The mother of the bride

You scoop up another dipper of water and pour it over your head. The slithery warm rivulet runs down your hair, neck, and shoulders. You love starting the day in a redwood tub full of hot, lavender-scented water. The air in the wooden bathing house is full of steam.

You stand and scrub yourself with a wet, scratchy washcloth. Starting by gently swabbing the soft skin of your neck, you scrub your strong arms vigorously, then circle your breasts, full, round, and a little low. Then your belly's slight roundness, the soft swell of your furry mound, and your still shapely buttocks. Not bad for an ol' hippie gal, mother of the bride.

You really hope your daughter has made the right choice. Her fiancé Alex doesn't seem to be a bad fellow, but his parents strike you as snooty, uptight hypocrites, his mother especially. You hope she doesn't pick up any pretentions or bad habits. You breathe deeply and sigh, letting the tension seep out.

Ah well, it's your daughter's choice, and she's not one to let anyone keep her down. You're glad the wedding plans seem to be coming together, despite some weird mix-ups with the preparations. Almost like someone has jinxed the ceremony. Well, you're resolved to make sure things work out. If the minister should slip and break his leg, you'll step right up and do the service yourself. Universal Church of Love Minister #17,269 Amanda Wilde, Class of '74, at your service! Later today you'll be visiting her to help with last-minute things, and bring her a little basket of special gifts.

You take the other washcloth, soft flannel, dip it in the water, and start rubbing between your legs. Ahhhh.... It always irks you when people talk about women's "vaginas". It's the vulva that you see, the vulva with the beautiful lips, the vulva that's most sensitive to touch.

There's a splash, a shriek, and a thump from the next bathing cubby, behind a wooden partition. "Are you all right?" you call.

You hear a giggle. Two giggles. "We're OK, we didn't know you were up!" a voice replies.

"That's all right, do you need any help?" you ask.

"How do we get more hot water?" the voice asks.