So rather than try to follow up on the offer implicit in the way she was kissing me, I chickened out and played dumb as I kissed her back. After several seconds, Teresa pulled back from me again, and looked into my face before turning and leading the way back upstairs. When we got to the landing between the basement and the door to utility room at the back of the house, she took a key off a hook on the wall and told me "That's to the back door of the house, here. I always keep the door between the rest of the house and here closed, so you don't have to worry about leaving the door open if you have to carry things in, or whatever."

I thanked her, and followed her back to the living room — noticing along the way that she had a nice-looking ass in her own right.

The girls had finished their chores, and were (mostly) patiently waiting for us to get back. I was instructed to resume my position between Donna and Karen, then Wendy parked herself in my lap and pulled my arms around her. Teresa occupied the chair again, and we spent the evening watching television. When it got close to their respective bedtimes, the girls simply went back and got changed before coming in and giving (and getting) a kiss good night. When it was just Teresa and me, she shut the TV off and the two of us sat there talking until it was time for us to go to our respective beds.

That pretty much set the tone for the weeks that followed.

If I had the time and inclination, I was more than welcome to join them for the evening; but they didn't have any problems with it if I needed to work in "my place", or just wanted to be alone for an evening. Some evenings one or two of the girls would come down; sometimes it was to ask for help with homework (usually math or science), which I would patiently provide. Other times, it was just to spend a quiet evening with just the two of us.

It didn't take long for us to get into a routine where I would join them for breakfast, and usually supper — which prompted the only conflict that Teresa and I had. I wanted to help pay for the groceries I was eating, and she was adamant that I was family, and didn't have to. After a LOT of patient negotiation, I finally got her to accept a small increase in my "rent". It wasn't as much as I was willing to give her, but more than she wanted to take.