger home office, her and her dad did some rearranging and remodeling. He continued to stay in the master suite he’d always had. His home office was next to his bedroom, so it made sense to keep it the same, as well. What used to be Jessica and Jennifer’s old bedroom, was now remodeled and was Jessica’s new home office. Jayson and Jamie’s old bedroom became the new guest room, and in the remodel, they took the old hall-bathroom and made it into a private bathroom for the new guest bedroom. So now, the three bedrooms that were upstairs, Justin’s, Jessica’s, and the guest bedroom, all had their own, private bathrooms. The other two former bedrooms were now the home offices of Justin and Jessica. Since they were the only two who ever really used the upstairs, it was a floor plan that worked beautifully for them.

While Jessica was in her shower that morning, she happened to notice that a couple of the newly-installed glass tiles in her shower had come loose and the corners were sticking out. She made a mental note to tell her dad so it could be fixed. Continuing to shower, she slipped, although slightly, it was enough to throw her off balance a little and she inadvertently backed up rather hurriedly, into the tiles, scraping her head against it, causing a deep cut. When she turned off the water, she looked down and saw blood dripping down her shoulders and chest. Always one to get queasy and even faint at the sight of blood, she sat down on the custom-made shower bench and leaned against the shower wall. She felt light headed at having seen her blood.

Justin had by now showered and dressed and was waiting in the hallway for Jessica. He thought he heard a sound but when he stopped and listened, it was quiet. “Must be the radio,” he chuckled to himself. But a minute later, he heard what sounded like objects hitting a wall, like someone was throwing things. “Fuck! It wasn’t a radio…Jess!” Justin bounded into Jess’s room and now could hear her moaning from the bathroom. When he saw her sitting in the shower, semi propped up against the wall, her head dripping blood…he panicked. “Oh, my God! Baby, are you okay? Oh, Jess!” He picked up her naked body, carrying her to her bed and laid her down. He quickly went to her dresser and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, hurriedly dressing her. He picked her up again, and carried her downstairs. He scooped up his keys and wallet off the kitchen table and carried Jess out to the car. He got her settled in then drove to the ER of their local hospital.

Seeing the blood coming from Jessica’s head as soon as Justin walked into the ER carrying her, a nurse working at the front desk immediately escorted them back to a room in the ER. When they asked Justin to step out after she was in the hospital bed, he came unhinged. “The hell I will. This is my daughter and I brought her into this world, and I’ll be damned if you’re going to push me out. My place is with her…she’s my fucking world…got it?”

“No problem sir, you can stay.”

Jessica turned to her dad and lifted up her hand for him to hold it. As he held her hand, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, she looked up at him, “My head hurts so bad. Can they give me an aspirin?”

The nurse heard her and replied, “We can’t give you anything yet. Let me ask you a few questions then we’ll get you a shot for the pain, sweetie.”

They did give her a shot for pain, and soon got the cut sewn up.

“No permanent injury,” the doctor said, “but she’ll have a headache for a day or two, she had a nasty cut. The shot we gave her will make her sleep for a few hours. Here’s a prescription for some pills that will help with her headaches, and another prescription for an ointment that needs to be applied three times a day to the wound; it will help keep out infection as it heals. You’ll need to follow up with your family doctor in about one week, and he can assess how she’s progressing at that time.”

Justin refused a wheelchair to put Jessica in as they were leaving; he was carrying his daughter, simple as that.

“Daddy?” Jess said groggily on their way home, “Will you get me a milkshake…sounds so good.” Justin laughed, thinking the pain shot they gave her was making her a little loopy, but, what the hell, “Sure, honey.”

After getting the chocolate milkshake, Justin tried to hold it with one hand, so Jess could drink it, and drive with his other hand. When they arrived at home, once again scooping her up in his arms, he looked down and noticed that between the deep v-neck of her white t-shirt, she had spilt several drops of the chocolate shake, on the top of her boobs. He leaned his head down to lick them up when he caught himself.

“What the fuck am I doing?”

Justin chastised himself as he carried Jess inside the house, now in a deep sleep. Not willing to leave her alone, Justin carried her into his home office and laid her down on his imported, Italian-leather suede sofa and covered her up with a blanket. As he worked at his desk for the next few hours, he began to think he was actually watching her more than he was watching the jet-engine blueprints he was working on.

“Fuck it,” Justin said to himself. “My daughter’s out cold from medication, she’s got stitches in her head from a cut, and I’m the biggest fool because she’s over there, and I’m over here…I’m a shitty father.”

He got up and went over to the couch. He gently lifted Jessica’s head and sat down, now placing her head and pillow in his lap. She didn’t wake up, but seemed to feel his presence in her sleep. She sighed and turned on her side, nuzzling her face in Justin’s abdomen, and continued to sleep. Justin draped one arm across her stomach and placed his other hand on the top of her head, combing her hair back from off her face with his fingers. He leaned his own head back against the couch and within a couple of minutes, he drifted off to sleep.

Justin wasn’t sure how long he slept, but he woke up when he felt Jess starting to become restless.

“Jess, you okay, honey?”

“Dad?” she flickered her eyes a few times before they slowly started opening. When she saw her dad’s face smiling down at her, she smiled broadly at him.

“Hi sweetie,” Justin said, kissing Jess’s forehead.

“Hey, daddy, I’m glad you’re here. Thanks for staying with me.”

“Anytime, honey.”

Jessica puckered her lips for her father to kiss her. As he’s done a thousand times before, he gave her a fatherly peck on her lips. Although this time, Jess’s arms went around her dad’s neck and she gently held him in place when he leaned his head down. Jess lingered her warm, soft, lips, on her father’s, lightly brushing them over the surface before pressing her lips firmly against his. Instinctively, he pulled back, shocked out of his mind.

“Daddy.” There was something in the way she said that word that went directly to Justin’s cock. She told him everything in the two syllables of that name.

For a moment, he allowed himself to become emotionally washed away in his daughter’s touch and kiss.

Her tongue sweetly parted his lips and within seconds they were kissing as passionately as Justin has ever kissed before in his life. He couldn’t remember a time he’s ever felt such passion, such devotion, such total giving of a woman to him. But then the other reality came crashing down on him.

“Stop, honey. We can’t kiss like that, Jess.” Justin reached up and gently removed Jessica’s arms from around his neck. “Honey, it’s the medication you’re on. Go back to sleep.” Justin’s cock was rock hard. His daughter’s mouth was fucking amazing! “Hell…that’s my daughter for Christ sakes!” he thought to himself.

“I love you, daddy,” Jessica pouted.

“Honey, I love you, too. But we can’t kiss like that.” Justin’s traced his daughter’s face with his fingertips.

“Mmmm…feels good, dad.”

“Just relax and go back to sleep, Jess.”

“Kiss me again, dad…please.”

“No, honey. It’s better for you to rest right now.” Everything inside Justin was at war…his father’s love was battling with the romantic love, trying to convince him to simply open his mind and heart to her in a whole new way, and to love her.

“Daddy, please!”

“Jess, now stop it. You’ll feel better later, just sleep now.”

“I’m awake now, dad. And I’ll feel better when you kiss me.” Jessica was one that had never argued with her dad. Her temperament was always so sweet and easy going; they had only had a few disagreements in 23 years.

“Jessica! That’s enough, honey. Now stop.”

“I’ll go to sleep if you kiss me.” This time, Jess delicately slid her soft hands underneath Justin’s pull-over shirt, and splayed her hands on his chest, running her fingertips over his nipples, just at the moment his lips made contact with hers. He let out a soft, deep, moan.

Justin’s arm that was around Jess’s waist pulled her body closer to him and his mouth started wanting to devour his daughter.

Suddenly, Justin stopped, “No! Jess, please, honey, we can’t!” Justin gently lifted her head and pillow up from out of his lap, laying them back down on the couch as he stood up. “I’ve got work to finish,” Justin was talking to his daughter as he walked around his desk to sit down. “You go back to sleep and I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Justin was done talking; he started flipping through his latest blueprints, making notes over to the side, not once looking back over at Jessica.

What Jessica didn’t realize was that her dad had such a massive hard-on, he was doing his best to not only hide it, but also to will it to go down; feeling terribly guilty for getting a boner from his sexual thoughts about his own daughter…his little girl.

Jessica looked sadly at her dad but, the medication was still making it too easy for her to sleep. She softly whimpered, her feelings a little hurt by her dad’s sudden and abrupt departure. She rolled over on her side and stared at her dad, not able to hold her eyes open for long, and soon fell asleep.

Justin noticed her eyes finally close and her breathing changed into deep, slow breathes, indicting she was asleep. He let out a deep sigh and flopped back into his tall, leather, desk chair. “What the fuck was that?” he said out loud to himself. He took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag while staring at his daughter. “It’s got to be the medication,” he nervously chuckled. He tried to get back to work, but he could only concentrate for about two whole seconds at a time. He’d look over at Jess, who, in her v-neck, white t-shirt and no bra, her full ‘C-cup-bordering-on-D-cup-tits, look so supple and soft. They seemed to call out to Justin to touch the milky-soft, pale skin. He was mesmerized by their natural beauty. He ached to squeeze them, to feel the delicate softness.

For the first time ever, he allowed himself to visualize his beautiful, sweet, daughter, being gathered in his arms, not only as his daughter, but as his lover; the other half of his heart and soul. “Damn it! I’ve got some serious issues! Why am I thinking like this…it’s got to stop!”

Try as he might, there was now a magnetic pull to his daughter that he’d never felt before. Sure, he’s always loved Jess…he loves all his kids. But, truth be told, she’s always been his little girl; although he has always treated each of his children equally, or tried to. But with Jess, she’d always been able to tug at his heart a little bit more than his other kids could. Thing is, she ever did realize it.

He again looked over at Jess, still sleeping soundly. He decided to not even try to finish his work today; there was no way in hell he’d get anything truly accomplished. He looked at his watch, 6:00 p.m. Wow…he had no idea it had gotten that late. With Jess still sleeping, and him not comfortable leaving her alone right now, he carried her downstairs and laid her down on the couch in the living room, as he went to the kitchen, looking around for ideas for what to make for supper.

Not feeling particularly inspired by anything, he called the local Chinese-takeout restaurant, and placed an order for delivery. And knowing his little girl’s penchant for shrimp, most everything he ordered had shrimp in it. “Christ, I really do spoil her, don’t I,” he laughed at himself.

Before the food was delivered, Jess slowly started to wake up.

“Daddy?”

“I’m here, sweetie.”

“Good,” she giggled, “I’m 23-years-old and I still want my dad around. Pretty sad, huh?”

“Well, I wouldn’t particularly call it ‘sad’, per se. Besides, I’m not all that terrible looking…for a troll, anyway.”

“Daddy!” Both father and daughter laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant. I only meant that most girls my age can’t wait to get out of the house they grew up in and see the world, explore it, go out partying, and have at least two-dozen boyfriends. I just always preferred staying home, especially when you’re here.”

Justin’s face showed a contemplative expression, yet his voice was kind, “Why didn’t you, Jess?

“Why didn’t I what, dad?”

At that moment, the doorbell rang; it was the food delivery. Justin paid the man, plus tip, took the food over to the coffee table in front of the couch, and spread it out. He went to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers for him and his daughter. He sat down next to Jess and they started eating.

In an attempt to carry on their earlier conversation, Justin said, “What I was asking you about was why didn’t you…I mean…did you ever wish you’d left home after high school or college graduation, like your brothers and sister did?”

Jess immediately stopped eating and her face fell, “Daddy…do you…want me…to leave?” Her voice cracked and Justin saw tears well up in her eyes quickly. She set her food down and her tears now slid down her cheeks. Justin’s guilt flooded through him…he felt like a complete ass!

“Shit. Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, that’s not what I meant at all.” Hurriedly, he wrapped his arms around her to hug her. She put her face in his neck and he felt her hot tears trickle down onto his skin.

Feeling like he’d just proved what a heel he really was, he ran his hand through Jess’ long, blonde hair. Her soft, beautiful breasts were smashed against his chest and they felt so good. Even through both of their t-shirts, he could feel the roundness of them and feel the hardness of her nipples. Oh, how he wished he could feel them on his bare skin, the lovely…’fuck, what the hell am I thinking…stop it, Justin’, he reprimanded himself.

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby, you never have to leave home if you don’t want to. You can stay here forever if you want.”

“D-Do you w-want me t-to?”

“I love having you around, honey. You’ll always be daddy’s little girl, won’t you?”

“Always! I love you, dad.”

“I love you, too, sweetie. Better now, Jess?”

“Dad…are you sure you want me to stay? Are you just saying that now because what you said earlier hurt my feelings?”

“Honey, first of all, I will always want you to stay. It’s just that I’ve often wondered WHY you wanted to stay living at home. Your brothers and sister were all so independent, eager to move out, go to college, and be on their own.”

“You know me, dad. I’ve always been a homebody, I’ve never been a party-girl, and I really like living here. If I’m happy, why would you want me to leave?”

“Sweetie, I don’t want you to leave.”

“Are you sure?”

Justin was starting to read something in his daughter he’d never seen before; or maybe it had been there before, but he’d not paid attention…he was reading doubt, uncertainty, and even fear.

“Jessica, you will never have to move out of this house. You can live here until you’re 100,” Justin laughed. “I’ll even make sure you get it in the will.”

“Daddy, don’t say that. I don’t want to think about you…dying.” Her chin started to quiver and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying again.

“Honey, talk to me. You’ve always been able to tell me anything. What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing dad,” her voice was soft, almost scared.

“I know you better than that, Jess.”

“I’m going to bed, dad. I know it’s early, but I don’t feel good. I have a terrible headache.”

For the first time that either her or Justin could remember, she didn’t give him a hug and kiss goodnight. She turned and headed towards the stairs to go up to her room.

“There is something that girl’s not telling me,” Justin thought. “Could it have anything to do with her kissing me this afternoon? No, no way. That wasn’t her, it was the medication she was on. She was groggy and not very lucid.” Justin convinced himself that the kissing was a fluke and he wouldn’t embarrass Jess by talking about it. He was just about to head upstairs to talk to her, though, wanting to find out what was bothering her, when the doorbell rang. It was 8:00 p.m. and he couldn’t think who it might be.

“Jamie! How are you, son?” Justin embraced his youngest son and pulled him inside the house, with his arm draped over his shoulders. “What a surprise. Everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah, dad; sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Jamie scratched the back of his head nervously. He had something to talk to his dad about but, well, it’s not always easy to start these kinds of conversations. He quickly found a diversion.

“Shrimp Lo Mein! Is there enough for another hungry mouth?”

“My bottomless pit,” Justin laughed as he patted his son’s stomach.

“At least it’s good to know some things never change,” he said grinning up at his dad. “By the way, is it okay if I stay the night? I really don’t feel like making that hour-long drive back home tonight.”

“Of course; you don’t even need to ask. The guest bedroom and bathroom are clean and all ready for you.”

“Thanks, dad.” Jamie smiled at his dad, looking like he did as a kid.

Jamie, just like his 3 other siblings, had blonde hair and blue eyes. He and Jess took more after their dad though, in looks and disposition, with one exception; neither he nor Jess had inherited their dad’s height. Justin stood a solid 6’2″ while Jamie was 5’10” and Jess was only 5’3″. Jayson, who stood 6’1″, and Jenny, who was tall for a girl at 5’9″, were both more serious personalities, however, they too, like their siblings, had also inherited their dad’s sense of humor and cheerfulness.

“Go ahead, sport, there’s more than enough food. Listen, I need to go check on Jess. She had an accident earlier today and I’m….”

“Oh, shit! What the hell happened?” He hadn’t meant to interrupt his dad, but he and Jess had always been close, closer than their other brother and sister. “I’ll go with you,” Jamie jumped up and father and son went to Jessica’s bedroom, knocking on the door.

There was a slight pause before they heard a voice, that was obviously crying, say in a type of broken English, “G-go…away…I d-don’t…c-can’t…p-please…leave.”

The two men opened the door anyway. Jess was obviously very upset, but when she saw her brother, she ran into his arms. He picked her up as she cried, her head on his shoulder. Justin watched them, his heart both warmed by the loving bond the two shared, and panged that he couldn’t be the one to comfort his daughter. But a rush went through him. It was like the heat from a 1000-degree furnace, that feels as cold as ice touching your skin. It was a need he’d never felt before; a need and a desire to be something else, something more, to his daughter.

For now, however, he decided to let the siblings talk. He went downstairs and looked at the table full of food. But he had a lump in his throat and suddenly couldn’t’ eat. His heart ached for his beautiful Jess. He went out to their huge, surround-style back deck that also housed a large in-ground pool. Since it was already dark outside, he turned on one of the outdoor lamps, but turned off the interior pool lights. He stripped and got into the pool.

The water felt refreshing on a hot, humid, summer night. He needed to clear his head and he needed to understand why he’d had a raging hard-on nearly all afternoon and evening. Well, he knew WHY; but that his hard cock was because he dreamt about his daughter riding it, bothered him.

Jess was his little girl, and he’d do anything in the world for her. She was everything to him…his world, his life, his joy, his happiness, his…”Oh, no,” he thought. He stopped swimming and clutched onto the side of the pool, because the next two phrases that popped into his head were ones that he’d known were there, on an unconscious level, but when they came to his conscience mind, it shocked him to his core; Jessica was also his love and his heart. But not in the way of a father and daughter, no, it was more than that, it was beyond that, it was bigger than any other emotion he’d ever felt. Suddenly, he couldn’t catch his breath. “No, it can’t be. No, no, no, no, no…”

Nonetheless, Justin had indeed fallen IN LOVE with his daughter. He had been for years, but he too, had buried it long ago and had only now faced that reality. That realization, that knowledge, was ripping his heart in two, trying to reconcile that thought process. Is it right or wrong? Should I or shouldn’t I? Can I love her enough to keep her or let her go? His mind was in a whirl.

Meanwhile…

“Shit, Jess, what happened to you?” Jamie looked at his sister’s head where she had the stitches. Through her sobs, she managed to get the story out.

“Oh, hon, I’m so sorry.” Jamie tried to console and sooth her. After a few minutes she stood up and started pacing the floor, wiping the tears off from her face. She went to her mini-fridge and got out a couple of beers, handing one to her brother.

“Jess,” Jamie said with a degree of authority, “I know you’re not crying because of your head. You’re crying because of dad.”

Jessica’s face went pale and she snapped herself around fast and stared at Jamie. He stood up and walked over to her, taking one of her hands in his. “If you don’t tell him soon you’re in love with him, it’s going to destroy you. You can’t keep going like this, Jess.”

“What the fuck! How the hell do you…oh, shit!” Jessica slumped down on the floor, fresh tears streamed down her face. “How did you know?”

“Since we were teenagers; from the time you were about 16-years-old. I mean, you were always special to dad, we could all see it, but he was always so attentive and kind with all of us that it was really no big deal. You were always the quiet and shy, sister. You always wanted to hang around the house with dad, and you were always so sensitive and emotional, that at first, I just thought it was because dad always stood up for you, protected you. But as we got older, it became obvious to me that your entire heart and soul lived for dad.”

“What about Jay and Jen, do they know?”

Jamie laughed, “Hell no. You know Jayson; he was always so concerned with being the big brother who was in charge of us, trying to herd us all together and keep us entertained. Then when he decided to enlist in the military to become a pilot like dad, that’s all he focused on.” Both siblings chuckled and shook their heads, remembering. “And Jenny, well, she had her little drama queen attitude going on and she was obsessed with getting the best grades in high school and college, she was in her own little world.

But now back to you. Tell me, how did it start, Jess?”

“Jamie, since we were kids, I’ve fantasized about daddy. As I got older and started understanding adult issues and more about adult dynamics in relationships, I discovered that my love for daddy had changed, it was different; it came from deep in my soul. I realized that everything I’ve ever dreamed of, ever wanted, or could ever hope for, was already right in front of me. I know it sounds ludicrous, some might say it’s immoral, or dirty, but how can discovering that true, devoted, unconditional love, that will never leave you, and completely fills the heart with so much joy, be wrong? Jamie, I’d die without him.”

“Jess, you’ve got to talk to him. Don’t be afraid, he’s still dad, so you know you will NEVER lose his love. But I can tell it’s tearing you up inside, not being able to share that with him. You have to talk to him.”

Jessica was silent for a few moments. She then looked into her brother’s eyes and gently touched his cheek, “I’ll tell him about me, if you tell him about you.”

“What the hell are you talking about,” Jamie laughed, although he had suddenly become fidgety.

“I was honest with you, Jamie. I deserve the same.”

“How could you tell?”

Jessica kissed her brother on the cheek and hugged him. “Well, let’s see, you were in 8th grade and the school’s Valentine’s Dance was coming up. Jayson and Jenny were giving you a difficult time because you had said that you hadn’t asked anyone yet. They then started naming off several neighborhood girls that we went to school with but you just sat there looking bored. But then when they mentioned your best friend, Sean, asking you who he was taking to the dance, your face lit up and you started wringing your hands…much like you’re doing right now.” Jessica chuckled as her brother looked down at his hands.

“Oh, shit,” he laughed.

“You know daddy will still love you and accept you. He’s always raised us to not believe in society’s labels and prejudices.”

“Okay, Jess. I will talk to him, provided you also talk to him. Listen, kiddo, remember, we always have each other, too.”

“Thanks, Jamie.” The siblings embraced and Jamie kissed his sister on the cheek. They walked back downstairs and they saw their dad outside in the pool. “Jess, you go out to dad…talk to him. I’m going to take a container of Lo Mein to the guest room and eat then go to sleep. I won’t come out any more tonight so if you two need privacy…you go for it, sweetie!”

“Oh, shut up!” Jess said, as she winked at her brother.

Jamie went back upstairs and Jessica went outside to the pool. Her dad was swimming laps and didn’t notice her immediately. Jess stripped off her t-shirt and denim shorts and stood at the top of the stairs that entered into the shallow end of the pool. She waited until her dad notice her. Sure enough, it only took Justin a minute or two to see her. When he saw her beautiful, naked body standing there, waiting for him to look at her, he stopped in his tracks. He’d never seen a woman so mesmerizing in all his life. He slowly went towards her, as she stood there, unmoving. He came to within three or four feet from her and gazed at her body from head to toe; allowing himself to drink her in, memorizing every curve and every dip of her body. It was like looking at a masterpiece.

“Dear, God…you are the most exquisite woman I’ve ever known. You are fucking gorgeous, sweetheart.”

Jess now walked into the water, right up to her dad. She placed both palms on her dad’s chest and softly ran her hands up his chest and neck, coming to rest on the sides of his face. “I am so in love with you. I don’t only love you, daddy, but I am in love with you as well.”

“Oh, Jess,” their lips smashed together. It was passionate, hot, and unbridled, but not rough. Their tongues couldn’t explore the inside of one another’s mouths enough to satisfy them. The other tasted so good, and they fit together as if they were created to be together.

Jess ran her hand across her father’s face, down his neck, over his shoulders and down his arms, then over his abdomen and stomach and up his chest. When her fingertips started to explore Justin’s nipples, it startled him and he grabbed her wrists, raising his voice, “Stop, Jess…no more! We are NOT doing this! This is wrong and I won’t be a part of it. I thought this afternoon with you kissing me was a reaction from the pain medication you got at the hospital, but it wasn’t, was it.”

“Daddy, please, don’t be angry.”

“Why not, Jess? You know this is wrong.”

“Wrong? There’s not a thing wrong with this, daddy!” Jessica was in between two forceful emotions…anger and pain. Her chin quivered as if she would break into tears, and her bright, blue eyes had turned dark, revealing her frustration and anger.

“Nothing ever felt more right, dad, and I know you felt it to when we kissed. We fit…we’re made for each other. Some people search forever for that one, perfect love that lasts a lifetime, and they never find it. But I have, no, WE have, daddy. We have each other.”

The tears and quivering chin were too much for Justin. He embraced his daughter, each other feeling the full length of their naked bodies pressed hard against each other. Justin held Jessica’s face in his hands and started kissing her face, and repeating again and again, as if it were a chant, “I love you.” His lips breezed across her eyelids, the bridge of her nose, her soft, rosy cheeks, her jaw line, her sweet, quivering chin, and finally, to her delicate, raspberry tinted, lips. Justin felt his daughter’s body quake with emotion as their lips met once again, this time he too felt the current that shocked through both of them.

Jamie peeked out the window, but only very briefly. He smiled to himself, happy that finally his dad and his sister had apparently had their talk. He chuckled as he said, “It’s about damn time!” He stepped away from the window and went to take a shower. He showered quickly, dried off, and snuggled down into the clean, crisp Egyptian-silk sheets, on the bed. Picking up his cell phone, he made a phone call.

“Jamie!” The male voice said excitedly.

Jamie giggled; damn how he loves how happy Dane always sounds when he hears Jamie’s voice.

“Hi, baby. How are you?”

“I’m so much better now, I really miss you. Are you at your dad’s house yet?” Jamie and his boyfriend continued their conversation.

Meanwhile…

Justin and Jessica’s movements became wild and frenzied. Justin’s hands groped Jessica’s ass cheeks, squeezing them firmly, digging his fingers into the pale, oh-so-soft, skin, and pulling her pelvis hard against him. She let out a yelp at the force their bodies slapped together, then just as quickly, a deep, long, lustful moan escaped her throat. As they continued kissing, their tongues battling each other to lap the inside of the other’s mouth, wanting to feel and taste every surface in the warm, wet, orifice, Justin and Jess grinded against each other shamelessly.

Justin moved his mouth from his daughter’s lips, sliding it down her neck and chest, leaving a wet trail with his tongue. Despite the humid night air outside, Jess felt a tingly chill ripple through her body from the sensation. She tossed her head back as the most primitive, desirous, growl emitted from her. The sound went directly to Justin’s cock, he felt like he would explode with an orgasm right then.

“Oh, Jess, I love your sounds, baby. I had no idea my little girl was so damn hot!”

“Daddy,” her voice was low and raspy, “I want to give you everything.”

“Jess…” Justin’s mouth had now taken one of the prized, succulent, tits in his mouth. His own moans and guttural noises gave away the burning craving he was consumed with. He stuffed his mouth and jaws with as much tit as he could, sucking harder, the more he stuffed inside.

Jess was so enthralled with all the sensations he was giving her only on her tits, she was ready to cum. Justin’s other hand was on Jessica’s other nipple, pinching, pulling, and rubbing it. His sucking, licking and nibbling on Jess’ other tit and nipple was so erotic and the myriad of sensations were so powerful, she yelled, “I-I…oh…d-daddy…” she tossed back her head, thrusting her chest forward. Justin hurriedly wrapped one arm around Jessica’s waist, holding on to her trembling body as it went through a powerful orgasm.

Justin removed his daughter’s tit from his mouth, watching how it glistened in the moonlight from the wet of his mouth still on it. Justin reached his hand down and felt in between his daughter’s legs for the first time. However, her cum was running down her thighs in such a great amount, he didn’t need to touch her pussy. He rubbed the wet slick from off her upper thigh as it ran down. He looked Jess in the eye as she watched him bring the finger up to his smiling mouth, and insert his finger. “Holy shit, Jessica. You have the sweetest pussy I’ve ever tasted…you taste like fresh strawberries.” He reached his finger down again and scooped up more juice and licking it off once more.

As his finger was still in his mouth, with his daughter’s cum on it, he suddenly froze. His hand dropped out of his mouth and his eyes glazed over. He backed up a few feet, his gaze never leaving Jessica’s face. “Fuck, no. I just made my daughter…I gave you…”

“An orgasm, dad,” Jess shouted, “you made me fucking cum and I loved it.” She could tell he was shutting down, yet again.

“Stop it, don’t talk like that, Jessica!”

“Damn you, daddy! Why won’t you just love me…accept you are in love with me, too, and simply love me back. Make love to me, fuck me, make me your slut, dominate me, I don’t give a shit, I only want to be with you forever; I love you daddy, I never want to leave you!”

“Christ, Jess, you’re only 23, and you’ve got your entire fucking life ahead of you! You wanting to stay here and live with me for the rest of your live is the stupidest thing I ever heard of!” Justin bit his lower lip after the words came out of his mouth…how the hell could he have said that to Jess…his own daughter; the delicate, sensitive, woman who’d do anything in the world for him and who’d given him her heart and professed her love.

“Daddy?” Jessica’s chin quivered and she slightly lowered her head, not wanting her father to see the tears in her eyes once again.

“Enough.” Justin’s tone had dropped, he was no longer yelling. Yet the eerie calm of his voice tore through Jessica’s heart as badly as when her daddy yelled at her. “We are father and daughter, and though I love you with all my heart, Jess, we will never be lovers, it simply won’t…I won’t allow it…to ever happen. You might think you are in love with me, but sweetheart, you aren’t. You simply haven’t experienced life yet. You need to get out and date, explore…”

Jessica quickly interrupted him. “Are you really this clueless, daddy?” Jess was trying to control her frustration, she loved her daddy so much, but she had to get through to him. “Haven’t you figured it out by now WHY I was never interested in dating all those silly teenage boys? Why I’ve never had a boyfriend? Why I never needed to go on birth control?” Jessica’s face was red and now tear-stained.

As she stood there watching her father, finally the look of comprehension crept across his face. “Jessica, no, don’t tell me you’ve…are you trying to tell me that…oh, shit, Jess!”

“I’m a virgin, daddy. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. You’re all that I want!”

“Oh, dear, God! Listen, this conversation is over. We’ll never discuss it again.” Justin stood there staring at his naked, vulnerable, daughter for a moment longer. He wanted desperately to hold her, to feel her soft skin against his firm body, her pouty lips and warm tongue inside his mouth, her hands wrapped around his rigid cock, stroking him. He wanted to taste her wet, sweet, pussy. For a moment, he had an image flash through his mind of his mouth between her legs, his tongue thrusting feral in and out of her hot, dripping, cunt, and her body writhing beneath his touch, not able to do anything but moan and beg for more. He envisioned what it would be like for her to cum, with him being the one with the power, the only one able to give her such an inspiring orgasm. He thought of how she’d taste, squirming, as she’d undoubtedly thrust her hips upwards, wanting his mouth to devour all her cum.

Almost as quickly, he closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head, trying to get the images to go away. But Jessica read him well. She knew he was struggling with his thoughts and emotions.

Upstairs, Jamie had heard his sister and father yelling. “Oh, shit, Dane, something’s wrong. Dad and Jess are yelling now. Gotta-go—call-you-later—love-you—bye.” His sentence sounding like one, long word as he spoke fast. He dashed to the window and looked out one more time.

Jess was panting from the intense, emotionally-charged situation her and her father had just been going through. Her heart was racing, and she was feeling lightheaded. She stepped forward and took one of her dad’s hands inside both of hers, clasping them at the base of her throat holding on to it for dear life, like it would be the last time she’d ever feel or see him again.

“Please, dad, don’t do this, don’t shut me out. I couldn’t stand it if you do that. I need you, daddy, I love you so desperately and I want to spend my life showing you every day how much you mean to me and how special you are.”

Justin only looked at her without answering. His heart ached terribly for her, but he was doing what he believed he needed to do, as her father. He had to show her she was being silly and that it was time to grow up. He kept his facial expression stoic. It was time to make some changes. They would be difficult, but he believed them necessary, for Jessica’s own good.

He removed his hand from hers, turned around and walked out of the pool, quickly putting on his shorts. He started to walk back inside the house when suddenly behind him, he heard a thud. He quickly turned to see that Jess had fainted. “Fuck!” He ran over to her and scooped her up in his arms. “Damn, I’m such a fucking idiot.”

By the time he made it to the French doors to enter into the house, Jamie was there, opening them. Jamie glared at his dad and shook his head. He preceded his dad up the stairs to Jess’s room, pulling down the covers so his dad could lay her down. Jamie got on the bed, sitting down on the other side of his sister while his dad stood there, covering Jess up with the comforter. Justin stepped back, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his daughter.

“What, Jamie!” Justin barked at his son.

“You couldn’t simply love her back. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her, now? How you’ve made her feel?”

Justin’s mouth dropped open in disbelief…his son knew! “How the hell do you know about this?”

“She’s been in love with you for years. You mean you’ve never figured that out? With all the times she’d only want to be with you, never caring if she went out with friends, or had dates, or went to school functions?”

“She DID all those things, Jamie. She went places with friends, she went on a couple dates, and she went to school functions.”

“Yes, but didn’t you ever notice how when she came home, you were the first, and only, person she’d look for? It was always you, she couldn’t wait to be with you again.

Besides that, she may have had a few dates, but hasn’t it ever occurred to you why she never had a boyfriend?”

Justin hung his head. He feebly said, “Yeah, she told me that…about 20 minutes ago.”

“She had to tell you? You hadn’t figured that out?”

Justin glared angrily at his son, “No, smart ass, I didn’t. I’m her damn father, for crying out loud. I’m not supposed to have feelings like those.”

“Oh, so you DO have romantic feelings for her after all.”

“Damn it!” Justin put his face in one of his hands and rubbed his face as he brought his hand down, then placed his hands on his hips.

“It’s not healthy for either one of us, Jamie, especially Jess. She needs to grow up and experience life.”

“She IS grown up, dad. She may be only 23-years-old, but she’s probably the most mature person I know. Don’t you do anything to hurt her any more than she is, she doesn’t fucking deserve it.”

Justin didn’t respond to Jamie. He only stood there, staring at Jessica.

“What are you going to do, dad?” Jamie looked at his dad with trepidation. He’d seen that expression only a couple of times on his dad’s face through the years, but he knew it wasn’t good.

“I’m going to do what needs to be done. I’m still your father, and I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“All I know is you better not hurt her anymore.”

Justin wanted to lash out at his son, but he knew Jamie was reading his body language better than he was giving him credit for; besides, Jamie was protecting Jess.

“Yeah, I get that,” he mumbled.

Justin’s resolve quickly returned, “It’s not right, Jamie. As much as she may claim to love me, that kind of relationship will never happen. Why the fuck am I talking about this with you anyway…shit…I really am losing my mind.”

Justin headed towards the door of his daughter’s bedroom then turned around and looked at Jamie, “Stay here for a minute.”

“Sure, dad.”

Justin returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a bottle of prescription pills and a tube of ointment. “Jamie, here’s the medicine the doctor prescribed for her; it’s for the headaches he said she’ll probably have for the next day or two. She’s due to take her next pill in about an hour. Wake her up if she’s still asleep. It’ll be better than letting her wake up on her own, suffering with an excruciating headache later. Preventing them is always better. In the morning, after she showers, maybe you can put the ointment on her wound; it’s to prevent infection.” Justin then turned and walked out.

Jamie didn’t ask his dad where he was going. He knew he really wasn’t going anywhere, he was simply removing himself from the situation for the time being. He heard his dad’s bedroom door close and then heard him lock it.

“Well, this has certainly been an interesting day,” Jamie thought. He quickly dashed back to the guest bedroom, which was next to Jessica’s, and grabbed his cell phone and laptop and a couple extra pillows. He went back to Jess’s room and got in bed next to his sister, sitting with his back against the headboard, propping a couple pillows behind his back. He opened his lap top, checking his emails, and calling Dane again to let him know what was happening.

Jamie was like his father and sister. He too, had his own business and was a very well-sought-after business man, and had become very successful, and very rich, very quickly.

He had gotten his college degrees in Business Administration and another bachelor’s degree in Business Organizational Management. He worked free lance, contractual, for businesses or corporations. He dealt with restructuring, merging, job reclassifications, training upper management, as well as teaching business ethics and behaviors, as well as human-resource management.

After having given his sister her medication, then working for a couple more hours on his laptop, conducting business, Jamie closed it up, got under the covers, quickly falling asleep.

Not used to sleeping in, he woke up before Jessica did. She had scooted over to him in her sleep and was curled up, almost in a fetal position, snuggling close to him. His arm was around her shoulders as she slept. Since he had already cancelled his meetings for the day, he decided to stay put and not wake her up.

Uncharacteristically, he drifted in and out of sleep for another hour or so before he felt Jess start moving around as she was waking up.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he said to Jess, kissing her forehead.

“Hey, handsome,” she replied giggling and rubbing her eyes. The reality of the night before hit her, “Oh, Jamie, I tried talking to daddy, I really did. I finally got the courage and…” Jess burst into tears, crying hard and loudly. She wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist, pressing her face into his chest and soaking his t-shirt with her tears. She cried so hard, his shirt was soon soaked. As he tried to sooth her, he saw his dad, already showered and dressed for the day, walk passed Jessica’s bedroom door and step into the doorway, watching his son hold his daughter as she sobbed. Jamie only glared at his father.

Justin felt frozen in place. He tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat was so large, he thought it would choke him. More than anything else in the world he wanted to run to Jess, to scoop her up in his arms, tell her he loved her more than anything, that he was completely in love with her and that she was the love of his life he’d always dreamed of. Then he wanted to fuck her, fuck her without mercy, without stopping; he wanted his very well-endowed cock in every orifice of her body. He wanted to watch her suck him off and swallow his cum as it slid down her throat. He wanted to ram his cock so far up her, then feel his hot cum stuff her full. He wanted to take her virginity, both from her pussy and her ass. He wanted to see so much cum in her ass, after fucking her into oblivion, that it trickled out, running down her ass, making a trail to her pussy.

Justin hurriedly got a grip on his thoughts and again convinced himself he was seriously having some issues, and he would stop those thoughts; they were wrong.

Jamie couldn’t believe how cold and callus his dad was. He wanted desperately to run up to his dad and punch him, or kick him, or scream at him…anything…anything that would make him wake up and smell the reality.

At that moment, Jess, feeling the tension in the air, seemed to know her dad was there. With her head still buried in her brother’s chest, she said, “Dad?” Jess then lifted up her head and looked at her father. He gasped as the pain from her eyes bore into him. Her red, puffy eyes and wet cheeks were testament of how hard she had been crying.

“Daddy?” Jess sat up, her face lined with questioning, wanting nothing more than to feel her father’s arms wrapped tightly around her, comforting her, kissing her, telling her everything would be okay now. Instead, Justin only stared, unable to look away. “Please, daddy,” as fresh tears trickled down. Justin unintentionally said, “Holy shit, what have I done.” But as he went to take a step towards her, he again froze, then abruptly turned and darted out of the room, closing the door behind him. On the other side, he stood there, his hand still on the door knob, not wanting to let go of it.

The war going on inside him was making him insane, he couldn’t hold out for much longer. He was trying to do the right thing. As difficult as it was, he had to do the right thing for Jess, he wanted to ensure her happiness, without ever feeling regrets…he wanted her to have everything she’d ever want…except for the one thing she wanted most; THAT…he would not give her.

As he heard her wail, his heart broke. Soon his own tears started, but he was her father and he knew what was best. He clinched his jaw, making his resolve, and headed to his home office, closing and locking the door behind him. In all these years, this was the first time he’d ever closed the door or locked it. But it was for the best.

Jamie held his sister until she quit crying, utterly exhausted. She got out of bed and slowly made her way to the bathroom to shower. She felt totally crushed. She felt like every bit of life had been drained from her. Jamie could hear her crying again in the shower. He was livid. He decided he’d had enough. He walked down the hall to his dad’s office, only to find a post-it note stuck to the door, and his office locked. He took the note off the door and read it. ‘Have a meeting with a client. Be back later, Dad.’

“Great…fucking perfect,” cynicism dripped from those words. There was no way Jamie was going to leave his sister right now. She needed someone, and as much as he, never in a million years would think this, his dad wouldn’t be there this time for her. That realization only pissed him off more.

When she came out of the bathroom, she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top. She went over to her small living room and flopped down on the couch, looking out the window.

Jamie didn’t say anything. He applied the ointment to wound on the back of his sister’s head and applied a fresh bandage.

“There,” he said cheerfully, “all done and good as new.”

“Thanks,” Jess softly said. “I guess I should try to get some work done.” Jess stood up, kissed her brother on the cheek and went to her home office. But she couldn’t concentrate. No matter what she tried to do, her mind was flooded with thoughts and memories of her dad. He’d been her rock, her most fervent supporter all her life and now she felt so cold and empty on the inside. She felt her very soul ebb away and disappear.

Jamie went downstairs and started cleaning up the mess of last night’s Chinese take-out. Once the kitchen and living rooms were spotless, the dusting done, vacuum ran, dishes washed and put away, and trash taken out, he thought about taking a quick dip in the pool. But the weather had progressively gotten worse all afternoon. One of those huge summer thunderstorms was starting to move in.

He turned on the weather channel and started watching it. It was a fierce storm, the kind that can knock trees completely over or yank them out of the ground by the roots, take roofs off of houses and sometimes smash in car windshields from the huge hail that would sometimes accompany such a large thunderstorm.

As the late afternoon and evening progressed, the sky got darker and darker. Jamie decided to go back up to his sister’s room. He stretched out on her couch in her small living room and got out his laptop, taking care of business emails. He left the door open so he could hear her if she called for him.

After a few hours of going through the motions, feeling like every minute took an hour, Jess heard her dad walking up the stairs. Her heart started pounding in her head and her palms were sweaty, she was breathing ragged, wanting desperately to run into her father’s arms, wanting to be held by him, wanting him to confess his love to her, needing his lips on hers, taking her, possessing her, loving her. But as his form appeared in the doorway to her office, the small glimmer of hope that shone in her eyes, faded away and extinguished. Justin noticed it immediately and he knew he was the reason why. He had made the conscious decision that when he looked at Jess, he would not smile or show any expression; his face was void and stoic.

When he spoke, his words were soft, but also lacked feeling.

“Jess, I have a surprise for you.” His words were so flat, both father and daughter were shocked by how empty his voice sounded. “I’ve secured your very own apartment. It’s only about 10 miles from here, so you’ll still be close. It’s in a completely gated community, and I got you a large, three-bedroom, so you have plenty of room for your home business.

We’ll take the next two weeks to get all your stuff packed up, and then we’ll get you moved. It will be good for you, you’ll see. You’ll have your own place, make your own rules, do whatever you want, whenever you want. I’ll take care of all your living expenses; you don’t have to worry about a thing. You’ll meet new people, make new friends…maybe even find a boyfriend. It’s time to live on your own, Jessica.”

Jess stood up from her desk, clutching a picture in a frame, to her chest. She walked around her desk and walked toward her dad, standing about four feet away from him.

“Daddy, please…don’t do this to me. I’m begging you…please don’t kick me out. This is my home, dad. I…I…can’t…leave…please!” Her tears again trickled down her cheeks, her voice pleading with him, begging him. He continued to look at her with a cold expression, but inside, he felt he was dying. “Daddy,” there was something different in Jessica’s voice, something that scared Justin and made his skin feel cold. “You’re breaking my heart.” Jess was so dejected she thought she might never breath normally again.

“You’ll be okay, Jess. It’s an adjustment, but in the end, you’ll see I was right.” Justin looked down at his hands; he’d been wringing them since he’d stepped into his daughter’s office. He kept fighting the battle raging inside him, having to try harder and harder to convince himself he was doing the right thing. Still, he felt so emotional that he couldn’t look at his beautiful daughter.

Jess no longer had anything to say. She walked passed her father without looking at him. As she stood side-by-side with him, she took the picture frame that she was holding and handed it to him, still looking away. She barely whispered, “Here,” and walked away.

Without turning around to see where his daughter went, Justin had to shift to lean up against the door frame; he felt he would fall over if he didn’t. The war inside him was getting worse…had he REALLY made the right decisions?

He looked down at the picture. He gasped after looking at it for a moment, suddenly noticing something he’d never noticed before. It was a picture he’d seen a thousand times. Hell, this picture sat on Jessica’s desk, he saw it almost every day. But as he stared at it, a second realization came to him. Although it was a photo he knew well, he’d always only GLANCED at it, he’d never once REALLY looked at it…now, he knew why; everything was now coming together.