Growing Pains-chapter 2
(M/F)
Copyright © 2000 by Sampast
and Huggedlots
Bob felt really tired as he
trudged out to his car at the University. He
was steaming about how
irresponsible people could be. After all, he
reasoned, these aren't kids
he was teaching, they were young adults, or you would
have thought they would be. He had listened to at least half a dozen really
lame excuses during his office hour from students needing extensions on
their work, or why he should change their grades. Not one of them seemed to
have the slightest concept of taking responsibility for their actions. He wondered,
not for the first time, if ANY of their parents had given them the kind
of discipline they needed. He tried to shake the mood as he drove home, but just
couldn't seem to get there.
Pulling into the driveway
was impossible as Josh had left some of his toys in the
driveway, so he just figured he would park on the street for now, since
he knew he would be going out again, and he picked up the trike and decided
to put it in the backyard. He really needed to talk to that boy about
taking care of his things, even if he was only two.
Walking around the back, he
heard Maggie through the window. He knew she
was grounded from the
phone, so he started getting infuriated knowing that that
was exactly what she was on. Not meaning to eavesdrop, he couldn't help it as
he put the trike down.
"Look Lizzie, I have
asked you NOT to call me. You KNOW I am grounded from the
phone."
Bob heard the pause in the
conversation and assumed that Lizzie was giving Maggie
a hard time. He was right; the next thing he heard was Maggie sounding
angry.
"Well, yeah--- so YOU
say. Look, I have a dad that cares about ME; he doesn't
punish me because he just likes to, you know. I am the one that blew it,
and I am the one that has to take responsibility. IF you were any kind of a
friend, which YOU obviously are NOT, then you would get it, and quit trying
to talk me into doing things that will only get me in more trouble. I
HATE disappointing my dad
more than anything in the whole world, and if HE says I
am grounded, then I am, whether he is here watching me or NOT. Get IT?"
Bob almost burst with
pride, listening to his little girl. Not one of the students
he had encountered that day had the slightest clue of what Maggie had
already learned and all were almost 10 years older than she was.
Not wanting her to know he
had been listening, Bob went back to the front of the
house and loudly opened the front door. "Hi Magpie!" he yelled, opening the
door.
"Hi Daddy," she
replied, giving him a hug. "Daddy?"
"Yeah, Maggs?"
"Daddy, I was on the
phone a bit ago, but I didn't make the call. Lizzie called
me. And since I didn't know if it was you or Mom, I thought I should answer
it."
Bob gave her a big hug,
picked her up, like he hadn't done in a long time, and
took her over to the big living room chair, and just sat holding her tight.
"Hey, Daddy, what's
up?" Maggie asked, surprised.
"Nothing, little one, I
am just sooo proud of my little girl."
Beaming, Maggie looked up
at him for a sec, and then buried her head on his shoulder.
Gosh it felt good to be forgiven, and know that all was right in her
world. "Guess what, Daddy?"
"What?" he asked,
smiling down at her.
"I have some tests
back, and I know you are going to be pleased," Maggie said,
smiling.
"Well, go get them and
let's see." Bob set her on her feet and with a playful
swat, sent her off giggling. Maggie brought back an English and a math
test, and both were A's. "Wow, you sure have been studying, haven't you?"
Maggie nodded. "Yes,
Daddy, I have, and I know you were right, I can do this
kind of work, but it sure helped having you tutor me in math."
"Sweetheart, I am
ALWAYS here for you."
Maggie smiled. "I
know, Daddy."
Bob looked down at his
daughter and smiled. "Look, I think that you have learned
something here, haven't you?"
Again Maggie nodded.
"Yes, Sir, I know I have to put my studies first, and not my
friends, that I need to be more responsible, and not hide things when I need
help," Maggie said, already sounding beyond her thirteen years.
"Good girl."
Standing her in between his legs, Bob kissed her forehead, and said,
"Okay, your grounding is officially over."
Maggie's eyes lit up,
"Really, truly, you mean it, Daddy?"
Bob smiled and said,
"Yes, sweetheart, I mean it. Now, go CALL someone."
Throwing her arms around
her dad, she hugged him tight, and ran off to call her
best friend with the news.
Bob went into his bedroom
to change his clothes, and then sat down at the desk.
Absently he opened the day's mail, and suddenly stopped still as he read a
letter that said, "Third notice, your credit is in serious jeopardy, and
your account will be closed if we do not hear from you in 48 hours."
Quickly, Bob called the 800
number on the letter, and found out that they hadn't been paid in
two months, and the third payment was just about due. Shocked, he opened the
drawer, and looked around Heather's bill folder to see what
other surprises she had.
She had asked if she could
handle the bill paying, as she was used to doing it,
and he had been letting her for about six months now. He did it every once
in a while, but it was nice to have Heather do it most of the time. He didn't
miss it, not at all. He had his check automatically deposited at work,
and kept a small amount for daily expenses, so he rarely used his credit
cards at all.
But now, looking over the
paperwork, he saw how much Heather had run up. He started
to think letting her do the bill paying wasn't such a good idea after all.
He was speechless, and angry and knew he would get to the bottom of this
one!!
Heather got home about an
hour later from class, and was surprised that Bob was
home already. She had been stressing all day about what to tell him about
their finances, and knew she had to come clean sooner or later, but ohhh,
every time she thought about the mess she had gotten into, her bottom clenched,
and butterflies ruled her stomach. She knew just how angry he was
going to be. Maybe, just
maybe, she could think of something, but she sure hadn't
come up with a plan yet, and every day it was getting harder to keep the
secret from him.
Walking in, she saw Maggie
curled up on the couch talking on the phone, and did a
double take. Maggie waved at her, covered the mouthpiece and told her, "I
am not grounded anymore, Mom, isn't that terrific?"
"Yes, sweetheart, it
is," Heather replied. Then she thought to herself, "Hmm,
maybe Bob is in a great mood and well, maybe he wont be so mad if I just
tell him. Gosh, I feel nervous."
Josh came running from his
room, running a truck on the carpet, and Heather bent
down to hug her little angel. "Having fun?" she asked him.
"Hi Mommy, yup,"
he said and off he went.
She saw their bedroom door
closed and wondered if Bob was okay. Going in quietly, she froze,
seeing him at their desk, with their bills spread out all around
him. OHHHH NOOO!
Bob turned around slowly
and impaled her with a stern glance. She could see how
steely hard his eyes looked, and the anger radiated from him like a furnace.
OMG, what have I done? Heather thought to herself.
He just sat there, and the
urge to babble was just too much. "Honn, I uhh, well,
I, ahhh, can explain, really I can," Heather tried.
"Really?" Bob
said, "This better be one hell of a good explanation."
He folded his arms across
his chest, and waited. Heather had no idea how to start.
She tried several times, but got all jumbled in her explanation and finally,
hung her head, sighed, and said, "Okay, I blew it, and I am very, very
sorry."
"Really? Well, young
lady, not as sorry as you are going to be later this evening."
With that, he walked out,
leaving her alone in the bedroom. No hug, no
talk, nothing. Heather
began to cry as she changed her clothes, and worried that
he would never forgive her. Finally, she washed her face, and put on shorts
and a tee shirt, and put her hair in a ponytail.
Walking into the kitchen, she
saw Bob and Maggie talking happily away making dinner
together, and knew she wasn't needed. She went to find Josh and played
with him until dinner was ready. The kids laughed and talked, and Bob was
his normal charming self with them. Neither of the kids noticed that Bob and
Heather exchanged not one word.
Maggie was so happy to be
"ungrounded" as she put it, and Bob warned her that
he didn't expect a repeat performance of her past behavior.
"No worries, Dad, I
really, really learned my lesson."
Bob hoped so. Changing
thoughts, Bob silently wondered if Heather would EVER
learn to really trust him, which was what hurt the most. Not that she overspent
the budget, or even that they were way in debt. That was just money,
and money could be found. What really bothered him was that she hadn't
told him, in fact had lied about things when he had asked, and gotten
them into a bigger hole,
and potentially was ruining their credit rating.
Was she afraid of him? Had he
been too hard on her physically in the past? Did she really think she couldn't
tell him? Was he some kind of ogre? These were the thoughts running through his head.
Obviously, Domestic Discipline wasn't working, and he wondered, since she
had so flagrantly broken their agreed upon rules, if it was all a mistake,
and was a lifestyle she either wasn't ready or willing to commit to.
Feeling really depressed,
and trying to hide it, he helped Maggie with the dishes,
and her homework, and said he was going to give Josh a bath. After tucking
him into bed, and reading a very long story, Bob decided he needed some
fresh air to think, and offered Maggie a trip to Baskin Robbins.
"Sure, Daddy, wow!
Just us?"
"Yes, Magpie, just us.
Mom has to stay with Josh."
"Ohh, of course,
Dad."
Heather was in the living
room, pretending to study, and Bob told her to go tell
her mom they were leaving.
As soon as the front door
closed, Heather burst into tears again. "What have I
done? Heather thought aloud. "He is so angry and disappointed in me; he
can't look at me, or talk to me. What am I going to do to earn his trust back?"
When she heard the car
driving into the garage about a half hour later, she retreated
into their bedroom, so Maggie wouldn't see her in tears.
She finally heard Maggie in
the bathroom, and then saying goodnight to her dad,
and heard her door close, and waited for Bob to come to their bedroom. An hour
went by and no Bob, and she didn't hear a thing, so she tiptoed out to the
living room, and saw him sitting with his head in his hands.
Silent tears began running
down her face as she approached him, and kneeled at his
feet. Gently, Heather pried the fingers away from Bob's face and asked
him to please look at her. She couldn't help the flow of tears that slid
silently down her face. Bob looked down at her with a look of pain that Heather
hadn't seen in his eyes before.
"We need to
talk", Heather told him. "Please, don't shut me out sweetheart, I need
you."
"I need you, too, more
than you know, but I can't live like this," Bob replied.
"What do you mean, you
can't live like this? Are you leaving me?" Heather cried,
hysterically. She threw herself into Bob's arms.
Bob shook his head, amazed
at where her thoughts had gone, and realized his silence
had really hurt her, but damn it, she had hurt him too. He held her, and
stroked her back, and said, "Never love, I will never leave you, but I have
to understand some things."
"What things?"
Heather asked, as she hiccupped trying to get her breath back.
"Well, for one thing,
can you explain why you were so afraid to come to me when
we started having financial problems? Have I hurt you physically? Do you
feel abused? Do you think I will cross the line someday? What? Please tell
me," Bob begged.
All of a sudden Heather
realized why Bob had shut her out. He wasn't as angry
at HER as he was at himself, but that too was all her fault. God, how had
she messed things up so badly?
"Bob, please listen to
me. It is not your physical discipline that scares me
terribly; it is the idea of disappointing you, of driving you away, of you realizing
you made a terrible mistake in marrying me, that I am NOT good enough
for you."
Heather took a deep breath
and was about to go on, when Bob silenced her with a kiss. It was
long, deep and healing, and he gathered her in a bear hug so
hard that she almost couldn't breathe, but it felt better than anything
in the whole world.
When both of them had
calmed down, Bob wound his hands in her hair, and pulled
her face back to look at him. "Okay, let's get a few things straight, young
lady. First of all, I NEVER EVER doubted my love for you, or yours for me,
for one single, solitary second. Never, ever will I leave you. Do you hear
me?" Bob asked, his voice having gotten a bit louder than was necessary.
He wanted her to
understand.
"Yes, Sir," a
contented Heather purred.
"Secondly, I may be
momentarily disappointed in some action you have taken, but
that is what our promises, and our way of handling things does, it wipes the
slate clean. Does it not?"
"Yes, Sir,"
murmured Heather.
"Okay, if you believe
that, then tell me WHY once more, that you did not come
to me. I have to understand that."
"Ohhh Bob, I don't
know, really I don't. It wasn't out of fear of the spanking
I knew I had coming. I guess I am too much like Maggie, or vice versa.
I didn't want you to know I had screwed up, so I hid it, hoping that I
could fix it somehow, and you wouldn't ever know, and be disappointed that I
couldn't live up to your expectations."
"Whoa right there,
young lady. COULDN'T, or decided NOT TO? That was a CHOICE
YOU made, and no one else. Will you accept responsibility for that?" Bob
queried.
Hanging her head, Heather
whispered, "Yes, Sir. I accept responsibility for my
actions."
Bob smiled. "Good
girl. And what happens in THIS family, when one of my girls,
messes up?"
"Ohhhh Bob, please
don't make me say that."
"Excuse ME? I am sure
I didn't hear you right, now did I? Shall I ask again?"
"No, Sir. They ahh,
well, see they ummmm," closing her eyes, Heather softly said,
"they get spanked."
"And then what
happens?" Bob asked. If this weren't such a serious matter, he
would have been amused by his wife's reluctance.
Heather opened her eyes,
looked deeply into his, and said clearly, "They get forgiven
and the slate gets cleaned."
"That's right,
sweetheart, isn't it?"
"Yes, Sir. It
is."
Standing Heather up on her
feet, and gathering himself for what he knew he had to
do, Bob told her to get herself ready. Heather took a deep breath, and
laid herself over her husband's lap. Bob flipped up her short nightgown, and
realized she hadn't put any panties on underneath. Hiding a smile, knowing
she really had prepared for this moment, Bob stroked her bottom and began
his lecture.
"Why are you here,
Heather?"
Heather turned her head to
look up into his eyes, and said, "Because it is where
I belong."
Bob was so proud of her, in
that moment, that he almost didn't have the
heart to spank her, but
knew that they both needed this spanking to clear the slate.
If he let her off, she would be disappointed, in a strange way.
Once again, he took a deep
breath, and brought his hand sharply down on one cheek.
"So, young lady, {WHAP}, are you {WHAP}, going to {WHAP}, hide things {WHAP}
from me {WHAP} again?" {WHAP WHAP WHAP}.
"No, Sir,"
Heather moaned.
"Good." {WHAP
WHAP}
The rhythm of Bob's smacks
was even as the intensity grew, and her bottom became
first pink, then red, and then crimson. Bob leaned back, and grabbed the
hairbrush he knew was there, and continued Heather's spanking until he felt
her total submission. He knew she would sit tenderly for a few days, but
also knew that she KNEW without a doubt, how much she was loved.
Rubbing her back, he let
her lie over his knees and sob and then gently lifted
her back onto his lap, being careful not to let her bottom rub against his
thighs. Bob cradled her, murmuring how proud he was of her, how they would
work together to fix the financial mess they were in, and as he felt her
falling asleep in his arms, repeated over and over, "I LOVE YOU."
to be continued...