Chapter 38: Another Addition to the Extended Family

November 11, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

My wives and I were lying in bed early on Sunday morning.

“Abbie asked me if she could have you on Sunday nights, you know like Elyse has you on Tuesdays,” Jessica said. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s up to you,” I said. “But I’m guessing that wouldn’t start until you get pregnant.”

“Nobody gets you but me starting Friday. Well, Kara does, but you know what I mean!”

“I do.”

“As for Abbie, I think it’s OK, Tiger. Once we agreed she could be part of the family that way, it only seems right.”

“And you’re OK with her being part of the family the way she is?”

“Yes. The kids adore her, she does a lot around the house, she’s a good friend to Kara and me, and you enjoy being with her. I honestly think she’s changing, and at some point, she’s going to want a serious boyfriend.”

“I think so, too,” I said. “She’s a very different person than the young woman I met in Albany almost two years ago.”

“She only dresses goth on Fridays now when she goes to the club. I think that’s a strong sign that she’s moving away from her totally despairing worldview.”

“Do you think she’ll leave?” Kara asked.

I shook my head, “No. Her attitude towards marriage and monogamy hasn’t changed. And even if it does, I don’t think she’ll move out; well, not anytime soon, anyway. She’s found her place in the world, and for the first time in her life, she’s truly happy.”

“I didn’t get a chance to ask because your sister was here,” Jessica smirked. “But how was your new friend?”

“Enthusiastic!” I grinned. “She was pretty experienced, really.”

“Her friend Marie seems to be looking for attention from Jorge,” Kara said.

I nodded, “Yes, she is. Or at least that’s what Claire said. Marie was interested in me, but she didn’t want to have the same guy who Claire did for some reason.”

Jessica laughed, “It was obvious Marie wanted you when she asked about the relationships here. Claire had an advantage because of the tutoring.”

“And none of this bothers you?” I asked.

“Why should it? We’re all very secure in our relationships. It’s just sex, after all. The only one who I had a bit of concern about was Kimmy because she was so obviously in love with you.”

“She still is,” Kara said. “But she can’t share long-term any more than any of the other girls who fell by the wayside over the years. Speaking of which, I’m really surprised that Penny can handle it.”

“Stop!” I commanded. “I do NOT need to officially know about anything that’s going on with the ‘Gang of Four’.”

Kara laughed, “Give me a break, Snuggle Bear! You know very well what’s going on!”

“I may have suspicions, but I don’t want to know, please.”

“Why?” Jessica asked.

“Because it’s none of my business. I’m not putting myself in the middle of those relationships in any way, shape, or form any more than I did with Bethany and Nick. Just let it go, please.”

“Maybe we should invite Kurt and Kathy over,” Kara giggled.

“That’s a bad idea for a host of reasons,” I said.

“You don’t want Kathy?” Kara smirked.

“That’s not the point, and you know it,” I countered.

Kara smiled sweetly, “I know. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Snuggle Bear.”

“What’s the plan for today?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Just a lazy day around the house,” Jessica said. “There’s nothing interesting at the movies. I checked, and there’s no race today. And it’s not a Rap Session Sunday. I’m sure the kids will enjoy having time with us. And I can use a totally down day. I have a bear of a day tomorrow. A total colectomy followed by a nephrectomy.”

“Two different patients, I’m guessing?”

“Yes. Do you know those procedures?”

“The first one, yes. It’s the removal of the large intestine. But the second one? No.”

“Nephrology is focused on kidney and renal issues. «Νεφρός» (nefrós) is the Greek word for ‘kidney’.”

“Cancer?” I asked.

“For the kidney, yes. The colectomy is a twenty-five-year-old man who has a disease we can’t figure out. He has ulcerative colitis, but that appears to be a symptom of whatever is really wrong. They’ve tried diet, drugs, some new experimental therapies, and just about anything else they could think of, including injecting him with mouse DNA! Nothing stops the bleeding, to the point where he’s needed several transfusions.

“This is a last-ditch solution. He’ll have an ileostomy, which means a bag attached to his torso to collect waste from his small intestine. Eventually, he’ll have a second operation to construct what’s called a J-pouch. Basically, they use part of the small intestine to make a new bowel. Then there will be a third operation to hook everything back together and close the stoma, the place where the bag connects.”

“Wow,” I said. “Poor guy.”

“If all the surgeries are successful, he’ll have a long, normal life. I’ll still be on the surgical service when he comes back in four months for the second surgery, but I’ll be on an ER rotation when he has the third. But because it’s a trauma surgery/ER rotation, I might be able to scrub in.”

“I take it a specialist is doing the actual surgery?”

“Yes. Doctor Roger Hurst, one of the top young gastrointestinal surgeons in the country, works at UofC.”

“Very cool. Should we get up and have some breakfast?”

“Your son and daughters are probably already up,” Kara said.

“Birgit, for sure,” I said. “She’s an early riser. The other two? I’m not so sure. Let’s go make some breakfast and see what we find.”

“How about naked breakfast!” Kara giggled.

“We all know where Birgit got THAT idea from!” Jessica laughed. “I’m game. There aren’t any guys in the house except Steve!”

“You don’t like to show off like Kara does,” I teased.

“If I looked like Kara, I sure would! I swear, she gets prettier every day, and you could never tell she had two babies! And she has nice boobs! I just have small ones!”

“He likes yours better, Jess!” Kara giggled. “A-cup is his thing for some reason!”

We got out of bed and put on robes to go downstairs. I was surprised when the girls put theirs on, but I didn’t say anything. That was fortunate because as soon as they got to the kitchen, they dropped their robes on chairs and sat down. Jessica was wearing panties, but I knew she had in either a tampon or pads because it was ‘that time of the month’.

“I think I need to keep my robe on while I cook,” I chuckled.

“No!” Kara protested. “Get an apron!”

I shook my head, took off my robe, draped it over a stool, and got a blue apron from the drawer. I tied it on and started preparing breakfast.

“Nice ass!” Jessica giggled.

“Mama! Naked breakfast?” Birgit giggled when she toddled into the kitchen with Abbie, who was carrying Albert.

“See what you’ve done?” I sighed.

“Yes, Birgit! Naked breakfast!” Kara smirked.

“OK!” Birgit said as Abbie helped her remove her ‘onesie’ and ‘Pull Ups’ training panties.

“Just a suggestion, Jessica,” Abbie said. “Albert is unlikely to make it through breakfast without an accident. You may want to keep his diaper on. And Kara, Stephie will need to keep hers on for sure.”

Abbie stripped off her sleep shirt and dropped it on top of my robe.

“You’re probably right,” Jessica answered.

“Are we expecting Jesse for breakfast?” I asked.

“No. Jennifer and Josie told me yesterday they were leaving early for breakfast with one of Josie’s friends who has a couple of kids.”

Elyse came into the kitchen with Matthew and Michael and started laughing.

“I see Birgit has worn off on the rest of you!” she said.

“More like Birgit is a chip off her mother’s block!” I replied with a smirk.

“When in Rome...” Elyse said, stripping off her nightgown.

“Mama? Naked?” Matthew asked.

“If you want. Michael will need to keep his diaper on like Albert.”

“Yes! No poop on the chairs!” Matthew said firmly.

“Did we miss something?” Kara asked.

“Michael had a small accident in the sauna,” Abbie said. “I cleaned it up and wiped the bench with the disinfectant Steve uses when he does the thorough cleaning every month.”

“We’ve had a few of those in the past with the little kids,” I said. “It’s no big deal. But yes, keep the diapers on the little ones.”

After everyone ate, we decided to head to the sauna before worrying about the dishes.

“I want a picture on my tummy like Abbie!” Birgit announced.

“You have to be eighteen to get a tattoo,” Kara said. “And Daddy has to say yes.”

“Daddy loves me!” Birgit declared. “Daddy will say yes!”

“I think we have a new sheriff in town,” Jessica whispered.

“For sure!” I chuckled.

November 12, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

“Steve, Special Agent Carston is on the phone for you,” Keri said over the intercom just after lunch.

I laughed, “You know, you can call him ‘Pete’. Everyone does. Put him through, please.”

Pete was on the line a few seconds later.

“Jonathan Peter Carston was born early this morning. Melanie and Jonathan are fine, though you can imagine the mood she was in last night!”

I chuckled, “As long as she didn’t have access to your sidearm, you were probably safe! How big is the little tyke?”

“Just over eight pounds,” Pete said. “Melanie said to tell you ‘hello’.”

“Tell her I love her, Pete. And bring Jonathan by when Melanie is feeling up to it.”

“Will do. I have a week off to stay with her. She did talk about hanging out at your house some days while she’s off work.”

“You know she’s going to be on the phone, as well as reading and preparing legal briefs!” I chuckled.

“Don’t I know it!” he said. “But not while I’m at home. If I have to take the phone off the hook or cut the wires outside, she’s going to rest and spend time with the baby!”

“Good luck! And we’ll see you soon!”

“Thanks, Steve. Mel’s parents will be in town the week after Thanksgiving and want to stop in and see you and the kids. I assume that’s OK?”

“It is. Just let me know when.”

“Will do!”

We said ‘goodbye’, and just as I replaced the handset, Keri buzzed me again.

“Mr. Shaughnessy is on the phone for you,” she said.

“Thanks. Please send flowers to Melanie. She’s at the Great Lakes Hospital. And please put the call through.”

A few seconds later, the phone buzzed.

“Hi, Patrick! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wanted to let you know that the USS Blue Ridge is underway for the Persian Gulf. Keep Aimee in your thoughts or prayers.”

“I will. How is she?”

“Excited. It’s not likely that they’ll be in the line of fire. It’s a command vessel, not a combat ship. She’s a bit bummed they haven’t opened combat ship billets for women, but she’s happy they’re underway.”

“When do you figure the war will start?” I asked.

“Mid-January seems about right, based on the buildup of forces in the region and what’s necessary to ensure the logistics.”

“A buddy of mine just got back from TDY in Norfolk, where he was helping ship ordnance to Saudi Arabia.”

“We’ll make quick work of the Iraqis; I’m just concerned about how many casualties we’ll take.”

“Me, too. And thanks for the help with Lauren. I’m assuming you received the check?”

“Yes. Sorry that it didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Katya kept me posted.”

“But we got a resolution we might otherwise not have had for weeks or months, if ever.”

“How is your friend?”

“She moved to Vermont. Eventually, she’s going to open a bed-and-breakfast. She decided she needed a clean break and a new start.”

“I can understand.”

I remembered what Aimee had told me about her mom just walking out one day and never coming back, so I suspected Patrick knew exactly how Katy had felt.

“Thanks again, and if you hear from Aimee, tell her I love her, and I’m thinking about her.”

He laughed, “Then I guess it’s safe to tell you that she said to tell you that she loves you!”

“Always. We know where the lines are.”

“Despite all the insanity, I could do a lot worse than having had you as a son-in-law.”

“Thanks ... I think!” I chuckled.

“I mean it,” he said. “I’ll talk to you as soon as I hear anything from Aimee.”

We said our goodbyes, and I hung up. I dialed the hospital to see if Jessica was available. She wasn’t, so I left a message for her to call, saying that it wasn’t urgent. I knew Kara was teaching, so I didn’t bother calling home. I got up and went to let Elyse, Julia, and Dave know about Pete and Melanie’s baby and then went back to work.

November 15, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

“Happy birthday!” I said to Elyse early on Thursday morning.

“You woke me up for THAT?” she said.

“I wondered if you might want a good morning birthday fuck?”

“Get in bed and fuck me!” she ordered.

I dropped my robe and slid into the warm bed. Elyse pulled me to her, and we kissed for a few minutes before I moved under the duvet and pressed my tongue between her already dripping labia. Elyse gently bucked her hips as I licked her to an orgasm, then moved up and slowly entered her.

“Hard or soft,” I whispered.

“How long do we have?”

“I’m skipping my treadmill,” I responded.

“Then soft and slow,” she sighed.

Thirty minutes later, we were cuddling, basking in the afterglow of a wonderful lovemaking session.

“Jess and Kara said you can have me tonight if you like.”

“I like!” Elyse said quickly and happily. “Did you arrange another surprise party at the office?”

“Who? Me?”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’!” she laughed.

“Tonight we’re going out to dinner, just you and me, and then we’ll come back here for cake and presents.”

“Where?”

“I made reservations at Ruth’s Chris for 6:00pm.”

“Perfect! Shower with me before we go down for breakfast?”

“Of course!”

After we enjoyed a shower with lots of hugging, kissing, and touching, we dried off, and I went back to my room to dress. We met downstairs for breakfast and were joined by Kara, Abbie, and the kids. After breakfast, Elyse and I headed to the office, where we had a ‘surprise’ birthday party for her at lunch. At the end of the day, I walked Jessica home from the hospital, and when Elyse arrived home from the office, she and I headed to Ruth’s Chris Steak House for dinner.

“I really appreciate you taking time for just me,” Elyse said as we sat down to dinner.

“Elyse, if anyone deserves more of my time than they usually have, it’s you. I would never have put my marriage back together without you, and I would have likely destroyed every relationship I have. To quote AC/DC, I was on a Highway to Hell. You set me straight, and then you helped me get Jessica back.”