Are You My Husband? Pt. 01

At the moment, Kathleen seemed quite happy with her work and staying with them, also. She was adding real value to the business, and everyone recognized and praised her for her unique, but important, contributions. It was a great situation for her, and Janie thought her spending so much time with Scott was good for her, too.

Kathleen liked their church and fit in well with the congregation. Privately, Pastor Leo, who had been very familiar with Amanda's situation, had told Janie and Scott what a fine thing they were doing to help Kathleen.

At only twenty-six there was no rush in finding a man for Kathleen. Also, her first experience with being married didn't turn out so well.

Kathleen's psychiatrist had found another doctor who had written and researched some in her area. The researcher was going to attend the next appointment in early January. Hopefully, this consulting doctor would have some helpful information, and then all of their worries would go away. Hopefully.

The appointment was on the upcoming Monday. Janie would attend the appointment with Kathleen, as she usually did, and then drive to the airport for her flight, returning on Friday evening. Scott would drive Kathleen to the appointment and home afterwards.

Scott! Janie wondered what she would do without her husband. She was going to take good care of him this weekend, even if she had to stuff her own head into a pillow so as not to rub her getting a good pounding in her sister's ears. It's a good thing she picked up that vibrator for Kathleen before the previous Christmas, or her sister would probably be climbing the walls by now to get laid...or maybe seducing some of Scott's workers, which wouldn't be terribly hard for her to do.

_______

The Monday afternoon of the appointment saw Scott driving Kathleen to her doctor's office. While their relationship seemed improved, she was unusually nervous. Scott guessed she was just hoping that she would hear something good today.

Normally the appointments were earlier in the day and Janie would go with her, and either bring her back to the business or Scott would come to get her. Today, Scott would just sit in the waiting room and work on his laptop while they were in with the doctors.

An hour and fifteen minutes after they went in, they came out. Janie was smiling from ear to ear. Once again Kathleen was unusually nervous and looked rather timid. They booked her next appointment, and Janie kissed them both goodbye to rush off to catch her flight.

Before she left, she said, "Fingers crossed, Husband." He guessed that meant good news.

Once in the truck, Kathleen asked, "So where to, Bossman. Back to the office or to the house?"

He chuckled and said, "You may or may not know that Ramon is out tomorrow with Emilia's surgery, and I'm covering for him. I expect it to be a long, long day tomorrow, so I plan to get a good meal and a good rest before getting up before dawn to start running the backhoe. I probably won't see you and the kids until after sundown."

He could see her thinking about what he said, then she replied, "Well, why don't we call Dina and order some pizza tonight, and I'll help you play with the kids until time for you and them to go to bed."

"I like the way you think, Kathleen. It's easy for me to tell that the two of you are sisters."

She smiled at him and watched him while he drove. After another minute, she said, "Scott, I want to thank you for everything. I wasn't always nice to you, nor appreciative of all the things you've done for me and my family, but I'm telling you now. You and Janie have meant everything to me. I was ready to die eighteen months ago, but I want to live now. Thank you."

"Well, I didn't really understand what was going on at the time, but I love your sister, and your mother so I would have done everything I could to support you for them. Now? I'm happy to do things for you and with you. I enjoy being around you now."

Had he seen it, her smile would have melted his heart.

She said, "The reason I acted shitty towards you is because I never understood you until I lived with the two of you. Do you remember when you first started dating Janie how I would flirt with you? It was just innocent teasing, but I enjoyed making you squirm a little."

"Oh, I remember. Your teasing was very uncomfortable because you liked to wear those tight T-shirts without a bra and rub your boobs all over me. Some nights I was very eager to get into bed with your sister because I was already worked into a frenzy by you."

She liked that comment and laughed accordingly. "I'm glad I could help her out. I should do that this week while she's gone. She'd get a serious screwing when she gets home Friday night."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. No, I don't think you should do that. I'm not sure she would understand, and I don't want to see any bad blood between you two. I'm happy for you to stay with us as long as you want, but I'm fairly certain even my wife has limits."

Because Scott was driving, he didn't see the lascivious smirk cross her face.

She asked, "Do you remember the night you asked my dad to marry Janie?"

"Of course, I do. It is the single most powerful memory I have of your father. I hadn't expected to ask Janie to marry me that night, but it worked out that I needed to, so I did. That night set up the rest of my life."

She said, "It nearly ruined mine."

He looked at her briefly with an incredulous look and said, "What? How?"

"When you and dad were outside talking on the patio, I was in his home office with the window cracked. I could hear both of you. I wasn't eavesdropping; I just happened to be in there. At first, I wasn't sure he was going to approve, but then he said how his family would need a very strong man to help over the next several years, which he expected to be tough. He had already been diagnosed with cancer and didn't think he would live but a few more years. He wanted you to watch over our family, which included me. I was incensed. Who were you to have any say over mine or my mother's life? Who were you to tell Janie what to do? I nearly came out onto the patio to give you a piece of my mind right then, but I didn't. I had a party to go to, and I didn't want to get into a fight in front of my father, so I left. I've been boiling mad at you ever since.

"I was young and stupid. I'm sorry."

Scott reached over and squeezed her hand. "I wish you had come out there. Not to yell at me, but to talk. After your father told me that, I told him that I would always be there for his girls, including your mom, but things were different from when he was my age. Janie and I were going to be true partners in love and in life, and if he wanted to talk about the future of his family, then Janie needed to be there, too. We looked for you but couldn't find you. Since we were going to talk about the family and the future, I asked him to go inside and send Janie out, and I proposed to her immediately on that same patio, probably less than five minutes after you left. After she showed your dad and mom the ring, your mom started preparing a snack for all of us, and we sat outside with your dad to talk about the plans he had made for your mom, Janie, and you."

She said, "I wish I had been there. I think I took his 'strong man' comment and started looking for big, tough guys to date. If he wanted a strong man, I'd give him a strong man. I was incredibly stupid and nearly ruined my life as a result."

He let out a long sigh, "You should have told us this years ago. We wanted to be there for you and with you while you were in college and when your dad died, but you always kept us out of reach. When you married Robert, we were so stunned. We had barely met the guy, and BAM, you were married."

She stated, "Robert was big and good looking, had a stable job, and liked to party, which I liked, obviously. But he was also NOT monogamous, and often not very nice. He should have been at best a plaything or friend-with-benefits, not a husband, but I was going to show the two of you that I could find my own strong man -- a strong fireman. What an idiot I was.

"I'm sorry that I was so mean to you for so long. I'm sorry I kept my sister at a distance and that I was more wrapped up in myself at a time when my mom really needed me. I'm not sure I'll ever forgive myself for that."

"Don't beat yourself up. While your mom was sick, your sister got married, you moved out of the house, and your dad died all in the space of about eighteen months. You were what, eighteen at the time. Anyone would have struggled, much less someone that age."

She started to say, "But..."

He squeezed her hand a little harder. "It's over, Kathleen. All is forgiven. I love having you with us, and Janie loves your being with us even more than I do, which is a lot. We're okay, and we'll adapt to your situation also. Whatever you need, you know we'll help you."

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Scott. I'm so glad Janie found you."

"Me too, Kathleen. Me too."

A few minutes later, he asked, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

She smiled at him and said, "Sure."

"I know you want your visions to stop, but have you ever considered drawing or painting them like your mom did?"

"Not really, but only because I'm hoping that I don't have them long enough to have time to do that."

He said, "I'm hoping the same thing, too. The reason I ask is that it's a way you can share them with us, so you don't have to feel like you're all alone. Your mom told me that was one of the reasons she painted them, even though it wasn't until Janie was older that she began showing and sharing them with her and me."

"I know my mom painted some pretty interesting things. I can only imagine what people would think about some of mine. Three or four weeks ago, I don't know if I had a hallucination or not. It was around the time I was getting ready for bed and Chris Hemsworth, you know, Thor, was swimming through the air around me in circles like a shark."

He laughed at this and said, "I'm pretty sure that wasn't so much a vision as it was a fantasy."

She laughed in reply, and said, "You're probably right. It was kind of late, and it has been a while since I've been with a good-looking man...hmph...or any man. Maybe I dreamt it."

"You're going to be fine, Kathleen. Your family is here for you."

She squeezed his hand again. "Thank you, Scott. That means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me."

____________

When they got home, Dina was surprised by how early they were. The children were excited to see them, and little Eva was excited about the cheese pizza they were going to have.

They both played with the children that evening, and once they were down, she snuggled next to him on the couch until he had to go to bed. She stayed up a little longer, wondering what he would think about the doctors' and Janie's suggestion.

Scott called Janie for a moment to wish her a good night.

She had arrived at her hotel and told him, "Scott, we had a really promising meeting with the doctors today. It's too much to get into over the phone, but I'll tell you all about it this weekend when I get home."

"Sounds good, Babe. She and I had a good talk on the way home today. I'll tell you about that, too."

"Sounds good. Love you, Scott."

"Love you, Babe."

The next morning, as he said, Scott was out of the house early. Kathleen stayed until Dina arrived, then she called a taxi. She had her own plans for the day.

She didn't get into the office until mid-morning, and only saw Scott briefly for a moment after lunchtime, when he stopped by to check on things.

She asked, "How's it going?"

He replied, "Good. I've not been on the 'hoe' for several months. I needed the practice. Ramon makes it look easy."

She laughed at him. "Been on the hoe? Don't let Janie hear you saying things like that. Sounds like something cheap and tawdry."

He laughed with her.

She said, "Hey, don't pick up anything on the way home. Dina is making burrito bowls for us."

"That sounds great. That will make me want to work faster. Thank God for Dina. What would we do without her?"

She smiled at him and had a good rest of her day.

As predicted, he didn't get home until late. He took a quick shower and helped Kathleen get the kids into bed and sat down at the big breakfast table by the kitchen to eat his burrito bowl, the smell of which was making his mouth water.

Kathleen put a big bowl of tortilla chips and guacamole next to him to have with his dinner. While at the table, from a pitcher, she poured him a tall glass of something dark into one of their large red-wine glasses. He cocked his eyebrow at her and took a sip.

"Sangria?"

"It is. I made it this morning before I came to work so it would have time for all the flavors to mix. I still can't cook worth a damn, but I have plenty of experience making drinks. This I can do."

He took another long sip, after which he raised his eyebrows and said, "You know, I think I'll keep you, even if it's only to make this. That's very good."

"I'm glad you like it."

After he finished his meal, knowing he was tired, she suggested he go relax in the den and she would bring him a second glass. Once she had finished cleaning up, she poured herself and him another glass each, and for the second night in a row, she snuggled into him on the couch. She wanted to fall asleep with his arm wrapped around her, but she couldn't because she had plans.

Around thirty minutes later, she could tell by his breathing that he was either asleep or almost asleep, so she stood and pulled on his hands until he got up, and she helped him to bed. In his bedroom, she turned down his bed, undressed him down to his underwear, and tucked him in while giving him a soft goodnight kiss on the lips.

He was too gone to notice.

Sometime later, he vaguely felt the bed move and Janie moved into him, wrapping his arm around her. She was wearing his favorite perfume, and he could feel her stiffened nipple through her satin nightie that she sometimes wore when she was in the mood.

It only took him a moment to realize this was a dream because he knew she was in New Jersey and her breasts, which he was enjoying fondling, were the size they were two years ago when she was still nursing Noah. He loved watching her nurse and thought it was one of the sweetest and most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Sometimes, if Eva or Noah didn't empty her completely, she would put them down once she finished and have him finish her. She said that while nursing the children made her feel like a complete woman when he would nurse her it would make her as horny as she had ever been. She'd climb on top, ride him cowgirl and let him suck on her until she came like a freight train.

A few months after she stopped nursing Noah and a few months before Kathleen arrived, she even commented to him about missing that. It was with this thought drifting through his mind, as he wondered about his exact state of consciousness that he felt Janie push her butt back into his groin.

He kissed the back of her neck, and he could feel her pulling up her nightgown. When he tweaked her nipple, she let out a low moan, which was different from her usual intake of breath. No matter. As he kissed her behind her ear, he could feel her hand rubbing him through his underwear. He began slowly caressing her skin as he moved his hand towards her sex.

He was very much surprised that her groomed landing strip was gone, replaced by a completely shaved twat. Damn. He was fully hard now, achingly so.

As soon as he touched her nether lips, he could feel her wetness. She was very slick and ready. Then unexpectedly, he felt her body stiffen, turn, kiss him, and disappear. What the...? By this point he was waking up, groggily looked around the darkened room, and saw no one.

As he plopped back onto his pillow, the spot on the bed next to him was warm and he could still smell Janie's perfume. His erection was going down, but now he was really missing Janie.

The next morning, he looked at the bed and nothing seemed amiss. He thought, "What a strange dream."

At breakfast, Kathleen seemed a little down, but by the time Dina showed up to look after the kids, she seemed mostly back to her normal self.

___________

The rest of the week without Janie went well, and Dina helped everything flow smoothly. Occasionally, Kathleen seemed a little pensive, but otherwise, she and Scott got along fine, better than fine, actually. The night before Janie was to return home, Kathleen who had been snuggling with him each night while watching TV, stood to go to bed. Once standing she leaned down and gave him a long, gentle kiss on the lips.

"I want to thank you, Scott. You've been so very good to me, and I appreciate it more than I can show you."

"Think nothing of it. I'm just fulfilling a promise I made to your dad and your sister all those years ago. I'm glad that you are here with us, very glad."

"Me too."

Janie returned the next day, late in the afternoon. Scott was looking forward to seeing his wife, and she had missed her family. She loved on her kids until time to put them to bed, and then she put Scott in the middle of the couch again, with her on one side and Kathleen on the other. Janie smiled at her sister, who showed a worried expression. Janie reached over and stroked the side of her face like she did that night after the funeral and mouthed, "I love you."

A tear fell from one of Kathleen's eyes.

Scott was very happy to have both of them next to him. He wondered, "How lucky can one man get?"

In bed that night, Janie gently stopped any of Scott's advances saying that she was tired from the travel, but she would make it up to him tomorrow.

After telling him, "I love you, Scott," she laid her head on his shoulder and went to sleep.

In the morning, Scott woke up with Janie draped across him. She was watching him.

He mumbled out "Hey gorgeous."

"Good morning, my man."

She hugged him tightly and lay next to him while waiting for him to become fully awake. A few minutes later he got up to use the restroom, and when he returned, Janie was still in bed and patted it for him to return.

Once they were snuggled up together again, she said, "Scott, I need to talk to you about Kathleen's last appointment with her doctor, or, well, with both doctors. You'll see in a minute why I didn't want to get into all of this on the phone."

"Okaaaaay?" He wondered what was so involved.

Janie asked, "How has she been this week?"

"Well, I told you Monday night that we had a good talk in the truck after her appointment. She told me about overhearing your father and me talking on the night we got engaged. She seemed to have misinterpreted some of what he and I said and has resented me for it until recently.

"This week has been really good. She made a nice Sangria on Tuesday and laid next to me on the couch each night you were gone. Even though she has seemed a little out of sorts at times this week, I've felt more comfortable around her this week than I have since she used to tease me while we were dating."

"I'm glad to hear that the two of you had a good week."

Janie paused a moment, hoping to lay things out in a way that Scott would agree with.

She began, "The other doctor in the office on Monday was a medical researcher. She did her residency at UPMC in Pittsburgh and worked at John Hopkins for several years before moving here to Atlanta in the past year. A couple of weeks ago she was given Kathleen's and Mom's files to study. Since Mom had her visions all her life, she had a detailed medical and psychiatric history which provided a lot of information.

"She discovered something that she thought could really help Kathleen. It seems that the frequency and severity of Mom's visions decreased markedly while she was pregnant with Kathleen and for a long while, thereafter. She thinks it was due to the hormones that a woman's body releases during pregnancy and afterwards. She believes that since Kathleen's symptoms are so minor compared to Mom's, there is a good chance that a pregnancy would reduce hers to either nothing or close to nothing. It's given her real hope."