Pleasure's Spear

by Shannon Cook

  "What is that my dear?"

  "James got me a position at his police station." Kate said. "I want to be near my family again."

  "I want to be near my family as well." Mandy stated. "Should we search for a house before we move back here?"

  "I think that's a great idea."

  The two women went back inside after their walk and broke the news to everyone. "We have something we need to tell everyone." Mandy stated.

  Barb, Lee and Sally's face lit up with joy! They were all expecting an engagement announcement. The three of them sat at the edge of their seats.

  "My job has transferred me back to Alabama!" Kate happily stated. "I'll be working with James now at his police department! So, Mandy and I will be moving back to town!"

  Barb and Lee jumped up from their seats and gave their daughter and Kate a huge hug! "This is the best news ever!" Barb said as tears of joy ran down her face.

  Sally turned to James. "James, did you know about this?"

  James smiled. "Merry Christmas mom."

  For the next couple of weeks, before they returned to Minnesota they found a beautiful small home located between both their parent's homes.

  When they returned back to Minnesota, they immediately began packing and getting things they no longer needed. Within two months, they were completely moved into their new home.

  "I love this home!" Mandy said with a smile.

  "I do too." Kate gave Mandy a kiss on the lips. "Of course, this place is much smaller than our other home in Minnesota!"

  Mandy laughed. "I'm okay with that."

  Five years later, Kate took Mandy on a vacation to a resort in the Caribbean. The two laid on a blanket on the beach. The warm Caribbean sun beat upon them as the ocean waves crashed.

  They watched as families around them had picnics, and played in the brilliant turquoise waters. Teenagers having a competitive, yet fun game of volleyball nearby. Young children were building sand castles, as their parents sipped their margaritas.

  "I love this place." Mandy told Kate.

  "How much do you love this place?"

  "Almost more than you." Mandy joked.

  "Hey!" Kate responded.

  Mandy just laughed. She leaned over and kissed Kate on her lips. "I'm only joking with you."

  The sun began to set, and they started to make their way back to their hotel. They walked down a cobblestone path lined with palm trees. They stopped for a moment and looked out over the ocean.

  The setting sun turned the sky a beautiful array of reds and yellows that reflected perfectly onto the ocean.

  "What a beautiful scene this is." Mandy said in awe.

  Kate put her arm around Mandy's waist and held her close. "This scene is beautiful, but it's not as beautiful as you are."

  Kate dropped to one knee and pulled out a tiny box. Mandy turned around, and couldn't believe her eyes. Was this really happening? She thought.

  "Mandy, I can't think of anyone else that I would love to spend the rest of my life with. Mandy, will you marry me?" Kate asked as she opened the box containing a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

  Mandy was filled with joy! "YES!" she shouted without hesitation.

  Kate got back up to her feet. The two women hugged and kissed each other. Both crying tears of joy!

  They got back into their hotel room and Kate sat down on the couch overwhelmed with joy! "I am so happy you said yes!"

  Mandy joined her on the couch. She laid down, putting her head on Kate's lap. She looked up into her eyes and smiled. "I'm glad you asked. I love you so much!" she said softly as she drifted off to sleep.

  Kate laughed a little. "All this excitement is exhausting, isn't it?" She placed her arms under Mandy, picked her up and carried her to the bed. She laid her down gently and got into bed cuddling her. "I wish I could sleep that sound!" she said as she herself began to fall asleep.

  The next morning, Mandy kissed Kate on the lips, waking her up. Kate opened her eyes slowly and smiled. "Good morning." Kate whispered.

  "We never really celebrated the engagement last night." Mandy told Kate. "Sorry I fell asleep." She reached over and held Kate's hand.

  Kate took her other hand and pulled her close. The fronts of their bodies were tight against each other. They looked deeply into each other's eyes, as they began to french kiss for a few minutes.

  The two women spent the next few minutes having sex before they got out of bed that morning. During that time, time stood still for both of them. Both were enjoying the moment. Celebrating their engagement!

  Chapter 18

  When Mandy and Kate arrived back home after their vacation, they invited both their parents over to their home for a cookout. They all sat out on the back porch as Mandy tended to the barbecue. Kate sat down next to Lee who was sitting alone on the patio swing. "Mind if I join you?" she asked him.

  "No, not at all." Lee looked around the backyard. "I've been meaning to tell you, you two have a lovely place."

  "Thank you."

  Lee took a deep sigh. "Look, I feel like a monster. I am truly sorry for everything." He looked over at Kate. "Has my daughter forgiven me yet?"

  "I wouldn't say she has completely forgiven you yet." Kate told Lee. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she never fully forgives you. Not after everything you put her through. Physical wounds can heal, but emotional wounds last a lifetime."

  Mandy got done grilling and put the food onto the picnic table. "Lunch is ready!" she yelled. Mandy and Kate sat down at the table along with their parents.

  When they finished eating, Mandy and Kate got up and held each other's hands. "We have an announcement." Mandy stated with a smile on her face.

  "I have asked Mandy to take my hand in Marriage!" Kate told everyone.

  "And I said YES!" Mandy said cheerfully!

  Both their parents were overwhelmed with happiness when they heard this news! Sally, Barb, and Lee rushed over and gave the two woman a group hug!

  "I am very happy!" Sally started crying tears of joy!

  "We are too!" Barb told them.

  Then, two years later Mandy and Kate got married at that same vacation spot where they had gotten engaged.

  Barb helped her daughter Mandy get dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. Making sure every collar and cuff laid perfectly on Mandy. "I'm so happy for you." she told her.

  "Thank you, mom."

  Lee was waiting outside the room and when the door opened he couldn't believe his eyes. His daughter looked perfect! He gave her a big hug. "That suit looks perfect on you." he told her with a tear in his eye.

  Mandy smiled. "Thanks, father, that means a lot to me."

  Lee reached out his hand towards Mandy. "Now come on, there's a gorgeous woman waiting to get married to you!"

  Barb went ahead and grabbed her seat in the front row next to Sally. A gentle breeze blew over the beach as everyone admired the two women as they got walked up the aisle. Mandy holding hands with her father and Kate holding hands with her brother James.

  Before James and Lee went to their seats, Lee gave Mandy a kiss on the cheek. "I'm proud of you and I love you, my dear."

  Mandy and Kate stood under a rose covered arched trellis and exchanged their vows as the sun set over the ocean behind them. The sunset was just as stunning, if not more than the evening they had gotten engaged.

  Lee sat in the front row, crying tears of joy as he watched his daughter get married.

  After the ceremony, the newlywed couple and their guest went over to a large beach-side courtyard. The area was lit by tiki torches that lined the perimeter.

  The tables were dressed with white linens. Red and pink rose petals surrounded each lavish centerpiece.

  A beautifully customized cake topper, that Lee bought them as a wedding gift topped the four-tier wedding cake sat on a table next to the two bride's head table.

  The live band played at the end of the dance floor. Everything was perfect!

  During the reception, K
ate walked over to Lee and held out her hand. "May I have this dance?" She asked him.

  Lee looked at Barb who was giggling. "What is happening?" he asked his wife.

  "Just dance with her."

  Lee stood up from his chair and began to slow dance with his daughter's new wife. "You're a pretty good dancer." he complimented.

  "Thank you-you're not so bad yourself." Kate chuckled. "Even if you do have two left feet."

  Lee looked over and watched Mandy smiling from the side of the dance floor. He motioned her to come over and join them. She did. "I'm so proud of you two and I love you both."

  The reception lasted into the night and all the guests danced under the stars. When the reception finally ended, Mandy and Kate went to their hotel room and they had sex that lasted into the night.

  The next morning, the two women laid in bed talking before they got up. "I have a question I've been meaning to ask," Mandy told Kate.

  "What is that my dear?"

  "What happened to your father?" Mandy asked. "I've never seen or heard anything about him."

  Kate sat up and teared up. "He died when I was eight years old."

  Mandy felt sorry she asked. She sat up and put her arm around Kate. "I am so sorry." she said softly. "Was he ill?"

  Kate wiped tears away. "Drunk driver. My brother and I were in the backseat when it happened. He had just picked us up from school." She looked over at Mandy. "That's why James and I are police officers. We wanted to try to protect other families from drunk drivers."

  Mandy leaned over and hugged her wife. "I'm sure your father is proud of you both."

  "I hope so." Kate sadly said. "I just wished he could've been there last night at our wedding."

  Mandy smiled. "I'm positive he was there." She pointed at Kate's heart. "He'll always be in there."

  Kate smiled and kissed Mandy. "You're so sweet, that's why I love you."

  "I love you too."

  A few days later, everyone returned home.

  Mandy and Kate were married for two years when they decided to take a big step in their relationship. One morning at breakfast, Mandy was scrolling through her phone looking up adoption agencies.

  "I have a question, would you want a child?" Mandy asked Kate.

  Kate was in the process of drinking her coffee. She looked up from the top of her cup, then set it down gently. "I've thought about it, but I've given up hope on having one."

  "I think we should try to adopt." Mandy stated.

  "How?" Kate responded. "Unfortunately not many places like to give same-sex couples the opportunity to adopt a child in need."

  "I know, but would you want to try?"

  "Of course!" Kate said in excitement!

  Mandy called her parents and Kate called her mother. They told them what they were going to try to adopt a child. Their parents were thrilled and rushed right over willing to lend a hand in the process.

  They found an agency that didn't discriminate. It took a little over a year, but Mandy and Kate were able to get a young brother-sister pair that were newly born in Minnesota. They were up for adoption because their mother didn't want them. She had gotten pregnant when she was visiting a friend at the local prison and she didn't want the father to ever find out about the kids in order to protect them.

  They took the cross country drive to the hospital where the new twins were born to pick them up. A woman met them in the lobby and took them up to the nursery. "Here they are!" she told them as she walked them up to a baby girl and a baby boy laying side by side. "They're twins, so they need to go together."

  "That is okay with us." Kate stated. "My brother is a father to twins. It'll be fun having two sets of twins in the family!"

  Mandy looked at the two babies. "They are adorable! I love them already!" Mandy looked closer to their eyes. "I know those eyes though." she stated as she looked at Kate curiously.

  "They were born last month." the woman informed them.

  When they went into a woman's office to fill out the final adoption paperwork, the woman told them "The mother never named them, so what will these two children be named?"

  Mandy and Kate looked at each other. They never thought of any names. They just assumed the twins would already have names. "Excuse us for just a moment, we will be right back." Kate told the woman. Kate and Mandy stepped just outside the door.

  "They're not named yet?" Kate asked Mandy.

  "Apparently not. I want to name the little girl Alex." Mandy told Kate.

  "Why Alex?"

  "Alex was one of my girlfriend's names. Alex sadly took her own life many years ago."

  "I'm so sorry!" Kate stated. "Yes, we can name the little girl Alex. I want to name the little boy Henry."

  "Why Henry?"

  "Henry was my father's name."

  "That settles that." Mandy said.

  The two women returned back into the office and sat down. "For the little boy, we will name him Henry." Mandy told the woman.

  Kate smiled. "And we want to name the little girl Alex."

  Kate and Mandy grabbed each other's hands and smiled.

  The woman finished up the paperwork. When Mandy and Kate were finished signing everything, the woman shook both their hands. "Congratulations! You are now proud parents of those two adorable little children!"

  When they left the hospital, they put their new children into their car seats and began the long drive back to Alabama. Kate and Mandy took turns driving. While Kate was driving, Mandy called both their parents and told them the great news!

  They arrived back home late the next night. They already had a nursery made up. When they turned on the light, there was a little teddy bear sitting in the little girl's crib with a note that wasn't there before they left.

  "Where did that come from?" Kate stated curiously.

  Mandy smiled. "I know what that is!" She said excitedly! Mandy walked over, and picked up the note and read it aloud.

  Dear Mandy,

  I know you just got yourself a little girl, so I figured you would want her to have your first teddy bear. As you know, this teddy bear was passed down through the generations. I hope little Alex will enjoy this bear as much as you and your grandmother did growing up.

  Love,

  Dad

  Mandy and Kate teared up. "That's beautiful." Kate stated.

  They both gently placed their new babies into their cribs and each kissed both of Alex and Henry's foreheads."

  The next morning, everyone came over to see the babies. When Lee came in, Mandy gave him a hug. "Thank you, dad, for the teddy bear for Alex. But, how did you get into the house?"

  Barb laughed. "Spare key, remember you told me where it was."

  "Oh yeah, that's right." Mandy responded.

  "I just figured you'd want that teddy bear for your little girl." Lee smiled. "Don't worry, I stopped at the store and got a new teddy bear for Henry." He handed Mandy a gift bag.

  "Dad, you didn't have to."

  "Yes, I did." Lee told his daughter. "I couldn't find my teddy bear to hand down. So I got him a new one."

  Mandy gave her father a hug. "I appreciate it."

  Mandy and Kate went into their children's bedroom, got them out of their cribs and carried them out for everyone to meet them.

  Mandy was holding Henry, and Kate was holding Alex.

  "Everyone, we want you to meet our handsome son, Henry." Mandy stated.

  "And this little darling is Alex."

  James and Sally teared up. "Is, Henry named after dad?" James asked Kate.

  "Yes, he is." Kate answered.

  "Alex is named after my first girlfriend." Mandy said as she looked at her father. "My girlfriend who took her own life. We want to make sure their names live on in our family."

  Lee began crying. He knew it was his fault Alex had taken her own life years ago. "Excuse me, I'll be outside, I need some fresh air." He told Barb. Lee went out onto the front porch and sat down on the steps.

  Mandy noticed her fa
ther was crying. "I'll be right back." She told Kate, as she handed her Henry.

  Kate was now holding both babies. "Okay, my dear."

  Mandy went outside. She took a seat next to her father and put her arm around him. "I know you didn't mean for Alex to take her own life." Mandy told her father. "At least I hope you didn't"

  "No, I didn't know my actions would cause anyone to take their own life. Will you ever forgive me?"

  "Honestly, probably not. I just want you to know, I do love you." Mandy told Lee. "I'm just glad you finally had a change of heart about homosexuals."

  Lee wiped tears from his eyes. "I'm glad I did too. I will never get those lost years back."

  "Me neither." Mandy responded.

  "I am happy for you. Kate is a perfect match for you. I just want to let you know, no matter what, I will always love you."

  "Thank you."

  Lee and Mandy went back inside. Mandy took a seat next to Kate.

  "is everything going to be okay?" Kate asked Mandy.

  "Yes." Mandy smiled. "Everything is going to be just fine. Now that my family is a happy one again."

  Conclusion

  Love, it's the only thing that can overcome hate. The main character, Mandy, tired her hardest to hide her sexuality from her father. But when he found out, he became furious!

  Lee ended up taking Mandy to a mental hospital where they performed conversion therapy on her! Mandy was able to fight through it and stay true to who she is. Actually, most people who went through conversion therapy end up remaining gay after they get out of it.

  Mandy didn't want to go home, so strangers stepped in and helped her in her time of need. Those strangers, James and Sally end up becoming Mandy's chosen family.

  Mandy's father realized that didn't work so he decided that if he forces his daughter to marry a man, she would become straight.

  That didn't work either. Instead, Mandy had to live with an abusive husband for many years. Eventually, Mandy finds a way to get away from Ian, her husband.

  She meets a lovely woman about her age, who literally saved her life. The two of them end up falling deeply in love.