Tommy stood outside the door, unsure of how to proceed. He couldn't
just knock on the door and say, "Kim and I just had a major fight;
can I come in and hold you and feel loved?" He carefully chose his
words before knocking on the door.
Christina answered the door holding a sobbing six-month-old Ethan. "Tommy,
I'm so glad you're here. Katarina's out, and I need someone to calm Ethan
while I put Isaac to bed. Could you give Ethan his bottle and rock him
while I take care of Isaac?"
"Sure. Bottle's in the fridge?" he asked, taking his son into
his arms.
"In the warmer. It should be ready." Christina disappeared into
the other room.
Tommy found the prepared bottle and sat down in the old wooden rocking
chair. Ethan accepted the bottle easily enough and while he fed, Tommy
talked to him. "Your mom's really something, isn't she? Taking care
of you and your brother almost single-handedly. I really wish I could help
out more, but I don't know if Kim would understand. I don't really know
if Billy would understand. Neither of them know the real way I feel about
your mom and if they did, they probably wouldn't understand that, either."
Tommy looked at his son, so like him, and yet, so like Christina. "You're
everything a guy could wish for in a kid." Tommy's gentle voice and
the slow, steady creak of the chair had started to lull Ethan to sleep.
A memory clicked into Tommy's mind and as he rocked Ethan, he hummed a
tune his mother used to hum to him when he was little.
Christina had finished putting Isaac to bed when she heard the humming.
Standing in the doorway, she saw Tommy gently rocking a sleeping Ethan.
"You both look so peaceful, almost like a Norman Rockwell painting,"
she murmured. "Would you like to put him to bed?" Tommy stood
up carefully so as not to disturb Ethan, and very gently placed him in
his crib, pulling the blanket around his shoulders. "You're a natural,"
Christina whispered. They left the nursery and sat on the couch. "You
know, I never asked why you came over tonight."
"Oh." Tommy had nearly forgotten about the fight, but the details
came rushing back to him. "Kim and I had a major fight, and I guess
I was just looking for reassurance that I wasn't a total monster."
"What was the fight about?"
"Ethan. Kim thinks I've been spending too much time with him, that
I've been ignoring her."
"That's nonsense."
"Try telling her that. She's convinced that I don't love her as much
as I used to. The scary thing is, she might be right! It used to be that
I would walk barefoot over burning coals and broken glass for her, but
now I find it hard to find enough time to go to a movie with her."
"That's not your fault! It's nearing the end of the school year, so
you have finals and graduation to worry about. Everyone is busy! That doesn't
mean you love Kimberly any less. I'm sure that once summer starts, you'll
have more time to spend with her."
"That's just it, Chris. I don't know if I want to spend more time
with her. When I was rocking Ethan just now, I told him that I wished I
could be with him more. I mean, I'm his father! I don't want to miss out
on any part of his life, but I'm going to have to, because he won't know
I'm his father. Does this make any sense at all?"
"Perfect sense. Tommy, why haven't you ever said you felt this way?"
"I didn't think anyone would understand."
"I understand," Christina said, sliding her arms around his waist
and resting her head on his shoulder. Tommy wrapped his arms around her,
pulling her closer, remembering the fit of their bodies, how her curves
seemed to match his hollows. A fleeting thought, We were made for each
other, flitted across his mind before her gave himself up to the sheer
pleasure of holding her.
Instinctively, Christina tilted her head up just as Tommy was tilting his
down, and they kissed, remembering the sweetness, forgetting the bitterness
that would come. They held each other thusly for what seemed like forever.
Almost simultaneously they came to the same conclusion, that Tommy wasn't
going to be leaving that night. He gently lifted Christina in his arms
and carried her to her bedroom. Slowly, tenderly, they undressed each other
as if for the first time, exploring the nuances of each other's bodies;
Tommy's hard, sculpted muscles, Christina's soft, smooth curves. They came
together with an explosion of sensation, slowing down to savor every feeling,
cresting on a tidal wave of passion.
Afterwards, snuggled securely in Tommy's arms, Christina was a little surprised
to find herself thinking about Billy with no guilt. Mainly, she was thinking
about the differences between him and Tommy. With Billy, she felt safe,
but with Tommy, she felt protected. She had the same thought Tommy had
earlier, We were made for each other, as she settled down to sleep
in Tommy's arms.
The next morning, she was awakened by a tender kiss and a lazy hand
exploring the curve of her waist. "Mmm, good morning," she whispered,
snuggling closer to his warm body. "Are the twins up yet?" A
lusty howl, followed by a second equally loud, answered her question. "I'll
take that to mean they're up. Ready to help with the morning routine?"
"As long as I'm here, why not?"
"Good. You change Ethan's diaper, but be careful. You may find out
why Katarina calls him Little Faithful." She hauled herself out of
Tommy's arms and into her robe. They entered the nursery together. The
diapers were changed quickly and Christina sat in the rocking chair to
nurse first Ethan and then Isaac.
Holding his son and watching her, Tommy though to himself, She may have
though I looked like a Norman Rockwell, but she looks like a Holy Madonna.
He felt a renewed surge of love for her. He started to tell her but she
stopped him by placing first a finger, then her lips over his lips.
"You don't need to tell me; I already know," she murmured against
his mouth. "They're going to sleep for a few more hours; how about
joining me for a shower?" Eagerly, he agreed.
They made love again in the shower, and again on her bed as they dried
each other off. Christina combed and neatly braided Tommy's damp hair,
taking the opportunity to kiss the back of his neck several times. Tommy
returned the favor, nuzzling her neck as he braided, which resulted in
a less-than-perfect braid.
Just as he was finishing, the phone rang. Christina answered it. "Hello?
Oh, hi, Kimberly. Yes, he stopped by here last night. I heard about your
fight. What? Okay, if I see him, I'll tell him. You're welcome, Kimberly.
Bye." She hung up the phone and turned to Tommy. "That was Kimberly.
She tried to call you last night and started worrying when there was no
answer. She wanted to tell you that she's sorry for all the horrible things
she said; she wasn't feeling well and wants to apologize in person."
"I guess I should go over there, then, shouldn't I?" Tommy didn't
sound very enthusiastic.
"It's better this way, remember?" Christina slid her arms around
him for one last hug. "I'll never forget last night, Tommy, and I
do love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, tightening his arms around her
and kissing her one last time. "I'd better go."
"You'd better." Tommy left Christina's suite and Christina watched
him go. When he reached the stairs, he turned around in time to see her
blow him a kiss. He smiled at her and went down the stairs. Christina went
back into her room, remembering every little detail of the past night.
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