Chapter 20: Babies! Incestuous Surprise

My baby that Pam carried arrived five days later. She woke me up about seven o’clock in the morning, and calmly told me she was in labor. I asked what she wanted to do, and she said just try to enjoy the morning at home, and then go to hospital in the afternoon. That’s just what we did. We did alert Dr. Amos’ office that we’d be coming in.

Trish and everyone fussed over her until we left the house about noon for our trip to the hospital. She checked in with the obstetrics nurse who examined her and calmly told her she’d probably be another few hours.

We hung around, as the labor pains got more frequent and more intense. I suited up in hospital scrubs. David came and joined us for a little in-house moral support. Trish waddled in too, and we sat around in Pam’s room talking; she looked uncomfortable too, but I chalked that up to being several years pregnant, as she called it.

About six o’clock things sped up and I followed Pam into the delivery room. Dr. Amos appeared along with nurse Belle. She looked at me in recognition.

Belle asked, “You’re here again?”

“I’m the baby daddy.”

Belle stopped herself from saying anything, but her brow wrinkled.

Douglas Edward Winslow was born at seven-twelve that evening. I assisted as I had with Reese with washcloths and ice.

After some time in the operating room and then a recovery room we wheeled Pam back to her hospital room. Jon, Amy, Georgette – in her hospital lab coat, and Darby were there. Everyone smiled and laughed, but there was some strange undercurrent neither Pam nor I understood.

I finally asked after a minute or two, “What’s going on?”

Amy laughed, took my arm and led me out into the hallway. We waddled down the hallway a few feet to another room and went in. Why was I waddling when Amy was the only one of the two of us who needed to walk that way?

Dr. Amos was just coming out of the room. He looked at me and said, “About an hour or two. I’ll be back after a bite to eat.”

I still didn’t get it until I saw Trish in the hospital bed with a smile from ear to ear. She held her arms out to me, “We’re going to have our baby tonight too. I can’t let Pam get a leg up on me now, can I?”

I hugged Trish, and we talked about the impending delivery, but mostly about what Pam had just gone through. Thirty minutes and a few labor pains later; Pam was wheeled into the room by Georgette. There was much talk about labor, babies, and the birthing process. For me, it was TMI, but Pam and Trish bonded even further in those few minutes.

Trish went a lot faster. She got taken to the delivery room at ten o’clock. I walked into the delivery room for the second time that day, only to face Nurse Belle again. She said, “Oh, no. You again? What’s your role in this one?”

“Probably the daddy. I love children.”

I got a most disapproving look, and she muttered something about zero population growth as she went off to attend to Trish.

Kent Wentworth Winslow arrived at eleven-twenty that evening, thereby earning the right to share the same birthday as his half-brother from earlier in the evening.

Dr. Amos had arranged to have Pam and Trish in the same room. Thus, the next day we had everybody in visiting and cooing over the two babies and their mommies. Amy and Darby were especially interested in every detail of the birth. They’d each been in the waddling stage for a month.

Everyone laughed as I told them about Nurse Belle’s rather sour attitude towards me because I kept showing up in the delivery room as a possible father. I said, “She must think I’m a real man whore who gets a kick out of impregnating pretty women.”

Jon said, “Then you must be present when Amy goes in, if that’s all right with Amy.”

Amy laughed and said, “Absolutely. This’ll be such fun, plus there is that real possibility. Let’s do it.”

Amy went into the hospital eight days later. Jon and I suited up in scrubs and walked into the delivery room.

Nurse Belle looked at me with her mouth agape. “Don’t tell me. You ... what are you doing? What did you do?” She was nonplused that I was in her presence a fourth time in a month or so.

“I’m here for the birth of my baby, why?”

Dr. Amos caught my eye and gave me a wink. We’d seen him quite a bit over the past months so he knew quite well about our polyamorous family. I even think he sympathized with our lifestyle, influenced partly by Dr. Geiger’s recent participation and glowing reports about what a loving and caring group we were.

Jon and Amy birthed Wendy Paine Taylor that afternoon. I really just stood back and watched the delivery, and let Jon do his thing with Amy.

Darby’s baby arrived a week later. I showed up again in the delivery room with Andrew, but unfortunately Nurse Belle was off that day and so we didn’t get to tease her as we’d planned. Darby was glad, I thought. She wanted to retain some of her reputation with the hospital staff despite her royal sluthood. Andrew and Darby brought home Alice Wallace Worthington the third day after her birth.

I seriously underestimated the effect that five babies in close proximity would have on our lifestyle. Our lifestyle became the babies and nothing else. They were constantly demanding attention from one or several of us. It was all we talked about, and for the first couple of weeks our total and constant attention.

I became an expert at changing diapers (without gagging), mixing and feeding formula, baby baths, child development, and everything but breastfeeding. I wasn’t alone. Dave, Mike, Jon, Andrew, and my brother Brad – in Atlanta, were on the same daddy track. Mel had her baby the day after Darby’s arrived.

Someone was always awake in the house 24/7. One baby would just be going to sleep when the next one would awaken with all sorts of immediate needs, but mostly wet, poop, and feed me.

After two weeks, we took Pam’s suggestion and put all the babies in the downstairs guest room as a single nursery. We drew up a schedule for childcare, and after a week things seemed to settle down slightly, and each of us was getting more sleep. My initial concern that one baby would wake the others, surprisingly did not appear valid. One baby would be screaming for attention, and the others would sleep unperturbed right through the whole scene.

Our sex lives went to hell in a hand basket. We were either too tired or anxious about what would happen next that for a few weeks we just couldn’t function. Besides that, five women needed to wait about six weeks after birthing before starting intercourse again, and then only on the most gentle terms.

A couple of things happened to make life easier and little more normal. First, Rosalin arrived the day after Pam and Trish had their babies. She’d just finished a ‘GILF Film’ as she called it; a movie about a grandmother I’d like to fuck. She didn’t push any of the men, but gradually she got us back to a healthy sexual state as our anxieties settled down.

Georgette proved to be a huge asset to our midst as well. She coached each one of us about parenting, and got us believing that everything that was going on was ‘normal.’ Having someone with her qualifications providing that guidance turned out to be a huge relief as the days went on. We were all certain we were getting the best baby care in the world with her living in the house. Georgie also enjoyed a healthy sex life with each of the men at one time or another. I had her in my bed with Pam and Trish most nights, but she seemed to understand that she had another role during that time in the polyamorous family.

The third point of relaxation turned out to be our next-door neighbor Nancy. She too showed up most evenings to encourage us and to ease our sexual frustrations. Ben came most of the time too, although he usually didn’t engage too heavily in any sexual activities lest we wear out the few resources we had. He did show unusual empathy and compassion for each of the new mothers, and while Nancy might be getting plundered by some male, he’d be in deep conversation with a mom or two.

Rosalin, Nancy, and Georgie became the basis for our sexual evenings. Rosalin, experienced as she was in the fun of two males at once, schooled Nancy and Georgie in the many pleasures a female could have by being spit-roasted or DPed. Thus, for a while, it wasn’t unusual to see one of the three women slipping off to a bedroom with two males. Georgie seemed to favor having Mike and I ‘do her’ on a routine basis.

My mother flew down to Atlanta from up north to help with Brad and Mel’s baby for a week. He praised her efforts, but warned me by phone that she was planning another week in Sarasota with Pam and me as soon as she left them. Her visit became a topic for discussion at several of our evening discussions.

My mother Beth, or Mom Winslow as she called herself when she arrived, swept into the house, and then came to a stop. In the living room at that instant sat Amy, Trish, and Pam all breast-feeding their children. Mike had taken the afternoon off to be with us, and he was about to help Darby give a baby bath to her infant in the large kitchen sink that had been outfitted with baby pads. Reese was asleep in a big armchair with her baby asleep on her enlarged and bare boobs. Andrew and Dave had just gotten back from Target with a new baby swing that required several graduate engineers to assemble the mechanical masterpiece that was guaranteed to lull the most restless infant to sleep. They had the pieces carefully laid out in one corner of the living room along with many tools.

The other corner of the living room nearest the nursery had a small partition with a twin bed in it. This was where the ‘on duty’ nurse of the watch relaxed, if they could in the night. We had assigned sleeping spaces otherwise, and we’d freed up one of the upstairs guest rooms for Mom Winslow. On the drive from the airport, she informed me that my father was expected to come down on the weekend for a few days.

Beth stammered at the sprawling scene in the room; “Whaaaaaaaa... ?”

I stepped forward, putting her suitcase by the stairs. I whispered, “Mom, I’d like you to meet my family. First off, this is Pam and little Doug, our baby. Then this is Trish, I told you about living with her too, and baby Kent – probably mine too. This is Amy, she lives here most of the time since she had her baby – Wendy; possibly mine. Her husband designed this home, and the large addition I pointed out to you. He’ll be here soon.”

I went on without a hitch, “There in the kitchen are Mike and Darby giving Alice a bath. I might have had a role in that baby too. Reese, you know, and she’s asleep with baby Gale on her, and yes that might be mine too. That’s David and Andrew doing the assembly job there. Reese had the three a.m. to seven a.m. nursery shift, so that’s why we’re whispering.”

Rosalin came speeding in from the garage with her arms full of groceries. I pulled my mother in her direction since they were near the same age. “Rosalin, meet my mother Beth. Beth, Rosalin; she’s Pam’s mother and normally lives in L.A.”

I summarized things by saying, “There are a few of us not here just now. They’re at work, but should show up around cocktail time.”

I gave my mother an expectant look, as though to say, ‘It’s time for you to talk now.’ Since coming in the front door she’d only uttered one syllable.

She said quietly to me, “You live with all these people?”

“Yes. I told you that several times on the telephone.”

“I thought those people were just your friends. I didn’t take it in that you LIVED with them. You’ve created a commune.”

“I not only live with them; I love them.”

“But you’re solidly the father of Pam’s baby, right?”

I noticed that she allowed for some doubt in my answer, a point that made me chuckle inside. I responded, “I am definitely the father of Pam’s baby, but might have also impregnated the others. It’s how we live.”

My mother sized me up with one of her looks that used to make me wither as a teenager. They no longer had that effect. I just smiled at her, trying to indicate that she just didn’t understand her son any longer. I didn’t realize the size of the surprise I soon would be subject to.

She said, “Is this a big free love and anything goes sexually kind of family?” She almost sounded hopeful, a point that made me wonder for a second.

Pam had come over to us as she burped Doug. She stood next to us and did a little dance swaying the baby around. She said, “We are a sexual family, but there is more love in this household than the sum of all the people in it.” She smiled nicely at my mother, and I detected a subtle message of ‘Don’t start judging us, because you’ll be on the outs if you do.’ I thought my mother immediately got the message.

Mom took over the burping with a huge smile, and then started to make conversation with the other mothers, paying particular attention to Trish and Pam, whose names she’d probably heard the most from me.

Reese woke up at four-thirty looking the most rested I’d seen her since the baby arrived. Amy had taken the sleeping baby from Reese and looked to be preparing to breast feed it. Reese came and gave me a huge hug right in front of my mother, and then she greeted Beth.

“I’m so glad you could come and see our brood, but I’m even more pleased to see you at all. When Bob and I separated I thought I’d never see you again, and I like you. But then this all happened.” Reese waved her hand at all the others who were doing various things in the room or kitchen.

Beth hugged Reese again. “I always did like you, but I can tell you’ve changed a lot.” She glanced around the room. “Bob said you had a baby?”

“Yes, Amy is breast feeding her.” She gestured at Amy who looked positively angelic as she cradled little Gale Rose to her full bosom.

My mom reacted predictably, “She’s ... breast feeding your baby.”

Reese said, “Yeah, but I’ll do Wendy for her later unless someone else does. We trade around all the time depending on who’s full of milk and who’s hungry.”

Beth said, “Bob indicated he might be Gale’s father?”

Reese laughed, “Yes, that’s true. I was a naughty girl when I was fertile. The daddy also might be David, my new husband, Andrew, Mike, or Jon. We decided not to worry that issue. David accepts Gale as ours, but we have all these other men who have a great interest in her life too. Of course, Bob might be the father of one or two others.”

Mike appeared carrying a naked Alice snuggled into his chest and neck. The baby was cooing quietly. Mom asked, “Who’s this?”

Mike grinned broadly, “This is Alice, Darby and Andrew’s baby. She’s just had a bath. I’m heading in to put diapers on her. Be right back.” He disappeared into the nursery.

Mom said to Reese and me, “You almost have a production line going here.”

I nodded.

Darby appeared from the kitchen. She went to where Trish was finishing up nursing Wendy. She said, “I’ll give her a bath if you want. I have everything set up.”

Trish rose and said, “Oh, I’ll come and help.”

David got up from the mechanical nightmare in the corner, and asked the pair, “Can I help too. I need to excel at something other than baby jungle swings, and in this case the swing is winning.” He followed Darby and Trish to the kitchen. Andrew looked pained that he’d lost his construction partner.

Beth said, “Does he have some kind of possible parenthood with little Wendy?”

“No, we don’t think so. He just loves all the babies as we all do. You see each baby has about seven mothers and six daddies – it depends on whom you count.”

I could see my mother looking around the room and counting. “Someone’s missing, I take it. A mother?”

“She’ll be here soon, and she’s not a mother. This is one of her early days so she should be home soon. I’ll wait to introduce to her. You’ll be impressed.” I added, “There actually is every reason for you to be impressed with each of these men and women.”

Mom tilted her head at me as though to say, ‘Tell me why?’ Her look displayed curiosity and not a prove-it-to-me posture.

I went on, “Pam runs a billion dollar hedge fund dealing with unconventional investments. Trish is a paralegal who’ll pick up her law degree within the next year. Amy is a sought after artist and interior designer, after having worked as a law clerk. Reese as you know is a RN. Darby gave up a career running a large retail store to marry Andrew and move over to the States. She’s talking about using her MBA to work for Pam doing investment research.”

About that time Georgette came into the house from the garage. She greeted me with a passionate kiss and hug. I kept holding her and introduce her to my mother. Georgie still wore her doctor’s white lab coat.

“Mom, this is Georgette. She recently joined us. She’s a pediatrician, and someone I love dearly. We’re also going to have a baby soon.”

Mom smiled and said, “How nice.” I could see the inner conflict and desire for a huge amount of information.

Rosalin came by carrying Kent. She said, “Guess who needs a bath.” The odor of baby poop followed the pair to the kitchen. I tried to remember if I hadn’t seen Kent get a bath only a few minutes earlier. The babies were all running together. I needed a vacation.

My mother looked ... well, grandmotherly. She finally said, “How can I help? There seem to be so many hands, and I don’t want to do something that someone wants to do. I just hoped to lighten the burden here in some way.”

Rosalin said from the kitchen sink, “You can come and help give Kent a bath.” Mom looked pleased and went off happy as a clam to help Pam’s mother. I couldn’t remember if I’d even introduced them.

Pam said, “What do you think your mother will do when she learns what my mother does?”

I laughed, but found the question impossible to answer. I could see the two grandmothers fawning all over Trish’s baby and chattering away at each other a mile a minute. We left them to it.

Ben and Nancy came by at cocktail time. Nancy greeted me the same way Georgie had, with a monumental hug and kiss that made time stand still. I know my mother was watching. I ultimately introduced them to my mother who just accepted that there were yet others on the fringes of our family she didn’t know about.

Ben went and nuzzled into Pam and Amy who were sitting together, as Nancy hung on my arm in a romantic way. Eventually, she went off to help Mike try to put Kent down for a nap. Rosalin appeared at my side and gave me a kiss with some obvious tongue to it. Ben went to help Andrew with the baby swing set.

My mother appeared about ten seconds later. She smiled at Rosalin, and then moved over to the sofa to sit and hold Gale Rose for a few minutes, and talk to Reese.

Andrew and Ben finished the assembly of the baby swing. We set it up in a corner of the living room, and Gale Rose was the first test pilot of the device. We got her situated in it, turned on the automatic swing and adjusted it slightly, and then stood and watched as she swung back and forth powered by an AA battery. Gale Rose closed her eyes and went out like a light bulb, as the swing set swung her and went tick-tock. Andrew and Ben did a high five.

Andrew and I smiled at each other. We simultaneously said to one another, “It works!”

I joined the team in the kitchen putting dinner together. Georgette was making stir fry chicken in our large wok. I whipped together a salad on our large cutting board with a knife that Jim Bowie would have been proud to carry. David appeared and set the outdoor table with all our drinks and utensils. We had fifteen mouths to feed unless I’d counted wrong.

Mike went from person to person getting their cocktail orders, and soon multiple bottles of wine were open and most of us were happily engaged in conversation. I saw my mother deep in discussion with Rosalin again, only this time things looked a little more serious. I sort of guessed that Rosalin had hinted at her line of work – adult videos.