Elaine & Donna, A Love Story, Part 3: Growing Pains

Elaine and Donna:

A Love Story

Part 3: Growing Pains

By

David Monroe

(© 2014)

Chapter 1

It had been several weeks since James and Helen had been gone from their lives, but Elaine and Donna were still feeling a bit overwhelmed at the loss of their recently found substitute parents as well as the acquisition of the old farm where they were now living. Ernie and Mildred had both seemed initially a bit lost and confused at the absence of their former owners, but as time went on they both just appeared to have adapted to their new owners and their new circumstances. From the cat’s point of view, they still had loving, caring human attendants and the food was still coming on a regular basis, so their lives pattered on much as before.

Elaine envied the cats’ ability to accept all the changes that had occurred so suddenly and without the anguish and sadness she was feeling; she still found herself having trouble getting on with each day as it came. Some days were better than others, but until just recently she had found herself often overcome with sorrow and grief at their loss and could not keep herself from breaking down in tears at just the simple sight of James and Helen’s house or the farm itself. Her recent interest in spirituality had helped some, but as this was still a very new experience for her, it was only a superficial or perhaps fleeting comfort.

Donna was also having some difficulty in adjusting to their new situation. After the horrific experience that both of them had encountered when trying to reconnect with their respective families the previous Christmas back in Childers, the relationship that they had cultivated with James and Helen had been like a safe haven. She had felt a real connection with the Adams’ and not having them to lean on or get advice from anymore had left a hole in her heart. Donna had been utterly turned off to any type of spiritual cushion based on her own family’s narrow-minded and unbending view of life until Elaine had introduced her to a new way of thinking about the universe and how it might work. This had helped, but overall, she was getting little help for herself in that regard personally if she was honest with herself.

The girls had talked for hours each day since the memorial service, as they lounged about their comfortable cabin apartment just down the road from the main house on the property as well as on long hikes and occasional horseback rides throughout the sprawling acreage that made up the property that had been left to them by their former landlords and friends. The conversations seemed to be more speculative and quizzical in nature about the whys of it all, but overall neither was getting any real answers or resolution to what had happened. They both knew that as more time passed, the better they would feel, but so far it had been a very slow process and they both were still grappling with it all. The long amounts of time they had spent outside wandering their new home were helping, though, and each day Elaine could feel the dark cloud that was pressing down on her lift just a bit.

Donna was grateful for the timing of the events, at least, as they had several weeks to themselves alone between James and Helen’s deaths and the beginning of their new semester in school in September. It had now been about a month since they had been engulfed with everything and despite some intermittent dark days emotionally, time was beginning to heal them. July had morphed into August without either of them really noticing that the time had elapsed, and they were working hard to prepare themselves for the fall semester. Both girls knew this next year would be more of a challenge academically—Donna heading into her second full year of her studies while Elaine, having officially fulfilled her Massachusetts residency requirements, would be beginning her first real taste of live university life.

The last thing that either girl needed right now was the emotional distraction of the loss they had just endured and they were both confident that as they pulled themselves through August that they would be ready for school when it began. They still remained anchored in their small, but cozy cabin apartment…..it was just not feeling right to either of them to consider taking up residence in the main house just yet. They had discussed it a lot, and both agreed that there were just too many memories lingering about and that in combination with their raw emotions over their loss of their friends that the timing was just not right. Also, Elaine had said, it just felt disrespectful to James and Helen’s memory. Donna agreed wholeheartedly…….

They had kept a close eye on the place and would continue to do so until the time came that they might consider relocating to the main house. James had put his heart and soul into his farm and by no means would they let it fall into disrepair. They went over every so often to make sure all was well structurally and to clean lightly, but at this point in time neither could spend more than a few hours at a time there before being overcome. They loved the little apartment and had gotten quite comfortable with it in the year or so since they had come to Amherst……if and when the time was right to move, they would know it. Both Ernie and Mildred seemed perfectly at home with them in the cabin as well, so they decided to just continue with this routine until they felt differently.

Elaine had expressed some feelings of guilt initially after the memorial service since their Christmas gift to the couple had potentially led them to be in the place where they had been killed, but Donna had helped her through this and that issue had been put to bed. They had been utterly disappointed also in not being able to take advantage of the generous gift from James and Helen of their week at the spa in Stockbridge, but considering everything else, neither girl had seen that as a major loss. In fact, the owner of The Vitality Health Center had sent them a heartfelt letter of condolence as they had known James well from many years earlier. They told them that they could consider the unused gift certificate as available anytime……whenever they wanted to use it, the spa would be available to them.

The girls’ personal relationship had actually grown deeper and closer as a result of this accident. Elaine knew from her childhood of many of her parents’ friends that had been unable to continue as families following similar tragedies—these were common in rural Kansas due to the nature of running a working agricultural farm. The loss of a spouse or child had often been a wedge that was impossible for some residents of Childers to remove. For her and Donna, though……just the opposite. The sudden loss had thrown them together as they leaned on each other heavily, especially just after they had been informed of the car accident.

In her own family, Donna recalled the inability of her aunt to adjust to a regular life following the death of her only daughter when Donna had been just a child. It was just a freak accident—the type of thing that was all too common on a farm—but she could just not get past it. She blamed her husband with great anger and bitterness and finally, he could take no more. The once close-knit family fell apart following her cousin’s death and even as a very young girl, Donna had been baffled that her aunt and uncle could not draw strength and solace from each other……instead they just closed themselves off individually in isolation and depression. Her aunt just shut down completely in the end and her uncle just disappeared……no one even heard from him again.

Elaine was not sure she could have borne the weight of it all without Donna and the same certainly seemed true for Donna. Maybe she thought, following their harsh dispatch from Childers back in December, they had had no one but each other…..but in reality, she knew this was not the whole story. Sure—that was part of it—but she and Donna had become so intertwined and intermeshed emotionally since they had left Kansas that there just seemed to be no other possible choice—at least for them. They had fought against the bigotry of where they had grown up and had worked together well as a team to hide their relationship while still there……they had taken the bold and daring steps to move away from all of that and pursue their dreams…..and they had been drawn into the warm and loving arms of James and Helen Adams, even if just for a brief period of time.

Each passing day, the girls had felt their love and respect for each other grow immeasurably as they reveled in their new lives and new freedom. James and Helen had been an intrical part of that growth—never judging, never criticizing, never chastising. Rather, they had been the one real constant sense of a solid foundation that Elaine and Donna had been looking for all along. They had held each other and cried night after night for a long time as the grief of their loss washed over them. Donna was not sure she could have gone on without Elaine’s compassion and care and touch. Their relationship had somehow been lifted to a new level as they dealt with this loss together…..quite remarkable for two young girls…..women……as James might have said as a correction as he often did with a laugh…….who had come to New England with no real-life experience of how to cope with such a burden.

For a while, their sex life was put on hold. The intimacy was never diminished—in fact, if possible this aspect of their lives together may have blossomed to a greater degree. They made it a point to make physical contact with each other as much as possible as each day went by following the events of early July. Their former intense and extreme sexual relationship was toned down while they grieved, but in some way, it was just replaced with a greater sense of intimacy and commitment. Having the property to themselves now, they had maintained their practice of nudity most of the time when the weather allowed since there were no real worries about being discovered unexpectedly by their landlords.

They hiked and rode horses naked often as well as sleeping unshorn on the back deck of the cabin. The practice had become such a part of their lives that they just never gave it a second thought. They had not become part of any of James or Helen’s friends in the area nor had they really cultivated more than just surface friendships with any of their peers at school……so there was no real concern about someone just dropping by unannounced. For many days, both Elaine and Donna were perfectly at ease with just holding each other close and kissing…..they slept deeply in dreamless nights as the heat of their bodies comforted the other.

Over time, their regular strong and voracious sexual routine returned, but it was slow and measured. The kisses grew deeper and more passionate…..caresses of breasts and buttocks began anew…….gradually the touch of gentle fingers found their way into the warmth and moisture of each other’s crotches. Neither could really remember who had been the first to make an overt move to reinstate their former sexual activities, but Elaine was thrilled beyond imagination when she felt her body shake and tremble with recurrent waves of spasm as Donna drew her face into Elaine’s vagina and brought her to an overwhelming climax as she cried out loudly in response.

The progression was gradual and slow and tender, but once they began it was just as sweet as ever. No…..that was not quite right Donna thought to herself……this was much more intense and satisfying and exciting than before. She brought this up to Elaine one night as they finished having sex on the back deck of the cabin….just to get her thoughts. Elaine responded—and Donna agreed fully—that to her, the time they had spent together recovering from the loss of James and Helen had pushed their intimacy to a higher place. That the time away from their regular sexual activity coupled with a higher emotional bond had laid the groundwork for a more intense experience once they were ready.

This seemed reasonable to Donna…..for her personally, the orgasms were lasting longer and were noticeably heightened in intensity. Her heart was pounding harder with excitement……her pulse was running quicker……her body was nearly awash in perspiration after each encounter with her lover. Elaine likewise felt similar sensations and suggested a new course of events for them in order to keep this excitement alive and growing in their relationship:

“So, you are feeling more stimulated now, too?” Elaine asked as she ran the tips of her fingers in small circles through the coating of sweat on Donna’s nipples.

“Very much so” Donna replied as Elaine’s touch excited her. “It’s like…..I’m not sure how to put it……like…..we’re on a higher plane? But not just sexually……there seems to be more to it.”

“Umm…..” Elaine replied softly. “For me, too. I have always felt very close to you when we have sex, but yeah…..something has definitely changed for me. Our orgasms are pretty mind-bending now—not that they weren’t close to that already.”

Donna laughed just under her breath at Elaine’s joke.

“Any thoughts on what is different now?” Elaine asked as she tenderly kissed the nape of Donna’s moist neck.

“Not sure exactly” Donna replied, “but seems like that short hiatus we took after……you know…..has something to do with it. Not sure about you, but immediately after, I was not in the right space for our normal sexual pursuits……just having you close and so caring and attentive to me was all I could handle at the time.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Elaine said as she sat back and looked deep into Donna’s eyes. “I was perfectly happy at that time as well just being with you……holding you……kissing you…..feeling your body against mine. I think that the break from sex, plus our already strong relationship, plus the closeness we experienced following the loss of James and Helen pushed us to a higher spot.”

Elaine waited for Donna to comment but her lover just remained silent, letting Elaine take the lead.

“I am not sure how to explain it and certainly do not have any explanation for it, but all of these things together sure seem to have led us to where we are,” Elaine said. “I am sorry we had to experience such a drastic loss to get here, but whatever is going on now……I am intrigued, to say the least.”

“Had not thought of all those elements, but what you say makes sense,” Donna replied. “I agree…..something is definitely changing for us….and in a good way. I felt so close to you these last few weeks as we have struggled with everything…..it was like sex without the sex…..you know?”

Elaine just nodded and smiled.

“So what are you thinking?” Donna asked with a slight grin. “Seems like something else is on your mind.”

“You know me too well,” Elaine replied and they both laughed out loud. “I have been looking back at the last few weeks and how intense our sex is growing and have a thought. Interested?”

Donna nodded eagerly, knowing from past experience with Elaine that her ‘thoughts’ generally led to wonderful things.

“Here’s what I am thinking” Elaine continued. “What if we were to consciously insert breaks from sex every so often? Not due to some crisis, but on a conscious level……just like in our past few weeks. I am not sure how often and for how long—we can decide that later if we agree to move ahead on this—but observe periods of abstinence from sex and just remain intimately close—touching, kissing, hugging…..but no sex. It seems to me that regular cycles of this may continue to evolve our sexual relationship.”

Donna remained silent and mulled over Elaine’s proposal. She had heard of such things in some self-help books she had read recently and it sounded like an interesting experiment.

“I like it!” Donna exclaimed. “If it can continue to keep us as close as we are now and make our sexual relationship fresh and vibrant and new, I am all for it!”

“OK….” Elaine began. “If at any time this does not feel right for either of us, we just speak up, alright?”

Donna nodded.

“Don’t think we need an actual schedule or anything” Elaine said with a low laugh. “I am sure we can communicate well enough to just do this on the fly……think we will know when we should take these ‘breaks’. The real trick I see is to make sure that we never lose our level of intimacy while we are on ‘sexual hiatus’. The thing that I think makes our sex now so extra alive is that we drew so much closer since early July—we can’t let that disappear.”

Donna nodded again. “You know, Laynie…..I look back—say a couple of years—and it is hard to believe how far I have come. Before we first slept together, I was so naïve and…..I don’t know….lost? It has been quite a trip, huh?”

Elaine nodded and cupped Donna’s face with her palm.

“All that we have been through together…..me making a pass at you after you introduced me to your ‘toys’…..you saving me in that blizzard……all the encounters we had based on your fetish as a teenager…….us working together to get out of Childers and then supporting each other after our families turned their backs on us……” I just think back and wonder what our lives would have been like if none of this had been put into motion.”

A stray tear coursed down Donna’s cheek as she spoke and Elaine felt a lump in her throat.

“I know it’s just words, Laynie……” Donna sniffled. “But I really do love you.”

“Me too, sweetheart.” Elaine squeaked back.

“No, Laynie……” Donna replied as she wiped her face. “I mean it…..I really do love you. This is stronger than anything I have ever felt for anyone or anything and sometimes it is almost too much—like a dream or something. From what I saw growing up, I never saw any adults experiencing the degree of connection that I feel with you—never knew this type of thing was even possible until we came together and grew together.”

Elaine felt her eyes fill with tears as they began to spill randomly down her face.

“I saw flashes of this type of love between James and Helen and it was only then that I thought it might be possible. Now I know it is.”

Elaine reached out and pulled Donna tight to her and both girls sobbed as they held each other and kissed hard. Elaine shook with tears of joy as she broke off her kiss of her lover and let the emotion and love of what Donna had expressed fill her soul. As they both relaxed into the padded chairs of the back deck, the sun began its dip behind the thick trees of the forest and Donna pulled their favorite quilt over their damp and clammy bodies as the evening temperature began to chill them.

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