Growing Together

"Well," she continued, "the bruising I suffered during the accident wasn't only external. It damaged a part of my intestines as well as my ovaries. When that happened, I lost the ability to have more children. Not that I was looking to have more, but I lost a part of my life before I was ready."

As she said this, her voice broke a little and tears started sliding down her cheek on one side of her face and her nose on the other side as she lay there.

Paul immediately wrapped her in his arms and pulled her tightly to him. Natalie was grateful for the comfort of Paul's hug. She cried a little more, but it tapered off quickly as Paul's warm embrace calmed her greatly.

After a few minutes, Natalie looked at Paul and said, "Thank you! I needed that."

"You're welcome!" Paul stated. "I'll always try to be there for you and the rest of the women in my life!"

Natalie smiled at him. She ran her hand down his cheek before saying, "you know, if I could have another child, I'd like to have one with you!" She continued smiling at him. "As it is, this house is going to be full of little ones soon. I'll be happy to help raise all of them as if they were mine."

"I think you could consider them yours. If I know the rest of the women in this house, they'll be glad for the help," Paul said before quickly kissing Natalie again.

They lay in Natalie's bed for a little while longer. Natalie eventually spoke up. "As much as I'd like to stay here in bed with you, our presence might be missed by the others."

"I think you're right. We should head out and make ourselves seen," Paul replied.

As they dressed and left her room, Natalie started walking down the hall towards his mother's room. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I thought I would fill Amanda in on our little rendezvous," she said with a smile and a wink. "I did promise her that I'd tell her when it finally happened."

Paul smiled and shook his head. "You two are something else," he laughed. He walked over and kissed her gently before turning around and heading toward the main part of the house.

As Paul walked, he couldn't help but think he was the luckiest person in the world. As he was lost in thought pondering this, a large pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. The pleasant smell of lavender invaded his nostrils, confirming that his youngest sister Lynn was who grabbed him.

"Hello big brother!" she excitedly said. The irony wouldn't be lost on anyone hearing this interaction since Lynn dwarfed her brother by over a foot and a half.

"Hello to you too, my lovely oversized, little sister," he said with a big smile on his face. Lynn allowed him to turn in her embrace, so they were face-to-face.

As he looked into his larger sister's beautiful face, Paul couldn't help but admire her. She smiled at him; her gorgeous blue eyes sparkled with life. He thought that since she had become pregnant, Lynn was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She glowed!

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your affection?" he asked her.

"I just wanted to let you know that I love you and miss you," she replied. Lynn hugged him tighter, which to Paul, felt like being wrapped in a nice, warm blanket. He smiled at her as she hugged him.

Lynn leaned down and gently kissed his lips before letting Paul go and standing up. "No offense bro, but it hurts my back to lean down and hug you for too long! You should grow up a little more," she teased him.

"Well, maybe I should, seeing as how you aren't going to shrink," Paul said with a smile. As he stood there looking up at his gorgeously tall youngest sister, he thought something looked a little different about her. Maybe she was a little taller. He looked down at her bare feet to see she wasn't wearing any shoes.

Lynn saw his look and said what was on his mind. "You noticed, huh?"

"You look taller, Lynn," he said, to which she simply nodded her head.

"I'm actually 6'10" now. A whole inch taller than I was before I became pregnant. I wasn't done growing just yet, but the doctor said my pregnancy might have been the catalyst for my recent growth spurt," she calmly stated.

Paul looked at her for a second before smiling up at his sister. He said, "well I guess there's just more of you to love now!"

Lynn reached down and engulfed her older brother in a big hug, picking him up off the floor and planting a sensuous kiss on his lips. They stayed like that for a moment before Lynn gently let her brother back down.

"Come on," Paul said. "Let's go see what everyone is up to. I'm getting kind of hungry after all this activity today."

With that, the siblings held each other's hand and walked to the living room, comfortable in the fact that they were in love and starting to develop their relationship and family.

A few months passed quickly for the large and still growing family. It turned out that Rachel, Melissa, and Elizabeth did indeed get pregnant. This excited them all, but none were more excited about it than Paul. He was quickly warming up to the fact that he was going to be the father of several children.

The family grew closer together as the time for Amanda to have her child drew near. Both she and Lynn had gotten pretty big, with her being in her eighth month and Lynn her seventh. Paul tried hard to balance work, home, and all his relationships over that time. He was stretched pretty thin and slept little, but he was happy if his family was happy.

The women started noticing Paul's ragged appearance and met secretly while he was at work. Paul usually did much of his work from home, but there were instances when he had to be in the office. It was a fortunate coincidence to have the house to themselves when they needed to think and speak about the issue.

"We need to really start looking after Paul," Lynn spoke first. She looked around at the other women in the room. "Paul looks horrible. Cute, but horrible. I know he hasn't been sleeping very much, and we keep him running around all the time. It's not fair to the man who loves us all so much!"

Amanda glanced at her daughter before shifting, trying to find a comfortable spot to situate her pregnant body. Once settled, she said, "Lynn is right. We have put a lot on Paul's plate. He needs to rest before he collapses!"

Elizabeth spoke next. "We can start looking at sharing more responsibilities around the house, and we have to get Paul to stop trying to do everything for us. We may be pregnant, but we aren't helpless." She paused before saying, "I think it's sweet of him to wait on us as much as he does, but he's going to wind up in the hospital if he keeps up this pace."

"Elizabeth's right," Melissa said. "I'd hate to see Paul hurt himself trying to do everything himself. He might be the most excited about having children, but it won't do any of us any good if he winds up keeling over from exhaustion."

The group let out a collective sigh, each of them lost in the negative thoughts of being without Paul.

"I've already lost one Paul," Amanda began. "I'm not losing another one!" In her overly hormonal state, she started bawling there on the sofa. Rachel was there beside her, hugging and comforting her older sister.

"It's okay, Amanda," she said. "We're not losing Paul. We just need to take better care of him." After calming her sister, Rachel said, "I'm willing to do whatever I can to help Take care of our husband. I know I haven't been with him as long as everyone else, but we've grown so much closer in the last few months. He is the only man I want to be with for the rest of my life."

They all looked at Rachel after she called Paul their husband. It was so odd hearing it said, but it was also so very true. They knew Paul loved them like they were his wives (another odd thought), but they had never stated it out loud.

"Paul has finally opened up to me a lot more," Natalie stated. "When Elizabeth's father died, I was in a tailspin. I did what I could to hold it together for Elizabeth's sake." She paused briefly to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Now, I can't imagine a better man to be with and grow old together. Honestly, I'm a little envious that all of you are carrying his child when I can't."

The other women looked at Natalie with a sadness in their eyes. They knew how much having another child meant to her. It was unfortunate for her that she was physically unable to. Elizabeth, who was sitting next to her mother, reached out and hugged Natalie.

Natalie returned her daughter's hug and smiled warmly at her only child. Elizabeth spoke up, saying, "mom, you know you'll get to be the cool aunt to all our children. Besides, we'll all need each other's help to raise the kids in this big house. These children will be as much yours as they are ours."

They all nodded at this sentiment. Natalie smiled and thanked them for their kindness and understanding.

The mood was a little lighter now, but they still had to find a solution to get Paul to relax a little. All six women sat there, contemplating what to do with the situation. After about 10 minutes of silence, Lynn spoke up.

"Paul needs a vacation!" she exclaimed. "More specifically, he needs a vacation away from us. Somewhere he can go and unwind for a few days. Maybe then he can come back rested and see that we'll be just fine if we have to do things for ourselves."

"That's a great idea! We just need to convince him to go," stated Melissa. "That might be a hard task to pull off, but we can come up with something."

Again, there was silence in the room where they were sitting. With each of them being so deep in thought, they never heard Paul walk in the door from the garage before heading towards them in the living room.

"Why is everyone sitting here so quiet? It's kind of eerie," Paul said. When he spoke, he actually startled them, causing more than a few to jump up and scream a little.

"Dang it, Paul!" his mother shouted. "You made me pee a little! You didn't have to startle us like that!"

Paul was at first shocked but then started laughing at his mother's situation. "I'm sorry everyone. I didn't mean to startle you. I just thought you would have heard me pull up and then come through the door." He looked at them and spoke, genuinely concerned. "What are you guys so lost in thought about anyway?"

They all looked at each other before Lynn stood up and spoke. "I guess it can't be avoided now."

"What can't be avoided?" asked Paul confused.

Lynn walked over to Paul, leaned over, and kissed him. It wasn't anything sensuous, just a quick "I love you, but we need to talk" kind of kiss.

"Paul, we all love you so much. You do so much for us, and we really appreciate it, but you really need to back off a little and relax."

Paul was a little stunned by his youngest sister's words. "Wha......what do you mean back off and relax?" His confusion showed on his face. He thought he was doing everything well, not letting them stress while going through their pregnancies.

"Come on Paul. You have been running yourself ragged these past several months since finding out about Rachel, Melissa, and Elizabeth being pregnant. You don't rest. You don't let us do anything to help. You are running yourself into the ground. At this rate, you'll keel over before the babies are born."

Paul started to rebut this, but Lynn placed a finger over his lips, silencing him to allow her to finish.

"Paul, you can't keep up this pace. You are working and trying to do everything around the house. You're going to get sick. Have you looked at yourself lately?"

Paul honestly hadn't paid much attention to his appearance as of late. He was kind of going through the motions. He did the bare minimum to make himself presentable at work. Come to think of it, he hadn't shaved in about a week. He must have looked a little disheveled at times.

Lynn continued. "Paul, you know what I'm saying is right. You need to take time away from us and get some well-deserved rest. You can't keep up this pace, and we don't want or expect you to. We were thinking about where we could send you to find a few days of peace and quiet, so you could get your mind and body back into focus."

"You all feel this way?" Paul asked as he looked at each one of them in turn.

They all nodded their heads in response. "See? Everyone here loves you, Paul. We are your wives, and you take care of us, but you need to look out for yourself as well. To be honest, we need to look after you too." Lynn again leaned down and kissed Paul before he could say anything.

She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, whispering, "do it for you. Do it for us. Do it for your children."

Lynn stood back up before walking over to sit back down in her original seat. Paul looked at them all. He loved them dearly. Lynn was right. They were his wives, and he'd been thinking that way since he found out about Rachel, Melissa, and Elizabeth's pregnancies. He smiled at them, and they returned it in kind.

After he thought about it for a minute, he decided that maybe they were right. He did need to get away. However, he didn't tell them why he hadn't been sleeping well for so many months. He didn't want to burden them, but he needed to talk to someone about what he was thinking.

"If that's what you all feel, I'll head to my room and think about where I want to go. I may make it a long weekend." Paul thought for a second. "I guess I need to let my boss at work know I'll be out maybe Friday through Monday."

With that said, he walked away from the group of women and went to his bedroom. He stayed there with his door closed for the rest of the day, thinking about where he was going and what he would be doing. He had called his boss and told her his plans for the weekend. She was fine with it and encouraged him to relax. She had seen how rough he looked at work today and knew he was stressed.

"Who do I talk to? Who can be my voice of reason?" he pondered.

As if a higher power heard his questions and decided to answer them, his door opened up, and Lynn walked in carrying a tray with a sandwich, chips, and a glass of water. She looked at him as he sat on their shared bed. She smiled and said, "I thought you could use something to eat. You've been in here all afternoon."

"Lynn, thanks for bringing me something to eat. I was so taken aback with the events of this afternoon, I just blanked out and came here to start thinking about where I would go."

Lynn came over with the tray and held it out to her brother. He took the tray from her and started eating his sandwich. Lynn turned and started to leave, but Paul spoke up before she could.

"Wait a minute, Lynn," he said. "Please come back and sit with me for a while. I need to ask you something."

Lynn brightened up a little at her older brother's words. If a 6'10" person could skip and still look like a young girl in demeanor, it was Lynn. She quickly sat next to him, leaning into his shoulder.

"So, what is it you want to talk about?" she asked.

Paul swallowed his mouthful of food before he spoke. "Lynn, I want you to come with me on my trip, wherever it is I wind up going."

Lynn was flabbergasted by his request. She hesitantly asked, "why would you want me to come with you on your trip? You are supposed to get away from us and recharge."

Paul took another bite of his sandwich, which he noticed was almost already gone (he must have been hungrier than he realized) and contemplated his next words. He didn't want to phrase it wrong.

Finally, he said, "Lynn, there are more reasons for why I've been so run down lately besides just catering to my lovely women." He paused, then said, "I just have a lot on my mind, and I'd really like someone to talk to on my trip. So, will you go with me?"

Lynn was a little flustered. She wasn't sure what to think or how to respond. She had looked away briefly while pondering, but something made her turn and look her brother in the eyes. What she saw in them was both pleading and determined. Lynn knew then that she'd go with him. Heck, she'd go anywhere her big brother asked her to go.

"I'll go with you Paul," she finally said. She was happy with her decision as soon as she saw her brother's face light up, a broad smile on his tired face.

"I'm happy you are coming with me. I guess we need to plan and pack now," Paul said.

Lynn looked at him and said, "we actually need to let the rest of them know before that. I'm sure there will be many questions, and I'd rather get them over with."

Paul nodded. He finished the chips on his plate and chugged his water. As he finished, he stood up before offering his hand to Lynn and helping her up. Lynn was a strong individual, but she welcomed the help of her brother. The two of them left their room and walked to meet with the rest of the family to discuss their plans.

Paul and Lynn were driving down the highway towards a small beach resort on the gulf coast. While it wasn't secluded, at this time of year, it was less crowded and would afford them a little quiet time together. The trip was mostly silent, only speaking casually about different things going on around work and the house.

They arrived at the resort in the afternoon. The check-in was interesting since they were seen as a lovely young couple enjoying a small vacation before the baby was born. Lynn couldn't help but smile brightly as she and Paul went to their room, a nice little gulf view suite with easy access to the beach.

They unpacked their few things and sat down on the outdoor couch just outside the room, taking in the warm sun and salty smell of the gulf. Paul reached over and took Lynn's hand in his. She gladly accepted it, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She still wasn't sure what was on Paul's mind, but for now, she was just happy being with him and spending some alone time together.

As they sat there, watching the waves crash on the shore, Paul turned to look at his youngest sister. He watched her blissful smile and noted her lovely features. He still wasn't sure how he wanted to start the conversation, but he wanted to remember the way she looked in this moment.

Lynn felt her brother's eyes upon her and turned to look at him, her eyes shining like sapphires, her smile showing her brilliantly white teeth.

Paul couldn't wait anymore. He said, "Lynn, I've been thinking a lot over the past several months. It's part of the reason I haven't slept as much as I should have." He paused to gather his thoughts. Lynn just silently waited.

"I'm extremely happy with how my life has gone since starting my relationships with you, Melissa, and mom. It's only gotten better with the addition of Rachel, Natalie, and Elizabeth. I honestly can't imagine my life without you all." Paul smiled up at his sister, who looked back at him with adoration in her eyes.

"However, I've been thinking a lot since finding out that first mom, and then you, became pregnant." Again, he paused to make sure he said this next part correctly. Finally, he said, "I've always wanted to have a loving wife and kids. Now I'm blessed to have not just one, but six beautiful women that I consider my wife."

Lynn squeezed Paul's hand, reassuring him that she was there to listen and support him. She enjoyed hearing Paul share his dreams and was eager to hear more.

Paul accepted her gesture as a sign to continue, so he said, "what's been bothering me is that I can't go public with having six wives, even though I'd really love to. My dilemma is that I want to be legally married. Unfortunately, that only means I can marry one of you."

Lynn's eyes were wide open as she looked at her brother. She understood, because in a way, they faced the same problem. There were six of them, and only one Paul.

"Now do you see my problem," Paul said. Lynn nodded silently. "It was hard to choose between the three of you."