Chapter 35: Extra Plates
*If you want something different, you have to stop accepting what you are used to. – Samantha King Holmes*
Ty was released the following day after the pulmonary specialist was able to assess him. The family dinner was moved to their house to accommodate him. His voice was still a bit raspy but he sounded more like himself.
Bunny kept apologizing for the meal. She had pulled out two frozen packages of chili for the slow cookers. And attempted cornbread. The bottoms were burned and the centers were gooey.
“You, go sit down.” Helen told the younger woman.
Tears threatened to fall as she laid her head on Helen’s shoulder. “I just can’t do anything in the kitchen.”
“That’s OK. You can do other things.” Helen assured her. “Come on, let’s go talk up here. JD can you make some cornbread?”
“You trust him to cook?” Jaxon teased.
“I’ve been doing a lot of cooking. We even signed up for a cooking class.” The younger brother replied.
“Sit down, Bunny.” Helen said as she closed the door behind them, cutting off her sons insulting each other. Bunny sat on the bed and the tears began to fall. Helen sat down and pulled her into a hug.
“I don’t even know why I’m crying!”
“When was your last period?” Helen asked as she smoothed Bunny’s hair.
“I had a really light one a few weeks ago. It was kind of weird, it was early.”
“Do you take your pills every morning?”
“Absolutely.” She said sitting up and grabbing her pill pack out of the bedside table drawer.
“Bunny.” Helen said looking at the rectangular plastic box. “This is on Wednesday.”
“What?” Bunny sat up and started pulling everything out of the drawer. She glanced over at Helen who was blushing at the toys and bottles of lube. “Sorry.”
One of the last things she pulled out was a similar blue plastic box and when she opened it, Bunny discovered nearly two weeks of pills.
“I’m going to go get you a pregnancy test. That way we know for sure.”
“We weren’t planning on a baby yet.” Bunny mumbled.
“You’ll discover that babies have their own ideas. But let’s find out for sure first. Then you three can figure out what to do.”
“I don’t even know which one would be the father.”
“Would it matter?” Helen asked kissing the top of Bunny’s head. “Either way, I’m getting a grandbaby.”
She left the younger woman to clean up her mess on the bed and went downstairs.
“Mom, is she OK?” Jaxon asked.
“She’s going to be fine. I’m just going to run to the store and get her something to make her feel better.” Helen said grabbing her keys and purse and walking towards the door. “Just give her a little space.”
“I think she ate something bad the other night at the hospital.” Ty said looking up at the upstairs landing.
“She was queasy yesterday.” Jaxon agreed. “Especially when they were doing your burns. How are they feeling today?”
“Itching like a bitch.” Ty said rubbing his shoulder.
“Leave your jacket on next time.” JD suggested.
“Look who’s a firefighter now!” Ty teased as the doorbell chimed. “I’ll get it.”
“Sit your ass back down.” JD demanded going to the door. “I’m not dealing with an angry Bunny.” He opened the door and found a cute brunette girl with Reese. “So…. My mom or Bunny?”
“Bunny.” Reese answered. “I don’t think your mom is at the inviting me to family events stage just yet.”
“She does know that we were coming, right?” Dean asked her uncle and when he didn’t answer, she started laughing. “Dead man walking.”
“Let him in. We gotta watch this train wreck.” Ty laughed before a coughing fit.
JD stepped back and held the door open for them to enter. “Their casa is your casa.”
“How you feeling, smokey?” Reese smiled at Ty. “Sounds like you’re growling like a bear.”
Ty laughed and then coughed. “They keep making me sit on my ass, I’m going to be the size of a bear.”
“You’ll survive.” Jaxon said from the kitchen. “JD, are your muffins done?”
JD walked back to the kitchen to check them. Dean followed him as Reese and Ty bantered back and forth.
“I’m Dean.”
“JD.” He said checking the cornbread muffins. “Is he your dad?”
“My uncle. My dad died before I was born.” She said. “You’re the youngest. Going into the Navy. Senior over at Edison. On the swim team.”
“Stalking me?” he asked putting the muffin pan back in the oven and turning it off.
“Maybe. Checked out your IG.” She shrugged. “I’m on swim and dive at Washington.”
He pulled her hair into a ponytail in one hand and used the other to make a pretend swim cap. She made goggles with her fingers. They both laughed at their antics.
The front door opened and Helen walked in. She stopped in the doorway when she saw Reese. After giving him a confused look, she closed the door. Everyone else in the room held their breath as he walked over to her and gently caressed her cheek.
“Are you okay with me being here?” he asked her quietly.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“I should have told you that Bunny invited me.” He brushed away a tear with his thumb. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No.”
“Tell me what you need.”
“I need to take this up to Bunny and I need a minute.”
He nodded and then lightly kissed her lips. “I’ll be down here when you’re ready.”
She nodded and gave a small smile before rushing up the stairs and to the bedroom. “You invited Reese?”
“You didn’t want me to?”
“I don’t know.” Helen admitted sitting on the bed. She handed over the brown paper bag. “I got you a couple different options and there’s a sample cup in there for you to pee in.”
“Helen, you’re the best.” Bunny kissed her on the cheek and took the bag into the attached bathroom. “Tell me what reservations you have about Reese.”
“It’s not him. He’s great.” Helen laid back on the bed. “It’s going to suck when he realizes I’m a hot mess.”
“Mom, he knows that you’re a hot mess. And he’s still around. I don’t think that you’re going to lose him anytime soon.”
The toilet flushed and the water ran for a moment.
“So, now, I just dip these and we wait?”
“Yeah.” Helen took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Bunny? Can I ask you something? Something kind of personal?”
“Yes, all three of us have sex together. Yes, they have sex with each other. Yes, I have sex with each of them.” She said walking out of the bathroom. Bunny took one look at the blushing woman laying on the bed. “That wasn’t your question, was it?”
Helen shook her head no. Bunny sat on the bed and squeezed the other woman’s hand. “Tell me your question.”
“What does an orgasm feel like?”
Bunny sat in stunned silence for a moment and then her counselor brain kicked in.
“You’ve never?” Bunny asked and Helen shook her head.
“When my stepbrother would… it always hurt. I remember thinking that if I cried, he’d stop. It just made it worse. And if I didn’t cry, he’d hurt me until I did.”
“What about with Bob?”
“The first few times we were together, I had hoped. But he was more concerned with himself more than anything else.” A tear slipped out of her eye and rolled into her hair. “Then I was pregnant and we were married and I felt obligated whenever he decided that I was convenient.”
“And with Reese?” Bunny asked and Helen stayed quiet. “You haven’t been with Reese, have you?”
“No. I hear everyone talk about how great sex is. I’m forty-three years old and most of my sexual experiences have been against my will and wishing it were over.”
“Oh, Helen.” Bunny said with her own tears threatening to fall. “Do you want to be with Reese?”
“I’m so confused over that. He leaves me feeling confused. I want more with him than what he’s giving me. But I’m scared of being hurt. Being disappointed.” She sighed. “Of disappointing him.”
Bunny leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Trust him. I know Reese. I’ve never been with him, but I know him enough to know that he’s going to put your pleasure above his. Does he know all of this?”
“Yes. We talked about it on our first date. We’ve talked about it a little each time since. He made me choose a word to use anytime that I feel uncomfortable.”
“Have you used it?” Helen nodded and Bunny smiled. “And what happens when you do?”
“He stops and cuddles me. Asks me what made me uncomfortable. Asks me what I want to do.”
“Trust him. You think the tests are done?”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
