Chapter 1 - The Family

 

It was just another Friday night with nothing special planned for the evening, or the weekend for that matter. Being a 42 year old divorced woman I generally didn't have too much going on in my life beyond my career, my sister, and my three daughters. I'm not complaining mind you, I love my life and the many comforts I've built for myself.

However, most folks find my quiet and usually uneventful private life rather odd. I'm regularly told by my co-workers, friends and family, how attractive and personable I am. I'm constantly hearing what a 'lucky catch' I would be for the right man. I'm not only beautiful, so I'm told, but I'm success and fairly well off. As a senior partner at a very affluent law firm that handles mostly divorce and other non-criminal case work for the very wealthy, I don't want for much. So, I suppose being a well educated and successful woman qualifies me as a low maintenance and desirable partner for the right guy. And I know I'm not getting any younger, so I probably should be out there looking for my soul mate... ya right.

Quite frankly, I like my independence and freedom. I've worked hard and sacrificed plenty over the years to get where I am today while raising my three beautiful daughters. Now it's time for me to enjoy life for myself a bit. If Mr. Perfect shows up, great, if not, that's just fine too!

I must admit, I do enjoy taking very good care of myself. I spend plenty of time and money at the beauty salon and spa making sure my long strawberry blonde hair, nails, and flawless skin are in premium condition and looking good. I'm 5' 8", weighing in at a perfect 130lbs, with a spectacular set of all natural breasts that are still as firm, and full, and stand out as proud as they did 20 years ago. I've never been able to pass the pencil test, but don't let that fool you there's very little sag here! I'm very proud of my assets and I'm not shy about admitting it.

No doubt, my stunning looks have opened a few doors and created a number of opportunities for me to move up the corporate ladder. Whenever I meet someone new, whether a client or just out for the night, folks generally guess my age at 30 and can't believe it when I tell them I have three grown daughters.

I say grown because my youngest Jenny, 19, moved into her dorm room at the University last year so I considered that the last one, grown, out, and on her own. Like her older sisters Jenny had no trouble adapting to life away from home and mom. She still shows up at the house for an occasional weekend but for the most part, when classes are in session, she's at school. She really enjoys school and her new found independence. Jenny's not as outgoing, aggressive, and driven as her older sisters but I simply attribute that to being the youngest child.

My middle daughter Kelly, 22, is a college senior and about to graduate this spring. Kelly's my free spirited wild child who forges forward in life like nothing else matters but her goals to succeed. She's such a hard worker and very focused on her upcoming career in law, just like her mom. It took me 18 years to make partner, I'm betting she does it much sooner. She can be defiant and self centered at times, but aren't those natural born traits in every middle child?

My oldest daughter Tracy is 25, and yes I was young when I had her. Like many young women I wasn't exactly thinking 'birth control' when I started having sex. Tracy graduated from an Ivy League school 3 years ago and is now a very successful and accomplished investment manager with a big firm in the city. Just three years out of school and she's living on her own in the big city. I would have never guessed that she would be so successful so quickly. She's become quite the prim and proper professional business woman; you know the kind, always dressed in the expensive business suits and shoes with the briefcase.

Tracy, Kelly and Jenny all look remarkably like me. There's absolutely no wondering if they are my daughters. I guess that's a good thing since all of the men I know consider them quite blessed to have received my genes. You know what they say, always look at the mother to know what the daughter will become.

Jenny's a little shorter at 5' 2" but other than that the biggest differences between them is the color and style of their hair. Being slender and well endowed young ladies with all the right curves will certainly be a great asset for them over the years to come, as it was for me when I was young. They will never be overlooked that's for sure.

I still live in the same house that my girls grew up in, located on a nice quiet street in an upper class neighborhood. It's a fairly luxurious home with plenty of space, more than I need these days, but I don't plan on downsizing. We're set back off the road a couple hundred feet with plenty of privacy. My ornamental landscaping and flower gardens are spectacular.

Taking care of the gardens is my favorite way to relax and unwind on the weekends. On a nice warm summer day there's nothing I enjoy more than relaxing outside surrounded by the many fragrances escaping my flowers, the bright colors, cool breezes, and the delightful sunshine. I love my vitamin D!

Inside, it's my dream home. A large three car garage connects directly to the house with the door leading into the kitchen. I really love the layout as it's an open floor plan yet very warm and welcoming. There are luxurious hardwood and stone floors throughout, with just the right mix of throw rugs. All the windows are oversized so there's always plenty of natural light streaming in. The fabrics and furniture throughout my house is done in bright and lively colors, with a very contemporary design overall; I'm not much of a traditional design lover.

One of my favorite spaces is my master bedroom and bath. My room is at the top of a large curved staircase which leads up to the balcony that overlooks the living room and den area below. It's quite a large bedroom with a sitting / reading area and lots of space to spread out and be comfortable. Just off the bedroom is a spectacular master bath with a large garden tub, just perfect for those long evening baths surrounded by candles. The wall at the foot of the bed is completely mirrored with two walk-in closets located behind. Well that's enough about my dream house.

Aside from my daughters and a few professional associates, the only other person I spend any significant time with is my only sibling Laura. She's almost 4 years younger than me and lives a few blocks away with her husband Tom. Tom and Laura have been married for 10 years now and he's been a god send to my sister and her only child Susie. Susie's dad was killed in an accident when she was 6, so she knows Tom isn't her true father but you'd never know it by the way he treats her and Laura. Susie's a senior at the local high school and just turned 18 a couple months ago.

Tom is the perfect man for Laura. He's as caring and compassionate as I've ever know a man to be. He's also incredibly fit and works hard to keep himself that way. Being an airline pilot it's very important that he stay fit. He's frequently outdoors running and spending time at the gym when he's not away for work. He's the perfect specimen of a 35 yr old man, with dark hair and a chiseled body. They make a great couple. Tom doesn't have any family close by so they have plenty of time and energy for each other without too many distractions, if you know what I mean. If he wasn't my sister's husband I'd be looking to steal him away for myself!

Laura's a lot of fun and we truly do enjoy each other's company. Most folks think we're best friends not sisters. She's a little shorter than me at 5' 6" and she's a true natural blonde. We have very similar body types but with her long stark blonde hair, differing facial features, and her bright blue eyes, most folks don't guess that we're sisters.

We're always giggling and laughing and carrying on with each other like we're a couple of long lost friends. We share absolutely everything with each other, even the most intimate details of our relationships. That's just how we grew up. We've always been very close and never embarrassed or ashamed to share our most personal or deepest secrets. I truly believe it's this tight bond that's made us so strong as individuals. It doesn't matter how good or how bad things get, we know the other will be there.