For the Love of Hanna

Story Info
What would she do for a baby?
14k words
3.74
126.1k
35
Share this Story

Font Size

Default Font Size

Font Spacing

Default Font Spacing

Font Face

Default Font Face

Reading Theme

Default Theme (White)
You need to Log In or Sign Up to have your customization saved in your Literotica profile.
PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here
Salamis
Salamis
527 Followers

Warning: There is no-sex in this story.

Chapter 1: Our Shadow

There is nothing like a cold December morning to drive the last vestige of sleep from my body. My glasses fogged as soon as I opened the outer door. I bent forward to retrieve my handkerchief and my peripheral vision caught movement to my right, it was not close by, perhaps some forty feet away and on the other side of the street.

Ordinarily I would have been startled, but I was on guard for the presence of raccoons. The four-legged bandits had become frequent visitors to the cans than lined our neighbor's driveway. I half expected them to scurry across my path or confront my intrusion. However, the movement came from a person not an animal.

They moved quickly but in a manner of someone with a slight limp. Nonetheless, they made it to a waiting car and then drove off just as I was beginning to focus. I caught a glimpse of hair overflowing a hood. I could not be sure but I thought the figure had been a woman.

On this street at this time of morning, that was certainly an odd happening. However, I shrugged off the scene as soon as the car pulled away. There was not much else to think about so I hurried over to my own vehicle. It was 6am. With luck, I could get a lot accomplished before the office opened.

As predicted, my morning in the office went surprisingly well, no fires to put out and no egos to stroke. Maybe this was evidence of the Christmas spirit. Whatever it was, I made it out of there unscathed. I was taking a half day and meeting my wife for lunch at the mall.

When I arrived at the mall, I saw my wife making her way thru the crowd. The place was crowded with the usual holiday shoppers. Maddy was carrying two bags that she seemed to have trouble negotiating. I came upon her quickly. As I moved to grab both bags from her, I felt a tingling in the back of my neck. I glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of a woman in the distance. She appeared to be looking at us.

At first I thought she was looking elsewhere, that is until our eyes met. For a moment, we appraised one another but my eyes refused to stray from her face; it was devoid of all humor. She was not merely deadpanning us; she was studying our interaction…as if she were eavesdropping, looking at us with the air of a busybody. However, given her distance and the fact that neither Maddy nor I had spoken I knew that she could not have been listening. Then as quickly as I had seen her, she turned and walked away.

It then occurred to me that this woman moved in the same irregular manner as the person I had seen earlier that morning. I guided Maddy into a nearby restaurant and we sat down.

Maddy was describing the buys she had made. She was so excited at having found an outfit for her cousin Kate. As she spoke, she kept shifting nervously in her seat every few seconds. At eight months pregnant, I knew her back was bothering her and the hard plastic chair was not helping. As expected, she announced that she was going to the restroom.

I stood and moved her chair while helping her rise from the seat. I turned to watch her walking away. Even though the dining room was crowded, I caught sight of someone staring through the window separating the restaurant from the mall walkway. It was the same woman I had seen earlier, and she was focused again on Maddy.

This was getting creepy. I thought about telling Maddy about this but decided against it. It might needlessly upset her. Besides, it might just be a coincidence. Then for some reason I thought of Sylvia Seagrist. It had been a dozen years since that mentally ill woman had aimed an automatic weapon at random shoppers in a mall.

That image got me out my seat. I picked up our bags and waited for Maddy outside of the restroom. She was a little surprised to see me standing there when she opened the door and scrunched her face when she saw I was holding our bags.

I put my best smile on the situation. "Hey babe, it's too crowded in here, and I see how your back has reacted to those seats. Tell you what, let me make you lunch at home then I will give you a bath and a massage? How's that sound?"

"Marvelous", she said with a big smile as she interlocked her arm in mine.

I breathed easier now as I hustled her out the mall and into our car. I kept looking around for that woman, careful not to involve Maddy. As we pulled into our street, I checked again for our 'shadow'. Satisfied we were alone, Maddy and I entered our apartment.

Maddy was very tired from our outing. She slipped out of her clothes while I ran the water for her bath. I helped her get in the tub. There was foam seat in place for her comfort.

"I must be a sight", she said after obtaining a comfortable position. She looked at me as if she were going to cry.

Her hand was placed on the side of the tub. I placed my hand over hers and moved to kiss her forehead. She never looked lovelier to me. She was having my baby and her body was all warm and soft. Sitting there naked in the bath, I saw how vulnerable she was and all I wanted to do was protect her and make her feel safe and loved.

"Babe, you are as beautiful to me now as the day we married. Now sit back and relax."

I washed her tenderly, caressing her skin with both the cloth and my hands that were lathered with the scented soap. I took my time resting over various parts of her frame: her legs, her arms, the back of her neck, and her ears. On her neck and ears, I placed kisses as water rinsed over her.

I helped her up and dried her, again lingering over certain areas of high tension. Then we went to the bedroom where I commenced her massage starting with her feet. Within minutes, Maddy was asleep so I tucked her in bed and turned off the light.

The radiators hissed as I left the room. The temperature had been steadily dropping all day. I wondered if it were going to snow. Ours was a frontal apartment on the second floor. It had a good view from the living room window of the street as well as the city skyline. I looked out first at the southern sky and then down at the sidewalks.

The street was clear, as dusk l had descended. As I was moving back, I caught sight of a car across the street. It looked like the same vehicle I had seen in the morning. Furthermore, the engine was running and I could see the outline of one person on the driver's side.

This was no coincidence. We were being watched, probably by the woman from the mall. I thought about calling the police; but what did I have to offer? She had not actually come in direct contact with either of us, she just watched. If we were lucky to get squad car to come it could take hours. This type of call had the lowest priority. I decided to change the rules of the game we were playing.

I left the building by the back fire door and proceeded through the yard to the adjoining lot. From there I circled around until I made it to the street. I was now about 100 yards from the entrance to our building and the woman was parked more than half that distance between. I had brought a flashlight along to help me negotiate the walkway. I noted that the vehicle had Maryland plates. When I reached the car, I decided to take another risk…one that in hindsight was quite foolish.

I grabbed the driver's door handle assuming it unlocked. It was, so I swung the light directly in this woman's face as the door flew open. The effect caused her to recoil in her seat letting out a loud gasp.

"Who are you? Why are you following us?" I shouted.

The woman was breathing quickly now. She held my gaze in a wide-eyed stare.

"Who are you?" I repeated.

Seeing that she was obviously in fear of me I calmed a bit, more in frustration than anger. A different approach was required so I lowered my voice as well as my flashlight.

"Look, I've seen you following us. If I don't get some answers, and soon, I'm calling the police. Stalking is a serious offense in this state."

With that, the woman broke down. I was unprepared for the floodgates that followed. Her body shook as she cried silently. For the first time as my adrenaline slowed, I noticed the cold. It was below freezing and the wind was picking up. I hit the button on her door then quickly moved around the car into the passenger's seat. She was still sobbing as I reached across her close her door.

I sat there quietly as she began to compose herself. I now began to look upon her as a woman. I wasn't very good at reading ages but I guessed her to be in her late forties. She was blond and her hair was rather long, beyond her shoulders. It had an unkempt look, as if she had not cared about her appearance. She possessed a thin nose as well and a small mouth. She was a pretty even in distress. I noted that her face had character; there were the lines at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth, but they still conveyed a face that was soft and delicate. For that reason, I wasn't concerned about her initiating any violence towards me.

Taking a deep breath, I resumed my questioning. "What is your name?"

"Felicity Davenport" she said, as she looked straight into my eyes. The name did not register.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No, we've never met Mr. Treadway", she responded as she lowered her head. That she knew my name concerned me but I kept my surprise away from my face.

"Then why…"

"I had to see her, I wanted to…"

"Do you mean Madeline? You had to see Madeline? What do you want with her?

"She and my husband…" she said as she brought her hands up to her face. Her body shook once again as the tears returned.

What about Madeline and her husband? I wasn't upset, not because I could place Madeline with another man, but because I could not. My Maddy was very much pregnant and very much my wife. I could not imagine her cheating on me.

"I would like to talk more with you about this. Where are you staying?" I asked, in part wanting to validate that she was from out of town and to get her away from our apartment. I knew Maddy was lying down and I WAS curious as to why this woman would stalk my wife. It would be a couple of hours before Maddy would awaken, enough time to calmly get some answers.

"I have a room at the Hilton on City Avenue"

"Good. Are you capable of driving or do you want me to drive?"

"I'm fine now", she said as she turned on the lights and put the car in gear. We were at the corner in seconds before heading towards the main branch of traffic.

"Where are you from, Alabama or South Carolina? I detect an accent."

"I'm originally from South Carolina but we live in Baltimore," she said, smiling at my question. I have an ear for accents. It's a hobby of mine.

"You drove up from Baltimore?"

"No I was too upset to drive. I took the train in case my nerve failed. Then I rented a car here."

I ceased asking any more questions. If her husband was in Baltimore then this affair she alluded to must have been very infrequent. Maddy and I were virtually inseparable this last year. This woman must have been mistaken about my wife.

The rest of the drive to the hotel was covered in silence. Fortunately, we were only a few miles away so the trip was a short one. When we arrived, she gave the car to the valet and then we stopped in the lobby.

There was a bar or lounge on one side and a restaurant off to the other. I'm not much of a drinker so the choice was easy. Besides, I preferred the atmosphere of the restaurant. It did not look very crowded and we could talk there without interruption or distraction.

"Why don't we talk over coffee in the restaurant?" I said as I gestured in that direction. She merely nodded, placed her arm in mine, and began walking with me. I slowed my pace to match her gait.

We asked for and were seated at a table a suitable distance away from where the sparse crowd was clustered. We could speak here. I waited for our coffee before beginning. "So what makes you believe that my wife and your husband are involved?

"Because Mitchell… he's my husband; Mitchell and your wife had an affair before."

Now that caught my attention. I was almost too afraid to ask. "When?"

"I don't know exactly how long they carried on, but I know it ended about four years ago while she was his student."

"Mrs. Davenport. That's before we were married." I said, relieved that this business predated my relationship with Maddy. However, it was a little unnerving to think that I had been a rebound lover. Even so, I was about to write this woman off as a bit of a flake and find a way to extricate myself. A few more questions and I could leave. So I responded with the only line of questioning possible.

"I'm afraid that's before my time. We've only been married a little over three years. If that affair ended so long ago, why are you interested in them now? Haven't you and your husband reconciled?"

She started to tear up when I said that. However, the rest of her countenance remained unchanged.

"I thought so, but a few weeks ago I overheard a conversation Mitchell was having with one of his friends. It was clear that your wife was their subject. Mitchell was going on and on about her, particularly about her energy in bed. I could not hear what the other man was saying but Mitchell was apparently answering many questions. Then he said to his friend that he was willing to share her; that she would have no problem with that."

"Mrs. Davenport, you are aware that my wife is eight months pregnant?" I said smiling sadly at her.

"I know that now. This looks very bad."

"Are you implying the child is not mine? Rest assured, it's mine. If that is your concern then what you've told me so far doesn't add up. You seem to be talking about futures. If there is some plan in the works its months away. Furthermore, I cannot believe that Maddy has anything to do with this. Do you have any real evidence other than a partially overheard conversation?

"Yes. I found some of my husband's emails and forwarded them to my account. I can send them to you. They confirm what I heard them talking about. They've started up again…it's been going on over a year now."

I took another long sip of my coffee. This woman was disturbed. I did not know how much of her story to believe. If I had the emails then perhaps it might add credibility to the other parts, but it was still too far fetched an allegation. It was more likely that she had Maddy confused with someone else. Maddy and I were together most of this past year; the times we had been apart amounted to no more than a couple of weeks scattered over months.

"Mrs. Davenport, let's suppose for arguments sake that your interpretation of the conversation and the emails is correct. What do you want? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be confronting your husband with this?"

"I've spoken with Mitchell before about his women. He would deny having any intentions on your wife. He's a pathological liar", she almost spat out. I was put on guard by the venom in her voice when she said this. She continued, "I thought that if I could speak with your wife, persuade her to leave him alone…but I did not have the courage to meet with her." With that, she looked down at her cup and fell silent.

I felt in my coat for a pen. I did not have one. "Mrs. Davenport, do you have a pen? I'll give you my email address." She fished for a moment in her purse and produced a pen. I took it and wrote my information on a napkin.

"And when you send me those notes, include your phone number. I'll get to the bottom of this, though I still doubt it has anything to do with my wife." I said as I moved to my feet. "I'll call you when I have something. Until then, go home. Talk with your husband."

I left the restaurant after that, pausing only briefly at the door to get one last look at Felicity Davenport. She was staring out the window, immobile as well as oblivious to my departure. I left the hotel and headed for a waiting cab.

I checked on Maddy as soon as I arrived home. She was sleeping peacefully in the same position as when I left. I was thankful for that. The baby had been very active these last few weeks. Maddy was finally getting some needed rest. I looked at her as if doing so for the first time. My God, even in sleep she was beautiful. I could not imagine life without her. I hoped that the baby favored her in appearance.

Thinking of the baby brought me back to the moment. It dawned on me that I had obtained very little information from this woman who called herself Felicity Davenport and I WAS curious. She had mentioned her husband Mitchell and some other man who knew Maddy here in town. She also said that Maddy had been a student of Mitchell. With that information, I headed to my computer in the guest room.

An hour later after searching the net I had significantly more knowledge of the Davenports. However, Mrs. Davenport proved to have the longer biography. Dr. Felicity Davenport was well known in medical circles having authored several books on Bioethics while at Johns Hopkins. There were multiple pages of articles written where she was either the author or a subject of an interview.

One article showed a picture of the doctor taken from her book jacket. She was shown with her husband and son. Her husband was a handsome man, perhaps in his late forties. He possessed a massive shock of hair and graying temples. He had this Kennedyesque look about him. As I studied his face, it came to me that I had seen this man before…and it had been in the last few months though I could not recall the place.

After reading the article on the good doctor, I turned my attention to her husband. There was a public record on him too. Mitchell Davenport was an accomplished Obstetrician and Reproductive Endocrinologist, in short, he was a fertility doctor. When I read that, I thought again, on where I had seen him. Unfortunately, that question still drew a blank so I contented myself on piecing together his history.

The impression I had of Mitchell Davenport was of a person who was driven: third generation physician with something to prove coming from a very wealthy family. He was an active member of a number of different organizations as well as a writer, lecturer and practicing physician. The number of organizations on his resume amazed me and I wondered how this man might make time for family, let alone an extramarital affair. I caught myself making a naïve assessment. People who cheat will find the time regardless of the demands of their schedule. Hell, we had a president taking sexual favors in the oval office.

I wondered what it might have been like for this man when he was with the younger version of my wife. That daydream ended when I heard movement from down hall. Maddy was awake. I shut down the system and made my way to our bedroom. Maddy was using the bathroom again. I took a seat near the bed.

I understood the allegations against Maddy but I was having difficulty taking them seriously. When the emails arrived, I would see if they provided evidence supporting Mrs. Davenport's claims. Until then I had to rely on what I knew of Maddy from our time together.

I rested my head on the back of the chair and closed my eyes. I struggled to remember the history I had on my wife from our very first meeting. My breathing slowed as memories of my early days with Maddy flooded my awareness.

Chapter 2: In the Beginning

My family lived in a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia known as Queen Village. My mother ran an in-home day care business out of our apartment for most of my formative years. The Doucet family rented an apartment in our building when I was three. They had one child, a daughter Madeline, who was also three years of age; and given that her parents and mine were also close in age and both had small children, it was not surprising that the couples became friends. Therefore, when Maddy's mother decided to return to work, she chose my mother to care for Maddy.

Salamis
Salamis
527 Followers