Chapter 22

A very excited Ling entered the dining room and sat at the table. Noticing her excitement, John asked, “What’s up Ling?”

“I’m pregnant!”

Everyone at the table met the news with joy. Even Ed, in his typical morning state, perked up and cheered the news. Ling had been sleeping with him exclusively since she had chosen to have a child. This meant that he was going to be a father and in his excitement he said, “That is great news.”

Kelly smiled and said, “You’ve been nice to me while I’ve been pregnant so I won’t tickle you, but watch out for Linda. She’s a mischievous one.”

Giggling, Linda replied, “But I can run so much faster than you.”

“Just wait until you look and feel like an elephant,” teased Kelly.

Ed said, “We have to celebrate somehow. Any suggestions?”

When no one suggested anything, Kelly said, “How about we go to Maria’s?”

Giggling, Linda said, “When that baby is born, it’s going to come out speaking Spanish considering how much Mexican Food you’ve been eating.”

“I’ve just been hungry for that kind of food for a while, that’s all.”

The discussion raged around the table before it was decided that they would all go out to Maria’s to celebrate that Ling was having a baby. Ling was more than happy to go anywhere in celebration. Ed retreated back to his normal morning condition and couldn’t follow the discussion.

Cathy had made reservations for twelve at six in the evening. Bob had agreed to drive Kelly, Dr. Hayes, and Mrs. Hayes there while everyone else walked to the restaurant. As the group walked to the restaurant, others joined the party. Maria, Rosa, and Carlos joined in when they heard the good news. Joe and his wife, Juanita, joined the party as well. By the time they reached the restaurant, there were another dozen people joining the party. The number of people that had shown up overwhelmed Maria.

Entering the restaurant, Ed said, “Take us to Kelly.”

Maria looked over at them in surprise and said, “She hasn’t gotten here yet.”

Confused, Ed said, “She left at the same time we did, but she was in a car. She should have been here ten minutes ago.”

Concerned, Maria replied, “I’m sorry, but she didn’t come here.”

Ed went over to John and said, “Kelly didn’t make it here.”

Looking around to see if there was something going on, John replied, “She should be here. We saw the van drive by us as we were walking here.”

A ringing in Ed’s pocket nearly made him jump. He fished the phone out of his pocket and answered, “Hello?”

Bob was on the other end and said, “Hello, Ed. We are on our way to the hospital. Kelly’s water broke when we pulled up in the parking lot.”

Extremely excited, Ed replied, “We’ll be there in a flash!”

Hanging up without saying goodbye, Ed turned to everyone and shouted, “Kelly’s on the way to the hospital. She’s having her baby!”

Amidst tremendous confusion, the Carter Clan ran out of the restaurant heading back to the house to pick up their cars. Ling easily outpaced everyone since she had been working out for the past year. Leroy and Sarah were not far behind her. Puffing like old men, Ed and John were a distant last since they very seldom ran. As Ling drove back, she stopped to pick up Sarah. Leroy went ahead to get his car. The women waved to John and Ed as they drove by.

Ed came to a stop and started walking, his chest puffing from the effort. Cowboy boots were not meant for running. John stopped and looked back at his husband, waiting for Ed to catch up. Still breathing heavily, Ed said, “I didn’t know that I was in bad shape.”

Shaking his head, John said, “I can walk for days without slowing down.”

Ed stopped even with John and said, “I think the last time I ran was when was I was in the army. I was twenty then and didn’t like running.”

“I swim everyday, but that doesn’t seem to have helped.”

Horn honking, Leroy pulled over to pick up the two men. As they climbed into the car, he said, “You two are moving slow. What’s that matter?”

Ed said, “We don’t run. I guess we are going to have to start jogging.”

Shaking his head, John replied, “I hate jogging.”

The drive to the hospital took some time. During the drive, the men were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Kelly had kept the gender of the baby a great secret and there were more than a few bets as to whether it was a boy or a girl. Ed didn’t care one way or the other as to the gender of the child. He was more worried about the health of the baby. He said, “It wasn’t due for another week.”

Laughing at the insistence for strict timing, Leroy said, “Babies don’t know how to read a calendar. They are born when they are ready to be born.”

John and Ed exchanged looks and watched the surroundings pass outside the car. It wasn’t long after that they that arrived at the hospital. John and Ed got out while Leroy parked the car. Inside the hospital Dr. and Mrs. Hayes met them with smiles. The doctor said, “That must have been the easiest delivery in history.”

Ed asked, “What happened?”

Dr. Hayes looked at the men gathered around him and answered, “Her water broke when she got out of the van at the restaurant. She got back in the van and we headed here. I was monitoring her condition. She had a couple of contractions and dilated very fast. We got here, four contractions later she gave birth to a nine pound baby girl.”

“Alright, can we see her?” John asked

Mrs. Hayes asked, “Which her?”

An excited Ed answered, “Either, both, whatever.”

Laughing at Ed, Leroy said, “Let’s see the mother and then the daughter.”

The elderly couple led them to a hospital room. Kelly was lying in the bed with the baby in her arms. Ling and Linda were on the other side of the bed looking at the baby. She grinned when her husbands entered the room and said, “Sorry to ruin dinner plans. You can blame little Beth here.”

There was a gasp from Dr. and Mrs. Hayes as they realized the honor done for their daughter. This family surprised them every time they turned around. Ed leaned over and examined the infant. She had perfect little hands that grasped his finger when he touched her palm. Smiling up at Kelly, Ed said, “Look, she’s holding my finger.”

Dr. Hayes was about to comment that it was a reflex action, but Kelly held a finger to her lips cutting him off. She watched as Ed looked over the baby with wonder written on his face. John, impatient to see the baby, finally said, “My turn.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just such a miracle,” replied Ed as he backed out of the way. He went over to Ling and hugged her tightly. In a soft whisper, he said, “In nine months that will be you lying there with your child.”

Ling hugged him back and joked, “By that time, you’ll be broke in as a father. You’ll know how to change a diaper, feed the baby, and burp her.”

John was bent over looking at the baby as Kelly watched him. He was touching the baby and saying, “You’re a special one, little Beth.”

Ed asked, “How are you feeling, Kelly?”

She smiled at Ed and said, “They say that this is the easiest birth they’ve ever seen here at the hospital. I’m feeling fine and ready to go, but they want me to stay here for a day just to make sure there aren’t any complications.”

Teasing, Linda said, “I’d better be careful, she’s going to be able to catch me now.”

The nurse came into the room and said, “You folks are going to have to leave now. She needs her rest.”

As they filed out of the room, they each kissed Kelly and then little Beth. Gathering in the hall, Mrs. Hayes cried, “It’s so nice of you guys to name your baby after Beth.”

Wiping his eyes with a handkerchief, Dr. Hayes said, “Most unexpected.”

Winking at Ling, Ed said, “We all knew that the name was going to be Elizabeth if it was a girl and everyone except John knew that it was going to be John if it was a boy.”

John turned around in surprise and exclaimed, “What?”

Smiling at John, Linda answered, “If it had been a boy, the name was going to be John.”

Bob who had been waiting by the door joined the discussion in the hall. With a wry smile, he said, “She didn’t like my suggestion of Go as a name, but I think that Go Carter has a nice ring to it.”

As everyone groaned, Bob held up his hands as though he was about to get hit. Even Linda, who usually enjoyed bad jokes, had to say, “That’s horrible. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Rather than reply to the charge, he said, “Dr. and Mrs. Hayes, may I drive you back to the house. Visiting hours start at eight in the morning and I’ll be happy to bring you back here for them in the morning.”

Home from the hospital, Kelly came into the informal living room finding Ed seated on the sofa with little Beth in an infant sling. The baby, sleeping peacefully, grasped one of Ed’s fingers as he read one of his journals aloud in a calm deep voice. She watched him as he read the article and finally commented, “That baby can’t understand a word you are saying.”

Smiling up at Kelly, he said, “She is happy when I read to her. She holds my finger.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I’ve told you a hundred times that it’s a reflex action.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I know better. She likes holding my finger,” replied Ed, smug as Beth strengthened her grip on his finger. Looking down at the sleeping infant, he said, “She wants me to read to her some more.”

Kelly shook her head and left the living room as Ed returned to reading the journal to her daughter. Since she had come home, it seemed as if the only time she saw little Beth was at feeding time. Not that she minded, since she was still tired from giving birth. How many mothers had so much free time on their hands after giving birth?

Ling came into the room and watched Ed reading to Beth. She had to wonder what kind of person would read an article about plate tectonics to a four-day-old infant. When he struggled to turn the page, she said, “Have you seen Kelly?”

“You just missed her.”

Smiling at her husband as he returned to reading, she slipped out of the room. It was her intention to give her wife a nice massage. John came into the room and sat down across from Ed. He smiled and said, “She prefers physics.”

Looking over at John, Ed asked, “Don’t tell me. My time is up?”

“Yes it is.”

Ed slowly stood up and removed little Beth from the infant sling. Handing Beth to John with care, he said, “Here she is.”

Removing the infant sling, he set it on the chair next to John. John, cradling Beth in his arms, replied, “Thanks, Ed. I’ll see you later.”

Picking up the journal, Ed dropped it off in his room. After that he went in search of Ling, thinking that she could use a belly rub. After searching for her, he finally gave up and went into the kitchen where Marguerite was cooking some sort of soup. Teasing, he asked, “What kind of witches brew are you making now?”

Turning to look at him, Marguerite said, “One of your favorite brews. Wisconsin Beer Cheese soup.”

Making a face and holding his hands around his throat like he was choking, Ed said, “Ack!”

Unperturbed, Marguerite said, “If I remember correctly, the last time I made it you ate two helpings.”

“Bah! I couldn’t believe it was so bad after the first helping. I had to eat another just to verify it.”

Marguerite laughed and retorted, “You’ve never eaten more than one bite of anything you don’t like.”

Sitting down at the kitchen table, Ed asked, “Have you got anything for me to snack on?”

Without missing a beat, she opened the refrigerator and removed a plate of raw vegetables from it. Setting them down on the table in front of him, she said, “Here you go.”

Taking a carrot off the plate, he said, “Do you just keep a plate of this stuff around all of the time?”

She looked at him as if he asked her if she had flour in the kitchen. Shaking her head, she said, “You guys ask for snacks at least seven times a day. There are three things that I keep ready at all times. Snacks, iced tea, and smoothies.”

Linda entered the kitchen with Leroy and sat down at the table. Grabbing a piece of celery she started munching on it. Leroy joined them at the table and said, “We were looking for a snack.”

Winking at Leroy, Ed said, “I bet some iced tea would go great with this.”

Within a minute, Marguerite had set a pitcher of iced tea on the table with three glasses filled with ice. Ed filled the three glasses and handed them out. Taking a sip of his, he settled back in his chair happy with the world. Linda said, “You look like you just finished watching the baby.”

“Yes, she was holding my finger again. She prefers my little finger because it fits in her hand better.”

His insistence that little Beth liked to hold his finger was well known. Linda and Leroy smiled at each other rather than challenge him on that point. As the snacks slowly disappeared off the plate, the conversation flowed around the table in the easy manner of people that knew each other very well. When the snacks were finished, Linda asked, “Would you like to visit my room for a little while, Ed?”

“Sure,” replied Ed. He didn’t get enough chances to be with Linda. She tended to spend more time with Leroy and John than him.

When Ed entered Linda’s room, a modern chair that seemed out of place from the rest of the furniture surprised him. The chair had a sloped back and a sloped seat that formed a v shape. There was a third sloped portion that the legs would rest on. She caught him looking at it and said, “I bought that chair for a very special reason.”

“What reason?”

Turning to face away from him, she looked over her shoulder and answered, “Strip and I’ll show you.”

Curious, Ed undressed taking his time. Once he was naked, she said, “Sit down in the chair.”

Sitting down in the chair, Ed found himself leaning back with his half hard erection pointing up in the air. Moving with a grace that was natural to the woman, Linda removed her clothes teasing Ed with her body as she undressed. The effect on Ed was electric and his cock stood up straight fully hardened.

Moving to straddle the chair, Linda slowly lowered herself upon his cock. The slow movements teased his cock providing enough stimulation to keep him erect, but not enough to further excite him. Once she was impaled on his cock, she leaned back resting her back on his legs. It was a very comfortable position and one that Ed knew he could keep up for hours. Closing her eyes, she started contracting the muscles in her cunt producing a milking sensation on his cock. Ed remembered the first time he had been in a position similar to this and flexed his buttocks giving a very small thrust into Linda.

She moaned in pleasure, but didn’t increase the stimulation on his cock. After about ten minutes, she was panting as she approached an orgasm. Relaxed in the chair, Ed ran his hands over her breasts playing with her nipples. His actions drove her over the edge and she came.