The Reunion (14 page)

"He's getting used to you just popping in."  Em entered the bedroom and he closed the door behind them.  "You just made his life with this trip."

"I still need the birth certificates."  She went to the small desk next to the armoire. 

"These are the certified ones.  I only have the one for each of us."  He was behind her pulling her to him.  He took the sheet-protected documents and put them on the desk.  She tried to turn but he held her in place nibbling on her neck and running his hands up her stomach under her sweater.

"It's been a long ten days."  He whispered.  "I wanted you so bad at the restaurant."  Her breathing was getting ragged.  He wanted her naked and touching him.  He unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down over her hips.  He stepped on the material and lifted her out of them.  The sweater dropped to the desk.  He carried her toward the bed. 

This was how he wanted it to be with them always, this anticipation and passion.  He hated the idea that like everything else it would get routine; they would get bored.  He had enjoyed the last month.  She was so sensitive, so giving.  She'd already had one orgasm by the time he had her bra off.  He'd never experienced the same sensations, needs with another woman.  Her arms like vices around his neck and her legs around him as they both tore at his clothes.  She was frantic; she needed to touch him, to feel him.  She was making little growling noises deep in her throat when their bodies finally joined it still wasn't enough, the pressure the need just increased to another level.  Would it ever be enough, would they ever reach fulfillment, be sated, satisfied?  Her body locked, her scream of release just went on and on into his mouth, his neck his shoulder.  His body couldn't hold on any longer, hold out.  His own release seemed like dying, he imagined, he couldn't breathe, think, move. 

Sensation returned in degrees.  He was breathing, it wasn't as fast, his heart was pounding so hard and fast he thought his chest would explode but it too was slowing; settling.  He felt her move.  He hadn't killed her. He wasn't dead.  When he felt her inner muscles contract, it brought a smile to his lips. 

She took a deep breath, sighed.  Her body was singing, vibrating everywhere, the knot inside was fluid again and tingling everywhere.  Her small internal aftershocks reminded her that he was still inside her and hardening again.  She thought the last one was it.  She'd either die or lose her mind or shatter into a million pieces of sensation and she would no longer be.  She didn't want to let go, she wanted to feel this way forever, this afterglow, the other could be terrifying, exciting but this was the reward, the warmth the feeling of contentment and not the craving, the wanting, the need. 

His magical hands were stroking her, petting her, moving over, around and across her body.  The thirst was building again, the fear that it wasn't enough or was too much; that it was too hot and would burn away to smoke and nothing would be left of either of them.  Her thighs contracted.  The knot was centering again.  All those little feelings like water over her skin were gathering again, building up again.  It would go and change and be different every time, the motions and basics were always the same but the feelings inside and the ebb and flow was different every time.  This time it was that spot behind her ear that was where everything was center, where the energy began.  Next time it would be a kiss to her wrist or his licking or sucking her breast or running his hand across or down her stomach.  She had no idea her stomach was so sensitive to touch.  In the heat certain things were too arousing or aroused to ignore.  The feel of the nipples on his chest becoming erect, the changes of texture and how every part of the body offered something new and exciting.  The rocking of hips.  Their bodies and hands pulling new sensations changing the direction and ferocity of the power.  It was building, now it was slower, hotter, higher; More and never, ever, enough.  If you could feel like this why would anyone bother with things like work or food or anything other than this these feelings?

"That's all I have.  The name change was done before he was born and no father is listed on the birth certificate."  His pen tapped impatiently.  "Tell them I'll sign as father.  We have to leave in three days.  I think they're being unreasonable.  Yes.  Whatever it takes."  Brockton dropped the pen and started typing on the keyboard.  "I'm leaving tonight we'll leave from Orange County on Christmas night.  Well, I'll take them with me and they won't leave the airport then.  Yes I'm being ridiculous now.  Do what you can.  Thanks."  He hung up.  "Marshall?"

"I'm leaving tonight and will be in Beijing just ahead of you.  Yuet Lee will meet you and take you to the hotel then the office.  After the hardware is done you'll leave for the two hour tour of the city and surrounding area.  Then helicopter over the Great Wall.  Then to Sidney.  They'll love it."

"The project is already anticipated to be one the largest capital savings program we're implementing this quarter."  Brockton picked up the pen and began tapping it on the blotter.  He was thinking of the smell of her hair and the feel of her legs.  He hadn't been able to concentrate in days.  He couldn't get out of town fast enough.  His parents were excited to be meeting them next week.  He'd insisted on keeping it small, both his brother and sister would be there with their families.  They'd just extend their holiday plans by a few days to stick around. 

Brockton never would have believed, three months ago, he would be introducing someone significant to his family.  Let alone Em and Mike.  But nothing had been slow moving in his life.  Everything happened fast.  Why should this be any different?  He figured he was done by the time they finished their dinner at Mimi's that first evening together.  But it could have been watching her fighting with Ty at the reunion.  He knew she was his when Tommy said he was going to have to kill him and leave pieces of him over the southwestern states from California to Texas.  Toni suggested burying him under the pool house with the other bodies but he was getting as used to their repartee as he was getting used to his need for her. 

Brockton understood the school thing with Mike a little better.  He'd been bored and started messing around with the computers and had done some pretty creative hacking, they hadn't prosecuted but put him into a faster paced curriculum.  He was now a freshman in high school and will be finishing the term two years ahead of his age group.  It was a nice program.  He still attended with his friends but worked independently.  He was something.  He'd never known a kid to be so interesting.  And Mike was interested in everything; he was curious about everything; and, hungry for knowledge and experiences.

Em wasn't in the office and Mike was still at the sitter when Brockton pulled into the garage next to her car.  He went in the inside door and found her in the bathroom with her head in her hands crying.

"What's wrong baby?"  He came in and reached for her and she held up a little plastic wand then threw it into the mirror as if to smash one or the other of them but it only bounced and landed harmlessly in the sink.

"Congratulations!  We're pregnant!"  Stunned he pulled her into a hug.  "I'm too fucking old to do this by myself again.  I can't do it."

"Alone?  You won't be alone."  Charles took her face in his hands.  "I was going to ask you to marry me tonight."  She started crying anew and shaking her head.  He held her in place and picked up the wand.  It was a launch, all systems go.  Why was he feeling so pleased?  He'd just been trapped.  He'd just fallen for the oldest game in the book.  She didn't play games.  She wasn't good at games.

"We're good.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you."  He kissed her head, then her eyes, then her nose.  "I love you and I want to have children and be with you and Mike."  Her breath caught.  She inhaled slowly and blew it out slowly.  "We're ok.  You're ok.  I'm pleased beyond belief."  He smiled down at her.  "I can't image what you're thinking.  I want you to be ok with this."

"I'll be fine."  Em wrapped her arms around him. "I've never been happier."  He brought her more calm than she had ever known.  He filled up all the empty places in her.  "I'm scared.  I've never loved anyone as much as I love you.  But Mike.  What is Mike going to say?"

"Congratulations.  When are we going to find out if it's a girl or a boy???"

"Yeah, that sounds like him."  She laughed and kissed him.  "I'll be fine.  I just wasn't happy thinking you would feel trapped or obligated or something.  I don't know.  I didn't plan this.  I knew I hadn't covered my end.  But, I hadn't had sex in years."

"That's reasonable and extremely empowering to hear."  He kissed her ear and her neck.  "Years, no wonder you have so much energy."

"Years,"  She started pulling him down onto the bathroom floor.  "and years, to make up for."

"What are you thinking?"  Brockton asked.

"How all of this happened.  I've been trying to figure it out.  I was screaming at Ham that I'd be damned if I would have someone from corporate tell me this, that or the other thing.  Then, I jump you in a hotel lobby in Vegas and now I'm on a jet to China."

"You missed several weeks and many bedrooms between then and now."

"Not that many bedrooms."

"Ok, many rooms period.  You never showed any room, I'm aware of, any indifference."

"That's true.  There's something to be said for each of them."  She smiled and ran her hand over his chest.  "This is kind of a nice room.  What is it?"

"Executive suite.  I have an office, teleconferencing capability, the bed of course.  Bath with full shower."

"How big a shower?"

"We'll measure it in a few minutes."

"Mike's ok in the cockpit?  He's not going to distract the pilot and navigator/engineer, who was the second guy?"

"Flight engineer. Then there's the attendant, who better not have his ear to the wall in the kitchen."  She laughed.  "and the four of us."

"Junior isn't but a speck of rice yet."  She continued laughing, she really had never been happier.

"Junior is ours and a part of this adventure also."

"Thank you." Em rolled on top of him and sat up.  "Proper appreciation and gratitude for all that you've done for junior and his mother and his brother is forthcoming sire."

"OH I like the sound of that."  Charles pulled her mouth to his and devoured her, a nibble at a time.

"And this thing is?"

"Speed."  The engineer had let the kid have his seat while the pilot explained the dials and displays.  "The GPS and altimeter.  They all display on this one screen now.  We're here (he indicated the flight plan on the map) and will be coming in to China in two hours."

"How long does it take to get certified on this type of aircraft?"

"Do you ever run out of questions kid?"  Charles asked.

"Hey Mr. Brockton, this thing is like the GPS I use with the car and the triangulation of the satellites is using one of the northern most satellites we have orbiting."

"Did you give him that or is this his own data?"  Brockton asked and the pilot laughed. 

"He knew that shit, sir."

"Smart ass.  Let's go.  Your mom's hungry."  He motioned for him to come back into the cabin.  "Again."

"Grandma said she expected one of us to weight three hundred pounds by the time I was born."

"And?"

"Mom gained only 14 pounds which isn't much supposedly and I was almost eight pounds."

"Who was her coach the first time?"

"Uncle Curtis and Aunt Mary."

"That's right you were born in Texas."

"Grandma, Aunt Martha, Josh, Ryan, Toni, Tommy, Pete, Ty, RW and Stacy were all there too."

"She had you in the lobby?"

"No I had him in an amphitheater before a cheering crowd." She SO remembered them all surprising her that morning.

"I can almost visualize that, not a pretty site."  Brockton laughed.

"The better question was who wasn't there?"  Em said.

"Your father and my father."  Mike said.

"My father, was face down in the gutter.  And your father, was looking up at him."

"Very funny mom."  Mike doctored up his coffee and sat down.  "Was it a secret that you're engaged and we're having a baby?"

"No, why?"

"Uncle Josh wanted to know."

"And he wants to know because?"

"Because Aunt Carole was talking to Grandma and it came up."

"The phone lines were afire as soon as I told your grandmother." Em supposed she could have taken out an ad in the Times, posted it online at the very least.  The stick with the plus sign and the caption “Here we go again!”

"Probably, but you didn't tell anyone at Christmas."  The open house at her mother’s which took them hours to get up to and back from plus the anxiety about packing and that not many of the relatives made it this year because of the snow and the roads and crowds hitting the slopes.

"I'll tell them when we get back; it's kind of still all new to me."

"You're ok with it though?" Mike looked concerned.

"Are you ok with it?" she equaled his concern.  She leaned forward and took his hand.

"I'm good.  I'm more than good."  He sat up.  "I think its cool."

"Cool is always good."  She watched him.  "And?"

"And…"

"Spit it out."

"I don't know if you talked about me and you guys getting married and that…"

"My turn."  Brockton smiled at her.  "Adoption?  Are we talking about my adopting you?"

"Yeah, ok.  I mean like I'm almost 13 and you don't really have to or anything."

"Would you mind if I
wanted
to adopt you?"  Charles leaned down a little trying to get Mike to look at him.

"No, it would be okay."  Mike still wouldn’t look up from his hands.

"AH, so now you're nervous.  I think that's something you need to both think about.  I would be very happy for Charles to adopt you.  If he wants to, and you want to, we can see about doing that too."  Em mediated.

"It would be better if I had the same name as the rest of you." Mike suggested.

"[it would] make things much easier."  Em smiled into her tea.  "It'll change your seating arrangement at school, you'll be moving up an entire letter."

"I'll only move up one seat in History."

"In front of Buckingham instead of behind him.  That should be comforting."  Brockton reached over and ruffled his hair.  He just couldn't resist.  He saw the emotions cross his face.  Very like his mother, the concern, the fear, the elation.  He'd seen them all.  He could hardly contain himself.  He'd wanted to talk to him but there hadn't been time.  He'd barely gotten the ring on his mother's finger and settled her down.  Had he been waiting for this?  Had he been looking for this?  It seemed so right, it seemed like this was the way it was suppose to be, the man, the woman, the kid and a baby.  Maybe with the baby then kid but hardly anyone at their age had made it there without a kid somewhere.  It was a miracle he hadn’t gotten someone pregnant, but he’d been careful.  And then he wasn’t, how strange was that?  He’d had sex maybe three times in his life without protection and all three had been with Em.