The Favourite Daughter-In-Law Pt. 01

The sun was shining brightly as Chris and his wife Sarah walked up the driveway towards Phil and Gwen’s sprawling house. Chris strode confidently, his parents’ house like a second home to him, his athletic build showcased by the tight-fitting shirt he wore, while Sarah trailed behind him, her long blonde hair falling in loose waves down her back.

As they approached the house, the door opened and Chris’ father Phil appeared, a warm smile on his bearded face. He wore a casual polo shirt and shorts that highlighted his muscular physique. “Hey there, you two!” he greeted them, stepping outside to give each of them a tight hug.

Chris’ mother Gwen was inside, busily tidying up the kitchen. She turned around at the sound of their voices, her hazel eyes lighting up at the sight of her daughter-in-law Sarah. “Oh, hello dear! You look lovely today,” she said warmly, giving Sarah a hug as well.

Chris and Phil chatted excitedly about the upcoming football game as Sarah set the cookies she brought on the kitchen counter. She had dressed for the occasion, wearing a light sundress that accentuated her curves. Phil couldn’t help but steal a glance at her, admiring the way the fabric hugged her figure.

As they settled in the living room, Sarah perched on the arm of the couch, her legs crossed at the ankles. Chris sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch as he listened to the conversation. Phil and Gwen sat on the opposite couch, chatting about their latest travels.

Sarah couldn’t help but notice the way Phil kept sneaking glances in her direction, his eyes lingering on her for just a moment too long. She was flattered by the attention and couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Is there something on my face, Phil?” she asked with a sly smile.

Phil chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no, just admiring the view,” he replied with a grin.

Gwen playfully elbowed him. “Behave yourself,” she scolded, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

As the conversation turned to games, Chris suggested they play a complicated board game he had brought. But Phil, ever the entertainer, had a better idea. “Let’s play Truth or Dare,” he suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Sarah felt a flutter in her stomach at the suggestion. She had always been a bit of a wild card, and certainly prided herself on matching the sometimes chaotic energy of her father-in-law, but she also cared deeply for her mother-in-law and didn’t want to make Gwen uncomfortable. Chris raised an eyebrow, running a slender finger through his red-streaked blonde beard intrigued by the idea. Gwen hesitated for a moment, worried about the potential for embarrassment or inappropriate questions, but ultimately relented.

The afternoon sun poured in through the windows of the spacious living room, a slight reflection glinting off the glass top of the coffee table and the black screen of the large TV on the wall, all the attention of both couples turned toward Chris and Phil instead as both father and son grinned and proposed rules for the game, each with an easy confidence and charisma that highlighted their relationship and similarities despite the vast physical differences.

In his late 60s, Phil was carrying more weight than ever before in his life, but his thighs and shoulders remained an obvious statement of the power in his short muscular build and the sporting prowess of his youth. The dark tan and lines on his craggy face along with the streaks of grey in his dark hair and beard clear signs of the decades spent outdoors in the sun.

By contrast, his eldest son Chris was in his mid 30s, and was a full six inches taller than his father had ever been, with the blonde hair and blue eyes of his mother instead, and a lean athletic build that made him appear more slim than anyone else present despite his height. The hint of ginger in his blonde beard also highlighted how fair skinned he was in comparison to his father, a complexion that only his lovely wife Sarah’s porcelain skin could beat for lack of pigment.

The physical contrast of the two aside, their easy humour and confidence made Gwen and Sarah smile as the rules of the game were proposed, drinks and snacks were laid out and the boys briefly held court in the living room.

“I’ll help with the snacks” Sarah suggested, placing a hand gently on her mother-in-law’s upper arm as she followed Gwen to the kitchen, leaving their husbands to trade tales of dares they remembered from their respective college experiences decades ago.

“Thank you, Sarah”

Sarah had known Chris’ family for almost a decade now, although she had only officially married into it two years earlier, and she was equally proud of her ability to match wits and sarcasm with her boisterous father-in-law Phil as she was proud of her place as the daughter Gwen had always wanted but never had. The two women moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, and Gwen turned on the kitchen radio to fill the large open-plan house with some quiet music out of habit.

“Are you sure Truth or Dare is a great idea? We don’t have to play if you don’t want to” Sarah offered, her big blue eyes searching the older face of her mother-in-law for any unspoken complaint.

Gwen stopped what she was doing and let her eyes look Sarah up and down before holding her hands reassuringly. They were thirty years apart in age, and Gwen couldn’t help but notice that Sarah bore some resemblance to herself from all those years ago, not quite as slim and petite as Gwen had been in her tennis playing days when her blonde hair, athletic legs and short skirts had first won the attention of her husband, but not as voluptuous as Gwen had become years later after motherhood, and certainly without the extra weight Gwen now carried in her retirement years.

“I’ve been married for 35 years, Sarah. It’s sweet of you to say, but I know my husband and our sons, and I’m not going to stop them playing their games. Who knows, it might be fun!” Her narrow face broke into a smile of amusement, “But I can always step away and find something else to do if it doesn’t interest me, I’m more worried about you. You won’t let them bully you I hope?”

Sarah almost blushed at the suggestion, feeling suddenly as if her constant teasing banter with Phil perhaps wasn’t as cool and confident as she had hoped it appeared, nodding her assurance to her shorter and more buxom mother-in-law as they held hands in the kitchen.

“Of course. I can hold my own with those two. I just wanted to make sure they didn’t do anything that made you uncomfortable in your own home, sometimes they are a little inconsiderate, if you don’t mind me saying so?”

Pouring a glass of wine and giving the younger woman a shrug and a vague smile, Gwen whispered “I’m fine with it. So long as you’re having fun, and nobody gets hurt, I’m ok with anything they do.”

As they worked together in the kitchen, Sarah couldn’t help but admire Gwen’s grace and poise. Despite her age, she had a youthful energy that Sarah found infectious. It was clear that she had a deep love for her family, and Sarah felt privileged to be a part of it.

Phil walked into the kitchen, his booming voice filling the room. “Hey, ladies! What’s cookin’?”

Sarah rolled her eyes playfully. “Cookies, Phil. What else?”

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Ah, the way to a man’s heart.”

Gwen smacked his arm lightly. “Behave yourself.”

Phil just laughed, the sound echoing through the house. “What? I’m just being honest.”

Chris walked in behind him, a broad smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around Sarah’s waist from behind, nuzzling her neck. “Hey, beautiful. How’s it going?”

Sarah leaned back into him, feeling his warmth against her. “Good, good. Just getting these snacks ready. How’s everything else coming along?”

Chris shrugged. “Good, I think. Dad’s been setting up the games in the living room. You know how he gets.”

Sarah laughed. “Oh yeah, I do.”

Walking back into the living room with a platter of snacks, Sarah felt all eyes on her as Chris smiled and Phil’s voice boomed through the house in his often overly loud tone “My favourite daughter-in-law returns bearing gifts!”

Laughing at the joke, Sarah flashed him a smile of her own, bending to place the platter on the coffee table and noticing his leery gaze follow her cleavage with interest.

“Unless there’s another daughter-in-law I don’t know about, I should hope so!” She replied

“Even if there was you’d still be the favourite I’m sure” Chris chimed in, standing up and wrapping a long arm around his wife’s shoulders, his lips planting a sweet kiss on her cheek before moving to the kitchen and helping his mother bring the drinks in.

As they all gathered in the living room, Sarah felt a sense of excitement building. She wasn’t sure what to expect from Truth or Dare, but she was looking forward to finding out. As the games began, the room buzzed with energy, everyone eager to see what challenges lay ahead.

And so the games began, with Chris and Sarah laughing and teasing each other, and Phil throwing out the most outrageous dares he could think of. Gwen watched from the sidelines, a small smile on her face, content to let the others have their fun.

“Now should we start with the youngest, the most beautiful, the most talented, the most popular, or the most easily embarrassed?” Phil suggested with a mischievous smirk on his old face as they discussed who to take the first turn, “Well I suppose our darling daughter-in-law wins first turn by all of those metrics. What do you say, Sarah? Ready to take on a challenge?”

Sarah felt her heart skip a beat. She was nervous, but also excited to see where this could lead. She looked at Phil and found herself drawn to his charm and charisma. “Sure, why not?” she said, trying to sound confident.

Chris looked a little put out by not being considered the most talented, but he seemed to be amused by the banter between his Dad and his wife, and Sarah couldn’t help but wonder if he liked seeing them flirt.