[[[-IF5-P2.TXT-]]]
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Island Fever 5: Family
Written by: JeremyDCP@hotmail.com
M/F, F/F and a whole lot more
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Chapter 02: "Torticollis"
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"Here... we... GOOOOO!"
Pamela screeched and laughed wildly as she shoved off at
my words. Seated on a sturdy sled made of foam and plastic,
Pamela went gliding down the snowy embankment with Kaden, my
19-month-old son, perched in her lap. Dressed for the cold
weather in a heavy coat, gloves, boots and a winter hat,
Kaden glanced from side to side and squealed with childish
delight as I puttered right alongside them on my own sled.
"What do you think?" Pamela asked Kaden, once they came to
a stop. I kept going down the small incline here on our
family farm, though, careening out of control on purpose and
spinning around three times in succession. Next time down, I
thought inwardly, it would be fun to take a tumble.
"That actually worked," I heard Pamela say to Kaden. "Did
you like it?" She pushed off yet again, then went another 20
feet or so before coming to halt. I quickly meandered over to
them and noticed the happy grin upon my son's face.
"Look at you!" I exclaimed, glad that Kaden was enjoying
himself. "Good job, buddy! Real good job!"
"You want to do it again?"
Kaden nodded at Pamela and clapped his hands together twice.
"Daddy can pull you up the hill this time," Pamela said,
offering me the bungee cord that was attached to their sled.
She then stood up and tagged along behind me, commenting,
"Hold on tight, Kaden! Hold on! Daddy is going to take you
back up the hill so we can go sledding again! You want to go
sledding again? Cruising down that hill was FUN!"
"Look over there, Kaden," I said while pulling his sled up
the incline as he sat on it. Off to the side, Shredder - our
family dog - was bounding and frolicking in the snow. "You
see the doggie? Yeah, that's Shredder, isn't it? Yeah.
Shredder looks like he is having a good old time right now."
A very light snow fell like powdered sugar through a
sifter and the faint scent of cedar was laced throughout the
crisp, winter air. A beautiful blanket of crystal white snow
covered every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight!
With the high amount of accumulation over the past 36 hours, I
thought today would be the perfect time to introduce Kaden to
the thrills and joys of snowboarding. Pamela was quick to
volunteer her help, so we decided to take him out to an open
area here on our 300-acre farm and have some fun.
Kaden was still a toddler, though, and of course we were
taking every precaution to ensure his safety. Pamela and I
were not about to let him go down the hill, no matter how
small or non-threatening it was, on his own just yet. He
would have our supervisory eyes on him at all times.
On a side note, I also wanted Piper, my 15-month-old
daughter with Pamela, to come along for the fun, too. But
Piper had developed a small case of the sniffles just this
afternoon, unfortunately, and we decided to keep her warm
and cozy inside the mansion with Kristanna and all of the
others. Piper, who absolutely loved playing in the snow,
would get her opportunity soon enough.
"Oh, I just got pelted with a snowball," I chuckled once
at the top of the embankment. "Can you believe that, Kaden?
Of all the mean and hateful things..." Pamela squealed and
tried to run off, having dinged my neck with a projectile, as
I then told Kaden, "SOMEONE is about to get white-washed."
I chased after my wife and she circled around a tree.
Once within range, I reared back and flung a snowball at
Pamela. Oh, that was a _better_ than perfect throw...
"JEREMY!"
"Nailed her right in the back of the head!" I roared
in mock triumph, both arms raised, as I glanced back at
Kaden. He bounced and shuffled about atop his sled, clearly
enjoying the playfulness that Pamela and I were displaying.
"You know what I think is funny, Kaden?" I asked as I made
my way back to him. "It is downright HILARIOUS when a pretty
girl like Pamela tries to throw a snowball. It is so cute!"
"I love you anyway!" Pamela laughed, again throwing a
snowball, and this time blasting me in the chest with it.
"Even though you can be cruel and degrading!"
"Ott co co!" Kaden muttered, standing up and pointing at
Pamela. I was about to fling another snowball at Pamela,
but Kaden's words put an end to that idea. "Ott co co!"
"Oh, I got some hot cocoa for you," Pamela told him,
reaching for the insulated thermos mixed with our bag of
supplies. "Let me test it, make sure it's not too hot."
She took a sip and proclaimed, "It's perfect."
Kaden grabbed the thermos and held it with both hands,
then sipped down a nice dose of hot chocolate. Meanwhile,
I leapt on my own snowboard and zipped down the hill much
faster than before, toppling over and taking a header in the
process (on purpose, of course).
Pamela let out a fun-spirited scream as a result and
yelled down at me with a laugh, "You alright, Jeremy?"
My face buried in five inches of snow, I stood up with a
grin of my own and dusted myself off. "Major head trauma!"
When I returned to the top, Kaden was still working on
the delicious drink. "Oh, you love hot cocoa, don't you?"
"Ott co co," Kaden told me in response. Ahhhh... the
priceless, adorable ramblings of a 19-month-old baby.
"You are so cute!" Pamela gushed at Kaden. "Why are you
so cute? Oh, I love you!"
"Ott co co! OTT CO CO!"
"You going to save some of that for me?" I wondered.
"Yeah," he answered.
Snow swirled around us as I sheltered and warmed Kaden.
This time, Pamela took a running start, hopped onto her
sled and went bumping down the incline. I could not help
but to laugh when, after spinning around on the snowboard,
Pamela lost her balance and crash-landed on her backside.
Full of embarrassment, she looked back up at me with the
sweetest, most adorable expression ever.
"Do it again!" I called out to her.
"Why is this so fun?" Pamela merrily giggled.
"You want to go down the hill?" I asked Kaden.
"YEEEEEAH!" was his emphatic response. After putting the
thermos of hot chocolate back with our supplies, I pushed off
and we went dashing through the snow (albeit in slow motion).
I held Kaden with both arms to my chest, then tipped over and
rolled about in the snow. "Oh no, Kaden!" I exclaimed at him
in mock terror. "Oh no, we crashed!" Then, I felt something
from behind. When was this girl going to learn her lesson?
"Who hit me in the butt with a snowball?" I growled with a
chuckle, turning and noticing that Pamela, full of guilt (and
clearly afraid of any retaliation), was already running away
from me. "Come back here... you butt snowballer you!"
Oh, what a fun afternoon the three of us had together...
* * *
Trish and I took Jackson, our precious son who was born
less than three weeks ago, for his first-ever appointment at
the pediatrician this past Monday. But even prior to that,
Trish had noticed that Jackson seemed to have difficulty
latching onto her left breast whenever she breast-fed him.
In fact, Jackson preferred her right breast exclusively, and
would shy away from the left whenever nudged toward it. We
did some research over the weekend and mutually agreed that a
trip to the doctor on Monday was the best thing for our son.
As luck would have it, the appointment was already set.
Jackson got a full examination and the doctor noticed
that he was slightly tilting his head to one side. He told
us not to worry or fret; he could have a common condition in
newborns called congenital torticollis. Basically, a baby
diagnosed with this has a muscular issue with their neck.
Congenital torticollis is when the baby's head is routinely
tilted to one side while the chin is turned toward the other.
While it may sound potentially painful or uncomfortable for
the baby, the doctor implored to us that it was not.
This could have been caused by any number of factors, but
the most common was the way the baby was positioned in the
uterus during development (with the head tilted to one side)
or because the neck muscles were damaged during delivery.
The doctor ordered a _CT scan_ for later that day at the
local hospital and referred us to a licensed chiropractor.
Trish was quite hesitant about taking our infant son to a
chiropractor, but the pediatrician (who we trusted, since he
was also Kaden and Dani Grace's doctor) gave her a glowing
recommendation and told us to set any preconceived notions
aside. He said that this chiropractor specialized in caring
for babies and that her work was top-notch, and she was the
best person to take Jackson to. The chiropractor actually
had an appointment slot available the following day, Tuesday,
so Trish and I took the pediatrician's word for it and agreed
that we would bring our son to see her.
But first, we did a lot of research on the Internet about
congenital torticollis and treatment options that evening,
and specifically the pros and cons of using a chiropractor.
We also read reviews about the chiropractor herself and her
practice on various reputable websites. Of all the comments
Trish and I read, absolutely none were negative. It gave us
a definite sense of relief about the whole situation.
The chiropractor conferred with the pediatrician and
reviewed the _CT scan_, then gave Jackson an initial
examination. She asked us about when Jackson was born,
and if his arm wax extended a certain way during delivery.
We responded it was, and she said it matched up with what
she was thinking and seeing with the medical report.
Sure enough, the chiropractor diagnosed Jackson with a
very mild form of congenital torticollis. Muscles on one
side of his neck were pulling down while on the other, they
were loose and stretched, which caused him to tilt his head
awkwardly. The greater issue was that the problem seemed to
originate in his shoulder. It was tense, she told us, and
that was where the pulling was coming from.
The chiropractor reiterated that Jackson's torticollis was
very mild and not severe, and there was no reason to worry.
Jackson did not have a lump on the side of his neck, which
often signified a more severe case of torticollis. It was
very treatable and should not take long to fix. Still, Trish
was very upset and distraught. So was I. What parent wants
to hear that their newborn child has a birth defect?
The chiropractor began with a massage and made a couple
of adjustments which did not seem to faze Jackson at all.
In fact, he had been fussy and was crying beforehand, but
immediately became all happy and mellow once the massage
started. The adjustments were very gentle and soothing.
By the end of his treatment, Jackson was so relaxed and
content that he actually fell asleep during the session.
It was pretty amazing, not to mention educational.
The chiropractor said that she wanted to see Jackson twice
a week from this point forward until the muscles in his neck
were properly aligned and the tightness in his shoulder was
gone. She also advised us that we would see an immediate
improvement in Jackson, perhaps even as early as that day.
Trish's job moving forward was to guide Jackson toward her
left breast during feeding time and try to encourage him to
latch onto it instead of always her right.
The chiropractor also said that we wanted to provide as
many opportunities as possible for Jackson to turn his head to
the side that he normally does not turn to. She suggested,
for example, that we lay Jackson on the changing table while
always standing to his left. For him to look at us, he would
have to turn his head to his non-preferred side. It would be
good for his neck. Also, she wanted us to hang his toys on
the left side above his crib. She also suggested plenty of
_tummy time_ for him when he was awake as it would help
develop and strengthen the muscles in his neck, and loosen up
his shoulder. Everything she suggested made a lot of sense.
Finally, Trish and I were shown a couple of stretching and
positioning exercises that the chiropractor wanted us to
perform on Jackson six times per day. The moves were not
complicated, but both of us made certain we were comfortable
and well versed in doing them before leaving the facility.
Like the pediatrician, the chiropractor told us not to
worry. She was going to cure Jackson and insisted that he
felt no pain or discomfort at all. His torticollis was not
severe, it was moderate, and very treatable.
The following day, I took Lindsay and our daughter, Kaylee,
to the doctor for her two week examination. Fortunately,
Kaylee was given a clean bill of health by the pediatrician.
I do not know how I would have reacted if I was told that
both newborns had a medical issue; hearing about one was bad
enough. There were also three other babies ruling the house,
all a bit older - Kaden (19 months), Piper (15 months) and
Dani Grace (7 months), with two more due in April in the form
of Dylan (Scarlett's baby) and Ariel (Kristanna's second).
I shudder to think of being the father of seven children
all under the age of two. It would be a daunting task, but
in no way was I complaining or wishing things were different.
I welcomed the challenge. I welcomed the idea of being a
father so many times over. It was just going to be a lot of
hard, stressful work, and many sleepless nights. All six
(and soon to be seven) of my wives wanted to have kids of
their own, and I was not about to deny them that opportunity.
Children were definitely the primary focus of our family now.
Hell, even Alison - Lindsay's younger sister who had
recently moved in with us and was finding her niche in the
family - wanted to have a baby. Or three. Lindsay had
already told her 19-year-old sibling that I would impregnate
her when the time was right. Not tomorrow or next week, or a
month from now, Lindsay promised her, but a year or two down
the road if everything went smooth and according to plan. It
was good to know that Lindsay was making such important,
life-altering decisions for me without even consulting me
first. My wife promised her very own sister that I would get
her pregnant? That does not sound right. At all.
(Yes, I was angry at Lindsay for telling Alison that.)
And not only that, but Lindsay also had aspirations of
Alison and I getting married one day too...
* * *
My eyes went wide as Kristanna licked a small dollop of
nonfat yogurt from the lip of her smoothie cup. I suppose
I should not have really had such a reaction... but _damn_.
The visual sent a flash of heat to my face that radiated
downward. Kristanna licking things... was quite alluring.
Flustered, I scrambled to come up with something normal
to discuss. "We kind of missed you outside either, Krissy.
Me, Pamela and Kaden - sledding, playing around in the snow.
Would've been so much better if you could have been with us."
Kristanna grinned and rubbed her eight month baby bump
with both hands. "Trust me, I would have preferred to be
out there with the three of you as well. I was watching in
the voyeur room, at least. Kaden seemed to have a really
good time, which was the whole idea."
"What do you think about all the snow we got?"
Kristanna shrugged her shoulders and smiled at me. "I've
always liked the snow. Give me a blanket and a good book
and I'm in Heaven. Something about the snow just makes me
want to, I don't know, curl up. Stay in. Snuggle."
The conjured image within my mind was more than enough to
bring a smile to my face. Outside, the snow had ceased and
the roads had been cleared, but it was still very cold and
the wind had really picked up in the past few hours. Right
now, it certainly was not pleasant conditions to be out in.
Yet, Kristanna had this knack of driving any negative
thoughts from my head. I was no longer worried about what
impact the snowstorm would have on the farm, or that I really
needed to go to the dry cleaners.
Kristanna, as usual, was able to see the wheels spinning
in my head. She could read and gauge my thoughts like no
one else could. "What? What's that smile about, Jeremy?
Are you judging me right now for being snuggly?"
"Not at all," I replied absently. "I... I like the snow
too, I suppose. Takes me back to my childhood years." We
stared at each other for a moment before Kristanna turned to
look at our 19-month-old son, Kaden, who was entertaining
himself on the floor with a pail full of plastic blocks.
"You doing okay over there, wild man?"
Kaden turned and looked at his mother with a big grin.
"Yeah!" That was his favorite, most-used word. Kaden must
have said it at least 100 times per day, if not much more.
"Why don't you tell Daddy what you saw outside the window
this morning?" Kristanna asked him, only to receive a
quizzical look in response. "Remember when you woke up?
What did you see, Kaden? What was outside your window?"
She paused, but Kaden still stared at her in total silence.
"Was it a bird?" Suddenly, he nodded his head vigorously.
"Did you see a bird? Can you say bird? Say... bird."
"Bur?"
"Good job!" she encouraged him. "Say it again. Say bird."
"Bur!"
"And what did the bird say? What did the bird say? It
said... chirp-chirp, and it flew away."
"Yeah!"
"Probably went home to its nest, to avoid the cold. What
do you think, Kaden? Did the bird go home?"
"Yeah!"
"You want to show Daddy the new song that you learned this
morning, too?" Kristanna asked Kaden, and he nodded. "Help
me off the sofa," Kristanna requested of me, and I held her
hand as she slid down to the floor with her legs folded
beneath her. Remember, she was eight months pregnant with
our second child. "Come over here, Kaden." When he did,
Kristanna grasped hands with him. "Okay. Ready? Do you
want to do it yourself, or do you want Mommy to help?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Ready?" Kristanna proceeded to move Kaden's hands
to each of his body parts as she sang in a quick, rapid-fire
verse. "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
knees and toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and
toes, knees and toes... eyes, ears, mouth and nose!" Having
his arms jerked about so wildly sent Kaden into a laughing
fit as he stumbled about and tried to keep his balance.
"Wow," I said in awe, grinning at my son. "Did you learn
that song just this morning? I bet you taught it to Mommy?
Didn't you? I bet you taught that song to Mommy."
"Yeah!"
"Okay, one more time," Kristanna told him. "Ready? Do it
good. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees
and toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, eyes. Where's
your eyes? Where's your eyes, Kaden?"
"Eyes," he squealed, covering them with both hands.
"Eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Yay!"
When Kristanna released Kaden's arms and hands, I swept
the little guy up and peppered him with hugs and kisses. I
could not help but to assault and tickle his stomach either,
which of course sent him into another wild, happy rampage.
Kristanna looked on and smiled at our little exchange.
"Kaden is in the middle of learning what all the body parts
are. He's learning what a belly button is, he's learning
our nose, our mouth, but he just really likes the eyes."
"Tell me about it," I chuckled, as Kaden tried to poke
at my eyes as if on cue. "No," I then told him. "You can't
do that. That's not nice! No, Kaden. No."
"Eyes!" he roared.
"He really likes to poke and prod at Jackson and Kaylee,
but we need to keep a watch on him at all times. But you
know what? He's been really good with both of them so far."
"Kaden likes having Jackson and Kaylee as guinea pigs."
"BAY-BEEEEE!" Kaden roared upon hearing their names.
"I was the guinea pig for all of my cousins when I was
growing up. I was the youngest. I got poked and prodded
all the time, but I turned out fine." Kristanna then gasped
and held back a laugh. "You want to know what Cousin Silje
did to me with a drill once? Oh, it was awful. She like,
almost literally drilled my butt! I was wearing overalls
and Silje took the drill, turned it on, and it went through
my overalls." Kristanna paused, perhaps contemplating the
childhood memory. "That could have been some major damage!"
"It's not like your butt hasn't been drilled since."
"JEREMY!" Kristanna giggled, violently smacking my knee.
"Oh, you are so TERRIBLE! Just terrible!"
After releasing Kaden and allowing him to return to his
toy blocks, I rested my chin on my palm and simply stared at
Kristanna for several seconds. I was proud of my prior joke,
yes, and should have expounded on it, but God... Kristanna
was gorgeous. Color suddenly dusted her cheeks and her eyes
softened as she realized that I was admiring her. What better
sight could I enjoy than that of my vibrant, darling wife, a
full eight months into her pregnancy? "Your hair is up
today," I gently mused. "You don't have it up very often."
"I'm not as creative as Pamela or Devon when it comes to
hair fashion, but I try my best."
"You don't have to try hard." Silent, Kristanna looked at
at me before offering a shy, little smile. It was not all
that often when I could actually get Kristanna to blush, but
I had succeeded here. A personal triumph for me, indeed.
Plus, I even had her speechless. That was a first!
"I could have very easily went into the cow business a
long time ago," I heard Pamela say from behind us. I turned,
only to find her and Scarlett making their way into the den.
Pamela had a cowboy hat atop her head and was busy adjusting
it. "Look how irresistible I am right now."
"Did they have any farms in Maryland where you grew up?"
Scarlett, a life-long resident of Norway, inquired. "I am
sorry, but I do not know much about the United States."
"Not really in the area where I lived, no," Pamela told
her. "I was more of a city girl."
"I really, truly have to agree with you about one thing
you just said, Pamela," Kristanna chimed in.
"Oh? What's that?"
"You are infinitely irresistible." Kristanna let loose
with her most honest, sincere smile, which she seemed to
reserve for select, rare occasions. The effect on Pamela was
immediately noticeable. Eventually, Pamela slowly smiled
back at the one woman that she undoubtedly loved more than
any other in the whole, wide world.
"Such a sweet-talker, Krissy."
"That's not even my best line."
"Wow."
Kristanna tilted her head from side to side. "I know."
"How about you wrap your legs around my head so I can wear
you like the crown you are?"
Pamela stared at Scarlett, slack-jawed, and her attempt at
a pick-up line. "Oh honey, that's awful. Just awful."
"A guy used that on me once years ago," Scarlett giggled.
"I would've given him a swift kick in the balls," Kristanna
deadpanned. "That... is beyond awful."
"Hi buddy!" Pamela swooned, as she went over to Kaden and
leaned down, giving him a big embrace. Scarlett made her way
to Kristanna and a placed a hand atop her shoulder as she
continued to relax upon the floor. I momentarily focused on
both pregnant women, one my wife and the other my fiancee,
as a feeling of adoration and extreme warmth filled my soul.
I absolutely loved seeing Kristanna and Scarlett together,
knowing that there was a baby growing and nurturing in each
of them that I had helped create. It was mind-boggling.
"Did you like that lunch that Devon fixed for you earlier?"
Pamela asked Kaden, who nodded his head quite rapidly in
response. "Grilled chicken strips with ranch dressing? That
sounds awfully delicious! Why didn't you give me some?"
"He dipped it in ketchup, of course," I grinned.
"Of course," Pamela agreed. "His favorite food."
"What'd you think of the chicken, Kaden?" Kristanna added.
"Is Devvy a good cook? Did you like the chicken?"
"Yeah!"
"Was it yummy?"
"Yeah!"
"Taste good?"
"Yeah!"
Kristanna giggled. "Was it disgusting?"
"Yeah!"
That, of course, elicited a laugh from everyone.
"Tell Krissy and Jeremy about what happened when you went
to the grocery store earlier," Scarlett suggested to Pamela.
"You know, what you told me."
"What happened, Pamela?" Kristanna asked, curious.
Pamela took a step back and leaned against the end table
as if she was ready to go into story mode. "Sometimes you
have bad experiences, and sometimes you have truly wonderful
experiences when you are out and about with strangers. And
this morning when I was grocery shopping, I had Piper with me
in the cart and it was full, but I was having fun. Piper was
really sweet and cute and I just felt, it was good to be out,
just her and me able to enjoy the day together."
"As I was shopping, there was a lady that had three kids
and a newborn, probably no older than Jackson or Kaylee, in her
swaddle. I kept passing her, going up and down the aisles."
Pamela flung her right hand about several times, and then let
out a long sigh. "Oh, I'm shaky just thinking about it." My
eyes narrowed at that. What was Pamela going toward here?
"Then, as I was checking out, the cashier was scanning all
of my groceries and I said, I'm not going to be fit all of
the bags and whatnot in the cart with Piper in it, too. I
needed another cart. Another customer in the next lane must
have overheard me and ran off to grab a cart, so I could have
another one." Pamela actually teared up a bit and added,
"That was so nice of her. She didn't have to do that."
"And then that lady I saw that had that brand new baby, she
was like, I drove 45 minutes through the snow, I don't have
it. She did not have her identification, but she had a check.
She was trying to pay for her groceries with a check, but the
store would not accept it unless they could verify it with her
ID. She was in the checkout lane right next to mine."
"And I... saw her tearing up, and she started taking the
groceries out of her cart." Pamela nearly broke down and
began sobbing while continuing, "And I just... she had a brand
new baby. One, she probably wasn't feeling very well. That
baby was new. Two, she had three other little kids with her.
She had drove 45 minutes, couldn't buy the groceries that she
probably didn't even want to go out into town to buy anyway."
"And I hurried and grabbed my wallet, I ran over to her
register and I was like Piper, you sit, don't you move, because
she kept trying to climb out of the cart. I told her, I would
love to buy your groceries for you, and she... started bawling.
I bought her groceries and she goes, you cannot buy, that was a
full cart, let me get your information so I can pay you back."
Pamela was fighting tears again. "It was not even about the
money. It was a gesture that I wanted to do for someone else.
And I would hope that someone would do that for me if the roles
were reversed and I was in that situation."
"Oh Pamela, you have me tearing up too," Kristanna quaked.
"That was such a wonderful thing to do! I am sure the woman
was so appreciative. Luckily for her, the great and awesome
Pamela [Last Name] was there to step in and save the day."
She shook her head. "Oh my God, Pamela. Bless your heart."
When Kristanna extended her right arm, Pamela immediately
stepped forward and leaned over so they could embrace and hug
on each other. "I love you," Kristanna told her. "You're
the best, girl. You really are. You're the best..."
I looked on and simply smiled. Although stories like that
typically did not cause me to become all sappy and emotional,
I felt as if it was a nice gesture regardless. It made me
incredibly proud to have Pamela as my wife. Indeed, she had
come to that woman's rescue.
"I put Jackson in his crib and he fell asleep about 15 or
20 minutes ago," Scarlett said to me, suddenly switching
topics. "Trish has had a rough couple of days, you know, and
I told her I would put Jackson down for his nap. I drew
Trish a hot bubble bath and insisted that she stay in there
for an hour or two, and just relax. Have some _me time_, you
know? With Jackson being diagnosed with torticollis, Trish
has been really upset and not herself the past few days."
Kristanna was frowning, which was not normal. Her mutual
embrace with Pamela had since concluded. "Trish, for some
reason, blames herself for Jackson's condition."
"Trish seemed down and depressed earlier," Pamela mewed.
"Like life had run or over, or something."
"You want to go and check on her, Jeremy?" Scarlett asked.
"I know Jackson is your son too, and it must be difficult.
No parent wants to hear their newborn has a medical issue,
even if it is a very minor one."
"It's rough," I admitted, nodding my head. "But I have
faith in the doctors. Jackson is already doing better, and
he just saw the chiropractor three days ago for the first
time. Trish said he actually fed on both sides overnight.
We have been giving him neck and shoulder massages several
times a day just as the doctor instructed us to."
"His next appointment is tomorrow?" Kristanna clarified.
"Yes."
"It's supposed to snow again overnight."
"I don't care if there is three feet of snow on the ground
tomorrow," I countered. "Jackson is going to the doctor for
his therapy session. That's what four-wheel drive is for."
"You want to go and check on Trish?" Scarlett asked again.
"I can do that," I nodded, already having stood up. Kaden
quickly rumbled over to me, however, and latched onto my leg
as if he was a lost puppy. My heart fluttered as Kristanna
pried him away; he began to cry and get upset.
"Daddy has to go and talk to Trish," she told our son,
trying to get him to calm down. So far, though, it was not
happening. Scarlett quickly reached for one of Kaden's
coloring books and dangled it before him. "How about you
and I color?" Kristanna then asked him. "You want to color
with Mommy? Maybe Aunt Scar-Scar too?" He nodded his head,
although still unhappy. "Oh... don't be a Mr. Cranky Pants,
Kaden. No one likes a Mr. Cranky Pants! Daddy has to step
away for a bit, but he will be back soon enough."
I crouched down in front of him. "I will be back, bud.
I promise." I smiled and added, "Can you give me a hug?"
When he did, all seemed right in the world again.
Before going to the master bedroom, where Trish was
supposedly lounging in the whirlpool jacuzzi within the
adjacent washroom, I decided to take a quick detour and
head toward one of the many nurseries in our estate.
That was a horrible mistake, though, as I found Lindsay
sitting with our daughter, Kaylee, in the rocking chair.
You see, I was still really upset at Lindsay right now.
And she knew it. This morning, Lindsay told her younger
sister, Alison, that I would be more than willing to get her
pregnant one day in the future when the _time was right_.
It was odd enough that my wife's very own sister was
staying in our home, and was aiming to start both personal
and intimate relationships with others in the family. While
some were more eager for that process to start than others,
did I really want this, personally, long-term?
Alison was definitely a forbidden fruit come to life for
me, for us; a great fantasy. Being sexually intimate with
Alison was something that I had dreamed about since the very
first time I met her. But now that it was a reality, did I
really want to carry on with my wife's sister? After all,
didn't I have enough women in my life already? Did I really
need another? Did the other ladies, such as Kristanna and
Trish, not have enough feminine spice in their life, either?
Plus, this just seemed... wrong. Alison was Lindsay's
sister. Yet I had visions and aspirations of making love
to both of them... at the same time. Indeed, it was wrong.
But it also felt so right. And natural. And very exciting.
Lindsay was actually encouraging and pushing for things with
her sister to progress. She wanted Alison to be part of our
family, our inner circle. Lindsay had actually spoke about
Alison being a wife here. Honestly, I was dazed and confused
about the whole situation. I did not know what to think.
With so much uncertainty swirling throughout my head, I was
thrown for a loop - and greatly offended - when Lindsay all
but promised Alison that one day, I would get her pregnant.
She spoke flippantly, like it was no big deal. I stormed out
on Lindsay earlier this morning after she made the proclamation
and had not spoken to Alison since, either. Alison was not to
blame, of course, but I was so incredibly upset over
everything. I kind of lumped her in with Lindsay, so to speak.
And now, as I intended to check on Jackson before seeking
out Trish, I had come face-to-face with Lindsay in the nursery
for the first time since our little blow-up this morning. I
still did not want to talk to Lindsay, or even associate with
her at the time being to be perfectly honest, and made that
point abundantly clear as I all but ignored her while hurrying
over to Jackson's crib. The little guy was fast asleep.
But as I stood there, I could not help but to glance up
and notice via the mirror on the wall in front of me that
Lindsay was suddenly stewing, holding Kaylee with one arm
and inspecting her cell phone with the other. Anything, I
suppose, to not to have to talk to me. The tension in the
room, as you may imagine, was incredibly thick.
It was uncharacteristic of me to engage in an argument
with any of the ladies in my life, but Lindsay had really
gotten under my skin with what she said to Alison earlier.
Lindsay was still really young, I constantly had to remind
myself (only 21), and sometimes did not always use the
proper amount of thought before saying something. Still,
that was no excuse for her. None whatsoever.
Finally, as the silence ticked on, I could not stand the
cold any longer. Because no matter how I sliced it, Lindsay
was still my wife and I loved her dearly. That, and how
could I possibly stay angry at her for any long period of
time? She had just given birth to Kaylee and her body, her
hormones, were in chaos, and still needed a few more weeks
before everything returned to normal. Lindsay had nearly
exhausted herself in taking care of Kaylee and tending to
her every infantile whim since the moment she had been born.
I knew that Lindsay was tired and felt sluggish, and was not
in the best of spirits. Suddenly, I began to feel guilty.
How could I have possibly snapped at her earlier like I did?
I frowned, eyeing Lindsay via the mirror. "You and I are
still fighting, aren't we?"
Lindsay glanced up and made eye contact with me via the
mirror, her expression devoid of any emotion. "Yeah, I
think we are." And she went right back to her phone.
After a long pause, I pressed forward. "You know, I'm
not enjoying the fight as much as I was hoping to."
When Lindsay sighed and her face softened, I saw the girl
underneath. She obviously had the same conflicting thoughts
that I did. "Yeah, it's missing some of the - I don't know -
aggression. I'm trying to hate you, Jeremy, because of how
you treated me earlier. Really I am. But I can't."
"Ditto. And for the record, I shouldn't have blown off
your sister the way I did earlier, too."
"No, you shouldn't have. It was very rude and unlike you
at all." Lindsay sighed again. "And I shouldn't go talking
on your behalf, I guess, like I did to Alison earlier. I'm
just glad that Alison is finally here with us and trying to
find a place in the family, in our lives. Trying to build
new relationships because this - being here with us - is
something that she has secretly wanted for a long time.
Alison has wanted it since the day Trish and I got married in
Ohio. The wedding really opened her eyes to our way of life.
I guess, I don't know... I jumped the gun a little too soon
earlier with what I said. I... I'm really sorry, Jeremy."
"Apology accepted, honey. And I am sorry as well."
"So can we go back to being best friends, lovers, husband
and wife who aren't so reluctantly hateful to each other?"
I finally turned toward her and felt a smile tugging at
the corner of my mouth. "I'm agreeable to that." I looked
down at Jackson one last time. He was out like a light,
tightly swaddled up in a warm blanket. Jackson was fine.
Thus, I made my way over to Lindsay and hugged her from
the side. She returned it by setting her cell phone down
and rubbing my arm. Next, I focused on our daughter, Kaylee.
Her little eyes sort of flashed and she gurgled while looking
up at me. "Oh, Kaylee is so precious," I murmured.
"I think she is ready for a nap," Lindsay mused, rocking
her with both arms. "Are you ready for a nap?" she asked
Kaylee, smiling sweetly and twirling her head about. "Who
is that here with us? Is that Daddy? Yeah, that's Daddy."
"I love you," I told Kaylee, kissing her forehead.
"Mommy loves you too!" Lindsay swooned at her. "You're
Mommy's little angel! Daddy's little angel, too."
"I was told that Trish was taking a bubble bath," were my
next words. "Do you know if she is still in it?"
Lindsay nodded. "Yeah. She's in the tub."
"I'm going to check on her." I kissed Lindsay on the
cheek, then planted another on Kaylee's forehead. But then,
I shifted attention back to my youngest bride. "You and I
need to sit down and talk later, honey, about this whole
situation with your sister."
"Okay," she agreed.
It was just a few moments later when, after stepping into
the master bedroom, I heard the sound of running water from
the adjacent washroom. Figuring that Trish was refreshing
her hot water in the jacuzzi and may enjoy a drink, I went
over to the mini refrigerator and poured her a glass of
cherry _Kool-Aid_ (her beverage of choice). I then knocked
twice on the door to the washroom. "Trish? Sweetheart?"
"Jeremy? Come on in."
"_Kool-Aid_ delivery boy," I said as I entered, but then
stopped short at the image I saw before me. Why was it so
startling to me - not to mention erotic - that Trish was in
the tub? Wasn't I supposed to know and realize that already?
After all, Trish was in the middle of a bubble bath. I felt
my face flush red with embarrassment as various other portions
of my body began to tingle and stir with desire.
"Stop it," Trish admonished me, but with a grin. "I'm
covered with bubbles and totally decent. This is PG stuff."
Indeed, this was true. She was, but the fact Trish was also
completely nude beneath that thin layer of soapy, sudsy water
had both my mind and my body on high alert. It was an overly
sensual image that made my heart beat just a tick faster.
My job was to be here for Trish, to offer support, not to
imagine her naked in the bathtub. She had been feeling down
and depressed since Jackson's visit and subsequent diagnosis
at the doctor's office. But I could not control my reaction
simply because it was a very powerful one.
Trish tilted her head and stared back at me strangely,
almost curiously. Did I actually miss a question?
"I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
"I was just wondering about that _Kool-Aid_," Trish
answered, motioning toward the glass I held in my hand.
"When I was in kindergarten, we learned to share."
"Right. The _Kool-Aid_." I closed the short distance
between us and offered the glass to Trish. Yet my mouth
went dry and my brain ceased working as I glimpsed tops of
breasts peeking out from beneath the bubbles.
Was it due to the fact that I had not been sexually
intimate with Trish in over three weeks? She was under
strict orders from her physician to avoid any and all sexual
activity until six weeks had passed after Jackson was born.
Trish's body, much like Lindsay's, needed time to heal and
recover from the rigors and the trauma of giving birth. Had
I been longing to be with Trish so much in recent weeks, yet
not being able to, that coming across her in the bubble bath
triggered a unique reaction within me?
"Thank you." Trish took a slow sip from the glass and
closed her eyes. And whether she intended it to be or not,
I found the move incredibly exhilarating, which meant that
it would probably be best if I got out of here in a hurry.
I could not take much more of this divine torture.
"I'll let you continue to soak for awhile."
"Stay," Trish said as I retreated. "We can just talk."
I turned around slowly. "That's not what would happen if
I let myself stay." My eyes drifted downward, toward the
bubbles that concealed her luscious breasts. "Seeing you
like this... I can barely control myself. But I have to."
Trish met my lingering gaze and I immediately knew that
she understood my viewpoint, my desires, my frustrations.
Her eyes darkened and her lips parted slightly in response
to the implication. The heat between us seemed to suck all
the air from the space around us. Not too long after, the
quiet room was overflowing with thick, potent sexual tension.
"I'll let myself out," I murmured.
Trish only nodded.
Upset, I felt like punching a hole in the wall or knocking
over a lamp in the bedroom. How could I act so childish and
immature around Trish? Had I forgotten the reason why I even
sought her out in the first place? I wanted to ask if Trish
was okay and reassure any doubts she had concerning Jackson.
Instead, all I could do was gawk at Trish as if I was in
junior high, having just stumbled across my father's secret
stash of _Playboy_ magazines for the very first time. Our son
was not right. Didn't I have more self-restraint than this?
I had done my best to fight it, and keep a calm, level
approach. That was my job, my role, in the family. Everyone
always seemed to look to me for the answers. I did my best
to stay positive. Jackson was going to get through this fine,
I tried to convince myself, and grow up perfectly healthy.
But I had doubts. Damn it, I had doubts. What if his
torticollis worsened, and he was forced to wear a metal
helmet nearly 24 hours a day for six months or longer to
properly align his head? What if Jackson did not respond
enough to the ongoing massage treatment, and the doctor
eventually decided that the only course of action would be
to perform surgery on the muscles in his neck? Surgery may
have only happened in the most rare and extreme cases, but
it was still a possibility, right? How could any parent
cope with the idea of their baby child undergoing surgery?
Knives cutting into your newborn's neck and shoulders?
Frustration at the way I acted in front of Trish, combined
with the erupting worry and anger over our son's condition...
something inside of me snapped. A desktop lamp went flying,
courtesy of my hand, and slammed into the far wall with a
thundering crash, having been shattered into pieces.
A loud shriek came from within the washroom, accompanied
by the sound of water being frantically splashed about. A
few seconds later, Trish emerged from behind the door with a
towel haphazardly wrapped around her torso, a look of extreme
fright and worry upon her face. Soapy water was dripping from
her body and puddling onto the carpet around her. I sighed and
hung my head low, painfully aware that yet again, I had screwed
up. There was absolutely no reason for me destroy the lamp.
"JEREMY!" Trish exclaimed, full of concern. "What... what
happened? What was that noise? ARE YOU OKAY?"
I glanced up, ashamed and emotionally hurt, then took a
deep breath and motioned toward the busted lamp laying upon
the floor. For a moment, Trish was lost, confused. She
looked at the lamp, me, then the lamp again, and finally
focused on me. "What happened?"
"I just want... Jackson... to be better."
"Oh Je-Jeremy," Trish suddenly sobbed, bringing a hand to
her mouth. Just like that, she broke down and I immediately
wrapped my arms around her in a warm, soothing embrace. Trish
buried her face upon my shoulder and wept openly. She clearly
had her doubts as well, but was doing her best to put on a
good front and stay strong, stay positive, about the situation.
Yet my childish antics tore through her facade and, because of
my own doing, I had an upset, crying wife to deal with.
"Jackson will be fine," I offered, unsure if the person
that I was attempting to convince more was actually Trish or
myself. But I had to stand tall and be the flag-bearer. It
was my role, my duty, in the family. "The chiropractor did
not seem concerned at all; she was pretty confident that
Jackson's condition will be taken care of in due time."
"Yeah," Trish sniffed. "But what if it's n-not?"
"It will be," I promised, before guiding her over to the
edge of the bed. It did not matter to me that Trish was
soaking wet or that she had left a trail of soapy bubbles in
her wake. I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her
into my lap regardless. The bed quilt and the linen sheets
underneath, if necessary, could be washed later on. It would
not be a problem at all. The only thing that did matter to
me right now was getting my wife to relax and calm down.
"I cannot believe that there is something wrong with our
baby," Trish mewed, as I now held the side of her face to my
chest. "Nothing is supposed to be wrong with our baby! None
of the other babies have had any issues like this at all..."
Meanwhile, I was trembling with anger. Not at Trish or
because of Jackson's condition, mind you; but rather at
myself. Would Trish be crying and all upset right now if I
did not go full maniac and destroy the lamp?
"He will be fine," I insisted yet again, my voice soft.
When Trish nodded her head in agreement, I leaned down and
pecked the very tip of her nose with a kiss.
Despite those bleary eyes, the 33-year-old then offered me
that dazzling, billboard-worthy smile of hers. Trish's smile,
always so genuine and pure, was striking. It was so pretty;
a true beacon of light. It could melt a million hearts. It
could also drive nearly all of my negative emotions away.
"Have you checked on Jackson recently?" Trish asked me.
"Scarlett said she was going to put him down for his nap.
I left him with her about 45, maybe 50 minutes ago."
"I was in the nursery just before coming in here," were
my words. "Jackson was fast asleep. Lindsay was in there
with Kaylee too, and was about to lay her down as well.
Scarlett is in the den right now with Krissy and Pamela. I
imagine all three of them are playing with Kaden."
"Lindsay?" Trish murmured, raising an eyebrow at me. "Are
you still not talking to her?"
I chuckled gently. "It is near impossible to stay upset
at Lindsay for any true length of time. You know that full
well, Trish. She and I kissed and made up... sort of."
"I know it's different, it's strange and very unique, but
so is our family, Jeremy. You have six wives. At the end of
next week, you will have seven. I have a husband and five
wives myself. Our family is so unique, but we have always
been open to different ideas, different things that most
others simply would not condone or even understand."
Trish paused, but then continued on, "Alison has apparently
been bi-curious for a very long time and I can assure you,
Jeremy, that she has a massive crush on you. She always has.
Remember, Lindsay and I used to get on video chat every week
with Alison while we played _Grand Theft Auto_ and other online
games. I actually got to know Alison really well over _Skype_
video chat. She's not as shy as she seems once you get to know
her. But what better place for Alison to explore her newfound
desires and curiosity than here in Norway, with our family?
All of us feel an attraction for her. Alison also knows, no
matter what, none of us will hurt her. None of us would ever
take advantage of her. This is the perfect environment for
Alison to dabble and explore. The fact that she is Lindsay's
sister... just makes the idea all the more exciting to me. I
just hope it can be... something long-lasting."
"I bet you've been thinking about what it would be like to
have sex with Lindsay and Alison at the same time."
Trish giggled at my assumption. "I want to have sex with
Lindsay and ALL THREE of her sisters at the same time!" She
giggled again. "But that will never happen, unfortunately."
With an aura of positive energy suddenly flowing amongst
us, I stood up from the bed and guided Trish back toward the
adjacent washroom. She glanced up at me, curious. "You need
to finish your bubble bath," I mused. "Don't worry about the
lamp. I'll take care of it."
Once we entered the washroom, I slipped the white towel
from Trish's body and let it fall harmlessly to the floor.
Focused, and in better control of my emotions than before, I
held her hand as she lowered herself into the jacuzzi. I was
finally acting my age, although I did steal a quick peek (or
two, or three) of Trish's magnificent nude form before she
submerged herself, up to her shoulders, in the suds.
Just 19 days removed from giving birth to Jackson, it was
impossible to tell that Trish had actually been pregnant in
the first place. She had been so physically fit and active
throughout the past 15 years that carrying Jackson and then
giving birth to him did not even seem to faze her body in the
slightest. She was trim and slender, and still had plenty of
feminine muscle definition. Her stomach was flat; tight as a
washboard, even. It was truly remarkable. Of course, this
was the same woman who did 100 squats every morning while she
was nine months pregnant. Being fit was part of her DNA.
Trish glanced up at me from the jacuzzi, loose spools of
cinnamon-brown hair plunging around her photogenic face,
framing an elegant and smooth neck. When she broke into yet
another smile, her fluorescent, archangel-white teeth lit up
the room. I felt a powerful jolt of electric current swirl
throughout me; that megawatt smile demanded one's attention.
Trish's complexion was utterly impeccable; her skin had a
sun-bronzed hue to it that literally glowed.
She tugged at my wrist with both hands and implored, "Stay
here with me for awhile and talk." Then, Trish's upbeat and
cheerful aura increased ten-fold as she glanced over and
past my shoulder. "Lindsay! Hi baby!"
I turned and noticed that Lindsay was standing at the
entrance to the washroom. She glanced at both Trish and
myself, a curious expression upon her face. "Hi Trish."
She paused, but then wondered, "Can someone tell me why
Devon's glass lamp is in pieces on the bedroom floor, and
there is a big black mark on the wall above it?"
"Don't worry about that," I said. "I'll take care of it."
"What happened?"
"How's Kaylee?" Trish asked after a moment's hesitation.
She could clearly sense that I did not want to talk about the
lamp and how I had destroyed it in a fit of anger. "You put
Kaylee down for her nap?" Trish flashed Lindsay a flirtatious
smile and added, "Have you come to join me in the tub?"
"Kaylee JUST fell asleep," Lindsay answered. "Jackson is
still snoozing right along with her." She then let loose with
a shy smile. "And to answer your last question? Maybe..."
"Of course she wants to join you in the tub," I mused.
Beaming, Trish reached out with both hands. "C'mon, honey.
Come here." When Lindsay closed the short distance between
them and dropped to her knees at the tub's edge, Trish slid
one arm around her torso and ran a sympathetic hand throughout
her hair. "Oh, you look so tired, baby. Still feeling
restless?" When Lindsay nodded her head, Trish frowned.
"Oh, you poor thing. Are you positive that it's not even a
tiny case of Postpartum Depression for you? Lots of women go
through it after giving birth, sweetie. Pamela did, remember.
She had a bad case of it and needed medicine."
"Jeremy and I spoke to the doctor the other day about it,
and she did not think it was Postpartum Depression. I just,
I don't know. I feel kind of _blah_."
"I know what the doctor said," Trish reminded her. "But I
don't think you should be feeling as tired and as sluggish as
you are more than two weeks past your delivery date." Trish
frowned again and shook her head. "I don't feel that way
myself. Me, I'm just worried and fretting over Jackson."
"His torticollis will be fine," Lindsay assured her.
"Do you know how much I love you?" Trish asked Lindsay,
leaning over and placing a tender kiss on her lips. Of
course, Lindsay blushed right on cue - as always. "You're
so special to me; you mean absolutely everything. Oh, you
have no idea just how much I love you, Lindsay."
"It's not as much as I love you," Lindsay swooned, before
turning assertive and deciding to take what she wanted most.
Lindsay simply smashed her mouth to Trish's for a hard,
full-on kiss. There had been no delay, no working up to it,
no soft, light touches. She was powerful, relentless.
Trish was wide-eyed as Lindsay's sweet mouth moved
perfectly, expertly even, against hers. Trish's lips parted
at the lavish attention she was receiving and when Lindsay's
tongue touched hers, all bets were off. Trish was suddenly
returning the hot, fervid kiss with everything that she had.
But just like that, it was over.
Lindsay pulled back and pouted as she looked into Trish's
eyes. "I don't like this whole no sex for six weeks thing."
Trish giggled at Lindsay's tone of voice. "I hear you on
that. It does kind of put a damper on things. But our bodies
need time to heal; the cervix needs to close completely, all
of the bleeding needs to stop. You know what the doctor told
you, honey. Told me, too. The last thing either of us
needs is an infection... so we have to wait six weeks."
"At least," I reminded both of them. "Until the doctor
gives each of you the green light individually." Trish and
Lindsay, in fact, were even forbidden from giving oral sex
to others. The doctor did not want them giving me a blowjob,
for example, in fear that fluids from my body would mix with
theirs in a weakened state and cause a serious infection.
All they could do for nearly six weeks, basically, was kiss.
Lindsay turned and shot me an evil eye. "Spoil sport!"
Then she smiled, signifying her playfulness. Lindsay was
so sweet; she was such a doll. Thus, I could not help it. I
moved in and stole a quick kiss from her lips.
"You taste like cherry _Kool-Aid_," I told Lindsay.
She giggled. "That's because Trish was drinking it."
I settled in behind Lindsay, then pulled her into my lap.
She and Trish were now holding hands as I hugged and kissed
on her from behind. Hmmmmm, her little ass felt wonderful,
all nice and tightly snug upon my crotch.
"I think you need to take your clothes off and get in the
jacuzzi... relax a bit with your wife."
Lindsay looked back at me innocently. "You think?"
"Yes, I do," I clarified.
Lindsay offered no resistance whatsoever as I lifted her
purple hoodie up and over her head. Beneath it, she had on
a white tank-top, but I made short work of it too. Lindsay
raised her hips slightly, allowing me to glide the waistband
of her gray sweatpants down her slender, doe-like thighs.
Next came her white panties, and finally her white bra.
I noticed the 21-year-old, now totally nude, momentarily
shiver. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her from
behind and held on tight, wanting to provide warmth and
comfort, as Trish frowned, "Oh, you're cold, honey..."
"Yeah," Lindsay confirmed. She then ran the back of her
hand over and across her forehead in a show of discomfort.
"You still have a headache?"
"I do."
"Come here," Trish said, extending both arms outward.
When I released her, Lindsay crawled forward on her hands and
knees, then climbed into the swirling jacuzzi with her wife.
"I bet that hot water feels good," Trish commented, to which
Lindsay nodded her head in response. She embraced Lindsay
with both arms and pulled her close, kissing the side of her
head in the process. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Lindsay reiterated. She nestled up
directly beside the 33-year-old in the whirlpool and leaned
against her, her head resting upon Trish's shoulder. God,
what an amazing visual. Trish was glamorous and like the
girl next door, all wrapped into one. How was that even
possible? Lindsay, of course, was the very friendly and
sweet girl who preferred to wear very little. Certainly, I
had no complaints for her aversion to clothing.
Could my life possibly be any better than this?
* * *
The fire cackled and danced about in the most mesmerizing
way. I stared into it, finding it utterly calming. Something
about the way the flames licked back and forth, up and down in
a never-ending ballet had lulled me into a heightened sense of
peace and tranquility. The smell of wood; the soothing sound
it made while burning. Was there anything not to fully love
and appreciate about a fireplace?
I did not know exactly what time it was - probably close to
11:00pm - but it had been a magnificent evening. As I relaxed
with the assembled family earlier here in the central room, I
felt any stress or worry about Jackson sliding off of me
exponentially. All of us had enjoyed good conversation around
the fire after a killer round of cheeseburgers prepared for us
by Kristanna and Pamela, the undefeated tag-team champions of
grill-out greatness. They had even worn matching aprons,
which was equally cute and amusing at the same time.
Kaden had been his usual loud and boisterous self during
dinner and the time afterward, playing with his toys and, as
most 19-month-olds do, poking into everything he could find.
Piper was really happy and well-behaved once Kristanna and
Alison helped her play with her dolls. At 7 months, Dani Grace
spent a lot of time on her tummy tonight. She had not mastered
the art of crawling yet, but Dani Grace could move and sort of
scoot about on her own fairly good by now.
Jackson and Kaylee stayed warm and comforted for the great
majority of the evening in the arms of their respective
mothers, Trish and Lindsay. They cuddled and snuggled with
the two newborns, and Lindsay even read them a story that
Kaden seemed interested in. I felt a powerful sense of
emotion swirl about within me when Scarlett was handed Jackson
and had the opportunity to soothe and hug away on him. In
about a month, I told myself, that sight would be Scarlett
and our own baby boy. I could not wait until she gave birth.
There was no doubt; Scarlett was going to be a great mother.
As night had fallen, the temperature had followed suit.
To combat the chill, many of the ladies had draped themselves
with blankets and slipped into hoodies, but the fireplace put
out enough heat to make the night feel comfortable, cozy even.
When it was bedtime for the little ones, each of the
mothers went off with their respective child. Myself, since I
had five to preside over and watch as the lone father, I took
turns going between each baby crib until all of them were fast
asleep. Dani Grace was getting to the stage where she was
experiencing night-time separation unless Amy and I were both
there when she fell asleep. Oftentimes, she would get upset
and throw a temper tantrum if either of us stepped away.
But now, with the mansion uncharacteristcally quiet and
the central room deserted, save for yours truly and the family
dog, I continued to gaze into the fire and enjoy the serenity
of the moment. Shredder, exhausted from frolicking in the
snow earlier, snoozed on his side next to the fire.
"You look super studious over there," came a voice from
the side. "Everything okay, Jeremy?"
I turned and noticed Amy, adorable as always, dressed in a
long-sleeve white t-shirt and a pair of pink pajama pants with
tiny white lipstick blotch designs all over it. The t-shirt,
on the other hand, had a single, massive pink lipstick blotch
that covered half its entire front. Amy was gorgeous and
captivating, indeed, but was an even more beautiful person on
the inside. She was living, certifiable proof that everyone
could use a little more red in their diet.
"It's fun to catch you alone when you're concentrating on
something, Jeremy," Amy commented. "You always have the
tiniest, little crease just below your eyebrows whenever
you're deep in thought."
I absently touched my face. "I do?"
"You do. And it's so cute. So what were you thinking?"
"Just how lucky I am to have the priviledge of calling a
woman like you my wife, as well as all of the others," was
my honest answer. "And how blessed we are to have the five
kids in our lives. Soon to be seven, you know."
"Our life is pretty awesome," Amy agreed. Amy was all
smiles tonight, clearly in a good mood, and it nearly took
my breath away. With everything about her so vibrant, she
lit up the entire room. God, I had the urge right now to
simply hug and kiss on her for hours on end.
"I made you a late night sandwich in case you were hungry,"
Amy offered, gesturing toward the nearby kitchen with her head.
"Fresh turkey with a slice of avocado and garlic mayonnaise.
Your absolute favorite. Oh, and a side of salt-and-vinegar
potato chips." She motioned for me to follow her into the
kitchen, and I did. "I still do not understand why you like
those things, however."
"They have bite," I said, lifting my snack plate from the
kitchen counter. "Like me."
"You think you have bite?" Amy retrieved the plate she
had made for herself, clearly having set it aside until I
joined her here. She picked up a twisty pretzel and gestured
at me in a circle. "Grow up in and experience the life I had,
before meeting you and the other girls, and you'd see tons
of people with real bite. It wasn't pretty either."
"I have lots of bite. You don't know."
Amy laughed. "Okay, then. Clearly, I am mistaken."
"Clearly," I agreed, taking a seat at the small table in
the corner. Amy soon joined me there. "Have you not noticed
my fashionable wardrobe and killer shoes?" I added. "Total
bite. Please don't neglect to register the killer shoes,
because they're Edward Green's." I pointed toward my blue
denim jeans all the way down to the designer shoes I had
worn since coming in from the cold earlier. With a curious
expression, Amy gave me a once-over.
"I have, in fact, noticed the Edward things. And the
jeans and dress shirts you seem to be wearing a lot lately.
Because, well, it's hard not to notice them..." Suddenly,
Amy's cheeks turned just as red as her hair.
I bit into a chip and chuckled. "Wait a minute. Are you
blushing? I got Kristanna to blush earlier. Now you, too.
Boy, I am on a ROLL today!"
"No way." Amy stared back at me and smiled. Oh, all Amy
ever had to do was flash me that smile of hers and I was
putty in her hands. But I also knew it worked both ways.
She and I could tear each apart if we allowed ourselves to
do so, and that was not always such a bad thing.
But instead of continuing the line of flirtation that
cropped up, we enjoyed our late night snack over the next
few moments in that easy silence one can only achieve with
someone they are comfortable with. Amy was that for me now.
Once Amy was finished with her pretzel sticks, however,
she stood up and slowly made her way over to my side of the
table. With a happy and relaxed expression upon her face,
she linked both arms together around my neck and shoulders,
and took a seat directly in my lap. My heart then fluttered
about wildly within my chest as Amy gently tapped my nose
with a single fingertip, her lips mere inches from mine.
"I was actually sent here on a mission."
"Oh?" I countered. "What mission is that?"
Amy moved her mouth to mine for a warm, blissful kiss that
chased every thought from my mind, except that this woman
was intoxicating. And fiery. And smart. And irresistible.
As Amy's lips parted against mine, I pushed my tongue into
her mouth and was greeted by a quiet murmur of approval. "I
love the way you kiss me," Amy said, pulling her mouth away.
"Back at'cha," I grinned.
Amy's lips were amazing and her tongue was an even more
wondrous thing, I thought distantly, as we again sank into
each other. I reveled in the warmth of the kiss and let my
body, now pressed firmly against Amy's, luxuriate in the
sensations that were created. "What is this mission you
speak of?" I managed when we came up for air.
Amy ran her thumb across my bottom lip. "I'm sorry. Did
you say something?" She stole another kiss.
I laughed. "You and I have a wild amount of chemistry."
"I'd have to agree," Amy mused, moving her hand to her
forehead in recovery mode.
"It's kind of staggering."
"I was sent on a mission to find you," Amy offered, finally
getting to the point. "The other girls don't want a repeat of
Wednesday night where you didn't join us in bed until four in
the morning." Amy bounced about, the little pout on her lips
and the furrow on her brow far too much for me to withstand.
"We all want you with us, Jeremy! You're our snuggle-bunny."
"Snuggle-bunny?" I repeated, taken aback.
"Yeah," Amy swooned, kissing me again. "C'mon, everyone
is in bed waiting for you! Minus Alison, of course - she is
in her own guest room. But we want you to come to bed with
us! Besides, Krissy and Scarlett said that they both really
want to suck your cock before they fall asleep."
"Oh really?" I grinned. Obviously, I was interested, and
definitely all ears now (among other things). Kristanna and
Scarlett, my pair of sexpot, pregnant brides, each wanted to
perform fellatio on me before going to sleep? Did they need
a shot of protein to help them get through the night? How in
the world could I deny them? I did not want to deny them.
Amy grasped both of my hands with her own and smiled
brightly. "Maybe I could help them?" My eyes went wide as
she licked her lips and coyly added, "You know - your cock in
my mouth - I can never get enough of it."
Well, then.
With any luck, Pamela and Devon would have a hungry craving
of their own. Maybe Trish and Lindsay could, at the very least
with their medical conditions, get me hard with their hands?
Oh, that would not take a whole lot of effort right now.
"It's time you and I hit the sack," I announced, already
guiding Amy out of the kitchen and toward our bedroom.
<<<- End of Chapter 02 ->>>
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"Island Fever 5: Family"
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