The next two weeks were spent healing and enjoying more family time than they’d ever had before. Kayla spent every able-bodied moment taking care of Joe, feeding him, changing his diapers, giving him tummy time on the floor, and watching him grab with gleeful abandon at the little animals hanging from his baby gym. At first, she’d have to hand him off to Steve and Stephanie quite a bit when she inevitably needed rest. As a doctor, she knew that this kind of surgery was a significant trauma to the body and that it would tire easily as a natural part of healing. Even so, it frustrated her to no end. Through this bizarre series of events, Kayla had her husband, her daughter, and her son all under the same roof, and she just wanted to be with them. She wanted to enjoy every moment of every day with her family, so rare it was for them to be all together like this. In fact, they had never been all together like this. So, Kayla savored every moment, aggravated at the limitations of her own body.
Even so, Steve watched as Kayla took delight in them all. Each day, as her soreness ebbed and her strength returned, he saw the fulfillment sparkle in her eyes. The mornings began the same way every day. Steve went in to get Joey up, changed his diaper, brought him in to Kayla in bed, and held them both as the baby would nurse. Then they would have a morning outing. Sometimes it was the park, sometimes the coffee shop, one day they went to the aquarium. Some days they’d just take long rides in the car. By the time they got home for lunch and Joe nursed again, both he and his mother would succumb to the naps his little body and her healing one insisted on. The afternoons were filled with board books, tummy time, binkies, and the multiple wardrobe changes that babies seem to necessitate. It was mundane parenthood 101, and Steve and Kayla reveled in it.
Most days Stephanie would work, but she was able to join them for a handful of morning outings, and she always came home to her parents’ apartment for dinner. That was the most precious time for Kayla, having all four of them around the table eating the dinner that Steve cooked for them. They talked about their days and laughed, and the love they all shared was like an enveloping cloud that had settled over just the four of them each night at that table. The Johnson family had never experienced this kind of togetherness, this kind of normalcy, for such a long stretch. It was everything Kayla had ever wanted, and her joy fed their spirits. In all the time he’d known her, he had never seen Kayla so happy.
And that’s how Steve wanted to keep her.
One day, on her third week of administrative sick leave, Kayla turned to clear the last of the dishes from the dinner table to see Steve watching her with tears in his eyes. Concern hit her immediately.
“Steve? What’s the matter?” Kayla asked.
“The matter? Nothing, Sweetness. Nothing’s the matter.”
“Steve,” she said. “Tell me.”
“I’m just happy, baby. ‘Cause I’ve never seen you so happy.”
She smiled at this and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, careful not to drip soapy hands on him. “I am,” she said as she lay her head on his chest. “I feel wonderful having you three around me all the time. I got you back –“
“—Twice,” Steve jibed.
“Yes,” she chuckled, “twice. And I’m just happy. I always knew it could be like this, and now that it is, I am just the luckiest woman in the world.”
Steve leaned his face down to her and kissed her sweetly, then another peck on the forehead. Suddenly he realized that Kayla had been on her feet a while doing the dishes. “Ya know, you really shouldn’t overdo it, Sweetness,” nodding toward the sink.
“Actually, I’m feeling pretty good. Pretty well healed at this point. I mean, I’m still a little sore in the mornings, but most of the time there’s really no more pain. I’m just tiring out here and there.”
Steve gave her a hesitant look.
“Really, Steve. Honestly, I’m fine.”
“You’re doin’ ok, then?”
“Yes, I told you, I’m fine,” she assured him with a look that begged him to stop babying her.
“Well … how fine?”
“What?”
“How fiiiine,” he said with a little shuffle across the kitchen, “do you feel?”
Kayla’s heart quickened for the first time in weeks as a knowing grin played on her lips. “Ohhh,” she said, “I’m pretty darn fine.”
Turning his head to see if Stephanie was still on diaper duty in the baby’s room, Steve reached up to fondle Kayla’s right breast while encircling her waist with his other arm. As his eye drilled into hers, he said, “You’re sure now? That you’re pretty darn fine? ‘Cause that sounds kind of unspecific to me.”
“Too unspecific, huh?” she asked.
“Yeah, I think you’re going to have to help me out here,” he said as he brushed his thumb over her nipple that was hardening beneath her bra and t-shirt. “Can you rate the fineness?”
“Rate it?”
“Yeah.” Steve bent down to kiss the tender flesh where her shoulder met her neck. “How fine is this nibble, on a scale of one to ten?”
“Mm … that’s – that’s an eight on the fine scale, Mr. Johnson,” she said with a smile. She was now only vaguely aware of the soapy drips that had fallen from her hands to the shoulders of Steve’s shirt, the tingle in her belly now the only thing she was feeling.
“An eight? Oh, Sweetness, that needs improvement. What about this? How fine would you rate this little squeeze?” Steve asked as he put some gentle pressure on the breast he was still holding, then moved his other hand down the small of her back, resting on the curve of her rear.
“I think that’s at least an eight and a half,” Kayla teased.
“What?”
“Nine. Ok, it’s a nine, definitely a nine on the fineness scale!”
“Baby!” he said, wounded, but leaned down to kiss her anyway, holding her no longer soapy hands. Kayla’s passion was ignited, and she suddenly couldn’t remember the task she was trying to finish when this all started, and Steve was quickly losing himself.
“Papa!” Stephanie’s voice loud and clear from the bedroom cut through the haze, bringing them to instant reality.
“Yeah!” he called back much too abruptly, stepping away from Kayla as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Someone forgot to replace the wippees! Can you bring me a new box?”
“Wippees?” Steve yelled back?
“Yeah,” she called out with a duh! quality. Ya know, it’s not fair to make the sister change poopy diapers, I really oughtta get some hazard pay, here.”
“They’re on the floor of his closet, baby girl!” yelled Kayla.
“Can someone please bring them to me? ‘Cause, hello, if I have to let go of Joe’s legs we’re gonna have a poopy emergency on the changing pad, here.”
“I really need to finish the dishes,” Kayla said with a look that promised more fineness later.
“Comin’, Little Sweetness!” Steve yelled as he kissed Kayla’s lips. Then he grinned at his wife and said, “Fine,” before coming through with a box of wippees for Stephanie.
An hour later, Stephanie walked into Joe’s room where Kayla was nursing him in the glider beside his crib. It was such a beautiful sight. She stared at her mother in such an intimate and personal moment and couldn’t help but be captivated as she stared at her brother suckling her mother’s breast just below Kayla’s t-shirt. Kayla wasn’t embarrassed, nor did she rush for the breastfeeding cover-up. Instead, she watched with wonder the introspective look on Stephanie’s face. She always was ahead of her time, this sensitive girl of hers.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about baby girl?” Kayla asked her softly.
“Huh?” Stephanie replied still enraptured by the sight in front of her even though it wasn’t the first time she’d seen her brother nursing.
“What are you thinking about, Stephanie?”
“I – I just,” she stammered. Kayla stayed silent and let her take her time. “I just get it now, I think, Mama. You and Papa. And Joey. I understand things so much differently now. I don’t think I really understood it before. I thought I did … but I don’t think I did.”
Kayla became concerned that Stephanie was feeling like the odd man out. But her daughter caught that instantly and continued.
“No, it’s a good! Watching you nurse Joey, mom. It’s … it’s beautiful. And it’s perfect. It’s the way you and Papa were supposed to be.” Stephanie began to choke up with a rush of emotion. “It’s how it was supposed to be all those years ago with me, only it all went wrong. All those years you were separated, and all that time we didn’t have together when I was his age. Watching you –,” she said as she began to openly cry, “—is like … it’s like I’m watching us … the way it would have been if we weren’t cheated out of what fate had planned for us.”
“Oh, Stephanie,” Kayla whispered.
“Mama. All my life, I’ve seen pictures of Papa. I’ve heard every story you’ve ever told more times than I could count, and I knew him so well that I could smell him and feel him and hear his voice at night when I’d dream.” Tears spilled down Kayla’s face. “And when he came back to us, I knew him. He wasn’t a stranger to me. He wasn’t. Because you made him so real for me. You gave me a father that I knew even before I knew him. But it wasn’t really until you were shot and that we’ve all been home all the time together that I’ve understood it. You and Papa together – and then also you as my parents. Because I’m seeing you as his parents. And I see me! It’s like I’m witnessing our family before Papa was taken from us, when I was Joey’s age. And I just get it. I see the love you and Papa have for each other and for the two of us! I’ve always known it, but these last few weeks have shown it to me.”
Kayla’s heart soared as her tears flowed.
“Baby girl,” Kayla cried as Stephanie crouched down. “Come here,” she said as she reached out for her. There is nothing in this world that I love more than you and Joe and your father. It was a difficult time for us when you were born, but the day I had you was the most joyful day in our entire lives. You were pink and perfect, and you had your father at hello. And he’s been devoted to you ever since. Because you’re his—”
“Little Sweetness,” Steve said from the doorway. “And you always will be.”
Stephanie stood up and walked into her father’s arms. “How much did you hear?” she asked.
“Enough to make me even prouder to be your Papa than I was before.”
Stephanie smiled as Kayla wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I love you, Papa.” She said through her happy tears.
“I love you, too,” Steve said holding her to him as he kissed the top of her head. “I only wish I could have been there for you beyond your dreams, Stephanie.”
His daughter breathed in deeply as she hugged her father, feeling the embrace she’d known her whole life, despite the fact that he hadn’t been there. “But you were, Papa,” she said, and Steve lost the battle with the lump that had been in his throat. She hugged her father and settled peacefully in his embrace for a bit longer. After a few moments, she pulled back and kissed his cheek.
“So!” she took a deep breath, wiping what was left of her tears, “Chelsea and I are going out tonight, if you don’t need any more help?”
“Go ahead,” Kayla said, “have a good time.”
“I will.”
“You’re such a wonderful big sister, you know that?”
“Maybe we can talk about that hazard pay, then?” she joked.
Kayla laughed. “Just be safe, baby girl. See you at dinner tomorrow.”
“Ok,” Stephanie said, kissing her mother, then placing her just kissed finger on her brother’s head and finally hugging her father. Stephanie headed for the door, then turned back. “Love you guys.”
“We love you, too, Little Sweetness,” Steve replied.
Stephanie started away but did a quick double take and said, “Mom, you might wanna switch boobs, I think you’re out,” and sure enough, Joey had started grabbing at his mother’s chest, looking for more.
“Such a smart big sister you have, don’tcha little Joe?” Kayla cooed to her baby as she turned him.
“G’night!” she said, the sound of her voice like a doppler as she headed out the door.
“Man, she moves almost as fast as those fancy cars of hers do.” Kayla laughed as Steve looked at her and said, “So, what was that all about?”
Kayla sighed, feeling bittersweet about her little baby that was all grown up and so very observant. “Sometimes the truth of your life hits you when you least expect it. Love can overwhelm you. And … I think Stephanie had to let all that love out and share it before she burst.”
Steve just looked into his wife’s blue eyes feeling such pride for his daughter – this beautiful person that he and Kayla made. And whose every childhood moment he had painfully missed.
“She’s really somethin’ else, that girl of ours,” Kayla said.
“So is her Mama,” Steve replied.
At 10pm, Joe was asleep in his crib, the white noise of the baby monitor casting a comforting lull over their bedroom. Steve stood in the middle of their bedroom wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else. As soon as Kayla came out of the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and underwear, Steve got a hungry look in his eyes. Kayla felt that look from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“You still fine, Sweetness?” Steve asked.
“I’m more than fine,” she said approaching him and placing her hands on his chest.
“How’s your—”
“Great!” Kayla said too quickly. “Good …,” she said with a much calmer control that she didn’t truly feel. In fact, it was all she could do not to lick his face off.
“Kayla … Baby,” he said as he started to stroke her shoulders and upper arms. “I’ve been goin’ crazy these past five weeks. I mean, I’ve been so scared of hurting you, I just haven’t wanted to damage you. But …”
“I know. I’ve missed being with you, too,” she said as she looked up into his eyes. “So much” she added with a whisper. “But I’m fine now, remember,” she asked with a grin.
“That’s right, you are definitely fine now.” He reached his right hand out to her face, and his touch sent a thrill through her body, electrifying her. “Really, really fine, baby. But I don’t know, if we’re using sixes and sevens in this conversation, then we may have some work to do.”
“Wow, Mr. Johnson, you have some pretty high standards, there,” she said as she began to focus on Steve’s tattoo.”
“Only the best for you, Sweetness. Only my best work.”
Kayla leaned in and placed soft kisses on his chest, and Steve moaned at the familiar feel of her on his tattoo. “I always loved that you go for the dagger first, baby. Why is that?” Steve cradled the back of Kayla’s head holding her there as she bathed kisses onto the tattoo from handle to tip.
“I don’t know,” she said between smacks. It’s strong and protective. A little bit phallic,” she grinned. “Exciting.”
“The tattoo excites you, baby?”
“You excite me, Steve,” then she nipped at the muscular flesh with her teeth while reaching down to stroke his already hardened penis.
“God, Sweetness,” Steve said just before he brought his lips hungrily down upon hers, the full length of his erection firm against her stomach. They kissed with passion for the first time since her gunshot wound, and they both had a hard time controlling themselves. Steve’s tongue reached out for the familiar comfort of Kayla’s, and the feel of her soft full lips on his drove him wild with longing. He wove his left hand madly through her soft hair while his right arm encircled her waist, pulling her into the erection he was grinding hard against her.
Kayla whimpered her husband’s name, her arousal heating her up. Steve tore himself from her mouth and placed hot, wet kisses down her jaw, working his way down her neck to her shoulder. Still standing in the middle of their room, Steve grabbed Kayla’s bottom with both hands, bent his knees and brought his shaft against her center while pushing her into him. Steve had lost control and was literally lost in both the building ecstasy throbbing between his legs, as well as the uncontainable love that swelled in his heart. Kayla whimpered more loudly this time, and Steve pulled himself away, suddenly startled by the cry.
“Baby?” he panted, out of breath. “Did I hurt you?”
“What? No! No, you didn’t hurt me, I’m ok.”
“You sure? What was that cry of pain just now?”
Kayla pierced him with a sultry look through half-mast eyelids. “That was need, Steve,” she said with heavy breathing of her own. “That was want making me wet for you. I want you,” she said as she inserted her hands into her husband’s pajama bottoms and lowered them over his rear, exposing his naked length. “There’s nothing about you that doesn’t make me want to have you inside me. And that was me letting you know it.”
Steve stood there in silent longing at her lustful words and could not remember a time he was more turned on than he was right now.
“I love you, baby,” he said with abandon.
“I love you, too.”
They kissed again, more gently this time. Steve reached his hand into the waistband of his wife’s underwear and inserted his middle finger inside of her. She rubbed against him and instantly came as Steve was still kissing her, her slick walls contracting tightly around his finger.
“Already?”
“Steve!” she moaned into his mouth. Then “Oh … God,” as she pulled away from his mouth and buried her head in his shoulder. He held her tightly as she rode the waves of pleasure until she fell limp against him.
“Mm,” she moaned. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she said as she desperately rubbed her hands up and down his back.
“Oh, baby, don’t be sorry, you’re beautiful when you come. And, besides, I’m not nearly done with you yet.”
“Mm,” she giggled, “Promise?
“Oh yeah,” he said seriously as he withdrew his finger.
Steve kicked off the pajama bottoms that had been gathered at his knees, then he laced his fingers into her underwear and pulled them down. She stepped out of them and pulled him toward the bed. He kissed her softly on her swollen lips as they fell to the bed, but she flinched when Steve pulled up her t-shirt to fondle her naked breasts. She quickly sat up on the bed, pulled it back down, and looked away from him.
“Kayla,” he said with concern in his voice. She turned her head toward him without looking. “Kayla,” he repeated calmly as he tipped her chin toward him. “Is this ok?”
She took a beat and then stammered, “I … I love you.”
“I know you do. What just happened?” But the truth was he already knew. “You remember what I said to you about that scar? You remember how much I love it. I want to taste those breasts that I’ve missed so much. No matter what your chest looks like now.”
“I know. I just … I want that, too. I just am having a hard time …” she sighed with discomfort. “…exposing myself.”
“Sweetness?” he asked looking directly into her eyes, his voice deep and so gentle. “Do you want to keep your shirt on?”
She looked at him with such love for this man that understood her like no person on this earth or any other ever had before or would again. And she didn’t have words for the love she felt for him.
Steve waited patiently for her to answer. After a moment, she nodded. “Is that ok?”
“Of course, it is,” he said.
“It won’t be forever.”
“I know,” he said smiling with knowing sadness that she felt unwhole. “I know.”
“It doesn’t mean I don’t want to make love to you tonight, Steve – right now. Because I do. Which I already told you in not so many words.” Despite her best efforts a blush hit her cheeks.
In answer, he took Kayla’s hands in his own and kissed her fingertips. Steve loved her, and he was going to give her all the time she wanted. Steve’s hunger had abated in the moment but the thought of being inside her brought his lust back to the surface immediately. The sadness for how she felt about herself he pushed away. He would show her just how whole she was.
“Lay back, baby.” She did as he instructed, “Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
“Do you trust me to be your husband and to love you and respect you?”
“I do, baby,” she whispered with a lump in her throat.
Steve pushed up the t-shirt exposing her belly button and kissed it. Then he trailed his mouth from there to her hip and kissed her there, as well. He then moved from there up her side leaving a long path of moisture to just under her ribcage. Steve moved the t-shirt aside to reveal only her right breast as he lay next her; her top half was still protected from sight by the t-shirt, while her scar peeked out just at the bottom. Steve lowered his mouth onto the breast his son had recently emptied of nourishment and gently sucked it into his mouth. Kayla moaned and a tear spilled down from the outside corner of her eye. Steve continued to alternately suck and lick, telling her he loved her in between. Kayla grabbed a fist full of Steve’s long hair, twining through it as he kissed her. He flicked his tongue against her sensitive nipple and felt it harden with arousal.
Kayla reached down to stroke her husband’s erection, but he was on his stomach, out of her reach. “I need to feel you. I want to touch you.”
“Not yet,” he said. And all she could do was lay back and let him continue his efforts, all while making her wetter with each moment.
Steve lowered her shirt. Then he crawled over her to lay beside her on the other side and did the same for her left breast, exposing only it and leaving the rest of her covered. This breast he was less gentle with, and she started to moan loudly.
“Shh, baby, we don’t want to wake Joe.”
“I can’t help it, Steve. I’m trying. I – you just – Mm – drive me crazy. I need to touch you!”
“One day I’m going to make you come just by sucking your beautiful breasts, baby.”
“I know something I could suck on,” she said.
Steve could not ignore the provocative statement. He pulled down her t-shirt, looked right into her eyes, and began fingering her clitoris.
“Oh, baby,” she groaned to him while his eye locked onto hers. The look on her face was beautiful. The gorgeous arousal and lust that was only for him. Knowing that he was the only man in this world to see her face when she was turned on and wanted nothing more than to come for him, made him so hard, he ached.
“I know something else I can suck on, too,” he said. Steve leaned down to kiss her passionately, never stopping the strokes against her swollen bud. Then he tore himself away, turned around, and straddled her on his knees. Within seconds, Steve had replaced his finger with his mouth and hungrily began licking her. He opened her folds with his fingers and lapped up the wetness that had gathered from her first orgasm. The familiar taste of her was comforting and made him want to impale her with his hardness. He licked and flicked her clitoris with his tongue, and sucked in all she gave him.
Kayla was lost in a sea of drunken stimulation. She was positively on fire, and she wanted nothing more than to make her husband feel the same way; to make him come and spill his love into her. She wasted no time when finally presented with her prize and took his full penis into her mouth from his position turned around above her. Steve was not expecting this so fully and sucked in his breath at the feel of her warm mouth so deeply around him.
“Kayla!” he grunted. “Oh yeah.”
“Now who’s the one who has to lower his voice?”
“Well, then maybe we should keep these mouths of ours busy, baby.” And that’s just what they did. Steve went back to licking her slickness with a rhythm that he knew would bring her to the edge, and she worked his penis into and out of her mouth until she had to take a breath. She reached up to give a gentle squeeze to his testicles, caressing them with her thumbs, knowing vaguely that they gave life to their children. She sucked hard as her tongue and lips danced over his penis while her arms were wrapped around his thighs. Steve suddenly felt the familiar hurdle come and go and knew he’d erupt any second if she did not stop.
Steve gave her a final hard suck and said, “you’ve gotta stop, baby,”
“Oh, I don’t want to stop. I want you to come.”
“I need to be inside you. It’s the first time in five weeks, I have to come inside you, baby.”
“Yes, please, Steve!”
Kayla sat up and they reversed positions so that he was laying down and she was straddling him. She lifted up and slowly lowered herself onto him, and Steve was moved to silent awe by the love he felt course through him as he felt himself inside of the woman that meant everything to him. Steve held onto her hips as she slowly began to rock back and forth. Kayla began moaning her pleasure right away, and the feeling of her bottom slapping against him drove him mad with lust. He didn’t want to come so quickly, but this felt so good, and the pleasure was so intense, that he couldn’t move her.
“Baby! God, Kayla,” he panted. “What you do to me. I love you so much.”
“I love you, Steve. I love you, too. I have never loved any other man. It’s only you. Oh … Steve.”
His animalistic sexual drive propelled him up. He flipped her over gently while still connected, then supporting himself on his elbows while his hands held her head, he pumped fast and furiously in and out of her, his face in her neck, grunting with abandon. She met his thrusts with her own, desperate to keep him inside her forever.
“Kayla! Kayla!”
“Oh God … Steve … Yes! YES!” she silently shrieked.
“Look at me,” he barely panted. “Come for me! I want to see you when you come for me.”
“I love you …” As the waves rolled through her, her body jerked so forcefully that they tossed her like a ragdoll beneath him; so long it had been since her last release.
“My God, Kayla, you’re beautiful.” It was the last thing he said before slipping his lower arms under her shoulders to embrace her tightly while still supporting most of his weight off her chest with his elbows and going over the edge. His climax was strong enough that she felt him spill his pulsating fluid against her vaginal walls. He tried not to collapse in a heap on top of her while struggling to catch his breath. Kayla thrust against him playfully, wanting to milk as much from him as he had.
The tip of his penis was hyper-stimulated, and his body jerked in reaction. “Oh, baby, you’re just being naughty, now, aren’t you?”
She giggled beneath him, then kissed his neck, working her way to his mouth. They kissed gently, sweetly, but with heavy emotion for each other. She tasted herself on his lips, and it made her love him even more.
Steve pulled back to look at her, not having moved any other part of him. He was still inside her and didn’t want to leave her yet. They gazed into each other’s eyes until finally Steve went to slide off her.
“Don’t,” Kayla said quickly. “Please stay another minute.”
Steve ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “You know we really should …” he trailed off. “Ya know.”
“I know,” she said. “I don’t care. That’s why God made towels.”
Steve chuckled at that. “That’s why God made towels, baby? Ok, I can’t argue with that, Sweetness.”
By now Steve’s penis had begun to go back to his considerable, yet normal size, but Kayla needed him to stay on her, over her, surrounding her. Steve noticed that something was not quite right in her expression.
“How do you feel?” he asked her.
“I feel wonderful,” she said with a coital smile of fulfillment. I just want to keep feeling you inside me … and don’t … want you to leave.”
“Baby, where am I gonna go, I’m right here, Sweetness.”
“I can’t explain it, I just want this moment to last as long as possible. I just want you to hold me.”
“Ok,” he said. “I would love to hold you. For as long as you need me to hold you.” He looked down from on top of her and kissed her forehead. Kayla reached up a hand and adjusted his patch, which had become just slightly askew, and she knew it must be bugging him not to have done it himself yet. He smiled down at her with love and said, “thank you.”
“Thank you,” she said back.
“For what?” he asked.
“For loving me so much that sixteen years of hell and torture couldn’t erase me from you.
Now Steve did roll to the side of her. He layed on his back and pulled her to tightly snuggle against him.
“Sweetness, I didn’t have a choice. I could never forget you deep down, no matter what they did to me, you and Stephanie were the only things that kept me alive. Even when I didn’t know you anymore, something in me knew you were who I was living for.
Kayla reached up and caressed his face.
“Stay there, baby, I’ll be right back,” Steve said.
“Where are you going, I don’t want us to get up.”
“You’ll thank me in the morning.”
Steve came from the bathroom a moment later with a towel and a warm washcloth and proceeded to clean up his wife.
“We sure know how to make a mess, baby.”
“You’re an amazing man, Steve Johnson. And you’re right, I probably will thank you in the morning,”
Steve quickly put down the bath towel, tossed the washcloth into the bathroom hitting the sink perfectly, and said, “nothin’ but net.”
“What no touchdown?”
“Nah, that one was a swish, baby,” he said with a grin. “Let me go check Joe,” then he disappeared into the next room to ensure they didn’t wake their sleeping baby. “He’s good,” Steve said reappearing a moment later.
“Get in here,” Kayla cooed, and curled her bottom into him while he layed his head on hers.
Kayla let out a contented sigh. “You know, with all the struggles we’ve had to be together and be happy, I can’t regret. I can’t say I wish. Because I’m so happy and so thankful that God brought you back to me. That all I can see is the happiness. I missed you and there were times I wanted to have died with you. But I can only feel the happiness now.”
Steve was sleepy and he wished he could close his eyes feeling the same contentment that his wife felt. But he couldn’t. “Kayla, I want to say the same, but – I do regret the years apart. I do feel cheated, and I want those sixteen years back. But I’m thankful to have you now, for the rest of our lives. And I love you as much now as I did then. More, if it’s possible.”
She snuggled into him, and Steve draped his leg over his wife, settling his arms around her. He closed his eye and inhaled deeply of her scent. The smell of his wife, the feel of her in front of him with her bottom nestled into the crook of his lap, and the feel of her hair against his cheek, all while his baby slept peacefully in the next room, made him the happiest man in the world at that moment.
“I love you, Sweetness.”
“I love you more.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
Within seconds, tightly entwined together, Steve and Kayla fell into a deeply peaceful and dreamless sleep.
=================
The first thing Kayla became aware of as she emerged from the depths of slumber was Steve’s solid body behind her, embraced by his arms. Her eyes still closed, she breathed in the air, and she vaguely noticed that it smelled strange. Familiar, but not quite right. She felt Steve behind her and nestled her rear end into his crotch, with a little moan of sleepy happiness. The next thing she was aware of was the feel of Steve’s hand drifting over her, moving across her waist, and up to her face to settle … awkwardly … over her nose?
He’s so out. She thought.
At that moment, she realized as only the mother of a newborn would that the baby monitor had been turned off during the night, the white noise hum distinctly missing. She came out of her sleepy haze with the innate parental need to go check Joey. Even so, she dreaded leaving Steve’s warm embrace; she also wasn’t looking forward to the regular morning burn of her mostly healed incision. That’s when she realized that the pain wasn’t actually there – at all. Not that she didn’t appreciate feeling like herself again, but Kayla’s inner doctor was confused, and alarm bells went off in her head. Something is off here, she thought to herself. She opened her eyes quickly and reached up to remove Steve’s hand from her face.
Kayla had never experienced a bigger shock than the one that met her upon opening her eyes. “Oh my God!” she screamed, as the warm blue shades of her bedroom walls were replaced by the rustic brick walls of … the loft.