When I first decided to tell the story of ‘The Office Intern’, I had hoped the truth would have provided some freedom from the misery which ensued after Lisa started her senior year of high school.  Admittedly, recalling that summer, with all the hope and possibilities we believed existed, was a sort of panacea. Reminding me of a magical time when two people existed just to love each other. But telling the story also reopened doors I’d believed had been sealed for decades. Ultimately, I realized that the poison they secured had been slowly leaking into the lives of all who were involved.

***

It was still nineteen seventy-three and Lisa had only been away from me for a week. She had gone back to school while I tried to survive with the gaping void left by her departure. My job was no longer exciting, and the entire office only reminded me of what had been. Since I was single, with no close family, I made what turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life when it came to my darling Lisa.

Impulsively, I quit my job, giving the man who had hired me no notice at all. He was pissed, of course, but when he heard why, he respected me well enough to be sympathetic.

“Lisa really did a number on your head,” he said to me, not unkindly. “We all could see how close you two were, and I wondered how you’d take it when she left.” He stepped around his desk and sat on the edge, facing me directly. “Look, you’ve done good work here and while I would have appreciated some notice, I can understand. Hell, I’m even a bit jealous of your youth and the flexibility your inheritance gives you.”

“I appreciate that Jim, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working here, but everywhere I look, all I can see is Lisa. And knowing her parents would never allow us to be together, just rubs salt in my wounds.”

“Yeah, I get that. But why the West Coast? Why not hang around here and plead your case to her parents?”

“Mainly because Lisa asked me to stay away until after she graduates. So that’s what I plan to do. She and I have a date for nine months from now for me to meet her at the bus stop the day after she finishes school. So putting some distance between us is the only way I can survive until then.”

“Love sucks, doesn’t it?” he said as he got up and shook my hand. “Well, best of luck and if you need any kind of reference or recommendation in the future, please let me know.”

And that was how I left my job and began driving the final nail in our coffin. Within a week, I was on the West Coast, in my new apartment, looking for a job. I didn’t necessarily need a job, but without one, I’d probably have gone insane. Luckily, my year of experience and low salary requirements allowed me to find a new gig almost immediately.

Regarding my story, there isn’t much to say about the nine months that followed my move. My new job and new life were fine and provided me with the distractions I needed. My calendar was marked with a giant red circle on May 30th, 1974 denoting the date of Lisa’s high school graduation. That meant that I had a date with her for ten o’clock on Friday, May 31st and my flight reservation and vacation time were already set. To say I was counting the hours would be an understatement.

During our time apart, I sent Lisa a few cards for her birthday and Christmas and a few neutral letters letting her know what I was up to. She never answered, but I just assumed that her parents were intercepting them so that Lisa wasn’t aware. Funny how one can be so wrong about such a simple thing.

***

I had flown out at night before our big day, hoping to at least see the conclusion of Lisa’s school graduation. But my asshole airline served up a plane with mechanical issues, and it was nearly midnight by the time I reached my hotel. Sleep was tough to achieve, but I found myself on time, parked in my rental car at Lisa’s old bus stop at the appointed ten o’clock. My nerves were a mess, wondering what she would say about our relationship.

The street was quiet with the usual car and foot traffic, and as ten o’clock came and went, I still knew she would show up. By eleven o’clock, a dark dread had seeped into my brain, and it felt like icicles were filling my gut. By noon, I had to force myself to admit that she wasn’t coming. Regardless of what she’d said when we parted, she’d decided that a relationship with me was no longer her desire, and she couldn’t face me to say that. But still my mind refused to believe, holding on to a hope made of vapors. It was two o’clock when my bladder forced me to accept reality, and I slowly drove away, searching for a bathroom.

Bladder relieved, I sat in my car wondering what to do. I had two obvious options, one easy and one difficult. The easy option was to visit my old company to see if they had heard anything about Lisa. But I doubted they would be much help. The harder option was to knock on Lisa’s front door and confront her. That would be an emotional nightmare, but it would give me the best chance to find out why she didn’t show. As it turned out, I was wrong on both counts.

Not yet ready for a confrontation, I decided to make my old job office the first stop. Pulling into a parking space, I could immediately see something was different. I entered the lobby where almost everything had changed, from the decor to the color scheme to the company name on the wall. Where it used to say ‘Logic Data, Inc.’, it now read 'Spectrum Systems – Logic Data Division’. Confused, I walked up to the large reception desk.

“Hi, Miss,” I said. “Is this still Logic Data Inc?”

“Good afternoon, sir,” she replied. “Yes, sort of. Spectrum acquired Logic Data last December, and most of the people who worked at this facility relocated to the large corporate spaces in Florida. The people working here now are sales and marketing. Is there someone, in particular, you wanted to speak with?”

“I used to work here but I left last September. It’s hard to believe it all changed so quickly. Does Mary Rogers still work here? She was one of the secretaries.”

“Sorry, I don’t know that name. Perhaps someone else?”

I began rattling off names, getting a head shake for each. Finally, I hit one person she knew.

“Yes, Ron Adams is still here. He handles the office IT support. Let me page him.”

Five minutes later, Ron and I were shaking hands, walking out to the parking lot to catch up.

“Wow, it’s been ages Bill, how the fuck are you?

“I’m okay Ron, I think. Listen, I’d love to shoot the shit, but I’m kind of in a world of hurt. Do you remember Lisa, the intern from last summer?”

Ron smiled and said, “Of course I do. She was a hottie and if I recall, you two were an item?”

“We were sort of an item, but nothing serious because of her parents. I was supposed to meet her today, but she was a no-show. I was wondering if you heard anything about her over the past year?”

“No, I haven’t. But then in IT I rarely get to meet any visitors. Give me a minute to call Sally down at the Florida office.”

I cooled my heels while Ron went to make his call. He was back in ten minutes, looking uncomfortable.

“Any luck?” I asked.

“Yea, man. But it isn’t great news.” He shifted on his feet, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but standing in front of me. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing the smoke away from me.

“According to Sally, about five weeks or so after you split, Lisa stopped by the office asking for you. She said Lisa looked terrified and when she found out you’d left the state she broke down and cried like a baby. Sally says it took at least a half-hour for Lisa to calm down enough to leave. She wanted to know where you’d gone, but of course, none of us knew where exactly, except that you were somewhere on the West Coast.”

“What the fuck?” I said. “What could have happened to make her so upset? I mean, that would have been around mid-October, and she should have been well into her senior year of high school.”

“No clue, man,” Ron replied. “According to Sally, she never saw Lisa again after that.”

My head was spinning as I shook Ron’s hand, thanking him for the information. I got back in my car and decided that, no matter how hard, I had to go to Lisa’s home and find out what happened. I hit the road, wondering why my sweet girl had been so upset.

Finding Lisa’s house was easy. We had passed it a few times during our secret date nights. It was a modest two-story colonial on a street of similar houses. I parked at the curb and spent a minute steeling my courage. I had no idea what was about to happen, but even if Lisa gave me bad news, it was better than not knowing. Unfortunately, my words would soon come back to haunt me.

I knocked on the door and rang the bell for good measure. I heard a dog barking, which was odd because I didn’t recall Lisa saying they had any pets. The door opened and an elderly woman greeted me.

“Can I help you, young man?”

“Yes, ma'am, my name is Bill, and I was hoping to speak with Lisa. Is she available?”

She looked at me, slightly confused, and said, “I’m sorry, but no one by that name lives here.”

Now I was confused. “Perhaps I have the wrong address,” I said. “Lisa Gibson is the daughter of Mark and Linda Gibson. Lisa and I worked together last summer.”

I saw her eyes light up at the name. “Oh, the Gibsons. Yes, they’re the people who sold me this wonderful house last December. But I don’t recall seeing a daughter. The home has three bedrooms and only one was occupied when I toured the house. In fact, the Gibsons said they were selling because the house was too big for them and they wanted something smaller. Last I heard, they moved upstate somewhere.”

I felt my body collapsing from within. Nothing made any sense. I thanked the woman for her time and stumbled back to my car. There I sat, head churning with shock. What could have happened that Lisa would no longer be living at home and then cause her parents to move? More urgently, what the fuck did I do now? Driving back to my hotel, I picked up some takeout and a six-pack and reluctantly called it a day.

The next day was Saturday, and my options were limited. I had a week off from work and needed to make the best use of my time. Using the phone book, I tried to remember the last names of some of her girlfriends but came up blank. In retrospect, I realized I knew very little about Lisa or her family, and with zero leads to go on, I was already at a dead end.

By Sunday morning, I was desperate. There I sat in my underwear, drinking a warm beer and flipping through TV channels. That early in the morning it was nothing but news and educational TV with a smattering of religious shows. One channel showed a mass in progress, and my tired brain woke up. I do have another option and hit the shower to make myself presentable.

An hour later, I was sitting in a pew, attending the morning service at Lisa’s church. She had talked so much about this place that I felt like I knew it before I even sat down. If anyone knew what happened with Lisa and her family, I would find them here.

Once services ended and the minister had worked the line of exiting parishioners, I approached him and introduced myself.

“Reverend Bates,” I said, extending my hand. “My name is Bill Sanders. I was hoping you could help me locate some friends of mine who attend your church.”

The Reverend smiled broadly and shook my hand. “Welcome to our church, Bill. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. What brings you to our services today?”

“Yes, this is my first time. I live out west now but used to live around here. My friend told me so much about your church that I feel like I’ve visited here before."

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Bill. So who is this family you’re asking about?”

“My friend’s name is Lisa. She and I worked at the same company last summer. Her last name is Gibson and her parents are Mark and Linda. Do you know them?”

At the mention of their names, I saw his face darken. He didn’t look mad exactly, but whatever he was feeling was painful. My gut clenched, knowing nothing he was about to say would improve things. I steeled myself for the bad news.

“So you’re the one,” he said almost too softly to hear. "The one Lisa was desperately trying to find last fall. And the one who caused all the pain for so many people.”

“Pain?” I replied, feeling like a knife was twisting in my gut. “What pain? To who? For what? I’m sorry but I’m very much in the dark. Please tell me what happened.”

He shook his head and said, “Not out here, let’s go into my office, and I’ll pour us some coffee.”

I followed him through the large, sunlit church and down a hallway to what appeared to be the very back of the building. We walked into a modestly sized room, nicely outfitted with mahogany furniture and a well-worn Persian rug on the floor. It was elegant, if not a little past its prime. He motioned me to sit and filled two mugs with coffee from a large carafe. He settled his bulk into his swivel chair and looked at me, almost like he was assessing my worth.

“When was the last time you and Lisa spoke?” he began.

“That’s easy, right after Labor Day last year when she finished up her internship before going back to school. The office threw a party for her, and I was able to meet her parents. They seemed like nice enough people. Lisa rode home with them, and that was the last time she and I saw each other.”

He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, looking sad. “Yes, her parents did make a nice appearance in public. Most folks who met them found them friendly. But like too many families, they had a darker side, and Lisa was often the unfortunate recipient of their misguided interpretation of our faith.”

“Reverend, with all due respect, can you get to the point? You’re scaring me.”

“Fair enough. But let me ask one more question. What brings you back to our town after all this time?”

Now it was my turn to pause. Why I was here, was kind of private. But given that there seemed to be a mystery surrounding Lisa, it seemed silly not to come clean.

“On our last day, I made Lisa a promise that on the day after her graduation, I would meet her to see how we could make our relationship real. I love Lisa, and I’ve almost gone mad waiting for these months to pass.” My mouth was dry, so I paused to take a sip of the lukewarm coffee. “Shortly after we separated, I moved out west to take a new job and just flew back a few days ago to meet her. But she never showed and when I went to her house I found out the family had moved. Do you know what happened?”

He leaned forward in his chair, suddenly looking exhausted. He fiddled with his coffee mug before finally taking a long swallow. “In simplest terms,” he began, “the Gibson family imploded. When they found out what Lisa had done, they simply couldn’t accept it and banished her from their home. There was no trial, no defense, simply the decision of her parents. Mark Gibson tried to justify his actions by blaming our religion, but that was just self-serving bullshit. Our faith teaches compassion and forgiveness, but he was having none of that and kicked her out like she was some wayward pet. It was disgusting.”

I was flabbergasted. What could Lisa have possibly done to deserve such treatment? But as the thought flashed through my mind, I realized with horror what might have occurred. It seemed unlikely, given what I thought I knew, but what else? Only one way to find out.

“What could have happened to Lisa to cause such a response from her parents?” I asked.

His face clouded with anger, not appreciating the question one bit. He took several deep breaths, working to control his temper.

“I think the better question,” he spit out, “is what did you do to such a sweet girl to get her into trouble?”

It was then I knew. Somehow, someway, Lisa had gotten pregnant. Despite the timing and our rudimentary understanding of fertility, we had fucked up big time.

“Oh, no,” I said, covering my face in my hands. “Lisa’s pregnant?”

“No, she’s not pregnant, you idiot! She was pregnant. She gave birth almost three months ago to a premature little girl. And you were nowhere to be found when she desperately needed you!”

I started to get defensive. How would I have known what happened? But I quickly realized that anything I said would simply be deflecting blame onto Lisa, and the hard truth was that in our relationship, I was the adult and should have done better for her. Instead, I played with fire, and she paid the price.

“Okay, I’m sorry. This is a lot to take in all at once. So if she gave birth, where are Lisa and the baby? And why would her parents kick out their daughter and granddaughter?

He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking like he was about to unload another bombshell.

“Her parents refused to accept that she dared to have sex outside of marriage, so they banished her from their home. When local opinions were unhappy with their decision, they simply ran away, leaving poor Lisa behind.”

“So where did she go? Where are Lisa and the baby now?” I almost screamed at him.

He looked truly sad, like telling this tale was taking the last of his energy. “She was about three months pregnant when they forced her to leave. She’d dropped out of school and stayed with friends for the first few weeks. Eventually, she ended up in one of the shelters our church maintains, where for a while she did well and had regular medical care.”

“What do you mean, for a while? What changed?”

Now he looked really pained, and I could see he truly cared about Lisa. He picked up a pen and made some mindless doodles on a tablet, attempting to gather his thoughts.

“When Lisa couldn’t find you and when she learned her parents were planning to abandon her, something broke inside the poor girl. She regularly missed curfew at the shelter and began hanging around with people who were bad news. She started drinking, even though she was well aware of the danger to her baby. The shelter put her on notice that she couldn’t stay if the bad behavior continued.”

“Wait, are you sure we are discussing the right person? The Lisa I knew was as straight and clean as anyone I’ve ever known. This sounds like someone else.”

He shook his head and grimaced. “Lisa Gibson. Short blonde hair? Cheerleader at Crest Academy for girls? The most beautiful blue eyes God has ever given one of his children? Is that the Lisa you knew?”

What little hope had just surged in me, collapsed at hearing his description. Of course, it was the same Lisa. I slumped even lower in my chair.

“Anyway, it wasn’t until the drugs started that the shelter had had enough. Regrettably, they had to discharge her as a bad influence on the other women. From there, she hit the streets doing God knows what, just to survive. I lost track of her for a while

“But what about her girlfriend's homes? Surely, one of them had enough empathy to take her in.”

“She tried, hell, we all tried to convince them. But with the drinking and drug usage and the suspected prostitution, no one was willing to expose their own families to her downfall. As a Christian, it was a sorrowful time to see the utter lack of sympathy for this poor girl.”

“Prostitution?” I squeaked out. “Really?”

“As far as I’m concerned, that was just a rumor. But she was getting small amounts of cash from somewhere, so that’s what folks were saying.”

I was utterly defeated. My entire world had turned upside down. Still, it was nothing like what Lisa had experienced.

“So where are Lisa and the baby now? Where is my daughter?” I asked, fearing more bad news.

“Social Services took the baby at birth, declaring Lisa an unfit mother. Little Amy is with a foster family. As for Lisa, I’m not certain. Maybe another shelter, but most likely one of the homeless encampments around town. I’m sorry, but that’s everything I know.”

Somehow I managed the strength to drag myself out of the chair and make my way back to my car. I felt crushed at all that had happened. If only I hadn’t moved. If only I had sucked up my pain and stayed close to her. Everything would have been different. Everything.

Back in my hotel room, I grabbed a scratchpad and wrote down everything I could remember about what the Reverend had said. I needed a plan to find my sweet Lisa and save her from the disaster my actions had caused. I had to believe it wasn’t too late.

First thing Monday morning, I visited Lisa’s old high school. Even though classes were out for the summer, the administrative staff was still hard at work, closing down the school year. I explained to the receptionist that I needed to speak with someone in administration if possible. I explained a little of what I needed.

“Lisa Gibson, oh yes, I remember the poor girl. Got herself in a bit of trouble, and then her parents made it even worse.”

Luck was with me as the Headmistress agreed to give me five minutes. She was a serious-looking woman and spent some time appraising me before offering information.

“Yes, Lisa. We all knew her. She was a top student and well-liked by everyone. It was a shame when she had to drop out, but her parents stopped paying her tuition and she had no choice.”

“Lisa and I worked together last summer, and I’m trying to locate her. She’s fallen on some hard times, and I was hoping you might have a picture I could use to show people?”

“I prefer not to get involved, but I did like her, and you seem sincere about wanting to help. Let me check something. It should only take a few minutes.”

She returned with a manila envelope and handed it to me.

“All the seniors were photographed last September for the yearbook photos. Since Lisa dropped out, she was not included in the yearbook. But perhaps these portraits will help?”

I spilled out the contents and saw several photos of Lisa, some in a beautiful jade green dress and some in her graduation gown. She looked as beautiful as I remembered, and in her eyes, you could see the excitement for the future that lay before her. A future that soon after had slipped away. I thanked her for the photos and returned to my car. There I sat, shedding tears for the beautiful young woman I once knew.

My next stop was the local police station, where a helpful clerk provided me with a list of known homeless encampments and a brochure listing the various women’s shelters in the area. I decided to start with the homeless camps since that was the worst-case scenario. I spent the rest of the day showing Lisa’s pictures to every homeless person willing to speak with me. I pretty much emptied my wallet, paying for info that got me no closer to Lisa.

That evening I started visiting the shelters and finally caught a break. At the Sisters of Mercy Mission, the woman serving dinner recognized Lisa’s picture.

“Yeah, I’ve seen her,” the woman confirmed. “She doesn’t look anywhere near that fancy these days. But there’s no forgetting those eyes. I think she hangs out at the shelter over on Oak Street. Try there.”

The shelter was only five minutes away, and I parked my car on the street and walked to the building. Dozens of people were coming and going, and it looked like dinner was still being served. A long line stretched out of the door, and there seemed to be a wait for a place to sit inside. A security guard worked the door, making sure no one got rowdy. I walked up to him, holding out Lisa’s picture.

“Excuse me, officer?” I asked over the noise. “Could I ask you a question?”

He looked me up and down, realizing I didn't look like a client. “What’s the question?” he asked.

I showed him the picture. “Have you seen this woman here?”

He took one look and smiled broadly. “Yeah, yeah, I know her. She’s been here for a few weeks working the chow line as a way to give back to the shelter.”

“Is she here now?” I asked, barely daring to breathe.

He poked his head inside the doorway and scanned the room. “Yeah, she’s here. But she’s pretty busy. Can you come back later?”

“No, I can’t. But I can wait. I flew a long way just to see her and don’t want to miss my chance.”

I grabbed a piece of wall and cooled my heels for another hour until at last dinner service was over.

“Yo, buddy,” I heard the guard call. “You can go in now. Your gal is helping clean up.”

This was it. After three days of agony, I was about to finally see her. I was terrified of what I might find. Did she blame me for everything? Did she hate me and never want to see me again? Would she even remember me after all the booze and drugs?

I forced myself to enter the building. It was larger than I expected, with dozens of long tables clustered close together. A long counter of dirty serving pans and bowls lined the open front kitchen, and several women were busily cleaning up. I looked but did not see Lisa. I walked further into the room, ready to start showing her picture. Just as I was unfolding the envelope, Lisa walked out of what appeared to be a supply room.

She didn’t see me at first, allowing me time to just gaze at her. Her hair was longer than I remembered and had lost some of its luster. She was dressed in shabby clothes that were too large, but she still looked beautiful to me. As she turned down the aisle, she looked up and saw me. She stopped suddenly, almost causing the person behind to crash into her. I saw her eyes widen in disbelief and her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. It all came down to this moment.

“Bill?” she asked as if she was questioning what her eyes showed her. “Is it really you?”

“Yes!” I yelled and ran towards her.

The space between us melted away as she ran towards me, arms outstretched. By the time we hugged, we were both bawling like babies. We embraced like two people trapped in the ocean, trying to save themselves from drowning. Without any hesitation, she kissed me, and I kissed her back. Folks around us started hooting and hollering, and a few even clapped, but I didn’t care. All I knew is that my love was back in my arms.

“I tried to find you,” she started to say.

“I know, I know, and I’m so sorry that I moved away. There is so much I want to say.”

“Me too, but maybe this isn’t the place?”

“I have a hotel room. Are you free to leave the shelter and stay with me?

“Yes, of course. Let me get my stuff.”

She made the rounds telling her friends that she would be back, and that they shouldn’t worry. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but decided it was a question for later. All I wanted to do at that moment was take her away and make her safe. She finally came back to me, carrying a paper sack holding her stuff, and we walked out of the building and to my car.

The first thing Lisa wanted when we arrived at my room was a shower. I could imagine, that after all she'd been through, a long shower would seem like a luxury. Forty-five minutes later she exited the bath looking much more like the Lisa I remembered. She was wrapped in one of the hotel’s thick, white bathrobes, and her hair had been dried and brushed. From the nicks on her legs, it appeared she had shaved, and even from a distance, I could tell she smelled of something floral from the shampoo or soap.

I walked to her and took her in my arms, savoring her warmth and clean, fresh smell. I kissed her hard and felt her tongue tentatively seek entry into my mouth. Within seconds, our tongues were dancing like old friends, almost allowing me to forget the million-mile gulf that now separated us. As we hugged, I took time to run my hands over her back, stopping just short of grabbing her ass. I didn’t want to go too far too fast until we had some time to talk.

Breaking our kiss, I untangled myself and stepped back to look at her.

“Lisa, you look as beautiful as the day we parted. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found you again.”

“Yeah, there’s a story,” she said with sadness. “How much of it do you know?”

“Enough,” I replied. “Surely not everything, maybe not even most of it, but enough to know that I’ll despise myself forever for the pain and suffering I caused.”

She touched my lips with her fingers and shook her head. “No, this was mainly my parent's doing. If they’d had any capacity to accept that the daughter they supposedly loved had gotten herself in trouble and then rallied to support her, everything would have been different. Instead, they were ashamed, and whatever love they did have for me vaporized the instant they learned I was pregnant. Even if you were still here, the result would have been the same.”

I held her hand and kissed her fingers. My eyes felt moist but I was determined not to cry. Not yet, at least. Then with a choked voice, I said, “Perhaps that’s true, but then everything that came after would have been better. You’d have moved in with me and I would have supported you and our daughter. Instead, your world collapsed and terrible things happened.”

She couldn’t deny that my words were true, and she broke down sobbing like a child. I hugged her and finally gave in to my own emotions and cried with her. So much pain and loss caused by such random, inconsequential decisions had nearly ruined three lives.  But perhaps there still was a chance. Finally, after too many minutes, we managed to get ourselves under control, and she was able to finish her tale.

She confirmed most of what I’d already heard and filled in some of the more devastating details. Once she was on the streets, she ended up in the church shelter. She said she’d been confident that eventually, her parents would take her back if only to have a connection to their grandchild. But when she heard they were abandoning her, she hit rock bottom.

One of the women in the shelter introduced her to Rick, a guy who promised to take care of her. He gave her pills to help her sleep and pills to wake her up and the next thing she knew she was hooked. As payment for his ‘kindness’, she was sexually abused by multiple men, who all seemed to have a fetish for fucking a pregnant teen. She used the booze and the pills just to numb herself to the abuse, and eventually was kicked out of the shelter.

“My God,” I whispered. “I have no words to tell you how sorry I am. Where did you go after the shelter?”

“I lived with Rick. I had no other options and with the steady stream of pills, I didn’t even care where I landed. Unfortunately, the abuse continued and got worse the bigger my belly got. The free clinic kept warning me that I was too far along for rough sex, but Rick didn’t care. To me, I was just a moneymaker.”

“I’m going to kill him,” I seethed. “I will fucking hunt him down and kill him for what he did to you.”

Lisa favored me with a weak smile. “No need. He got himself killed by a rival pimp. But by then, I had already given birth and found my way back to the shelter.”

“Ugh, good riddance. But what about before? I heard little Amy was born prematurely?”

Her smile lit up at hearing Amy’s name. “Yes, our little angel was born a month early. My belly had gotten too big for missionary sex, so my ‘customer’ was taking me from behind. He was a big guy and drunk, and when he lost his balance he fell on me, crushing me to the bed. The impact broke my water and I went into labor. Twelve hours later, Amy was born looking so tiny and frail I feared she wouldn’t survive. I got to hold her for only minutes before they took her away. I haven’t seen her since.”

“I heard Amy is with a foster family. I swear to you that we’ll get her back if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Getting Amy back is what is helping me get clean. I go to meetings and get tested every week. I got a job with the shelter where you found me, and if I can show a judge that I’m fit to be a mother, I might be able to get her back. But with you here…”

“With me here, we can argue that I’m fit to be Amy’s dad. That should speed everything up. First thing tomorrow, I’ll start looking for a lawyer who can help us.”

For the first time since I saw Lisa at the shelter, she appeared to look truly happy. The thought of getting Amy back just lit up her world. And hearing that Lisa was trying to turn her life around gave me real hope that maybe we could make this work. Feeling positive for the first time this trip, I hit the shower to wash off the remnants of a long day.

Fresh from the shower, I grabbed the remaining robe and slipped it on. I found Lisa aimlessly flipping through channels on the TV. I sat beside her on the bed and leaned in to kiss her. She responded but I felt a hesitancy that I didn’t recognize. Leaning back, I took her hand in mine.

“Too fast?” I asked. “I understand if we need to get reacquainted.”

She looked down at her hands, trying to pick the right words. Her eyes glistened with tears, ready to spill over.

“I’m afraid,” she began. “I’ve seen things. I’ve done things, horrible things. How could anyone love me after what I’ve done? How could you even want me now?”

“Oh Lisa, my sweet, wonderful Lisa. How could I not still love you? You bore me a daughter, and you survived a horrible experience that I helped cause. I should be asking how you could still want me after I abandoned you.”

Finally, she looked up at me, cheeks wet with tears. “Maybe we’re both broken. But maybe together we can figure this out. Can we try?”

In response, I leaned in and kissed her as tenderly as I could. Her lips felt warm, but not as soft as I’d remembered. Her harsh lifestyle had taken its toll and I knew that her healing would be a lengthy process. This time there was no hesitation from Lisa as she hugged me tightly and kissed me back. As her tongue slid sensuously past my lips, I took hold and sucked gently, causing her to moan. I wrapped her in my arms, hugging her, wanting to send a message that I was here to protect her.

Breaking our kiss to catch our breath, I loosened my embrace and looked deep into her eyes.

“Lisa, I can never undo all the bad things that have happened. But know this, I’m here to stay for as long as you want me to, and I will dedicate myself to you and our little Amy.”

She smiled so brightly that it almost made me cry. I could see her eyes were wet again, but I wanted this moment to be happy.

I reached out and touched her face, and then lightly drew my fingers down her neck to the small patch of exposed skin that the robe didn’t cover. I felt her shiver at my touch, and my cock thickened in response. I slipped my fingers under the edge of her robe and paused.

“May I?” I asked.

She looked a little scared. With all the sexual abuse she'd experienced, I imagined it would take time for her to be confident again. Rather than speak, she simply nodded in assent. Slowly, tenderly, I slipped my hand under her robe, delicately caressing her warm skin. As I traveled downward, I slid over the slope of her breast until I reached her nipple. It felt like a little rubbery nub waiting to be woken, so I massaged it with my finger, feeling it plump. As I passed my palm over her areola, she moaned and pressed herself harder against my hand. By now my cock was a steel post hiding under my robe.

“Are you okay, baby?” I whispered. “Am I going too fast?”

In response, she slipped her hand inside my robe, seeking my cock. As her fingers firmly grasped my shaft, it was my turn to moan with pleasure.

She squeezed me and said, “Not too fast at all. Holding your hard penis reminds me of a happier time.”

She stroked me for a minute before taking her hand out and spitting saliva into her palm. I had no idea where that move came from, but when she reached back into my robe and stroked my cock, the warmth of her saliva sliding along my shaft doubled the sensation.

“Oh, Lisa, that feels wonderful,” I moaned.

She smiled wryly and said, “Yeah, I guess I’ve learned a few new tricks this past year.”

“I love how good your hand feels, but if you go much farther, I’ll ruin the inside of my robe. And I want to give you everything I have tonight.”

She made one final rub over the top of my glans, feeling the slippery pre-cum, before removing her hand. I reached to untie the belt of her robe, but she put her hand on mine, stopping me.

“I want to do this. I need to do this. But I have to warn you. My body isn’t like you remember it. Between the drugs and the abuse, I’m afraid I’m not that cute little cheerleader you fell in love with anymore.”

“Please don’t even think that. I’ll love all of you no matter what. When I look at you, all I’ll ever see is the young woman I fell for.”

She smiled, which made me smile. Leaning back, she untied her robe, allowing it to partially open. This exposed her magnificent breasts, all soft and round with pale, pinkish nipples forming stiff little peaks. I sighed at the sight, seeing what had been in my dreams for the past year. Still not believing I had an opportunity to see her naked again, I leaned forward and cupped each breast.

The feeling sent shivers through me. The soft warmth, the hard points poking my palms, and just knowing I was with Lisa almost made me ejaculate uncontrollably. Savoring my caress, Lisa closed her eyes and moaned softly as I massaged her breasts. Her lips were slightly parted, and I kissed her, wanting to increase the pleasure for us both. My cock was leaking pre-cum, and I was desperate to do more.

“Lisa, sweetheart, can you stand up, so I can remove your robe?”

With eyes still closed, she nodded her head and stood. The robe fell completely open, exposing most of her body. I grasped the robe and helped her pull her arms out before tossing it aside. I quickly shed my robe and for the first time in almost a year, Lisa and I were naked together.

I won’t say I was shocked by what I saw. But I was deeply saddened by the abuse ravaged across her skin. There were various scars from old injuries and even some fresh bruises from a more recent encounter. She had lost weight, with her ribs just visible beneath her ivory skin. Her beautiful blonde pubic hair was unkempt and nothing like how she preferred to groom herself. From the back, I found more of the same, plus two small circular scars that I feared may have been cigarette burns. The horror this poor woman had to endure was caused by the failures of her father and her boyfriend, the two men in her life who should have done everything to protect her.

I looked at Lisa’s face and saw that her eyes were still closed, but now tears were streaming down her cheeks. She knew she looked beat up and feared I would no longer find her attractive. But despite these imperfections, the essence of Lisa was still there. For me, her beauty still shone as brightly as the sun.

I took her into my arms and put my lips to her ear and whispered, “Lisa, my sweet lovely Lisa, you are as perfect and beautiful as the day we met. I am so honored to be with you. I love you with my entire being.”

I felt her body collapse at hearing my words as she began sobbing uncontrollably. But this time they were tears of relief, knowing that what we had could still be salvaged. I helped her to the bed, where we both lay, facing each other. This was my first real opportunity to take a long look into the cobalt eyes that enraptured me on her first day as an intern. Nothing could rob her of these dark blue windows into her soul.

“Hi there, stranger,” I whispered. “I’m so happy we found each other again.”

She smiled back, reaching out to touch my face, and replied, “When I saw you tonight in the shelter, I thought I was hallucinating. After all these months, it just didn’t seem possible. But you came for me, and I’ll love you forever for that.”

I allowed my fingers to trail down her hip until I reached the soft fuzziness of her pubic hair. Cupping her entire pussy in my palm, I gently squeezed and massaged, feeling her heat. My lips went to her nipples, kissing and sucking on each, feeling their hardness against my tongue.

“Jesus, that feels good,” I heard her moan. “No one has treated me tenderly for a long time.”

My fingers probed her labial folds, smearing around the oily wetness within. Up and down through her cleft, I moved, savoring her slippery warmth. Using two fingertips, I massaged the hard nub of her clitoris, and her response was immediate. She cried out with joy and raised her hips, trying to press herself harder against my finger. Seeing and hearing her pleasure had my cock hard enough to break rocks, and I knew I’d need some relief soon. Sliding my fingertips lower, I found the hot, moist entry to her vagina. At my touch, she moaned again and wiggled her hips. Gently, I slipped my finger inside her velvet sleeve, enjoying the sensation.

Having given birth since we last were together, she was not as tight as I remembered, but it was still sensational for me. Using two digits, I finger fucked her, getting into a rhythm where she rose her pelvis to meet each of my thrusts. She was generating a lot of lubrication and my cock was dripping a constant flow of pre-cum. I was ready for more.

“Lisa, it’s time,” I whispered. “Can we make love now?”

She looked straight into my eyes and smiled. It was the smile I remembered from the previous summer in our hotel room.

“Yes, oh yes, I’m very ready,” she said. almost begging.

“Okay, I just need to grab a condom. I came prepared this time.”

She touched my arm and said, “No need, baby. I’m on birth control now. It’s a requirement of living in the shelter. No more worries.”

Now it was my time to smile. I rolled her onto her back and positioned myself between her legs. She still had the cheerleader flexibility, raising her knees high and folding them almost down to the bed. This was always my favorite moment, where the woman I love is completely open to me and fully exposed. From her magnificent bush of pure blond hair to her succulent breasts to the best part of all, her utterly beautiful face. The young woman who lay before me was a goddess.

Grabbing my throbbing shaft, I stroked the head up and down through her warm, wet folds, adding my lubrication to hers. I looked at her face and saw she again had her eyes closed in anticipation. Positioning myself at the entry to her vagina, I pushed forward, feeling my cockhead slide in with almost no effort. My brain was instantly flooded with pleasure signals as I enjoyed the grip of her secret place.

“Ooh, nice, so nice,” I heard her moan.

I pushed in again, this time burying my entire shaft into her warmth. It wasn’t as snug as when I took her virginity, but then how could it be? But it felt just as good because I was making love to my dream girl. Having bottomed out, I pulled back almost completely, before pushing forward again. I made several of these long strokes, hearing Lisa murmur her delight with each. With each outward stroke, I felt her clenching her muscles tightening her vagina’s grip on my cock, almost like she never wanted me to leave.

I lowered myself to her body, letting her support some of my weight, and started shorter, faster strokes. This new position allowed my pubic bone to massage her swollen clit, enhancing her stimulation. Each time I pushed inward, I buried my cock to the hilt, and I was fighting a losing battle trying to delay my orgasm. As I rocked into her, her hard nipples were pressing points into my chest, and I knew I was going to explode soon. If I was going to cum, I wanted to be kissing her when I did, so I pressed my lips to hers and slid my tongue into her mouth.

I felt her body relax as she welcomed my tongue and sucked it. Like sword fighters, our tongues poked, swirled, and danced inside her warm mouth. I had reached the point of no return and with a single hard thrust, I buried myself and climaxed like I was a teenager. One, long, tremendous stream of semen exploded from me, momentarily halting my movement. A few seconds later, my paralysis broke, and I resumed my hip thrusts. With each stroke, burst after burst of hot jizz pounded against the bottom of Lisa’s vagina, flooding her cervix. Not more than two seconds later, I felt Lisa’s body stiffen as her own orgasm overtook her.

In those final moments, she wrapped her legs around mine and pulled me close, forcing me in even deeper. I continued spurting at least ten solid jets of spunk before my orgasm began to fade. Her climax took longer to pass, and she held me clamped in her legs for several minutes. That was fine with me, as I got to hold her and feel my still-hard cock buried inside her. We broke our kiss, and she opened her eyes and favored me with her smile.

“My God,” she said, panting from the effort, “I’d forgotten how good sex could be. I didn’t ever think I’d feel this good again.”

I managed to wiggle my pelvis just enough to slide in and out of her, but we were both too sensitive for it to feel good. She released me from her legs, and I slowly slid out of her, almost instantly regretting the loss of intimate contact. We rolled onto our sides facing each other and kissed and cuddled, just enjoying the post-coital moment.

We talked about nothing much for the next few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company and the warmth of our embrace. I had a thousand questions bouncing around in my brain, but one rose to the top. I just wasn’t sure if there would ever be the right time to ask it. Steeling myself, I asked.

“Baby, when did you find out you were pregnant? It had to be a month or two after our date at the amusement park? When I stupidly forgot condoms?”

Instantly, her face darkened, and her bright smile blinked out. She started to force some separation between us, almost like she wanted to flee. I loosened my embrace but worried if she left, I’d never see her again. Something about the question hit a raw nerve.

“Lisa, please, you don’t have to answer. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s my engineer brain just trying to make the math work. But it isn’t necessary if it’s a bad topic to discuss. I love you, and what info you choose to keep private is your decision.”

She stopped struggling and her body went limp, almost like all her energy had been drained. Lying on the bed, she looked up, and I could see the pain in her face.

“You know, I tried to kill myself when I found out I was pregnant. I knew the disaster that awaited me once my parents found out. So I took a bunch of my mother’s sleeping pills, got into my bed, and never even bothered to write a note.” Her eyes overflowed as tears cascaded down her cheeks. I reached out again to touch her but she brushed me away and said, “My mistake was in forgetting to turn off the light in my bedroom. My mom came to check on me and found me comatose. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed.”

“My God, Lisa! I had no idea. No one I spoke with even hinted at a suicide attempt. I can’t fathom the depth of despair you must have felt. My heart is crushed at the thought that I could have lost you forever.”

“Well, there was no way my parents would air our dirty secrets and the hospital couldn’t say anything. I was held for three days of psychiatric examination and then released. As soon as I got home, my parents kicked me out. Since I had just turned eighteen and was no longer a minor, they had the upper hand.”

I tried again to hold her but she was having none of it. The memories were just too raw and painful.

“I understand you stayed with friends for a few weeks? Were they at least compassionate?”

She gave me a sad smile and said, “Things started well enough, but as the realization grew that I would need months of care and then a newborn would arrive, the compassion started to wane. My social circle was quite priggish and the thought of an unwed pregnant teen living in their homes just caused too much stress. So out I went.”

I moved to lie on my back, so I could stare at the ceiling, totally lost in the misery I’d just heard. All of this could have been prevented at so many different points. Stupid decisions lead to more stupid decisions, all leading to near catastrophe.

She went on, “You asked when I found out I was pregnant. In another context, this could have been almost funny. If you recall, after our eraser sex play in the meeting room where you misfired a big load onto my pussy, a few weeks later I got my period. Then after our romantic big day at the hotel, where I said I was safe, I got my period on schedule again near the end of August. So I believed I was home free and could focus on my upcoming senior year.”

“When did that belief change? What happened to make you seek a test?”

“Call it a late birthday present. I was expecting my period right around the time of my birthday but I never got one. Also, I’d developed severe cramping and my breasts had become tender and sore. Given the timing, I knew it couldn’t be pregnancy, so my mom took me to the doctor. He examined me, ran some tests, and sent me home with orders to rest and take aspirin. The next day he called and spoke with my mother, which he never should have done since I was an adult, and told her I was three months pregnant. All hell broke loose after that.”

Hearing her words, I jerked up to a sitting position. My brain was in overdrive trying to make the math work.

“Three months? But that’s way before our water park date, where I came inside you twice. How could that be?”

She sat up and faced me, ready to lay it all out for me. It was information she had known for nearly a year, and I imagine there was some pressure to share.

“Once the news was out in the open, my mom forced me back to the doctor before daring to tell my father. She wanted it explained to her in detail. The doctor asked me about my sexual experiences and my periods and stuff, and came to the simple conclusion that I conceived on the Friday night after our eraser fight. Those wayward spurts of your semen and my attempt to clean myself led to little Amy.”

“But, but,” I stammered like a fool trying to deny reality, “you got your period after that accident, in fact, you had another period after that.  How?”

This time she smiled for real, realizing how easily she was fooled, and said, “Doctor said they weren’t real periods. They were just what he called spotting. Not uncommon in a first pregnancy. I recall those two periods were very light and came a little off schedule, but I never thought anything of it. I just went about my life.”

I sat there, flabbergasted. For the last two months of our summer, Lisa had been pregnant and neither of us knew. As scared as we were to think she might be pregnant after our first time, knowing would have been infinitely better than what eventually happened. So much pain, caused by such careless play. I felt so bad that I wished a hole would’ve opened up and swallowed me for my idiocy. But no magic occurred, and no running away was possible. In the end, we were just two broken people trying to pull our lives together.

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Thank you for reading part three. In part four, our story concludes as the weight of Lisa and Bill's ill-fated life choices takes its toll.