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"I can't wait," Jasper said.
I couldn't either.
The next week, I had my first appointment with my obstetrician. I was excited that both boys were able to join me, knowing they'd likely both be along for each step of the way. Emma stayed in the lobby with Esme, and when the appointment was over, we all got lunch together. By the time we got back home, I felt as though my belly had expanded by several inches. All I wanted were stretchy pants and a comfortable place to lie down. I got both of them almost immediately, then spent the afternoon relaxing. Even though I was chasing Emma down what felt like non-stop, with Jasper around to help, it was mostly easy going. We spent long afternoons at the park now that she could walk, then we would take a nap — yep, both of us, but if I got lucky, Jasper would join me in our bed — and when we got up, we all helped make dinner. When Edward got home, we'd sit and eat together. I could see Jasper coming back to himself, even though he still had awful days, too.
Right around my fifth month of pregnancy, we were grocery shopping together and near the checkout when we saw another rag that had printed a similar story about questioning the legitimacy of quitting due to his injury. It must've been a slow news week, because I thought we'd surely have been long past the drama by then. It made me see red. I snatched the paper from the rack and shoved it at Jasper.
"You're not going to let them get away with this again, are you? It's just going to keep getting worse!"
He took the magazine and flipped it open to the article, reading as I loaded our groceries.
"I don't really see what I could do about it," he said, putting it back on the rack.
"We could sue for defamation and libel!"
"To what end? If people think I quit because of any reason other than my leg, I'm never going to change their minds by suing anyone."
We were forced to be falsely cordial to each other in the middle of our heated discussion, as the cashier rang up our food. Emma smiled when she got a sticker, and the moment we were loading things into the back of the car, we started at it again.
"No, you won't change their minds, but this is about you. I don't give a fuck what people think about us, but I want you to be able to hold your head high."
Jasper stopped what he was doing and turned toward me, grabbing my wrists.
"That's the thing. I do hold my head high. I am proud. If people can see us together and still think there's any part of me that's ashamed, well, there's not a damn thing I can do about that."
I knew he was right, but it still made me angry. Every fiber in my being wanted to draw up the paperwork to haul the magazine into court. We had the standing to win, I knew it. I was in full lawyer mode by the time we got home.
"Are you sure I can't call a friend and get some papers drawn up?" I asked, bouncing on my heels. "They deserve to bleed money for what they've said."
"Let me think about it, okay?" he said, then turned and kissed my forehead. "I love that you want to fight for me. When did you get so feisty?"
"Oh, don't you remember the days of moot court? I've always been feisty, just buried in poop lately."
He laughed, shaking his head, and we carried the groceries in. Some part of myself had been asleep, woken up by the drama of everything. I wondered if Jasper ever thought about staying home with the kids. Would I even want to go back to work full time? It was something I needed to think about, once the idea popped into my head.
Jasper was walking without his crutches, which made me so happy. He was healing and feeling stronger each day. I just knew that soon, he'd be running again. Maybe I'd run with him, once our little acrobat was born. Halloween and Thanksgiving were around the corner, and Christmas was a few months away, but sneaking up quickly. I needed to find something for everyone, plus get the house decorated for each holiday. The thought was overwhelming, and I wondered if anyone would really mind if we did a little less that year.
"Hey, we swimming together today?" I asked as Jasper as we cleaned up after breakfast.
"Yeah, definitely, after therapy. I can't wait to see you in your suit," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
The day Jasper agreed to weekly therapy, I cried with relief.
"Oh god, stop!" I rolled my eyes, groaning at the image of me in spandex.
"You're sexy, baby," he said. "Don't you forget it."
"Sexy?" I asked.
"Yep."
"Even in my frayed sweats, my ever-growing belly, and with stains all over my t-shirt?"
He pinned me against the counter, his arms on either side of my body. "Damn, your arms are amazing. All that swimming…"
"Don't distract me," he said, running his nose up my neck. "I was telling you all the ways you're sexy."
I laughed, but it was Emma that broke our moment, clinging to both of our legs. "Gwoup hug!"
Jasper lifted her, and I was happy to see him strong again. Grateful that he'd persevered, even when it sucked and hurt and drained everything he had. He still favored his non-injured leg, but we stood there together, a differently-cemented family. I wished Edward had been there, but remembered he'd promised to come home early. I hoped we'd have some time to unwind later that night, once Emma was asleep. I needed to relax, which reminded me that I'd forgotten about the lawsuit thing.
"Hey," I said, poking Jasper's chest once he set Emma down and she'd run off. "You let me forget about the paper."
"I'm going to therapy. We can talk about it again when I get back, okay?"
He leaned in as close as he could get with my belly bulging between us, kissing me soft and slow. My hands skimmed up the shirt covering his arms, then wrapped around his neck, holding him where he was. It was slow and comfortable, the way his tongue slid gently against mine, the tingle of his minty toothpaste invading my mouth.
If possible, he pushed himself against me harder, his hands pulling at my back to bring me closer. It was frantic in a way we hadn't been in a long time. With a few last small bites at my lips, he pulled back.
"Hold that thought until I get back," he whispered, forehead against mine.
"I'm gonna hold you to that," I said, laughing.
My hormones had already been in overdrive, but after that, they were off the charts.
"What if I can't wait?" I asked, suddenly realizing I might not be able to.
"Don't make me spank you," he said, grabbing his keys and wallet from the table.
I giggled, but then the idea sank in and I decided maybe I wanted that, too. I briefly wondered if Esme could take Emma for the night but dismissed that idea since we had a birthday party to go to early the next morning. Stupid birthday parties.
The door closed and I was brought back to the present. While Jasper was gone, I folded clothes and cleaned a bit. Mostly, I did whatever I could to distract myself from going into the bedroom or bathroom for five minutes of alone time. Around the time I knew his therapy session would be over, I texted Jasper to ask if he could stop at Target and grab a birthday gift and card for the party since I'd forgotten.
I'd just sat down on the couch when the garage door opened. I expected it to be Jasper, but was delighted when it was Edward.
"Hi," I said, smiling as he set his keys down.
He smiled back and sat next to me.
"How was your day?" I asked. "I actually thought you were Jasper coming home from therapy."
"I'm good. Glad Jasper's at therapy." Edward picked up my foot and started rubbing. "Excited for the weekend?"
"Mhm," I said, scooting further onto the couch and closing my eyes.
"We were talking about always doing half-days on Fridays."
"Really?" I asked, my eyes flying open. "Oh, I think that would be so great. By Friday, it feels like we've all barely seen each other all week. I'd love to get extra time."
"Me too," he said, then switched to rubbing my other foot.
I closed my eyes again, my body stretched out on the couch, and promptly fell asleep. When I woke up, I could smell something yummy coming from the kitchen. Jasper and Edward were talking, and my feet were still in Edward's lap.
"Nice nap?" Jasper teased.
"The best," I said, stretching and moving my muscles.
"You're awake just in time for hot pizza," Edward said.
"Pizza, Mama," Emma squealed, reaching up to touch me on the couch.
"Not as good as a hot fuck, but a respectable second," I said quietly, laughing as I stood up.
"Dirty girl," Jasper said, grabbing my ass. "You're going to have to start watching your mouth, though."
"True, but you were the one making promises earlier."
"Promises I fully intend to keep," he said.
We walked into the kitchen and there were several boxes of pizza on the table. Edward cut bites from a slice of cheese pizza for Emma, and Jasper grabbed us something to drink. I tried to be sexy while I ate, but I was ravenous. It was a miracle I left any pizza for them, frankly.
"Next week is the ultrasound, right?" Edward asked, eating one last bite.
"Yep. Do you guys want to find out if it's a boy or a girl?"
"I do," Jasper said.
"I can't decide," I said. "Some days I do, and some days I want to be surprised."
"Yeah," Edward agreed. "I can't decide. I guess that means we should just find out, right? If none of us is very opposed to the idea?"
I smiled. "Sure. Let's do it. It'll give us more time to argue about names."
{.}
"Bath time," I said, scooping up Emma. I wanted to soak in the tub with her, knowing we were down to a few months of just her. Once the bubbles had partway filled the porcelain, I stripped off her clothes and diaper, putting them in their hampers, then took my clothes off. I got in, settling myself on one side of the giant tub, and lifted her up and over the lip so she could splash around with me.
"Let me wash your hair first, okay princess?"
I picked up the cup and she tipped her head back. The water streamed down her back and she giggled, closing her eyes. She loved water, loved playing in it, and loved bath time.
"Good job. Keep your head back."
As I lathered her hair, I thought about how we might manage two babies in one tub. Of course, Emma wasn't really a baby anymore. When her hair was rinsed, I leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Baby," Emma said, touching my belly.
"Yep. That's your little sister or brother."
"Sister," she said, confident.
"Well, it might be a brother."
Emma shook her head no, and I laughed. She was stubborn, just like her daddies, all right. I decided there wasn't any point in arguing or correcting her, since it was part of a much larger conversation that would just go over her head.
"You're going to be such a good big sister," I said.
Water splashed everywhere and I closed my eyes, laughing. She had no idea what being a big sister meant, but there was something so amazing about watching her grow up right before me, and knowing someone else would be joining her soon.
"Need help?" Edward asked, opening a towel.
"No, Daddy!" Emma screeched, clearly not ready to get out of the tub.
"Five more minutes," I said. "Then we get out, no arguments."
Edward sat on the closed toilet. "So Mom's going to meet us after the party tomorrow and take Emma for the night."
"Really? That's so funny, I was just thinking earlier that I'd ask if she could take her but I figured it wouldn't work out."
"She came by the office and asked if she could take her tonight, but I said no because of the party. I think she's nervous she won't be able to handle two, so she's trying to get in as much time as she can now," Edward said with a little laugh.
"She's okay?" I asked, suddenly worried.
"Yeah, she's just almost sixty. That reminds me, Dad was asking if we'd want to go on a cruise for her birthday. I said I'd talk to you and Jasper."
"That would be fun," I said. "I've always wanted to go on a cruise. Where does he want to go?"
"He mentioned the Mediterranean, or the Bahamas."
"Mmm, both of those would be awesome."
"I'll double-check with Jasper and let him know we're in, then."
"Okay, your five minutes are up, Emmers. Up into Daddy's arms you go," I said, helping her to stand up.
Edward airplaned her out of the room and took her to get dressed, while I refilled the tub with warmer water and sat for a bit. It made me laugh when Jasper came in with my robe.
"You guys are too good to us," I said, stepping up and out of the tub, letting him wrap me up.
"Impossible," he said, backing me into the wall. He lips pressed against my neck softly, making a path to my collarbone. "I don't need to spank you tonight for being bad, do I?" His hands went beneath the plush fabric, his thumbs skimming the thin skin at my hips. His fingers splayed, reaching, but not exactly to where I wanted.
"No," I whispered, incapable of anything louder.
"So I can just spank you if I want to?" His hands reached down, soft, warm skin against mine, until he was cupping my ass.
"Mhm," I said, nuzzling my head in to his shoulder.
I wanted him to lift me up and fuck me against the wall. Opening my legs, I pulled him closer, up against me.
"I love you just like this, soft and needy."
"Touch me. Please," I begged.
"Can't," he breathed against the center of my chest. "Promised Edward I'd wait. Never promised I wouldn't tease, though."
His lips wrapped around my nipple and my head hit the wall with a thud.
"You guys okay?" Edward asked from the other room.
Jasper mumbled against my nipple, the sensation provoking a whimper from me.
"Hey," Edward half-shouted. "You're not getting started without me, are you? Jasper!"
"Just having a little pre-game warmup," Jasper said, pulling away from my body. "She was all naked and sexy, you can't blame me for that."
I rolled my eyes and adjusted my robe closed before we walked to the living room. Edward was on the carpet playing with Emma, talking and laughing.
"Book, Dada?" Emma said, handing Jasper what looked like a new board book.
Edward sat on the couch with me as Jasper read the book with Emma, both of them lying on their bellies. When they finished, Emma grabbed another book from what looked like a giant pile.
"Someone had fun at the book store today," I said.
"Yeah, I went after therapy. It was nice to walk around. They had so many cute books I couldn't pass up. And now we'll get double the use out of them." He looked up and smiled at me, well, at Edward and me, really. It was one of those moments that gave me shivers.
Edward put one of his legs on the ground and I scooted back into his arms. He was warm and comfortable, snuggling me close as we watched them. When it was close to Emma's bedtime, Jasper scooped her up and took her to her room.
He came out a few minutes later, Cheshire Cat grin on his face. "She's settled in for the night."
"C'mere," I said.
Turning to face Edward, I unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. By the time I turned around to Jasper, his shirt was off, his pants hanging open.
Jasper got down on his knees in front of the couch and pulled my robe open. With a quick tug at my knees, he brought his mouth to my pussy. A few soft kisses later, he looked up at me. He was driving me insane, his lips just barely skimming my clit.
Edward crawled behind me, pushing my robe the rest of the way off. His hands cupped my heavy breasts, fingers pinching and plucking at my nipples. I was already on edge, already almost there.
"You comfortable?" Jasper asked, then darted his tongue out to lick a long line between my lips and over my clit.
"Yeah," I said, gulping hard and closing my eyes.
Jasper hummed against my clit, his lips surrounding and sucking it into his mouth. I pushed my hips forward against him as my orgasm began.
"Oh, god."
Edward's mouth covered mine, his lips pressing hard. My hands moved from Jasper's hair up to Edward's, holding him against me since I couldn't scream like I wanted. Jasper slowed what he was doing, but didn't stop. His tongue slid between my lower lips several times, and it was only then that I had a moment to be self-conscious about the fact that I hadn't had a wax recently. I needed to call Rose and beg her to fit me in soon.
With that thought, my legs closed a bit and I moved my attention back to getting Jasper up to my mouth, although he certainly didn't seem to mind.
"Come here," I said, tugging on his ears as I giggled.
He kissed a path up my legs, stopping to pay attention to my belly. The way he and Edward worshipped me never failed to remind me how lucky I was to have such supportive partners in life, but in that moment, I realized that they also never failed to make me feel like an amazingly gorgeous, sexual creature. Even five months pregnant.
His lips met mine and the feeling of his tongue in my mouth reminded me of when it had been much lower. The taste and smell of myself all over him, now all over me, made me want him even more. I wanted someone inside me, needed them both inside of me, I decided.
Because it wasn't safe for me to lie on my back, I had to run through a mental list of positions we could be in. I really wanted them both, but I decided I wasn't in the mood for the slow pace a spooning position would require. I wanted hard and hot and fast and now. I got down on the floor on my knees, and looked up at Edward. All it took was one arch of my eyebrow and he was behind me.
"You, too," I said, looking at Jasper and motioning to the floor.
Without wasting time, he got down and positioned himself in front of me. Edward's hands were smoothing over the swells of my hips, and I moved against him, brushing back and forth. Jasper had brought a throw pillow down with him, and propped his head up to watch me. If he wanted a show, I'd give him a show.
I licked my lips and looked down at the pretty purple ridge of his cock. Edward entered me and I had to close my eyes for a moment, the sensation so overwhelmingly full of pleasure. He began a steady rhythm and I opened my eyes again, snaking my tongue out to trace the ridge I'd admired moments earlier. I took my time, teasing him as I licked up and down the length of him before I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock.
As I sank my mouth down around him, I looked up and met his eyes again. We watched each other, and he looked up and over me at Edward, too. Jasper's eyes came back to mine and I watched his lips as he mouthed fuck. I winked, then tilted my head so I could focus on what I was doing. The way Edward was swiveling his hips behind me had me distracted again, and I needed all the extra concentration I could get.
I moved my hands, shifting my weight and leaning down on my elbows. I wanted to be able to touch Jasper, too, and made sure I was stable before I stroked up and down in time with my mouth. The fingers on my other hand teased and tickled the hair on his thigh and I moved slowly. Squeezing at the base of his cock, I lifted my mouth, sucking the entire time.
Baring my teeth, I nipped carefully at the head, knowing how much he liked it. Jasper flexed his hips up, and I backed away, looking up and smiling at him. I wanted to control the pace. When Edward thrust faster, one of his hands moving to rub my clit, I had to suck in a breath. I suddenly realized I needed to get serious and stop teasing, though. As Edward touched and fucked me, I did the best I could to bring Jasper closer to his orgasm. I hummed against him, deep in my mouth, and pulled out every trick I knew.
It worked, and moments later, he was an incoherent mess, thrusting up into my mouth as he came. I swallowed quickly, then licked and lapped at him as he softened in my hands. Edward was still behind me, still touching and bringing me higher as he moved. His fingers pressed against my clit harder, and I rested my forehead on Jasper's abdomen as I came, my whole body tightening. A strangled noise escaped and after I'd come, the temptation to collapse was immense.
Instead, I pushed back against Edward, giving him more friction and resistance. It felt amazing, even though I didn't have the energy or patience to try for a third orgasm. When he came, his hands gripped my body fiercely, his voice stolen away, and his body stilled, buried inside me.
"Shit," he said, suddenly brought back to reality. "I forgot to grab a towel."
"Don't use my robe!"
Jasper stood up, laughing, and casually walked back to the bathroom. It was part hilarious, part humiliating kneeling there, waiting for him to come back so we could deal with the inevitable mess. When Jasper returned, he threw the hand towel at Edward and I laughed, which didn't help the situation.
By the time we made it to bed, we'd stopped in the kitchen for a late-night snack. I blamed the baby I was hosting, while they were just dudes and could eat whatever the fuck they wanted. Once our bellies were full, we crawled into bed, smiling. I knew we'd all be dragging ass in the morning, but it was worth it. Every last moment was worth the loss of sleep, and besides, we could nap since Esme would have Emma.
When Edward's alarm went off, I groaned.
"It can't be eight already," I whined.
"Sorry, sweets," Jasper said, kissing my temple. "Sleep a bit more. I'll come wake you up in a bit, once Edward and I are out of the shower."
"Aw, man, you're gonna shower together?"
Jasper laughed. "Well, you decide. You can sleep in or you can come get wet."
"I love you. Sleeping now."
The next time I woke up, it was to sticky fingers and giggles.
"Mama, waffes!"
"Yes, baby, I can taste the syrup all over your hands. Who made you waffles?"
"Dada!"
"Let's go find him, shall we?"
In the kitchen, Edward and Jasper were tangled together.
"Hey," I said, playfully snapping a towel against Edward's ass. "Not that I want to break this up, but Jasper, now that I've been woken up with a maple-syrup-covered finger up my nose, did you save any waffles for me?"
"Oh shit," he said, having the decency to look chagrinned. "Sorry. Of course there are waffles for you. And bacon. Go sit down and I'll fix you a plate."
"Thank you," I said, giving them each a kiss on the cheek and walking to the table.
"You excited for Maddy's birthday party?" I asked Emma, who sat next to me at the table.
"Yes, Mama."
I rubbed my nose against hers and we laughed together.
"You excited to stay the night with Grandma?"
"Ohh yes," she said, nodding vigorously.
Jasper set my plate in front of me and sat down next to me.
"So I was thinking about that lawsuit," he said. It took me a minute to even remember what he might mean; it had been the furthest thing from my mind. "I want to do it."