AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Take care honey, and call me if you need anything at all.”
“I will.” I wave goodbye to them both, and they head out.
Gradually, the room falls quiet. Hospitals are never silent, of course. The door is open, and down the hallway I can hear babies crying, people talking, and machines beeping. But in here, it’s peaceful. My sons are both asleep in their cots. I’ve breastfed them several times, and although I need to perfect my technique, it worked, so I’m relatively happy.
I know they’ll wake soon. And this blissful feeling will no doubt dissipate when they’re both crying together, they both need changing, and I’m feeling stressed. But right now, I feel on top of the world.
I curl up onto my left side and look at them through the clear sides of the cots. I’m exhausted and sore. A little emotional, and nervous about being alone with them. But I also feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
Two beautiful babies, and one gorgeous husband.
When sleep claims me, I’m still smiling.
*
Six weeks later
“That lasted seven days,” I tell Huxley and Elizabeth. “Then they both cried for, like, four hours straight, and I bawled my eyes out all evening.”
We’re sitting in our living room, catching up with the two of them, who are in Wellington for the weekend. Their son, Teddy, now five months old, is lying on the carpet, kicking his legs. Elizabeth is cuddling Aidan while Huxley sits with an arm around her and lets the baby play with his finger. I’m holding Liam, while Saxon massages my feet in his lap.
“Yeah, we had a night like that,” Huxley says. “By the end of it, I was so tired I actually fell asleep sitting upright.”
Saxon chuckles. “It wasn’t a good night. But we coped, and it didn’t end in divorce, so we consider that a win-win.”
He meets my eyes, and winks. I poke my tongue out at him, and he grins.
“Are you still breastfeeding?” I ask Elizabeth.
She nods. “I wanted to do it for the first six months. I’d like to get back to work soon, though. I know I can express, but I’m thinking of weaning him soon. What about you?”
“I’ll play it by ear,” I reply. “I’m going to work from home for a while, when I’m ready. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind getting back to work around six months.”
We talk for another half an hour or so, and then they declare they should get going. After hugs and kisses all around, they wave goodbye and head out to their hire car just down the road.
Saxon gets up, and I watch him do a couple of bends from side to side, then lean up and back, stretching his muscles. Ohhh… mmm… that gives me a tingle in my special places. He still goes for a run in the mornings and works out with his weights when he can. He’s a fine-looking man.
It’s taken me a while to get over the birth, and we’ve both been so tired that neither of us has mentioned sex. I know he’s too much of a gentleman to bring it up before I do, because he wants to make sure I’m ready.
Which is why I had an appointment to see Mathew this morning. He gave me the all-clear health wise. I haven’t told Saxon yet.
I go to get up out of the chair, and he holds out his hand to help me. Once I’m up, I kiss Liam’s head and place him in the cot we have in the living room next to his brother. I’ve fed both the boys, and we should have an hour or two of peace now.
I turn and put my arms around my husband.
“Hello,” he says with a grin, and hugs me.
“Hello.” I reach up onto my tiptoes and crush my lips to his.
“Mmm.” He returns the kiss with feeling, and it turns into a long, luscious smooch that soon has my pulse racing.
When he eventually lifts his head, he looks at my face, and then his eyebrows slowly rise.
“Yep,” I confirm. “I’ve got the all-clear. And I’m feeling super frisky, so you’d better watch out.”
His lips curve up. “Oh… I see.” He studies me for a moment, and I feel the flutter of worry that’s been bothering me lately.
“I mean, you know, if you feel like it still,” I say in a small voice.
