Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Deanna by: Dr.  Paco Jones

   copyright 2012

   Chapter 7 - A Secret Revealed

   Tara and I made our way to the kitchen finding Dee, all smiles putzing
with breakfast.  She looked over and gestured for us to sit.  With a grin,
she poured two large mugs of coffee and set one in front of each of us.

   "I was beginning to wonder if I needed to send out a rescue party," she
laughed.

   I looked at her and with a chuckle said, "We figured we better come down
to assure you we hadn't eloped overnight."

   "I knew better than that, but you two old folks may have needed a
resuscitator.  I don't want you dying on me!

   Together as if rehearsed both Tara and I showered Dee with a raspberry,
then looking at each other began to laugh that we had both coordinated the
same thing without even trying.

   After doing breakfast, Tara and I cleaned up since Dee had cooked for
us. Dee sat at the table with her cup of coffee giving us our morning
ration of shit for getting up so late.

   When Tara and I were done, the three of us putzed around the house
cleaning up a little.  The house was always clean, but it did need a bit of
picking up.  I know it sounds like all we ever do is fuck, but we do have
other things going on that keep us occupied.

   A little later in the afternoon Dee approached me with the phone
plastered against her ear and asked whether I had approved the sleepover
that she had talked about a while ago.

   "I guess I did Dee.  You and your mom wanted to have some fun and I have
no problems with that."

   Into the phone Dee squealed, "He said yes."

   When she saw my quizzical look she asked, "Tonight?  Can we do it
tonight Tommy?"

   What the fuck had I gotten myself into this time?  Holy shit, Julie and
Heather in their skimpy little nighties...

   Oh well, Dee would be here and so would Tara.  I saw Tara shoot me an
amused look.  I think, like her daughter, she enjoyed putting me on the
spot.

   "I suppose Dee.  It's pretty short notice, but it's your party."

   Into the phone again, "He said it was ok for tonight.  Just you and
Julie...  Yeah, ok...  Bring what we talked about and let Julie know about
it too.  It's cool with me.  Between four and four thirty would be cool. 
Okbye."

   She came dancing over to me, threw her arms around my neck, and said,
"Oh, Thank you Thomas, We're goin' to have so much fun!"

   I looked at Tara again to find that same amused look plastered on her
face.  I'm going to have to ask.

   Dee went off to do whatever it was she was going to do, and I sat down
next to Tara and just shook my head.

   "Do you have any idea what you approved for tonight?" she asked me
chuckling.

   "Yeah, a pajama party with a couple of her friends.  No big deal,
they've done it before."

   "Do you remember any of the conversation we had before you dragged me
off to have your way?" she had a big grin on her face.

   I looked at her, "Yeah.  Heather is a lesbian and gives good head to
women and Julie...  Oh shit."

   "Uh huh, Keemosabe.  I think you just volunteered yourself into some
strange pussy for this evening."

   My face obviously showed a bit of panic when I looked back to her
because she just started laughing and hooting.

   Dee cruised back into the room and asked Tara, "What's so funny mom?"

   Tara looked at her with a grin and said, "Tom just figured out what he
had told you was ok for tonight dear.  After the sleepover conversation, I
somehow think you have some ulterior plans."

   Dee got that evil grin back on her face, which only confirmed what Tara,
suspected.  Julie was going to be here fully expecting to get laid while
Heather, Dee and Tara played in the other room.  I couldn't believe this. I
mean, Julie is a knock out, she's over 18, being made available by the
woman I love AND her mother.  I was sure Tara was somehow involved in the
setup.

   Dee sauntered over, sat down in my lap, kissed me quickly, and said,
"Just go with the flow Tommy.  What will be, will be." She had a hard time
not laughing knowing she'd pulled one over on me.  I guess it could have
been a whole lot worse.  Heather is a walking wet dream too, but I guess
she's totally gay.

   "Just what is that supposed to mean Deanna?" I asked somewhat testily.

   "It means that two of my friends are going to come over to spend the
night.  They've been here before Tommy."

   "Yeah.  I know, but when they've stayed overnight before it was before
you had nothing on your mind but sex."

   She put on a mock indignant look, and Tara just roared over on the other
chair.

   "Well, I never..."

   "Yes you have, and now you apparently want someone new to be added to
the list."

   "Do you find that to be so abhorrent that you'll hide away?" she asked
honestly.

   "No Dee.  That's not the fucking problem," I said a little more heated.

   She got a huge grin on her face and leaned in to kiss me.  "Oh come on
Tommy, you know you look at her when she's here.  Well tonight you'll be
able to do more than just look."

   "Dee, you're going to drive me to the loony bin.  No, this is the
fucking loony bin and I'm already here."

   I guess there was nothing for me to do but play along with it.  What
else was I going to do?  I wasn't going to rain on Dee's parade, but we're
going to have to have a serious sit down and discuss this kind of thing and
how awkward it makes me feel.

   Tara knows the extreme shy side of me, but Dee's never really seen it.
She's always seen me with women I know very well and with them I have all
the confidence in the world.  When it's someone like Julie, who I really
don't know all that well, it's just weird to me and puts me in an awkward
position.

   "I'm going to go take a nap," I said totally exasperated.  "It sounds
like I'm going to need it."

   "Can I come with you?" Dee asked mischievously.

   I looked at her and smiled, "Dee if you come with me, I won't get much
rest now will I?  Do you want me to be all tuckered out for your friends?"

   She gave me a very strange look.  This is the first time since she's
been sexually active that I've essentially told her no to a proposition. 
It had to make her wonder if her ruse had backfired or what.

   I walked over and looked her square in the eyes before I leaned down and
gave her a very loving kiss.

   "Don't take it so personal Dee.  It has nothing to do with you.  I don't
love you any less than I did this morning, yesterday or the day before, in
fact I probably love you more.  If I'm going to have to do what I think I'm
going to have to do this evening, I'm going to need some rest!!"

   She smiled nervously and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry Tommy.  I didn't
mean to upset you."

   It looked like she was getting ready to cry.  "I'm not upset Dee.  Julie
is a knock out and I'm going to enjoy every bit of her if that's what's
supposed to happen, but you have to understand that it is very awkward for
me.  It would be a whole lot easier if you had asked her over a few times
and we all sat down and talked, played a board game, or done something so
that I could know her a little better."

   She looked kind of downtrodden which isn't my purpose in the lecture. 
"Look Dee, I've told you about "meaningless sex" haven't I."

   She nodded her head but didn't break eye contact.

   "Because I don't know her very well, it may be just that with her
tonight.  I guess it'll depend on how we approach things."

   "I want you to love her Tommy, so that you can give her what you give to
me."

   "I hardly know her Dee, that's what I'm trying to tell you," I replied,
not meaning for it to sound as heated as it obviously did.

   After hearing my heated reply to Dee, Tara decided that it was time to
bail me out, so she said to Dee softly, "Honey, you already know that Tom
isn't like other men." Dee nodded.  "He wants to have loving feelings
towards a woman before he takes her to bed.  He doesn't know Julie that
well, and though it may be amusing to you on the surface, it makes him very
uncomfortable.  You may not know it, but Tom is an extremely shy man."

   Dee scrunched up her nose and eyes and looked up at me totally shocked,
"Really?"

   I just nodded my head with a genuinely forlorn look.

   "Yes Dee, Really.  There are probably lots of things you don't know
about Tom yet."

   Tara looked at me for some level of approval because she was literally
going to give Dee the "shock" treatment with one of the things I haven't
mentioned to her and don't generally give to anyone.

   Tara knows that side of me.  She could see that my look was pained, but
I nodded my head and whispered very softly, "Go ahead sweetie, she needs to
know eventually.  I'd hoped to keep it until she was a bit older and able
to understand some of it a little better but you know her psyche better
than I."

   Dee looked between her mother and me with a gravely concerned look.  "Do
I really want to know this mom?  Do I need to know?"

   Tara simply nodded her head and pats the couch next to her so that Dee
knew to sit next to her.  "You may not want to know it, but sooner or later
you do need to know honey.  Tom is very protective of those he loves and if
I hadn't experienced part of what I'm going to tell you, I'd have never
known either."

   I took the EZ chair across from them.  I think some of this was going to
be as stressful for me as it was going to be shocking to her.  Shocking in
that Dee's really not prepared for this level of reality yet.  She has no
idea about the level of participation I had with making sure her father
couldn't hurt either of them.  I have been working up to it slowly because
sometimes it's a total shock to people.  Tara's seen it; I hope Dee never
does.

   She looked directly into Dee's eyes and asked her point blank, "Honey,
what do you know about the Navy SEAL's?"

   Dee looked at her, then to me, then back to her mother, "A little I
guess.  I know their training is very hard and that not many who try out
make it."

   I almost laughed at her term "try out".  But didn't say anything or give
any hint of emotion.  THAT I was very good at.

   Dee continued, "I know they are the ones that are called to do the most
dangerous things the military does," she glanced nervously at me, "I'm sure
they're pretty mean guys."

   "Have you ever met a SEAL honey?"

   "No.  I don't think so, but I don't know about when I was really young."

   Tara smiled and shook her head.  "Honey, the Navy SEAL's are the most
highly trained 'commando's' our country has.  They are the elite - the very
best of the best.  When something happens overseas that our government
wants to deal with quietly but with an iron fist, they don't send in the
Army to invade.  They usually send in the SEAL's to do the job surgically."

   "Surgically?" Dee asked.  She didn't have any idea what that meant in
this instance.  She hadn't looked at me in a few minutes, paying close
attention to what Tara was telling her.

   "Surgically sweetie," Tara explained.  "Like a surgeon only cuts what he
needs to in order to get the bad parts out, teams like the SEAL's
specialize in performing a pinpoint mission and getting out before anyone
knows they've even been there.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it
doesn't. When it doesn't, things can be pretty ugly."

   Tara waited a moment for that to sink in before continuing.  "Honey,
they are some of the nicest, most gentle, quietest, mellowest, soft spoken
people you could ever know.  They won't panic and duck for cover if
something happens.  They'll stand up and move towards whatever it is in an
attempt to end an ugly situation."

   "Do you know any mom?"

   Tara looked at me, and seeing me she began to tear and said, "Yes I do
sweetie, and so do you."

   Dee looked at me and saw that I'd been quietly crying while Tara was
talking.  She jumped up and ran to me, throwing her arms around me, hugging
me tightly trying to give me comfort.  "Why are you crying Tommy?  Did we
say something bad?"

   I looked at her and shook my head, whispering, "No baby, you didn't say
anything bad." I reached around her to hold her tightly.  She still hadn't
really figured out what Tara was telling her yet.

   For someone who was so perceptive and on top of things, there were times
when Dee was totally clueless.  She could over think things and totally
miss the obvious.

   Dee looked over at her mother who was sitting in the same spot with
tears streaked down her face knowing how much she had "pained" me with her
talk.  It wasn't something that I was going to tell Dee unless I had to.

   I'm not ashamed of my service.  Quite the contrary, but I don't
broadcast it.  I don't flaunt it.  I do everything I can to maintain a very
low profile.  All of us do, it is part of the spirit in the teams, but when
the shit hits the fan, don't fuck with me.

   I hadn't planned on Dee learning about that part of my past until she
was a little older if at all.  She really didn't need to know.  I wouldn't
have lied to her if she'd have ever asked a pointed question, but one thing
that's drilled into you is that "You only answer the question asked, you
never volunteer information."

   While watching her mother cry, then looking at me doing the same thing
you could see the calculating, thinking Dee, coming to the surface while
she tried to process what she'd just been told and what she was seeing.

   I could see the light bulb getting a little brighter as the data was
being processed.  Dee was damned smart, so I didn't expect it to take that
long for her to put two and two together.  It didn't.

   She looked at her mother and her eyes got big with surprise, "I know
one?"

   Tara nodded her head and looked me straight in the eyes.  Dee saw it and
the last puzzle piece fell into place.

   "Oh my god," she said breathlessly.  Her head snapped around to look me
in the eyes and she said, "You?"

   I just nodded while more tears started.

   Her arms came around me and she whispered into my ear, "Don't cry Tommy.
Please don't cry.  It's ok.  It'll be ok." She really didn't know how to
respond to my emotions.

   She pulled her head from the side and looked me in the eyes.  I looked
back with obvious pain in mine, "Dee I didn't want you to know about that
kind of stuff for a few more years.  You've only seen this side of me. 
You've never seen the other side and I hope you never do.  You probably
needed to know it exists though."

   She looked at Tara and asked softly, "You've seen it haven't you mom?"

   Tara looked up at us with an extremely pained expression, just nodded
her head got up and ran out of the room sobbing loudly.  Dee has no idea
about the incident with her father.  She'd been with relatives at the time,
purposely!

   Dee looked at me very confused.  I just told her, "Go comfort your mom
sweetie.  We'll talk about it some other time."

   She nodded and not breaking her eye contact for a few more moments
followed her mother into the other room.

   ----

   When Dee caught up with Tara she found her mother in the fetal position
on the couch crying very heavily.  She didn't know quite what to do, so she
just put her arms around Tara and held her.

   Mama, what is it?  What did I say?  I'm so sorry; I never meant to hurt
anyone.

   Tara looked up at her daughter and seeing the concern and worry on her
face, reached out to hold Dee.

   "Oh Dee, you didn't hurt anyone, I did.  I just hurt Tom very badly
sweetie and I hope he'll forgive me some day."

   "How did you hurt Tommy mom?"

   Sitting up and beginning to compose herself, Tara looked into her
daughter's eyes and said, "Tom is very private about his service Dee.  He
can't talk too much about it so he doesn't.  I really don't know that
much."

   "But why would you telling me he was a SEAL hurt him?"

   "Honey, you've seen all the scars he has on his body?" she asked.

   Dee nodded her head to acknowledge, "It's hard to miss them."

   "Those are war wounds honey.  Tom was hurt very badly in the service and
that's why he's no longer in, he was medically discharged.  He fought them
because he doesn't feel that it was warranted, especially considering his
record, but the Navy said no."

   "His record?" Dee asked with a little surprise.

   "Honey, Tom was awarded two silver stars with valor, he was given a lot
of commendations for bravery," Tara related.  Then taking a deep breath,
"He was recommended for the Medal of Honor twice Dee.  One is still under
review, which means he still may be awarded the Medal of Honor.  Do you
have any idea what that means?"

   Dee shook her head; she'd never really thought about it or studied what
it was.

   "Dee, I want you to look it up so you read what it's really about, but
it is our countries highest medal for bravery in the line of fire.  I don't
know what he did, but it must have been very heroic to get recommended. 
Most people die when they do whatever it is that gets them the award.  Dee
he was recommended twice.  He was twenty-two years old."

   Dee was crying at the revelations that her mother was giving to her, but
the bombshell was still in the bomb bay.

   "Dee, don't ever ask him if he is a 'war hero'.  He'll only tell you he
was a sailor doing his job, but I've seen him in action, and he's not one
to be taken trivially."

   "How did you see him in action mom?  You weren't in the Navy."

   "Don't let on that you know anything about this honey, he'll probably
tell you someday but I want you to know.  Tom is the reason that you and I
are safe today."

   "What do you mean by that?" she asked wondering.

   "Dee, Tom is the one who made sure your father was taken into custody
after the police didn't seem to be able to do it."

   "Tom?" Dee asked shocked.  "He's the one that beat him up so badly? 
Daddy is so big...  Wow!"

   "Yes honey, your father got what he deserved."

   "Oh I know that mom, he deserved a lot worse for what he did to you!  He
deserves to rot!"

   Tara gave Dee a very pained look and let out a heavy sigh.  Dee didn't
know, yet.

   Letting out another heavy sigh, "Dee, your father is dead."

   "Huh?" Dee asked shocked.  "When...  "

   "He was murdered in his jail cell about two weeks after he was sent to
prison honey.  There has been no reason for you to know that until now."

   To Dee's shocked questioning look, "What difference is it going to make
Dee?  Is it going to change your life?  Is it going to change the way you
feel?"

   Dee just shook her head but you could tell that her mind was now
somewhere else.  "How?"

   "I've never asked, Dee.  I'm sure Tom knows; remember 'need to know'.  I
have no need to know anything but the fact he's dead.  I don't have to
worry about him getting out and looking for us honey.  That's all I ever
cared about."

   Dee nodded acknowledging what Tara was saying.

   "Honey, I suppose he wasn't as tough as he thought he was.  He should
have learned that when Tom kicked his ass.  I'm sure he tried to play
badass with the wrong people.  He found out there were people there that
were much more 'bad ass' than he was."

   "He got what he deserved," noted Dee.  There was no glee, but a sense of
finality.

   "Thank you for telling me mom.  You're right though, it really makes no
difference in my life."

   Tara nodded smiling, "Anyway honey, Tom isn't anyone to mess around
with. You already know he's very mellow and very gentle.  He doesn't look
for trouble, but he won't run away from it either, he'll take it head on; I
think Marie calls it using his 'special skills'.

   "Just keep it to yourself honey, but understand some of why he is the
way he is.  He loves you more than anything in the world and he would lie
down in front of a tank for you.  Don't ever flaunt or take advantage of
that knowledge!"

   "No mom, I'd never do that.  I'm good at keeping things to myself. 
Tommy taught me 'need to know'."

   Tara chuckled when she heard that, Tom and his 'need to know'.  Good
policy though.

   "Dry your eyes honey, we should go back into the living room and join
him.  Just be aware!"

   "Ok mom, thanks for telling me all this stuff, although I think I'd
rather not know some of it," she said with a wry smile.

   Before they finished and got up, Dee phoned Heather and asked that the
sleepover be postponed for a couple weeks.  She just said that something
had come up and it wasn't a good idea.  They could come over, but the
sleepover would be a couple weeks from now.  She was going to try to get
Julie out of the house though.

   Heather sensed something with that because they all knew that Julie
needed relief from home until she could find a place to move to.  She told
Dee that it was no problem.  She said she'd call Dee tomorrow to see what
was up.

   "Thanks Heather, I appreciate it.  I think I need to get Tom and Julie
together a few times before we can do the sleepover like we planned anyway,
but Jules needs some place to get away to."

   Dee giggled into the phone and said, "Okbye." Then she hung up.

   She looked at Tara and with a shy smile said, "Lessgo."

   Tara smile and both stood up kissed each other lovingly, then with their
arms around each other started back into the other room.

   ----

   I just sat collapsed in my chair, blanked mind; eye's looking far, far
away.  Brain even farther gone.

   I have no idea how long I'd been sitting there staring off into space
trying not to remember things I couldn't forget.  Tara and Dee came slowly
back with their arms around each other.  Dee came and sat on my lap again
while Tara returned to the seat she had been in.  It was apparent that Dee
had been crying.

   She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry Tommy.  I love
you so much."

   I looked at her with eyes she'd probably never seen before and hopefully
will never see again.  I whispered, "There's nothing for you to be sorry
about Dee.  Not a thing.  I love you so much it hurts, and that's why I
didn't want you to know yet.  I wasn't trying to deceive you sweetheart,
but there's not much I am allowed to talk about."

   "I know baby.  I didn't even think that.  Mom told me some things so I
won't talk about it again.  If you want to talk, my ears will be here.  I
may not understand everything, but I'm here to listen."

   I started to cry again and just held her to me and through my sobs said,
"Thank you baby doll.  Someday we'll talk.  I promise.  But not now."

   "It's ok Tommy," she said.  Then changing up the subject she said, "I
called Heather and postponed the sleepover for a few weeks."

   I looked at her and said, "You didn't have to do that sweetie."

   She looked me in the eye and said, "Yes I did.  We'll do it in a week or
two.  It's ok.  If it's ok with you, I'd like to have Julie over for
dinner, maybe tonight?"

   Her eyes started leaking while she mumbled, "I want you to get to know
her Tommy.  I want you to grow to love her too; She really needs someone
gentle and patient right now."

   I looked at her, "That's fine honey.  She's welcome to come over any
time.  She can stay if she needs to."

   So we just sat there and hugged, and got over our tears and began small
talk about other things.  One thing was to try to figure out what to have
for lunch, then dinner.  We decided we were in no shape to go out for lunch
so we'd have to fake it.  It's not like there's no food around, it's just
figuring out what wasn't too much hassle to prepare, given our mental
state.

   Just before getting up off of my lap to go to the kitchen, Dee looked me
in the eyes and whispered, "Thank you for your service sailor.  I'm very
proud of you."

   I looked at her and my eyes started leaking again, but his time it
wasn't a painful leak.  I smiled at her and whispered, "Thank you kitten".
Then we got up and went to scare up some lunch.

   ----

   The rest of the day was rather melancholy with each of us in our own
'little worlds'.  I had no idea the extent of information that Tara had
given to Dee and wouldn't know at all if Tara hadn't said something later
in the day.

   Dinner was just a quick trip to a burger joint in town.  We lightened up
quite a bit during the day as things marinated in each of our minds.  Dee
was contemplative.  Tara was contrite.  I don't know what I was, but I
wasn't going to let anything ruin my day.  It's jus the way I face life -
it is what it is.

   It was obvious that Dee was off in space most of the day and into the
evening.  There were a lot of gears turning and data being crunched.  She
didn't show any negative feelings about the information she was processing,
but she was unusually quiet which Tara and I noticed.

   "Penny for your thoughts Dee," I asked quietly.

   "Oh I don't know Tommy, I'm just thinking.  There're a lot of things to
think about.  Nothing bad honey, just trying to put everything into
perspective."

   "Ok sweetie.  You know if you have any questions about anything you can
ask," I said seriously.  "Part of this adult thing is learning to deal with
those parts of life that are not particularly comfortable.  Please, don't
be inhibited in your questions, we want you to understand.

   She nodded her head and went back to her thoughts.  Tara and I just
looked at each other wondering if we'd done the right thing.  I shrugged
and smiled at her, but again, I didn't know the extent of what Tara had
told Dee.

   I looked at Dee with a big smile and let her know that Tara and I were
going to head off to bed and that she was very welcome to join us.

   "Thank you Tommy, but I think I'm going to wrestle with my brain alone
tonight," Dee said with a small smile.  "You two enjoy your time." Then
with a big grin, "I'll probably attack tomorrow some time so stay on your
toes!"

   I laughed when I stood to head to the bedroom, and leaned down to give
Dee a kiss.  Her arms came up around my neck and held the kiss.  When our
eyes met I'm not sure what I saw, but it was a little different than usual,
again, not bad, just different.  I think I may have been viewing the gears
in action.

   Tara leaned in for the same, and said, "G'night sweetie." Giving Dee a
big grin, "Thank you for sharing honey, I really appreciate it."

   Dee just chuckled and said, "Enjoy, mom." Giggling she added, "He's mine
tomorrow!"

   Tara and I made our way up the stairs to the master for our night of
fun. We left the door ajar to let Dee know she was welcome to join us if
she changed her mind.

   We undressed quickly and jumped in the shower partaking of our usual
game of grope 'n' grab ass.  I'm sure Dee heard the laughs and the moans,
but at this point nobody in the house was overly inhibited.

   After drying each other tenderly, we made our way to the bed laying next
to each other and affectionately caressing and kissing.  It was to be a
very slow, deliberate session of loving each other very tenderly and
neither of us was in any rush.

   There was a pause in the action, and Tara wiggled herself into a
semi-sitting position against the headboard.  She asked me for one of the
'alcohol' drinks from the refer, and I could tell she had something on her
mind she needed to get off of her chest.  I figured I could help with her
chest.

   We sat and sipped at our drinks for a few minutes before Tara issued a
heavy sigh before starting to talk to me.

   "I told her pretty much everything Tom.  She won't ask you about
anything but she knows most of it now."

   With a questioning look I asked, "What do you mean Tara?  Is that why
she's been so deep in thought?"

   Tara nodded her head and looked nervously into my eyes before saying,
"She knows Patrick is dead and she knows a little of your role in making us
safe."

   "Ohhhh," I see why she's so contemplative.

   "How did she take the news?" I asked.

   "Fine.  She said he got what he deserved.  I was a little surprised at
how cold she was in accepting the news, but it has been almost 8 years. 
She didn't have a whole lot of use for him; it's not like he was a positive
role model.  She was more surprised, I think, that it had been you that
took him down."

   "How so?" I wanted to know so I could clear any questions she may have.

   "She didn't say, but you're so mellow and so cool, I don't think she can
conceive of you being 'angry' enough to do something like that.  I mean,
she knows how badly you messed him up."

   "Me?  Mellow?" I said with a chuckle.

   "Tom, you are the mellowest man I've ever known.  I know the reason, but
nothing phases you.  I've never seen you excited about anything, well
except when you and Jim got that Porsche running the first time.

   "Well that's worth getting excited about," I said with enthusiastic
sarcasm.

   "You know what I mean..."

   "Yes sweetie, I know what you mean," I chuckled.

   "I guess I'm glad she knows.  I hope it won't change her feelings."

   "It won't Tom, if anything her respect and love will be stronger."

   Tara took another deep breath, "I also told her about your service Tom,
at least as much as I know.  She was a little taken aback at the cause of
your 'scars'.  Being so young, she never considered the reality of it.  She
knows you don't talk about it and that I don't know anything either, so
that's not something you need to be concerned about.  I told her to look up
what the Medal of Honor is all about, so don't be too surprised if she has
some questions."

   My look must have been somewhat pained because she continued, "I'm sorry
that I hurt you Tom.  I had no intention of causing you any pain."

   "I know Tara, it's really something I need to deal with at some point.
There's not much I can say, so it's difficult for 'outsiders' to
understand. You already know that I'm not happy with the Navy's decision to
discharge me, but there is nothing I can do about it."

   I know honey.  I'm so sorry."

   "There's nothing for you to be sorry for Tara, it's my cross to bear."

   "Forgive me?" she asked hesitantly.

   "Forgive you?  For what?" I asked surprised.

   "For causing you pain Tom, I never meant to hurt you.  It was just
something she needed to hear."

   "Nothing to forgive Tara, I'm not angry with you for anything.  I'm
actually happy that it's finally out.  Not telling her things is against my
grain, but she's so young...  There is no way for her to understand some of
it, and you can see that in her thought processes out there."

   Tara smiled and said, "She won't ask Tom.  I asked her not to, so if you
want her to ask questions, let her know that it's ok."

   "I'll do that sweetie.  Maybe not right away, but I'll let her know.  I
think a look at her 'surf log' on the web over the next few weeks would be
rather interesting because you know she's going to be glued to Google."

   She chuckled, and then leaned in to give me a kiss.  That ended our
discussion and began our night's session of love.

   We had a very intense night of loving each other, slow, tender
passionate love.  It is one of those memorable nights that we would smile
about in the future.

   We fell asleep in each other's arms, warmed by the love we had shared.
We woke up twice during the night and the second time noted that Dee had
joined us and affectionately had her arms wrapped around both of us.

   She was gone when we awoke in the morning, but both of us knew that
she'd been there.  We made slow love again before we hit the showers to
start our day.