A Loaded Proposal Ch. 06

Chapter Six

Three weeks later, Sarah delivered a healthy baby girl. There were some complications resulting in a c-section delivery, but she recovered well and they both went home three days later. This time, I made sure to stay in contact with her. I knew from Lucy's days after giving birth that they could be both difficult and depressing at times. I checked in with her at least once a week, most weeks more often than that. We talked about the baby, Delilah, but I also intentionally showed interest in how Sarah was doing, since most people focused only on the well-being of the baby, forgetting entirely about new mothers.

We video chatted occasionally, and she posted pictures, mostly of Delilah. I could tell that, while Sarah was incredibly tired most days, she was doing wonderfully as a mother, and Kyle was doing well taking care of the both of them. Summer seemed to drag on forever, but work and family kept me busy. As long as the summer seemed to last, September and October flew by, and before I knew it, I was getting on my plane, once more on my way to see Sarah, and Delilah too.

When I went to pick up the car, I could have sworn they gave me the exact same vehicle as my previous trip. As I drove to their house, I noticed most of the houses were decorated for Halloween. The drive seemed to take no time as I pulled up onto their street in front of their house around three o'clock in the afternoon. I walked up to their steps, and the door opened before I could go up. There stood Kyle, who had been waiting for me. Instead of inviting me in, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. I couldn't quite place the look on his face. Stress? Resignation? Exhaustion? I shivered a little, mostly from the cool air outside.

"Hey Kyle," I greeted him, trying to keep the situation from being awkward. Well, that was impossible, but trying to keep it from getting more awkward than it already was.

"Steven, you're here. We've been waiting. Look, I understand you've treated Sarah respectfully this whole time. She told me everything, at my insistence, because I was concerned. I just wanted to make sure that wouldn't change for this weekend, and that this weekend will be the end of...you being together..." he trailed off, uncertain what else to say.

"Kyle, look, I understand it's been hard for you. I still can't imagine how I would feel. You probably feel like punching me right now, and I wouldn't blame you if you did. Would that make you feel better?" I asked, chuckling, and hoping he didn't take me up on the offer, however sarcastically I mentioned it.

"No, Steven. I mean...I kinda feel like punching you, but Sarah would know. She's probably watching from the window right now, making sure I don't do something like that. It has been hard, but...I really do appreciate what you've done for us. I can't repay you for it, so this is the next best thing. It kind of threw us when you told Sarah you expected her to bring Delilah with you today. I just...wanted to make sure your respect and care will extend to her, like...you won't do anything around her, right?" He asked uncertainly, still having trouble finding the words to express his thoughts.

"Yes, I completely understand what you mean. And no, I won't do anything like that around Delilah. As I mentioned before, it's entirely in Sarah's hands." I replied, attempting to reassure him.

"That's good to know. I think I should give you a heads up. Sarah's been exhausted lately--she might not be interested in doing much...extra activities, if you understand?"

"I do, and if that's the case, that makes my job much simpler, wouldn't you agree?" I asked with a smile.

"I would," he replied uncertainly.

"Hey, dude," I began, when the door opened and there stood Sarah, "you have a great weekend. Go out with some friends, ok? You did have plans, right?"

"Uh, yeah," he replied.

"Good!" I exclaimed. "You deserve a weekend to yourself. You've been working hard." I turned to Sarah, who was standing next to a suitcase, a diaper bag, and a covered baby carrier. "Are you ready, Ma'am?"

"Yes, Steven. Could you carry the bags to the car, please?" She asked.

"Yes indeed," I replied simply, picking up the bags and taking them to the car.

"If you could put the suitcase in the trunk and the diaper bag in the back seat?" She asked from the door. I nodded as I approached the car and loaded them in their requested spots. I turned to see that Kyle and Sarah had embraced tightly. When Sarah pulled back a few inches, Kyle pulled her face in for a deep kiss. I smiled at the sight, clearing my throat as I approached. After a few more seconds, they broke apart. "See you Sunday, Baby," she said, running her hand across his chest. Turning to me, she asked, "Steven, if you could take Delilah, I'll take the baby carrier base and buckle it into the back seat.

"Of course," I replied, following her to the car. As she was installing the base into the middle seat in the back of the car, she commented, "She's awake right now, if you want to peek in and see her. I'd like to sit with her in the back for the drive, if that's ok. Hopefully that will keep her satisfied. She just ate before we got ready to go."

"That's great, Sarah," I replied, opening the flap of the carrier cover to take a look at Delilah. I could only catch a hint of her in the cloudy weather, but at first glance, she seemed unremarkable; just another six-month old baby. I had thought the same about each of my own three children at that age--they all just looked like babies until they grew older.

"There, all secured," Sarah said, reaching for the carrier to fasten it onto the base. I handed it to her and stood there as she secured Delilah into the middle seat and sat in the seat next to her, buckling herself before I gently closed the door for her. Then we were on our way, driving the hour to get to the hotel. We enjoyed talking about our lives over the past months. She told me so much about her joys and struggles in being a new mother, how exciting it was when Delilah hit a new milestone in her development. She was currently crawling and pulling herself up to stand. I was glad to hear that because it made me feel like I had prepared appropriately for our stay at the hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel, I parked the car and we walked in together--Sarah carried Delilah's carrier and I carried everything else. We walked to the counter, which was vacant, so I lightly dinged the bell. A few moments later, who should appear but Mark himself! I wondered to myself if he had taken note of my reservation dates and had requested to work--either that or he just normally worked the same days. "Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Peters...and it looks like you've brought the little one. How wonderful! You'll find everything you've requested has been provided." At that, Sarah gave me a puzzled look but said nothing. "If we could just take care of finalizing the payment, we'll get you all on your way up," he finished with a huge smile. Oh, how I loved Mark!

Two minutes later, we had our card key and were riding up in the elevator, once more to the Honeymoon Suite. I guess you could say this was our second Babymoon, with the baby herself in attendance. We made it up and were at the door and Sarah was scanning the card key. I secretly smiled to myself as I thought about what awaited us. We opened the door and I let Sarah go first, quickly following her. Delilah had started to fuss in the elevator, so she quickly put down the carrier to take her out. As Sarah was bouncing her in her arms, she curiously looked around, clearly expecting an arrangement similar to our previous visit.

I dare say she wasn't disappointed. First of all, everything that had been supplied for our first visit was once again provided, but there were more than a few additions. Seated next to the two chairs at the table was a decent looking high chair, along with an assortment of baby food and utensils sitting on the table. "You had said she had started baby food," I explained, "but I didn't know what kinds she had tried, so I asked them to provide most everything."

She nodded in response as she continued surveying the suite. The coffee table in front of the couch had been replaced with a large, colorful mat for Delilah to play and crawl on. Up against one wall, there sat two boxes of assorted toys that might interest her as well, including a musical walking toy.

"I had been thinking about getting one of those walking toys for her, but we just hadn't gotten around to doing it yet," Sarah shared.

"Well, that's great, because they said you can take home anything you would like. It's all yours." I shared.

"But," she paused, clearly at a loss for words. "Won't that be charged to your account for the room?"

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "While the hotel has done a fantastic job accommodating us, they wouldn't do so for free. Lucy and I discussed this at least, as a way of giving you more for Delilah. Is that ok?"

"Is that ok?" she repeated, tears now running down her face. She struggled to wipe them away while holding Delilah. I took a tissue from the holder on the table and used it to wipe her eyes, before giving her and Delilah a careful hug. She hugged me back before releasing me, looking up into my eyes, and continuing, "But...but, we don't deserve this, any of it, Delilah least of all. I've been a horrible sister to Lucy, accusing her of things that really make no sense, now that I look back on everything. Why would you do all of this for us?" She asked, her eyes still watery and nose sniffling.

It was clear she wanted the truth; and I wouldn't have lied anyway. "The truth is, you don't deserve it, Sarah. But everything we've done for you has been a gift, everything we've given has been given freely, with no strings attached. Even Delilah herself. I gave those conditions last year expecting you to outright refuse them. When I shared the conditions with Lucy, outside of your house, she thought the same thing. She only consented to them after I promised I would accept your request regardless, even if you refused the conditions."

"You would have done it, even if I hadn't agreed?" She asked, puzzled, eyes looking at me but unfocused.

"I would have done it. That's what family does, they help each other out, even when they don't deserve it...especially if they don't deserve it." I paused, then added with a chuckle, "And Lord knows you've more than repaid me for what we've given to you. But looking back on everything so far, can you seriously say that you aren't glad it turned out the way it did?"

"I am glad," she responded right away, "but Kyle has been through a lot this past year and a half. Over our last weekend together, he worried a lot. He decided to spend the weekend at home, alone, instead of making plans with friends. Even with your promise that you would respect my wishes in the end, he was still concerned about my well-being. I had to tell him, in detail, about the whole weekend. He wasn't happy about it, but he was reassured that you had treated me with respect."

I nodded in response, deciding not to tell her what exactly Kyle had told me outside of their house earlier. "So, now that that seems to be settled, can we agree not to talk about money for the rest of the weekend, or about how much we've showered you with gifts," I chuckled, hopefully playing it off and helping her to feel more easy about everything. "How about we get settled in, then we can talk about what you want to do this weekend." I said, picking up our bags and starting towards the bedroom.

When we entered, I turned the light on. Most of the room was the same, with the addition of a sizable pack 'n play that had been added. "I didn't know the sleeping arrangements you're accustomed to, so I wanted to be prepared."

"That's thoughtful of you, like everything else. It's possible Delilah will use it for naps, but we're used to co-sleeping. The bed will be more than big enough for the three of us."

Delilah began struggling in her arms, so Sarah took her back out to the living room and placed her in a sitting position in the middle of the mat. Immediately she leaned forward, almost falling before catching herself and slowly crawling towards the colorful toys. Sarah sat on the floor next to her and assisted her in pulling out some toys from the boxes. I sat on the couch to observe them quietly. Their play lasted for about fifteen minutes before Delilah started getting agitated. "I think she's thirsty," Sarah observed. "I'm gonna take her into the bed to feed her; I really need to lay down."

She got up and started carrying Delilah towards the bedroom. "Can I come too?" I asked uncertainly.

"Of course, Steven," she called over her shoulder. I followed her, suddenly feeling like an outsider in their life. How silly it seemed, all of a sudden, that I had become familiar with every inch of her body, and yet I was now uncertain of the protocol for breastfeeding. Upon arriving in the bedroom, I noticed Sarah was lying on the far side of the bed with Delilah lying next to her. She had already pulled off her blouse and nursing bra, which were both hanging on the side of the pack 'n play. At the sight of her topless form lying on the bed, my cock jumped a bit in my pants.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable again, I asked, "Is there anything I can get you? A glass of water maybe?

"Water would be so nice right now. I'm parched," she agreed as Delilah latched onto her dark nipple and areola. I quickly walked out to the dining area, retrieving two glasses and filling them both with cool water. I returned and offered a glass to Sarah, who took it with her free hand, causing her left breast to rise slightly. "You can sit with us," she said, indicating the other side of the bed, "or lay down yourself. There's plenty of room."

My eyes went from her eyes, to her breasts, to Delilah, then back up to her eyes, where I struggled to keep them. "Come on, Steven," she teased, "You've seen me completely naked, we've made love, and yet you're bothered by this?"

I struggled to find the right words as I stepped out of the shoes still on my feet. "It doesn't bother me; actually, it's the opposite. I think it's beautiful. It's just...they're for her now," I finished, nodding to Delilah.

"Steven," she said, sighing with impatience, "Sit, please." I complied somewhat reluctantly, before she continued. "I understand what you're going through, or rather, Kyle would understand. He went through exactly the same thing when I started breastfeeding Delilah. And I'll tell you the same thing I told him: My breasts have more than one function, just, not necessarily at the same time. And, since delivering, they've been very tender, so whatever roughness they may have tolerated during my pregnancy, I would scream from pain if it happened now. Does all of that make sense?"

"Yes," I replied simply. It all made perfect sense, but I was still a little uneasy. I couldn't help but be worried that Sarah wouldn't be interested in anything sexual anymore; that's how Lucy had been for about the first year of each of our children's lives. Then, just after having such a thought, I reprimanded myself. "I'm supposed to be here to take care of her, remember?" I said to myself. I was content to continue watching as Delilah continued to nurse, marveling in the wonder of life.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, Sarah moved a bit, and I watched as she disengaged the sleeping infant's mouth, once more freeing her nipple to view. "Would you like some, Steven?" she asked with a knowing smile. Clearly, she had noticed my noticing her breasts. How could she not notice with me looking at them most of the time?

"Um, yes please," I replied, trying not to sound quite as enthusiastic as I was. "If it's not too much of an imposition," I added quickly.

"Ha, no," she giggled as she sat up, causing her breasts to jiggle marvelously. "Actually, it would be a big help. I've had no problem producing a steady supply, but once Delilah started eating solid food, she stopped drinking as much. I guess my boobs haven't quite gotten the message yet. If you help me out, I won't have to express myself, and that's never quite as efficient anyway." Sarah gently picked up Delilah, walked around the bed, and set her down in the pack 'n play. "I need you to work on the other breast mostly," she shared, "so I'll need to lay down on this side of the bed."

I quickly rolled over one and a half times until I was closer to the other side of the bed, facing Sarah as she laid down in the middle. As she settled herself comfortably, I looked at her breasts and she nodded encouragingly. As I scooted ever closer, she asked, "You have done this before, haven't you? With Lucy?" I nodded, looking into her eyes. "Good," she replied, "so you know what you're doing. Not that I should have to remind you, but try to remember to get as much of my breast in your mouth as you can while maintaining a closed seal. And please...try to keep your teeth out of the way," she finished, smiling over at me.

As I went to place my mouth onto her breast, I paused, remembering one more thing. "May I hold your other breast?" I asked.

"Yes, you may. Just be gentle, they've been through a lot. And," she added, "if it leaks, feel free to finish that one off too. Don't be offended if I fall asleep. I've been pretty exhausted lately, as I'm sure you can understand."

I could understand. I was tired myself, and my work was way less strenuous than hers as a mother. That I definitely understand. My mouth inched closer to her breast as I held it gently with my hand. I opened wide and took her nipple and probably almost all of her dark areola into my mouth. I sucked tentatively, feeling her nipple move toward the back of my mouth. I sucked again and was rewarded with a light stream of milk. It was warm and a little less tasteful than cow's milk, much as I remembered Lucy's being. With my third suck, the stream of milk became a gush, forcing me to swallow after every suck. She let out a soft moan, clearly relieved at this release of pressure in her breast.

I remembered my request and lightly placed my left hand onto her free breast. I squeezed it gently, being sure not to touch the nipple, as I knew they could get quite sore. I returned my focus to the rhythmic sucking and swallowing required to drain her breast of its extra milk. I could hear her heartbeat, which was so amazing. It started slowing, as did her breathing, until I knew without a doubt that she was asleep. As I continued to suck, I noticed her belly for the first time. It was kind of scrunched and wrinkled looking, similar to how Lucy's had been for the first few years after the birth of our last child.

Some time later, the milk flow slowed to less than a trickle, so I assumed her breast was mostly empty. I gently disengaged my mouth and raised myself up slightly to check the other. I gently took it in, just like the first, giving a few tentative sucks. The flow of milk I received wasn't nearly as forceful; that one was drained as well after a few minutes. I quietly disengaged and sat up, checking on Delilah. She was still sound asleep, so I reached down and grabbed the top sheet of the bed to pull it over us, moving slowly, absolutely determined not to wake Sarah up from her well-deserved and much needed nap.

_____

Over an hour later, I was awakened from our nap by Delilah, who I found sitting up in the middle of the pack 'n play, fussing about her imprisonment. I got up and went over, lifting her up and out bouncing her lightly to soothe her. All she wanted was down so she could explore on her own. I looked over to see Sarah still lying on the bed with her eyes closed tightly, so I knew she was somewhat awake. "Do you want us to let you sleep some more," I asked her softly.