Breaking New Grounds

by Amy DeMeritt

  Julia: You have no idea the impact you had on my mood. I feel like a damn boss now. Thanks, honey. I feel much more confident going into this meeting. Ok, I have to run. I’ll let you know how it goes.

  Me: You’re going to rock this meeting. Talk to you soon.

  Julia: I wish I could kiss you right now. Go find a wife and ask her to kiss you for me till you look drunk.

  Me: Ok, boss. I’ll do that.

  I slip my phone back in my pocket and look around the room with a cheesy grin.

  “Julia told me that one of you needs to give me a kiss on her behalf. Oh, and it has to be so good it makes me look drunk.”

  They laugh a little and Madison moves first. She crawls across the plush area rug a few paces to get to me with an incredibly seductive grin and look in her eyes that instantly lights my insides on fire and causes my core to throb with anticipation. I swallow hard, and as she places her hands on my knees, I lean back with her arching up. She lays her body down on mine, and as she grips the back of my neck, she presses her full warm lips against mine. I wrap my arms around her and she parts her lips to thrust her silky tongue past my lips to press my tongue down and batter it side to side, then twists around it and flicks it rapidly. My eyes roll back and my core contracts so hard it causes a rippling shudder in my body. She sucks and nips my lips before plunging back in my mouth and stealing the air from my lungs.

  As she releases my mouth, my head lulls on my shoulders, and Madison releases a cute giggle, saying, “Mission accomplished. Now, why did I have to make you look drunk?”

  Breathless, and with my lips tingling, I try to answer, “You’re my wife and she’s a lioness. She has a meeting with King Kong, and your mouth is like firewater. Fuzzy swizzle brain. Oh, shit.”

  Madison laughs hard and gently pats my cheek a few times. “Snap out of it, baby. You’re not making any sense.”

  “Drunk on Maddi lips. Yum.” She laughs and kisses my lips. “Damn, that was a really good kiss, baby.”

  “Thank you. Tell us why Julia wanted us to kiss you.”

  “I guess I helped build her confidence for a meeting she was dreading, and since she couldn’t kiss me, she told me to have one of you do it. God damn, you are so sexy. That was such an insane kiss. I can’t believe you’re my wife.”

  Madison grins as she kisses my lips and shifts to straddle my lap. “Thank you. Are you still rehearsing together later?”

  “Yeah, she’s still free tonight. Is that still ok with all of you?”

  “I think we just wanted to relax today, right?” Everyone nods and agrees with Madison. She kisses my lips, then gets up to go back to her laptop. “Here, Sam, check the cart and see if I have everything you want for lunch today.”

  Sam tickles Malana as she crawls past her to get to Madison. She sits down next to Madison on the floor and leans over her, resting her head on Madison’s shoulder while she scrolls through the list of items in the cart for our Chicago Pie order. After a few moments, Sam’s face pinches in a pout then spreads into a sheepish smile as she looks around at all of us before she hides her face in Madison’s neck.

  Madison releases a small laugh and rubs Sam’s head. “Let me guess, you don’t want any of this anymore?”

  Sam shakes her head against Madison, then lifts her head releasing a groaning exhale. “These cravings are driving me crazy. I think I want steak. No, steak fajitas. And lemonade.”

  “Ok, sweetie.” Shannon stands up and sets Montana back on the floor to play. She bends down to kiss Sam’s lips. “I’ll cook. If you change your mind again, let us know.”

  “Thanks. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine, really.”

  Awenasa sets Helaku down on the floor to play, and after giving Sam a kiss, she follows Shannon to the kitchen to help her cook. With blushing cheeks and an adorable bashful smile, she adjusts on the floor to lay her head on Madison’s lap. Madison closes her laptop and starts running her fingers through Sam’s hair and rubbing her back.

  Sam has been having intense food cravings this week, and nearly as soon as she has one, it changes to something completely different. She woke up at one o’clock this morning craving a ham and cheese sandwich, but as soon as I finished making it, the sight of it turned her stomach and she wanted cookies instead.

  The conflicting cravings has led Sam to speculate that it’s because she’s really pregnant with twins and the babies can’t agree on anything. It’s an interesting idea, but we won’t know if the theory is a real possibility till after she delivers. Sam was sad not to get to see the ultrasound images, but she is still determined not to know in advance what the gender is or if she’s having one or two babies. I’m very anxious to know, but I really want Sam to have the best experience possible, and if this is going to help, then I’m going to suck it up and wait.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The sun is sitting straight above us, casting its golden warmth on our chilled, wet skin and making the quaking pool dance with bright white light slivers. There’s a gentle breeze that occasionally picks up enough to cause an eruption of goosebumps on our skin and our babies to shiver with wide eyes and adorable gasps. It’s a beautiful and perfect day.

  We started the day with a lazy morning of cuddling on the sofa while the babies played on the floor and watched Moana on TV – they absolutely love Moana. I mean, honestly, who doesn’t?

  Then when hunger struck, we made lunch, which was purely inspired by Sam’s adorable pregnancy cravings – we had so many different items that it felt like we were at an all you can eat buffet. At least it made Sam happy and appeased our baby, or babies, growing inside of her.

  After some more lounging around, something we don’t get to do very often, we decided to take a dip in the pool. So, here we are, totting the babies around the pool with floaties while they kick their little legs and splash their hands in the water.

  As wonderful as this is, it also makes me a little sad. This is one of the last days we’ll be able to swim in our pool before we leave for California in two weeks. Since we won’t be home till the late fall, early winter, except for a weekend trip here or there to check on the property and merchandise business, we have to close the pool down this weekend so it will be ready for winter. The house we rent in Los Angeles with the dance squad doesn’t have a pool. Some of our friends out there have one, so we get the opportunity at least a handful of times while we’re there. Or we go to the beach or take Shannon’s yacht off the coast and swim out in the open ocean. We can’t do that with the babies though. They’re way too young for that.

  “Hey, what do you think about looking for a new house in California, one with a pool?”

  Sam skims Malana across the water’s surface really quickly like a baby torpedo, making our baby girl shriek with laughter, and as she laughs with her, Sam asks, “To replace our current rental, or to get our own place?”

  “Well, I know Sara can definitely swing the rent on her own if we want to get our own place. I mean, she has already made like fourteen-million just in her manager fees from me so far this year. Do all of you want to get our own place out there?”

  Madison does a languid breaststroke to get to me, and as I squat, she wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around the back of my neck. With a playful grin, she squirts a gentle water spout against my closed lip smile, then kisses my lips.

  “I vote yes to getting our own place. With the babies, we’re outgrowing the current house. And I agree, it would be nice to have a pool out there. And a sound studio. And a hot tub.”

  I laugh a little and nibble her water chilled neck. God, she feels so good wrapped around me in her bikini in this cool water with the hot sun overhead. I squeeze her tighter and inhale deeply, trying to suck in the entire moment and make it become a part of my person for eternity. I want every molecule in my body to feel her body, the water, the sun, and our wives and babies playing around us.

  Symone tickles my side, and says, “I agree. It will be hard to find tim
e to house hunt these next few months, but maybe by next summer we can have a new place.”

  With trepidation in her voice and on her face, Shannon asks, “Is this a preemptive to a permanent move to California?”

  Before I can, Sam says, “I don’t want to move to California permanently. I love our home here. I know we might end up there one day because of our careers, but I’m not ready for that. Please tell me that’s not what you’re thinking, Kayla.”

  “No, babe, I promise. I don’t want to give up our home here either. I love California, but I feel more at home here. I love this place. We have the woods, the fruit orchard, the huge lawn for playing and having big family gatherings, and we’re building rooms for our guests and kids. Plus, Jaime has her three dance studios here. Los Angeles can be really intense and stressful. I like getting away from there for a while.”

  Each of our wives agree and reassure Shannon and Sam that none of them want to make a permanent move to California, but they also agree we need a bigger house out there to accommodate our growing family.

  “I’ll ask around to see if anyone can recommend a good real estate agent out there. I think the one we use for the rental only deals in rentals. We need to buy something if we’re going to be building another sound studio.”

  My cellphone starts ringing on a lounge chair next to the pool. Madison kisses my lips and squeezes my ass as she steps off of my waist.

  “Go get that, baby. It might be important.”

  Yeah, it could be. I’ve been dealing with a lot of important calls, texts, and emails the past few weeks in preparation for all of the many projects I’ll be working on the next few months, aside from filming the next Sharps movie. I swim to the side of the pool and climb out. I quickly dry my hands and pick up Sara’s call on the last ring.

  “Hey, what’s up? We’re all hanging out and swim…”

  “Keira is in labor. We’re headed to the hospital.”

  I wave to my wives to get out of the pool. “Ok, we’ll meet you there.” The line goes dead and I quickly grab my towel to dry off. “We have to go. Keira is in labor.”

  ***

  One of the biggest pros to living so close to a college town is having many options of fun things to do, like places to eat, the arcade, the cupcake making place (which is one of our favorite places), botanical gardens, parks, sports games (which we almost never go to), and various shows put on by the school. The biggest problem with living so close to a college town – the traffic. Granted, it’s nowhere near as bad as Los Angeles traffic, but when you’re trying to rush to the hospital, it’s enough to make you feel like you’re going to have a panic attack.

  School is getting ready to start, so traffic is extra heavy with college students getting settled in and out exploring their new environment. It takes us twice as long to get to the hospital as it would have only a couple of weeks ago.

  I have sent Sara a couple of texts to find out how Keira is doing, but she hasn’t responded, which has my anxiety level at a chest crushing level.

  As soon as we’re parked and have our babies in our arms, we rush across the parking lot and into the maternity ward. I’m moving so quickly that I basically collide with the reception desk in my urgency, startling the nurse behind the counter.

  “Oh, dear, you scared me. Are you checking in?”

  “Sorry. No, my sister and her wife – are they here yet? Sara and Keira Johann? Keira is in labor.”

  She jumps up nodding vigorously. “Oh, yes, Kayla Johann, so sorry! This way. She requested you and Anasa to be in the delivery room. There’s a waiting room to the right. There’s a few others waiting.”

  She butchered Awenasa’s name, but we understand well enough. We wave to our family and rush to follow the nurse.

  Keira is going to attempt a water birth like my wives. They want Awenasa in the room so she can give the baby a blessing as soon as it’s born. They asked me to be in here because they want to restore my excitement for pregnancy and the delivery. They know I have been struggling with my fears since Janell died, and it has been especially hard to control those fears since we found out Sam might be pregnant with twins. I’ve been trying hard to hide my fears so I don’t upset Sam, but it has been hard. Even as we walk into the delivery room and I see the look of pain on Keira’s face, only fear fills my stomach, instead of the happy anxious butterflies I had when Awenasa and Shannon gave birth.

  “Finally.”

  We kneel down next to Sara and Keira’s mother on the outside of the pool, where Keira is hunched over the side clinging to Sara’s hands.

  “Sorry, we were swimming and had to get everyone dressed. Then traffic was terrible. How are you doing?”

  I rub Keira’s back and she looks up panting with her face contorted in pain. “It hurts.”

  August, our midwife reaches down with a device to listen to the baby’s heartbeat and coaches Keira through her breathing as a painful contraction hits her. Her body tenses, and she releases a loud scream.

  “Breathe, sweetie.”

  Keira gasps and falls forward. With a deep groaning breath, she demands, “Sara, get in here now.”

  Sara releases Keira’s hands and starts pulling her clothes and shoes off. In her sports bra and boy-shorts underwear, she climbs in the pool and places a hand on Keira’s back. Keira takes my hands and clings to them as another contraction tenses her body in pain. Just as she’s relaxing, another contraction hits her.

  This goes on for over an hour – Keira squeezing the blood out of my hands, making them feel numb and like she’s going to snap them to bits, and her screaming in agony, causing all of us to ache with empathy. Sara, August, Awenasa, and Keira’s mom give her words of encouragement and coach her through her breathing, while I remain kneeling in front of her, bearing the pain in my hands and knees because I know damn well this pain is nowhere near what she’s feeling right now. I’m at a loss for words while I watch and listen and I’m halfway holding my breath because I’m mentally screaming and pleading with the spirits to make sure she and her baby are going to be ok.

  It feels like a breath of fresh air when August finally says, “Ok, sweetie, it’s time to start pushing.”

  Keira screams and her medium brown skin deepens with redness as she strains. She takes a break to breathe then tenses again. She throws an arm out, gripping my shoulder and yanks me forward.

  “Whoa, ok, I got you.”

  I wrap my arms around her, and she digs her fingers into my back as she rests her head on my shoulder. She screams again, then her whole body goes completely limp. Terror floods my veins and I lift her face to look at me. She releases a cute exhausted laugh of relief and smiles. I hear a small baby cry and look up to see Sara holding the baby. I relax and pull Keira into a tight hug as tears flood my eyes.

  “It’s a girl.”

  Keira quickly lifts her head off of my shoulder and I help her turn around and sit in the pool. Sara sits down next to her with tears in her eyes and cradles the baby so Keira can see her.

  With a hoarse voice from screaming for over an hour, and with whimpering sobs between her words, Keira coos over her baby, “Oh, my baby girl. I knew you were going to be a girl. I just knew it.”

  Sara gives Keira a firm kiss on the lips before passing the baby to her. Keira pulls the blanket down and runs her fingers over her light brown cheek and through her hair, which is wavy and already about two inches in length. She’s such a beautiful baby.

  “What do you think – Savannah or Taylor?”

  Sara runs a hand over their baby and calls her by both names then nods once. “Savannah. I like that.”

  Keira smiles and kisses Sara on the lips. “Me too.” Keira gives the baby a kiss and caresses her head. “Hello, Savannah Johann. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever to look at your beautiful face. I love you so much. Awenasa, will you bless her now?”

  Awenasa opens a cobalt blue glass bottle and slowly pours a small amount of a sweetgrass and sage brew over the crown of S
avannah’s head. She places a hand on her tiny head, and in Cherokee, she says a prayer and blessing of thanksgiving, love, and protection over Savannah. After Awenasa finishes, Keira wipes her eyes, then bends down to kiss Savannah.

  “It’s time to pass the afterbirth, dear.”

  Keira nods and gives Savannah another kiss before passing her back to Sara. As Keira is about to stand, I place a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at me confused.

  “Can we go get everyone else while you’re doing that?”

  “Yes, please. Thank you for being here.”

  I smile and lean in to hug her again. She wraps her arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

  “You were really great and your baby is gorgeous.”

  She releases a small happy laugh and pulls back to look at her baby again. “She really is. I think I’m going to be staring at her all day.”

  After Awenasa gives her a hug, we leave the room to give her privacy to stand and move to the bed to pass the afterbirth. As we’re walking down the hall, Awenasa takes my hand and kisses the top of it.

  “I like blessing babies.”

  “I like watching you doing your priestess work. Do you ever miss that? I mean, you used to do a lot more of it when you were on the reservation.”

  “I do, but I love our life. I’m still able to do some work from here, and I get to participate when we go to the reservation or have gatherings. That’s enough for me. It will be nice to get more involved again when we start the coalition of Native women though.”

  “Yeah, I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve never been very involved in the political and social issues for the tribe like you have.”