Withering Ivy: Chapter Twenty

I waited for one of them to say something, anything. They didn't. They both looked down at their own plates and I couldn't help but go to the worst-case scenario. "Are you getting rid of me?"

"Of course not Ivy." Ms. Winslet licked her lips and finally glanced over at me. "There's just some things we need to discuss. Officially." When I didn't respond she put her paper down and leaned back to cross her arms. "We wanted to tell you-"

"That it's time for a vacation." Grace gave a big smile at Amelia first and then at me. Amelia wasn't smiling with her and I only raised my eyebrows. "We were thinking that it's time to get away." She was now wiping her hands off on her jeans as she nodded at Amelia who only then started agreeing. "Amelia has had to work so much lately and we both feel like time away together would be good."

"All three of us?" I finally asked. Their nods became more animated as Amelia cleared her throat.

"I was thinking of the lake. I have a home for us."

I wasn't buying any of it and they could tell so Grace stood up and pulled my seat back so I could stand with her. "How about you go get dressed and start picking out some clothes? I will be right in there to help you pack soon." She began pushing me out of the kitchen. "We will leave as soon as everyone is ready."

I started leaving like I was told but stopped when my shadow couldn't be seen by them anymore. The turn of the corner hid me as I listened closely to what they had to say. They took a minute, Grace's chair being pushed in filling their silence.

Amelia was the first to speak. "We have to tell her." Her voice was soft. "We have to tell her everything. We have to ask."

"Do you want to be the reason she leaves?" Grace said back. Her whispers were like yelling as their heels went around the table. "If we ask and she leaves we will have nothing."

"She's not going to leave."

"Do you want to chance that Amelia?" Grace had thrown her napkin. "One chance. One choice and she could be gone." Her voice had cracked and I felt my knuckles turn white as I held my breath. "We can't lose her. I would die before I let her go."

"You would rather keep the truth from her instead of her being with us willingly?" Amelia was surprisingly calm as she stood up as well. "I love her just as much as you but we can not keep pretending what we have is working. If she wanted to leave she would have."

There was a loud noise, was it the chair? The plate? I couldn't tell. I only gasped and then cupped my own mouth. I waited hoping they didn't hear.

"She is ours, Amelia. I'm not going to let anyone change that. Not even you." Her footsteps started getting louder and I ran to my room before she could see me. My eyes darted to my closet as I went inside and began throwing out clothes hoping it looked like I had been there a while. My heavy breathing barely caught up as the blonde who seemed angry before walked in with a smile that made me feel delusional. "What are you doing silly?"

I couldn't answer. I only stared at her wondering what she was hiding from me before she grabbed my hand and led me to the bed. She bent down to be at my level as I sat. Her body slid between my legs as she caressed my face with her hands and kissed my cheeks with the softest kisses she had ever given. "I'll do it for you baby, no worries." As she went to the clothes and looked them over I wondered if I should ask. But I remembered the way she spoke to her own boss and that made me stop. This wasn't something tiny they were hiding from me. Why would she think it would make me leave her? Leave Ms. Winslet? Leave everything I had fallen in love with.

I couldn't figure it out. Every thought I had led to more questions and it wasn't until I was being strapped into my seat in the car that I remembered the other pets who wanted to leave. They said there was something they hadn't told me. What could it have been? They both sat on either side of me. Their outfits looked like they did every day while mine shined of vacation and swimming. My shorts and shirt not even matching them like Grace usually tried to do. Instead, they looked out of their own window leaving me to feel neglected in the middle even though I was so close. Jonathon was driving, and not even Tobbey joined as we left town.

I couldn't see the clock up front leaving me to only guess how long we had been driving, I played my games, I watched the news on Amelia's phone, and I even played with the camera on Grace's phone. It left me wondering why I didn't miss mine, but I hadn't even thought about it since the day I left. My eyes had closed and lent me a hand in dozing off as we pulled into a dirt road that was tougher than we were used to. My sleepy nature was protected by Grace's hands who held onto me as we parked at the front of a house small and quant. The bricks around it were bright and well kept and the lovely tin roof shined the sun back at us and the large lake that seemed to be just for us.

"This was my family's old holiday home," Amelia whispered looking out at it. "They upgraded but I couldn't let it go."

I rubbed my eyes and smiled up at her. "I like it."

It felt even smaller on the inside. A kitchenette with food waiting for us, I assumed Grace had to rush to have someone leave it there for us because she checked the fridge and sacks carefully as I followed Ms. Winslet through the door where there was only one bedroom and bath. I wondered what the plan was going to be but didn't have a chance to ask as the brunette looked down at me. "Do you like to swim?"

"I don't know how," I replied quietly hoping she wouldn't hear. She did though and leaned on the doorframe. "I remember going to the splash pool with my grandma when I was little but after she died I never went to the pool."

"Holidays?"

I shook my head. "We didn't go on any. My parents worked a lot. So did I."

It felt odd to talk about my old life, it felt like I was making it up even though I could remember my job and my dad's work boots at the front door.

"I guess that means we get in the water with you." Amelia usually didn't show her love with physical touch unless it was sexual but in that moment she grabbed my chin with her hand to make sure I understood her before playfully pushing me away. "Did you bring any floats, Grace?" Catching the whiff of the woman I closed my eyes and breathed her in before turning and following. My instincts were to be right near them even though there was no leash restricting me to them.

Grace helped me put on my swimsuit. A cute one with ruffles and flowers and bent down so she could tighten the vest that would help keep me afloat. I scrunched my face looking down at it and tried pleading with the blonde to let me go without one but she was adamant and only laughed when I said I would stay in the shallow end. "Go get the sunblock." It was hard to stomp over to the luggage to show how mad I was at being treated like a baby when I was rummaging through the stuff with water shoes and a vest bigger than me but I had to let her know somehow I didn't like it. "I know you're not a baby but you are our baby and I can't let anything happen to you."

I was catching the ways the blonde used the word "we" but I was still unable to find words to ask about it. All I could wonder is if Amelia used the word we too.

I wasn't used to lakes especially not ones that were lonely like the one we were at. I wondered what was underneath the murky water as I stopped when the water touched my knee. With some coaxing from the brunette who was already swimming towards the middle, she coached me through some motions to swim. Suddenly when I couldn't touch the bottom I was glad that I had a vest around me. I wasn't going to let Grace know that though as she followed behind with a smile.

"You doing okay kitten?" Ms. Winslet was floating so effortlessly, her bikini top not hiding what was underneath very well as her skin glistened with the sun shining on her.

"Fine," I said, Struggling to go towards her until Grace scooped me up from behind. Her feet were still touching as she let my legs wrap around her waist. "I feel stupid."

Grace's laugh was more refreshing than the breeze that only came to greet us every few minutes. "If I take the vest off then you have to stay with us."

I nodded as she began unbuckling her hard work and tossed it to the side. My breasts underneath my own bikini top touching the blondes who squeezed against mine. It didn't matter I had made love to her before. Every touch felt like the first and as I was passed to the older woman with grey eyes and mature features who made my skin jump once again. Her hips weren't as wide but I was still able to wrap myself around her as she took us further into the middle.

It felt like the evening had gone by so quickly. They taught me what to do and let me practice by going in between them, They didn't get mad when I freaked out but would grab me and let me try again. Their constant reassurance made me feel less silly about my lack of skills until I had grown tired and stood where I could touch. A ball being thrown between me and Amelia as Grace swam like she belonged in the water. The sun setting as they grabbed me and playfully threw me between them in the water. Our laughs never broke through with fear because even though they played I never feared my head would even touch the water.

When we made it inside I sat on the floor with a towel waiting for Grace who had a towel wrapped around her waist to bring me a plate of fruit. Amelia had showered before us and was drying her hair when I couldn't stop myself from wondering anymore. Every moment I wanted to enjoy I was being eaten alive by the questions.

I waited until Amelia sat down on the couch and Grace handed me my plate before I looked up at her. "What did you really want to talk about?"

Grace had already turned but she paused and waited a few seconds before looking over at Ms. Winslet. The brunette only sighed before letting her fist ball up and bounce on the couch's armrest. "Sit down Grace."

She didn't argue but the blonde wouldn't look at me as she sat on the wooden table in the middle of the room.

"Let's just get right to it then." Ms. Winslet cleared her throat and leaned back so she could be comfortable. "We could probably dance around this all night but we will make this simple. Grace and I have been talking a lot about how we feel about you. Together."

"We love you," Grace said—her eyes now at her hands.

"Why is that so bad?" I asked getting on my knees. My towel fell from my shoulders as I looked between them. "I feel the love from you both you don't have to be embarrassed."

"It's not that specifically." Amelia smiled at me comfortingly. "It's a matter of you being my pet. We have talked through it but it is up to you." She paused again. "We would like to be together all three of us."

Grace still didn't look at me. "You know about Grace and I?"

"Honey, Grace asked beforehand. She called and admitted her feelings and I gave her my blessing. But that's not the problem, the problem is we both love you and we don't want to just share you...We want to be with you."

"You want to be in a relationship together? The three of us?" When I saw Ms. Winslet nod I smiled. "Of course, I would."

This made Grace finally look over at me but she didn't say anything.

"That's amazing." Ms. Winslet cleared her throat again. "The next question is this-" she sat up and looked down at the floor. "We respect you enough to want to be with you, but we want to make sure this is what you want. If you would like I could get you a job and you could be mentally an equal with us both. A normal life with us."

"Or-" Grace Interrupted. "We can still practice what we do now where you are our pet but it would be your decision."

"Right, everything is taken care of and us using you sexually when we want and you being under our wings per se." Ms. Winslet closed her eyes. "If you choose the first option that means you will have the ability to leave whenever you want. No collar, no ankle lock, just freedom."

My eyebrows furrowed as I saw Grace face away from me. Was she crying? I took a few minutes to think. The ideas and options weighed me down as I went down the different paths. My answer came as I took off my color and looked at the name before placing it down on the table Grace sat at. There was silence for a moment before I took a deep breath. "I guess I need a new collar."

I didn't expect real tears to be there as Grace fell on the floor with me and hugged me like there was still a chance I would change my mind. She picked me up and Ms. Winslet came over to hug us both. Even her hands tried to hide a tear that fell. Their kisses fall on my face like the lake's droplets. My inner heart was more at peace than I had ever felt as I made a decision for myself. One that I wanted and one that I knew would be best for me and the two I loved like they were of my own body.