What My Father’s Wife Taught Me That Afternoon

Renata was forty-four years old and had short hair that gave her face an air of confidence I had always envied. That afternoon she watched me from the far end of the living room with a mixture of tenderness and complicity, as if she already knew what I had come to ask her before I dared say it out loud.

My name is Lucía, and I had just turned twenty. I was sitting on the sofa in the country house where we used to escape on weekends, playing with the edge of my sweater and not knowing how to begin. The cool evening air came in through the open window and mingled with the smell of wood and the firewood crackling in the fireplace.

—I don’t even know where to start —I confessed, and my voice came out like a thread lost in the room’s silence.

Renata came over and sat on the arm of the sofa. Her mere presence was comforting, like an embrace that didn’t need touch.

—You don’t have to worry about anything —she said in a soft but firm tone—. We all go through this at some point. The only important thing is that you feel comfortable and safe.

I nodded, though my expression still hadn’t fully relaxed. I’d been with my boyfriend for half a year, and he had started insisting on taking the next step. I wanted to be ready, but I didn’t know where something like that even began. That’s why I had turned to Renata, my father Tomás’s partner. Ever since she entered our lives, she had always been like an older sister to me, someone I could talk to without shame. Her patience and experience made her the perfect person to guide me.

—Why don’t you tell me what scares you the most? —she suggested, taking my hand in hers. They were warm, and I felt a strange tingling at the contact.

—I’m afraid I won’t know what to do —I admitted, looking down—. I don’t want him to think I’m weird or that I don’t understand anything.

Renata laughed softly, a warm sound that calmed me.

—No one is born knowing, Lucía. Sex is learned, just like everything else. And what really matters is that both people enjoy it. —She paused and looked me in the eyes—. Do you want me to teach you some things?

I looked up sharply. What exactly did she mean? Her dark eyes left me no doubt, and yet a curiosity I didn’t recognize as my own pushed me to answer.

—Yes. Please. I don’t know where to start.

She stood up and held out her hand to help me to my feet.

—Let’s go to the bedroom. We’ll be more comfortable there.

***

The room was small but cozy, with a large bed covered by a wool blanket and cushions scattered about without order. The last light of the afternoon came through the window and cast golden shadows on the wooden walls. Renata closed the door behind us and turned to me with a smile that was meant to reassure me.

—The first thing you need to understand is that your body belongs to you —she began, standing in front of me—. No one has the right to make you feel uncomfortable. Sex is something beautiful only when there is respect and desire from both sides.

I nodded, though my heart was pounding against my chest. I had never talked about this with anyone, much less with such natural ease.

—Do you know which parts of your body are the most sensitive? —she asked, taking a step toward me.

I shook my head and felt my cheeks burning.

—No, honestly, I don’t.

—Then we’ll find out together —she said gently—. Does that sound good to you?

I nodded again. The nerves didn’t go away, but I didn’t want her to stop either. Renata came closer, rested a hand on my waist, and slowly guided me toward the bed.

—Sit here. We’ll start with something simple.

I sat on the edge with my hands clasped in my lap. She knelt in front of me and looked at me with an expression that mixed tenderness and determination.

—Have you ever touched yourself? —she asked in a very low voice.

I swallowed. Heat climbed up my neck.

—A little. But I don’t know if I’m doing it right.

She nodded, as if she had been expecting exactly that answer.

—That’s normal. Many women don’t know how to explore their own bodies. Today that’s going to change.

With slow, almost measured movements, she placed a hand on my thigh and slid it upward to the curve of my hip. I held my breath. My skin tingled exactly where she was touching me.

—Relax —she whispered, and her warm breath brushed my ear—. There’s no rush.

I tried, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own. My heart was beating out of control and my nipples hardened under the sweater. Renata noticed and smiled, tracing soft circles over my hip.

—Do you feel this? —she asked, her voice rougher—. Your body is already responding. It’s completely normal.

I nodded, unable to say a word. Her hands kept moving with a confidence that, instead of frightening me, soothed me. She slid her fingers under my sweater and brushed my stomach. A soft moan escaped me and I closed my eyes as a warm wave ran through my whole body.

—See? —she murmured against my ear—. Your body knows exactly what it likes.

She slowly lifted my sweater until the white lace bra came into view. The cool air made me shiver, but I didn’t pull away. Renata looked at me with a new intensity, her eyes shining with desire and something like affection.

—You’re beautiful —she whispered before leaning in and brushing my collarbone with her lips.

***

I trembled at the contact. My body was reacting in a way I had never experienced before. She kept kissing and tracing my neck and shoulders with her tongue while her hands unhooked my bra with a skill that left me breathless. When she removed it, I felt exposed and, at the same time, strangely free.

—Touch yourself —she whispered, guiding my own hand to my breast.

I obeyed. My trembling fingers brushed my nipple and a shiver of pleasure pulled another moan from me. Renata smiled, satisfied, and then it was she who leaned in and caught the nipple between her lips.

I arched my back without meaning to and threw my head back. Her hands kept roaming over me, one on my breast and the other making its way between my thighs. My breath caught with every touch. When her mouth moved down my stomach and lingered between my legs, I felt like I was floating, like my whole body was burning with a desire I hadn’t known existed.

—Do you like it? —she asked in that deep voice that drove me crazy.

—Yes… I love it —I answered, my voice barely coming out—. Keep going, please. Don’t stop.

Renata didn’t stop. Her lips and tongue worked with delicious patience, slowly pushing me toward an edge I had never come close to before. I writhed on the bed, gripping the sheets with both hands, moans slipping out of me without my being able to hold them back.

—God, that feels so good —I gasped—. Don’t stop, please, I think I’m about to cum.

The pleasure exploded all at once and left me trembling, my breathing ragged and a stupid smile I couldn’t wipe away. Renata sat up a little and looked at me intensely.

—Now it’s your turn to explore —she said—. Touch me, Lucía. Discover what I like.

I looked at her with a mixture of doubt and desire. She encouraged me with her eyes, and that gave me the courage I lacked. With my hands still trembling, I caressed her neck, the soft skin beneath my fingers. Renata closed her eyes and tilted her head back as a sigh escaped her lips.

I felt powerful for the first time. I traced her shoulders, slid down her back, and reached the buckle of her belt.

—Unfasten my pants —she whispered, and her rough voice made a shiver run down my spine.

I obeyed, clumsy but determined. When her pants fell to the floor, I found myself staring at the black lace underwear she was wearing. My heart raced and my mouth went dry all at once.

—Touch me —she repeated—. Don’t be afraid.

I slid the garment down and, when I saw her bare skin, I felt curiosity finally overpower my nerves. She shifted just enough to let me see, wet and ready, inviting me to explore without words.

—Yes, like that —she whispered, guiding my hand with hers—. Move in circles. Find out what makes me moan.

My fingers started out awkwardly, but soon I found a rhythm that made her arch her back and let out a long, deep moan. A new wave of arousal flooded me: my own body was responding to the sound of her pleasure, as if the two of us were connected by the same thread.

—You learn fast —she whispered, her voice thick with desire—. Keep going, don’t stop.

I kept going, more confident with every second, while she guided me through sighs and gasps. When she finally gave in, her orgasm shook me too, and our moans mingled in the room’s dim light like a single breath.

***

Renata changed position and settled between my legs, looking at me again with that intensity that left me undone.

—There’s still something I need to teach you —she said in a seductive whisper.

I looked at her, my heart in my throat, anticipating what was coming. Her fingers slid over my thighs, opening me gently, until I was once again completely exposed. I felt a shiver of nerves and excitement in equal measure, but it never even occurred to me to pull away.

She leaned in again and brushed me with her tongue, slowly, reading every reaction from my body. A muffled moan escaped me and my back arched on its own. She adjusted her rhythm to my sighs, leading me back to that place only she knew how to bring me to.

—Relax —she murmured against my skin—. Let yourself go.

I tried, but my body still had a will of its own. I dug my fingers into the sheets, the moans coming out without my being able to stop them, and then everything exploded again.

—Oh God, again —I cried out, lost now in a pleasure I hadn’t known my body was capable of feeling.

When I finally caught my breath, Renata lay down beside me and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. She didn’t say anything for a long while. No words were necessary. That afternoon, in the country house, I had learned much more than I had come looking for, and I knew I would never look at her the same way again.