Chapter 33

Alan's turn:

I've been through this before, although it's been eleven years and Terri's mom is no Tina. New baby. Wife sitting there regarding the tiny pink creature in her arms, sharing notes with a more experienced mother (by a week!) in the form of Susan, with her own pink prodigy.

Today's topic is breastfeeding. I am a little saddened. I've spent many a happy hour nibbling those nipples. I do not relish giving them up for their design function and no, I'm not one of those guys who's into 'lactation fetish'. Matter of fact, I'm working around the house, packing boxes of books and stuff and Susan and Tina are BOTH feeding babies.

Had the discussion with Terri.

"Dad, did Mom do that with me?"

"No, baby. She didn't. It's a call that new moms make. Your mom didn't choose to do that."

"Tina says it's natural."

"It is. Do you imagine that baby formula was something available a hundred or so years ago?"

"I dunno. Maybe. There was canned evaporated milk. I looked that up. And people had cows and goats, so there was milk..."

"You researched..."

That little blonde head bounced. "Always research. See other sources. But you're right, it's probably a lot easier to get stuff to feed babies today." She sighed. "If it's as natural as all that, why does it bother so many people?"

"Society has sexualized the female breast. People forget that the whole purpose of having them is to feed babies."

"Primary use," she said. "I hear conversations about that stuff."

"I suppose you will."

"I'm almost eleven. Do you think I'll get mine soon?"

"You already have yours."

"Dad, I mean big ones."

"Your mom's weren't really big. Little bit bigger than Tina, but not REALLY big. That's not nearly as important as what's in your head and in your heart."

"I know. I've talked with Tina and I talked with Cindy's mom."

"Cindy's mom?"

"Sure, Dad. I know that she had a different lifestyle before she came back to Cindy. I thought she might be able to explain things from a different vantage."

Why do these little beads of sweat pop out so fast?

"Am I allowed to ask what she had to say?"

"Of course. You're my dad."

"What did she say?"

"She told me that the more fixated a man is about a woman's breast size, the less likely he's somebody that's worth spending time around. She also said that women buy into the same idea – big breasts for attracting the opposite sex."

"We're having one of THOSE talks right now, aren't we?"

She smiled, kicked me lightly, turned her face to me bashfully. "I guess we are. I shall write it into my diary as a tender father-daughter moment."

"Gotta do that 'pTerri-dactyl' thing, huh?" I smiled.

"It's who I am, Dad."

"Yes it is, and I am completely happy about that."

"I know it's not supposed to happen that way, genetically speaking, but I'd like to look like Tina. Or any of the sisterhood."

"You are unique and beautiful already, baby."

"You're my dad and you're supposed to say that."

"It's true and you know it. You're Susan's mini-me and Susan's a beauty."

"I just want to be smart and practical and pretty like them."

"Practical?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be an air-headed bimbo."

"Where'd THAT term come from?"

"Mizz Donna. She says it attracts the wrong kind of man."

"Mizz Donna's right."

"She says it was very flattering that I ask her things."

"Just don't be a pest. Some of your questions can be disturbing to some people."

"I know, Dad."

"What about Vicki and Rachel?"

"Rachel's like me. She's, well, you know. Mizz Beck's not..."

"I know."

"And Vicki's two years behind me, so we get to wait."

"Honey," I said to my daughter, "you have a family around here that wants the very best for you and they're smart enough to know what they're talking about, even Cindy's mom. She's been through it. She knows. Tina and her sisters, they avoided it, and they know."

"People're messy, right? That's what you always say."

"They are."

So, back in the living room with Susan and Tina and little JW and my sweet little Kathy. NO, I will NOT call her KathyGen. "Cold drinks, anyone?"

"Something without caffeine," Susan said. "I don't wanna give JW any excuses."

"Ginger ale?"

Tina nodded.

"That stuff Cindy's putting up? Home-made? Cindy the brewmeister. Who knew?" Susan said.

"That's the stuff. Want some?"

"Yes, thank you."

Susan giggled. "He's well-trained, isn't he?"

"Wasn't too hard. I used the rewards as incentive." She giggled. I imagine that little Kathy's going to grow up with that giggle etched in her little mind. Right now she's being a good baby.

There's a knock on the door. I open it, letting in the scrumptious aroma of yeasty fresh-baked bread. Beck with a tray of bread.

"Still hot from the oven. My mother says that the yeast is good for milk production," Beck said. "So's beer, I'm told."

"We're too young to buy beer," Susan said. "In a few months, though..."

"If you want beer..." I started.

"Have you ever?" Tina asked Susan.

"Once or twice. A sip."

"I drank a whole one once," Susan said. "Didn't do much. Wasn't worth the taste."

"You didn't like it?" I queried. "Must've been the cheap stuff."

"Best lite beer that somebody could score out of their dad's fridge," Susan laughed. "And in that bunch, beer was beer."

"If you want, I'll get some good stuff." She'd seen me drink the occasional beer with barbecue or a steak over the last few years, but only if I could get the good ones. I'm not a 'lite beer' fan at all. I'll drink one occasionally in a social setting if that's what the host provides, but if I provide, there's gonna be some good stuff.

We're getting ready for the Great Exodus. Our new homes over behind the airfield are just about ready to move into. I actually have pangs of regret. I've come to like this place. That auburn-headed Madonna there has turned it into a true home. Of course, I expect that the new one, giving us a bit more room to spread out without all the pitfalls of a 4000-square-foot McMansion, will become 'home' equally well.

Since 'engineer hours' are good for a hundred and fifty bucks or more, each, and one can hire all manner of college kids who want a bit of cash, the actual moving will not be done by me and the other engineers. We'll make sure stuff goes in the right place. Tina's perfectly capable of supervising that bit,

So many things going on all at once. Yesterday was a WEDDING!

Poor Tina ... She's on the edges of this one, what with the last days of pregnancy and the birth, Nikki and Cindy brought Dana and Ed in. I remember how astounded I was when I met fourteen year old MARRIED Cindy. Well, fourteen year old Dana wasn't married when she and Ed first visited, but yesterday they met with Cindy's adopted grand-dad, Mister Charlie. What magic he wrought with Cindy and Dan, he reprised with Dana and Ed.

Today Dana's at the campus being subjected to grilling by various members of the Auburn faculty. I suspect she's going to be here with us, and now, since she's married to Ed, I suspect he will be here as well. We already met. He's got a position with us because he's another electrical engineer, and although he's not been in on the power end of things, he's going to get immersed in as much of it as he can stand since both Tina and Susan are going to be home with babies for a while.

And I'm supposed to be on top of all this business stuff and I'm supposed to be dad and husband to boot.

That night, Terri's been kissed good night, little Kathy's actually asleep, and I'm showered and laying in bed with my wife and the mother of my children. Well, okay, technically she's the mother of ONE, but she's been mom/big sister to Terri as well, better than any man has reason to hope.

I slide into our bed, just reach out a hand to touch her. I know she's tired. It's new, being a mommy to a newborn, and her body's still returning to its pre-pregnancy shape and I actually plan on just giving her rubs and backscratches. I know she likes those. For the last few weeks, that's been much of our intimacy, although we did allow ourselves the luxury of oral forms of satisfying one another, but that's up to her.

She turns toward me. "Hello, my Alan."

"Hello, my Tina," I return. "You're still beautiful."

She smiles softly. "You're still deluded. I'm happy with that. Very happy." Her arms tugged me. "Alan, do you think we could..."

"I'd love to, but are you ready?"

"I had a C-section. They didn't mess with the playground. If we're gentle. Belly's still sore."

"Baby."

Giggle. "That's why..."

I sighed. "You still have a sense of humor."

"And very tender nipples, but in a whole lot less playful direction."

"We can skip the nipples, then," I said.

"But this. I miss this. Really do."

"A nice, gentle..."

She kissed me. "Yes, we'll start off gentle. But if I lose control..."

My fingers gently explored those luscious folds, wet and getting wetter. "Whatever happened to foreplay," I asked.

"Maybe we can do foreplay later. I've been thinking about this all day. Thought I'd have to seduce you."

"I am well and truly seduced," I said. I shudder as her fingers play familiar tunes on my erection.

She mounted me. I wondered at the wisdom of her choice, because I knew her abdomen was sore from surgery, but this is her choice.

"Ohgaddddd! I missed this sooooo muchhhhhh!" she hissed. "Is it still good for you?"

"Yessssss," I managed. "I missed this, too."

"Am I still ... there?"

"Nirvana. Right there between your legs..."

She tried one of those little hip moves that used to bring us both to rapture. Winced.

"Maybe you should get on top this time, huh?"

She eased down into my arms. I held her. Loved her. A couple of long kisses and she rolled sideways, tugging me encouragingly. When I started to get up, she spread her thighs. It's still nirvana.

I thought about the heat and moisture surrounding my member, toyed with the idea of driving hard, something we both enjoyed (She MADE me do it, I swear!) but prudence told me that here was my recently pregnant wife and a bit of tenderness was called for.

We both came. Wasn't difficult at all. Afterward, she said, "I STILL can't control myself. I used THOSE muscles anyway!"

"I'm sorry..."

"You! Don't be sorry. I practically ORDERED you to do it!"

"Yeah, but I sorta took advantage."

Giggle. "I'm not sure you took advantage of me. I certainly availed myself of your charms."

"You're still IT, you know."

"Good! I like being IT to you. Even with the competition, Terri and Kathy."

"They're our daughters. You are my lifemate. Love you all. But you..."

"Does all this wetness dripping out of me play into this?"

"In some way, I think it does," I said, kissing her face lightly. "I can take care of that for you, miss."

"Hmmph! It's 'mizz'. Go for it."