When Saturday night arrived, I still confirmed with Edith that she wasn't coming to the non-landed club. My parents even told her that she wouldn't need to undress, not for the first time, being a minor.

But Edith needed time on her own for her to heal.

This week, was a new place for me. The rehabilitation center.

Ellie and Marge once again waited for us in the parking lot, but Ellie didn't feel she needed to wait for the rush to pass, so we got in line, and Ellie got a membership card of her own, with Marge as her kid. This meant she had to pay for her, but she didn't mind. This was important to her daughter, and she was getting in the spirit of naturism.

Carmen and her family were in the line before us and noticed us, so they waited for us to be done so all of us could undress together.

Marge again insisted on the women's changing room, and no one else cared, so we went there. As explained, there are no lockers. There is a sort of bench to sit at, and cubes under it, near the ceiling and in vertical columns.

The adults were talking, so Marge and I undressed mostly in silence. Ellie did express a sort of unease at undressing in front of her colleague, but she did joke that, at least, she wasn't wearing underwear.

That was when everyone, but Cheryl, was nude. The little girl was apparently tired and mostly idle. Her father was helping her.

"Ellie, tomorrow, why don't you bring Marge over to our house? We have a huge turkey, and maybe we should get to know each other better."

"Nude?"

"Of course"

"Marge, did you hear?"

"I would love to. Can Julie come?"

"It's... not the kind of event where you can bring a +1", says Ellie

Carmen was about to say something, but Ellie raised her hand.

"Does that mean you don't want to go? I can go alone."

Marge thinks. "Julie, is this a case where I should have an opinion"

I look at her. "It's not that simple. I would. I might not in other cases"

"Can I talk to Julie and make up my mind? I don't like adults waiting on me," says Marge.

"Sure", says Ellie, but then, she turned to Carmen. "I would love to go. Marge will get back to me."

"No problem," says Carmen.

We had brought our badminton rackets, and Marge wanted to play with me, so we hit the pool, letting our parents go play volleyball. Ellie checked 3 times that Marge and I would be okay.

Marge did want to know what a normal reaction to the invitation was. So, I went on points with her.

Did she like Carmen? She barely knew her. Did she like turkey? Not that much. Did she like Cheryl? Not really as she was too young. Did she like eating in other houses? No, it made her scared. Overall, Marge was negative toward it.

"I miss the bleachers," she said.

"Next time?"

"Am I selfish for preferring to eat with you instead?"

"No. But you would ask your mother what she prefers"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe she wants to reconnect with Carmen and become friends, and if you aren't there, she doesn't have to be stuck in parent mode."

"Then why ask me?"

"In case you would like to go. Perhaps she felt that Carmen was overstepping by inviting you, and she wanted to let you know you weren't required to go. Or maybe she wants you to also be friends with Carmen and wants you. You should ask her tonight."

"Why is it so complicated? Can she just tell me what she wants"

"Not in front of everyone"

"Oh.", then a pause. "Ok, I get that"

And like that, Marge's problem was fixed, somehow.

We swam a little but got bored, so we got out, and after drying ourselves, we went to the volleyball game. To my surprise, only about 12 minutes had passed. How was that even possible?

Right, we barely spoke as we just had a small conversation, like perhaps 45 seconds, and realized it was boring in the pool and left.

We were both invited to join the game, but they were already 7 vs. 7, and the low ceiling kept getting hit. So, we sat on our towels against the wall.

With Edith or Mindy, we would talk, but with Marge, we just sat there. In silence, happy.

Until we heard someone call Ellie's name from the door of the gymnasium.

Both Marge and I looked, and found her father, still dressed, looking worried.

"Richard?", says Ellie, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"That was my question for you," he says, but not angrily. Just confused.

The game got paused, and both Ellie and my parents went to see Richard. Marge and I do too.

I can hear Ellie suggest that they talk in the lobby, but then Carmen asks if she needs help, but Ellie says she already has too many helpers, and she says that looking at my parents, who get the message, and return to the game.

She says nothing when Marge and I join them in the lobby, now empty.

"I know I am probably at fault. I know I am not a good husband, Ellie. I am not the man I used to be. Often, I hope I am, but I am not. But I love you, and I love our beautiful, intelligent daughter," he says, looking at Marge,"I even love how Julie helped her, and how we now know that there is nothing wrong with our daughter. That she isn't broken, that she is just autistic. I love you both so much. And yet, I don't get this. And no one tells me anything. I mean, why is everyone naked? And why is Julie naked at our house? I don't get this. And I want to. I am not stupid, Ellie. I am beaten. By the town going bad, by a wife I can't keep up with, and who clearly doesn't desire me anymore. By a son who is just a nightmare, and until recently, by my most adorable daughter, who I couldn't understand. Now, I do. Now, I hope I can be a good father again, but I don't get this."

"Are you done?", says Ellie.

"Are you divorcing me?", she says, on the verge of crying.

She laughs. "Is that why you were here? You thought I was having an affair?"

"I don't know, Ellie. I feel like my life is slipping through my fingers like sand in a colander. I get pieces, but I lose the rest"

"Ok, if you would like to talk to me, I will listen, but no, I am neither having an affair nor divorcing you"

"Ok, that's a relief. Because, I know I am not a good husband right now, but I would be terrible alone."

Ellie laughs. "You would die of starvation within a week."

"I would. Unless I order pizza every night"

"Ok, do you have other things to say because I can talk or listen, but I know you can't dialogue anymore for long."

"I am sorry"

"No, Richard, it's ok. So, which is it?"

"Talk, and I will listen."

"I will skip the intimate part for later, but I know you are not well, Richard. You haven't been in a while. Routine settled in, and you became a ghost of yourself. Me too, but Julie's parents. That's Julie, by the way," she says, pointing at me,

"I know my kid's friends. "He says, a little irritated.

"Good. She and her parents are naturists. They are nude at home and come to events where everyone is nude. It's not sexual. It's something they like to do."

"And you too?"

"Well, Marge tried it and liked it. So I tried it, and yes, I liked it."

"Would I like it?"

Ellie laughs. "The old you would have. They do sports. They believe in social equality, in honesty, and in transparency."

"I like those things"

"I know, it's why I love you. I see you're burnt out because an honest man is told to do dishonest things. It's burning you alive, but you and I both know we need you to keep your job for financial reasons."

"Sorry"

"Don't be. I would have divorced you if you could live with what you do with a clear conscience"

He begins to cry while talking, but I lose a lot of his words. Marge gets on the other side, and both of his women hug him.

"Sorry, girls."

But I got an idea in my mind.

"Could I speak up?"

"Sure, Julie," says Ellie.

"I had plenty of emotional problems, and I learned a few months ago, that they were caused by hormonal problems. Maybe Richard could get checked out?"

"I have a physical each year," he says.

"With an endocrinologist?"

Look at me, 12 and with the big words. But it's the only specialist I really know about.

"It's not a bad idea," says Ellie.

"So what do I tonight?" he says.

"You have three choices, Richard"

"I am listening"

"You go home, happy that your wife still loves you. Or you come play volleyball with us, or you wait and get in the water with us in the pool."

"I don't have a bathing suit"

All three of us laughed.

"You would need to get nude, Richard," says Ellie

"Oh, right. Sorry. I didn't think."

"So, I will leave you here, Richard, and return to the game. If you wish to join us, undress in the men's changing room and put your things in a cube. If you prefer to wait in the pool, we will be there in the changing room until around 8h00, or you can go swim alone so you get used to the nudity. "

"Oh, right."

"Or you go home. Don't decide now. Just think about it. You aren't good with under-pressure decisions anymore, but you still have your brain. You will figure it out."

She kisses him on the mouth, for a second.

"Whatever you decide, I will sleep next to you tonight"

"Nude?"

She laughs. "Yes. Now, I sleep nude. I am glad you noticed"

"I notice you, Ellie. I just..."

"I know."

"Could I, if I stay?"

"Could you what?"

"Never mind"

"Wait, would you like to sleep nude too?"

"If you do it"

"Oh, let's talk about it tonight. Girls, want to play with us?"

"I think we were happy looking at you play. If Marge would like to, I will join her", I said.

"You are a good friend, Julie"

Ellie leaves, and I do, but I see that Marge stays.

"Marge?"

"I think I need to help my father. Go, I will be back"

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I will be ok"

I returned to my towel, and noticed that the game had picked up, and Ellie just slid into the game.

I don't know how long it takes for Richard to join the game, nude, and Marge to get back to my side.

"Did you talk?"

"Barely. I showed him our cube. He just sat there,for a few minutes and then decided to undress. He and I don't often talk, but he often hangs out with me"

I almost want to reply, but I notice that Marge is looking at the game, not at me. But then again, she rarely looks at you when you are talking to her.

At first, Richard is barely active, but it takes him perhaps 5 minutes to start laughing with the others and actively playing.

In fact, I never saw him as active, as positive.

When it finally finished, he left the gym, holding his wife's hand, with both of them talking and laughing, with my parents, Ellie and Carmen.

Two men set up the badminton court, and we ended up with a problem. 8 people already wanted to play, in addition to us, but there were only 2 courts.

The proposal was to put Marge and me against each other as the 3rd member of a team, but Marge didn't want to play against me but rather with me.

I proposed that we alternate games, but without points, when does a game end? The 8 players were mostly willing to compromise but not fully give up.

One proposed that I be on the right, in the left field, and Marge be on the left, in the right field. That way, we are next to each other.

But Marge rejected it too.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I want to make passes with you or play with you by my side."

"Would just making passes on the side of the gym be ok?"

"Sure"

I laughed. Marge is both my most complicated friend and my simplest. It's weird.

We tried not to invade the courts, but the three times we did, we were greeted with kindness and acceptance.

After perhaps 30 minutes, one of the couples left for the pool, and we replaced them. We were massacred, missing most returns, until our opponents took pity on us and just began making passes to us, in effect making Marge have more fun, and I admit, me too. Our opponents even laughed more than previously and would cheer when one of us succeeded.

I think I preferred that moment to almost any other sporting event of my childhood.

We were interrupted by Ellie, who asked Marge if her father would use her towel, since he didn't have one"

"I might go swimming after this."

"Oh, Marge, the pool is closed, and we need to leave in, like, 5 minutes."

We both looked at the clock. It's 9:55. Already.

"Wow. Time flew by!" I say

"Girls, if you would like to play like this next time, we will. This was fun," said one of the two guys.

"Thank you both for playing with my daughter"

"Anything for you, Ellie," said the man who spoke up.

"You know me?"

"You are the secretary at my son's school."

"Oh,"

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me if my secret is safe with you"

"Your secret?"

"My son doesn't approve of this. So I am officially out with a friend of me."

"Well, he is, technically," says the other man.

Both laugh.

"I'll go get the towel for my husband. Marge, can you fetch it?"

I go with Marge, and we join our parents next to the pool, with only Richard still wet but happy to get the towel.

My dad smiles when he sees me. "Had fun, girls?"

"We did. Right, Marge?"

"We did"

We all soon go to the changing room, but Richard is back to his passive self.

"Do you mind, Ellie, if you drive home?"

"Richard, we each came in our car"

"I know, but it's dark. We can get the car tomorrow"

My dad intervenes.

"Why don't I drive you home, Richard, in your car, and my wife will follow us."

My mom put her hand on my dad's shoulder, like to say that it was ok.

Richard looks confused. Ellie speaks for him.

"That's a great idea. Richard, that's Steven, Julie's daughter"

"Ellie, I was able to follow the conversation in the pool. That's Kylie, his wife. They run an import company and have a warehouse where they have a camper and want to play Nerf with our daughter. And they are taking care of Edith. And Carmen, is her social worker."

Ellie kisses him, but they aren't dressed yet. He kisses her back.

My mother gave me my clothes, like to avert my eyes, and I started to get dressed. Marge follows me.

Soon, everyone is dressed, with Richard being the slowest.

Marge gets in Ellie's car, and I get to sit on the passenger's side. I am just tall enough, but mostly, I am rarely with just one parent.

"Did you really have fun?"

"I did. How was Richard?"

"Tomorrow, Kiddo, you and I are going out, and you are getting any ice cream, treat, or whatever you want."

"Why?"

"Richard is sick. You proposed an endocrinologist, and well, he will take an appointment. Carmen thinks it's the right way. His doctors wouldn't help him, and you saw it. Maybe, you could be a doctor."

I was stunned. "I want to be an environmental engineer"

"Wait, what?"

I realized that I never told my mom or my father.

"I was inspired by the work to make the fake lake, and it's what I wish to do. "

"Well, that's great news. I don't know anything about that job, but I know the city has one. I was in the local paper. Maybe Richard knows them?"

"For real?"

"Perhaps you can ask him?"

"I sure will."

I tell her what I want to do and about the little research I did, and she seems excited for me.

We park across the street, as both of Marge's parents' cars are parked.

The three adults are talking, and Marge is speaking with them.

My father signals us to come join them, so my mother improves her parking, and then, we jjointhem.

"Kylie, Marge, asked her mother if she could invite Julie to a sleepover. So I said I had to check in with you"

"Oh, Julie, we had something planned tomorrow morning with you, do you think we could reschedule?""

I thought and realized that this is an out. She is offering me a way to say no.

"Sure, maybe we can do that after supper?"

"It's fine by me. Are you okay with that, Richard?", says my mother.

He looks confused. "Sure. And she can be nude in our house, so no need for clothing for tomorrow for her. I think we have extra toothbrushes", he says, looking at Ellie.

"We do"

Marge looks excited, but says nothing.

"Then, yes, I would love to sleep over. Dad, can you tell Edith I will fill her in tomorrow?"

"Sure will, Sugar"

And like that, my parents leave, and I enter Marge's house with her parents.

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