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Forbidden Passion
In this society where right and wrong are determined by whoever is most vocal, I can keep silent no longer. This is the story of life with my stepdaughter, Allegra. In order to understand the dilemma I now face, I must first explain the events and experiences that have led me to the creation of this document. I have chosen not to use slang terms to avoid detraction from the beauty and impact of some scenes. It all began five years ago, when a friend of mine set me up with a nice college senior from a neighboring town. After two dates, I discovered that she had a 10-year old daughter. My life was changed forever....
Chapter 1
Married... with children
The days had become a blur. I waded through my daily tasks without even realizing what I was doing at any given time. I was flipping out. Not going crazy exactly, just falling in love. Although I had only dated her twice, Melissa and I were spending hours on the phone (and IRC) every evening. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. I had never met anyone who shared so many of the same interests and thoughts with me. She was 25, and I was 24. I read as much as I could and watched TLC or the Discovery Channel to keep my mind off of her, with little success. In fact, many times I discovered that she had viewed the same program, and spent another hour on the phone discussing what we had learned.
We had both waited three years after High School to start college. I had been struggling to get into the arts program at Boston University since my junior year of high school, finally being accepted four years later. I did some paintings for local businesses to keep myself busy in the meantime. I wasn't sure what her reasoning had been, but I found out soon enough.
The Friday after our second date, I rushed to my apartment after classes to check my e-mail.
"You have e-mail," announced the monotone digital voice of my laptop.
I double clicked the icon. An attachment started to decode as I briskly began reading the message from Melissa.
Marty,
Had a blast at the club last night! I was pretty close to shit-faced after 2 beers... and I lost track of yours after 6. You must be a loony! Anyway, how was Dr. Johnson's class this morning? Marcia said the lecture really sucked. You better review the material, I heard that he's pondering a surprise essay for Tuesday morning (just a warning...). BTW, I have something I need to share with you. I hope you won't be...
Before I could finish the first paragraph, the image that appeared caught me totally off guard. The face of the most beautiful girl I had ever seen was staring back at me. She appeared to be around 11 or 12 years old, but I was not a good judge of age. Her straight auburn hair was neatly parted down the center; evenly cut shoulder length on either side of her face. What entranced me the most were the eyes. The deepest shade of brown, bordering on black, they were well defined and set in a permanent state of concentration. The stare was piercing, radiating both intelligence and warmth. Her thin lips fit perfectly with the rest of her symmetrical features. I sat staring at that image of beauty and perfection for a long time, before curiosity overwhelmed my awe and I began reading the message again.
...upset that I didn't tell you before now. I have a ten-year old daughter. Her name is Allegra, and she's very anxious to meet the guy I've been talking about non-stop for the past three weeks. I'll give you all the juicy details about having a baby at the age of 15, etc., at lunch tomorrow. Are you still planning on coming over here? Allegra will be here, if that's ok. Anyway, I think you sh...
Love ya, Mel
I wondered why she hadn't mentioned Allegra. If she had been my daughter, I would have annoyed the hell out of everyone I passed on the street. I supposed she had her reasons. I was very excited, and after I replied to the e-mail and hopped into bed, I couldn't fall asleep. I was in love with Melissa, but somehow just seeing the image of Allegra brought more emotions and dreams into my consciousness than I would have ever imagined. Who was that person in the image? A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. The more my mind wandered back to that photo, the more I began to feel I had known her for years. The next morning was the longest I had ever experienced. When lunchtime finally arrived, I was sure I would be ticketed for speeding. Nothing happened, however. I pulled into Melissa's driveway at exactly 12:05, right on cue. The driveway curved through the trees several times, finally ending in front of a very stately brick three-story house. To the left was a neatly kept barn, along with a large fenced pasture. Visible between the house and the barn was a rather long brick walk that passed through parallel rows of oak trees. The path ended at a sizeable pond near the edge of the property. I wasn't sure how much land Melissa claimed, but there was riding trails that took a good half-hour to circle even at a steady pace on horseback.
It hadn't occurred to me before that day to wonder how a single woman who was still in college could afford such an extravagant house. Later she explained that while the guy who had impregnated her had been working at a United Parcel Service distribution center to help support Allegra, he had been killed in an accident at the facility. The company had paid Melissa a seven-figure settlement to keep her quiet about it. Apparently, there was some criminal negligence involved on the part of UPS. Melissa didn't know the whole story, and didn't want to persue it. After all, that money has enabled Allegra to keep up with, if not surpass, her peers. It also paid for aides and other necessities, which had allowed her to go to a normal public school.
Melissa met me at the door, and I greeted her with a traditional peck on the cheek. I followed her through the foyer and into the kitchen. My intellect was dying to know more about Allegra, but Melissa kept changing the subject.
"Just wait a minute, and she'll be down here. She's taking a shower." I had tested the limits of her patience. I displayed the biggest shit-eating grin I could. She burst out laughing.
"I have to visit the little boys room," I said, giving an excellent Jack Nicholson impression.
"You'll have to use the one upstairs. The toilet down here doesn't flush."
"I always knew you were full of crap." She smacked my bottom as I scurried out of the kitchen. The only light in the stairwell was the sunshine coming in through the glass panes on either side of the front door. When I reached the top of the stairs, I groped for a light switch to no avail.
I felt my way down the dark hallway to the bathroom. The ventilation fan was still on. I turned and noticed that the door on the opposite side of the hall was partially ajar. Curious, I approached the door and peeked in. Definitely a child's room, I looked at the impressive collection of stuffed animals and plastic horses that donned the walls. Bugs Bunny held a reverent perch above all the others. There was an obvious pattern present in the organization of the collectibles. They appeared to have been arranged by a long time hobbyist. I peered around the door to see the rest of that child's world. A smile crossed my face and my mood immediately brightened. Lying naked on her bed in a fetal position, and obviously fast asleep, was Allegra. I knew it was indecent for me to be looking at her nude profile, but I just couldn't help myself. The photo received in my e-mail had mesmerized me, but I was in a state of rapture when my gaze fell on her for the first time.......(cont)
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A MrDouble Production: mrdouble Changes last made on: Friday July 17, 1998 |
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