Chapter 41

That same Sunday morning things were much more laid back in the Del Coronado suite presently occupied by Hawk and Maria. They’d fallen asleep in each others’ arms after their second time of making love, and they were still that way when Hawk’s body alarm said it was time to stir. When he slipped out from under his wife the damp coldness on his butt told him the bed was soaked.

Hawk made his way to the bathroom to relieve his bladder and brush his teeth. When he returned Maria was on the balcony looking out at the ocean. She’d covered her nude body with a cream colored satin kimono with a dragon and tiger print accent. He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms tightly around her, placing them between her breasts and her waist. “Hummmmm!” she purred.

“How’s my bride this morning.”

“Still ready to stake Robert out between two rattlesnakes. I had no idea how wonderful sex could be.”

“Sweetheart, we didn’t have sex, we made love. That’s the difference.”

“Was it like that with your ex-wife?”

“I wanted it to be. Unfortunately, with her it always seemed a chore; something to be endured.”

With a wicked grin, Maria replied, “Well, if a wife must endure these things, I’ll try to struggle through it.”

Picking up on her teasing Hawk responded, “If you think you must endure it, maybe I need to spend some time with my other wife.”

Turning serious, Maria answered, “Speaking of your ‘other wife, ‘ you and I need to talk some time this week.”

“Are you two having problems?”

“Yes, and no, but not in any way you could imagine. I’m just not sure how to discuss it without giving you the wrong idea. When I feel the time is right I’ll know better how to explain it. In the meantime, can we change the subject?”

Puzzled, and a little concerned, Hawk replied, “Sure.” Then, after a brief pause he asked, “Do you want to go back to bed, or get some breakfast?”

Maria replied, “I understand they’ve a Sunday brunch that’s famous.” Looking at her watch she continued, “It’s a little early, but if we take our time getting dressed it should be about the time for the Crown Room to open. Afterward, except for one stop, I’d like to spend the day at the Zoo.”

“It sounds like fun, but what’s such a big deal about brunch?”

“I really don’t know why it’s considered so special, but every brochure I picked up mentioned it. I also read it’s been a tradition in San Diego for more than fifty years.”

Impressed with what Maria said Hawk replied, “Then, I guess we’ll soon discover the ‘why’ for ourselves.”

The couple cuddled on the balcony for a few more minutes before they returned to their bedroom. Inside, Maria slipped the kimono off and headed for the shower, with Hawk not far behind. Once both were inside the shower, they playfully washed each others’ hair and then their bodies.

While doing so, Hawk spotted a small ‘flesh colored’ patch on Maria’s upper arm. Of course, the ‘flesh’ color of the bandage didn’t come anywhere close to the reddish-brown color of Maria’s arm. At that moment he remembered Doctor Adams had said Maria shouldn’t get pregnant for two years.

When the two finished and stepped out of the shower Hawk picked up a towel and began to gently rub Maria dry. Realizing what her husband was doing Maria grabbed another towel and began to do the same for him. It got a little awkward at times, but in spite of getting in each others’ way it was a very romantic experience. As they began to dress Hawk asked, “Chipmunk, I just remembered Doctor Adams’ instructions regarding you getting pregnant, and I see that you’re still wearing a birth control patch. What was all that talk last night about making a baby?”

Maria giggled and answered, “A bit of fantasy on my part, but it sure got your motor running.”

“It sure did. You know, it’s funny, because of my own childhood experience kids were never that important to me before. Even the fact I probably have a daughter out there somewhere has never affected me the way last night did.”

Sensing his mood his new bride asked, “Does that bother you?”

“I guess it does, at least somewhat. I know I’ve a responsibility to try to find the child and see she’s cared for, but at the same time it’s hard for me to really imagine her as mine. Then last night, thinking of having a child with you produced emotions I’ve never felt before. I was actually excited at the idea.”

“My mighty Hawk! That’s the nicest thing you could have said to me. I look forward to the day, but I’ll be happy to practice as often as possible in the meantime.”

“I’ll be happy to practice with you, too. At the same time, what about Brenda? Does she want children? We don’t want to neglect her.”

Maria turned sad, and replied, “That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Concerned, Hawk sat in one of the suite’s overstuffed chairs and pulled Maria into his lap. Cuddling her close, he said, “Chipmunk, I think this is the time to talk about this.”

“Hawk, the problem is that she is being so stubborn.”

“In what way?”

“She wants a child and a family really bad, but she is determined to not get pregnant until after our first is born. The problem is she’s older and has less time on her ‘biological clock’ than I do. I’ve talked to her until I’m ‘blue in the face, ‘ but it’s done no good.”

“My ‘little one, ‘ is it really that much of a problem?”

“Hawk, she’s truly become my sister. When she hurts, I hurt, and in this case, I can really feel the deepness of her hurt.”

“What do you think is the solution?”

“My husband, I’ve no idea. Besides, you’re supposed to be the problem solver in the family.”

“Well, I don’t have an immediate solution, other than replacing her birth control pills with a substitute.”

“Don’t you dare! No matter how good your intentions were, she’d feel you’d betrayed her trust. Hawk, it would cause almost irreparable damage to our relationship.”

“Then let me ask this. How important is it to her to be your co-wife?”

Maria’s eyebrows furrowed while she considered Hawk’s question. Sensing the emotions running through his bride he held her even closer. When he did this she laid her head on his shoulder. Finally Maria answered, “Hawk, our relationship is very important to her, but I suspect she’s chosen the path of co-wife because she feels it’s the only way she can be a part of our family. In the beginning I went along with it because I felt like the interloper, as the two of you had already established a relationship. Now, the relationship has changed and the three of us have become quite close, closer than any of us ever imagined. I think the problem is she may need more.”

Puzzled at Maria’s statement Hawk asked, “More? Do you mean more of my time doing things together, more lovemaking, or both?.”

“Actually, although she may not want to admit it, I think she needs and wants a husband and family of her own. The problem is she has an extremely strong emotional and physical bond to you due to your rescue of her at the prison. Her relationship with me is also very strong, but it’s more sisterly, since we don’t have sex with each other.”

“You know, Chipmunk, in spite of the fact Brenda and I have had very little sex since this three sided relationship began, our feelings for each other have deepened. If anything, as you and I began to really fall in love with each other both of our bonds with Brenda increased. When I think about what you’re saying in the light of how she was at the wedding, I can see she’s also becoming more my sister than my wife.”

Thoughtfully considering what Hawk had just said, Maria finally answered, “I think you may well be right, but she’s so into being part of our marriage. I don’t want her to feel rejected or try to withdraw because she thinks it’s the ‘best’ thing for you and me. What do you think we should do?

Hawk replied, “I think we need to have an honest conversation with her when we get home. In doing so we need to let her know she’ll always have a part in this relationship, even if she forms her own family. In addition, we need to make sure she understands we aren’t ‘divorcing’ her or telling her she doesn’t belong. Instead, we’re giving her the freedom to choose her own path while reassuring her she’ll not lose her relationship with us. The hardest part will be to help her see these things, all at the same time. Otherwise, she’ll focus so hard on the negatives she perceives she won’t see the whole picture.”

A smiling Maria kissed her husband, and said, “I think that’s an excellent idea, and it relieves my mind of the emotional weight I’ve been carrying for her.” After pausing a moment she added, “Thanks, Hawk, for listening to my emotional ramblings. Brenda’s feelings are very important to me.”

“To me, also, my little Chipmunk. Now, let’s get back to our honeymoon. I wasn’t that hungry earlier when you mentioned the brunch downstairs, but now I’m famished.”

Maria agreed and the couple finished getting dressed. Maria wore a rather full black skirt which was trimmed at the bottom in silver threaded filigree. With it she wore a matching silver and turquoise belt, and a cream colored peasant blouse. With her skin color and long black hair she looked beautiful. In contrast, Hawk wore navy blue Dockers with an ASU t-shirt. When they were finished dressing the couple traveled the ancient elevator down to the lobby. There they started to join a line of more than seventy-five people awaiting entrance into the Crown Room. Before they reached the line the young bellhop who had carried their luggage to the room the previous day appeared beside them.

“Mister and Missus Gray Hawk, please come this way. Guests staying in our luxury suites always bypass the queue.” They followed him to a separate entrance area where the young man spoke to a hostess.

She entered some information into the computer at her station, and said, “We’ll have a window table available for you in a moment Mister Gray Hawk. They’re preparing it now.”

While they waited Maria and Hawk gazed with wonder into the room which opened out behind the hostess. It was over one hundred feet long and was forty to fifty feet wide. The far end was rounded, as was the ceiling, and a row of windows ran around the entire room. The walls and ceiling were paneled in real Honduras mahogany, as were the exposed ceiling beams which added charm in addition to structural support. From the ceiling hung crown shaped chandeliers that provided soft indirect lighting. These chandeliers, coupled with the sconces on each exposed beam, caused the walls and ceiling to softly glow. As a result the entire room had a warm, yet whimsical, appearance.

Hawk later learned wooden pegs, rather than nails, were used in the late eighteen hundreds to construct the room. He also found the crown chandeliers were designed by L. Frank Baum, the author of the ‘Wizard of Oz’ series of books.

After they were seated Hawk ordered a pitcher of mimosa. In doing so he instructed the waitress to have the drink made with shaved ice and to have the bartender add a small amount of passion fruit juice. While her husband ordered the drinks Maria called the limo service and requested their car and driver to be ready when they finished their brunch. When she ended the call the two of them sauntered around the room investigating the diverse food that was available. In addition to what could be considered a lavish buffet there was a special table where a cook made fresh omelets to order. At another table a chef prepared crepes and blintzes. On the buffet itself there were breakfast items, a large variety of seafood, and entire prime rib roasts ready to be cut to each diner’s pleasure. Plus, there was an enormous ‘steamship’ roast which was almost a quarter of a steer, as well as a large salad bar, vegetables, pasta dishes, and what seemed like a hundred different dessert options. It looked as though there was enough food to feed half the people in San Diego. Maria said, “Hawk, I’ve never seen so much food in my life, and it all looks and smells fantastic. I can’t believe they do this every Sunday.”

“It’s pretty amazing, but from what I can see, this place sure deserves its reputation.”

“I agree. Have you decided what you want to eat?”

“Yes, I think I will start with a traditional breakfast of omelet, hash browns, and crisp bacon. With it I’m going to add to that a crab and lobster salad. How about you?”

Maria responded, “I think I’m past breakfast, though the blintzes with strawberries and cream looked awfully inviting. I think I’ll just try a little of this and that, though I will take your advice from yesterday, and stay away from the seafood.”

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The Hawk and the Chipmunk

Mike Lowe aka The Scot

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