Chapter 10

"Aunt Wills?"

Willamena lifted a finger, effectively cutting Rebecca off. She'd just been told that her niece — her dead sister's daughter — had a brain tumor. As a psychiatrist, Willamena knew how she should react. As an aunt/mother figure, all she wanted to do was cry. No, that wasn't true. After everything Rebecca had been through in life, Willamena was angry at the added heartache. She took a deep breath, counting to ten before saying anything.

"Did you get a second opinion?"

Rebecca glanced at Cassidy, who sat quietly next to her. "Well, technically, yes. Hunter found the tumor, and it was confirmed by Dr. Lima."

"Dr. Lima," Willamena repeated. "She's quite a renowned neurosurgeon."

"You know her?" Cass asked, breaking her silence. She couldn't imagine how Aunt Wills was feeling. She knew Aunt Wills thought of Rebecca as a daughter. After everything else Rebecca had been through, this couldn't be easy for Aunt Wills.

Willamena nodded. "In passing only. I've read some of the research she has published. Hunter chose well. What are the options?"

"Well, um…" Rebecca was a little taken aback by Aunt Wills's attitude. She had expected some kind of reaction. Shock, sadness…something. But instead, all Rebecca got was Dr. Willamena Woodrow. Professional and unemotional. "She seems to think surgery is the way to go. She wants to go in and remove the tumor because of the symptoms, then do the biopsy."

"Symptoms? What symptoms are you having?" Willamena sat forward, elbows on her knees. "Headaches? Dizziness?"

"Gee, Dr. Woodrow, should I schedule an appointment?" Rebecca asked sarcastically. It was silly to be upset by Aunt Will's response, but Rebecca didn't care. She was in her self-pity stage and wanted the people who loved her — who she loved — to feel sorry with her. Rebecca felt Cassidy's hand on her thigh and managed to calm down. A little.

Willamena sighed. Her need to keep her emotions in check had given Rebecca the insinuation that Willamena wasn't affected by the news. "I'm sorry if I made you think I'm not upset, my sweet girl." She reached over and took Rebecca's hand. "My go-to defense mechanism is to dive into the solutions. That's not what you need. You need me to be your aunt right now."

Rebecca squeezed Aunt Wills's hand. "No, it's not you, Aunt Wills. I'm feeling sorry for myself, and I think everyone else should too. It's selfish."

"It's human, babe," Cass reassured.

"Cass is right, Becca. And as your aunt, I should have given you my true feelings about this. I'm shocked and a little scared. I'll wait for the biopsy to gauge that fear. I'm also a little miffed that you didn't tell me you were having symptoms."

"Miffed," Rebecca parroted. "I didn't know they were symptoms. I thought I was just stressed. I even…" Another glance at Cassidy. "Semi-retired because I was feeling overworked and overly tired."

"You must've suspected something was wrong if you went for an MRI." Willamena didn't know why she was giving Rebecca the third degree. Obviously, Willamena had residual guilt from not knowing Rebecca was being brutalized by her ex. This wasn't the way to express that guilt, but it was an honest response. Rebecca deserved that much.

"No, I went to Hunter to ask her for something to help me sleep." Damn. I didn't tell her about the nightmares. "I… anyway, Hunter suggested the MRI because of past… trauma."

"We'll gloss over why you were having trouble sleeping. For now." Willamena raised a brow and gave Rebecca a look she hadn't given her since Rebecca was a teenager. Then Willamena shook her head. "I've just realized what I'm doing. I'm focusing on everything except the actual problem because I don't know what to do." She felt helpless. Willamena had felt this way only three times before in her life, and she had hoped never to feel that way again. She took a moment to center herself. "Okay. When is the surgery?"

Rebecca got up to pace. "We haven't decided yet on what to do," she revealed. "I did a little research…"

"You Googled?" Willamena guessed.

"Yes. None of the options sound great. But surgery scares the hell out of me." Rebecca scoffed. "You'd think this would be a breeze with all the surgeries I've had."

Cass got up to intercept Rebecca, wrapping her arms around her. "This is your brain, babe. Of course it's scary."

"Speaking of, Cass, how does this make you feel?" Willamena asked, absolutely aware she had turned on her psychiatrist's voice.

"I… it's not about me, Aunt Wills."

"On the contrary. You love Rebecca."

Rebecca felt Cassidy's body tense. "Aunt Wills, this isn't a session. Cassidy…"

"It's okay, babe," Cass said softly. "I'm worried as fuck, if I'm being honest. I don't know whether to prepare for the worst or hope for the best. Or fucking both. It all happened so fast, and yet we don't know anything. I don't even know if that fucking makes any sense, but none of this does to me. Rebecca has been through too fucking much. This shouldn't be happening to her. If I could take her place, I would in a fucking second."

Cassidy was practically panting by the time she finished her little rant, and Rebecca rubbed small circles on her back to try and calm her down. She reached up with her other hand to cup Cassidy's cheek.

"Breathe, baby," Rebecca whispered.

Cass touched her forehead to Rebecca's, apologizing quietly for her outburst. She looked at Aunt Wills and repeated the apology.

"No, don't be. You said what you needed to say. And what I think we all feel. I encourage you to keep that honesty going."

"It's not what Becca needs," Cass disagreed. "She doesn't need the stress of my meltdowns."

"I think I can speak for myself on what I need, Cassidy. And I need that openness from you. Remember what I promised you? It goes both ways, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Cass kissed Rebecca's forehead tenderly. "Are you hungry? You didn't eat anything for breakfast or lunch."

"Tattletale," Rebecca whined playfully when Aunt Wills gave her another look. "I am a little hungry. But nothing sounds appetizing."

"How about a turkey sandwich like I used to make you when you were younger?" Willamena grinned at Cass. "There was a time when Rebecca only ate turkey sandwiches with mayo, cheddar cheese, and exactly one slice of a tomato for a week straight. If I recall correctly, it was because she was upset she made a D on one of her school papers."

"C," Rebecca corrected with a scowl. "I've never made a D in my life. And that teacher was out to get me because I was smarter than him."

"I don't doubt you were, babe," Cass chuckled. "So? Turkey sandwich? I think we have a tomato."

Rebecca thought about it for a moment which caused her tummy to growl. "My stomach agrees. But only if Aunt Wills makes it. No offense, baby.

"None taken. Obviously, you gotta go with the pro," Cass winked. "You mind, Aunt Wills?"

"Not at all." Willamena stood from the couch and walked over to Rebecca. Cass still held Rebecca in her arms but immediately stepped back when Willamena approached them. Willamena took Cass's place, hugging Rebecca fiercely. "Do the surgery, sweet girl," she whispered in Rebecca's ear. "If Dr. Lima thinks she can remove the tumor completely, it's the best choice." She kissed Rebecca's cheek before hurrying off toward the kitchen.

"Think she's okay?" Cass asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I don't think this is what she imagined when we called to ask her over, but she adapts better than anyone I know." Rebecca turned to Cassidy. "But she's also the most vulnerable — other than you — when it comes to me. Be there for each other."

"Babe, stop talking like you're going to die. Please?" Tears welled in Cass's eyes. "I'm trying to do like Aunt Wills and wait until the biopsy to freak the fuck out, okay?"

Rebecca stood on her tiptoes and kissed Cassidy, deepening the kiss when Cassidy's hands settled on Rebecca's hips. "Everything is going to be fine," she said with conviction. Now if she could just believe it with her whole heart.

"Didyou have enough to eat, baby?"

Cass tossed her t-shirt and boxers on the chair beside her nightstand and jumped onto the bed. "Yeah. I'm grateful your aunt stayed to make dinner, too. I'm getting kinda burned out on takeout."

Rebecca finished brushing her hair, taking a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Her silky blonde hair fell past her shoulders to the middle of her back. It had always been long. Even when she was young and tender-headed, she never wanted her aunt to cut her hair. Now she wondered what it would be like… what she would feel like if it was shorter. Would she feel as confident? Rebecca nearly laughed at herself. It was just hair.

She glanced back at Cassidy through the mirror. Her wife was currently naked, sprawled across the bed as she waited for Rebecca to join her. Cassidy's hair was short. Very short. Her confidence certainly wasn't. Rebecca gathered up her hair, creating a makeshift bob. She turned one way, then the other, trying to see if the look suited her.

"You could be bald, and I'd still think you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Cass said, her eyes boring into Rebecca's through the mirror.

Rebecca let her hair fall and pushed away from the vanity. "Bald is a little too drastic for me." She untied her robe, letting it slip down her naked body. "But I'm trying to get to a place, mentally, where my hair doesn't define me."

"It doesn't, babe. Your ass does." Cass wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, sticking out her tongue for good measure.

Rebecca laughed. "Of course you would say that." She gave Cassidy a small glimpse of said ass before climbing into bed with her. "I…I'm going to do the surgery."

Cass's playful energy turned serious. "Okay."

"Are you? Okay with that, I mean?"

"It's your decision, babe. I support whatever you need to do."

"It's our decision. And if you don't want me to…"

Cass pulled Rebecca to her, trying not to let the skin on skin affect her brain. It was time to be an adult now. "I'm serious, Becca. I'm with you no matter what you choose. But if you need me to say it, I think surgery is the right choice. Let's get that fucker out of there. It needs to leave my girl alone."

Rebecca smiled. "Your girl could use a little… or a big… friend tonight. Care to volunteer?"

Cass raised three fingers in a salute, then added another one with a sly grin. "Come here, woman." She dragged Rebecca on top of her, then quickly flipped their position. She looked down into Rebecca's eyes. "I love you, Becca."

"I love you too, Cassidy."

The kiss started off slow. A mutual declaration of love and devotion. But the kiss became heated and needy as their bodies touched and their hands roamed. Neither would admit to craving the frantic connection because of fear of the unknown future. Instead, they would give in to it and let it guide them to whatever desires their bodies needed to fulfill.

Rebecca reached over the best she could with Cassidy's weight on top of her. She rummaged around the nightstand drawer until she found what she wanted. Rebecca pressed the dildo to Cassidy's chest. "Strap in, cowgirl. It's going to get wild."

Cass's eyes shone with excitement. "Cowgirl, huh?" She rolled over onto her back, spreading her legs. "Giddy up."

Rebecca got to her knees, smiling down at her wife. "Giddy up, indeed." She brought two fingers to her lips, licking them sensually as Cassidy watched. Then she lowered them to Cassidy's ready and waiting pussy. She circled her wet fingers around Cassidy's clit before pushing them inside her. "Just need to make sure you're ready."

"For you, babe, I'm always ready. I think I'm perpetually wet for you." Cass's hips involuntarily lifted when Rebecca brought the dildo close.

"Perpetually, hmm? I like that." Rebecca slipped the bulb end of the strapless strap-on inside Cassidy, shivering with gleeful anticipation when Cassidy sucked in a breath. "Feel good?"

Cass sat up, wrapping her arms around Rebecca in a tight embrace. "You feel better. I want to be inside you, baby."

"Good. That's exactly where I want you to be." Rebecca pushed Cassidy back into her prone position. Then Rebecca turned until her back was toward Cassidy and straddled her.

Holy fuck! Cass thought as she stared at Rebecca's perfect naked ass. Reverse cowgirl. Yippie ki yay! Her hands went straight to Rebecca's hips, guiding her right where they both needed her to be. But Rebecca had other ideas, and Cass's excitement nearly had her pumping her hips prematurely.

Rebecca smiled, knowing Cassidy was eagerly waiting. She touched herself, gathering the abundant wetness, then reached between her legs to take the dildo in her wet fingers. She stroked and pulled, knowing full well she was driving Cassidy wild. When she positioned the shaft between the lips of her pussy, gliding it along her saturated skin, Cassidy groaned.

"You're killing me, baby." Cass dug her fingers into Rebecca's hips as she watched Rebecca glide across her cock. She wanted to buck her hips. To slam herself inside Rebecca until Rebecca screamed her name. But Cass knew with vast experience that Rebecca's way of doing things consistently garnered more pleasure. So, Cass endured the throbbing of her own pussy and watched, captivated by the sheer sexiness of her wife.

Rebecca couldn't wait any longer, lifting her hips enough to guide the dildo where she wanted it. Then she sank down slowly, her head dropping back in ecstasy as Cassidy filled her in the most intimate way. How odd that she never thought she'd love anal sex, but that's what Cassidy brought out in her. Freedom from her inhibitions and fears. And a passion for giving Cassidy every part of her without hesitation or humiliation.

Cass watched the dildo move inside Rebecca. It was the most erotic thing, watching as you fuck the woman you love more than anything. Knowing Rebecca trusted her enough to give herself to Cass this way meant the world. And she would wear that honor proudly for the rest of her life if Rebecca allowed her to.

No longer able to stay an idle participant in this carnal display of lust, Cass raised up, pressing her hard nipples into Rebecca's back. She reached around, cupping Rebecca's ample tits in both hands. Cass squeezed hard, causing Rebecca's breath to hitch. She peered around Rebecca, seeing their mating bodies reflected back to them in the mirror. Cass stared at the rapture in Rebecca's beautiful face. She snaked a hand down between Rebecca's legs, cupping her sex and slipping two fingers inside her.

Rebecca opened her eyes, catching Cassidy's stare in the mirror. She covered Cassidy's hands with her own, tightening the hold of one hand around her breast and pushing the other deeper inside her. Rebecca's hips moved faster as the orgasm fought to be released.

"Cassidy!" Rebecca closed her eyes as her hips bucked harder.

"That's it, baby. Let it go for me." Cass's breath was as hard and fast as Rebecca's movements. She was as close to coming as she knew Rebecca was. "Look at us, Rebecca. Watch us fucking. Watch as we both give each other what we need."

Rebecca's eyes went back to the mirror. She followed Cassidy's gaze as it moved from Rebecca's eyes to her tits, down to where Cassidy's fingers were buried inside her. She edged her hand under Cassidy's and massaged her clit as Cassidy fingered her. The sensations of getting her ass fucked, having Cassidy's long, strong fingers inside her, and touching herself proved too much to stave off the impending climax.

"I'm coming, Cassidy!"

Cass curled her fingers, gritting her teeth as the dildo collided with her clit with each move Rebecca made. "Come, Rebecca! Fuck yes!"

"Fuck!" Rebecca cried out as the orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave. She fell forward onto her hands as the bed continued to sway beneath her. Was she still moving, or did that orgasm rock the entire house?

"You have to stop, baby!" Cass panted. "It's too much!"

Rebecca felt Cassidy trying to move away from the pressure on her clit and grinned. She sat back, rocking her ass back and forth. Yeah, it affected her just as much as Cassidy, but maybe Rebecca was a sadist — and a masochist — after all.

"Take it, Cassidy."

Cass's eyes flew open. Once again, her eyes met Rebecca's in the mirror. Only it wasn't Rebecca staring back at her. This was pleasure and pain in its most primal form. And Cass would take it all.

"Yes, Mistress."