1958

Leading a double life wasn't easy. Blythe House didn't want to marry, live on Marine bases and have a husband who left for extended periods of time. However, her family expected her to marry which she did even though she didn't love John House. So, she led a double life. When her husband was home she attended military functions with him, made gourmet meals and kept their tiny house on base immaculate. When he was away on assignment with his squadron, she kept up the outward appearance of the perfect Marine wife. Instead of staying home dutifully waiting for him to return, she slipped out after dark and did what she wanted. Only her best friend, Meara McGrath, knew about Blythe's double life. She rarely spoke of it but often waited for Blythe to come home. More times than she could count, Blythe arrived home in the dead of night to find Meara sitting on the couch in the living room. Meara kept Blythe's secret because Blythe kept hers. Blythe was the only one, besides Meara's husband, who knew Meara would be sixteen in December.

Blythe knew tonight would be no different. Meara saw her leave; saw her dressed in the body hugging gold dress with the plunging neckline and sky high black pumps. At the moment, her dress along with the rest of her clothes were scattered across the plush carpet of a very expensive hotel room. She straddled the man she met an hour earlier in the hotel bar and slid down on his rock hard cock. John never let her do this. Sex with John was boring. He simply crawled on top of her, pushed her panties down and slid inside her. When he finished, he rolled off her and went to sleep. This man, whose name she couldn't remember, was different. He reached up and cupped her breasts as she began to move on him. His hands massaged her heated skin and he rubbed his long fingers over her taut nipples intensifying her arousal. Tossing her rich brown hair over her shoulders, she moved faster and began to rub her clit. The man moaned and ran his hands down her stomach to grip her hips. Desire licked along her skin as he thrust up against her. It coiled in the pit of her stomach and then spiraled outward as she climaxed. Her moans of pleasure mingled with his. Slowly she began to relax but continued to slide up and down until he tensed beneath her. A half-smile curved her lips as his large blue eyes closed and he shouted her name. She slowed her movements as she felt him grow soft and begin to shrink inside her. Rising up, she leaned down, kissed him and then moved off him. He grabbed her arm when she moved to get off the bed. Looking over her shoulder at him, she saw him smile revealing dimples. His blond hair was disheveled and he had the beginnings of a beard.

"Where are you going, Blythe?" he asked as he began to stroke her arm.

She shrugged and pulled her arm free. Getting up, she walked around the room gathering up her clothes. Once she had everything, she headed for the bathroom.

"Uh, I think you might want this," he said.

Blythe turned to see him sitting up in bed holding out her cervical cap. Her heart began to pound and little black dots danced before her eyes. Her breathing quickened. The cap, her security against pregnancy, fell out at some point. The consequences flooded her brain and she nearly passed out. Thankfully the light in the room was coming from the bathroom behind her so perhaps he couldn't see her panic. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the bed and took it from him.

"Thanks," she smiled thinly and went back to the bathroom. She closed the door and fumbled with the lock. When it clicked into place, she slumped against the marble sink. Her clothes fell to the floor as she stared at the cap. She was always so careful. It fell out when she moved off him. She obviously didn't get it inserted correctly before she left home. Yes, it fell out then, not before. If it fell out before...she shook her head and put the cap on the sink. John wasn't due back for almost three months. She looked at herself in the mirror. Wide, panicked brown eyes stared back at her.

"It fell out after," she told her reflection. "After."

She took a washcloth, wet it and rubbed soap on it. Quickly and efficiently, she cleaned herself up and got dressed. When she went back out into the hotel bedroom, the man lay drowsing. She picked up her purse and pulled out her comb and lipstick. An ornate mirror hung on the wall next to the bathroom door. Blythe ran the comb through her hair and applied a fresh coat of lipstick. As she dropped the cervical cap, comb and tube of lipstick in her purse, he began to snore softly. Without another glance at him, she left.

As she walked across the hotel parking lot to the car, the sky in the east was a pearly grey with an edging of pink. She pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked John's red and white 1957 Buick. Once in, she started the car and rolled down the window. As she drove, she knew she couldn't take any more chances until John came home. Opening her purse with one hand, she grabbed the cervical cap and tossed it out the window. She gripped the steering wheel and stared out at the predawn sky. John didn't know about the birth control and now he never would. Once he returned, he'd be home for over a year. Blythe's shoulders slumped slightly. Her double life was officially over.

When she walked in her house, Meara sat curled up on the couch. She blinked sleepily at Blythe.

"My cervical cup fell out," Blythe told her as she kicked off her shoes. "But it fell out after. It had to."

Meara shook her head causing her tangle of red curls to slide over her shoulders. Her light blue eyes scanned Blythe.

"We both know it didn't," Meara commented with a smooth Irish brogue. Her husband, Gilroy, met her when his squadron was stationed in Ireland. He and John served together and were best friends.

"I doubt I'm pregnant."

Meara snorted. "Go get yer date book. Look it up. I know ya keep track of such things."

Blythe went to get her date book and returned to the living room. She sat down next to Meara. Flipping through the pages, she found the current month, September. She counted off the days since her last cycle and slapped the book shut.

"Maybe he's sterile," she said weakly.

"Keep telling yerself those things," Meara sighed. "Come on, let's have some breakfast. We'll speak no more of it."

Blythe got up and followed her best friend into the kitchen.

Over a month passed and Blythe's cycle never came. Then the morning sickness started. John would be home in a little over a month. She knew a doctor across the state line who would discreetly get rid of the fetus. Somehow, she couldn't do it. John wanted children. He knew very little about the workings of a woman's body. She could pass this child off as his. First, she needed to know for certain she was pregnant.

Instead of going to her regular gynecologist, she made an appointment with Doctor James Bell. She had an affair with him at the end of the summer that lasted very briefly. If she was pregnant, the baby might be his or might be the product of several different one night stands. Either way, he would do what she wanted.

She sat in a chair in his office and waited. Doctor Bell walked in and looked at her.

"The rabbit died," he said looking at the file he held. "You're pregnant."

"Here's what's going to happen, James," Blythe said smoothly. "You're not going to tell anyone. Somehow, I don't think your wife would be too happy to find out about our relationship. Since the baby could be yours and she isn't able to have one of her own, she'd be devastated and probably leave you." She wrinkled her nose. "Very scandalous." She stood up and walked over to him. "Don't you agree?"

"I'm sorry I ever got involved with you," he whispered harshly.

"Oh, please," she smirked. "I'm not the only one you had a relationship with. I saw you at the Labor Day party with your nurse. You two were very, very cozy. I'm surprised your wife didn't notice." She patted his chest. "You'll keep this secret."

Slipping past him, she left.

At the end of November, John's squadron returned. Blythe slept with him that night. Shortly before Christmas, she told him she was pregnant. He was overjoyed. She was relieved.

1959

At the end of January, Meara told Blythe she was pregnant, too. Blythe knew she was due in June while Meara was due to give birth in September. Blythe continued to see Bell for her appointments. Meara never said a word and for that Blythe was grateful.

The squadron would stay in Virginia until January, 1960. Meara taught Blythe how to knit and they spent most afternoons sitting in the sun knitting blankets and clothes for their babies.

One warm afternoon in May, the men were out on training exercises and she and Meara sat in lounge chairs on Blythe's patio knitting and talking.

"Have ya settled on names for the wee one yet?" Meara asked.

"Gregory John if it's a boy and Amanda Lynn if it's a girl," Blythe answered. "What about you?"

"Reilly whether 'tis a boy or girl. Reilly Brigid for a girl and Reilly Gilroy for a boy."

Blythe laughed. "Reilly is your maiden name. It's fine for a boy but seems an odd choice for a girl."

"There will be no more Reilly's. My father is the last Reilly and he and Ma had fifteen girls. I want the name to continue somehow."

"Reilly McGrath. I like it."

"I like the sound of Greg House," Meara told her. "Mandy House is a good one, too."

Blythe stopped knitting and looked at Meara. "Oh, they probably would call her Mandy, wouldn't they?"

Meara nodded.

"I'll talk to John about a different name for a girl. I don't care for the name Mandy. We'll have to come up with one that can't be shortened. I do like the name Greg, though."

Meara looked at her and Blythe knew what she was thinking. Regardless of the baby's gender, Blythe had no idea what her child would look like. He or she definitely wouldn't look like John. All she could do was hope the baby had at least one of his features. Most likely the baby would be blue-eyed since John, his parents and her parents all had blue eyes. No matter what, he couldn't ever know the child wasn't his. She put down her knitting and placed her hand over her swollen belly. Beneath her hand, the baby kicked and she smiled. It didn't really matter because this was her baby.

On June 11, Blythe gave birth to a boy. Greg House came into the world screaming loudly. He had tufts of blonde hair and enormous blue eyes. When they brought him to Blythe, she looked down into his eyes and smiled. He turned his head and rooted against her breast. She opened her gown and guided him to her nipple. He latched on and began to nurse. It hurt but she didn't mind the pain. She stroked his head.

"You are perfect, Greg," she whispered.

On September 18, Meara gave birth to a girl. Blythe looked in the nursery window until she found the bassinet with Reilly. She had Meara's red hair and was almost the same size Greg was when he was born. She looked down at her son. He was sleeping but she held him up so he faced the window.

"That's Reilly," she told him. "Hopefully you two will be friends."