Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Title: Brenda & Ian Ch.  02
Summary: Two cousins continue to love each other despite problems.
Keywords: inc,fic
   Sunday March 21
   Brenda woke long before the set time on the alarm.  She looked over at
Ian, who was sleeping on his stomach facing away from her.  Poor guy, she
thought to herself.  She resisted touching him, not wanting to disturb him.
I've put him through a lot these past few days, she thought.  PMS, guilt,
and depression hit her Friday and Saturday and Ian was conveniently there
for the show.  He handled it as best as he could considering it was his
first experience.  Brenda's mood swings varied from wanting to be held and
cuddled to biting his head off for no apparent reason.
   Confused and upset, he left and went to his house to get away for a
while on Saturday.  He wasn't away long, but it did him good.  Normally,
Brenda's PMS wasn't too severe.  Most of the time, she was merely grouchy.
However, with depression hitting her and feeling guilty over her new-found
happiness with Ian, she was in rare form.  When he returned, they had a
long talk, with Brenda trying to describe what she was feeling and Ian
trying to comprehend.  Mentally exhausted from tiptoeing around her on
eggshells, Ian turned in early Saturday evening, leaving Brenda feeling
guilty and upset about that too.
   Looking out at the dark stillness, she felt better than she had.  Still
depressed, she no longer felt guilty about being happy with Ian.  She felt
so sorry for taking everything out on him.  Brenda knew that it wasn't fair
and it wasn't his fault, but she just couldn't stop being mean.  She
understood completely when he left, she would have done the same thing. 
Knowing that her emotions had been on a roller coaster for the past week,
she hoped that this was the worst and that she'd be able to control her
emotions better the next time.
   They hadn't made love for the past two days, either.  Ian didn't press
the issue when Brenda woke up snarling Friday morning.  Nothing kills an
erection faster than a tigress with claws and fangs exposed.  Brenda missed
the closeness but was afraid that her emotions would switch right in the
middle of an interlude.  She knew that she would be mourning for her
parents for a long time and only hoped that she wouldn't take it out on Ian
anymore.
   Carefully and quietly, Brenda got out of bed and put on her robe over
her nightgown.  It was only five o'clock, but she was wide awake.  They
were going to entertain members of her family who had received things from
the will.  When she wasn't snapping at Ian, they had collected most of the
gifts and put them in the formal dining room.  Brenda didn't understand the
reasoning behind some of the gifts, but she hoped that her family could
tell her the story behind it.  She also planned to tell them about her
adoption, but hadn't decided upon whether or not to say anything about her
and Ian's relationship.  She didn't want to deny their relationship, yet
she wasn't going to tell them that they'd been screwing like bunnies since
she found out.  Brenda had no idea as to how to approach it and she wanted
to ask Ian when he awoke.
   Brenda walked to the window and looked out.  Her bedroom looked out over
the street and she could see a gentle breeze moving the branches to and
fro. It was supposed to be a nice day, breezy and sunny with no rain in
sight.  A beautiful day for a walk in the park, she thought.  She began
thinking about times when her parents and Ryan would take her to the park
and let her play on the slides and swings.  Ryan used to push her while she
was on the swing making her go high as she laughed and giggled.  Her
parents would always tell him to ease up, much to her disappointment.  She
never tired of the swings and slides and would become upset when it was
time to go home.  Although it was a happy memory, sad tears began to form
as she tried to wish them away.  They were too strong, however, and she
cried as quietly as possible.  When she finished, she dried her eyes with
her sleeve.  When she turned, Ian was looking at her as he lay on his side
and supported his head with his hand.
   "I didn't wake you, I hope," Brenda said, sniffling.
   "No, you didn't wake me," he replied, "it was more like not feeling you
next to me.  You okay?"
   "Oh, just the usual," she said as she walked back to the bed.  "I just
can't stop feeling sad." She sat down on the bed and looked at him.
   "It's going to take time, a long time."
   "I know."
   Ian didn't know what else to say.  He couldn't begin to understand her
emotions now, no matter how much she explained them to him.  He had never
seen this side of her and he couldn't say that it was a pleasant
experience. He could handle the depression, he had helped her through that
before.  The PMS was an absolute mystery to him.  He could never remember
his mother going through the vicious mood swings that had occurred over the
past four days, or maybe she took it out on his father, sparing him.  He
didn't know.
   Brenda removed her robe and climbed back into bed next to Ian.  He
covered her with the sheet and blanket and drew her close to him.  Soon,
they fell back asleep with her in his arms.
   The alarm woke them two hours later with Brenda still laying against
him. She reached over Ian and shut it off.  She really didn't want to get
up, partly from the depression, but mostly because she felt so safe and
secure in Ian's arms.  Before she got up, she lay on Ian once more and
hugged him tight.
   "I'm sorry," she whispered, fighting back tears.
   "For what?"
   "For being such a bitch lately."
   "I hadn't noticed," he replied, grinning.
   "Yeah, right."
   "Don't worry about it.  I'll survive."
   "I shouldn't take it out on you.  You're the one person who's kept me
sane this past week.  You're everything to me.  I'll try not to do it
anymore.  I promise."
   "Okay."
   "I love you so much," she said as she kissed him.
   "I love you, too."
   Brenda got out of bed and began to take off her nightgown, showing off
her taut, shapely figure to him.  Wide eyed and grinning, Ian stared at
her. Brenda tossed her nightgown to Ian, which he caught neatly.
   "Want to take a shower with me?" She asked seductively.
   "I won't be able to control myself," he replied as he tossed aside the
covers.
   "God, I hope not," she giggled as she took his hand and led the way.
   The afternoon was pleasant as about twenty guests gathered at the house.
Brenda read the will from beginning to end.  When she finished reading it,
she led them to the dining room where the gifts were laid out.
   When they were all there, Brenda said, "I know that there might be some
things that you may want that aren't in the will.  Please let me know and
maybe we can work something out."
   Brenda paused for a few moments to collect her thoughts.  She continued,
"Now, there was another thing that I wanted to say that wasn't in the will.
From what my lawyer told me, no one knew about this and mom and dad never
told me, although I think they really wanted to someday." Brenda fought to
compose herself.
   "I'm adopted," she said, finally as looks of shock and then, sympathy,
appeared on their faces.  "It was quite a shock, believe me, and I'm still
not used to it.  I don't know why they never told me," she lied, "but
that's in the past."
   "I have no desire to find my "real" family.  Everyone in this room is my
family and I need nothing else," she said, looking directly at Ian.
   Brenda's Aunt Marie and Uncle Russell were the first to come to her. 
Marie, with outstretched arms, hugged Brenda tightly.  Soon, everyone else
gathered around her, showing their support and love.  Ian discreetly went
to the kitchen and got more soda and beer from the basement refrigerator.
When he returned, Brenda was chatting with several people.
   While he was placing the drinks and ice on the table, an attractive
blonde, Brenda's cousin, Kelly, came upon him.  She had been one of the
girls who had flirted with him at the funeral.
   "So, you're still living here?" she asked.
   "Only until school starts again," he replied, not really trusting her.
"My folks will be back by then," he added for no particular reason.
   "Your parents don't know you're living here?"
   "Of course they do," he said.
   "Sure," she said, smiling.
   Ian fished into his pocket for a piece of paper.  "Here's their number
in Moscow.  Call them if you like." He pushed the paper to her.
   "No thanks," she replied, a bit bored now that she wasn't able to make
him squirm.  "So, what have you guys been up to?" she asked, trying another
tactic.
   "Well," Ian began, not biting on the bait, "Brenda's been depressed and
crying a lot lately.  Some little thing about her parents being dead and
finding out that she's adopted.  Other than that, nothing much."
   "Well, you don't have to be so flippant about it.  I was just asking,"
she said as a slight pout appeared.
   Ian wasn't fooled, but he apologized anyway.  He excused himself and
sought Brenda.  Kelly watched his hasty retreat and laughed to herself.
   For the rest of the afternoon, Ian avoided any further encounters with
Kelly.  Brenda decided not to mention anything about her relationship with
Ian until they talked with Ian's parents first and Ian was happy with that.
He didn't think that anyone needed to know at that time, although he
assumed that some people already had their suspicions.
   Brenda appeared to be in better spirits.  Perhaps giving the gifts to
her relatives helped her feel better.  After everyone had departed, Ian
helped her clean up, although there wasn't much to do.  It took them less
than an hour and the house looked almost spotless.  It was getting close to
dinner time, but neither wanted to cook.  Instead, they went to pizza
restaurant that Ian frequented.  Brenda ordered only a salad and bread
sticks, while Ian had a medium pizza with plans to take half of it home for
leftovers.  Midway through the meal, Brenda revealed that she had told her
Aunt Marie in private about their relationship.
   "I thought we agreed to wait," Ian said, a bit upset.
   "We did," she responded, "but she already knew anyway."
   "How?"
   "Just call it woman's intuition," Brenda said.  She saw Ian tense up,
his eyes narrowing.  "Relax, Ian.  She won't tell anyone, not even Uncle
Russell.  I trust her completely."
   "Well, okay," he said as he let out a sigh.  "I just want to take some
time before we announce everything."
   "We will, but we'll have to tell your folks when they get back."
   "I know."
   "Are you worried about it?"
   "Not really.  They'll either be okay with it or they'll disown me.  I
can handle it either way."
   "I really don't think they'll disown you."
   "Well, mom wouldn't, but dad would if he gets mad enough."
   "Why would he get that upset?" Brenda asked.  "Once he finds out about
the adoption, he'll know that we aren't blood related.  It shouldn't be
that big a deal."
   "He would be mad because he wouldn't be able to control it.  He likes to
be in charge of everything, including me.  He can't quite get over the fact
that I'm an adult and capable of making decisions.  Even if he did approve,
he'd probably want a say in where and when we got married."
   Brenda took in everything that Ian said and smiled.  "Well, since we
really haven't discussed it much, when do you want to get married?"
   "I don't know," he replied.  "I haven't really thought about an actual
date yet." He took a drink from his water glass.  "Do you have anything
specific in mind?"
   "How about after graduation?" She said, still smiling.
   "What, mine?"
   "No, mine," she replied.
   "You're not talking about after your MBA, are you?"
   "No."
   "You're talking about this year?" he asked.
   "Yes."
   Ian put his napkin on the table in front of him and tried to collect his
thoughts.  "I don't know, Bren," he began, "that's pretty quick.  I thought
we might wait a while.  Won't it be hard to put a wedding together that
fast?"
   "I really don't want to wait until next year."
   "I just thought it would be better if we were both graduated," he
replied.
   "What difference would it make?" she asked, her voice a bit agitated. 
"I'll be in school at least two more years and you have five more.  We'll
both be in school for quite a while.  Do you want to wait that long?"
   Brenda eyed him as he thought things over.  He hoped that his answer
wouldn't make her mad or make her think that he didn't love her or want to
marry her.
   "I don't know," he said, "I certainly don't want to wait five years, but
this is pretty quick for me.  I mean, a week ago, I wasn't even dating
anyone, and now I'm talking about a wedding date!  It's a bit overwhelming
and I think I need a day or two to get used to it."
   "Oh, I see," Brenda said quietly, disappointed.  "Maybe it is too soon.
I don't know.  I just thought that you'd want to get married right away,
like I do." She sniffed and looked the other way.
   Ian reached across the table and took her hand.  "Hey," he said softly
as she looked back at him, "don't ever think that I don't want to marry
you. Just give me a day or two and we'll talk about a date again.  Okay?
   "Okay," she nodded.
   The rest of the dinner time went by quietly as Ian thought about
different dates and whether or not waiting a year would make a difference.
Every once in a while, he'd look up and see Brenda staring at him, almost
knowing what he was thinking about.  She would just smile and go back to
her dinner.  It didn't appear that she was upset about his answer and he
was grateful for that.
   After dinner, they went grocery shopping and had fun arguing about what
to buy.  Brenda was more of a fruit and vegetable, healthy eater, whereas
Ian was the typical college student; he saw, he ate.  He'd put something in
the cart and Brenda would put it back just as quickly.  Brenda would put
something in the cart that Ian didn't like and he would make a rude comment
about her selection.  This went on for almost the entire time and Ian was
beginning to think that they were already married.  He then realized that
it didn't matter when they were married, all that mattered was that they
were together.
   "I can't believe that you're buying all of this healthy crap," he
complained as Brenda picked out different flavors of yogurt.  "I won't be
able to find anything to eat when we get home."
   "Poor baby," she replied as she continued to stockpile the yogurt. 
"You'd better get used to it because I'm going to get you to eat right,
even if it kills you!"
   Ian started to laugh, but stopped when he saw the look of horror on her
face.
   "What?" he asked, looking at her.  Brenda had both hands covering her
mouth.
   "I can't believe I said that!  Oh my God, I'm sorry," she cried.
   He took the yogurt from her hand and put them in the cart, then placed
both hands on her shoulders.  "It's okay.  It was a joke.  Don't worry
about it."
   "I know, but..."
   "It was funny.  It's okay."
   He pulled her close and held her tight for a few seconds.
   "I didn't mean it..." her voice trailed off.
   "I know, I know," he said as he smoothed her hair.  "Don't worry about
it," he said earnestly.
   She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Let's go find some junk food," she said, sniffing and trying to smile.
   "Now you're talking," Ian laughed.
   As he helped her put away the groceries, Ian knew that he needed no more
time to think about a wedding date.  Watching her move about the kitchen,
Ian knew that a piece of paper couldn't tell him what he already knew in
his heart, that he was already married to her in his mind, soul, and body.
   When they finished, Ian sat at the bar and announced, "We got to talk
about this wedding stuff."
   Confused, Brenda said, "I thought you needed some time to think about
it." She sat down next to him.
   "I don't need to think about it any more," he said seriously.
   "You don't?"
   "No." There was a long pause.
   "Well?" she asked anxiously.
   "Well what?"
   "Oh Ian, stop it!  That drives me crazy."
   "Okay, okay," he laughed.  "Over the last few years, both of wished that
we weren't cousins, weren't related, and now that's come true.  We've found
that we shouldn't waste time because you never know what might happen.  So,
what I guess what I'm trying to say is this; whenever, wherever, however
you want to get married, I'll be there.  It can be tomorrow, next week, or
next year.  All I know is that I want to be with you forever starting right
now." He stared at her, waiting for her reaction.
   Not believing what she heard, she said, "Are you sure?"
   "Well, tomorrow, I might change my mind, but I'm sure right now," he
grinned.
   "Oh Ian!" she squealed as she threw herself at him, upsetting the bar
stool and sending it toppling to the floor.  It went unnoticed as Brenda
smothered him with kisses.
   "Oh God, Ian, I love you so much," she said when she came up for air. 
His arms were around her waist as she looked down at him.  "I love you more
than anything," she continued as her lips found his mouth once again.  His
hands dropped down to her firm butt and he began to squeeze it gently.  As
their kisses became more heated, he moved his hands upward and began
teasing her nipples through her blouse and bra.  Brenda squirmed a little
as it was tickling her more than arousing her.  Ian eased off and began
massaging her breasts as their tongues met and playfully wrestled.
   "Maybe we should go upstairs," Brenda said breathlessly as she pulled
her shirt-tail out of her slacks.
   "We're doing fine right here," grinned Ian as he started to unbutton her
blouse.
   "Come on," she said, taking his hands from her blouse and pushing away.
"I want something soft underneath me.  We can try tables and floors some
other time."
   "What about the washer during the spin cycle?  I've heard that's fun,"
Ian said.
   "Well," she giggled, "maybe next time I'm doing laundry, you can have
your way with me."
   "Promise?"
   Brenda laughed, "Come on." She pulled him off the stool and led him
upstairs.
   Her bare breasts swayed above him as she rocked gently, riding him
slowly and loving the feeling of him fully inside her.  Ian reached up and
touched them, feeling their soft roundness in his hands.  He rubbed his
palms over the nipples lightly, delighted in seeing them protrude.  Brenda
murmured a sigh of approval as she continued rocking in a slow, sensual
motion.  The mini-waves began to roll in and Brenda groaned from the
pleasure that she was feeling.
   Ian reached forward and began to fondle her clitoris, her lips and vulva
slick from their juices.  A huge shiver went through her and she stiffened
slightly, her vaginal muscles tightening around Ian.  He moaned at the
pressure, but Brenda continued her rhythmic swaying.  Ian started to move
his hips and began thrusting into her as she came down on him.
   "No baby," she whispered, "let me do it." Ian stopped and began
stimulating her clitoris once more.  Soon, her rocking became faster and
her breasts started to bounce, an erotic view for Ian as he watched.
   As the minutes passed, her bucking quickened, pushing herself onto him
harder and feeling him get bigger inside her as his release came nearer. 
Soon, the waves exploded inside of her, sending spasm after spasm through
her as she frantically impaled herself again and again on Ian.  She said no
words, but her groans and squeals told Ian that she was in the throes of a
great orgasm.  As her vaginal muscles tightened around him, he could no
longer control himself as his penis began to pulsate within her.  Brenda
stopped bucking and let herself feel each stream as it soaked her insides,
her own spasms coming in slow, delicate waves from within.
   They laid side by side staring at each other, totally lost in the
moment. No words were spoken as Ian drew her close and began kissing her
softly all over her face.  His lips tickled her eyelashes as he kissed each
lid.  Brenda particularly liked it when he kissed her nose, as no one had
ever done that before.  He nibbled on each earlobe and made it down to her
neck, where he kissed her throat at the notch between her collar bones. 
Brenda's eyes were closed as she wrapped her leg over his thigh, her
breasts pressed against him.  Ian noticed the stickiness of her inner
thighs but said nothing, his head against her chest.
   "I need you so much," she whispered, her breath hot in his ear.  Ian
placed his hand on her back and began to run his finger lightly across her
skin.
   "You'll never get rid of me," he replied.
   "I never want to let you go.  You're part of me now.  If you left, a
part of me would surely die." Brenda pulled back and looked at Ian
seriously.  "Tell me you'll never leave me.  I couldn't live without you.
Please tell me!"
   "I'll never leave you.  I promise," he replied just as seriously,
staring directly into her misting brown eyes.  "I love you too much to ever
let you go."
   Thursday March 25
   Brenda woke up horny that morning as she had the previous two.  She
started her period on Monday and she really wanted Ian.  Unfortunately, she
knew it would be another day or two before it would end.  Of course, they
had done everything else besides intercourse, their tongues and mouths
working their magic many times over, but she ached for Ian to be inside her
and make them one once more.  But, Ian was more than happy to please her in
every other way, so who was she to stop him from that?
   She rolled over and found the other side of the bed empty.  Tempted to
play with herself, she thought better of it, wanting Ian to do it.  His
fingers and tongue always gave her more intense orgasms than when she
soloed.  She pulled on a robe and made her way down to the kitchen where
she found Ian reading the morning newspaper.
   "Hi," he said as he peeked over the top.
   "What are you doing up so early?" she asked as she went to the
refrigerator.
   "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come down here for a while."
   "Oh," she replied as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.  She
looked at the clock and it was only four-fifteen.  She put the juice carton
back in the fridge and sat down next to him.
   "What time is their plane due in?" she asked, reaching for a section of
the paper.
   "Around one-thirty," he answered quietly.
   Brenda could tell that he was very apprehensive about his parents
returning just by the way he had been acting since his mother called the
previous evening.  He had been quiet, pensive, and to himself until they
went to bed, and only then did he go back to his joking, playful self.  Of
course, Brenda being naked probably had a lot to do with it.
   "What time do you want to go?"
   "Noon, I guess," he answered.  "I need to stop by the house and make
sure everything's in order." Sometimes, the maid got lazy when his parents
were away and he certainly didn't want them upset once they got home.  "On
second thought," he added, "maybe eleven would be better in case things
aren't right."
   "But, Ian, no one's been there to mess anything up.  You've been here
almost the entire time."
   "I just want to make sure," he said, his voice starting to tense.
   "Okay," she answered.  She knew he was determined to go early and
nothing could change his mind, so she dropped it.  Still tired, she
finished her juice and put down the paper that she hadn't read.  Yawning
and stretching, she said, "Well, I'm going back to bed.  Coming?"
   "I don't know.  I'm not very tired," he answered, although his voice
betrayed him.
   "Suit yourself," she said as she stood up, opened up her robe and
revealed her nakedness to him, "but I give killer back rubs."
   Ian eyes traveled from her perky breasts to her trimmed pubic hair and
he grinned.  "Gee, I'm feeling tired all of the sudden." He put the paper
aside and joined a laughing Brenda back to bed.
   They woke up at eight o'clock still in each other's arms.  Ian had
fallen asleep almost immediately from her touch and she soon thereafter. 
While Ian showered, Brenda changed her tampon.  It was still red and
glistening and Brenda angrily flushed it.  After she inserted a new one,
she joined him and they had a leisurely, sensual shower together.  Brenda
wished that they could stay in there forever as Ian gently cleansed her
from top to bottom, stopping only to briefly tease her nipples with his
lips and tongue.  She almost climaxed right then and there, but she needed
more.  When the water started to cool, they got out and toweled off in the
hot, steamy room.  Once in the bedroom, Ian finished what he started,
kissing, licking, and stroking all of her favorite spots until she came to
a quick and sweet climax.
   "You are so good," she said as she kissed him, stroking his face.  She
could see a hint of sadness in his green eyes.  She thought about saying
something, but she let it pass.  Ian scooted down slightly and rested his
face between her breasts, sighing as he did so.
   Brenda smiled and began running her hand through his hair.  She enjoyed
having him lay on her.  It comforted her.  They stayed that way, saying
nothing, for ten minutes or so before Brenda nudged him and told him that
it was time to get ready.  Reluctantly, Ian raised up from her chest.
   "Too bad, I was really enjoying that," he said sleepily.
   "Me too," she agreed.  Brenda gave him a quick kiss before they got out
of bed and began getting ready.
   Driving to his house, Ian was clearly becoming more and more nervous
about his parents return.  He was very quiet and his mind wandered
periodically.  He had no idea how they would react to the news, but somehow
he had the feeling that it wasn't going to be pretty.  Besides checking on
the maid, they needed to change cars, his car being much too small to
handle all of the luggage that they had for the trip.  They parked in the
garage and entered the house.  Ian made a quick inspection of the lower
level and found it satisfactory.  They went upstairs and found the maid
cleaning one of the bathrooms, although Brenda thought it to be spotless.
The maid heard them and turned to greet them.
   "Oh, Mr.  Nicks, it's good to see you.  I was just finishing up."
   "Everything looks good, Mrs.  Thomas.  We'll be back sometime around
three o'clock."
   "I've turned all of the beds, so they can rest after their flight," she
said.
   "That's fine.  I'm sure they'll want to rest when they return," Ian
replied.  "Well, we'll be going." Ian and Brenda turned to leave as the
maid returned to her work.
   When they were out of hearing range, Brenda said, "Everything looks
perfect.  I thought you said she wasn't that good."
   "She's good when she wants to be," he responded curtly.
   They stopped by his room and went in.  It was small, just the way Ian
liked it.  Brenda liked his room also.  It was familiar to her and it
looked like a typical college kids room.  He had various wall hangings of
sports teams on one wall and movie posters on another.  A large bookcase
almost covered a third.  It was a bit cluttered, but fairly neat.  The maid
never cleaned or rearranged his room, per his request, so that things
wouldn't be misplaced or lost.  He did his own cleaning and his parents
never bothered him about it.
   Since it was still early, they decided to hang around the house for a
bit.  They went to the rec room and played billiards and table tennis.  Ian
beat Brenda easily at billiards, mainly because he played virtually every
day, but found her to be quite a challenge at table tennis.  She was very
quick and always seemed to find the corners with her shots.  They split
four games and stopped when it was time to go.  Brenda chided him about
quitting just before she was going to beat him again, but Ian only shrugged
and smiled.  They went to the garage and Ian led Brenda to his father's
Mercedes where let her in.
   During the ride to the airport, Brenda tried to joke with Ian, but was
met with a tight smile, a one word reply, or stone silence.  When he took
her hand in his, it seemed to be the only comfort he wanted at that time.
They reached the airport with about a half hour to spare and immediately
checked with the airline for the time of arrival.  It was going to be on
time, so they sat down and waited.
   After a few minutes of checking out the people and the hustle and bustle
of the airport, Brenda asked, "So, when are we going to tell them?"
   Ian thought carefully as he took his eyes off of a magazine that was in
his hands.  His stomach was churning from nerves.  He didn't like
confrontations and was a bit intimidated by his father.  But, this was the
one time when he was standing up for himself and would not be bullied.  He
knew that he was in the driver's seat, so to speak, and nothing that his
father said or did would make a bit of difference.  He only hoped that it
wouldn't come to an ultimatum, that they would be happy for them and
support them.
   "This evening would be best," he said, "after they're settled and
rested."
   "Okay," Brenda replied.  She knew that he was tense about telling them,
but she didn't know how to reassure him.  Brenda was determined that Ian
would be in her bed that evening and every evening thereafter, no matter
what.  There was no way that she ever wanted to be alone again and if it
meant alienating her aunt and uncle, her future in-laws, then so be it. 
She knew all too well how short life and true happiness were, and she
wasn't going to let it slip away.  Brenda leaned over and gave him a kiss
on the cheek and smiled at him.
   "Hey, no PDA in front of the folks until we tell them," Ian said
seriously.
   Brenda didn't know if he was joking or not.  "Can I at least hold your
hand?"
   "I, I don't know," he stammered as he looked away.  He hoped that it
wouldn't anger her.
   "Oh, come on, Ian," she said gently, not angry at all.  "We've been
affectionate around them before.  I don't think they'll think anything of
it.  Anyway, I'm going to take your hand whether you like it or not.  And
if you resist at all, I'll start unbuttoning my blouse." She leaned over
and unbuttoned the first button, revealing the tops of her breasts and her
white lace bra.
   "Oh Jesus!" Ian said.  "Don't do that, Brenda.  I won't be able to stand
up!"
   Brenda giggled and started to unbutton the second one.
   "Okay, okay," he relented, "you can hold my hand, but please don't
undress right now.  Save it until we get home."
   Brenda smiled as she re-buttoned her blouse.  When he said "home", she
knew he meant to be in her house, in her bed that night.  She wanted to
make that night extra special for Ian in appreciation for his courage.
   Janet and Adrian came into view a few minutes after two o'clock.  Janet
saw Ian and Brenda first and her heart sank.  She had hoped to Ian would be
alone, not wanting to face Brenda that soon.  They strode quickly through
the terminal until Ian saw them.  He waved to them and stood up.
   He leaned down to Brenda, "Well, here it goes."
   Brenda nodded and tried to smile as she slowly rose from the seat.
   Janet waved back as they exited the terminal.  Ian met them, hugging his
mother and kissing her on the cheek.  When he released her, she looked at
Brenda awkwardly.
   As Ian moved over to shake his father's hand, Brenda moved forward to
Janet.  Brenda had always liked Ian parents, although she wasn't close to
them.
   As they embraced, Janet said, "I'm sorry."
   Brenda replied, "I know.  Thank you."
   "I should have come," Janet said sadly, trying to make up to her.
   "It's okay."
   "It's not okay," Janet replied stiffly, "I should have come." She looked
down in embarrassment.
   "It's okay," Brenda insisted, touched by Janet's sincerity.  Brenda
hugged her once more before Janet let go.
   "We'll talk at the house, okay?" Janet said.
   "Sure."
   She moved over and hugged her Uncle Adrian.  When they parted, Adrian
said, "Let's get the bags.  It'll be good to get home."
   As they walked to the baggage area, Ian asked, "How was the trip?"
   "Not as good as I hoped, but I got a few contracts signed," his father
replied.  "But, I don't know if I made enough to offset your mother's
spending," he added wryly.  Janet playfully punched him in the ribs.
   Once they gathered all of the baggage, Ian found a luggage dolly and
they filled it.  They walked to the entrance of the airport, the men saying
nothing while Janet engaged Brenda in small talk about the trip.  As they
waited, Ian brought the car to the entrance.  Janet and Brenda sat in the
back seat as Ian and Adrian packed the trunk.  It took a few minutes of
rearranging, but they managed to get it all in and still be able to close
the lid.  Ian tried to give the keys to his father, but Adrian wanted
nothing to do with driving, feeling a bit off balance from the mini bottles
of bourbon that he had consumed during the flight.
   When they arrived home, Ian parked in the garage.  Mrs.  Pyrzinski, the
cook, was busy preparing a meal when Janet and Brenda walked in.  Ian and
his father arrived minutes later, luggage in hand, and made their way
upstairs to the bedrooms.  They would make another trip to the garage
before all of the luggage was brought in.  Mrs.  Thomas helped Janet and
Brenda unpack the suitcases while Ian went back downstairs and Adrian
prepared to take a shower.
   "It's so good to be home," Janet said to Brenda after she instructed
Mrs. Thomas about the clothes.  They were in Janet's study, a large room
that overlooked the east side of the house.  Janet walked over to a couch
and invited Brenda to sit down with her.  They sat awkwardly for a few
moments as Janet tried to decide how to begin a conversation.
   Finally, she began.  "You know, I've always regretted not getting closer
to you.  I guess your father and I not speaking had a lot to do with it,
but that's no excuse.  I wish your father and I had gotten along better,
but we were both too stubborn.  For as long as can remember, we always
fought and argued.  We just could not be civil to each other.  It was as
much my fault as it was his, but we should have done something about it."
   Brenda watched for any signs of her breaking down, but saw none.  Janet
was stoic and matter of fact.
   "When your father and I stopped speaking," she continued, "I wished that
I could have had a good relationship with you, as good as Ian seemed to
have with Harry and Alice, but we were gone a lot and you two weren't
around as much.  I guess I just didn't make a good enough effort." Janet
touched her hand.  "I want to make that up to you.  I know it's too late
for Harry and I and it should have started a long time ago, but I don't
want to lose touch with you again.  I don't have too much family left..."
Her voice trailed off.
   Brenda looked down at their hands.  Her aunt's hands were long and
slender, much like her father's were.  She looked back at Janet and thought
she saw tears forming, but she wasn't sure.
   "I'd like that very much," Brenda said.  "I've always liked you and
Uncle Adrian.  You've always treated me kindly, even when things were at
their worst between dad and you.  I..."
   Brenda hesitated, not knowing if she should go further.  She looked
momentarily out the window to gather her thoughts.  Janet was still looking
at her intently, waiting for Brenda to continue.
   "I've always wanted to know," Brenda began again, "why you two stopped
speaking.  Ian doesn't have an idea and dad never discussed it.  Would you
please tell me now?" Her eyes pleaded, begging her aunt to solve a mystery
for her.
   Janet exhaled loudly and looked away.  She got up from the couch and
walked to the window, hands folded in front of her.  She turned back to
Brenda and said quietly, "I promised your father and mother that I would
never say anything about it."
   "They're dead now.  Please tell me."
   "I...I can't.  They should have told you."
   "Told me?  Told me what?  They can't tell me anything now.  It's okay to
tell me..." Suddenly, it all fell into place.  Brenda dropped her head as
it sunk in.  All of the animosity between her father and aunt over the
previous five years was because of her.
   "It was about my adoption, wasn't it?" she asked softly, barely audible.
She continued to look down at her hands.
   Janet nodded.  "When did you find out?"
   "It was with the will."
   "They never told you," Janet said with disapproval in her voice.  "I'm
so sorry.  I wanted them to tell you a long time ago, as soon as I found
out about it.  I could never understand why they kept it from you.  You
should have known long ago.  I'm so sorry," she said once more.
   "I wished that they had told me.  It was such a shock to me, finding out
from a piece of paper.  I'm still trying to get over it." Brenda looked up
at her aunt.  "How did you know I was adopted?  I thought no one else
knew."
   Janet went back to the sofa and sat beside Brenda once more.  "I
overheard them arguing in your kitchen one evening.  Your mother wanted to
tell you, but your father was against it.  I tried to reason with him, but
our tempers got the best of us and things deteriorated from there. 
Sometimes, I wished that I had just told you myself.  It couldn't have made
things any worse, since we weren't speaking to each other, but it just
wasn't my place."
   "I almost wish that, too," Brenda said.  "I guess I'll never
understand."
   They were silent for a few minutes as they searched for things to say.
Janet glanced out the window before she spoke.  "We were surprised that Ian
is still at your house."
   "I asked him to stay."
   "That's odd."
   "How so?"
   "I know Ian and I didn't think he would stay more than a day or two."
   "I really needed him to stay."
   "Someone else could have stayed with you, an aunt, a friend from
school..."
   "No one else offered," Brenda interrupted.  She wondered what she was
getting at.
   "What's going on between you two?" Janet blurted out.
   "Wha...?  Brenda stammered.
   "Oh, come now, dear.  I can see the way you look at him.  It's not too
hard to see.  Why else would he have stayed at your house for so long?  I
see it in him every time he looks at you.  So, how serious is it?" she
demanded.
   Brenda was stuck.  She didn't know whether to tell her the whole story,
part of it, or none of it.  She really wanted Ian with her at that moment,
but he was nowhere in sight.  Janet waited patiently for Brenda to answer,
her steel gray eyes softening momentarily.
   "I guess..." Brenda began softly, "Well..." her voice barely audible,
"We never meant to fall in love..."
   "You two are in love?" Janet asked incredulously.
   "Yes."
   "But, you're cousins," Janet said.
   "In name only," Brenda retorted.  "We have no blood lines."
   "This can't go on.  You must stop this nonsense now.  What will people
think?" Janet's voice was starting to rise.
   "People will think what they want.  We can't change that."
   "Brenda, you can't continue this," Janet pleaded.  "I ask you to stop
this nonsense before it gets out of hand!  Adrian will flip if he finds
out!"
   "Aunt Janet," Brenda said calmly, "we have no intention of stopping.  We
love each other so much.  We hoped for your support."
   "I can't support this," she hissed.  "You are cousins, no matter what
you think.  Incest is still against the law in this state!"
   "We are cousins in name only," Brenda insisted.  "Why can't you
understand that?  We are not blood related, therefore it is not incest and
we are not breaking any laws."
   Janet got up abruptly from the sofa, walked behind it and slapped the
back of the sofa with her hand.  Brenda flinched at the sound and looked
back at her.  "Adrian is going to flip, he's just going to flip out," Janet
said as she shook her head back and forth.  She paced the floor behind the
sofa, hands on her hips.
   "How far are you planning to take this?" she asked.
   "We plan to marry after I graduate," Brenda replied firmly.  Where was
Ian?
   "Marry after you graduate?" Janet squealed.  "Are you out of your mind?
I can't believe this!  Have you really thought about this?  Do you know
what this will do to us?  My God, think about it."
   "What this will do to you?  Is that all you care about?  What about Ian
and me?  Don't you want him to be happy?  Don't you want us to be happy? 
My God, don't you...." Brenda stopped as Ian appeared at the door.
   "I guess I interrupted something serious," he said as he walked in.
   "Just your wedding plans," Janet spat out.
   "I see.  I was hoping to discuss it this evening," he said nervously,
but he was glad to have it out in the open.
   "What is the matter with you, Ian?" Janet growled.  "Don't you realize
that you and Brenda are cousins and that will never change?  Think of our
reputations and how it will hurt the family."
   "I never thought that marrying the person that I love and cherish would
hurt our family.  I would hope that everyone would understand and be happy
for us.  Obviously, you think otherwise and nothing I say will make any
difference." Ian stopped talking and moved closer to Brenda.
   "I can't believe you two are actually serious about this," she snapped.
"Your father is going to have an absolute fit..."
   "Fit about what?" Adrian said from the doorway.  He was dressed in a
bathrobe and slippers and had a towel wrapped around his neck.
   Ian turned at his father's voice and felt his stomach start to churn. 
In as firm a voice that he could muster, Ian said, "Brenda found out that
she's adopted when the will was read.  We love each other and we want to
get married." There was no turning back now.
   Adrian's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.  Ian thought he saw a vein
bulge from his forehead, but he wasn't sure.  Adrian thrust his hands into
the pockets of the robe and began to pace the floor.
   "Let me get this straight," he began, "Brenda's adopted and you want to
marry her."
   "Yes," Ian answered.
   "Did you knock her up?" he asked cruelly.  Janet winced.  Even she
didn't expect that.  Brenda looked at him with contempt.  Only Ian didn't
flinch.  He knew what to expect from his father.
   "I believe she's been on the pill since she was thirteen," Ian answered
politely, "so, no, I don't think she's pregnant."
   "So, you're telling me that within a week or two, you've decided to fall
in love, play house, and get married."
   "Actually, I think it was play house, fall in love, then get married,"
Ian answered sarcastically.  He knew it would irritate his father
dramatically, but he didn't care at this point.
   "You don't seem to understand how serious this is."
   "I take a marriage proposal very seriously," he answered flatly.
   "You know what I mean."
   "No, I don't.  Fill me in."
   "Does incest ring a bell?"
   "It's not incest."
   "How so?"
   "We're not blood related."
   "That doesn't matter."
   "According to the law, it does."
   "No one gives a shit about the law!" Adrian thundered.  "It's how people
perceive you.  You two will always be cousins in everyone's eyes."
   "Then everyone will have to develop a new perception."
   "You will not do this," Adrian said, pointing his finger at Ian.  "I
won't let you."
   "You have no say in this," Ian said quietly, in control.
   "I don't have a say in this?" Adrian moved closer to Ian, trying to
intimidate him.  "Who pays for your schooling and everything you have?"
   "Well, I'm on scholarship, but you pay for most of everything else." Ian
worked summers to earn money for extras.
   "You're being a real smart ass and it's starting to piss me off!  You
two are not getting married and that's final!" he roared.
   "Dad, you don't have a say in this and you can't stop us, so please be
reasonable," Ian said.
   "Don't push it, Ian," he hissed.  He turned to Brenda.  "I think it's
time for you to go home and forget this stupid notion of marriage.  If you
had kept your pants on, he wouldn't be in this mess."
   Brenda's face went crimson with anger.
   "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Ian said firmly.
   Adrian turned back to Ian.  "You don't tell me what to do in my house,
boy!  I still run the show here and if you don't like it, get the hell
out!" Ian looked at Brenda as she began to stand up.
   "Adrian!  That's enough!  There's no reason for this talk," Janet
exclaimed.
   "They are not getting married and that's it.  He's not going to talk to
me that way and get away with it!"
   "Come on, Brenda, let's go," Ian said.
   "You wait right there," Adrian commanded.
   "What?" Ian asked impatiently, wanting to leave.
   Adrian held out his hand.  "Give me your keys."
   "Adrian, no!" Janet squealed.
   "If he wants to leave that bad, he doesn't need keys." He turned back to
Ian.  "Oh, and by the way, you'll never get a dime from me."
   Ian grinned and managed a chuckle.
   "What's so funny?" Adrian demanded.
   "You just don't get it, do you?  I don't give a damn about your money
anymore.  You think that by cutting me off, I'll suddenly change my mind. I
can't believe it." Ian dug into his pocket and pulled out his key chain.
   "And the car keys, too." Adrian seethed.
   Ian laughed and shook his head.  He took off the house keys and the car
keys and handed them to this father.
   "Adrian, don't do this." Janet cried.
   "He's not welcome until he learns respect and stops this idiotic notion
of marrying her."
   "You're crazy," Brenda said as she stood next to Ian.  "I don't know
what your problem is, but you need some serious therapy."
   "That's enough out of you," Adrian warned.
   "Is this how you do your business?  If someone doesn't agree with you,
you kick them out.  Is that it?  I pity you.  There's something wrong with
you."
   "Get out of here," he dismissed her.
   "Gladly." She walked past him and took Ian's hand.
   "Adrian, stop it, stop it!  You can't do this to him," Janet pleaded,
crying.  Adrian ignored her.
   Ian and Brenda walked out of the room and went down the hall towards his
room.
   "You don't need to go in there," Adrian called behind them, "you're not
taking anything with you."
   Ian stopped and turned around.  "I'm getting my books and notes.  You
may have paid for everything else, but you paid nothing for my schooling.
I'm getting my books and notes and you can keep everything else!" Not
waiting for a reply, they entered his room.  He found three backpacks and
filled them with textbooks and notebooks.  Arms folded, Adrian waited at
the door, Janet sobbing behind him.  The only other thing that Ian took was
his computer disks.  He handed the lightest backpack to Brenda and he
hoisted the other two onto his shoulders.
   "You ready?" he whispered to Brenda.  She nodded.  Wordlessly, they
brushed past Adrian and headed down the stairs.  Brenda looked at Ian as
the reached the front door and saw tears streaming down his face.  Without
looking back, he opened the door.  They stepped out and closed the door
behind them.
   "You bastard!" Janet hissed at Adrian when the door closed.
   "He'll be back," he said confidently.  Janet strode away quickly, went
back to her study and locked the door behind her.
   They walked quickly away from the house and didn't look back.  The
backpacks were heavy against Ian's shoulders, but he barely noticed.  His
thoughts were filled with rage and disbelief.  His figured his father would
be upset, but he didn't think he would be that stupid.  Like Brenda, he
wondered how he became such a success at negotiating oil contracts.  When
he told Brenda that he might be disowned, he was partly kidding.  He really
didn't think that it would come to that.
   Hands in his pockets and looking straight ahead, he thought that,
eventually, they would come to their senses, at least his mother would.  He
knew that his father could be a different story.  After five minutes, he
stopped abruptly and dropped the books to the ground.  His shoulders ached
and they needed a break.  Brenda slipped her backpack to the ground and
looked at him.  Ian stretched his arms behind him and sighed.
   "I never thought it would be like this," he said, looking up.  "Who
would have thought?" He shook his head.  Brenda slipped her arms around him
and hugged him tight.  Ian tried to smile, but couldn't.  "Come on," he
said, "it's only a few more blocks before we hit Main Street.  We'll get a
cab from there."
   "Okay," Brenda said as she picked up one of the backpacks that Ian had
carried.
   "Hey, I've got that one," Ian protested as he tried to take it from her.
   "No, I've got it," she insisted as she started to walk away from him. 
Shaking his head, he picked up the other two and followed her.
   Once they were back at the house, they took the backpacks upstairs and
put them in Ian's room.  Ian sat on the bed and looked blankly at the wall.
A few seconds later, Brenda sat down next to him and put her hand on his
arm.
   "Want to talk?" she asked.
   "Oh, I don't know," he sighed.  "Everything's been pretty much laid out
in the open.  I guess we can cross two off of our wedding list."
   "Please don't say that.  Maybe they'll come around."
   "You think so?  You would have thought I was marrying the devil herself.
They just couldn't get past the cousin thing."
   "Well, we struggled with that for a while," Brenda replied.  "Remember?"
   "Yeah, but once we found out about your adoption, we got by that pretty
fast."
   "Record time, I think," Brenda smiled.
   "Yeah," he agreed.  "I just can't understand why they're so hung up on
it.  Our reputations.  What will people think?  It's so stupid."
   "I don't know what to say," Brenda said.
   "Neither do I right now.  Mom might soften after a bit, but I really
pissed off dad.  I don't know if I've ever seen him madder.  I knew he'd
get mad, but that was ridiculous."
   "It was like seeing a whole different person.  I didn't know him," she
added.
   "Same here." Ian shrugged his shoulders and then stretched.  "It's his
loss," he mumbled to himself.
   "What?" Brenda asked.
   "Nothing," he replied.  Ian put his arms around her shoulders and held
her close before putting his head against her shoulder and chest.  He
sighed heavily but made no other sound.
   Ian and his father were never close, but he was confused at the fury of
his father's actions.  He knew that the threat of disinheritance was always
there, but he never thought that it would come to that.  Although not
altogether surprised, it still hurt nonetheless.  Ian was sad, but not sad
enough to cry.  He wasn't going to cry over him anyway.  Ian was very
thankful to be with Brenda now.  She was the only thing that made sense in
his life at that moment.
   Brenda held him tight and kissed his forehead, hoping to somehow comfort
him.  His head felt heavy against her, but she didn't complain.  She knew
how much he needed her at this time.  After a few minutes, Ian's growling
stomach interrupted the quiet time that they were sharing.
   "Are we hungry?" Brenda laughed.  Even Ian managed a smile.
   "I guess so," he shrugged.  He then remembered that they were going to
eat at his parent's house until certain events nixed that plan.
   "Come on, I'll fix us something," she said as she stood up and extended
her hand to him.
   "Nah, you don't have to.  You've cooked the last few nights.  You name
the restaurant, my treat." Ian looked up at her.
   "You sure?" she asked.
   "Of course," he replied, "can't a guy treat his future wife to dinner?"
   "I'd be a fool to pass that up.  I may never see it happen again," she
teased.
   "Hey, that's not nice.  I'm sure you'll see it at least once or twice
more in the next fifty years."
   "Whoopie!"
   "Well, what do you expect?  You're the millionaire in this house," he
said, quite amused.
   "Are you going to keep talking or do you want to eat?" Brenda demanded,
hands on hips.
   "Eat."
   "Well, shut up and get going!" she commanded.
   "Yes, ma'am."
   Brenda chose a small Italian restaurant that catered to the university
crowd.  It wasn't crowded, being late afternoon, so she asked for a dimly
lit corner table.  The restaurant was quaint and charming, with soft
instrumental music playing in the background.  The waiter asked if they
wanted anything to drink.  Ian ordered a carafe of Zinfandel for them.
   "Oh, I love a romantic," Brenda cooed.
   "I only ordered it to get drunk.  Did you want something, too?" he asked
innocently.
   "God, you're such a brat!" she exclaimed.  You sure know how to ruin a
moment."
   "You wouldn't want me any other way," he said seriously.
   "Never."
   Brenda's soft eyes flickered through the flame of the candle that
separated them.  Ian couldn't help but to stare at her, her eyes and smile
melting him.
   Once they received their meals, they took their time, thoroughly
enjoying the food, wine, and each other's company.  Exchanging glances,
they didn't speak much, but let their eyes do the talking.
   When they finished, Ian paid the bill and left a generous tip.  Brenda
offered to help pay, but Ian insisted.  Adrian hadn't said anything about
the remainder of the money that he had left Ian when they went to Europe,
so Ian decided to use it mainly for school supplies and clothes.  Ian still
felt a bit uncomfortable with Brenda paying for everything, so anything
that he could pay for made him feel better.  Brenda understood and didn't
make an issue out of it.
   Neither felt like going home, so they decided to go to the mall and take
in a movie.  They decided on a comedy, but it wasn't scheduled to start for
an hour and a half.  They bought the tickets anyway and decided to stroll
the mall to kill time.
   They came upon a jewelry store and decided to go in.  A sales clerk
swooped in like a vulture seeing fresh road kill and asked if she could be
of any assistance.  Brenda thanked her, but said that they were only
browsing and not ready to buy.  The clerk moved away and Brenda began
looking at the wedding sets.
   "You know, I won't be able to afford much," Ian said softly.
   "And you know that whatever you give me will be a treasure.  I don't
care if it's a carat or a simple silver band, it'll be blessed just the
same.  Whatever you give me will be perfect."
   "Are you sure?"
   "Of course I am.  You ought to know me by now.  I'm not into diamonds
and jewelry.  If you can't afford an engagement ring, then I don't need it.
Believe me." She leaned over and kissed him.
   Ian looked at her closely.  She was wearing gold studs and a thin,
silver necklace.  There were no rings on her fingers or bracelets on her
wrists.  He tried to remember back to the funeral and he could recall only
simple earrings and a single strand of pearls, simple and understated.
   "See this, this is perfect," she said, pointing to a set.  Ian looked
carefully to where she was pointing.  It was a three ring set in gold.  The
engagement ring had a small diamond, perhaps 1/8 carat, but it sparkled
beautifully, a really good cut.  Each of the wedding bands had a small
diamond chip in it.  It was a very nice set and it was only $400 for the
entire set.
   "Do you like it?" Ian asked.
   "Yes, it's beautiful," she replied.
   Ian asked the clerk to bring the set out of the case so that they could
look at it more closely.  Brenda looked at Ian apprehensively as the clerk
unlocked the case and showed the rings to them.  They looked even better
close up as Ian peered at them.  He took the engagement ring and showed it
to Brenda.  She held her breath as she looked at it, checking it's cut and
how it sparkled in the light.
   "Do we need to look further?" Ian asked.
   Brenda merely shook her head.  She was speechless.
   "We'll need all three sized," he said as he took the ring from Brenda
and handed it back to the clerk.
   Brenda tugged at his arm.  "Ian, can you afford this?"
   Ian smiled at Brenda and said, "Yes." He didn't add that it was a
wedding gift from his father.  A bit ironic, he thought.  Although he had
enough money in his own account to purchase the set, he decided then and
there to use his father's money and not feel bad about it.  In fact, it
made him feel good and he hoped that one day his father would learn that he
indirectly purchased their wedding rings.
   After the rings were sized and Ian put a down payment towards them, they
left the store.  Brenda looped her arms though his and leaned against him
as they strolled the mall.  She wasn't crying, but was fighting to keep the
tears from flowing.  Every few steps, she hugged him and looked up at him,
smiling from ear to ear.
   As they approached the cinema, they took a seat on one of the benches
nearby.  Brenda placed her head on his shoulder and surrendered to her
emotions and let the tears flow.  Ian looked around at the other people
nearby, but no one was paying attention to them.  Brenda squeezed his hand
and held it to her face, kissing it.
   "You make me so happy," she gushed.
   "Ah, you say that to all of your boyfriends," Ian replied, smiling.
   "Don't make fun," Brenda said.  "Every time I try to be serious, you
make fun."
   "I'm sorry," he said.  "I didn't mean to." He looked away and saw people
starting to line up for the movie, although it was still twenty minutes
until the starting time.
   "I just like to joke with you," he continued.  "Sometimes, it's hard for
me to be serious, even though I know I should.  I don't know." He looked
back at her, her eyes still misty from tears.
   "I guess I can live with that," she said softly.
   "I sure hope so," he laughed.
   They enjoyed the movie thoroughly and relived several scenes on the way
home, laughing until their sides hurt.  Their laughter, however, turned to
silence as the house came into view.
   "Shit!" Ian exclaimed as he saw the unmistakable shape of his father's
Mercedes in the driveway.  "What does he want now?"
   Brenda drove past Adrian and parked in front of the garage at the west
side of the house.  Adrian was leaning against his car waiting for them. 
Ian and Brenda walked slowly toward him not looking forward to another
encounter.
   "Well, you finally came back," he said, his voice a bit slurred.  "Out
having a good `ol time, I bet." He pushed away from the car a bit unsteady.
"I've come to take you home, boy, where you belong."
   Ian looked at him warily, but said nothing.
   "Get in the car, son.  You're going home now," he ordered.
   "I'm staying here, dad," he replied flatly.  He could smell alcohol
coming from his father.  Adrian was not a heavy drinker, but he didn't get
drunk easily.  Ian sensed that he had drank quite a bit before he came
over.
   "Staying here?" Adrian questioned, his eyebrow cocked.  "You don't seem
to understand," Adrian smiled crookedly, "you're coming home whether you
like it or not!"
   "This is my home now," Ian replied.  Brenda looked back and forth
between the two, her eyes showing fear.
   "Your home is with me and your mother," he hissed, "not playing house
with your cousin."
   "I think you ought to go home and sober up before something stupid
happens," Ian said.
   Enraged, Adrian lunged awkwardly forward at Ian and tried to grab his
wrist.  He had it briefly, but Ian twisted away and pushed his father out
of harms way to the right.
   Brenda gasped and instinctively tried to pull Ian with her to the house.
   "Call the police," he whispered to her as he kept his eye on his father.
   Brenda quickly let go, ran to the door, unlocked it, and ran to the
phone.
   Ian knew that Adrian was no match for him.  They were built
approximately the same, but Ian was much more athletic and stone sober. 
Adrian came at him again and Ian pushed him away once more.
   "Dad, we can do this all night, but I'm not going with you," Ian said as
Adrian looked a him wildly.  "Please leave before you get into trouble.  I
don't want to hurt you."
   Brenda came to the doorway with the phone to her ear and watched.  She
could see that Ian wasn't getting hurt and she was relieved.  She just
wanted Adrian to go home and leave them alone.
   "You hurt me?" Adrian laughed wickedly.  "You're soft.  You couldn't
hurt a flea." Fist closed, he lunged once more at Ian and swung wildly with
his left hand.
   Brenda screamed as Ian ducked out of the way.  Adrian's drunken momentum
carried him past his intended target.  Ian grabbed his wrist and twisted it
behind his back.  Adrian flailed, trying to escape Ian's grasp, but his son
was too strong for him.  Amid cussing and struggling, Ian moved his father
forcefully to the Mercedes and held him there.
   "You just couldn't leave things alone," Ian said through gritted teeth.
Adrian struggled once more and Ian pushed him against the car.  "You said
to leave and I left.  I don't want to come back and I won't come back. 
This is my home.  Get it through your head!" Ian looked to his left and saw
the first of two police cruisers pull into the driveway.  "See what you've
done?" he hissed in his father's ear.
   The officers jumped out and ordered Ian to back away from Adrian.  Ian
let go immediately and took quick steps away toward Brenda.  Adrian pushed
away from the car and turned to face his son.
   "You will regret this," he spat at Ian.  Stone faced, Ian made no reply
as he took Brenda in his arms.
   The officers moved between father and son and one moved Ian and Brenda
away while the other began to speak to Adrian.  Officer Whitmore listened
dutifully as Brenda and Ian related the events of the day and everything
that happened within the last few minutes.  Adrian tried to paint a much
different picture, a picture of an abusive son who manhandled him after he
tried to convince him to come home.  Officer O'Neill listened patiently
while trying to remain sober from the fumes coming off of Adrian.
   "So, you never touched him until after he swung at you?" Whitmore asked.
   "No, I didn't want to hurt him."
   "I see." He turned to Brenda.  " Did you see him strike the other
gentleman?"
   "No, sir," she replied.  "Ian did everything he could to stay away from
him."
   "...ungrateful punk...after everything I've done for him.  They're
cousins for God's sake!" Ian heard his father in the background.
   After a few more minutes of questioning, the officers conferred with
each other and compared notes.  Adrian glared at Ian and Brenda.  Brenda
looked away, but Ian looked back passively.
   Officer O'Neill came over to Brenda.  "May I speak to you for a moment?"
   "Sure."
   They moved away and went to the entrance of the house.  He asked her to
tell him about the incident and she again explained what happened.  O'Neill
listened without interruption, nodding now and then.
   After she finished, he asked, "Is it true about you two being cousins?"
   Brenda thought momentarily before speaking.  "We are cousins, but I am
adopted.  That's why he's so upset.  He doesn't want us together."
   "What do you want us to do?  Do you want to press charges?"
   "I just want him away from here and I don't want him bothering us
anymore."
   He motioned for Ian to join them.  "Do you want to press charges?" he
asked when Ian walked up to them.
   "No, I just want him to go home," he said quietly.
   O'Neill walked over to Adrian.  "We're going to take you home and you're
not to bother these people anymore.  Understand?" He opened the back door
to the cruiser.
   Adrian was livid.  "You mean to tell me that you're not going to do
anything to him after he assaulted me?"
   O'Neill shown his flashlight on Adrian's face, arms, and hands. 
"There's not a mark on you, Mr.  Nicks, and I believe that you were the
aggressor tonight.  I also believe that your son showed remarkable
restraint by not harming you.  So, if you'll take a seat in the back, we'll
be on our way."
   "I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home," he slurred indignantly.
   "No, sir, I believe that we will drive you home."
   "You don't know who you're talking to, do you?"
   "I'm talking to very lucky person who hasn't been put under arrest yet,
so I would advise you to get in the back seat now." O'Neill's eyes
narrowed.
   "What about my car?" Adrian asked more politely.
   "Officer Whitmore will follow us with it, if you'll give him the keys."
Dejected, Adrian reached into his pants and gave the keys to them.
   As he got into the cruiser, Adrian thought about saying something to
Ian, but glared at him instead.  Ungrateful little shit, he thought to
himself as the door was shut.
   Ian sadly looked on as they started up the cars and pulled out of the
driveway.  He couldn't see his father in the back seat and he was glad.  He
thought about calling his mother, but decided not to.  After all, she
wasn't on their side, either.  Head down and hands in his pockets, Ian
slowly walked back into the house, arm in arm with his cousin, his future
wife, his everything.
   Friday April 9th
   Brenda waited impatiently for Ian at the library.  She looked at her
watch for the third time since she arrived and it was but minutes since the
time before.  "Come on Ian," she muttered to herself.  They needed to get
to the insurance company to set up the final signatures to transfer the
death benefits into her account.  Soon, she saw him walking quickly towards
her, his backpack bouncing back and forth with each stride.
   "Hi babe," he greeted her before he kissed her on the cheek.  "Sorry I'm
late, but the chem test was pretty hard."
   "That's okay, but we've got to get going." Brenda grabbed his hand and
they began their five minute walk to the parking lot.
   Brenda looked at Ian as they walked and she was relieved to see him
smiling.  The past few weeks had been rough on him.  His mother had called
the day after the incident in the driveway and berated him for
disrespecting his father, all the while not listening to any explanation
that Ian offered.  Depressed for days, he kept to himself and plunged into
his studies when classes began after the break.  Brenda did everything she
could to cheer him, and although he was grateful for her concern, he
remained quiet and melancholy.  Only in the past few days did Brenda sense
that his mood was swinging in a positive direction.
   She proudly looked at her engagement ring as it sparkled in the
afternoon sun.  They had picked up the set a few days prior and she
squealed with delight when he slipped it on her finger.  They tried on the
wedding bands and they fit fine too.  They celebrated with a steak dinner,
baked potatoes, and wine at home.
   Although they wanted to tear each other's clothes off after dinner, they
both had studying to do and by the time that they were ready for bed, they
were both content to fall asleep holding each other.
   Their time schedules were fairly compatible because Tuesday and Thursday
were the only days that they needed to arrive at school separately.  She
knew that it would not always be the case and even though there were two
cars available, Ian was not comfortable driving her car or her father's
Cadillac.  She wanted to buy him a car for himself, nothing expensive, but
something dependable for the next few years.  They had discussed it
periodically and Ian accepted her offer, on certain conditions.  They
agreed not to spend more than $10,000 and that the car in question would be
a mutual agreement.  Ian had his heart set on another BMW or a Volkswagen,
while Brenda preferred Hondas and Toyotas, but neither anticipated any
problems about coming to an agreement.
   The ride to the insurance company was pleasant with Ian telling her
about his test.  Brenda had no interest whatsoever in Chemistry, or any
science for that matter, but she listened without interruption while she
drove.  She especially enjoyed how animated Ian was that day compared to
how he had been.  When he finished, he asked about her day.  It had been
normal, she told him, no quizzes or tests, just hours of note taking.  She
didn't bore him with any details because he was just as interested in
accounting and finance as she was with the sciences.
   The meeting was swift and to the point.  Once her signatures were on the
paperwork, it was faxed to their main office in Boston where the transfer
of funds were to originate.  When the fax was completed, they informed
Brenda that the funds would be in her account by the end of the business
day.
   Sitting in the car outside of the building, Ian waited patiently for
Brenda to start the car.  "You know," she said out of nowhere, "there's not
an hour that goes by without me thinking of them.  No matter where I am or
what I'm doing, there's always something that triggers a memory.  I owe
them so much.  I'd give up all the money in the world to have them back."
   "I know you would," Ian said.
   "I don't know," she said sadly, "it's just that sometimes I feel guilty
about the money and stuff coming to me because they died.  Then I think
about whether they would have ever told me about the adoption.  Where would
we be then?"
   "Well, you certainly didn't wish for it.  You never planned on them
dying so you could receive their assets."
   "That's true."
   "And I think they would have told you eventually.  When?  I don't know.
Would we have gotten together otherwise?  I don't know that, either. 
Things happen for a reason, Bren.  No matter how unfortunate their deaths
were, some definite good has come out of it."
   "I miss them so much," she said, trying to fight back tears.
   "Of course you do."
   Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Brenda leaned over and cried
softly on Ian's shoulder as he held her close and comforted her.
   Friday April 23
   Brenda poured over the facts and figures in front of her.  She was
sitting in the study examining the portfolio that had been presented to her
when Roger and the brokerage firm turned everything over to her the
previous day.  The stocks were the last piece of her parent's estate to be
signed over to her and she now legally owned everything.
   She dropped her pen on the desk and leaned back into the soft leather
chair.  It had been six weeks since her parent's deaths, but it was still
an open wound in her soul.  Brenda thought of them often and although she
didn't cry as much, she still missed them terribly.  She was the owner of a
huge amount of assets now and she understood the responsibility involved.
In no way, shape, or form did she want to let them down.  Soon, she would
be married and it saddened her that they wouldn't be there to see it. 
Perhaps they would see it from another realm, she thought sadly.
   Brenda looked around the study and sighed.  She wondered if she could
ever be in a room, alone in her thoughts, and not want to cry.  Every room
in the house had her parents imprint on it and every room held a thousand
memories.  The only time she could feel truly happy was when she was with
Ian and since school had started, their time together had dwindled, as she
knew it would.
   Brenda smiled as she thought about their honeymoon that they planned to
spend in the Florida Keys.  She was so looking forward to it, the sun and
the sand and just the two of them, married and together.  Smiling, she put
the portfolio away and headed up the stairs.
   Monday June 7
   The days and weeks had gone by slowly, much too slowly for both of them.
Ian and Brenda had settled into a fairly normal routine by then, giving
each other their space while making sure that they made time for each other
as well.  Towards the end of May, their studying increased to the point
where they saw little of each other, even on the weekends.  They missed
each other terribly, but were reassured that it was temporary and that they
had their marriage and honeymoon to look forward to.  Their exams went well
with both maintaining their high grade point averages.
   After their exams were completed, they celebrated at their favorite
Chinese restaurant and came home to a bottle of champagne.  Because they
both rarely drank, they were soon inebriated and fumbling with each other's
clothing.  They made giggling, clumsy love to each other before falling
asleep.
   Ian's mother called occasionally and they were slowly becoming friends
again.  Ian still didn't feel comfortable enough to tell her about their
impending marriage.  His father had yet to apologize and Ian was still not
welcome in their home, so Ian felt he had no choice but to remain quiet
about it.  Whenever Janet talked about Adrian, Ian would cut her off and
insist upon an apology from him.  It hadn't happened yet, and Ian wasn't
holding his breath.
   A brilliant sun nearly blinded Brenda as she looked toward her bedroom
window that morning.  She smiled at Ian as he slept peacefully next to her.
She loved him more than anything in the world, more than life itself.  He
was her lover, her friend, her everything and she never forgot how lucky
she was to have him in her life.  They had chosen the next day to
officially begin their life together as husband and wife.  The appointment
had been made, blood tests taken, marriage license bought, and Marie and
Russell had agreed to be their witnesses.
   It was but a few minutes after nine, but Brenda needed to get up and get
a few things done before her graduation that evening.  Ian had already
agreed to do a couple loads of laundry for her so that she could go to the
dry cleaners and other stores to pick up some odds and ends that they
needed for the next few days.
   They had gone to the grocery store the previous evening and had their
usual playful tug of war as to what food to buy.  Ian had been unusually
ornery, much to Brenda's delight, except for when he managed to unsnap her
bra in the middle of the frozen food section.  Mortified at first, Brenda
got even by reaching under her tee shirt and pulling out the strapless bra
and putting it in her purse.  Because of the chilliness, her nipples became
visible immediately.  Ian was in a constant state of arousal and was
tortured by Brenda who, when no one was around, played with them until they
became even more pronounced.  When they got home and the food was put away,
Ian had Brenda's shorts and panties off in a flash and basically screwed
her brains out on the kitchen counter.
   Brenda was starting to get horny thinking about it, but she didn't have
the time to do anything about it.  Reluctantly, she got up and took a quick
shower, carefully avoiding the temptation to play with herself.  She
definitely wanted some action down there, but she wanted Ian's special
talents to send her into orbit.
   When she finished and dried off, she went back to the bedroom to find
Ian sitting at the edge of the bed.  Brenda groaned inside as she saw his
semi-erection dangling between his legs as he stretched and yawned.  God,
she wanted it bad, but she didn't have the time!
   "Morning, Ian," she said as her clean, naked body whisked by him.  She
pulled out a clean bra and panties and began to dress.
   "It's too bad you have to get dressed and cover up that great body of
yours."
   Brenda giggled, "Didn't you get enough last night?"
   "Enough of you?  Never!  You ought to know that by now."
   Brenda laughed again, "Well, you're just going to have to wait until
tonight.  I've got too much to do right now." She flashed a wicked smile at
him and raised her eyebrows suggestively.
   "Alright, I guess I can wait," he said, very disappointed.  With that,
he got up carefully and walked to the bathroom for his shower.  His raging
hormones notwithstanding, he truthfully loved Brenda for her inner beauty,
the person he fell in love with before they became lovers.  He loved
everything about her and discovered something new almost every day.  He
knew that he was the luckiest person on Earth at that time to be about to
marry the woman of his dreams and to live a fantasy life each and every
day.
   After his shower, he headed back to the bedroom where Brenda was just
about ready to leave.  She had let her hair grow out and it was almost past
her shoulders.  Ian thought she looked much prettier with the longer hair
and he hoped that she wouldn't cut it for a while, complimenting her at
every opportunity.  Ian was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of her
as she moved about the room.  His eyes traveled up and down her body
several times before he started to get dressed.
   Brenda pushed all of her dresser drawers shut and went over to Ian and
kissed him.  "Be back soon," she said.
   "Okay," he replied, "do you need anything else done besides the
laundry?"
   "No," she replied, "I can't think of anything else." As she turned to
leave, Ian reached out and pinched her butt lightly as she walked past him.
   "Hey!" she squealed, slapping his hand away, "Save it for tonight."
Grinning, Ian watched her as she bounded down the steps to the door.
   The dry cleaners was only a few minutes away and the clothing was ready
for her upon her arrival.  After that, she went to a department store and
bought a few pairs of hose, one black and one brown.  While she was there,
she debated as to whether or not to buy something sexy for their wedding
night.  She really wasn't into lingerie and she had never felt the need for
it.  Eventually, she decided against it, knowing full well that Ian would
probably have it off of her in seconds anyway.  Instead, she bought some
silk lounging pajamas.  Although she had slept in the nude almost every
night since they had become a couple, she loved the feel of silk against
her skin.
   Brenda was very nervous that evening as she waited in line with her
graduating class.  Clad in her white cap and gown, she fidgeted with her
tassel trying to get it in the perfect position.  After a few minutes of
fussing, she gave up.  She looked around to try and see some of her
friends, but they were either too far away or in the other line.  The
procession was in alphabetical order, as she was near the front.  Brenda
looked at her watch and it was after seven-thirty.  Within minutes, the
music began and the two lines slowly descended the stairs into the arena.
   Ian looked back from his aisle seat and spotted Brenda as she emerged at
the opening.  She caught sight of him and smiled.  As she passed, Ian held
out his hand to her and she squeezed it briefly before letting go.  Tears
were starting to form as she thought about her parents, Ryan, and her love
for Ian, whose small gestures continually endeared him to her.  Although
she had suffered many losses over the past three years, she realized how
truly lucky she was.
   The ceremony and speeches seemed long and drawn out, but before she knew
it, it was time for the graduates to receive their diplomas.  Row by row,
they stood in front of their chairs and solemnly filed out and approached
the podium.  As each graduate received their diploma from the University
president, a photographer took their picture.
   Brenda mounted the steps leading to the president.  She then heard the
speaker say, "Brenda Barringer, Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude.  The
president gave her the diploma and shook her hand as the photographer took
their picture.  She slowly walked back to her seat and tried to stay
composed.
   The rest of the graduates received their diplomas as Brenda looked on.
It seemed to take forever before the final student, Anita Zwick, received
the last diploma.  After a few closing comments, they were escorted out of
the inner arena.
   A while later, Ian, Marie, and Russell emerged through the sea of blue
and white gowns.  Her aunt and uncle hugged her warmly as they moved to a
corner where there was less of a crowd.  Ian picked her up, swung her
around, and kissed her before setting her down again.
   "I'm so proud of you," he beamed, looking into her eyes.
   "I'll be able to say the same thing to you in a year," she replied as
she brushed tears from her eyes.
   "I love you, babe."
   "I love you, too."
   "What time tomorrow?" Russell asked.
   "We'll pick you up at eleven," Brenda answered, "and we'll take you to
lunch afterward."
   "I think we should take you to lunch," Russell said, "after all, you're
the ones getting married."
   "No, no," Brenda shook her head, "you both have been so kind to us since
mom and dad died.  Please, let us do this."
   "Of course," Marie said, "we'd be honored." She glanced at Russell with
a look that said not to argue.
   Russell brought out a camera and for the next few minutes, pictures were
taken of Ian and Brenda, and of Brenda and her aunt and uncle.  Once they
were finished, they went their separate ways as the graduate and her love
went home.
   Tuesday June 8
   Too tired to make love before they slept, Brenda and Ian wasted no time
when their alarm woke them at seven.  For the next hour, they couldn't keep
their hands or mouths off of each other, loving every inch of each other
with the same lust and fervor that overcame them when they gave themselves
to each other the first time.
   Brenda cried out for joy both times that she climaxed, the first time
from Ian's mouth and tongue, and the next when she rode him like a woman
possessed.  Sweating and spent, Brenda slipped off of Ian and laid beside
him breathing heavily.  Ian enjoyed watching her glistening chest rise and
fall as she slowly came down from her sexual high.  He took her in his arms
and they hugged and cuddled for a few minutes before they headed to the
bathroom for a long, sensual shower.
   They arrived at Marie and Russell's home promptly at eleven.  Brenda
looked beautiful in a sleeveless white dress with a matching jacket.  She
had curled her hair under slightly and had used just the right amount of
makeup to bring out her eyes even more.  When Ian had seen her fully
dressed for the first time, he was stunned.
   "You look absolutely fantastic, Bren," he remarked.
   "Not bad for my first wedding," she teased.
   "Only wedding," he corrected her, laughing.
   Ian looked just as good in his blue pinstripe suit, white shirt, and
powder blue tie.  Both Marie and Russell remarked at how handsome they both
looked upon their arrival.  Brenda had decided to use her father's Cadillac
for this special day and enjoyed the smooth, effortless ride it gave from
Ian's navigation through the city.  When they got to the courthouse, Ian
dropped them off and pulled away to look for a parking garage.
   "Are you ready for this?" Marie asked her as they waited at the
entrance.
   "More than ready.  I want to do this so bad.  I love him so much.  I
can't believe that I love someone this much, it's scary."
   "I don't think I've ever seen you happier, Brenda.  You look like you're
about ready to burst at any moment."
   "Oh, that's just the baby," Brenda grinned, patted her stomach and
waited for the impact.  Marie's mouth dropped and Russell couldn't think of
a thing to say.  "Gotcha," Brenda said, touching her arm.
   "Oh my goodness!" Marie exclaimed, "You scared me to death.  Don't you
ever do that to me again.  If you were my daughter, I'd take you over my
knee!" She laughed, shaking her head.  Brenda and Russell joined the
laughter as they waited for Ian.
   When Ian arrived, they entered the courthouse, passed through a metal
detector, and went to the second floor where Judge Charles McVey's chamber
was located.  When they entered, a receptionist greeted them.
   "May I help you?" she asked pleasantly.
   "We have an appointment with Judge McVey at eleven-thirty," Brenda said.
   "One moment." The receptionist dialed her phone and waited for the other
end to answer.  "Your eleven-thirty wedding is here," she said.
   She hung up the phone and said, "He'll see you now." She opened the door
behind her and they followed her past various rooms until they arrived at
Judge McVey's office.  They went in and a smallish man with horn-rimmed
glasses greeted them.
   "I'm Judge McVey," he said, extending his hand to Brenda first, and then
to Ian.  "Do you have the license?"
   Brenda gave him the document and he examined it closely before taking it
to his desk and signing his name to it.  After he signed, he beckoned them
to come closer.  When they gathered near, he asked, "Do you have rings?"
   Ian reached into his pocket and produced the rings for the judge to see.
   "Good, good," he said.  "Let's get started.  Bride on my right, groom on
my left." He looked at Marie and Russell standing behind Brenda and Ian. 
"Are you witnessing for them?"
   "Yes," they answered together.
   "Please stand at their outer shoulder." They did as instructed.
   "Is there anyone here who objects to this union?" No one said anything.
"Good, I didn't think there would be," he said with a wry smile.
   "Now, Ian, do you take Brenda to be your lawful wife, to love and honor
from this day forward?"
   Ian said in a clear, strong voice, "Yes, I do."
   "Now, place the ring on her finger," the judge instructed.  Ian put the
small ring on Brenda's finger, smiling at her as he did so.
   "Brenda," the judge continued, "do you take Ian to be your lawful
husband, to love and honor from this day forward?"
   Brenda said softly, "I do." She then placed the ring on his finger.
   "By the power vested in me, by the laws of the State of Ohio, I now
proclaim you husband and wife.  Ian, go ahead and kiss your wife."
   Ian leaned down and gave Brenda a short, sweet kiss.  As he started to
pull back, Brenda pulled him close and gave him a very passionate kiss that
lasted a few seconds.
   "Okay, okay, that's enough," the judge said jokingly.  They broke their
kiss laughing.  "I would like for the witnesses to sign the license,
please," the judge said.  Marie and Russell signed their names in the
appropriate places and the judge inspected the document before passing it
to Brenda and Ian.
   "Congratulations to both of you.  I'm sorry, but I must run," the judge
said as he glanced at his watch.  Taking this as their dismissal, the four
of them departed the office and headed back downstairs.
   As they approached the car, Russell said, "I hope no one is too hungry
right now, but I'd like to stop somewhere first before we eat."
   "I'm fine," said Brenda, who turned to her new husband, "how about you?"
   "I'm fine, too," he replied.  "Where do you want to go?"
   "It's a surprise," Russell said.  "I'll give you directions."
   Brenda looked at Ian and shrugged.  She had no idea what was going on
and neither did he.  They all got in the car and Ian followed Russell's
instructions as they left the city and headed towards the suburbs.  Soon,
they pulled into the South Towne shopping mall and Russell directed them
through the parking lot.  Soon, Ian was instructed to park and they got out
of the car.  They walked down the boardwalk past several stores until they
came to a stop in front of "Miller-Ward Photography Studio".
   Brenda was dumbfounded.  It had never occurred to her to get wedding
pictures taken.  They entered the store and a short, squat gentleman in a
black suit greeted them from behind the counter.  "How may I help you," he
wheezed.
   "We have an appointment for Barringer and Nicks," Russell answered.
   After looking through his appointment book, he said, "Ah, here it is. 
Wedding portraits.  Follow me please."
   "But," Brenda protested, "we didn't..."
   "It's our gift to you," Marie explained.  "We couldn't think of anything
else."
   "Oh, Aunt Marie," Brenda exclaimed as she hugged them both, "thank you
so much!  You both are so wonderful."
   She let go and they followed the gentleman into a spacious studio where
he set up the equipment.  After a few minutes, he instructed Ian and Brenda
to come forward.  Using various poses, props, and backdrops, he took
approximately two dozen photos before he finished.  Because of the digital
photography that he used, he was able to show them the pictures within
minutes.  Each photo was exquisite in clarity and detail and they were
perfect.
   "They're so beautiful," Brenda remarked over and over again as Ian
nodded in agreement.
   "Good," grinned Russell, "they're all yours."
   "Oh my God, do you mean it?" Brenda asked.
   "Of course we do," Marie answered.
   "Thank you so much.  We never expected this."
   "That makes it even better.  You are very welcome," Marie replied.
   The photographer interrupted, "These will be ready for you in one week
for pickup.  Is there anything else that I can do for you?"
   "No," Ian said, "you've done a wonderful job for us.  Thank you."
   "You're welcome, sir, and may I congratulate you both on your wedding."
   "Thank you."
   Ian thought about his parents quite a bit that day and wished that they
could have seen him get married.  He didn't know if they would ever accept
Brenda as his wife, but he couldn't worry about that.  It was their loss
and if they wanted Ian in their life, they would have to accept Brenda also
because they were a pair now in every way, shape, and form.  Ian never
thought about being married at this young of an age.  He always thought he
would be out of college and starting his practice before marriage would
enter his life.  But, he now knew that you couldn't always count on things
to happen when you thought they would.  And who could have guessed that he
would be married to his beloved cousin because of an auto accident?  He had
long ago stopped trying to rationalize all of the bizarre twists and turns
that he had faced over the past six months and just accepted the fact that
everything happens for a reason.
   He looked over at his bride as they drove back to their house after
dropping off Marie and Russell.  He was filled with peace and joy knowing
that they were married and ready to begin their life journey together. 
They had held hands throughout the drive and it comforted him to feel her
soft, warm hand in his.  No matter how much turmoil his parents caused, he
could always count on Brenda to love him and accept him and stand by him,
no matter what.
   They took their time that night undressing each other, showing no
urgency.  Both wanted to savor this moment, their first night together as
husband and wife.  They lay side by side on the bed, speaking only with
their eyes as Ian massaged her thighs with his strong hands.  Their kissing
was soft and sweet as they wanted nothing to be spoiled by going too
quickly.
   "I want this to last forever so I'll never forget it," Brenda whispered
as she held him close, her legs slightly parted and rubbing against him. 
From their previous coupling, Ian could tell that she was almost ready to
begin.  He rubbed her back with his nails, as he frequently did to arouse
her.
   "I never want to let you go, Ian."
   "You've got me forever."
   "Promise?"
   "Anything for you, you know that."
   "Tell me again."
   "I love you, Brenda."
   "Forever?"
   "Forever."
   Thursday June 17
   "But, mom, we're leaving at four o'clock to go on our honeymoon," Ian
protested.  "He could have talked to me any time before, why does it have
to be today?"
   "Because he wants to talk to you today, before you go.  He won't make
you late, he promises.  He just wants to talk, that's all."
   It was almost noon and Ian and Brenda had just finished packing for
their trip when Janet called.
   "Please come over," Janet pleaded.
   "Okay," Ian replied, "but if he says one negative thing, we're gone."
   "Ian, believe me, I wouldn't ask you to come over if I thought he would
cause trouble.  He's changed."
   "What do you mean, changed?"
   "It's something he wants to tell you.  When can we expect you?"
   "We'll be there in fifteen minutes."
   Ian hung up the phone and looked at Brenda.  "He wants to see me," Ian
said simply.
   "Are you crazy?" Brenda barked.  "We are leaving on our honeymoon today.
I don't want it spoiled by him.  What does he want, anyway?"
   "I don't know what he wants," Ian replied, "but it must be important."
   "I can't believe you're seeing him after all he's put you through. 
Couldn't this wait until after we get back?"
   "Mom said that he wouldn't make us late.  I'll take her word for it,"
Ian shrugged.
   "I can't believe this!  After all this time, now he wants to talk. 
Perfect timing..."
   "Bren, calm down.  I won't let him spoil this day for us.  If he gets
stupid, we'll leave.  Simple as that."
   "I don't like it, I don't like it one bit."
   Ian moved forward and touched her arm.  "Bren, trust me on this.  I will
not let him spoil this day for us.  Believe me.  One negative comment and
we're gone.  Okay?"
   "Okay," she agreed, knowing full well that she couldn't talk Ian out of
it.
   They arrived at the mansion and Brenda was filled with dread and fear.
Ian was nervous, but he wanted to know what his father wanted.  Deep down,
he really wanted to be close to his parents again because he knew that it
didn't take much to change your life forever.
   His mother answered the door instead of the maid, much to Ian's
surprise, and she embraced him warmly.  She touched Brenda arm, making her
flinch and take a step back.
   "Your father is in the study," Janet said as she closed the door behind
them.  She led them to the room where Ian and Brenda had been kicked out of
their lives six months prior.  Adrian's back was to them when they entered.
Upon hearing the footsteps, he turned slowly around.
   "It's good to see you again, son...you too, Brenda," he began softly. 
Brenda scowled at his audacity to be nice to her.
   "It's good to be back," Ian replied.  "It's been too long."
   "You're looking good, fit.  Brenda must be a good cook."
   "Yes, she is." What is he getting at?
   Adrian looked down at his feet, hands in his pockets.  He moved
backwards a few feet and leaned against the desk, trying to relax.  He
wasn't used to these situations.
   "I'm...I'm not good at apologies, never have been," he began, "but I've
learned over the past few months some very important lessons about life.  I
know that family is the most important thing in this world.  Without them,
you are hollow."
   "I was very angry with you for a long time, Ian, and it was so stupid.
It was hard for me to accept that you were making decisions that I thought
I should make for you.  It's hard for me to accept that you're an adult
now. You remind me of myself when I was your age, very smart, very
strong-willed.  Well, you are married now and I regret very much that my
stupidity prevented us from seeing it."
   "I'm getting anger management counseling now.  I don't want to repeat
anything that would prevent you from wanting to come home again."
   Looking at Brenda, he said, "And you, you....I couldn't ask for a better
daughter-in-law.  It's still going to be tough for me to stop thinking of
you as a niece, though, but I'll work on it."
   "I miss having you around, Ian, and I have no right to ask you to
forgive me after all of this time, but I ask for a second chance to make
things right between us.  I know I don't deserve it...."
   Ian woke with a start and sat up quickly.  His heart was pounding and
racing.  The dream was real, so real that Ian thought that it might
actually be happening.  When he realized that it was a dream, he sighed
deeply.  Brenda stirred beside him, woke, and looked at her husband through
sleepy eyes.
   Ian blinked to keep the tears in his eyes, but some escaped anyway as he
gazed out the window of their hotel room.
   "Ian, what's wrong?" Brenda asked as she touched his arm.
   "Nothing babe," he said looking at her.  He loved her so much, sometimes
it hurt.  He could never possibly live without her.  She was now his life,
his love, his everything.  "I've got you and that's all I need." He moved
down to her, pulled her close, and fell asleep against her warm, soft
breast.
   to be continued....
   pics---->> http://bit.ly/1D1q3q
  
Brenda and Ian Ch 02