"You love her don't you? I mean you really, really love her," my mom whispered as the knowledge of how I actually felt about Kelli truly hit her in that one shining moment.
"Yes mom," I whispered back, my voice trembling. "I love her more than life itself, and I would do absolutely anything for her."
"God, I remember when I used to wear things like this for your father. I do so wish I were young again."
"What do you mean, young again," I angrily replied. "In twenty years you might, and I stress the might, have the right to say that, but not now, damnit."
"That is sweet of you to say, Myka, but..."
"No buts," I interrupted her, placing my index finger over her lips to shush her. "You still look amazing, and you are still one of the warmest, caring, and fun people to be around. I still judge myself using you as my measure, and if I could ever be half the woman I know you are then..."
And that was the last thing I was able to get out for a short while, because my mom crushed me to her in the most heartwarming hug I had ever received. She held me and cried, whispered in my ear that she was so glad that she had raised me right, and just loved me for being me. It caused my heart to swell in my chest, knowing for sure now that, no matter what, my mom loved me as I currently was, not what I used to be or what I might become someday. She loved me. The moment I came to that realization I felt a strong pulse of energy wash over us, just like the ones I felt when the magic was beginning to take effect a few weeks ago, and we both moved back and looked at each other quizzically for a moment.
"What in god's name was that," my mom asked, a look of startled confusion on her face.
I opened my mouth to answer, but was silenced by what I now saw. I say "saw" because that is the only word I could think of at the time, and really, I don't know how else to describe it even to this day. My perceptions had changed ever so slightly and I could now "see" golden cords radiating out from my mom, pulsing with a warm energy that felt comforting when I concentrated on them. One of the cords reached out from her and connected to me, and I sort of touched this connecting line between us. Like I said before, I had realized that my mom loved me as I currently was, but when I touched the cord that linked us I felt it, felt a love so strong pulsing along that vibrant connection, that it almost knocked me off of my feet.
"Oh my god," I almost cried. "I can feel that you love me!"
"Of course I love you. Why would you think otherwise?"
"No mom, I feel it. That energy pulse, I think that was one of my powers, I don't know, activating or something," I replied.
"What just happened to you," she asked back.
"I can sort of "see" these cable like things coming from you now. When I touched the one that is connected to me, I actually felt your love, the way you feel it for me. I think," I said, with a confused look on my face.
"What else do you see," she asked once more.
"Well," I said and concentrated on her for a little bit. "I think this one here is you and dad."
I reached out and touched the cord that felt to me like the connection that mom had with dad and I felt the love that she apparently had for him just as strongly as I felt her love for me. It was different than what I would have expected, however. This love did not burn hot and bright, like mine for Kelli probably did, and I realized that this was a love that had been forged over a couple of decades. It was the kind of love that you could grow so used to having that you almost don't realize it is as strong as it is. It is safe, warm, and comfortable, and I have since come to realize why it is so hard for a person to lose someone they love so deeply. To cut something like this out of a life would leave a gaping hole that takes ages to fill, and in that moment I fully understood my parent's love for each other and I hoped that one day I would have something similar with Kelli.
I also felt a kind of instinctual knowledge, as I began to exercise this fledgling power, and I realized in that moment that I could give both sets of my parents a tremendous gift. I somehow knew that I could not only sense and feel the love that came from my mom, I could also alter it a bit if I wanted to. All of a sudden I got a really naughty grin on my face which caused my mom to raise her eyebrow, and I realized she suspected that I was now up to something.
"Mom, I have to get going soon, but is Amanda still here?"
I rarely used Kelli's mom's name and my asking now seemed to surprise my mom.
"She is. What are you thinking?"
"Do me a favor and call her down will you," I asked while my mom looked skeptically at me. "Trust me mom, it's not going to be bad."
"This is against my better judgement," she muttered, but walked up the steps and called Kelli's mom anyway.
A few moments later both moms walked back into my room, and Kelli's mom's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw what I was wearing. It was a true jaw on the floor moment for her, and my mom chuckled as she told her to breathe, and that everything would be ok. My mom also had the good sense at that moment to close the door in case either of the dads decided to make an unwanted appearance.
"Oh lord, Myka! That is just so..." Kelli's mom got out after a few more moments of stunned silence.
"I believe that the right words are absolutely beautiful, and pretty damned sexy," my mom replied, and I grinned at the shocked look that it caused.
Kelli's mom sat there for a little longer and tried not to splutter, or faint, and then finally took a good long look. Her eyes finally softened and I felt an increase pulse through the cord of love that I could now tell was connecting her and me.
"You're right, of course," she said. "And I still truly don't know what to say. You really do love her that much?"
My mom and I chuckled at her question and I replied, "Yes my other mom, yes I do, with all my heart. And just so you know mom already had that reaction which was why we both laughed."
And with that the tension in the room was broken and the three of us had a few minutes of laughter, giggles, twirls and poses, and then I got down to business.
"Ok you two, there is a reason now I wanted both of you in here. Something just happened and what appears to be one of my powers has awakened."
My mom was nodding and Kelli's mom just looked curious.
"Like I told mom, I can "see" cords of what feel like love coming from both of you and connecting you to a lot of people," and I did use the air quotes when I said this. "The big cords, though, connect to me, to Kelli, and to your husbands."
"Ok, so you know that we love you and each other. That isn't really news," Kelli's mom replied.
"You're mostly right about that, but..." I began. "Both of you have an outfit something like mine stashed somewhere upstairs in your houses, and you will both need them this evening."
As I said this both moms started to hem and haw, and there was a lot of nervous energy in the room now. There was some hand wringing, and some talk of I haven't worn something like that since, and a general blanket denial from both. I wasn't buying it.
"Do not make me call bullshit," I sternly said. "I know you both were young and vibrant, and active once, because Kelli and I were born. The thing is you just don't see that you both still are those young women, with just a bit more wisdom and experience. Now, I will ask you once and only once, do you both know where you have a damn sexy bedroom outfit stashed and are you willing to use them if I give you a helping hand?"
Both of my moms considered for a moment or two, and then as one they both took a deep breath and nodded to me.
"Yes I believe we do," my mom answered as well. "What do you want us to do?"
At my mother's question I stepped forward and placed a hand in the center of each of their chests and closed my eyes. I allowed my sense of their love for my dads to become the sole focus of my attention and then I started strumming the connections like guitar strings, and there is really no other way to describe what I did any better than that. It was not like playing music at all, but I continued to strum and pluck at the cords connecting the wives to the husbands. I was not sure exactly what I was doing, and I decided then and there to be really careful with this in the future, but I felt that I had given a slight push and pull in the right directions for both sets of my parents.
"Ok, please don't ask me how or exactly what I did because I don't really know right now. You have a little bit of time left to get ready, and I want you both to go get ready for a nice dinner out."
I got a nod from both of them that let me know they understood this much at least.
"If some, or all of your bedroom outfit can be worn underneath your clothes do that. It will make your final surprise easier to prepare for, and I'm pretty sure that wearing it will get you both, umm, well really warmed up."
"You really think the boys will go for this," my mom asked.
"If I did things right, and I think I did, they will be ecstatic for the four of you to go out to dinner and desert, and then will be more than ready and willing for the big show," I said with a sly wink. "And I will personally guarantee that this will be one of the best nights you have ever had. Though, you all will probably sleep really late because of it."
Kelli's mom giggled at that and then said, "This sounds really fun. Thanks Myka, for everything, including how much you care about our little girl."
And with that Kelli's mom gave me a kiss on the cheek and told my mom that they would be back over in forty five minutes just before she dashed out the door. My mom turned to me then and gave me another hug before bolting from my room as well, but not before she told me not to move. It made me wonder what she was up to now. She came back a short time later and had a small glass bottle in her hand.
"Here sweetie, use this," she said and then helped me add a tiny amount of her special perfume to my wrists, the sides of my neck and between my breasts. "It always drives your dad wild, and Amanda has borrowed it on occasion as well so I am sure that Kelli will have good memories of this scent.
It really was a special scent, and I remember so many times when my mom had worn it and I had caught the fragrance when I hugged her. It brought memories of nights when she would tuck me into bed before going out with my dad, the occasional first day of school, my graduation, and I nearly had tears in my eyes as she used just enough of the floral and spice scent to heighten my allure to dangerous levels.