Post by kingfaraday on Feb 20, 2018 14:43:05 GMT -6
Cecelia and Miranda
By Agemagic
Cecelia was a 41-year-old woman with an 8-year-old daughter named Miranda. She and her husband had moved to California from the Philippines about 10 years ago when his company relocated him, and now they had settled comfortably into a typical suburban town, the perfect environment for Miranda. Miranda had grown up with a very outgoing personality and had already made many friends even though she had just barely started third grade, although her mother tended more toward the quiet and reserved, but good-natured, side.
On this particular day Cecelia and Miranda had just finished up a shopping-filled Saturday and were walking slowly back to the car hand-in-hand. Although still quite attractive and in very good shape, Cecelia had to admit she felt somewhat tired as they left the last store. She did her best to exercise but had acquired a few more pounds than she would have liked over the years. It seemed the more time that passed, the harder it was to maintain her weight, and she felt a pang of regret when she remembered how her all-day shopping trips were commonplace just a few short years ago. She could leave early in the morning and return after the sun went down and still have energy to burn. Now all she wanted to do was get home, throw herself on the bed and take a long nap.
Cecelia tugged her red sweater down over her below-the-knee denim skirt, all too aware of the tummy she was attempting to conceal in vain. She glanced at her reflection in a storefront window and winced a the prominent patch of gray in her otherwise solid black hair and the gold wire framed glasses she wore. They made her look bookish and matronly, she thought, not a look that would be turning heads anytime soon.
Cecelia's self-criticism was interrupted when Miranda stopped suddenly and yanked her mother's hand, bringing her back into consciousness.
"Mommy, Mommy! Can we go in here pleeease?", Miranda said, still pulling on Cecelia's hand while craning her neck and giving her mother the sweetest expression she could muster.
Cecelia noticed they were in front of a video game store. "Oh no, honey, it's getting pretty late and we need to get home," Cecelia groaned. "Maybe tomorrow if you're a good girl I'll think about it, ok?"
Miranda's face fell but she persisted. "Tomorrow? Come on Mommy, there's this really cool new game that everyone at school's talking about, and..."
Cecelia looked down at Miranda and wished she could borrow some of her daughter's limitless energy to refill her own tank.
"I'm sorry, Miranda, but we've been out all day and we really need to get back..."
Cecelia stopped in mid-sentence when a feeling unlike any she'd ever experienced passed through her body then was quickly gone.
Cecelia shook her head then smiled down at her 12-year-old daughter. Miranda had grown so much it was as if years had passed in an instant. She felt better too; her legs didn't feel quite as fatigued as before, and she figured why not indulge Miranda this one time.
"Ok, but only for a few minutes," she said with a smile.
"Cool, thanks Mom," Miranda said happily as she pulled her mother into the store.
As she watched Miranda peruse the rack of games on the wall, Cecelia watched her daughter closely. Miranda had recently started wearing her hair in a ponytail instead of the pigtails she had had for years. Too childish, she had told her mother when Cecelia asked her why she had changed it. With her pink short sleeved T-shirt, aqua knee-length shorts, and white tennis shoes with ankle socks, Miranda was the picture of cuteness.
Cecelia happened to catch her reflection in the glass behind the counter, taking care not to be noticed by the clerk who was rummaging through a drawer trying to retrieve another customer's receipt for his pre-ordered game. She frowned when she noticed a small patch of hair just starting to turn gray. Why hadn't she noticed that before? She put her hands on her hips and turned slightly sideways, her frown deepening when she noticed her tummy bulging slightly. She was 37, no spring chicken but not old by any means, and it was disturbing to see herself marching inexorably toward middle age. She sighed, smoothed out her red short-sleeved blouse and subconsciously ran her hand around the waistband of her knee-lenght denim skirt. While she wasn't exactly tired, Cecelia's feet were starting to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable in her low-heeled slip-ons. She remembered just a few years back when she wore heels regularly and never gave it a second thought. Just trying to
hang on to what was left of her youth, she thought. If only she had some of Miranda's youthful energy. That girl seemed to go nonstop all day and still have some left over.
Hmm, that was odd, Cecelia thought when she noticed Miranda had moved over to the regular game rack from the children's and family section. Why would she be looking at those games? And what was she thinking, dressing like that? Miranda's pink sleeveless top and tight aqua shorts revealed a little too much skin, in her opinion, and those white platform slides had to go. Just because she was 16 and in high school didn't mean she should be dressing like a tramp. Why she was almost showing cleavage, the neckline was so low! And Miranda apparently was not at all timid about showing her burgeoning curves in those shorts. Cecelia would have never worn an outfit like that in public at that age, and her mother definitely wouldn't have allowed it. She sighed, thinking that this was another consequence of having a child when she was young. Being 33, Cecelia had still been in high school herself when Miranda was born and sometimes her daughter almost treated her like an older
sister. It was getting increasingly difficult to maintain her authority as Miranda grew older. Sure, she was still a good kid, but her independent streak was becoming more prominent lately, and she often did things of which she knew her mother did not approve.
Once again waiting until the clerk was otherwise occupied, Cecelia took a few moments to examine herself. Her shoulder length hair was still one of her best features, she thought with some pride. She ran her hand through it and smiled slightly. Still shiny, though she knew the time was coming soon when gray would begin to make an appearance. She'd just have to make the best of it, she thought. To her dismay she also caught herself squinting a little bit and reminded herself to make an appointment with her optometrist. She shuddered thinking about wearing contact lenses or glasses. She had made it this far without them and had hoped her luck would hold out but alas, it was not to be. Her exercise regimen appeared to be paying off, although Cecelia could make out the tiniest roll of fat around the top of her slightly-above-the-knee denim skirt. She vowed to work out a little longer this coming week to take care of that flaw in her otherwise svelte body. Cecelia was
quite attractive even at her age and had only the faintest beginnings of laugh lines on her face. Her face was beautiful, if a bit mature. She turned sideways slightly to get a better view of her bustline which, knock on wood, didn't yet show signs of sagging. Her skirt was not exactly tight, but fit well enough to outline the contours of her figure.
"Checkin' yourself out, Mom?" Miranda joked as she approached the counter. Cecelia blushed and glanced at the clerk hoping he hadn't seen her. He didn't seem to have seen anything, to her relief.
"Of course not!" she said, flustered. "And mind your own business."
She looked down and her eyes widened with disbelief when she noticed that Miranda was attempting to by an M-rated game.
"Aren't those for people over 18? What do you think you're doing, young lady?"
"Actually, it's 17 and over, but I'll be 17 in a few months anyway, so-"
"So? You're not 17 yet and I won't have you playing garbage like that."
"Oh come on, Mom, everyone at school is playing this game! I'll be the only one who isn't," protested Miranda.
"And you think I care? I won't have anything like that in my house, what with all the stealing cars and shooting anything that moves."
"It's not like that, Mom. I'm not a little kid anymore, and besides, this is a different game, it doesn't have all that stuff in it, right?" Miranda said, appealing to the clerk who was watching the discussion with a blank expression. All he wanted to do was get these two out of his store so he could clear out the lengthening line of customers.
"I really can't say," he said flatly.
"I don't care what it has, if it's M-rated you're not buying it. I've heard all about these on the news," Cecelia said. She could feel her blood pressure rising along with her frustration. She remembered just how much easier it was a few years ago when things weren't nearly so complicated. It would be so much better if she could channel some of Miranda's energy into herself, she thought. Maybe then her daughter wouldn't be so stubborn.
"Come on, Celia, are we done or not?" Miranda asked. "Spring break is over soon, and I'd like to get out of here before then."
"Huh? Uh, sure, I'm ready", Celia replied, coming out of her reverie.
"Here you go," Miranda said to the clerk, handing him the money for the game.
"Thanks," he said, handing back the change. "Have fun, see you again soon."
They turned and started for the door. Celia turned and glanced back soon enough to catch the clerk staring at Miranda before his head snapped back. Men, she thought to herself, shaking her head. They only had one thing on their minds, especially the younger ones. That was quite an accomplishment, too, considering the size of their brains, she laughed to herself.
Celia was behind Miranda as they left the store, and she gave her a quick once-over. She could see why Miranda seemed to attract so much attention everywhere she went. Her 20-year-old "kid" sister was very pretty, gorgeous, in fact. Her straight hair fell down to her lower back and obscured most of her pink tank top, but not her figure. Her aqua capri pants clung tightly to her full thighs and hips and her white flip-flops showed off her painted toes. The large hoops dangling from her ears struck Celia as a bit overdone, but after all, her sister was still at Ohio State, why not let her indulge herself while she could?
Celia paused briefly to take a look at herself in the game store window as they walked past. She couldn't help but smile a little as she admired her reflection. "Not bad", she said aloud, but low enough that no one else could hear. She still had a great looking figure, with nary an ounce of fat to be seen. Her thick shiny hair was pulled back in a bun, with a few loose strands hanging here and there. When she let it down it reached the middle of her back but normally she kept it in a ponytail on in a bun to keep it out of the way, especially during her workouts at the gym and while she was at the office. Her makeup was bold, but still tasteful; she couldn't stand trashy-looking women who wore too much in an effort to look younger, as some of her co-workers did. Many of them were already in their thirties or forties and seemed a little desperate to hold onto their youth. At 29, she wasn't too far behind them, but she told herself she would never fall into that trap.
Her complexion was especially good, and laugh lines had not yet made an appearance, so she didn't feel a pressing need to compensate by using more makeup to cover up flaws.
Celia held her hands out in front of her and checked out the French manicure she had just gotten yesterday. Very nice. The shop always did very good work. She adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse and complimented herself on her choice of outfit today. Her red sleeveless top was very stylish. The fit was a bit snug, enough to highlight her bustline(a very nice bustline it was), but not tight enough to be too revealing, and went very well with her denim skirt that stopped a few inches above the knee. Her red 2-inch pumps were a nice touch too, and so comfortable! She felt as if she could walk in them all day and then some.
She turned to follow Miranda and almost ran right into her sister, who was standing with her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot. "Are you finished?" Miranda asked impatiently. "Jay's picking me up in a couple hours and I wanna be ready. I only get to see him a few times a year now, and I can't be late."
"Fine, fine, let's go then," Celia said. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time."
"Not if you keep screwing around, Celia," Miranda replied. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly into a smile, betraying her irritated voice. The two sisters could never really get mad at each other. Even though they were a few years apart they were very close.
"I know," said Celia, returning the smile. She really couldn't believe how beautiful her sister was; no wonder Jay always acted like a puppy waiting for its master to come home when college breaks came around. Celia missed her sister too, and wished things were like they were just a few short years ago, when she and Miranda used to do almost everything together.
Bending down to adjust a strap on her red 3-inch-heels, Celia wondered why she bothered with these sandals? Sure they looked pretty hot on her, and they showed off her pedicured toes, but they never seemed to stay on right. Even more annoying was how her long hair kept falling into her field of vision and she had to constantly pull it away from her face. Finally satisfied for the time being, she stood up straight and tugged her denim skirt back down where it belonged, around mid-thigh. At 24 Miranda was a year younger, but was the taller sister, even if only by an inch or so, and Celia needed to wear heels to maintain a slight height advantage, for her own ego if nothing else.
Seeing that Miranda had kept walking while she had adjusted her shoes, Celia ran to catch up as quickly as she could in her heels which forced her to take small, almost mincing steps. It also forced her chest to bounce quite noticeably in her red tank top, but it was no big deal. She didn't mind if a few guys got a little show. Sure enough, she smiled when she caught a couple of older men, probably in their late 30's no less, staring at her then quickly avert their eyes when she turned her gaze their way. She almost burst out laughing, guys were so predictable. She had to admit to herself that they were attractive, though, despite their "advanced" age.
Celia finally caught up to Miranda and slowed to a regular walk. "Thanks for waiting, sis," she said jokingly.
"Hey, just because you're older than I am doesn't mean I'm gonna cut you any slack, grandma," Miranda laughed. She was quite fetching, dressed in a tight-fitting pink top, a bit shorter than Celia's. It stopped about 2 inches shy of her aqua shorts, exposing her slim waistline. Her shorts reached to mid-thigh and fit snugly around her legs. At the end of her long legs were an ankle bracelet and a pair of white sandals in the same style as Celia's but with a lower heel.
As they passed another store, Celia gave herself a quick once-over in the window. She flipped a few strands of her long black hair back over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip, admiring the view. She wasn't one to brag but she did look pretty good. Her shiny hair framed an attractive oval face. Her makeup was expertly applied, a fact of which she was quite proud. She had always been very good at blending just the right combination of colors and today was no exception. Her large gold hoop earrings were a nice touch, too. The red top she wore clung to her torso and showcased more than a little cleavage, and her skirt did little to hide the curves of her shapely hips and thighs. She was very pleased with her appearance, no doubt about it.
There was just one thing bothering her. Celia had gone for her first "real" job interview a few days ago and still hadn't heard any news from the company. Not a peep. This was the first opportunity she had to finally start earning some good money and she had been so nervous she was afraid that she wouldn't get hired. She hadn't been able to get her mind off it very long for the last few days and the tension was driving her crazy. It seemed like the more time went by, the more complicated things got. She remembered how easy it was when she was back in college and wished things were like they were then, when it seemed as if she hardly had a care in the world.
"Celia, come on now, we don't have all day." Miranda's voice brought Celia back down to earth and she hurried along to catch up.
"Sorry sis, I was just thinking about something," Celia apologized. "What it was though, I can't remember," she thought to herself. "Weird."
"Wow, thinking, huh? That's a switch," laughed Miranda as she grabbed Celia and pulled her close for a quick hug. "So how does it feel to be almost done with school now? I bet you're pretty stoked."
"Oh, yeah, can't wait," Celia said with a smile. "It'll be nice to be back home again for a while, instead of just a few days at a time, you know?"
"It'll be good to have you back, sis. Even though Mom'll probably make me babysit you again," Miranda laughed.
"Don't remind me. She still treats me like I'm in grade school. I hate that!" Celia said. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something, Miranda. I thought we might go out for some drinks to celebrate my first time back home being legal. Wanna go?"
"Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea right away. Mom might not appreciate me taking you out and getting you drunk right after you just got home."
"Oh, come on, Miranda! The last thing I need is for you to turn into another Mom, one is enough," Celia moaned. "I've hardly had any time off at school and I just wanna relax a little."
"Ok, ok, maybe we'll go out for a little while tonight, but you have to control yourself, ok?"
"Cool, no problem, sis, I'll be fine," beamed Celia as she thought about how fun it would be to hang out in a bar and NOT need a fake ID, as she normally did.
There was, after all, quite a difference between 21 and 28, and Miranda had just started treating Celia as more her equal within the last year or two. Miranda was still beautiful, even when she wasn't trying to dress the part. Her pink sleeveless top went well with her just-above-the-knee aqua skirt and white pumps. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung back and forth as she walked, and the wire-framed glasses she wore added a touch of sophistication. Celia glanced over at her older sister as they walked along side by side. "I hope I'll look as good as she does when I'm that old," she said to herself as she checked herself out in the plate glass window of a shoe store she paused at. Not that Miranda was "old", that is. Celia was thinking in strictly relative terms.
“Cece, would you stop window shopping and come on!”
The 17 year old teenager was checking out some new pumps that were on sale. She was going to be a high school senior this coming year and she wanted something that would really highlight her long toned and tan legs. Not that they needed highlighting. The very short denim mini-skirt and form fitting red tank top left little to the imagination. The top rode above her belly button and also revealed a generous amount of her large, gravity defying breasts. Her rich dark hair hung around her face like a frame giving her a slightly deceiving innocent look. Cece was every bit the teenage seductress and she couldn’t wait to turn 18 and be legal enough to start dating men instead of boys. She glanced over at her older step-sister and sighed. She just didn’t get it anymore at her age.
Miranda was 32 years old and a business executive and the daughter of her mom’s new husband, though sometimes she acted more like an aunt than a sister. She wore a conservative pink blouse with a matching aqua skirt that was a little form fitting, but went to just below the knees with white pump shoes. Her hair was styled in almost a Dorothy Hamill cut, and there were a couple of gray hairs here and there that she had missed earlier that morning when getting ready. The glasses she wore made her look even more adult. Miranda was proud of her body as she had kept it fit, but she wished she could find herself a husband soon. Her biological clock was now ticking loudly in her head and she felt it was time to have children, but for now she had let her career take first priority.
She looked at the teenage vixen walking with her and shook her head. “When will you kids ever learn, and I can’t believe your mother would let you dress like that in public!”
“What’s the matter, Miranda? Afraid you’re too old to pull off something this sexy?”
Miranda fumed at that remark. She could be very sexy when she wanted to, and she certainly didn’t look her age. “Listen here, Cece, you don’t even know the meaning of the word sexy yet at your age. You’re still dating boys, you haven’t even had a real man yet.”
Cece turned her head away angrily and looked at herself in the plate glass window again, checking herself out and posing sexily. She did wish she was a bit older so that she could be her own woman and not have to listen to her…….her……mother? The 13 year old was feeling a bit confused as she saw her innocent looking face in the window, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. The red tank top she was wearing hung loosely around her adolescent body. She had just started wearing a training bra and was at that age where she was transitioning between little girl and young woman. Her denim skirt revealed slim, but developing legs that would one day perhaps be very long and sexy, just like those women she saw in the magazines she read. She glanced back up at the woman’s pumps in the window.
“Don’t even think about it, young lady. You’re not old enough to start wearing those, you’ve got a few years of growing yet!”
Her mother Miranda walked over and patted her daughter on the head jokingly. At 36 years of age, Miranda was proud of her daughter, though she was dreading the next few years as she knew Cece was going to grow up to be a beautiful high school girl, and that would spell trouble as the boys were going to start noticing her soon. She would start developing her figure in the next year or two. It was also about time to have that talk with her about boys. After all, Cece started having her period for the first time last month, and it scared her. Miranda sighed as she remembered going through the same thing with her mother. At least she thought she remembered it.
Miranda checked herself out in the window as well. Not bad for a 36 year old divorced mother of a daughter she thought. She had made a point of working out every day and it showed. She still had a taut body for a woman her age, although she winced as she realized that Father Time was starting to win a few battles as she could see very definite laugh lines around her mouth and crows feet around her eyes. Her dark hair was also showing a little gray here and there as well. The wire support bra helped keep her breasts high on her chest, but they were starting to show a little wear and sag as well. But she still didn’t think she looked quite her age yet.
“Mom, do you think I’m going to be pretty when I get older?” asked the wide-eyed burgeoning teenager. “I mean, do you think I’m going to get large breasts? Annie is already getting boobs and I still have this stupid training bra!”
“Don’t worry sweetie. If you inherited any of my genes, you’re going to have quite the pair of breasts in the next year or two. Just be patient. That reminds me, we need to have a talk when we get home about a few things.”
Cece glanced down at her mother’s breasts. They were indeed quite large. She had checked out her mother’s bra the other day playing dress up and saw that she was a 36 D cup. She hoped that she would get breasts that large soon! She glanced back in the window and tried to imagine herself with boobs and wish she was more like her mother.
“Honey, we need to get home. Did you see something you liked?
9 year-old Cece forgot why she was posing in the window and saw the shiny sneakers in the window. “Yes, Mommy, those sneakers are cool!” The 9 year old little girl smiled as the reflection showed a little girl with dark hair in pigtails. Her red t-shirt with the animal design on it matched her denim shorts and sneakers.
“Yes, they do look nice. Let’s go see if they have them in your size, sweetie.” The mother and daughter went inside the show store as a young woman of perhaps 25 approached them. She had blonde hair and a killer figure. “What can we do for you today, ma’am?” Miranda winched at being called ‘”ma’am,” but it was par for the course at her age. At 40 years of age, she was beginning to look and feel it. “Could you see if they have her size in those shoes on sale?”
“Certainly! Why don’t you come with me young lady and let’s measure your foot. What’s your name?”
“Cece.” Giggled the little girl as she walked over to a bench with the young woman. “You’re pretty.”
“Why thank you! And your going to be quite the pretty lady one day soon yourself! A real heartbreaker!”
Miranda watched the two wander off in the store as she turned and paused to check herself out in the full length mirror in the store.
Her hair was pulled back into a bun and the salt-and-pepper look of gray mixed with dark hair was very prevalent. Her face had deep lines around the mouth and her crows feet were deep as well as some wrinkles under her eyes. She wore wire frame glasses which she felt made her look even older at times. She was wearing a conservative business suit with a pink blouse, and a conservative aqua business jacket over it on top of aqua slacks. She was wearing white flats with her suit as heels were beginning to hurt her feet these days. Her large breasts and enlarged a bit more the past couple years and gotten softer, but Miranda had continued to work out diligently and her body was in good shape for a woman her age. She still had killer legs, but they were starting to show wear as well and she knew it was only a matter of time before what was left of any remnants of youthful appearance would be gone forever.
God, how did she get so old so fast? It seemed like just yesterday, she was her daughter’s age! At that moment, as she stared at the middle-age woman in the reflection, there was a brief moment of clarity as she suddenly remembered everything. She was not a middle-aged mother, but a little girl herself, and that was not her daughter, but her adult mother who had somehow been regressed! Oh god, how did she get this old?! She had missed her whole life! She really had never experienced high school, or college, or even what it was like to be married! Now she was old, at least it seemed like she was really old, what was she going to do? Miranda started to panic and cry when she felt a tug at her waist.
“Mommy? Is everything all right?”
Miranda looked down at the little girl that used to be her mother at her side and smiled. She then looked back at her reflection as her fake memories poured back into her head. What was she thinking? There is no way she was just a little girl yesterday. And there was no way that Cece had been her mother? These must just be the musings of a middle-aged woman who wished she was younger. She still had a few good years left in her, and she felt confident she could find a good man out there for her and her….her daughter! She wiped her eyes and beamed at the little girl.
“No sweetie, everything is just fine, and just the way it should be. Now let’s see those shoes!” smiled Miranda. Cece giggled as she looked up at her mommy. Her mommy was sooo pretty she thought. She hoped she could be as pretty when she grew up! She bounded over to the young sales clerk and as she ran and giggled, Miranda looked at her wished she could have half the energy her daughter had.
By Agemagic
Cecelia was a 41-year-old woman with an 8-year-old daughter named Miranda. She and her husband had moved to California from the Philippines about 10 years ago when his company relocated him, and now they had settled comfortably into a typical suburban town, the perfect environment for Miranda. Miranda had grown up with a very outgoing personality and had already made many friends even though she had just barely started third grade, although her mother tended more toward the quiet and reserved, but good-natured, side.
On this particular day Cecelia and Miranda had just finished up a shopping-filled Saturday and were walking slowly back to the car hand-in-hand. Although still quite attractive and in very good shape, Cecelia had to admit she felt somewhat tired as they left the last store. She did her best to exercise but had acquired a few more pounds than she would have liked over the years. It seemed the more time that passed, the harder it was to maintain her weight, and she felt a pang of regret when she remembered how her all-day shopping trips were commonplace just a few short years ago. She could leave early in the morning and return after the sun went down and still have energy to burn. Now all she wanted to do was get home, throw herself on the bed and take a long nap.
Cecelia tugged her red sweater down over her below-the-knee denim skirt, all too aware of the tummy she was attempting to conceal in vain. She glanced at her reflection in a storefront window and winced a the prominent patch of gray in her otherwise solid black hair and the gold wire framed glasses she wore. They made her look bookish and matronly, she thought, not a look that would be turning heads anytime soon.
Cecelia's self-criticism was interrupted when Miranda stopped suddenly and yanked her mother's hand, bringing her back into consciousness.
"Mommy, Mommy! Can we go in here pleeease?", Miranda said, still pulling on Cecelia's hand while craning her neck and giving her mother the sweetest expression she could muster.
Cecelia noticed they were in front of a video game store. "Oh no, honey, it's getting pretty late and we need to get home," Cecelia groaned. "Maybe tomorrow if you're a good girl I'll think about it, ok?"
Miranda's face fell but she persisted. "Tomorrow? Come on Mommy, there's this really cool new game that everyone at school's talking about, and..."
Cecelia looked down at Miranda and wished she could borrow some of her daughter's limitless energy to refill her own tank.
"I'm sorry, Miranda, but we've been out all day and we really need to get back..."
Cecelia stopped in mid-sentence when a feeling unlike any she'd ever experienced passed through her body then was quickly gone.
Cecelia shook her head then smiled down at her 12-year-old daughter. Miranda had grown so much it was as if years had passed in an instant. She felt better too; her legs didn't feel quite as fatigued as before, and she figured why not indulge Miranda this one time.
"Ok, but only for a few minutes," she said with a smile.
"Cool, thanks Mom," Miranda said happily as she pulled her mother into the store.
As she watched Miranda peruse the rack of games on the wall, Cecelia watched her daughter closely. Miranda had recently started wearing her hair in a ponytail instead of the pigtails she had had for years. Too childish, she had told her mother when Cecelia asked her why she had changed it. With her pink short sleeved T-shirt, aqua knee-length shorts, and white tennis shoes with ankle socks, Miranda was the picture of cuteness.
Cecelia happened to catch her reflection in the glass behind the counter, taking care not to be noticed by the clerk who was rummaging through a drawer trying to retrieve another customer's receipt for his pre-ordered game. She frowned when she noticed a small patch of hair just starting to turn gray. Why hadn't she noticed that before? She put her hands on her hips and turned slightly sideways, her frown deepening when she noticed her tummy bulging slightly. She was 37, no spring chicken but not old by any means, and it was disturbing to see herself marching inexorably toward middle age. She sighed, smoothed out her red short-sleeved blouse and subconsciously ran her hand around the waistband of her knee-lenght denim skirt. While she wasn't exactly tired, Cecelia's feet were starting to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable in her low-heeled slip-ons. She remembered just a few years back when she wore heels regularly and never gave it a second thought. Just trying to
hang on to what was left of her youth, she thought. If only she had some of Miranda's youthful energy. That girl seemed to go nonstop all day and still have some left over.
Hmm, that was odd, Cecelia thought when she noticed Miranda had moved over to the regular game rack from the children's and family section. Why would she be looking at those games? And what was she thinking, dressing like that? Miranda's pink sleeveless top and tight aqua shorts revealed a little too much skin, in her opinion, and those white platform slides had to go. Just because she was 16 and in high school didn't mean she should be dressing like a tramp. Why she was almost showing cleavage, the neckline was so low! And Miranda apparently was not at all timid about showing her burgeoning curves in those shorts. Cecelia would have never worn an outfit like that in public at that age, and her mother definitely wouldn't have allowed it. She sighed, thinking that this was another consequence of having a child when she was young. Being 33, Cecelia had still been in high school herself when Miranda was born and sometimes her daughter almost treated her like an older
sister. It was getting increasingly difficult to maintain her authority as Miranda grew older. Sure, she was still a good kid, but her independent streak was becoming more prominent lately, and she often did things of which she knew her mother did not approve.
Once again waiting until the clerk was otherwise occupied, Cecelia took a few moments to examine herself. Her shoulder length hair was still one of her best features, she thought with some pride. She ran her hand through it and smiled slightly. Still shiny, though she knew the time was coming soon when gray would begin to make an appearance. She'd just have to make the best of it, she thought. To her dismay she also caught herself squinting a little bit and reminded herself to make an appointment with her optometrist. She shuddered thinking about wearing contact lenses or glasses. She had made it this far without them and had hoped her luck would hold out but alas, it was not to be. Her exercise regimen appeared to be paying off, although Cecelia could make out the tiniest roll of fat around the top of her slightly-above-the-knee denim skirt. She vowed to work out a little longer this coming week to take care of that flaw in her otherwise svelte body. Cecelia was
quite attractive even at her age and had only the faintest beginnings of laugh lines on her face. Her face was beautiful, if a bit mature. She turned sideways slightly to get a better view of her bustline which, knock on wood, didn't yet show signs of sagging. Her skirt was not exactly tight, but fit well enough to outline the contours of her figure.
"Checkin' yourself out, Mom?" Miranda joked as she approached the counter. Cecelia blushed and glanced at the clerk hoping he hadn't seen her. He didn't seem to have seen anything, to her relief.
"Of course not!" she said, flustered. "And mind your own business."
She looked down and her eyes widened with disbelief when she noticed that Miranda was attempting to by an M-rated game.
"Aren't those for people over 18? What do you think you're doing, young lady?"
"Actually, it's 17 and over, but I'll be 17 in a few months anyway, so-"
"So? You're not 17 yet and I won't have you playing garbage like that."
"Oh come on, Mom, everyone at school is playing this game! I'll be the only one who isn't," protested Miranda.
"And you think I care? I won't have anything like that in my house, what with all the stealing cars and shooting anything that moves."
"It's not like that, Mom. I'm not a little kid anymore, and besides, this is a different game, it doesn't have all that stuff in it, right?" Miranda said, appealing to the clerk who was watching the discussion with a blank expression. All he wanted to do was get these two out of his store so he could clear out the lengthening line of customers.
"I really can't say," he said flatly.
"I don't care what it has, if it's M-rated you're not buying it. I've heard all about these on the news," Cecelia said. She could feel her blood pressure rising along with her frustration. She remembered just how much easier it was a few years ago when things weren't nearly so complicated. It would be so much better if she could channel some of Miranda's energy into herself, she thought. Maybe then her daughter wouldn't be so stubborn.
"Come on, Celia, are we done or not?" Miranda asked. "Spring break is over soon, and I'd like to get out of here before then."
"Huh? Uh, sure, I'm ready", Celia replied, coming out of her reverie.
"Here you go," Miranda said to the clerk, handing him the money for the game.
"Thanks," he said, handing back the change. "Have fun, see you again soon."
They turned and started for the door. Celia turned and glanced back soon enough to catch the clerk staring at Miranda before his head snapped back. Men, she thought to herself, shaking her head. They only had one thing on their minds, especially the younger ones. That was quite an accomplishment, too, considering the size of their brains, she laughed to herself.
Celia was behind Miranda as they left the store, and she gave her a quick once-over. She could see why Miranda seemed to attract so much attention everywhere she went. Her 20-year-old "kid" sister was very pretty, gorgeous, in fact. Her straight hair fell down to her lower back and obscured most of her pink tank top, but not her figure. Her aqua capri pants clung tightly to her full thighs and hips and her white flip-flops showed off her painted toes. The large hoops dangling from her ears struck Celia as a bit overdone, but after all, her sister was still at Ohio State, why not let her indulge herself while she could?
Celia paused briefly to take a look at herself in the game store window as they walked past. She couldn't help but smile a little as she admired her reflection. "Not bad", she said aloud, but low enough that no one else could hear. She still had a great looking figure, with nary an ounce of fat to be seen. Her thick shiny hair was pulled back in a bun, with a few loose strands hanging here and there. When she let it down it reached the middle of her back but normally she kept it in a ponytail on in a bun to keep it out of the way, especially during her workouts at the gym and while she was at the office. Her makeup was bold, but still tasteful; she couldn't stand trashy-looking women who wore too much in an effort to look younger, as some of her co-workers did. Many of them were already in their thirties or forties and seemed a little desperate to hold onto their youth. At 29, she wasn't too far behind them, but she told herself she would never fall into that trap.
Her complexion was especially good, and laugh lines had not yet made an appearance, so she didn't feel a pressing need to compensate by using more makeup to cover up flaws.
Celia held her hands out in front of her and checked out the French manicure she had just gotten yesterday. Very nice. The shop always did very good work. She adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse and complimented herself on her choice of outfit today. Her red sleeveless top was very stylish. The fit was a bit snug, enough to highlight her bustline(a very nice bustline it was), but not tight enough to be too revealing, and went very well with her denim skirt that stopped a few inches above the knee. Her red 2-inch pumps were a nice touch too, and so comfortable! She felt as if she could walk in them all day and then some.
She turned to follow Miranda and almost ran right into her sister, who was standing with her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot. "Are you finished?" Miranda asked impatiently. "Jay's picking me up in a couple hours and I wanna be ready. I only get to see him a few times a year now, and I can't be late."
"Fine, fine, let's go then," Celia said. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time."
"Not if you keep screwing around, Celia," Miranda replied. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly into a smile, betraying her irritated voice. The two sisters could never really get mad at each other. Even though they were a few years apart they were very close.
"I know," said Celia, returning the smile. She really couldn't believe how beautiful her sister was; no wonder Jay always acted like a puppy waiting for its master to come home when college breaks came around. Celia missed her sister too, and wished things were like they were just a few short years ago, when she and Miranda used to do almost everything together.
Bending down to adjust a strap on her red 3-inch-heels, Celia wondered why she bothered with these sandals? Sure they looked pretty hot on her, and they showed off her pedicured toes, but they never seemed to stay on right. Even more annoying was how her long hair kept falling into her field of vision and she had to constantly pull it away from her face. Finally satisfied for the time being, she stood up straight and tugged her denim skirt back down where it belonged, around mid-thigh. At 24 Miranda was a year younger, but was the taller sister, even if only by an inch or so, and Celia needed to wear heels to maintain a slight height advantage, for her own ego if nothing else.
Seeing that Miranda had kept walking while she had adjusted her shoes, Celia ran to catch up as quickly as she could in her heels which forced her to take small, almost mincing steps. It also forced her chest to bounce quite noticeably in her red tank top, but it was no big deal. She didn't mind if a few guys got a little show. Sure enough, she smiled when she caught a couple of older men, probably in their late 30's no less, staring at her then quickly avert their eyes when she turned her gaze their way. She almost burst out laughing, guys were so predictable. She had to admit to herself that they were attractive, though, despite their "advanced" age.
Celia finally caught up to Miranda and slowed to a regular walk. "Thanks for waiting, sis," she said jokingly.
"Hey, just because you're older than I am doesn't mean I'm gonna cut you any slack, grandma," Miranda laughed. She was quite fetching, dressed in a tight-fitting pink top, a bit shorter than Celia's. It stopped about 2 inches shy of her aqua shorts, exposing her slim waistline. Her shorts reached to mid-thigh and fit snugly around her legs. At the end of her long legs were an ankle bracelet and a pair of white sandals in the same style as Celia's but with a lower heel.
As they passed another store, Celia gave herself a quick once-over in the window. She flipped a few strands of her long black hair back over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip, admiring the view. She wasn't one to brag but she did look pretty good. Her shiny hair framed an attractive oval face. Her makeup was expertly applied, a fact of which she was quite proud. She had always been very good at blending just the right combination of colors and today was no exception. Her large gold hoop earrings were a nice touch, too. The red top she wore clung to her torso and showcased more than a little cleavage, and her skirt did little to hide the curves of her shapely hips and thighs. She was very pleased with her appearance, no doubt about it.
There was just one thing bothering her. Celia had gone for her first "real" job interview a few days ago and still hadn't heard any news from the company. Not a peep. This was the first opportunity she had to finally start earning some good money and she had been so nervous she was afraid that she wouldn't get hired. She hadn't been able to get her mind off it very long for the last few days and the tension was driving her crazy. It seemed like the more time went by, the more complicated things got. She remembered how easy it was when she was back in college and wished things were like they were then, when it seemed as if she hardly had a care in the world.
"Celia, come on now, we don't have all day." Miranda's voice brought Celia back down to earth and she hurried along to catch up.
"Sorry sis, I was just thinking about something," Celia apologized. "What it was though, I can't remember," she thought to herself. "Weird."
"Wow, thinking, huh? That's a switch," laughed Miranda as she grabbed Celia and pulled her close for a quick hug. "So how does it feel to be almost done with school now? I bet you're pretty stoked."
"Oh, yeah, can't wait," Celia said with a smile. "It'll be nice to be back home again for a while, instead of just a few days at a time, you know?"
"It'll be good to have you back, sis. Even though Mom'll probably make me babysit you again," Miranda laughed.
"Don't remind me. She still treats me like I'm in grade school. I hate that!" Celia said. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something, Miranda. I thought we might go out for some drinks to celebrate my first time back home being legal. Wanna go?"
"Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea right away. Mom might not appreciate me taking you out and getting you drunk right after you just got home."
"Oh, come on, Miranda! The last thing I need is for you to turn into another Mom, one is enough," Celia moaned. "I've hardly had any time off at school and I just wanna relax a little."
"Ok, ok, maybe we'll go out for a little while tonight, but you have to control yourself, ok?"
"Cool, no problem, sis, I'll be fine," beamed Celia as she thought about how fun it would be to hang out in a bar and NOT need a fake ID, as she normally did.
There was, after all, quite a difference between 21 and 28, and Miranda had just started treating Celia as more her equal within the last year or two. Miranda was still beautiful, even when she wasn't trying to dress the part. Her pink sleeveless top went well with her just-above-the-knee aqua skirt and white pumps. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung back and forth as she walked, and the wire-framed glasses she wore added a touch of sophistication. Celia glanced over at her older sister as they walked along side by side. "I hope I'll look as good as she does when I'm that old," she said to herself as she checked herself out in the plate glass window of a shoe store she paused at. Not that Miranda was "old", that is. Celia was thinking in strictly relative terms.
“Cece, would you stop window shopping and come on!”
The 17 year old teenager was checking out some new pumps that were on sale. She was going to be a high school senior this coming year and she wanted something that would really highlight her long toned and tan legs. Not that they needed highlighting. The very short denim mini-skirt and form fitting red tank top left little to the imagination. The top rode above her belly button and also revealed a generous amount of her large, gravity defying breasts. Her rich dark hair hung around her face like a frame giving her a slightly deceiving innocent look. Cece was every bit the teenage seductress and she couldn’t wait to turn 18 and be legal enough to start dating men instead of boys. She glanced over at her older step-sister and sighed. She just didn’t get it anymore at her age.
Miranda was 32 years old and a business executive and the daughter of her mom’s new husband, though sometimes she acted more like an aunt than a sister. She wore a conservative pink blouse with a matching aqua skirt that was a little form fitting, but went to just below the knees with white pump shoes. Her hair was styled in almost a Dorothy Hamill cut, and there were a couple of gray hairs here and there that she had missed earlier that morning when getting ready. The glasses she wore made her look even more adult. Miranda was proud of her body as she had kept it fit, but she wished she could find herself a husband soon. Her biological clock was now ticking loudly in her head and she felt it was time to have children, but for now she had let her career take first priority.
She looked at the teenage vixen walking with her and shook her head. “When will you kids ever learn, and I can’t believe your mother would let you dress like that in public!”
“What’s the matter, Miranda? Afraid you’re too old to pull off something this sexy?”
Miranda fumed at that remark. She could be very sexy when she wanted to, and she certainly didn’t look her age. “Listen here, Cece, you don’t even know the meaning of the word sexy yet at your age. You’re still dating boys, you haven’t even had a real man yet.”
Cece turned her head away angrily and looked at herself in the plate glass window again, checking herself out and posing sexily. She did wish she was a bit older so that she could be her own woman and not have to listen to her…….her……mother? The 13 year old was feeling a bit confused as she saw her innocent looking face in the window, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. The red tank top she was wearing hung loosely around her adolescent body. She had just started wearing a training bra and was at that age where she was transitioning between little girl and young woman. Her denim skirt revealed slim, but developing legs that would one day perhaps be very long and sexy, just like those women she saw in the magazines she read. She glanced back up at the woman’s pumps in the window.
“Don’t even think about it, young lady. You’re not old enough to start wearing those, you’ve got a few years of growing yet!”
Her mother Miranda walked over and patted her daughter on the head jokingly. At 36 years of age, Miranda was proud of her daughter, though she was dreading the next few years as she knew Cece was going to grow up to be a beautiful high school girl, and that would spell trouble as the boys were going to start noticing her soon. She would start developing her figure in the next year or two. It was also about time to have that talk with her about boys. After all, Cece started having her period for the first time last month, and it scared her. Miranda sighed as she remembered going through the same thing with her mother. At least she thought she remembered it.
Miranda checked herself out in the window as well. Not bad for a 36 year old divorced mother of a daughter she thought. She had made a point of working out every day and it showed. She still had a taut body for a woman her age, although she winced as she realized that Father Time was starting to win a few battles as she could see very definite laugh lines around her mouth and crows feet around her eyes. Her dark hair was also showing a little gray here and there as well. The wire support bra helped keep her breasts high on her chest, but they were starting to show a little wear and sag as well. But she still didn’t think she looked quite her age yet.
“Mom, do you think I’m going to be pretty when I get older?” asked the wide-eyed burgeoning teenager. “I mean, do you think I’m going to get large breasts? Annie is already getting boobs and I still have this stupid training bra!”
“Don’t worry sweetie. If you inherited any of my genes, you’re going to have quite the pair of breasts in the next year or two. Just be patient. That reminds me, we need to have a talk when we get home about a few things.”
Cece glanced down at her mother’s breasts. They were indeed quite large. She had checked out her mother’s bra the other day playing dress up and saw that she was a 36 D cup. She hoped that she would get breasts that large soon! She glanced back in the window and tried to imagine herself with boobs and wish she was more like her mother.
“Honey, we need to get home. Did you see something you liked?
9 year-old Cece forgot why she was posing in the window and saw the shiny sneakers in the window. “Yes, Mommy, those sneakers are cool!” The 9 year old little girl smiled as the reflection showed a little girl with dark hair in pigtails. Her red t-shirt with the animal design on it matched her denim shorts and sneakers.
“Yes, they do look nice. Let’s go see if they have them in your size, sweetie.” The mother and daughter went inside the show store as a young woman of perhaps 25 approached them. She had blonde hair and a killer figure. “What can we do for you today, ma’am?” Miranda winched at being called ‘”ma’am,” but it was par for the course at her age. At 40 years of age, she was beginning to look and feel it. “Could you see if they have her size in those shoes on sale?”
“Certainly! Why don’t you come with me young lady and let’s measure your foot. What’s your name?”
“Cece.” Giggled the little girl as she walked over to a bench with the young woman. “You’re pretty.”
“Why thank you! And your going to be quite the pretty lady one day soon yourself! A real heartbreaker!”
Miranda watched the two wander off in the store as she turned and paused to check herself out in the full length mirror in the store.
Her hair was pulled back into a bun and the salt-and-pepper look of gray mixed with dark hair was very prevalent. Her face had deep lines around the mouth and her crows feet were deep as well as some wrinkles under her eyes. She wore wire frame glasses which she felt made her look even older at times. She was wearing a conservative business suit with a pink blouse, and a conservative aqua business jacket over it on top of aqua slacks. She was wearing white flats with her suit as heels were beginning to hurt her feet these days. Her large breasts and enlarged a bit more the past couple years and gotten softer, but Miranda had continued to work out diligently and her body was in good shape for a woman her age. She still had killer legs, but they were starting to show wear as well and she knew it was only a matter of time before what was left of any remnants of youthful appearance would be gone forever.
God, how did she get so old so fast? It seemed like just yesterday, she was her daughter’s age! At that moment, as she stared at the middle-age woman in the reflection, there was a brief moment of clarity as she suddenly remembered everything. She was not a middle-aged mother, but a little girl herself, and that was not her daughter, but her adult mother who had somehow been regressed! Oh god, how did she get this old?! She had missed her whole life! She really had never experienced high school, or college, or even what it was like to be married! Now she was old, at least it seemed like she was really old, what was she going to do? Miranda started to panic and cry when she felt a tug at her waist.
“Mommy? Is everything all right?”
Miranda looked down at the little girl that used to be her mother at her side and smiled. She then looked back at her reflection as her fake memories poured back into her head. What was she thinking? There is no way she was just a little girl yesterday. And there was no way that Cece had been her mother? These must just be the musings of a middle-aged woman who wished she was younger. She still had a few good years left in her, and she felt confident she could find a good man out there for her and her….her daughter! She wiped her eyes and beamed at the little girl.
“No sweetie, everything is just fine, and just the way it should be. Now let’s see those shoes!” smiled Miranda. Cece giggled as she looked up at her mommy. Her mommy was sooo pretty she thought. She hoped she could be as pretty when she grew up! She bounded over to the young sales clerk and as she ran and giggled, Miranda looked at her wished she could have half the energy her daughter had.