Second Sunset

"Your choice. You can have hot woman and cold breakfast, or hot food and cold ...OHHhhhh."

He had taken advantage of the time she was talking and made up his mind. Her sentence ended when he put his hand on her ass, lovingly running his palms across her curves. She reached for the lube she had put on the counter and handed it to him. After applying a generous amount to both of them, he put the tube down and pushed into her, gently, working his way in with short, slow thrusts.

With patience and time, he was able to stroke his full length, and as time passed he was surprised he kept his erection enough to continue. His hands reached around to tease her breasts, slipping under the apron top, or under the flap that now hung from her waist to tease her clit. She was breathing harder, but he sensed a difference from past love making. After a while, he pulled back and tried to turn her to face him, but she got upset.

"No, Hugh, please, just keep going. Follow me on this, please. It's important." Her voice was choked, full of emotion. Unsure of her reasons, he began thrusting harder and was reassured when her moaning grew louder and more intense.

Without warning, she turned and dropped to her knees in front of him, grabbing his cock and stroking him hard and fast, as if he might fade any second. She was so beautiful in front of him. She looked up and their eyes met. In a minute he was tensing, arching his hips forward. Then he released, watching as his cum arced through the air and dropped onto the apron she wore. In past years, he could have coated her breasts, but now, in his 80s, he dripped onto her legs and, as she slid under him, her apron.

She squeezed out the last of his cream, ending by sucking on him as he quickly returned to his normal state. Their eyes met again and he saw her eyes were smiling through tears. He dropped to his knees in front of her and pulled her close, feeling her sobs and leaving the story for later.

After holding her for several minutes, he decided it was time to ask. "Ethyl, what was that about? You had a reason, and as much as I enjoyed it, there's more. I want to know."

He felt her cheeks tighten into a smile. "It was a fantasy, delayed by several decades. My first husband, we had two kids at the time. I wanted to surprise him and dressed in just an apron when he got home from work. At first, he was excited. He got his pants off, and I didn't need lube back then. Oh, it was so good. Then Meredith started crying. More a screaming cry. It couldn't be ignored, even though he wanted me to ignore it."

Ethyl paused and he felt her hold him tighter. "I went to take care of her. She had gotten her leg stuck in the side of her crib. Morris didn't care. He got on me about getting him excited then dumping him for the kid. We were divorced a year later, five months before our third child was born. Everything changed. I just, I needed to finish. Hugh, you're so amazing, I wanted to finish with you. I hope you understand." She was sobbing by now, totally wiping out his enjoyment of what they had just had, but he didn't care. She was releasing her pain, and he could help her with the time he had left. To him, it was a fair trade.

As was the cold bacon and eggs they ate. He told her how happy he was that she trusted him, and how amazingly blessed he was to have had two wonderful women. She told him how fortunate she felt, after a failure, a "got through it" relationship, and some time alone, to have found somebody she felt she could trust. He understood why she had treated Cass as she had. Nobody had helped her through the pain. She was there for the younger woman.

Labor Day was different from Memorial Day, because now there was baby Betty. The family seemed to rally around the newest member. Ethyl was always nearby, but made sure Cass handled almost everything by herself. They had developed a bond that was stronger than even the family, and both knew and trusted that it was the best approach. Brenda even talked to Ethyl and thanked her for influencing Cass. For her part, Ethyl told Brenda how important it was now to dispel the memory of wanting to end the pregnancy. "Love the child with everything you have," was her advice. Brenda hugged her.

Hard discussions followed. They decided to do Ethyl's family for Thanksgiving and Hugh's family for Christmas. She insisted, however, that she be allowed to invite Cass to her family's gathering in November. By this time, Hugh was past questioning. He knew there was a reason, and he agreed. Cass was less sure, but trusted Ethyl, and said she would see, but only if Rand was also invited. It took some arm twisting, but the family agreed.

Hugh and Ethyl continued seeing each other. Ethyl continued to keep in touch with Cass. Ethyl was assigned the role of honorary grandmother to little Betty, and even her mother agreed to the title. It was fun for her to see mother, daughter, and now the daughter's daughter, growing closer. Hugh loved Ethyl and all she did, but he was sensing that this was a time when Ethyl was pulling together loose ends. Unfulfilled dreams, relationships, even her way of handling people, all seemed to be making up for things gone wrong.

On Thanksgiving, Hugh drove them all to the rented hall the family was using. There were too many people to fit inside anybody's home and with the November weather a question, everybody put in a few dollars to rent a hall. By going together, Cass knew she couldn't just walk out if she was a little uncomfortable. Happily, a baby brings a lot of good attention and few of the guests seemed to care that mother and father weren't married.

An hour later, Cass was sitting in a corner, blanket over her shoulder while she nursed her baby. A girl about her age walked up and sat next to her, arms folded, legs apart with the hem of her black lacy poodle dress pushed down between them. She sat in silence for a while as Cass tried to figure out why she was there. Rand came over, but Cass shook her head and he moved away again. From across the room, Hugh watched and thought she was definitely absorbing Ethyl's influence. He smiled and whispered something to Ethyl.

Finally the girl spoke. "Did your parents give you a bunch of shit about the baby?" Her head hadn't turned, but there was no question who she was asking.

"Yeah, my mother and grandmother especially. It was really rough." She checked the time and adjusted the blanket.

After a long pause, the girl finally turned to look at Cass. A scowl seemed permanently fixed on her face, but the eyes were wrong. They showed pain. "At least you know who the father is, I guess." She started to stand, but Cass reached out quickly and grabbed her hand. The blanket slipped from the sudden movement and now there were a few shocked looks, but Cass kept her focus, as she had learned to do.

"Sit, please," she told the girl, then while she adjusted the blanket to cover her breast again she stuck her tongue out at the gawkers. That brought a giggle from the other girl and a few smiles from people watching. "How far are you?"

"Seven months. I told my grandmother in July. I guess she kept it to herself. You're from the old guy's family?"

Cass smiled. "Old guy. Don't let Gramps hear you call him old or he might sprain something trying to prove you wrong." The girls laughed. "Yeah, he's with Eth. Actually, he's my great grandfather, but everybody just calls him Gramps."

"He seems like a nice guy. So out of place with this family."

The baby was shifted to a shoulder for burping. "He was always a bit uptight, but Grammama kept him in line. He got really gloomy when she passed, then when he met Eth it was like watering a flower that was almost dead. He's got a twinkle in his eye again and a woman to keep him in line. Men need that, you know." She grinned and lowered the baby, reaching under the blanket to clip the bra cup up and adjust her top. "You don't know who the father is?"

"I was told not to go to the party, but what's a window if you can't sneak out of it once in a while? There were drinks and drugs and after an hour I don't remember anything. By then I was already naked, I know that much. One of my girlfriends told me the guys just kept taking turns. I was sore and a mess. And pregnant, though of course I didn't know that at the time."

"Damn. That's a hell of a way to do it." She looked at her baby, then at Rand chatting with a group of younger people. "I guess you're keeping the kid. Oh, I'm Cass, if you didn't know."

The girl looked at her feet. "I try not to use my name much any more. It doesn't seem to fit." She waited, then in the silence looked at Cass who looked back, waiting. "Hope. I'm Hope. I think my parents were hoping for something better."

"I like that name. I think it suits you. And as long as you have Eth in your family, I think you'll have hope." She smiled and looked at the ceiling. "Damn that lady rubs off on you if she gets a chance. I can't believe I'm not being a bitch. She told me I can still be myself, but I need to also be a mother now."

"Yeah, she's good now. For years she just looked the other way. My grandfather would flirt with the girls, pat our bottoms, I wouldn't be surprised to find he took some of our mothers to bed. My grandmother put up with him. I think your Gramps is part of her pennance. She has to be with somebody nice now to pay for not doing anything before."

"They're good for each other, for sure. I think they even have sex, if you can imagine people that age moaning and messing up the sheets." They laughed and talked about life, Hope asking a lot of questions about being a young mother. They sat next to each other when they ate and by the end of the day had exchanged phone numbers and addresses.

As Hugh drove them home later, Cass asked, "Eth, did you invite me just for Hope?"

Ethyl was silent, knowing she was caught. "She needs a friend. I was hoping you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't mind. If you had told me, I would have been different. I hope I get as wise as you one day."

"Honey, I hope you don't have to learn it the way I did. You talked with her a lot. I'm sure she told you about my failures."

They arranged for Hope to spend part of Christmas with her own family, then join her grandmother for the evening with Hugh's family. Cass met her at the door and introduced her to her sister, brother, and parents, then any other introductions came as they met people. This time, black poodle dress or not, she was definitely looking pregnant. Both of them were surprised when her older brother asked to feel if the baby was kicking. He explained that he was enjoying being an uncle and had missed that part because he was too much of a jerk about the situation when it was his sister.

Cass and Rand took the opportunity, with most of the family gathered, to announce that the end of June would bring a wedding. Hugh and Ethyl were among the first to congratulate them, everybody else making way for the family patriarch. Little Betty would be nearly a year old, but it also meant they needed to find a place to live together. Both were still living with parents.

Ethyl drove Hope home after the party. Hugh said he wasn't feeling up to driving. She thought he looked a little pale and suggested a stop at the hospital on the way home. He declined, saying he'd be fine and she surprised him by driving him back to his place. "You need to be where you can get help if you need it. I don't like how you look, but I'm not going to fight with a stubborn old coot to change your mind."

It was the first night in months they had not been together. Christmas had been good, but now it had an ending that took the shine off the day. She was back to check on him in the morning. Some of the staff noticed her come in alone and were surprised, having gotten to know her over the months. She had a stern look on her face, but it softened once she saw he had his color back and was obviously feeling better.

They celebrated the new year at her house, fulfilling a fantasy both had held onto for decades. They drank champagne and danced naked. After a few songs, he sat her in a chair and gave her new year's fireworks with his mouth. She tried to return the celebration, but this time he wasn't responding and they agreed it was time for bed. She knew she couldn't call his doctor, but the Christmas incident and now this had her concerned.

A few weeks later they got a call from Cass that Hope had delivered a baby boy. They drove to the hospital and joined a small crowd in the room. Hope's parents were there, Cass with Rand and little Betty, and now the two older ones. Half an hour later, they were surprised when Rob, Cass's older brother, arrived with flowers. Cass saw Ethyl turn and kiss Hugh on the cheek.

The winter was cold and wet, with many days spent at Ethyl's house. Half as a joke, Hugh told her he was going to wear nothing but boxers for a week. She surprised him by saying if that was the case, she was wearing nothing but panties. And that was what they did. He found himself often grabbing her, holding her, kissing her chest and scars, and even following her around the house. Once he managed to get an erection and, with her oral assistance, kept up long enough to make love and empty inside her. She told him he needed to see a doctor, that she didn't like the sudden change. He shrugged it off.

Near the end of March they returned to the Lake Forest Lodge, this time arriving together, to celebrate a year since their first date. There was no sunset this time. It was cloudy and raining off and on, with cold temperatures. They sat inside but as close to the veranda as they could. Ethyl noticed that Hugh was gloomy, reflecting the weather, though he was friendly enough. His mood was off more and more lately, and she looked out the window wishing for that brilliant sunset again, like last year, that would herald the beginning of another year of wonders.

A few weeks later he was at her house and said he needed to lay down for a while. She tucked him in and kissed him, then went back to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. When she sat at the table, she noticed his phone. She knew his PIN, and for a few minutes debated with herself, then picked up the phone and unlocked it. The calendar was well used, and she saw that he had been to his doctor several weeks ago. He'd been getting more and more stubborn lately, going back to his selfish bastard role, and she decided it was time to force that issue, even at the risk of losing him.

She woke him in time for dinner and they had a nice chat during the meal. As she was cleaning up, she turned to him. He was still sitting at the table, swirling the wine in his goblet.

"I'll be honest. I looked at your phone after you went to bed. What did the doctor say?"

He kept swirling his wine, seemingly unaffected by her confession and question. She waited and finally he spoke. "He said I should have opted for chemo a year ago. Maybe I should have, but at the time, I had no reason to extend life. And then I didn't want to disrupt what we had."

Ethyl sat across from him. "The whole time I've known you, you knew you were dying? And for some reason you felt I didn't need to know? That hurts, Hugh. It hurts a lot."

"By the time I decided maybe I wanted to try, the doc said it was already too late. You were right back at Christmas. It was a really bad day, but I wasn't going to miss what might have been my last holiday with the family."

"You sit there and shrug and pull the selfish bastard thing on me and you think that makes it all good? What the hell does that say about how important I've been. I've shared a bed with you, Hugh, and a lot more than that. And you just shrug and say you're stubborn and selfish?"

He kept swirling the wine, not drinking. "Ethyl, you're right, it doesn't make it all good. I was hoping for something better, longer. I was in a dark place and you brought me the sun again. I can't put into words how important that has been to me. I don't want to admit to myself I have cancer. I just can't ignore it any more." Now he took a sip. "And I'm a coward. I left my phone, thinking you might check it."

She took a deep breath. "Hugh, look at me. No, not the glass. Look .. at .. me. I'm hurt. I feel like you don't trust me, or just wouldn't be honest with me. I asked you about it. I'm not going to throw you out. I want to know what you were thinking."

He finished the glass and looked at the window. "Years ago, Betty and I took a trip to visit one of our grandchildren. The flight was a little later in the day and the sun set while we were at the gate. It was a really pretty sunset. Before we took off, the pilot told us we would climb back into the sun and could enjoy a second sunset that day. We did. It was beautiful, short, and then the darkness set in as it always does." He looked back at her. "I didn't want to spoil this beautiful second sunset."

She stared at him for a long moment. "This hasn't done much for mine. But I'm in this with you. We need to tell the family, and we need to get you set up for hospice either here or at the home."

The evening was spent making plans, and discussing what plans were already made. It was their hardest time together, but they were together. They both realized their sexy romps were finished and other things they had enjoyed would be dropping off one by one. He had been through this before, from the other side, but it was new for her and he promised to help her help him from now on.

Cass was furious with him for not telling her. She had hoped little Betty would at least be able to recognize her Gramps, but now she might not be a year old when he left them. Ethyl took her aside to calm her while Hugh kept an eye on the little girl. He wanted to hold her in his lap on the chair, but realized he needed to sit on the floor if he held her. As it was, she squirmed so much he had to put her down anyway.

By the end of April he was in a motorized wheelchair, but they celebrated the anniversary of their second trip to Lake Forest Lodge. This time the weather was perfect and the sunset magnificent. Ethyl commented how it was fitting that the sky was so brilliantly colored since he had lived such a spectacular life this past year. He was tired early and they went home to get him to bed.

She told the four children to go into his room at the home and sort things out. They went with a list of things she wanted at her house, where Hugh was staying now. Everything else was to be divided among the family or given to a charity. He gave up his apartment, since they were now pretty sure he would be the first to go. Family that lived locally began stopping by more often, but Hugh was now falling asleep several times a day.

Memorial Day brought a difficult choice, but they decided to go to Ethyl's family for an hour in the afternoon, then spend an hour with Hugh's family in the evening. Realizing he was done driving himself, she convinced him to sell his car. He completed the sale, wrote checks for the proceeds for the people he wanted to share with, and Ethyl put the checks into envelopes to take for the family visits.

The parties were strange with him there. By this time, Hugh was a welcome guest with either family, but they knew this might be his last visit. There were many comments about how sweet it was that they held hands. Hope spent an extra amount of time with the older people, making sure Hugh knew how much she appreciated his support and how good he had been for her grandmother. By the time they were at his family's picnic, he was tired and people had to come to him. Ethyl stayed with him unless she was getting some food or drink and the same comments of how good they looked together helped him smile.

They went home after their hour and he went right to bed. His envelopes had gone to the youngest of each family, with the admonition to use the money wisely. Several broke down crying, hugging their Gramps and thanking him for caring so much.