Meeting the Family

It was pitch dark when Jennifer heard the warning beep of her house alarm. Hath smiled, and hoped Gail remembered the code before the alarm went off. The other woman had gone out for drinks with friends several hours ago. A few moments later, she heard heavy footsteps in the hall, and her heart started to pound. That wasn’t Gail. Then she heard Gail’s scream.

Jennifer scrambled out of bed, grabbing her cane for support. She opened her bedroom door to find Gail wrestling with a man dressed all in black. Jennifer swung her cane and caught the man in the stomach. “Oof!” a familiar voice grunted. “Jen, dammit, STOP! It’s me, Rich.”

“Holy shit. GAIL STOP!” Jennifer yelled, to get the other woman’s attention before she hurt Richie any more. “Rich, what the hell are you doing here?”

He chuckled and rubbed his stomach. “Apparently getting the shit beat out of me.” He looked at Gail. “Damn, woman, you sure do throw a mean body block,” he said.

“Well, you scared the shit out of me, didn’t you?” she said indignantly. “You’re lucky you still have your balls! Call first next time.” After looking down her nose at Richie, she turned and stalked back to her room, slamming the door.

Richie and Jen looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Are you alright?” Jen asked, rubbing Richie’s abdomen.

“Just fine now that I’m here with you,” he answered. “I couldn’t wait to tell you ‘I love you’ in person,” he said, staring into her eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jen answered, and leaned in for a kiss. Richie scooped her up and brought her into the bedroom, the door closing with a soft ‘click’.

Richie lay Jennifer gently on the bed and locked eyes with her. Slowly, he took off his clothes, stripping while she watched him with hungry eyes. When his erection sprang free, he saw a small smile crept across her face. He watched as Jennifer pulled her nightshirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. The coolness of the air-conditioned room made her nipples pebble and his cock swelled even more. He crossed to her, kneeling on the bed and positioning himself between her spread legs.

Richie started to reach over into the nightstand for a condom, but Jennifer stopped him. “Rich, I’m on the pill,” she said, coloring slightly.

Richie’s heart raced, and his eyes darkened. “Since when?” he asked.

“The beginning of this month,” she answered, putting her hands on his hips and drawing him closer. “It’s a safe time now anyway, but the hormones have kicked in. Rich, I want to feel you explode inside me. I want to feel the warm, silky length of you stretch and fill me.”

“Jesus,” Richie said, sliding up between her legs, her words exciting him. He nudged her opening with the tip of his cock, and Jennifer gasped.

“Yesssss,” she hissed, and her eyes fluttered shut.

“I love you,” he said to her, as the very tip of his cock slid between her swollen lips.

Jennifer groaned. “Oh, Rich, I love you tooooo.” The last word dragged out as he slid all the way home. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his face down for a kiss.

They stayed joined for a long time, Richie keeping his strokes long and slow while their tongues wrapped lazily around each other. At last, Jennifer let go of her orgasm, letting it flow through her. The ripples and clenching around his cock was enough to encourage Richie to let go too. He pounded hard into Jen, riding her wave until he crested, kissing her the whole time. When their hearts returned to normal, he slid out and off of Jennifer and settled in next to her. She snuggled her back against his front, pulled his arm around her and shut her eyes.

Richie stroked the underside of her breast until he fell asleep.

Shortly before one the following afternoon, Jennifer, Richie, and Gail piled into the convertible. Since it was a stick, Jennifer couldn’t drive, and Gail and Richie were arguing over who’d get to drive the fifteen miles to the Petruzzos’.

“I should drive,” Richie said, trying to grab the keys from Gail, “because I’m used to driving on the right side of the road. You aren’t.”

“Fuck you,” Gail retorted, “I’ve been doing just fine here thank you very much.” Her glare could have melted an iceberg.

“Guys,” Jennifer tried to interrupt, but they were having none of it. Sighing, she climbed into the backseat and waited.

“Gail, you are testing my patience, woman,” Richie said to her.

“Too damned bad,” she answered, her color getting high. “You should sit in the back seat with Jen and keep her company. Isn’t that why you came here in the middle of the bloody night?”

“Yeah, about that,” Richie said, rubbing his ass. “First of all, it was morning, and second, did you have to tackle me to the ground for Christ’s sake?”

Gail laughed evilly. “No, you idiot, I could have kicked your balls so hard they’d get lodged in your nostrils. And don’t forget, Jen hit you smack in the chest with her cane.”

“Yeah, and that hurt like a bitch by the way,” he said, turning to Jennifer, who was just sitting there with a smile.

“At least I didn’t break your beautiful face, lover,” Jennifer answered, and blew him a kiss. “Now, c’mon already and someone drive the goddamned car, and someone else come back here and let me put my leg in his lap.”

Richie glared at Gail, and climbed into the backseat. He gingerly took Jennifer’s leg and positioned it so her knee was bent slightly across his thigh. He leaned down to kiss her kneecap. “How’s it feeling, darlin’?” he asked her softly.

Jennifer chuckled. “Like someone smashed it with a hammer, actually,” she answered. “It’ll be fine. The codeine helped last night, and the ibuprofen and ice are helping immensely today.”

Richie was trailing his fingertips lightly around her knee and shin, making her wince. “You’re all yellowed here.”

“Yeah, my whole leg is bruised and sore as shit. You should have seen the sausage toes earlier.” She rolled her eyes. “Not a good look for me.”

Richie chuckled low in his chest. “I’ll bet I still woulda wanted to nibble on them,” he growled and leaned in to capture Jennifer’s mouth in a steamy kiss.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, knock it off you two,” Gail said.

“Hey, you wanted to drive, G,” Richie said gleefully.

Gail expertly navigated the few turns needed to take them to Casa di’Petruzzo. It was a modest Cape-style house at the end of a cul-de-sac: perfect for kids growing up. Jennifer and her brother and the other neighborhood kids spent hours playing in the street, safe in the knowledge that the only cars coming belonged to people they knew, and everyone drove slowly. Hours up on hours of kickball, neighborhood tag, and hit-the-bat were played on this street.

As the screaming yellow house came into view, a smile broke out across Jennifer’s face. No matter how old she got, coming home was always fun. Behind the old, rusted out basketball pole, the back gate was open, and Jennifer could see a slice of the pool. The cool, clear water looked inviting on this 80 degree day, and she sighed, just imagining how good it was going to feel on her over-heated skin.

The front garden was in bloom, the marigolds and pansies running along the border of the house. Along the side, sunflowers, still growing at only three feet high, lined up like soldiers. The smell of tomatoes and herbs wafted over the summer breeze from the back garden, and Jennifer knew it wouldn’t be long before she and her mother were making sauce from this season’s harvest.

Gail tooted the horn as the car pulled into the drive, and the side door opened. Jennifer’s mother came down the short flight of stairs. She was holding an enormous wooden spoon, which was dripping with moisture. “Jennifer!” she exclaimed, coming down the stairs. “How’s your knee, sweetheart?” She winced as she watched her eldest child struggle to get out of the backseat. She saw the tall, handsome man next to her whisper something in her ear, then watched as he rounded to her side of the car and lifted her as gently as a newborn from the seat. Jennifer kissed his cheek, and her mother’s eyes glistened at the look that passed between them.

“Hurts like a figlio di una cagna actually,” Jennifer said, making Richie laugh.

“Language, dear!” she admonished. “Swearing in Italian is still swearing.”

“Yes, Ma,” Jennifer answered, rolling her eyes. “Ma, this is Gail, the woman I was telling you about from England, and this,” she said, wrapping an arm around Richie’s waist, “is Rich.”

“Cari marito!” Jennifer’s mother shouted to her husband. “Come and meet Richard, your daughter’s boyfriend.”

“Richard,” Gail snickered.

Richie glared at her. “Cut it out or I’ll throw you in the pool.”

“Like to see you try it, Casanova,” Gail retorted. Richie made sure Jennifer was steady on her cane, and took a menacing step towards Gail.

“Don’t you DARE, Richard!” Jennifer’s mother said, pointing the spoon at him. “You aren’t too big for a smack on the rear with the wooden spoon.”

Richie raised an eyebrow at Jennifer. “Welcome to la famiglia,” she said to him, making him laugh. “Daddy!” she called, seeing her father emerge from the backyard. “This is Rich.”

The two men shook hands. “So you’re the one that finally has my daughter smiling all the time now?”

“Daddy!” Jennifer hissed.

Richie smiled and put his arm around Jennifer’s shoulders. “I’d like to think so, sir,” he said.

“Please with the ‘sir’,” Jennifer’s dad said. “I’m John, she’s Ma. Do you play cards?”

“I do alright,” Richie said, confused.

John nodded. “Good. Go take a dip and cool off, then we’ll break out the board.”

Jennifer groaned. “Can’t you at least let us get all the way into the backyard before you have him playing Cribbage?”

There was much good-natured ribbing and arguing as the five made their way to the backyard. “Oh, Ma,” Gail said. “This is absolutely wonderful.” She took in the yard, all the landscaping, lounge chairs, and umbrella tables, and of course, the pool. “The water is clear as glass,” she commented, making John preen. She elbowed Richie. “Last one in’s a rotten egg!” she called, and kicked off her sandals, whipped her cover-up over her head, and took a running leap off the patio into the middle of the pool. She came up groaning. “My God it’s heaven in here.”

Richie helped Jennifer to a lounger, and took her sandals off for her. She removed her own cover-up, revealing a modest one-piece Kelly green tank-suit. Richie pouted. “What, no bikini?”

Jennifer laughed. “Not here,” she said.

“What is that on your ankle?” Ma had seen the new ink.

“What do you mean?” Jennifer was trying to play stupid, but her mother was having none of it.

“Don’t give me that, Jennifer Elizabeth Maria Teresa Petruzzo.”

Gail laughed from the pool. “Uh-oh, Jen, she used the full name, you’re in the shit now!”

“Gail? Language dear.”

“Sorry, Ma,” Gail said, then dove back underwater.

“Ma, it’s just a little ink,” Jennifer said. “Gail and I had them done.” She held up her leg for her mother’s inspection.

Jennifer’s mother sighed. “At least it’s tasteful,” she said, and went back into the house.

Richie toed off his sandals and scooped Jennifer up in his arms. “Ready?” he asked her.

“Of course,” Jennifer said. Richie carried her down the few steps into the pool, sighing as the cool water crept up over his skin. When he reached bottom, he let Jennifer go, and she hopped a few steps to the edge of the shallow end, and gracefully glided across to the other side of the pool. “Gawd, that feels wonderful,” she said.

Smiling, Richie followed. He caught up to her and held onto the side of the pool while Jennifer wrapped her good leg around Richie’s waist and kissed him. A splash of water had them sputtering and laughing. Gail had done a cannonball right next to them.

The three of them played in the water, swimming this way and that, always being careful not to jostle Jennifer’s leg. After a while, Jen got tired, though, and sat on the steps to watch Gail and Richie race back and forth across the pool. Gail was a strong swimmer, but Richie was just that much taller, so his fingertips hit the side first. While they were hanging off the diving board, arguing good-naturedly over who had won, her father sat on the steps next to her.

“So, Richard, huh?” he said. “He’s that musician guy, right? From that band you like?”

Jennifer looked at her father, surprised. “Yes. The guitarist in fact.”

“Is he nice to you?”

“Yes, Daddy, he’s nothing but nice to me. A bit overbearing in that he wants to do things for me that I can do perfectly well for myself, but he’s really quite wonderful.”

“Good,” John said. “And take a word of advice from your old man, cara, let him do things for you once in a while, even though you can do them for yourself. It makes us feel better when we can help our women.” He looked at his daughter. “It doesn’t mean you have to give up your independence, but let him do for you.”

“Alright, Daddy,” Jennifer said. “I guess I can do that.”

John kissed his daughter’s temple. “Good girl.”

After a while, Richie and Gail got out of the pool. Gail got into a heated game of Scrabble with John, complaining that of COURSE “honor” had a “u” in it, she’d been spelling it like that her whole life. Richie sat in a lounge chair with Jennifer on his lap, content to be just hanging out. Her parents were wonderfully normal, treating him and Gail like their own kids. It felt like being home.

“Sweetheart?” Jennifer’s mother called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, Ma?”

“We need stuff at the store. Do you feel up to it?”

Jennifer looked at Richie. “Up for it?” Richie shrugged. “Sure, Ma,” Jennifer answered.

They got up and got their shoes and shirts on, and Jennifer’s mother handed them a list. Richie drove them to the market, and Jennifer leaned heavily on the cart while they went slowly up and down the lanes, grabbing the things on the list. Soon, they had an assortment of vegetables for salad, fresh bread, pounds of steak and chicken, and different flavors of ice cream for dessert.

“This is a lot of food,” Richie commented.

Jennifer just laughed. “This is to supplement the pasta Ma’s making,” she said. “Ma only knows how to cook enough for an army. A family dinner when she was growing up was always 15-20 people.”

They made their way through the checkout and had their bags back in the car. Making their way up the street, Jennifer could see the back-end of her brother’s truck sticking out from the driveway. “My brother and his family are here!” she exclaimed happily.

“You really love your family, don’t you?” Richie said, kissing the side of her head.

“Of course!” Jennifer answered. “They’re wonderful!”

“I’d have to agree,” Richie said, as they pulled up in front of the house. Richie grabbed the bags after helping Jennifer out of the car, and the pair made their way to the house.

“I can’t stomach the idea of stairs,” she said. “Can you bring that stuff in to Ma?”

“Sure, love,” he answered, and kissed her again. When Richie opened the door, he heard soft guitar music playing. He instantly perked up, and quietly placed the bags on the counter. They’d be okay for a minute. He followed the sound to one of the back bedrooms that was set up as a small family room. There, he saw a large man playing a song for a gorgeous little girl. Jen’s mother was sitting on the couch, tears in her eyes.

The little girl looked up and saw Richie. “Who are you?” she said, pointing.

The man who was playing stopped and stood in one fluid motion, putting his body protectively between Richie and the little girl. Richie guessed this was Jennifer’s brother. “I’m here with Jennifer,” he said, and held out his hand. “Richie Sambora,” he said.

“I know who you are,” Jennifer’s brother said, relaxing. He shook Richie’s hand, and was staring at him wide-eyed. “She said she had a man in her life, but didn’t tell us who he – you – were. Holy crap.” The little girl had stood to hide behind her father’s leg. Jennifer’s brother stooped to pick up the little girl and hold her against his chest. “I’m John, and this is Joanna,” he said. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

He waved to the little girl, making her smile. “What were you playing just now, man? It sounded good.”

John colored. “Nothing, just something I’m messing with. A song for Joanna.”

Richie smiled. A kindred spirit. “I’d love to talk shop with you sometime. I get kinda bored talking to the same guys all the time. New perspective and all that.”

“That would be great,” John said. “Uh, where’s Jen?”

“Shit, the groceries!” Richie said.

“Daddy, he said a bad word,” Joanna said with a giggle. “That’s a dollar, right?” She held out her hand.

Richie laughed. “A dollar for a swear word, huh?” he said, reaching for his wallet. John started to protest, but Richie put his hand up. “I did the crime, I gotta pay the fine, right, little Miss?”

“Right,” Joanna said smugly, clutching the dollar to her chest.

Jennifer’s mom laughed. “Come, Richard,” she said. “You can help make the salad, and I can interrogate you.”

John laughed, and clapped Richie’s shoulder. “Good luck with that, man,” he said. “Ma makes the Spanish Inquisition look like a harmless game of twenty questions.”

Ma slapped John across the back of the head. “Watch yourself, mister. You aren’t too old for…”

“The wooden spoon,” the three of them finished together.

“So,” John said to Richie, “She threatened you with it already?” He shook his head. “Man, you’re doomed now. C’mon, Bean,” he said to his daughter. “Let’s go find Auntie Jen.”

The inquisition with Jennifer’s mother wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. She asked him about his ex-wife and his daughter, and life on the road; things he’d expect the mother of his girlfriend to want to know. The last thing she asked him was, “Do you love her?” and he answered “Yes” right away with a wide smile on his face. “Good,” she had said. “Because I can tell from her face that she loves you, and I’d hate to see her hurt again.”

She shooed Richie outside, and he passed Gail on the stairs. “You survive the questioning?”

Richie smiled. “Yep. Where are you going?”

“I need to check my email, and I’m gonna help Ma with dinner.” She smiled. “Jen’s looking for you.”

When they sat down to dinner later, Richie looked around at Jennifer’s family. They had accepted him and Gail fully and without question – Ma’s questions notwithstanding. John’s wife, Susan, looked like she was going to choke on her drink when he finally was introduced to her, but Gail told her about his surprise visit this morning, which had everyone laughing. Soon they were all telling stories about Jennifer’s and John’s pasts, and Richie found himself telling some stories about himself when he was young, and some of the things Ava’s been doing.

He felt comfortable with these people, and felt like he’d known them his whole life. They were a normal, middle-class family who teased, annoyed, respected, and loved each other unconditionally, the way a family ought to. They reminded him very much of his own family. He felt lucky to be a part of their circle. He looked at Gail, who had a wistful look in her eyes that said she felt the same way.