Jennifer Cole - A Delicious Taboo Two.

by Jennifer Cole

  “Hello, baby,” Mel cried, holding him against her as Willow wiped away the slime covering his bluish, but now pinkening, body. “Hi, my baby boy. Is he okay? Has he got everything he’s supposed to?”

  “Ten fingers, ten toes,” Calen answered with tears in his eyes.

  “He’s perfect, sweetheart,” Philip said, equal emotion crackling his voice. “Just perfect.”

  “Who wants to cut the cord?” Varian asked.

  The four men exchanged glances.

  “How about two of you cut this one and two cut the next?” Varian suggested.

  Calen and Van leaned in together and both gripped the scissors in Varian’s hand, and cut through their son’s umbilical cord.

  “You’re doing real good, Melanie.” Varian praised her. “Really good.”

  “Let us clean him up for you, hon,” Willow said meeting Mel’s teary eyes. “Give us a few minutes; we need to weigh and measure him, and give him the once over. I promise I’ll bring him right back.”

  Mel nodded and released her hold on her son.

  Each of her lovers took a moment to kiss her and tell her how deeply they loved her, how proud they were of her, and finally to thank her, for giving them a son.

  “Go be with him,” she told them. “Don’t leave our baby boy alone.”

  Honoring her request, they each kissed her again and walked across the room to be with their son.

  Seconds later, Melanie felt the black cloud of doom enter. An eerie silence fell over the occupants in the room. As if sensing impending disaster, across the room the cries of her newborn son ceased. Reaching for her belly, Mel lifted her head and met Varian’s gaze.

  “She stopped moving,” she said with nervous excitement. “I don’t feel her.”

  “Everything is fine, hon,” Varian assured her.

  “No, Varian, there’s something wrong,” Mel wiggled and attempted to sit upright. A difficult feat, considering her splayed position.

  The excitement in her voice and sudden movement drew the attention from the men, who were hovering around the station where two nurses were tending to the new arrival. Calen and Van stood on her right side and Jake and Philip on her left. Brows creased with concern.

  “Varian,” Philip said in his usual calm tone. “Is there something wrong?”

  “Absolutely not.” He smiled up at the group from between Mel’s splayed legs.

  “We’ve been waiting forever,” Mel spat out.

  “It’s been two minutes, hon,” he informed her with a grin.

  “But I don’t feel her, Varian. The two of them were dancing a jig in there, and now there’s nothing.”

  “Listen,” Varian said, cocking his head. “Do you hear that?”

  The sound of squishy thumping could be heard in the eerie silence.

  Varian reached up and settled his gloved hands over hers upon her swollen belly. With gentle pressure, he encouraged Mel to caress her tummy in wide circles. “That’s her heartbeat, honey; everything is fine,” Varian told them. “The fetal monitor indicates all is well.”

  “But, she isn’t moving anymore.”

  “Maybe she’s enjoying the extra space in there, since Bruiser moved out.” Varian chuckled.

  Willow appeared behind Varian, still seated in front of the group. “I’ve got an adorable baby boy here who’s anxious to meet his family.” She smiled warmly. “Here you go daddy,” she said handing a bundle wrapped tight with a blue knit hat peeking out the top, to Calen.

  A brief look of terror crossed his face.

  Ever so carefully, Calen accepted the precious package and cradled the baby in the crook of his arm. Tears welled in his eyes, and his voice crackled when he spoke. “Hello, son,” he whispered holding the baby with both arms. He began rocking back and forth on his feet, speaking softly to their baby boy.

  Van wrapped his arms around Calen pulling him close. After placing a light kiss on the top of the baby’s head, he pressed his lips to his lover’s and wiped away a tear that trickled from one of Calen’s eyes.

  “Jesus,” Calen said. “Look at him, Van.”

  “I am, lover. He’s spectacular.”

  “He’s beautiful, perfect,” Calen said. “I don’t want to let him go,” he chuckled. “But here, I know we all want to have a turn.”

  Van took the baby from Calen, and a tear ran down his cheek. “Hey there, big boy,” he said to his son. “He has green eyes,” Van smiled at Mel. “Just like you, baby.”

  From the bed, Melanie watched her lovers, and continued to rub her belly. She didn’t even bother to stop her own tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

  Willow had wiped her face a couple of times with a cool cloth and eventually gave up trying to keep up. “Have you decided on a name?” she asked.

  “Eron,” Mel replied.

  “That’s nice,” she said.

  “Does he look like an ‘Eron’?” Mel asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

  Willow nodded, and grinned. “Yeah, he does.” After checking Mel’s IV and oxygen, she asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Ecstatic,” Melanie replied with a sigh. “Blessed, overwhelmed and exhausted.”

  “Well, you are doing terrific.” Willow pulled Mel’s hair out of her face, and wiped the perspiration from her brow. “Hopefully, it won’t take too long for your little girl to make her grand entrance.”

  After a few moments, Van handed the quiet bundle to Jake.

  “Oh, God,” Jake croaked. “Look at you, our little man. You are so tiny. We’ll have to get you bulked up for those NFL drafts in twenty years.”

  “Oh, good Lord, Jake,” Mel snickered around a sob. “He’s only a few minutes old.”

  “Yeah, but time’s a ticking,” Jake chuckled, as he passed their son to Philip.

  Philip cradled the baby against his chest and walked along side the bed. Sitting on the edge he propped his son up for Melanie.

  “Say ‘hi’ to your Mommy, son,” he said, making eye contact with Mel. “You and your sister have given your Mommy a pretty hard time tonight.” Leaning over, he placed a long, gentle kiss on her quivering lips. “You are so beautiful, sweetheart. I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Philip,” she whimpered.

  “He does have your eyes, baby,” Philip grinned.

  Melanie reached over and brushed the back of her finger along the chubby cheek of their son. “He has the very best of each one of us,” she said, looking at her baby.

  “They both do,” he leaned in for another kiss.

  “Is this normal, Varian?” Van asked softly as he began to rub Mel’s belly. “I mean, I always thought twins were born close, you know within seconds, maybe minutes.”

  Varian shrugged. “She’ll come when she’s ready. There’s nothing set in stone regarding labor and delivery guys; we take our cues from the baby. It’s only been ten minutes or so; there’s no reason to be concerned.” Rising, he wandered over to the monitor and read the ongoing printouts. “Shouldn’t be too much longer; she’s starting to grow restless in there.” With a grin, he turned back to the group. “Feeling anything?”

  Mel shook her head.

  “Well you will.” He chuckled. “The movement is sporadic, but it’s there and growing stronger.”

  Varian hadn’t been kidding. Within a few minutes, the contractions were once again strong. Despite the pain and discomfort that racked her body, delivering their little girl went quicker and smoother than their son.

  Chapter Twelve

  Beside the bed, Melanie stood, fastening their babies into their car seats and tucking blankets around them. They were waiting for Varian to arrive to indicate the discharge orders were signed and the men could take their family home.

  “All right, my friends,” Varian greeted them as he entered the room. “You’re ready to go. But listen, I’ve run a DNA test…”

  Whipping her head around, Melanie cast an accusatory glare at each of her four lovers. “I don’t fucking bel
ieve this,” she snarled. “You told me it didn’t matter to any of you whose sperm made our babies,” she spat out. “How dare you go behind my back and do this?”

  All five men in the room raised their hands in defense.

  Mel turned her angry glare at Varian. “And you!”

  Varian raised his hand to silence Mel before she could argue with him. “Hear me out, hon. I know the five of you are committed to each other and to your family unit, and that the paternity of the babies is not a concern. And I respect that.” Varian stopped to take a breath and survey Mel’s reaction. “But as a medical professional and someone in the same situation, I ran the test because one day you may need to know who the biological father of these babies is for medical purposes. As your friend and doctor, I will honor your wishes and not tell you the babies’ paternity and just keep this info in your file, should you ever want it.”

  Melanie sighed, and sat on the bed beside the carriers which held her children. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about that a lot,” she admitted.

  “It’s your call, baby,” Van said, taking a seat beside her on the bed and then taking her hand in his. “We’ve told you it makes no difference to the four of us. These babies belong to all of us.”

  “That’s right, honey,” Jake said. “The four of us have all become fathers, thanks to you. And each one of us will do everything in our power to protect our babies, and keep them and you safe.”

  “I think the babies should have their father’s last name, guys.” She chanced a glance at each of them. “I don’t want them to have my name, well, you know why, and they need someone’s…” A chill coursed through her body. “Nothing will change, right?” she asked, her lower lip quivering. “You guys mean it?”

  “Lover, have any one of us lied to you in the past?” Philip asked.

  “No,” she admitted.

  “All right then. We’re in agreement, for medical purposes alone. Varian, give us the results,” Calen told their friend.

  Varian nodded, and flipped the chart open. “I’m not going to fuck around with you, so here it is. Van you are the biological…”

  “Congratulations, Van,” Philip grinned and offered his hand to his friend.

  “Excellent, congrats man.” Jake slapped him on the back.

  Calen closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips to Van’s.

  “Thank you, guys,” Van replied beaming, and pulled Melanie into his arms. “I love you, baby,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Hold on, guys,” Varian interrupted their celebration. “I’m not finished.”

  “Oh, uh, okay,” Van said. “Go ahead, Varian.”

  “During ovulation, Mel’s body released two eggs and each egg was fertilized by two separate sperm,” he explained.

  “Is that possible?” She croaked, gripping Van’s arm.

  “Oh, yes, it’s possible and happens often enough,” Varian informed them.

  Silence descended in the room and no one spoke for several minutes.

  “So, what you’re saying,” Calen’s voice broke the quiet. “Is that these babies, our twins, who shared the same womb all these months, have two different fathers?” he asked.

  Varian nodded. “Yup, that’s exactly what I’m saying. So, if you want me to finish…”

  “Yeah, yeah, spit it out, pal,” Jake said.

  “Van, you are Emily Rose’s biological father, and Philip, you are Eron’s.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Melanie’s eyes followed Van as he tended to their daughter’s needs. His attire hadn’t escaped her notice either. Clad in a dress shirt and tie, she grew nervous as she watched him. Their conversation remained casual, comfortable, and routine, and yet, Melanie felt grossly unprepared for what she suspected was coming.

  He wouldn’t dare. Knowing how she felt, he just couldn’t. She also found it curious Philip, Jake and Calen had all left the house this morning as well. Since the birth of their babies, the men had each taken turns staying home, with there being at least two of them, plus Mel, home at any given time.

  After burping Emily and strapping her in her chair sitting on top of the kitchen table, Van strolled across the kitchen and placed her empty bottle in the sink. Although Mel had tried breast-feeding for a couple of weeks after the twins were born, she found their “demands” far exceeded her body’s ability to “supply.”

  “All right, sweetheart,” he said, washing and drying his hands.

  Against her chest, Melanie held a fussing Eron as she paced the kitchen floor. The poor boy was having a rough morning.

  “I’ve got to go,” he pressed his lips to hers and kissed the top of their son’s head.

  “What do you mean?” She gasped. Panic raced through her. “You can’t leave me.”

  Van gave her a wink and kissed her again. “You’ll be fine.”

  “But…but Eron is cutting his first tooth. He’s crabby. What if…”

  Van grabbed a container of leftovers from the fridge and leaned over to pick up his briefcase he’d left sitting beside the fridge when he entered the kitchen earlier. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  Had she blatantly ignored the subtle hint Van’s briefcase represented?

  “But…”

  “You’ve got our cells and we’re only a phone call away.”

  “But what happened to us ‘tag-teaming’ the twins? You’re expecting me to take care of Eron and Emily all by myself?”

  “Yup.” His tone was casual as he walked toward the back door. “You are their mother, sweetheart.”

  Melanie placed her son in his chair and strapped him in.

  He wouldn’t dare, she inwardly whimpered.

  “Van, please,” the desperation in her voice made her feel like an incompetent idiot. “You’re blindsiding me with this… I’ve had no time to prepare, to psyche myself up. You guys have given me no warning.” She pleaded. “I’m not ready. This isn’t fair.”

  With a soft sigh, he set his briefcase back on the floor and gripped her shoulders, holding her at arms’ length. “Honey, you’ve had four months to prepare. You knew our being home over the past four months wouldn’t be permanent. The sooner we establish a routine the better. The babies need routine, sweetheart.”

  Mel squared her shoulders and tried to stop the quivering of her lower lip.

  The betrayal… They were deserting her. She was being abandoned. How could they do this? How in hell could they trust her to care for their babies, alone? All by herself? The horrible thoughts flashing though her head turned her stomach. Her mind raced. What was she going to do with the babies? How would she entertain them? What if they cried at the same time? Or needed to be changed at the same time? What if they were hungry at the same time? How was she going to be able to keep them happy all day? All by herself. Alone?

  Calen seemed to be the only one able to soothe Eron over the past couple of days, since a lower tooth broke through his little gums. And poor Emily had awakened this morning with a touch of diarrhea. How in the hell could her lovers do this to her? Desert her? Trusting her to be alone with their children?

  What if…

  “We’ve discussed this. I am going to work and you are going to have a nice day, alone with our kids.”

  “Van, please…” her voice wavered and she felt the sting of tears behind her eyelids. Fighting the urge to throw herself at his feet and beg him not to leave her was nearing unbearable. “I’m afraid to be alone.”

  He chuckled. “You aren’t going to be alone, love. The babies are here with you.”

  “But that’s exactly what I’m saying!” She groaned. “I…”

  “Honey.” He sighed again. “You need to deal with this. You are nothing like your parents,” he enunciated slowly. “The four of us know you will never hurt our babies. Now you need to learn that. You are a great mother. Our babies are thriving under your care.” Bending over he picked his case back up and reached for the door. “You’ve got our cells on speed dial, alon
g with our work numbers. I’m all of twenty minutes away if you need me. I’m going to work, Mel,” he stated firmly. “Enjoy your day and remember I love you.”

  Giving her a wink, he turned his back and closed the door behind him.

  A chill coursed through her.

  Oh, God, no. No. This cannot be happening.

  Turning, Melanie looked at her babies seated in their chairs atop the kitchen table. How anyone could have the urge, need, or want to hurt their baby was just unfathomable in her mind. Her heart near burst with the love she felt for her children as she stood quietly watching them. Emily had drifted off to sleep following her breakfast, while Eron seemed to be studying her with uncertainty. Soft gurgles and cooing escaped his lips as he grabbed at his feet.

  Jesus.

  Mel took a deep breath and held it. With slow steps, she walked toward the table and her children. Several silent moments passed as she and Eron continued to stare at one another.

  Relax, she told herself. He’ll smell your fear.

  “Um, well, my adorable baby boy,” she said nervously. “It, uh, looks like it’s just going to be the three of us today.”

  Eron giggled and reached for her.

  “Would you like to have a bath, my beautiful boy?” Mel smiled at her son and unfastened the straps securing him and lifted him up from his seat. “Sure you would.” She walked over to the sink and turned the water on. “You love your bath, don’t you Eron?” Spreading out a fluffy bath towel, Mel laid her son on the counter top and began undressing him.

  * * * * *

  Standing on the porch holding his breath, Van hesitated before putting his key in the lock.

  He’d called home at his designated time, and was sure Calen, Jake, and Philip had done the same. During their conversation, Van couldn’t be sure what if anything he’d detected in Mel’s voice. Although she assured him things were fine, Van still worried about what he was coming home to.

  There was no doubt in his mind their children were safe; his concern was for his lover.