Chapter 12: Oh, Danny Boy

“Shirley, are you nuts? Why are you nursing ... Oh, my, that feels so good! I was so overloaded; they were getting, ooh, painful.”

Shirley pulled her mouth off.

“Just tell me when to switch nipples and when to stop. I don’t want your son to go hungry.”

“So far, that’s never happened. Um, how do I taste?”

“I can show you.”

“Wha?”

She suckled some more into her mouth, then kissed Louise, transferring the sweet milk into her mouth. Shocked, Louise tried to push her back, but it was too late.

“Shirley!”

“Shh. Don’t wake your baby. You never tasted it before?”

“No. It’s sweet!”

“Yeah, it’s sweet, and so are you.”

“Wait. I never kissed a girl before.”

“Really? Not even at sleepovers? Why not? I can only imagine how cute you were at 16, since you’re now so pretty.”

Lou screwed up her face.

“Don’t say that! I’m fat and hideous.”

“Stop that, or I’ll kiss you again. Give me two minutes on your other nipple, then we’ll get you dry and put you in your rocking chair to nurse Danny.”

A half hour later, Lou and Danny cuddled together in the living room; Shirley sat close by on the sofa.

“Lou, I came over today to invite all of us over to have Thanksgiving here at your house.” She held up her hand, palm out. “Stop. Relax, Kitty and I will do all the cooking and cleaning. All you have to do is sit in that chair and hold your little boy. Tuesday and Wednesday, Kitty and I will close the diner after lunch. We’ll come over to clean your house, do the laundry, and get everything ready. On Thursday, your job is to tell Scott that you’re thankful for him...”

“I AM thankful for him, but I’m going to be extra thankful for my darling friends who are coming to help me out. Are you SURE you want to do this? And Kitty, too?”

“It’s going to happen, Louise. Wild horses couldn’t stop us. Besides, you don’t want all that horse dung on your carpets.”

Tuesday at two-thirty, Louise opened her front door to find Shirley and Kitty on her front step. They were dressed casually in scruffy, paint-stained pants and knotted kerchiefs over their hair.

“Let us in, Lou; it’s dang cold out here.”

She stepped back as they crowded in with cleaning supplies and tools.

“Where should we start?”

“Can I get you some coffee first?”

“Tell us where to start, then you can make coffee for us. Don’t take long; the linoleum on your kitchen floor won’t mop itself.”

The two women, like avenging angels trying to cast out any sinful dirt, blasted through Lou’s kitchen, limiting her to merely giving directions and making coffee. Lou made efforts to maintain a tidy home, but the women found areas she had neglected to fully clean. When they pulled up the grates and plates around the stove’s burners, she felt sharp embarrassment. She had neglected to clean her stove properly for an extended period.

At five o’clock, Shirley left with Kitty, just as Scott returned from work.

“Whoa!”

Spotless and gleaming, the kitchen was like a page of advertising in the Ladies’ Home Journal magazine.

“I’m sorry, Scott, I overlooked ... Uh, I haven’t been...”

“Louise O’Malley, please shut up! You’ve been busy taking care of our son, and he still isn’t sleeping through the night. Are they coming back tomorrow?”

“Yeah, the bathroom and living room are going to be cleaned tomorrow. On Thursday, they are bringing with them all the food, too. They don’t let me do much; they’re such good friends. I don’t deserve all this.”

“Louise ... Stop with that. Let your friends help you. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to get my boots off and play with Danny. Maybe I can tire him out some so we can sleep better tonight.”

“Just one thing, Scott. Mnph!”

She’d reached up behind his neck to pull his head down in range for kissing, catching him by surprise.

“Hey! Are you OK?”

“I’m very OK, Scott. Let me make you a quick dinner, and then I’ll feed Danny while you’re eating. Is that OK?”

“Of course it’s OK. Have I ever complained when you do that?”

“Well, no, but you look away.”

“Louise, you misunderstand me. I was taught to be polite, not to stare and offend you. I’ll just go see Danny.”

After he left, Lou shook her head sadly. She wanted so much to be offended this way by her husband. But now that her breasts were so swollen and covered with blue veins, he must be repulsed. While she fixed dinner, tears ran down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Scott took off his boots, waggling his toes in relief. After a quick bathroom stop and hand washing, he walked to the crib in their bedroom.

“Hello, sport. Did you have a good day? You did! I can see how happy you are.”

He played and chatted with Danny for about 15 minutes. Then he played a secret trick by pushing the tip of his thumb through the closed fingers of his hand to make a simulated nipple.

As usual, Danny closed his lips over the “nipple” and began to suck. As usual, the baby’s power surprised him.