“Your wife been working like crazy ‘round here today. She gon’ have that baby.”
“She’s not due for almost two weeks.”
“I’m telling you what I know.”
“What happened?”
“Folks call it nesting. She’s been full of energy all day. That’s what happens when it’s time.”
The look on Donna’s face was more amusement more than anything else.
“Dinner’s ready!” Janine announced. “Michael, can you set the table for me?”
“Sure, Baby.”
After a delicious dinner, they gathered in the den to watch a little TV while Donna cleaned the kitchen and put the food away.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I feel good. Better than I’ve felt in a while. I finally get some things done instead of sitting around the house like a useless lump.”
Chuckling, he pulled her closer as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Your mom’s worried you’ve been doing too much today.”
“I know, but I’m fine.”
All of a sudden she sat up, stretching out a bit and rubbed her side. She got up and went to the bathroom. Then he heard “Dammit!” He immediately got up and went to the door.
“Is everything okay?”
“I think I peed on myself!”
“What?”
“Don’t you laugh at me!”
He heard the water running as she washed her hands. She stepped out of the bathroom saying, “I need to take a shower and put on some clean clothes. I can’t believe I did that! God! I’ll be glad when this is over!”
With a pace far quicker than he’d seen in weeks, she hurried up the stairs.
“What happened?” Donna asked.
“She had a little accident.”
“An accident. What kind of accident?”
“She didn’t make it to the bathroom in time.”
A wide grin crossed Donna’s face. “All those birthing classes y’all took didn’t teach you a thing. I’m pretty sure her water just broke. You better go check on her.”
His eyes grew wide and he rushed upstairs. The shower was running but it didn’t sound as if she was moving around in it.
He anxiously tapped on the door. “Janine?”
She just grunted so he went inside. She was standing in the shower with the water washing over her back.
“Baby, are you okay?”
“My back is killing me all of sudden. I might’ve done too much today.”
“Do you want me to massage it for you?”
“Would you?”
He slipped out of his clothes easing into the shower with her. Gently rubbing her shoulders and the small of her back, she seemed more relaxed. All of a sudden, she planted her hand firmly against the shower wall.
“What is it?”
Clearly in pain and exasperated she panted, “Just rub my back, please!”
“Are you sure you’re not in labor?”
“I don’t know. But it hurts like hell.”
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“No. I just need to stand here a minute.”
In less than a minute, the pain subsided and she stood erect again letting out a deep breath. He turned off the water and helped her out of the stall. After drying her off, he wrapped the towel around her. He quickly dried himself and helped her back into the bedroom. After dressing in her loungewear, she lay on the bed. He slipped on a pair of sweatpants before lying beside her.
“Better?”
“Better.”
“Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m going just take it easy. Can you hand me the remote?”
“Sure.”
There was a light tap on the bedroom door. “Is everything all right?”
Michael got up letting Donna in. “Yeah, she says she’s fine. Her back is bothering her.”
No sooner had he said that, Janine let out a groan, turned to her side and began furiously rubbing her back. “Oh Jesus!” she yelled.
“Her back’s bothering her because she’s in labor, Baby.”
CHAPTER 36
They’d been at the hospital for over seven hours. She’d received an epidural which eased her discomfort considerably, but it also slowed down the pace and timing of the contractions. As she rested, Michael sat quietly chatting with Donna and his parents. He tried to encourage them to stay at home until she was closer to delivery, but they declined wanting to be there for the birth. After many hours of sitting, they decided to go to the family area to stretch their legs.
“Can we get you anything?” Donna asked.
“I’m was going to grab a cup of coffee.”
“I can get that for you, Honey,” Carolyn said.
“Thanks, Mom.”
They stepped out of the room and he walked to her beside and held her hand. She opened her eyes, asked for ice chips and fell back into light sleep.
Another three hours had passed, and despite having two cups of coffee, he dozed off in the chair. They all had.
“Michael, get the nurse!” Janine shouted.
Startled awake, he groggily said, “What do you need?”
“I need you to get the damn nurse!”
She grunted loudly as her face contorted and teeth clenched. A powerful contraction managed to cut through the medication. Pressing the buzzer, it didn’t take long for the nurse to come into the room. It was time…
“We’re going to step outside,” Carolyn said. She walked over to Janine and kissed her forehead.
Much to Janine and Michael’s surprise Donna said, “Me too, Baby.” Coming to her bedside she hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.
“Mom...”
“This is for you and Michael, Sweetie Pie. Besides, y’all kept us in the dark this long about what the baby is, we can hold on a little longer!” Donna giggled.
It took less than a half hour before their son was born, cleaned and examined. He was placed on Janine’s chest.
“He looks like you,” Michael said softly.
“I think he has your mouth.”
They smiled at each other as the nurse laid their daughter on the other side of her chest.
“Hi Baby Girl!” Michael beamed gazing upon her.
Janine pursed her lips inviting a sweet kiss that he happily obliged. There were no words to express the joy she felt. She marveled at her beautiful babies as all thoughts of the previous months slipped away. Looking into Michael’s eyes, she felt more love than she thought imaginable.
“We did it,” she whispered.
“Yeah, we did. I love you, Baby.”
“I love you too.”
Embracing them all, euphoria washed over him unlike any he’d experienced. The feeling was so overwhelming, he wept. Once he’d gotten himself together, he wiped his tears and placed the babies gingerly into the little bassinets beside the bed. Kissing Janine once more, he went to the waiting area to bring in their parents.
Quietly entering the room lit by the early morning light, they were stunned.
“We’d like you to meet your grandson Eric Benjamin Josey and your granddaughter Michaela Janine Josey,” Michael said.
The screeches from their mothers were almost earsplitting. While each lovingly picked up a baby, Michael’s father hugged him tightly.
“Y’all aint right for this! But Lord what a glorious surprise!” Donna said with tears streaming down her face. “Hello Eric!”
They’d known since first sharing the news of the pregnancy with their parents about the twins and their genders. For months they struggled with what to name them. Once Janine settled on the idea of naming their son after her father, selecting his middle name was easy. But it took far longer to select Michaela’s name. Back and forth they went searching for a name with little agreement. Michael wanted to make sure their daughter shared some element of her mother’s name. Since Janine wasn’t a fan of her middle name, it was she who chose the derivative of Michael’s. Their event
ual compromise had a lovely ring to it.
Donna proved even more of a Godsend in the weeks following the birth. She offered motherly advice helping Janine manage everything from getting the babies nursing at the same time to coordinating her own nap with theirs to lessen her tiredness. Between the three of them, they managed to settle into a nice routine. But after six weeks, Donna also slowly began letting Michael and Janine manage things themselves.
One evening as the babies slept, Janine undressed to take a shower. For the first time in a while she felt rested and her sexual appetite had returned. Fully naked she caught a glimpse of her body in the mirror. Her belly and behind had wide stretch marks. The skin around her abdomen still felt spongy and sagged. Her nipples now pointed downward and she carried an extra fifteen pounds. Intellectually she knew this was to be expected, but the view left her feeling utterly unattractive. When Michael tapped on the bathroom door, she quickly wrapped a towel around her body.
“What is it?”
“I want to brush my teeth. Can I come in?”
“Can you wait until I’m done?”
“Sure.”
Wearing only his boxer briefs, he stretched out on the bed reading a book while he waited. When she finally came out, she was completely dressed in a pair or lounge pants and an oversized tee. It was one of the slight changes in her routine that he’d noticed since the babies were born.
As much as she wanted to be with him, she tentatively sat next to him on the bed. Sitting up, he set the book on the nightstand and took her hands in his kissing them tenderly. Janine leaned in, kissing his neck, shoulders and then lips. As their kiss became more sensuous, she gently stroked his penis.
It felt good, but he was a bit nervous about having sex with her. “Baby, what are you doing?”
“I’m ready.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to…”
“You’re not going to hurt me. I’m fine. The doctor gave me an all clear.” She then reached over to turn out the light.
“What are you doing?”
“Turning out the light.”
“No. I want to see all of you.”
Lowering her eyes with a flush of embarrassment she said, “It’s not a pretty sight.”
“What are you talking about? Take off your clothes.”
Her discomfort became increasingly apparent as she lifted her hips off the bed without standing and slipped out of the loungers. He watched her carefully and for the first time fully grasped what was happening.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as he ran his fingers over her upper thighs. “Take off your tee shirt.”
Closing her eyes, she slowly lifted it over her head dropping it on the floor. His hands soon moved gently across her belly and she flinched slightly. Taking her by the shoulders, he positioned her on top of him. His warm hands delicately moved up and down her spine. Admittedly it all felt so good that her inhibitions eased as her desire continued to build. He lightly stroked her sides with his fingertips before settling on and gripping her ass. She felt his penis harden beneath her.
“Absolutely beautiful.”
“You’re just saying that because it’s been so long and you’re horny.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true.”
“I’m fat and saggy and…”
Stopping her words with a deep kiss, he quickly rolled her on her back while lying on top of her. Studying her for a moment he said, “You know what I see?”
“What?”
“Your whole body is daily reminder that you are the mother of my children.” Lighltly running his fingers along each one, he continued. “Every stretch mark, every soft spot, and yeah, that nice fat ass you’ve got right now…they’re beautiful.”
“How do you do that?” she whispered as tears welled in her eyes.
“Do what?”
“Make me feel so…so deeply loved.”
“Because you are.”
Spreading her legs further apart, she drew him to her kissing him again. It had been almost three months since they made love. It didn’t take much to heighten their arousal. Michael was still somewhat tentative. Carefully sliding his penis inside her felt like joy and relief all at once. Savoring each deliberate stroke, everything felt familiar and different at once. The warmth he missed was still there as was the gentle internal hugs she masterfully gave-welcoming him home. Trying to slow his rapidly building orgasm until she was ready, he pulled out to his tip but she squeezed even harder against his tender flesh. Jesus!
Increasing her pace beneath him, she raised and lowered her hips to meet his penetrations. Each time he tried to pull away from her, she wrapped her legs tightly around him drawing him back in. Licking and kissing her neck, it was as if he was fighting against the inevitable. She could feel his penis pulse signaling he was ready but he was holding back. She wanted him to release to her so she whispered, “I belong to you, Sir.”
He sighed deeply as his entire body convulsed as his semen filled her. In the stillness that followed, he kissed her over and over before easing out of her and rolling onto his side.
“That wasn’t fair,” he smiled.
“But it’s true.”
“Hmmm.”
After all the time they’d been together, that special sound he made still aroused her. “Wanna play?”
He was genuinely surprised by her comment. “We don’t have to rush into anything. Let’s take it easy and wait.”
“I miss it. Don’t you?”
“Of course, but I missed this too. And I’m more than satisfied. But when you’re really ready, I have another surprise for you.”
“Really? What kind of surprise?”
He climbed off the bed extending his hand to her. Taking it, she followed him to the closet.
“Why are we in the closet?”
He reached up taking hold of the attic cord and pulled down the folding stair. Flipping the light switch, a broad grin filled his face as he started the climb up. “Come on up.”
Reaching the last step, he took her hand helping her up the rest of the way. Much to her surprise, the once wide, open space now had a room with a large door and a coded lock. Pressing in a few numbers, he opened the door and led her inside.
“When in the world did you do this?”
“I had it done when the nursery was being finished. I thought we deserved a special room too.”
He’d built a private dungeon filled with the pieces taken from their bedroom along with several new ones. Along the walls were their crops, paddles, ropes and other striking tools. But there were also large hooks and pulleys attached to the beams in the ceiling. It contained everything she liked and new things to discover with him.
“What do you think?”
“I can’t wait try it all.”
He came in close, gently moving his hands down her arms. “Glad to hear it because when you’re really ready…hmmm...the things I’m going to do to you.”
Tilting her head, her grin was mischievous. “There’s no time like the present.”
The End
Their Now and Forever (Book III) (The Allen Trilogy 3) Page 26
