Page 37 of Season of Gifts

“Don’t—”

Lina stabilized Mother with an arm across her back and one braced at ninety degrees in front for her to grip.“It’s all right, Henry.A bit of walking will do her good.”

He waited at the doorway, eyeing each step in Mother’s slow shuffle.Rugs.The doctor had mentioned securing any loose rugs in the house.That would be a project for tomorrow.“Not too quickly.Rest if you need to.”

The tray would be an obstacle if he needed to catch her.Hurrying ahead, he set the food on the table, pulled back the chairs, and switched on every light in the room.They’d nearly reached the door.Extending his arms, he reclaimed the responsibility for guiding her across the low threshold and into her seat.No labored breathing; no pinch of pain on her face.“I’ll be just a moment.”

Lina caught his sleeve.“Would you like me to help carry?”

“No, thank you.”He nodded slightly toward Mother, hopefully imperceptibly to her.Sitting in a chair was infinitely more dangerous than lying on the sofa.She couldn’t be left alone.“Please, sit, talk.I’ll manage.”

He quick-stepped to the kitchen, where the kettle was at a healthy boil.He poured the water into the serving pot, arranged the service for three around it, and added a small pitcher of milk and a selection of teas.On the return trip, he pushed back against the anxious thoughts forming.After slow breaths in, he doubled the length of his exhale.The technique had worked well for Jay, though he hadn’t needed it recently.

Lina stepped from the conservatory into the hall ahead of him.

The tray wobbled as his fingers tightened.“Is something—”

Through the doorway, Mother sat at the table, gazing into the garden.Not lying on the floor, not desperately needing his help.

“No, no—” Shaking her head, Lina waved a hand in astopmotion across her chest.“She’s fine, Henry.I’m sorry.I know it never fully goes away.”

He studied the misaligned spoons on the tray; they must have slid in his final rush to the door.“That was a difficult time.”

She gazed at him with ageless eyes, brown several shades paler than Jay’s.“It’s still a difficult time when you carry it with you.”

He’d long ago suppressed the physical flinch that came with crossing the threshold.The emotional one he’d labeled and investigated and talked and painted through in therapy.Only the nature of his visit now brought those old wounds so close to the surface.“I suppose it is.”

Perhaps finding him more unyielding than he’d been as a child, Lina nodded and let the matter drop.“I was simply coming to tell you that I’m going to help Helen to the washroom.We’ll just be a few moments, and then we can enjoy the lovely feast you’ve made.”

“Of course.”He should have thought of that necessity earlier.“Take your time.”

He set the table as Lina helped Mother, her assistance as steady and thoughtful as his own.Perhaps more so; she was but a dozen years younger than Mother, and a mother herself, and the two had known each other since before his emergence from the womb.Home care aides would require careful vetting.Lina knew the house and the personalities.And he needed a reminder of the world beyond these walls.

As they gathered around the table and he poured the tea, he made his opening bid.“Lina, I wonder if I might trouble you for a favor.”

Chapter twenty-one

Alice

Fridaynightcamewithexpectations.In their household, anyway.And Henry wasn’t here, and she was the only available dominant, and today’s calendar card promised red-and-green relaxation, whatever that meant.

He hadn’t given details, so the planning and decisions were all on her.Or so she’d told Jay at breakfast: “Wait and see.You’ll find out tonight, stud.”

At least Henry’s toy chest had responded to her wish for inspiration like a champ, offering up the right tools for new and different but not scary.The playroom too intimidating, the bedroom too connected to all three of them, she’d chosen their room check bedroom for her scene.A real one, not just Jay’s reward but with Henry’s opening and closing rituals.

Kneeling on the floor at the end of the bed, Jay held the waiting pose she’d asked of him while she clenched her hands into nervous fists behind her back.“This time is mine, and it requires your full and—” Ostentatiously glancing at his cock, she licked her lips.The brilliant cherry red gloss had better hold its color.“Enthusiastic participation.Do I have your service, Jay?”

“Always, Mistress Alice.”Lifting his head, he gazed at her with dark eyes she could drown in.“I’m yours.”

“Yes, you are.”As she bent forward, her breasts nearly tumbled out of the Henry-green bra she’d donned.Between that and the red lipstick and Santa skirt from tree trimming, she had the red-and-green motif covered.She cupped Jay’s cheek in a rough caress and pushed back the silk of his hair.The strands tickled as they slid across her fingers.“Which makes your safety and comfort my responsibility.If at any time you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, what will you say to me, Jay?”

“Potholes.”Clear and strong, his voice carried.He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling, his hips subtly fidgeting despite all efforts to hold himself still.

“Such a clever pet.”With both hands woven through his hair, she curled her fingers into a deep scalp massage.Low sighs vibrated from him, and his eyelids drooped.His cock held all the tension in his body.That had to count as relaxation.“I have a treat for you, Jay.”

“I’m happy to take”—he leaned into her hold, rocking with her motions—“whatever you wish to give me, Mistress.”

She crouched so quick the tiny skirt flared up and Jay gasped—so yeah, he’d noticed the absence of anything underneath—and brought her mouth to his ear.“I know.”

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