The Christmas Tale

We finally had a light supper around 8PM. I had a green bean casserole and loaf of bread I made the day before. Marla had brought some steaks and veggies, so it turned into a nice little meal. In deference to the mom-to-be, no wine with dinner.

Larry was now off-duty and - no surprise -- decided not to try driving home. Shana arrived just as we sat down to eat. I fixed her a plate and did the introductions. Amusingly, Shana knew Grace and Anne. She'd attended a class Grace taught on birthing and delivery procedures as part of her continuing education requirement and had become a regular over at their house. Shana even coaxed Grace into telling some stories about the crazier deliveries Grace had done. Not just the usual back-seat-of-a-car stuff. Grace had performed deliveries on airliners, city buses, in stuck elevators and at campsites. Compared to her stories, a delivery in this old Victorian in a snowstorm would be a walk in the park.

The stories were funny and seemed to give peace of mind to the parents-to-be. Nothing more reassuring than being in the wrong place with the right people, even if it was totally unplanned. Joe and Maria seemed totally relaxed by the time dinner was over. No, the old house isn't a hospital, but it would be hard to find better and more attentive care anywhere else. Tonight at least.

Marla and I handled cleanup while the others retired to sit near the fireplace. After we finished, we brough hot mulled cider to share with the group. Larry and Anne were on the loveseat, his arm around her as she snuggled into him. Joe and Maria were cuddling on the couch. Grace and Shana were on the floor leaning against the other end of the sofa and against each other. Marla was waiting on the floor in front of my chair. I offered my lap, but she was comfortable where she was and wrapped her arm around my leg after I sat.

I twisted around and snagged my guitar from the stand behind my chair. Even Marla didn't know I had one. While I'm not particularly religious, I love the old songs. I started picking a few bars from "Silent Night." Marla and Anne started to sing as they recognized what I was playing. Gradually, everyone joined.

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

We sang carols and shared more stories for a couple of hours. As the old man in the room, Larry asked me to talk about Christmas Eve in a foxhole. His dad had served but never wanted to talk about his experiences. I understood. I'd made peace with myself; others hadn't found the way. There's a concept in medicine called moral injury. When you are required to do things that violate what you believe, that creates an inner conflict that for some people is devastating. The only way forward is to understand that it's not your fault, you don't control the circumstances in which you find yourself, and you can only do the best that you can, even if that best is pretty hideous. Then you spend the rest of your life trying to make up for what you had to do. However, failure to make peace with yourself is the path to madness and suicide.

As the evening began to wind down, during a pause in the stories and singing, I took a moment to make myself whole and correct another wrong. I stood before Marla, just looking at her. She looked back at me, puzzled. I felt the eyes of the others on me as well. Only Maria seemed to intuit what was happening.

I offered my hands to Marla, still saying nothing. Marla placed her hands in mine and I gently lifted her to her feet. Maintaining eye contact, I knelt. There was a little box hidden in my left hand.

"Marla, I don't think I've been the attentive boyfriend you deserve over the last few weeks." She shrugged, still puzzled. "I'd like to fix that, if you don't mind. You deserve the best and I want to be the best for you and you only." Her eyes started getting wider.

"You said earlier today that I never use the word, love. The word's been trivialized to where most people are clueless as to what it means and use it when they really don't mean it. I said I woold never use that word until I knew in my heart that it was absolutely the right word and I could own it and live it. And I said it to you today." Holding her wrist, I could feel her heartbeat take off like a jet from a catapult. She was trembling.

"Marla, on this special evening and among this special group of friends, I have a question for you. Would you become my forever partner til death do us part? Would you marry me?"

She squealed and the promised tears came. She sank down to the floor hugging me with everything she had. "Yes, yes, yes, and yes!" The others cheered and clapped. It wasn't the romantic dinner I'd envisioned, but again, the right place with the right people. Perfect. Just like her.

Things settled after that. A few more songs and the yawns appeared as we approached 11PM. With 8 adults, five bedrooms and two sleeper sofas, I let people do what they wanted. It turns out we only needed four bedrooms tonight; no one wanted to spend this night alone. Joe and his wife were downstairs. Larry and Anne took the room at the far end of the hall overlooking the front yard. Grace and Shana were in the room next to mine.

After making sure everyone had fresh towels and a toothbrush, Marla followed me into my bedroom and into my arms. I feathered my lips across hers, and she clamped her arms tightly around me.

"You know, Bill, I always thought that modern love meant sleeping together before getting married," she chuckled.

"True, but we're engaged, not married. And sometimes you just have to do what the heart tells you to do. You needed to clarify our relationship. I needed to understand how you felt before I asked you. What you said on the phone pretty much sealed it." Another feathery kiss as my tongue mapped the texture of her lips.

"You know you shocked me. You never say 'love,' and you never joke about it. I hear today that you love me and tonight you go way beyond that by asking me to marry you. I won the lottery today. The man I love wants me and wants me forever. That's everything I've ever dreamt and then some."

"But when it's right, what can you do? I've been fighting with myself for awhile, but you're really all I ever wanted. The complete package. Intelligent, creative, vibrant, caring, beautiful, everything I could ever ask for and far more than I deserve. The chemistry is so there, at least for me." Another brushing of lips.

"And for me. I totally agree, my love. We're going to be spectacular together."

Leaning back I reached for the top button on her blouse, "May I?"

"Please do. And you don't need to ask ever again. I'm totally yours. I'll love on you as much as you want in any way that you want. I want to make you as happy as you make me. More if that's possible." As the buttons opened, her top slid down her arms, followed by her bra. The beauty of the candlelight and shadows playing on her breasts would make DaVinci cry.

"Me as well. I want to be everything you need, whatever you need. Your happiness is the most important thing in my life."

"I stand corrected. We're going to be more than spectacular together." She rose up on tiptoe to meet my lips.

I pulled back the bed covers, and swept my arms under her back and legs, lifting and placing her gently on the sheets. I unbuckled her belt and slid her slacks down her muscular legs. Starting with the inside of her left ankle, I kissed and licked my way from there to the crease at the top of her leg, and then repeated with the other leg. The I pulled the sheet and blankets up over her and went to the other side of the bed to strip off and get under the covers. As I did, she wrapped herself around me.

"You didn't take my panties off?"

"No rush, we have plenty of time."

I kissed her nose, then trailed my tongue across her lips, still working on memorizing the texture and feel. Then it was time to search for her sensitive spots. I love scavenger hunts. Her neck, behind her ear. Her breathing and giggles told me where the hotspots lay.

I submerged under the blankets, tracing her shoulder blades with my lips. Then the valley between her breasts, then the tops and sides of her breasts, saving the nipples for dessert. Washing her sensitive skin with gentle licks and nibbles, her sounds telling me where to spend more time. A true voyage of discovery, and so much fun. I know she was rubbing her hands over my shoulders, but I was too focused to really pay much attention.

I dipped my tongue into the crease beneath her breasts, again avoiding her very hard pebbles. She shivered. I continued south, spending a few moments on a very ticklish belly button, and then moving down to where I found her panty. It was time to start rolling that down, kissing each inch of skin as it came into view. By now her hips were rocking and I could smell the delightful scent of her arousal. As I spread her labia with my fingers, I discovered that the taste was just as wonderful as the scent - a feast for a gourmand.

I spent time on her labia and clit until I could feel her body turn into a tuning fork of perfect pitch and constant vibration. Then I wet my fingers in her honey. Two fingers ventured inside in search for that bit of roughness on top of her passage and under her clit. Fingers of my other hand went to her back passage, teasing her and eventually, slowly entering there as well. The vibration became stronger, turning into squirming and gasping. So much fun. The murmurs and gasps changed into pleas. "Oh my god, Bill, what are you doing to me?" became "Please let me come, please, please, please, please!"

I wanted to push her a little farther, but she detonated abruptly before I could. She clamped her legs around my head, arched off the bed, spasmed and screamed. I kept going and she went off three more times. The last time her thrashing dumped the blankets on the floor just as the door slammed back against the wall.

Grace and Shana were standing there, mouths agape. We must have been quite the sight.

Finally, Grace started laughing. "Bill, do you give lessons?"

Shana responded, "Lessons, hell, can I rent your mouth? If I'd known you were anywhere near that good, I'd have been all over you years ago."

Marla's face, neck and chest was about as red as a stoplight. Still gasping for air, she made no effort to cover herself. Her voice sounded more like a croak. "I actually thought you two were going to have to do CPR on me. I think all my bones melted." She shivered again just getting the words out.

I couldn't resist. I gave her another lick which almost doubled her over. "Well, if she's up for it, we could do a demonstration right now."

Marla, was rather emphatic. "That's not just no, but hell no. I don't want to die just yet. My heart couldn't take another one like that right now. It just couldn't. I feel like I've run a 5k on my back in this bed."

Grace and Shana howled. Shana picked up on the theme. "God, think about the money. A new aerobic workout routine that you can do in bed. We'll be rich!"

Grace giggled. "OK, we've opened the proverbial Pandora's Box here. Bill, you are going to teach me how to do that. I insist. I want that in my arsenal."

"OK, but not tonight. We'll do it when Marla's up for it, ok? Now we need to get some sleep before the baby decides to make an appearance."

"But Bill, you haven't come yet," Marla whined. "You haven't even put that beautiful tool of yours inside me yet."

"That can wait, young lady," I said, pulling the covers over us. "It'll be here for you after the baby arrives."

Grace and Shana went bug-eyed on hearing that and left shaking their heads. "What guy does that . . .?" and "Marla's one hell of a lucky bitch."

Marla snuggled into me and said softly, just for my ears, "Yes I am."

And then in the soft singing voice I first heard during the caroling this evening, she started singing a very different song to me. One I could be happy hearing again and again.

I'm so in love with you

Whatever you want to do

Is alright with me

'Cause you make me feel so brand new

And I want to spend my life with you . . . .

I pulled her in tight and held her until her breathing indicated she had fallen asleep. I followed soon after.

____

We managed about three hours of sleep, and then it was showtime. I awoke to the sound of heavy footsteps running up the stairs followed by a knock on the door.

I knew who it was. "What's up, Joe?" I said as I opened the door.

"Her water's broken and she's starting contractions." I grabbed a stack of towels from the bureau. "How many minutes apart?"

"Close to 2."

"Here, take these and get back to her. I'll get the team going."

He left and I turned to Marla, nudging her gently. "What's up, baby?"

"It's time."

She came instantly awake and pulled her slacks and top back on. "Commando today?"

"Might as well, Lover. You and I have some unfinished business. You destroyed me like nothing I've ever even imagined. Once we get through this, it's my turn. I want astronauts to hear you screaming my name."

I touched her shoulder, causing her to pause and look at me. "Just remember, you're challenging me to up my game."

Her shoulders sagged and she shook her head. "Oh, fuck. I'm so dead. You get any better and my head is going to be orbiting Saturn."

I just gave her a hug and a smile. "Sometimes losing is winning."

After donning my jeans, I knocked on the other bedroom doors. Groggy voices became immediately alert as I heard the rustle of clothing.

I went downstairs to get a fresh French press going. Marla joined me shortly to help rustle up something nutritious to keep people energized. The medical team went to check on the mom-to-be. Larry, perhaps wisely, decided to stay in bed a bit longer. Anne may have tired him out a bit. I built the fireplaces back up and brought in some more wood.

Since we had three competent medical people, they decided to send Grace back to bed so she'd be fresh when the real excitement started.

Shana emerged to get some coffee and give us a heads up. "The contractions are getting closer. We may need some ice, some warm water, rubbing alcohol, and we don't have a tool for cutting the umbilical cord."

"We're on it. How close do you think we are?"

"My guess is not immediate but within two hours."

"OK, In 30 minutes, I'll put the generator back on. I've got shears and clamps in the workshop that I can sterilize. Please confirm that we seem to be on schedule before I fire up the generator. Also, do you need peroxide or alcohol?"

"Both preferably."

"We'll see what we can scare up." She nodded and went back to the guest room.

"Marla, I think we have a large bowl around here someplace. See if you can find it and sterilize it, please?"

I puttered in the kitchen with Marla for the 30 minutes, nibbling on her neck when the opportunity presented. When the cell phone timer indicated 30 minutes had passed and Shana confirmed progress, I headed to the generator control panel and then the workshop.

I grabbed what we needed, including a tape measure, and took the tools up to the kitchen. Then I went upstairs, rechecked the fireplaces, and then sorted out the bathrooms, looking for rubbing alcohol, peroxide, rubber gloves and our digital thermometer.

When I came back downstairs, Marla had laid out a buffet on the dining table, finger food that people could grab and nibble, nothing heavy. We set up a folding table outside the guest room and organized the supplies. Then I asked her to knock and show them what we had done. I wasn't sure what was going on in the guest room and didn't think Joe would want me seeing his wife in a state of undress. It turns out I needn't have worried.

Marla came out of the room with a huge smile. "That child will be so lucky to have a mom like that. She is so calm and confident it's unreal. Totally comfortable in her own skin. And she's beautiful on top of it all."

I wrapped my arm around her. "So are you, dear."

"You goof, not like that. She's just wow."

"Do they know if they are having a boy or a girl?"

"You know, I didn't ask, but I honestly don't think they care. They're going to love whatever they get." She added, "I never thought about having my own kids, but if I could be like that woman, I'd get pregnant in a heartbeat."

"I don't see why you wouldn't be like her, and I'd be OK with that. Actually, as long as I have you, that's all that really matters to me. I'm with you whatever you want to do."

She turned and pulled me into a magical kiss. "Me too. But a little Bill or a little Marla? Yeah, I could do that."

"OK you two, get a room. Never mind, you have a house already." Larry and Grace appeared on the stairs, both laughing.

Grace said, "I heard Larry moving around, and since no one had called me, figured I'd better check on things."

"I think we're pretty well organized. The supplies and tools are here. Everything is cleaned and sterilized."

Marla added, "The mom seems to be in really good spirits. Nothing is bothering her. Not sure it's possible for anything to bother her."

Grace cocked her head. "How's that?"

"It's like she's coated in Teflon and what would bother someone normal just rolls off."

"Drugs?"

"Nope, totally lucid and together. It's like she's made up her mind to take charge of her body, and nothing short of a nuclear bomb is going to change that."

"Hmm, let me go have a look. I guess there's always a first time." Grace knocked on the door and then entered.

In less than 20 minutes, Shana stuck her head out the door. "You guys come on in. Bill, got your cell? We need pictures."

We entered and moved around to the far corner of the bed to be out of the way. Joe was holding his wife's hand and she had a big smile. In fact, the smile was the only thing she was wearing. Her request: "Can you get pictures of the baby coming out? I know it will be messy, but I really want to be able to see it. Please?"

I shrugged, "As long as your medical team doesn't mind."

Grace shrugged and responded, "We're good. Go for it."

The baby's head was starting to crown as I began taking pictures. The mom was totally cool and showed no signs of discomfort, which I thought was really odd. Meds? Nope. Ice? Nope. This was mind over matter. Her mind and nothing else mattered. And Marla was right, an absolute killer body, Vogue cover worthy. Pure angelic innocence from the neck up, while causing most males and some females to walk into the sides of buildings from the neck down. Not the least concerned about being naked in front of us. I could hear Grace mumbling something to herself. Probably something not entirely professional. Couldn't blame her.

The entire delivery resembled a NASCAR pit stop. It took maybe 20 minutes, including cleanup of the placenta. The baby popped, clamp, snip, then a swat on the bottom to start her crying, and then into her mother's arms and off to find something to suck. And yes, the baby was a girl, Jessie.

"Joe, and Larry, let's lift mom and baby up so the ladies can slide a fresh sheet under there." Joe took her left, I took the right and Larry got the legs. Mom and Jessie went up. Marla pulled the old sheet while Anne and Shana tucked the new one into place. Then down. Smooth as silk. You'd think we'd practiced this.

"Marla, here's my phone. Get some more pics. I'm going to step out and check some things."

"You ok?"

"Very," I nodded, although nine people (8 and child) in that small bedroom was starting to feel a bit much. I kept that thought to myself.

Wow, what a night. Marla's making a habit out of being right, it seems. The mom is a tower of strength and beauty, and the baby is a pure joy. I could envision Marla being just as strong and beautiful in that situation. With Marla and only with Marla, I'd want to be a father. If she wanted. It's her body and she alone has the right to make that call. I'll love her either way. But being a dad with her would be awesome.