Going Home - Home Again?

Gwen shifted upright and straddled me as soon as I was hard. She cradled my cock gently, and with a soft sigh, slowly impaled herself with it. Still awash in the mix of bodily fluids from earlier, I slid easily into her hot, silky core. Gwen moaned softly as she rode me, her knees and legs under her body on either side of me. Her torso felt feverishly hot against me. Hard nipples pressed against my chest. Her hands found my shoulders and gripped them hard. I wrapped my arms around her and for a moment embraced her so tightly she couldn't breathe.

Gwen burrowed her head into me and nipped the spot where my neck and shoulder merged. We moved together, each instinctively knowing what the other wanted. The energy behind our coupling grew quickly. The bed shook almost violently from our exertions. Our excitement grew so rapidly we were both soon on edge again.

Gwen began moaning loudly into my shoulder, muffling what might otherwise be a full-throated wail. The motion of her hips got erratic. Sudden, jerky tremors interrupting our rhythms. My own movements seemed to mimic Gwen's.

A series of spasms in Gwen's vaginal walls gripped my cock. My cock spasmed in response as my scrotum exploded, emptying my seed into her again. Gwen's vaginal spasms continued. It felt like she was milking every drop she could pull from me. My whole body tingled as I ejaculated several times, giving up everything I had left. Gwen was whimpering softly, her body shivering on top of me. Her hands dug into my shoulders so forcefully it hurt.

I was spent. Gwen was limp on top of me. The breaths she took and an occasional twitch as her nervous system recuperated were the only signs of life. When my cock slipped from inside her, Gwen moaned softly but didn't move. I felt the warm fluids from our ecstasies flowing onto my lower abdomen and along my scrotum.

Gwen took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. Then her breaths were gentle, slow and steady. She was asleep on top of me. I looked over at the clock. It showed a little after three. I soon joined her in dreamland.

I had promised to tend the twins in the morning. Shamefully, I did not. Our bedroom was bright with midmorning light when I woke. Gwen was still sleeping beside me, her warm body still clinging to mine. I heard Sara giggling at the bottom of the stairs. Mike was after Seth for some mischief he'd got into while Elizabeth wailed about something. It only took a moment to realize Mike had tended to the twins when they woke up. Though she was probably already up with Elizabeth, I still felt guilty for not keeping my promise.

I carefully disentangled myself from Gwen and made my way to the bathroom. Gwen woke after I'd pulled on my pants, while I was fetching a clean tee shirt. I learned she was awake when I pulled the shirt over my head. She wolf-whistled at me as I pulled the tee shirt down.

'Wow!' she said enthusiastically. 'Why didn't I notice that yesterday? Or last night for that matter?'

'What?' I asked curiously.

'You've got muscles! Muscles I've never seen before!' she giggled. 'No wonder I had such a wonderful night!'

I felt myself flush, though I smiled inwardly at her appreciation of my new physique. I'd stayed in shape before I got drafted but the physical training regimen had changed my lanky body. The Army had added about twenty-five pounds. All of it muscle.

'Okay, okay,' I smiled back at her. 'You can drool later. We should get moving. We've got little children that need our attention.'

Gwen popped out of bed with a surprising level of energy and enthusiasm. She stopped, hugged and kissed me quickly as she passed by on her way to the bathroom. As I watched, I got my first clear look at my wife's body since I got home. The view upset me a little. She had kept a few pounds after the twins were born and had looked better for it. It was gone, along with maybe another ten or fifteen pounds she couldn't spare. I mentally kicked myself for not realizing sooner that her clothes hung excessively loose yesterday.

I didn't hear Elizabeth when I went downstairs to start making breakfast. I smelled bacon as soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs. Sara was sitting nearby, already dressed for the day, playing with wooden blocks. She wriggled and giggled as I picked her up to give her a hug. After I hugged her, she twisted, went limp and bent forward, intent on getting back to her blocks. I collided with Seth when he ran into me as I entered the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around my leg and held on until I picked him up. He wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed tight.

His interest in dad lasted about thirty seconds. Something caught his attention and he, like his sister before, went completely limp. I had to put him down before I dropped the little imp on his head. Mike was sitting at the kitchen table feeding Elizabeth. I went over and tickled Elizabeth's cheek, trying to get her attention. Her eyes moved in my direction and looked me over for a moment. But her attention drifted away almost immediately. She was intent only on her mother and the baby bottle she enthusiastically suckled.

'Good morning, stud,' Mike laughed as I kissed her on the cheek. 'Seth and Sara have had breakfast. There's bacon on a plate next to the stove. Bread's in the breadbox. Eggs in the fridge.'

By the time Gwen joined us, a fresh pot of coffee was done brewing. I was buttering toast while a bacon, cheese, and tomato omelet was approaching completion on the stove. Gwen beamed at me as she walked by me toward Mike. She bent down and kissed Elizabeth on the forehead and ran her fingers through Elizabeth's hair. I got a little jealous when I saw Elizabeth release the nipple, look right at Gwen and move her mouth in an apparent effort to speak as Gwen beamed down at her.

'Good morning, beautiful,' Gwen gushed at the infant. She gave Mike a peck and turned her attention to me. 'It's nice to see you'll be good for something more than stud service,' she teased as she looked in the frying pan and inhaled the scent of breakfast.

Mike laughed. 'Have a good night, Gwen?' she asked slyly.

'The best,' Gwen responded. 'Wait 'til you see the special bonus the Army sent us for taking him away!' she laughed as she wrapped her arms around me from behind. 'What's the plan for the day?' she asked.

I looked at her over my shoulder as I tended the omelet. 'No plan. I just want to spend the day here with all of you. I want to get acquainted with my newborn daughter. I want to play with Seth and Sara. I want to talk to you and Mike. I want to be Jonas again instead of Private Taylor,' I told her.

Gwen looked at me quizzically. 'I thought you said you were a major?'

I smiled at her. 'That's too new to have sunk in yet. This major thing hasn't even been forty-eight hours yet. Even Lt. Taylor is hard to fathom, and I spent three months on that.'

Mike finished feeding and burping Elizabeth. She put her into the nearby bassinet and joined us for breakfast. Seth and Sara joined us at the table, wanting some of Mom's breakfast. Gwen fed some to Seth. I fed some of my breakfast to Sara, but she made a face and spit it out onto my plate. Then she turned her attention to Mike's plate, eating from Mike's plate happily. I had to laugh. Mike had the same breakfast as I did. I watched Elizabeth as I ate and talked with Gwen and Mike. Elizabeth energetically waved her arms, kicked her legs, and made some sounds. She twisted her little body and moved her head around, exploring her little world. At times she watched the mobile that drifted above her.

We spent several quiet days as a family. The twins soon got used to my presence again and pulled me into their play. They constantly asked questions, though I sometimes needed Gwen or Mike to translate. They liked to turn the pages when I read to them before they went to bed. They usually fell asleep while I read to them after dinner. I fed Elizabeth at every opportunity, changed her diapers, cooed and talked to her. All those things a father did with a new baby. I was delighted when she soon began to respond to me the way she did to Mike and Gwen.

Seth and Sara were fascinated by their baby sister. They wanted to hold her. They'd sometimes follow when it was time to change her or put her down for a nap. And Elizabeth responded to them enthusiastically. Everything seemed perfect now that I was home again.

Gwen and Mike lived frugally while I was away despite the financial resources available. The Cadillac was being used as the main source of transportation because Mike's car had become a rolling mechanic's retirement fund. I took it to a local garage to have a mechanic look at it. I didn't like what he told me. I had him complete a few of the recommended repairs but decided not to invest much more in keeping it going. After talking with Gwen and Mike, we decided to buy two cars. Mike's car got traded in when I bought a two-year-old, low mileage Ford Custom, that had been a perk for one of the salesmen at the dealership. Neither Gwen nor Mike liked the Ford station wagon. We bought a new Chevy four-door station wagon instead. I made some calls and arranged to have the Cadillac returned to Massachusetts.

Gwen and I spent my first few nights alone. Mike quietly told me she felt it was important to give Gwen time with me. She had an upcoming doctor appointment. She didn't want to join us until after she saw the doctor. She hadn't been told to abstain from sex after her first post-partem doctor visit. The subject hadn't been raised at all. Probably because the doctor knew Mike wasn't married. But she planned to ask about it at her next appointment.

Gwen expressed some concerns about Mike. She did seem distant at times, much quieter than she usually was. She was almost always tired. I figured it was the demands of having a newborn to care for. Gwen wasn't so sure.

The day of Mike's appointment, I was left alone with the children. The Chevy was still being prepped. Gwen and Mike took the Ford and left for Mike's early afternoon appointment. They planned to stop for groceries after Mike's appointment. All three children were napping when the women left. It didn't last long. The twins were approaching three-years-old and had some surprises for me.

The first was they could climb out of their cribs. I went to check on them when they hadn't awakened when Gwen told me they typically would. Sara was missing. In a state of panic, I found Seth wasn't in his crib, either.

The second surprise was I found both sitting on either side of Elizabeth. They had climbed out of their cribs and then climbed in with their little sister. I breathed a sigh of relief but also knew that we were in trouble. The twins could escape their cribs without assistance.

Elizabeth was merrily flailing her little limbs and making faces while the twins talked to her and played with stuffed animals. I picked up the twins one at a time and checked their diapers before setting them on the floor. Both were clean and dry. Gwen and Mike's efforts at potty-training were succeeding. If they kept it up, we could discontinue their diapers. Elizabeth was another matter entirely. Everything she wore had to be changed. And she had to be washed from the waist down.

I took them downstairs and fixed the twins a snack while a bottle warmed for Elizabeth. After everyone was fed and the baby burped, we went into the playroom. I propped Elizabeth up on my lap while I read a story to Seth and Sara. Elizabeth remained energetic, waving her arms and kicking her legs, craning her neck to look up at me while I read. The twin's attention quickly drifted. They slid down off the couch to burn off some energy, while I continued to entertain Elizabeth.

When Gwen and Mike returned, I carried the groceries in and helped put them away. The twins continued their play, which seemed to mostly consist of running around with periodic pauses to play with a toy that briefly caught their attention. Elizabeth watched the mobile above her bassinette and flailed her little limbs nonstop. When the groceries were put away, Mike excused herself and went upstairs to lie down for a bit.

Once Mike was gone, Gwen gave me a kiss. 'Can we talk for a minute?' she asked. Her tone told me something serious was on her mind.

'Sure, what's up?' I asked cheerfully, though I had a feeling I might not be so cheerful after the conversation.

'I'm a little more worried about, Mike,' she began. 'I think she feels like a third wheel. Like she's invited along because her best friend feels guilty about having a boyfriend when she doesn't.'

I thought about that for a moment before I said anything. This was a potential minefield. I had to tread carefully, or I could find myself living with two women either heart-broken or so angry life would be hell for everyone. I didn't want that. I loved both and wanted them to be happy. But the idea that Gwen might know something about Mike that I didn't was anything but farfetched. I had to give serious consideration to what she was telling me.

'Has she said anything to suggest that?' I asked haltingly.

'No. But yesterday, Sara asked me why Mommy Mike was crying. I didn't know, so I told her Mommy Mike probably had a tummy ache. When I checked on Mike, she was fine and showed no signs she'd been crying. Sara must have seen something earlier. I'm worried Mike's putting on a happy face and something is really eating at her. Maybe we need to make some adjustments to our arrangement.'

'Like what? We share everything with her. We include her in nearly everything,' I responded. But I knew that wasn't entirely accurate.

'No, there are some things we don't share with her. We didn't buy a car just for her. She can't access your money like I can, not that she's asked for anything.' Gwen emphasized what she said next. 'I know she liked having you to herself when she was trying to get pregnant. Now we've reverted to our old rules, where she only gets intimate attention from you when we're all together,' Gwen told me. 'But I get you to myself whenever I want.'

'What do you think we should do?' I asked. 'She's been with us because of her love for you. I know she loves me, too. But you're why she's here. I've been lucky enough to have her love me, too.'

'I don't think that's entirely true anymore, Jonas. I haven't had much time to think about it. There didn't seem to be any issue until you came home. Maybe we need to make some adjustments to our relationship. First, you and I need to talk about it. Come up with some ideas. Then we need to bring Mike into the discussion.'

Gwen and I talked for about an hour while Mike napped and came up with some ideas, though not anything we thought was a complete solution. That was going to take time.

Gwen and I got up early the next morning and let Mike sleep in. We knew Mike was up when we heard her get in the shower. When Mike came down, she was already dressed for the day.

'Why didn't you wake me up?' she asked as Gwen put breakfast in front of her. She dug into it immediately. She looked better for a good night's sleep.

'We thought you could use a sleep-in morning,' I told her as I entertained Elizabeth. The twins were playing in the middle of the kitchen floor.

'Jonas wants you to go with him today while he runs some errands,' Gwen told her. 'I'll stay here with the kids while you run around town.'

Mike looked bewildered. When I ran errands, I'd always either gone by myself or with Gwen. Or all three of us went. But I rarely went anywhere with Mike alone. Mike and I had checked several houses together before discussing or looking at them with Gwen, but we'd always arrived at the properties separately.

We left directly after Mike finished breakfast. 'Gwen and I were talking yesterday while you were taking a nap. We realized we traded your car in but didn't replace it. You'll need a car when you go back to work,' I told her when we were on the road. 'Our first stop is to pick out a car for you.'

'Jonas, I can use the Chevy when I go to work. I don't need my own car,' Mike objected.

'But that leaves Gwen without transportation when you're working and I'm at work. You need a car, too.'

Mike and I made the rounds of several dealerships. She liked my Ford Custom and picked a 1950 model that had been used as a demonstrator. I asked if she would prefer a wagon, but she felt that she and Gwen could trade off cars as needed.

Mike and I stopped to have a late lunch together. Mike was animated and cheerful. It soon became obvious, at least to me, that it was mostly me that needed to make some adjustments at home. With some concessions from Gwen, too. I had to be more attentive to Mike. One of my first adjustments was to stop calling her Mike. From that afternoon on, I called her Michelle.

Our next stop was at the Williams-Davis Group's Los Angeles offices. Despite her objections, I felt Michelle should have access to the household checking account. After a brief discussion with an account rep, Michelle Dickens was added to the checking account that Gwen used. It would be a few weeks before checks were printed.

On the way back home, Michelle was quiet at first, then began to ask questions.

'What's going on, Jonas?' Michelle asked. 'The trust is still paying my salary while I'm on maternity leave. And I have savings. I don't need your money.'

'I don't think we've been fair to you,' I told her. 'Even though Gwen and I consider you family, we sometimes haven't treated you that way. Sure, we shared our home and bed with you. But you were always left out in some ways. For example, do you know how much money I have?'

Michelle responded immediately. Angrily. 'No, I don't. I don't care. I know you're very well off because there's never any discussion about staying within a budget. Or money being tight. I'm not with you and Gwen because you're wealthy, Jonas.'

I laughed a little. 'Easy, Michelle. I know that. I'm making a point about how we've left you out in some ways. You committed to us long ago. Before Gwen and I got married, you were already committed to us. It's time we committed to you. You're family in every way, Michelle. Elizabeth didn't change that. She just drove it home.'

Michelle fell silent for a moment. I heard her sniffle. 'I have been moping since you got home because I have felt left out,' she admitted. 'But I felt guilty about it, Jonas. I made the decision to be with you and Gwen. I love you both. I knew I was second in your heart and thought I was fine with it. But after Elizabeth was born and you came home, I began to feel differently.'

I glanced over at her. Tears were streaming from both eyes. Gwen had been right. Our situation had been eating at her. And she had been keeping it in. I hoped it wasn't too late to make her understand she was an important piece of our odd family puzzle. She was as key a part as Gwen or me. Our family portrait would be incomplete without her.

After kids were down for the night, Gwen, Michelle, and I sat down and talked for almost three hours. Nothing was off-limits, from finance to child care to sex. By the time the three of us started yawning, we knew where things stood, what problems we had in our triad. We didn't have solutions for all of it, but we had made a start.

My take-away was that I needed to stop favoring Gwen over Michelle. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge. I'd fallen hopelessly in love with Gwen. It started on the train, began to grow in Marseilles, and became carved into my psyche in Paris. I was heartbroken when Gwen pushed me away. Ecstatic when we met up again in Pasadena. At no point did I ever doubt I was in love with her. Gwen seamlessly became a part of me. Losing her would be worse than any calamity I could dream up.

My feelings for Michelle were different but just as deep. They had grown over time instead of spontaneously. I liked her immediately and quickly saw how important she was to Gwen. I only gradually came to realize she had become just as important to me. I needed to figure out how to make her understand that. Without sacrificing or risking what I had with Gwen.