Chapter 5

Jessica looked wearily into the eyes of the delivery nurse.

"You have a beautiful and healthy baby boy," intoned the smiling woman, offering the child to its mother after a cursory cleaning.

Through the fatigue of a hard labor, Jessica smiled as the baby was placed at her breast.

"Welcome to the world, Christopher," she breathed. Reflexively the baby's mouth found her nipple and began nursing while the proud and smiling delivery team stood momentarily congratulating mother and themselves for a job well done. Then they retreated to give mother and child some time alone.

Jessica had begun lactating in only the last couple of weeks and she was still uncomfortable with the size to which her breasts had ballooned. The other problem was that her nipples were not only tender, but remained extremely sensitive as well.

As exhausted and thrilled as she was, the small mouth suckling her gave her not only a sense of motherly satisfaction, but just a tinge of erotic pleasure as well. Kenny had always loved to kiss and suck her breasts just as her newborn was doing now. The only thing missing she thought...

and in that instant a tiny arm reached across her chest to grasp her other nipple.

"My God," she breathed, "just like Kenny used to..." But despite the feelings of titillation, the Demerol and fatigue were simply too much for her and Jessica Stewart drifted into a pleasant sleep filled with dreams of her husband slipping a gown from her shoulders and exposing her swollen breasts as he suckled one nipple while caressing the other.

"Jessica, sweetheart, it's only a coincidence," intoned Marge.

"But Marge, he began suckling me immediately. the nurse said it sometimes takes days -- that some babies even have to be taught to suckle."

"And many don't," replied her patient mother-in-law. "Honey..."

"And then... his hand came over and..." Jessica was somewhat embarrassed to disclose an intimacy she had shared with Marge's son.

"And what?" asked Marge noting the hesitancy in Jessica's voice. "Oh, come on now. This old broad has just about seen and done it all. You aren't going to shock me."

"... His hand... came over and grasped my other breast."

"Nothing unusual about that. It's reflex, just like suckling. That little hand will grasp the first thing it comes in contact with."

"But you weren't there. You didn't see. And he continues to do it every time he feeds now that he's home."

"But, Honey, what you've described is typical of thousands of babies. Look, I know how hard it has been for you -- how much in love you and Kenny were. But to fixate on something like this..."

"Oh, perhaps you're right. Maybe I am making this into something that it isn't. It's just that it was exactly the way Kenny used to..."

"No doubt, but please keep in mind that lots of men, most in fact, love to suck on their wives' breasts and they love to touch and squeeze them too. It's just a man thing." Marge smiled. "Maybe this just means that he's going to be a breast man and is getting an early start." They both laughed as Marge picked up her pocketbook and headed for the door. "I'm headed downtown. Can I pick up anything for you?"

"No, I guess not, but thanks."

"Okay, see you in a day or so."

"Marge?" The comment stopped the older woman who turned back to the daughter-in-law. "I can't tell you how much it's meant to have you and Allen to lean on."

"Lean all you want, Honey. That's what in-laws are for -- that and to provide fodder for tired jokes from washed up comedians." The comment brought a smile to Jessica's face.

"Tired old jokes aside. You and Allen have been like a mother and father to me from the day Allen first introduced us."

"We love you Jessica. Just because Kenny is no longer with us, that won't change."

"Thanks. I do love the two of you dearly."

"Wow, I'd better leave. It's getting mushy in here."

And with that Marge was out the door and walking to her car.

For several moments Jessica mulled over what Marge had said about Christopher's feeding habit. Maybe she was making too much of this, she thought but...

It was time for his afternoon feeding and she could hear him becoming restless in the crib. The next step would be a hungry wail. So she hurried to him, picked him up and sat down in the kitchen chair. Unbuttoning the second and third buttons of her blouse she brought his tiny face to her breast. Instantly aware, the small mouth closed on the nipple and began suckling. Jessica waited. Within seconds his small arm came across her blouse, ignoring the cloth and the buttons, slipped inside her blouse and began grasping her nipple.

Jessica closed her eyes for several seconds.

"Kenny," she muttered under her breath. "Is it really you?"