The Plan Is Formed

*****

My name is Sierra Montgomery Broadman, and I am a Daddy’s girl. I always have been. Based on recent events, I can now say with certainty that I always will be. My dad positively doted on me, and it was no secret in the family that I was his favorite. It didn’t bother my two younger brothers at all. In fact, they exploited it. Whenever there was something that Daddy might probably say no to, they’d send me in to make the case. It always worked. He knew we were working him, but Dad was pretty easygoing, and usually said yes anyway. He once joked that he always said yes, so that when he finally said no, it would sound like thunder. That’s pretty much how it worked.

Anyway, mom was never as cool as Dad. In fact, after I turned eighteen, she seemed to resent the attention I got from Daddy. I mean, nothing weird or improper had ever happened. But it was pretty clear that we enjoyed each other’s company, and that seemed to bug her.

Once I finished high school and went off to college, I thought she’d be better. But instead, it seemed like to her, the whole ‘family’ thing was more or less, ‘been there, done that.’ She seemed pretty unhappy with life. Dad stayed, even though she clearly didn’t deserve him, and through it all, he remained close with all of us kids.

Meanwhile, I blew through college as fast as I could, graduating with decent enough grades that I was able to get a great teaching position right out the gate. I met Lucas Broadman in my senior year, and we were married right after graduation.

On our first date, I told Luke that I had it all planned out: graduate, marry, start having babies. Just like that. I loved being a part of this family and I couldn’t wait to create more members. If that scared him off, so be it… better to know early. But no, he said that that was exactly what he wanted, too. He’d been an only child and had always wanted siblings. Everything seemed to be perfect. He even reminded me of Daddy. So at twenty-two, it looked like I had it all. Great job, great guy who my Dad actually liked, well on my way to the life of my dreams.

Four years later, after four years of trying, we were still childless. Desperate for answers, I’d recently had a full workup done to see if I was the problem. My doctor said that I was good to go. The problem had to be Lucas. But he swore he was virile and potent; that it couldn’t be his fault. He insisted that when he got out of the Air Force, they checked him thoroughly, and he was fine, so he didn’t need to be checked again. Nevertheless, here I was, holding yet another negative test, feeling helpless. And spoiling for a fight.

It was Friday night, and he walked in from work. “Hey, sweetie, what’s up!” he began cheerfully. “You look like you’re waiting for me.”

I didn’t say a word, and just held up the still-damp stick, its sad little minus sign peering out forlornly.

The smile disappeared from his face. “Babe, I don’t know what to say. I really thought this time was it. Maybe you should go to the doctor to see what’s wrong.”

I knew that yelling wouldn’t help. He’d just call me hysterical, which would only make me that much angrier. Instead, I took a deep breath, and said as evenly as I could, “I went to the doctor, Lucas…”

“Shit,” I heard him breathe.

“… and do you wanna know what she said? She said that I’m perfectly able to conceive and carry. She said I was so fertile, that I probably shouldn’t even watch porn because I might get knocked up from the money shot. In fact,” I continued, closing the distance between us, “she pretty much said that the only reason I’m not already pregnant is that I’m apparently not fucking anybody who can get me pregnant,” I finished, poking his chest for emphasis.

I could see the dark clouds gathering behind his eyes. Good! I was mad, and I wanted him to get mad, too… mad enough to finally go and do something, like prove me wrong that he was the reason we hadn’t yet gotten pregnant.

He said, “Your doctor’s wrong. It ain’t me. It’s got to be you. I was tested…”

“Yeah, yeah,” I cut him off. “You got checked out when you were in the Air Force. You know what? I’m calling bullshit!”

“What?!” he exclaimed. “The military has some of the best health care in the world, and…”

“They do,” I said, cutting him off again. “But why would they check your sperm levels when you’re getting out of the service? My dad was in the Air Force. I asked him about it, and they never checked his.”

“Well, they check it now. He was in there a long time ago,” he protested.

“Bullshit!” I retorted back. “Go to the doctor and let’s see what’s going on. You know what?” I said, changing my tactics. My voice, my eyes, my whole demeanor softened as I said, “Show me that you’re fine, that it’s not you,” I said seductively, “and I’ll totally drop it. The only time I’ll even say the word ‘Baby’ is when you’re hittin’ it good.” I kissed his lips gently, running the tip of my tongue over his lips. “Deal?”

“Fine,” he snapped, roughly pushing me away, seemingly immune to my charms.

This, after only four years? Is this where we were?

“I’ll go to the doctor in the next couple of weeks,” he promised, as he began to walk away.

“Just tell me when the appointment is, so I can make sure I can be there,” I said, still annoyed that my seduction had apparently failed.

He stopped cold and turned. “You’re not coming with me!” he declared.

“Why?” I asked. I could tell that he was angry, but it seemed like he was angrier than the situation would seem to warrant. But still, I pressed. “What? You don’t want me there when they tell you you’re shooting blanks?” I sneered.

His arm flinched as if he’d just managed to not slap me. My eyes popped wide in surprise. We were NOT that couple!

"What?” I challenged him, my face getting into his. “You gonna hit me? Put your hands on me? Do it! My daddy will beat your ass like a runaway slave!”

“So is that it?” he answered. “You’re just gonna run to daddy every time stuff gets difficult?”

“YES!” I was practically shouting now. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do! And if you ever get me pregnant, and we have a daughter, then when she’s upset, she’ll run to you, too! That’s how this works! Finally! Now you understand! Go get tested!” I abruptly turned around and went into another room, slamming the door as hard as I could. I heard him calling after me. “Sierra! Sierra! Ahh, fuck it!” A few minutes later I heard that stupid ESPN show playing loudly.

We tried our best to never go to bed angry. So a couple of hours later, as we both got ready for bed, Lucas said, “Babe, I’m sorry about tonight. I know this is important to you. I’ll see the doctor as soon as I can. And then, we’ll figure it out from there. Okay?”

I nodded and accepted his apology. I was too wrung out to fight anymore, and sex was the furthest thing from my mind. I just kissed him goodnight and fell into a restless slumber.

*****

Every month, the whole family would meet at my parents’ house for a Saturday or Sunday brunch. It was Dad’s way to keep the family from drifting apart. It wasn’t anything big or formal. Sometimes he’d grill a really nice spread, while sometimes it would simply be assemble-it-yourself sandwiches. Occasionally, he’d have it catered. It was actually pretty nice to get together and catch up with everybody. The whole family usually came, plus any current significant others.

It was still pretty tense between me and Luke, and he was balking at going to brunch this month. I honestly didn’t care one way or another. But he is my husband, and I had to look out for him.

“Okay, stay home,” I said. “But just know, if you’re not there, they’re gonna talk about you.”

“Me?!” he asked in disbelief. “Your family loves me. They wouldn’t rag on me! Why would they do that?”

“Because you’re not there. Remember Denise came that first time and then blew it off the next month?”

Lucas nodded, smiling as he remembered how the poor girl was savaged in her absence. Apparently, Mack told her about it, because she never missed another.

“That’s right,” I added. “You don’t want to be talked about, you gotta be there.”

He still protested, “I’m doing okay. We’re fine. What could they say?”

I just asked him, “Am I pregnant?”

He stepped back in surprise. “They’d go there?” he asked, surprised at my question.

I put in my earrings as I said, “Aww, sweetie… I’d go there. Now get ready. We don’t want to be late and give them any time to hit us.”

As he finished and grabbed his keys, he commented, “Damn, your family’s brutal, girl!”

“Yeah, but nobody misses brunch, do they?”

A little later, we walked up to the front door of my childhood home. Luke was reaching for the doorbell as I opened the door and walked in, yelling, “Daddy! We’re here!”

“We’re in the back!” I heard him call back.

“I hate it when you do that,” Luke said.

“What? Say hi?”

“No, just walk into somebody’s house without knocking or ringing the bell,” he answered.

“What?” I asked, looking at him like he was crazy. “This ain’t ‘somebody’s house.’ This is my dad’s house, and that means I’m at home.”

“Hey, guys,” my dad greeted us.

“Daddy!” I yelled, running straight to him to be wrapped up in a huge bear hug. This always felt so good! Mom just rolled her eyes. “Hey, Mom,” I said.

“Oh, so you can see me!” remarked my mother. “I wasn’t sure. Hello, dear.” I went to her and we air-kissed.

“Hey, Lucas, how’s it going?” my dad greeted Luke.

“Hi, Mr. Montgomery, Mrs. Montgomery,” he replied.

My dad looked at Luke and said, “Would you prefer ‘Mr. Broadman?’”

“Um, no sir,” he answered sheepishly. He nodded and said, “Hey, Dex, hey, Marcy.”

As we all settled in, daddy finished cooking on the grill as my brothers showed up. Jackson, the youngest came alone, and Mack, the middle child, brought his girlfriend Denise. They’ve been dating for just over a year, and had recently moved in together. Daddy often joked, that in any black gathering, it was mandatory that at least one white girl was present. Denise was ours. She was a great girl though, and apparently, she and Mack were very happy together. They weren’t in a hurry to get married like I had been, but they looked like a really committed couple.

Meanwhile, Jackson was pretending to be single. We all knew that he was struggling to come out. That was rare in this day and age. I don’t know what he was worried about, because acceptance was the order of the day in our family. We all had our suspicions, but dad wouldn’t allow any negative comments behind Jax’s back.  He said we had to be willing to give him as long as it took for him to accept himself.

The music was relaxing. As the conversation and laughter swelled, I just sat back and relaxed, enjoying the day. I watched my handsome daddy as he tended the grill, flanked on either side by Lucas and Mack, laughing at some joke. The three of them almost looked like triplets. I’m sure the rest of the family noticed that my husband bore more than a passing resemblance to my father, but at least everyone was nice enough not to say it to my face.

White guys, Hispanic guys, and all the rest, they’re all fine. Really. But man, I love me a black man. That sweet, smooth cocoa skin, those distinctive facial features, even the way they all know how to say ‘baby’, or better yet, ‘baby girl’, in that exact same seductive, panty-dropping way. Yeah, my daddy absolutely spoiled me for what I was looking for in a man. I guess like all girls, I wanted my daddy… But if it couldn’t have him, I guess I found the closest substitute I could.

As I gazed at my dad, everyone else, including my husband, my brother, everyone,  all seemed to fade away, and it was just him. Dex Montgomery. I couldn’t even give up his name. My sexy, wonderful Daddy. My eyes caressed his form, tall and commanding. Not all huge and muscley, but just big and strong enough to let a girl feel well-protected. I looked at his long muscular legs and his tight little ass, and thought to myself, ‘I’ll bet he’d have no problem getting a girl pregnant. He’s already done it three times. And I’ll bet after the seed was planted, he would just keep stroking until I screamed… mmmm…’ My eyes snapped open and I looked around guiltily. What the fuck? I was knee-deep in a sexual fantasy starring my dad, with my whole family standing around. Did they know? No…  I was safe.

Dad took the last of the food off the grill, put everything in serving dishes, and announced that lunch was served. He’d made his famous Chicken & Ribs for lunch. He’s claimed that they were world-famous, but he has yet to provide any proof to back this claim up. Whatever, they were absolutely fantastic. Daddy had really outdone himself on the grill. In the middle of lunch, Daddy cleared his throat loudly.

“I have a surprise for everyone. You remember how much fun we had on that cruise a few years ago?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Right after Jackson graduated from high school, daddy decided to take everyone on a cruise to celebrate all the kids getting out of high school. The five of us had a fantastic time. This was just before I met Lucas.

“Well that line has a newer, bigger version of that ship. I've always wanted to go on an inaugural cruise. I always wanted to be one of the first people on the ship, and see everything brand new. Well this is our chance! The inaugural cruise is June 1st, and we're going to be on it! And since we’re all grown folks here, I got cabins for everybody and their significant others!” He looked meaningfully at Jackson, who bashfully looked down.

“Aww, man!” groaned Mack. “I can’t go!” he wailed. “I just started this new job, and I can’t take a week off already!”

“Man, are you sure?” asked Dad. “This is going to be an awesome trip, I promise you!”

“I know,” he agreed. “But you know how long I’ve wanted this job! And now that I’ve got it, I really don’t want to mess it up by taking off as soon as I start. But Dad, you’re going to have to make this up to me! This is on you!”

Dad understood Mack’s situation. “I can’t say I blame you, son. We’ll miss you, but I’m going, if I have to go by my damn self. But while I’m on the ship, I’ll book our next cruise around your schedule, so just let me know when to set it.”

Mack nodded gratefully.

Out of nowhere, Mom said, “Unless the kids are going, you might be going alone.” All eyes turned to look at her. Dad looked at her slowly and incredulously, as if maybe she had sprouted a second or third head.

“The hell are you talking about?” asked Dad. “You love cruises.”

Mom’s face wore an expression I hadn’t seen before. She said, “I’m tired of cruises. I’ve been on enough. In fact, I’m kind of over the whole ‘family vacation’ thing. The kids are grown… Let them go off on their own. Do their own thing. Pay for their own vacations.”

“They have their own lives,” said Dad. “But that doesn’t mean I want them to go off and we never see them again. That’s why we get together once a month… So we can all stay in touch. What the hell is wrong with that? How many families lose touch with each other for years, even decades? Is that what you want?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” she said with finality. “I’m not going on this cruise.”

It was right then that I recognized the look on Mom’s face: She had zero fucks to give. She simply didn’t care. If her words or actions hurt anyone, oh well. It wasn’t that she was being cold. This was worse… she was indifferent. As if none of us, or our feelings, mattered. What was happening with my parents?!

“Well, we can certainly go,” I said, wanting to go on this trip, but more than anything, wanting to support Daddy. I looked at my husband and added quietly, “This will be the perfect time for us to work on our little project.” I smiled sexily. Again, he was unfazed. In fact, he looked annoyed. What was happening in MY marriage?

“It’s coming up too soon. I can’t take a week off of work,” Lucas declared.

“Well, I’m a teacher! It’s in June! There's not a more perfect time at all for me to go on a cruise! We’re going!” I insisted.

“No we’re not, and that’s final!” he threw his hands in the air as if that put an end to it all.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! Plus him ordering me around like that?! “So let me get this straight,” I said, feeling more irate by the minute. “My family offers us a free cruise aboard a gorgeous, brand-new ship… But instead of that, I get to stay at home and clean the house and watch the four walls while you go to work every day? Oh HELL naw! Maybe you’re not going, but I...