Chapter 12 – The Solo Shopping Trip Saturday rolled around and, as promised, I took the girls to the mall. "Give me a call when you're ready but no later than 3:00, okay?" Smiles from two girls and a promise to be good and to call. I'd taken Tara aside last night and reminded her of the rules around the use of the card and we'd had a discussion about what clothing she was going to buy. I also told her that if she needed any 'feminine' products to get them. Mabel and Helen were agreeable to meet me and I went over to have coffee with them when I got back from the mall. Last week I'd purchased a couple of gift certificates and a couple of cards for the two ladies. This was a way of saying thanks for all their help. I knew I was going to be grilled when I met with them but I figured I was ready. <Knock><Knock> "Hi David, come in, we're waiting for you" said Mabel as she opened the door. I went into the familiar kitchen and took a seat at the table. Helen smiled and reached over, took my hand and squeezed it in a gesture of neighbourly affection. Once the coffees were poured and doctored up to each person's liking, I started. "I have to tell both of you that you have been fantastic in helping me with Tara – and helping Tara. I don't know what I'd have done without you. I have a card and a little something for you." and with that I reached into the bag I'd brought and gave the cards to the ladies. Suddenly I had two older ladies hugging me and kissing me. I smiled and returned the hugs. "I want you to be completely honest with me and tell me if you think I'm going anything wrong with Tara and of course with Ashley. I'm terrified that something will go wrong and Tara will hate me." I stopped and looked at the two ladies. As with Tara and Ashley, the two ladies had one of those 'silent conversations'. Helen took the lead. "David, Mabel has told you that she and I are like sisters so everything you've old her or asked her, I know about. Mabel and I have talked before we've talked to Tara or Ashley and we're in agreement that you've done absolutely nothing wrong. Oh we know that in the eyes of the law you have but as far as we're concerned you haven't and we'll support you in anything you do. "If we had any doubts, which we didn't, seeing Tara the morning after her thirteenth birthday would have soon put them to rest. I've never seen a young lady that was so happy. She told us how you treated her like a date and as an adult. Opening the doors, taking her to Henri's for supper, then finally having full sex with her made her so happy. She gushed about you calling her your lover and she blushed every time she said it." Mabel jumped in at this point. "David, Helen and I could see what was coming and I hope you're not upset at me taking her to Dr. Wills. I think Dr. Wills could see through the story I told him but he accepted it and in light of Tara's maturity he realized that it wouldn't be long before Tara was experimenting with sex and was at risk of getting pregnant. The pharmacy was easier as it seemed a bit more logical to them." I held up my hand and broke in. "Mabel, I love you for doing that for me. I was so enamored with what Tara and I were doing that like a teenage boy I was letting the wrong part of my anatomy do my thinking." With that both ladies burst out laughing. Once they'd regained their composure – or at least most of it – I continued. "Ashley came to me and asked and I had agreed that once she reached twelve we'd start to play with one another. That's already started and Tara has gotten Ashley in on some of our sessions." I gave the ladies the details and continued. "As I did with Tara, I promised that on her thirteenth birthday I'd take her virginity - if and only if she wanted me to. Like Tara, I've made Ashley become the initiator and both of them have been told that they must tell me very clearly what they want to do. I'm going to ask you two to help Ashley when her time comes. If you think you need it, I'll give you a letter to give to Dr. Wills saying you have my permission." I paused and thought for a second. "I have a better idea. I've got an appointment with Dr. Wills next week and I'll get a letter set up and give it to him saying that either of you has my permission to bring either of the girls to see him. He's pretty astute and he's indicated to me on several occasions that he understands the problems of a single father raising teenage daughters." The ladies smiled and both reached over to grasp my hand. "David," Mabel said, "We're only too glad to do this. Both Helen and I miss having grandkids near to watch grow up and to spoil on occasion so Tara and Ashley have become our grandkids, just as we've become their grandmas. Speaking of spoiling them, did you like the gown we got for Tara – oh and did she show you her 'toy'?" At that both ladies started to grin. "Yes to both questions. Tara looked lovely in that gown. It helped to set the mood. She looked the picture of a young virgin, which she was. She showed me her toy and repeated what you'd told her." The ladies laughed. "I told her to find a good hiding place for it, although I suspect she won't as she and Ashley seem to have absolutely no secrets from one another." We left things at that and chatted about their kids and grandkids for a bit and then got up to leave. Just as I got to the door, I turned back to them. "Mabel; Helen, if you see anything I need to be aware of, it goes without saying, please tell me. If you see something that needs a woman's hand to do for either of the girls, please feel free to do what needs to be done. Whatever you do I know you are going to be doing it in the best interests of the girls." The two grandmas smiled and assured me they would. We said our goodbyes and I went back home. I puttered around the house for the rest of the morning and first part of the afternoon and about 2:30 the call came from Tara asking me to pick them up. When the girls got into the car I asked her how far into debt they'd put me, then grinned at them. Tara looked indignant at me. "Dad, I only bought a pair of jeans and some undies and a bra." Her face lit up as she continued. "I've outgrown the one I'm wearing and I need a B-cup bra." To prove it she pushed her boobs out as much as to say 'See?'. I smiled and didn't say any more to her. Instead I looked in the rear view mirror and asked Ashley what she'd bought. Ashley looked a bit embarrassed and mumbled something. Tara punched my arm. "Dad, stop embarrassing her. She needed some... some woman type stuff." "Oh sorry Ashley I didn't mean to embarrass you. I know you need those kinds of things and I'm just glad you and Tara can buy them instead of making me embarrassed when that pimply faced teenager at the store rings them through." Ashley smiled and said "S'okay, Daddy, I understand." I looked at Tara again. "So what's the final bill – roughly?" "About $100 dollars. Is that too much?" and she looked at me anxiously. "Nope, as long as you need the clothes – and other stuff – whatever you spend is okay. If you want to buy something that is quite expensive, I'd like it if you'd talk to me first. Okay?" Tara nodded. "Okay Ashley?" I asked her and she nodded yes as well. When we got home I told the girls to go and put their stuff away, bring me the bills and then we needed to talk for a bit. "Don't worry, nothing terrible, just some information for you." I told them. When they came back I told them about meeting with Mabel and Helen and explained that I was going to give Dr. Wills a letter saying that both Helen and Mabel had permission to act on my behalf if they took them to the clinic. "I know you may feel embarrassed to talk to me about some things and both the grandmas have been your age once. Being women they understand things better than I do. Any time you want to talk to either – or both – of them, just call them and go over." The girls nodded that they were comfortable with that. "One other thing; just so you know, I gave each of the grandmas a thank you card and a gift certificate to say thanks for what they've done for us. Don't say anything to either of them unless they bring it up, okay?" Both girls smiled and said yes.