Flame and Leah

Leah and Flame had a wonderful evening together, eating, watching television, having sex yet again (this time on the living room floor) and finally passing out in Leah’s bed. Leah woke up on her stomach, feeling Flame rubbing her bare back gently. She moaned a contented sigh.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Flame replied, kissing her neck softly. Rolling over, Flame continued to massage her, changing his location to her chest. “You sleep late in your own bed, don’t you?”

Smiling tiredly, Leah nodded. “I guess so. What time is it?”

“After noon,” Flame replied, and was startled when she jumped up.

“You have to go,” she said with fear, gathering his clothes. “My parents, when they called last night, said they’d be home by two.”

“Calm down, angel,” Flame said with a smile. “Here, we’ll get dressed, go downstairs and hang out in the living room. Your parents won’t know that I spent the night. They’ll just think I came over today.”

Leah blushed a little at her nervousness. “Oh,” she said sheepishly. “That does make sense.” Then she walked over to where Flame had risen, naked in front of her, and wrapped her arms around him. “Sorry,” she continued. “I’m just not used to sneaking boys in the house when my parents aren’t home.”

“I know,” Flame replied, kissing her head, which as buried deep into his chest. “It’s one of the cutest things about you.”

With that, they dressed, made the bed and put the condoms away in Leah’s nightstand. Then they headed downstairs together. They’d been watching “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” for an hour in the living room before Leah’s parents arrived home.

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Leah arrived home from school on Wednesday to find her mother in the kitchen. “Hi, Mom,” she greeted her. “Why aren’t you at the office, or showing houses?” Leah’s mother was a real estate agent, and was rarely home when Leah returned from school.

“Oh, I thought we could talk,” Leah’s mother replied, and Leah immediately felt pensive. Her mother had an expression on her face that Leah wasn’t accustomed to.

“Sure,” Leah answered nervously, sitting at the kitchen table across from her mother. “What’s up? Get a call from the school or something?”

“No, honey, nothing like that,” Leah’s mother replied in a friendly yet controlled voice. “No, Leah, it’s just… Now, please don’t think I was snooping, I was just checking your room for laundry…”

Leah felt her heart drop into her stomach but didn’t reply.

“And I looked under the bed for stray socks or what-have-you, and… well, Leah, I found a… I found a condom wrapper.”

Leah took a deep breath in, but couldn’t speak. She didn’t know what she was thinking. She wasn’t actually mad at her mother; she knew her mother wasn’t the type of parent who searched her daughter’s room. And she didn’t actually seem angry or upset, so Leah just sat silently and waited for her to continue.

“So,” her mother went on, not meeting her eyes, “so I’m going to make an assumption – and please tell me if it’s wrong of me to do so…” She paused, but when Leah didn’t reply, she continued. “So I’m going to assume that you… that you and Flame have decided to… to take your relationship to… the next level.”

Leah could see tears in her mother’s eyes, and she had to interrupt her. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said, tears forming in her own eyes. “I mean, I’m sorry you found out this way. Not that I’m sorry… I mean…”

Leah’s mother looked up and gave her a kind smile. “Leah,” she interjected gently. “No, honey, calm down. I’m not mad. I just, I want the kind of relationship with you where we can, you know… I just… I mean, I’m glad you’re being careful…”

Breathing in deeply, Leah looked at her mother in the eye. “No, Mom, I understand. And just let me get this out. Flame and I… we only… I mean, my first time was less than two weeks ago.” Leah paused to let her mother take this information in. “And he was… I mean, he was very patient. I decided to… Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be.” Hearing her mother laugh, Leah looked up and smiled. Her mother reached across the table and took her hand. Looking down at this supportive gesture, Leah began again, this time pushing through the discomfort. “Flame and I did… we did, a week and a half ago… our first time… my first time… And he was wonderful, and I’m happy, and I hope you’re not disappointed…”

Rising quickly from the table, Leah’s mother moved to Leah, who rose to meet her. “Honey,” her mother whispered into her hair, embracing her. “Leah, this isn’t something any mother ever wants to hear. I just want you to know I’m here. I like Flame, I really do. And you, you’ve always been so good… And I’m proud of you, for waiting and for being careful. I just couldn’t lie to you; I just couldn’t let you think I didn’t know…”

Leah was sobbing on her mother’s shoulder, unsure why. “Why is this so hard?” she asked honestly.

“Well,” her mother said, pulling far enough away from her to look her in the eyes. “I guess because I don’t want you to grow up, and I guess you don’t want me to… to see you as grown up.”

And Leah hugged her mother tightly. She felt relief and pain: relief because she didn’t want to lie to her mother, and pain because she felt like her relationship with her mother had changed in a way that would never be the same.

“I do love him,” Leah finally choked out.

“I know honey,” her mother replied, slipping a dark lock of Leah’s hair behind her hear. “And he loves you. I can see that. I really can.”

Leah smiled at her mother through her glassy eyes. “I’m very lucky,” Leah said. “For Flame. And for you and Dad.”

“No, baby,” her mother replied gently. “We’re lucky. All three of us.”

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“So your mom knows we had sex?” Flame asked her on Friday night. “I mean… KNOWS, knows? Like you didn’t deny it, say the condom was…. a sex-ed thing or that you were… I don’t know, making balloon animals?”

“Balloon animals?” Leah cracked up. They were sitting in Flame’s room, on his bed. “No, no balloon animals. Just sex – you and me. And she knows I’m here tonight.”

Flame looked very pale. “She knows you’re here,” he repeated.

“Flame, this is good,” Leah tried to tell him.

“Oh, yeah,” he retorted. “Your parents, the only parents of any girl I’ve ever dated who haven’t hated me, know I took your virginity and that you’re here with me now. Yeah, this is great.”

“CALM DOWN,” Leah laughed. “First of all, it’s not my parents; it’s my mom. My Dad is still in ignorant bliss, at my mother’s recommendation. And second, she’s okay with it. Not happy, but okay. I mean, come on, I turn eighteen in a month. Flame… are you okay?”

Looking at Leah, Flame gave her a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he told her. “Just… wow. Not what I expected tonight. So, are you going to be mad if I tell you I don’t think I can ever have sex with you again? Because this is all just a little weird for me…”

Flame started laughing, though, as Leah hit him with a pillow. “Okay, okay,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. “If you have to have it, I guess I can’t deny it…” And he pulled Leah down on top of him as she starting giggling uncontrollably.