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44
***Ada***
Everythingfeltdifferentthenext morning. There was something in the air that set my nerves on edge. It was almost like the energy before a storm but it didn’t feel terrible. It was just…different. The kids started a new summer camp. My parents were more giggly than ever. The guys were observant. That was the only way I could think to describe them. They watched me so closely and I could feel the unasked questions floating around my head.
Joe carried me from the bath to my bed the night before and he’d stayed with me. We hadn’t done anything more than cuddle but when I opened my door to wake up the kids that morning, Collin had been standing just outside, about to knock. Jud walked up just a few seconds after. They saw each other and saw Joe inside my room and I could see them jumping to conclusions. I’d made an excuse and run off like a coward, but I was freaking out. I’d admitted to Joe that I cared about him and it was true. I cared about Collin and Jud, too. I wanted all of them and I didn’t know how to go forward with that.
“Okay. Alright. David? Honey, would you do me a giant favor? Will you watch little Milo for a few minutes? I need to sit these adults down and have a few words with them.” Mom smiled sweetly at David and I could see the moment he caved.
“Fine. I’m still upset about Kitten, though.” He sighed. “No, I’m not. I don’t know what it is about you and your daughter but I can’t stay mad at you.”
I cleared my throat. “Say no, David. Stay mad.”
“Stop it, Ada. Go to the library. You boys go, too.” Mom put her hands on her hips and I blew out a big sigh. “Stop pouting, Ada. This is going to be for your own good.”
I tracked to the library with the guys at my heels. I glanced over my shoulder at them and frowned. “This is your fault. All three of you. You were brooding and now she’s going to sit us down. Whatever that means.”
Collin scoffed. “You know what didn’t happen before you showed up here? We didn’t get called to the carpet like a bunch of little kids.”
I huffed. “This is humiliating.”
Jud shrugged. “I think it’s kind of nice.”
We all looked at him like he’d lost his mind. I shook my head at him. “I worry about you.”
“I mean it. Your mom cares and it’s refreshing.” He smiled. “You’re just like her, Ada.”
I stopped walking and he bumped into me. “You did not just say that.”
Mom power walked past us. “Come on, come on. I don’t have long to handle this before David realizes I left Kitten with him, too. If your father doesn’t speed his butt up, he’s going to be left out of this.”
Once we were all inside the library, Mom shut the double doors and motioned for us to sit. I took the middle cushion on one of the couches and Collin and Jud filled the spaces on either side while Joe leaned against the arm beside Jud. Dad sat across from us and smiled so brightly that I almost forgot that we were getting Mom’s lecture voice.
“Now that I have your attention, let’s start with the fact that my daughter has slept with each of you.”
I gasped. “Mom! What the hell?”
“Ignoring the outburst from my offspring… It’s clear to me and Ken that our baby girl likes each of you. Even if she hadn’t told us as much, we could’ve seen it a mile away. She’s sweet on all three of you.” Mom paced in front of the couches and held up her finger when I tried to cut her off. “What’s also clear is that you boys like our daughter. She’s amazing and so worth taking a chance on. I think you already know that, though.”
I bent forward with my head between my knees and groaned. “Mom…”
“You’re all adults. You boys obviously love each other very much and I’d hate to see you suffer because of your feelings for our daughter. Before anyone gets their feelings hurt, Ken and I would like to tell you about our friend, Gretchen.” Mom looked at Dad and nodded.
Like a dutiful soldier, he stood up and took up the guard pacing. “Gretchen met her husband Henry and married him while his best friends were still overseas. This was decades ago now. When Henry’s best friends came home, they immediately fell for Gretchen. She tried to stop her own feelings but it was useless. Henry saw what was happening and instead of disrupting his marriage and leaving the woman he loved, he decided that they’d enter into a slightly unconventional relationship. For lack of a better word, they shared Gretchen.”
Mom nodded. “Gretchen was a very, very lucky lady. At first, Henry, Bill, and Mike took their turns to avoid making the others feel awkward. That much time apart from his wife was too much for Henry, though. He proposed they come together every night. Together. I never saw Gretchen without a smile on her face after that. I also never saw her walk without a limp again, either.”
With my head still between my knees, I tried to breathe through the panic my mother was putting me through. The things she was saying… My entire body erupted in goosebumps as I tried to decide how to escape fastest.
“Ken and I were talking about it and it seems like an obvious solution. The four of you need to talk and figure it out, though. The longer you go on with this tension, the more you risk making a mistake and ruining what you could have.” Mom cleared her throat. “Ada, we didn’t raise you to be afraid to talk about sex. Your dad and I are going to go get Milo and we’re going to go for a swim in the lake. I suggest you four take this time to talk and maybe explore your options. I left a book on your bed if you need pointers, Ada.”
I raised my hand and gave her a thumbs up. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to show my face again. The guys remained quiet until I heard the library doors open and shut again. Then, all hell broke loose.
45
***Ada***
“Didyourparentsjust…What the fuck was that?” Collin sounded like he was being strangled. “They are encouraging us to all fuck you. At the same time.”
