She's floating around

As he drank his juice in the kitchen, Nick let his thoughts drift for a moment and focused on the view in front of him.

Through the window, he saw Jennifer sunbathing by the pool, her bare skin glowing under the warm daylight. The sun caressed her body, highlighting every curve, and the stillness of the scene gave him a fleeting sense of peace, one he rarely got to experience.

Time seemed to stop. Every line and curve of Jennifer's body etched itself into his mind, as if the universe were granting him a brief reprieve — a reminder of the beauty and love he still got to enjoy, despite everything at stake.

He leaned against the window frame, eyes still fixed on her. Her body, so familiar and yet endlessly fascinating, moved gently with each breath, and the way the light played over her skin reminded him exactly why he was willing to fight until the very end. For her. For all of them. For everything they shared, everything they still had left to build together.

Nick smiled to himself, a wave of pride and love washing over him. She was his anchor — the reason everything else made sense. He knew that no matter what happened, he'd always have that quiet corner of peace to

He checked in on her. She'd spent the night alone, so he figured she needed him, and he was right — as exhausted as she was starved for attention, and he lived to serve her, no matter how tired he was.

He stepped out into the garden, showered off in the outdoor pool shower under his wife's watchful, smiling gaze.

"Sounds like the party ran long."

He sat down beside her as she pulled herself up onto the edge of the pool, grabbing her hip to kiss her.

"Let's go upstairs — once I've taken care of you, we can grab a long nap. The world's not going to stop spinning just because we take it easy for a bit."

"Sounds amazing, but we can't — my parents are coming for lunch."

"Oh."

"You want to run, don't you."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Well, I'm considering it."

"You want me to talk to your dad."

"Yes."

"But you don't know if he's ready yet, and it scares you."

"That's it."

"He is. Don't worry."

"How do you know?"

"He's a real good man. That's how they are, when they're close. I've seen it. Don't be afraid of that — though I don't know exactly what you want me to say to him."

"I don't know either. I want them to know everything. My mom's more than ready, but I don't know how far along he is — there was resistance to skipping church, telling him there's a whole cosmology that basically shrugs off Christianity, I don't know, feels like a lot, but I don't want to wait any longer."

"Okay. I want them close to you too, honestly — if we keep the chaos contained to everyone's own rooms, they could even move in, if they wanted. Hell, if I have to limit myself to just you, I'd do it gladly, whatever it takes."

Jennifer beamed ear to ear.

"I love you."

"Love you too, gorgeous, and it wouldn't be any kind of sacrifice, honestly — all I want is to be with you, and I know they'd understand too. Alex made that very clear to me last night."

"I know, but I don't want to restrict them like that — besides, they have a life outside this house too, Nick, it's not that simple."

"True, hadn't thought of that. I'm turning into a total hermit — I need to be able to go outside without panicking that some woman's going to look at me a second too long. I think I'm losing my mind a little."

"I'm working on it."

"I know, that's exactly why I'm sitting here calmly instead of screaming in a panic nonstop. Perks of being the angel of the smartest creature on this planet."

That made her smile, again.

"You've stopped avoiding that word, you know that drives me crazy."

"Glad it does — but it's just what I am. I'm not saying it to get you into bed, though you clearly need it right now."

Jennifer threw herself into his arms — both of them naked already, so they skipped the bed entirely, right there on the grass by the pool, sunlight on their skin, making love with a passion neither of their exhaustion seemed to touch. The sun kept its course overhead, bathing them in gold like it was blessing the whole thing. Finally, as the intensity eased, they lay wrapped together, breathing each other in, feeling each other's heartbeats.

"I love you. I know I say it constantly, probably wearing the word thin, but that and making love to you are the only things I have that come even close to what I actually want to say," he whispered.

"It's all I need. That, and the nonsense you spout constantly — never stop, please."

"Jennifer, it's not nonsense. You're the smartest, most beautiful creature on this earth, how could I not mean every single thing I say about you."

"That... that's exactly what I mean. I can do this, if you never stop, I won't stop either, until we've covered the whole planet in happiness."

"Sad little oppressors of the world, tremble and run for cover, because Jennifer's coming for you and there's no stopping her," Nick announced loudly, gesturing dramatically.

Jennifer completely lost it, laughing.

"You're such a dork... still don't know what to do about my dad, though."

"I'll handle it. It's not that hard, really — you just have to speak a language a man of God understands. That's what I did with him — was completely honest, but used words he'd understand."

"Like what?"

"'I'm asking you to have faith in God, and in how present He is inside them... far more than in us. In your daughter especially — it's like He speaks through her smile sometimes. Clear as day.' I wasn't lying to him at all, and he caught it instantly, too. If anyone's watched you smile, it's your father, and he knows just as well as I do that it's the work of something greater. He calls it God, so I used that word."

"Huh... you know, you're always joking about being an ape and all that, but you're actually really sharp. Maybe math isn't your thing, but—"

"Nah, I have my days. Not that impressive, honestly — some of it's rubbing off on me too. Keep making love to you with this much intensity and give it five years, I'll be qualified to teach kindergarten."

She lost it laughing again — what a wonderful sound.

----------------------------------------------

He genuinely seemed like a different man, inside and out — Jennifer's father had lost weight, was in great spirits, and made totally normal comments about the house as they showed him around, not the slightest bit uncomfortable, chatting easily with the girls. He didn't pry into anyone's private business, but he clearly knew exactly what went on in that house, and none of it seemed to bother him in the slightest.

"You look good — great, actually. Seems like you are a whole new man," Nick told him as the two of them walked the grounds alone.

"I'm good. I don't think I've ever felt this good in my life, honestly. I don't know what happened to Caroline when she visited, but... she's happier than I've ever seen her. Seems like she's floating around. And me..."

"It fills you up like nothing else on earth, seeing her like that — she could ask for the moon and you'd be calling NASA to see what could be done. I know the feeling."

"Exactly right. I know you two haven't laid a finger on her, but what did you do, honestly? Not that I'm complaining — we've been like two teenagers, if you know what i mean — but she's so good it scares me a little, like maybe you drugged her or something."

Nick laughed.

"No, there aren't any drugs of any kind here, we barely even drink. I want to tell you, but it's hard to believe, even for a man of faith like you."

"Well, we haven't set foot in a church in so long I don't even remember, I'll tell you that much."

"Doesn't matter — you can feel it in your wife. Makes a man want to drop to his knees and pray a hail Mary. When they're like this, it's... they've got a light that brightens your whole life. Going to church to hear some sixty-year-old virgin lecture you about family — feels further from God, honestly, by comparison, if I'm being straight with you."

"Yeah, honestly, it does. Took me a while, but I saw it clearly in the end, that's why I'm here. Look, kid, I won't lie to you — the whole free-love thing, still haven't come around to that, honestly, I keep my mouth shut because my wife asked me to, and yeah, everyone here seems happy as clams, but I don't know, guess I'm just too old."

"Nothing wrong with that. I actually envy you a little, honestly — it's not easy, meeting the needs of that many women, not even for me, and I don't just mean physically. I love all of them, not the way I love your daughter, but I love them, and it's... exhausting, honestly. Part of me wants all of this to be over, to go off with your daughter and start a normal, regular family."

"Not even for you? What do you mean by that?"

"You know your daughter's not an ordinary person. If anyone's crystal clear on that, it should be you — you may not know exactly what, but you sense it."

"Since the first day I saw her in that hospital, I've never doubted it for a second. People think I'm exaggerating, that I'm just a father seeing her through rose-colored glasses, when I say she's a literal miracle from God."

"She is. God literally placed her on this earth, made her beautiful beyond anyone else, filled her with knowledge, and left her with you, knowing she'd grow up surrounded by the love and protection of first-rate parents. Not a sermon, not hyperbole, not fantasy. It's as real as anything in this life."

"Never doubted it for a second. What I don't know is how you know it for a fact — do you talk to Him in person, or what?"

"Her."

"Don't tell me — I was starting to like you, and now you're going full cult crazy on me."

"It's not that I pray and she answers or anything like that. We only talked once, back when I was... going through something difficult. When I told you God is inside them, I meant it literally — they're part of God, and we're not."

"And what'd she tell you?"

"In short — that I should stop crying and serve your daughter until the end of my days, that's why she put her on this earth. She also explained what I am."

"An angel."

Nick looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Direct quote from Caroline. Says you've got wings and everything."

Nick started laughing.

"Yeah, not exactly like the Bible paints it, I can't fly, but the mission's the same — the one your daughter's given me. Bring the world to paradise. More or less."

"Sounds insane, you know that."

"Tell me about it."

They reached a spot on the property, and Nick stopped in front of the largest tree there. He wrapped his arms around it and pulled until he tore it clean out of the ground, letting it crash to the earth with a thundering sound. Jennifer's father stared at him wide-eyed — what he'd just witnessed was flatly impossible.

He dropped to his knees and started crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, forgive me, please, I should have believed, should have had faith — in my girl, in my wife — but I didn't believe, may the Lord forgive me..."

It was as good a moment as any to test the voice. He stood in front of him, not entirely sure how it worked, so he just focused on how badly he wanted this man to accept what he was about to say.

"Get up."

It didn't sound like him. Like many voices speaking at once, rising up from somewhere deep inside — he had no idea what it would sound like to the other man, but Louis shot to his feet like a spring, and stopped crying instantly.

"There's nothing to forgive. It doesn't matter if you worship God, or pray, or go to church, or any of that — the only thing that matters, Louis, the one thing men were put on this earth to do and don't, is care for and protect the ones we love. When we do — when every woman on this earth is free to seek happiness wherever she wants, and men become their guardians — then we'll be part of God too, the same as them, and the world will be paradise."

Pretty messianic, honestly — maybe he'd overdone it a bit, but it felt right, given the man was on his knees stammering about faith. If it's faith he wants, might as well give him two full cups.

He put a hand on his shoulder and switched back to his normal voice; the man stood there, speechless.

"Honestly, you're already doing what you're supposed to do. You're a good man — you always have been, or she wouldn't have entrusted the most incredible creature alive into your care, and now she's doing the same with your wife. If everyone were like you, we'd have been walking through paradise a long time ago. You should know I'm not the first angel to walk this earth — there've been hundreds before me, and it's always ended badly. Very badly."

"Badly, meaning..."

"Yes, and I've seen how it ended for him through his own memories. Trust me, they paint it much prettier than it actually was — you can't imagine the pain, the helplessness, and that's just one of many. Now you understand why we're holed up here. I can free women to seek the happiness they truly want, and fill the hearts of good men with hope and truth, but there are plenty of bad men out there in the world, and they resist. Violently."

"So what do we do? Tell me what I need to do."

"I don't know. God told me your daughter is her will and her voice on this earth, that together we can do this — so that's what I'm doing. I was afraid, for my life, for hers, for leaving the world worse than we found it. Not anymore. No more doubts, Louis, no more fear. Your daughter is an unstoppable force of nature, and I'll do whatever she asks of me, or die trying."

They walked back to the house; Jennifer's father broke the silence after a while, lost in thought.

"I knew it. Knew she was divine." He smiled. "I'm not afraid either, son. If she's the one guiding your hand, you're not going to fail."

He hugged his daughter through tears, for what felt like hours.

"I'm still the same, Dad."

"Yes — the same one who smiled at me the first time I held you. So tiny. Feels like yesterday, but I knew it, right then, that you'd come straight from heaven."

"I see you got the summary."

"Yeah, and like an idiot, I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes."

"What did you do?" She looked at her husband, standing beside her mother, who'd already gotten her own summary too — both of them watching the scene, smiling.

"I ripped an enormous tree out of the ground." He shrugged. "Not exactly subtle, I know."

"I thought you could be convincing without resorting to stuff like that."

"I can. I just didn't want to. Preferred to show him."

"Ah... okay."

"Doesn't matter, sweetheart, what matters is I know now, and how happy it makes me knowing we're in your hands. Can't imagine anyone better."

"Second that," Nick added.

----------------------------------------------

"You have no idea how happy I am."

"Of course I do — I'm going to need sunglasses just to look at you smile, or you'll burn my retinas right out."

Jen genuinely couldn't stop smiling; seeing her that content filled him up more than anything else in the world.

"Come here, dork."

He climbed into bed beside her, let himself sink into her arms, holding her tight.

"How come you didn't use the voice, by the way?"

"I did use it — not to make him believe anything, though, I don't want to do that — but the moment he saw me pull that tree up, he dropped to his knees begging for forgiveness, in tears."

"Poor thing."

"Yeah, so I told him to get up and drop the prayers and pleading with the voice — told him it's what we men were put on this earth to do, and jesus, he shot right up. It works."

"I like that you don't want to use it to manipulate people."

"No, because I can only use it on good men in the first place — they don't deserve that, they deserve to have their doubts cleared away, to be helped to keep being who they already are, not manipulated."

"Wow."

"What?"

"That you drive me crazy, what else."

"Really? Well, lucky me — is there a reward for this knight in shining arm—"

He stopped mid-sentence, staring at a spot on the floor, eyes wide.

"What?"

He didn't answer.

"Nick, what's wrong?"

"You don't want to know."

"I want to know everything."

"Not this."

"Nick, spit it out. Now."

"You sure?"

"You're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Um... your parents... aren't alone. Rose is with them."

"NO."

"Yeah."

"NO WAY."

"Way."

"Impossible, my mother—"

"Your mother's watching from the corner. Enjoying it quite a lot, actually."

"OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE WE DONE."

"Discovered that apparently some things run in the family too."

She punched him in the chest — hurt her more than him.

"Seriously, but how..."

"If I had to bet, this has Alex's fingerprints all over it."

She shot up in bed; Nick had to grab her wrists to keep her from launching out of it.

"I'm going to kill her, let go, I'm strangling her with my bare hands."

Nick just burst out laughing.

"Come on, don't be a hypocrite — they deserve to explore too, you know perfectly well if Alex arranged it, it's because she saw something, and if Rose is in there, it's because she wants to be. Nothing wrong's happening, at all."

"THOSE ARE MY PARENTS."

"Yeah, that's exactly why it's so funny — but let them be. Might end up not needing to restrict the girls with them around at all."

"Ugh... this is a lot to process."

"As long as I don't have to do anything with them myself, let them do whatever they want. Mini point for free love."

"What?"

"Nothing, your dad thing — he wasn't fully sold on the concept, but that lasted, what, a few hours? His wife's approval and a huge pair of tits, and bye-bye orthodoxy."

Jennifer flopped back down, exhaling hard.

"I can't believe this."

"I can, completely. It's terrifying how alike you two are."

"Shut up, oh my god."

"She's two nights away from getting it on with Helen, mark my words."

"SHUT UP."

He couldn't stop laughing.

Whatever was left of Jennifer's libido had evaporated for obvious reasons, and she ended up just falling asleep. Nick slipped out quietly — too curious not to — and headed straight for Alex's room.

"It was you. Admit it."

"Obviously. What did you expect?"

"Don't you feel a little bad sending Rose there? Come on."

"She volunteered. I was going to do it myself."

"Seriously? At that age?"

"She's in great shape for her age, especially lately, and Caroline, don't even get me started."

"You think she's also—"

"Doesn't seem like it. For now at least"

"Okay..."

"Disappointed? She's your mother-in-law, you pervert. Not all of us are bi, you know."

"What? I didn't say anything—"

"But you thought it."

"NO— okay, yeah."

"You're hopeless."

"Pot, meet kettle. Hope her anger fades by tomorrow, because Jen almost came down here to strangle you with her bare hands."

"Mmm, sounds hot, actually, she's so sexy when she's angry — strangling me on top of it, I'd probably come before I passed out."

"You really are hopeless."

"Born for it, angel boy."

He snuck back to bed, slipping in slowly so as not to wake his wife. Didn't work.

"That was fast."

"Was just snooping around, thought you were asleep."

"And what'd you find snooping?"

"Uh... can we just draw a curtain over that one?"

He pulled her close, kissed her neck.

"Everything's fine, I promise."

"Fiiine," she said, resigned.

"Love you."

"Love you too... don't stop."

He didn't stop kissing her, and within minutes had her undressed — but they got interrupted again. Two little devils, this time.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you two are going to freak out."

"We know. It was Alex. Rose insisted, apparently," Nick said, dropping onto the bed defeated, painfully hard.

Jennifer sat up and looked at her husband, desperate — pulled both sisters onto the bed and started making out with Helen, already worked up, figured it was a good idea. Eve and Nick glanced at each other for a second, shrugged in unison, and did the same.

Soon, moans and screams filled the room.

Eve didn't waste any time — climbed into his lap before he'd even fully sat up, kissing him hungry and fast, the way she always did when she'd been waiting even a minute too long. He pulled her thong aside and slid into her, and she let out that first sharp gasp she always gave, the one that never got old no matter how many times he heard it.

A few feet away, Jennifer had Helen pinned beneath her, taking her time in a way that made Eve's rhythm look downright frantic by comparison — slow, deliberate kisses down her neck, one hand working steadily between her legs while Helen's fingers dug into the sheets. Every so often Jennifer glanced over at Nick and Eve, and every time she did, her own pace against Helen would pick up half a beat, like she couldn't help syncing herself to the sounds filling the room.

"God, look at them," Eve breathed, not stopping, watching over Nick's shoulder. "I love when Jen goes slow like that, it drives Helen insane."

It clearly did — Helen's moans had lost all shape, just breathless little cries now, her hips rising to meet Jennifer's hand every time it slowed.

Nick flipped Eve onto her back without breaking rhythm, and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper, one hand reaching blindly for Jennifer's ankle where the bed brought them close enough to touch. Jennifer caught the gesture and reached back with her free hand, lacing her fingers through Eve's for a moment before Helen arched up hard enough that she needed both hands again.

"Don't stop," Helen managed, barely audible.

"Wasn't planning to," Jennifer murmured against her skin, and finally picked up the pace properly, two fingers curling in a way that had Helen's whole body going rigid within seconds.

Eve came first, crying out with her hand still tangled in Jennifer's, and the sound of it seemed to tip Helen over the edge too — she came with a broken sob of relief, back arching off the mattress, Jennifer holding her through every last shudder of it. Nick finished right behind Eve, groaning low, and for a moment the whole room went quiet except for four people trying to catch their breath at once.

The sisters lay tangled together between them, asleep, and Nick just watched his wife's face across the bed — sleeping peacefully. He realized that as much as he loved these women, as much as he genuinely enjoyed his time with them, as much as he'd do anything to make them happy, what he actually wanted right now was to hold his wife until he fell asleep. But he couldn't.