She didn't speak for what seemed like an eternity, his confidence waning with each grueling second of silence, wondering if it was too much too soon or if his situation with his daughter was too much for her to consider being his wife and making that situation a way of life with no exit door. He saw a single tear roll down her cheek, and then her head slowly begin to nod, the shock beginning to wear off and her brain slowly regaining the ability to make words again.
"Me? Really?" She finally squeaked making him let go of a lengthy breath.
He wasn't aware he'd actually been holding his breath until her seeming to possibly be accepting his proposal made him breathe a sigh of relief. He'd hoped she'd be surprised, but he had no idea she'd be shocked speechless. Did she really not consider that this was coming?
"Yes, you really. (Kisses her) Do you not believe yet that you are the only woman for me?" He asked sweetly.
"I do believe you love me Jack, I just didn't want to let myself be this hopeful." She admitted as more tears slipped down her face.
"Does that mean you'll marry me?" He asked.
"Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I'm just so…….this is……" She stammered and finally threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
He hugged her back and they kissed and he held her awhile longer before finally putting enough distance between them to slide the ring onto her finger.
"I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. I love you so much." He told her, holding both of her hands in his and kissing them softly.
She pulled her hands away and slowly snaked them around his neck, pulling him down, engaging in a deep, slow, passionate kiss, feeling her body trapped beneath the warmth and strength of his and certain that there were few things in life that could make her feel so content. She wanted him and she wanted him now, no foreplay, no naughty verbal games, just him inside of her loving her like only he could.
She continued to kiss him while her hands began unfastening and unzipping his jeans. He considered objecting, the night air too cool for naked bodies, but the moment too sweet and perfect to disturb it so he kept the blanket over them and let her continue, feeling her soft fingers reach inside the opening she'd created and fondle him, gripping him firmly and moaning into his mouth. He intensified the kiss while he pushed his jeans down enough to release all of him into her greedy hands, feeling the pad of her thumb gently rubbing over his tip and rolling onto his back, bringing her with him, her hands still working him over as she straddled him and slowed their kissing back down, opening her mouth wide and welcoming his warm, soft tongue as it slowly danced with hers.
They let go of sighs and moans as they continued on, his hands pushing the alien frog pants out of his way and her working with him to get at least one leg free, him gently probing her with his fingertips making the need to connect with him unbearable. He pushed one finger inside her very slowly and she gasped and fell forward onto him, quivering from head to toe and the leg finally free.
"Shhh, it's okay." He whispered and helped her get situated over him, watching her face scrunch up with pleasure as she slowly impaled herself on him.
He made sure the blanket was situated securely over her shoulders and back and took hold of her hips, guiding her into the perfect rhythm, watching her slide up and down over him and certain he was growing harder and harder every time she let him slowly glide back up inside of her, her hands on his chest, eyes closed and head thrown back. She began to pant and whimper and there it was, the face and the sounds of the woman he loved experiencing what apparently felt so good she couldn't speak, move or breathe.
She rode it out and fell forward onto his chest, feeling his hands move slowly from her hips to her butt, gently cupping both ass cheeks and thrusting upward, slowly making love to her as his hands moved up her back and then back down, his hands every bit as skilled in intimate moments as they were in a surgical suite and she relaxed into his chest, feeling his warmth and his love and then another release hit, making her cry out, both of them stilling as he let go, wrapping both arms around her tightly and holding her close.
She could feel their connection, feel him softening some and could feel his release beginning to seep out of her. She didn't want to move and he didn't seem to be in any hurry for her to move so they lay together, connected at the center, her head on his shoulder and his hands gently massaging her back under the blanket. He felt her shudder slightly and kissed the top of her head.
"We should go inside, you're shivering." He said.
"I'm not cold." She said, lifting her head and kissing him softly.
"Then why are you shivering?" He asked.
"Because I have the most incredible man in the world trapped inside of me and because I've never been as happy as I am right now in my entire life." She told him.
She'd rendered him speechless. He was flattered and not sure he was worthy and unable to come up with what he deemed a suitable response. She was tickled at how she'd managed to put such an adorable 'aw shucks' look on his face simply by letting him know the truth about how he makes her feel and she kissed him again and let it linger for a bit before pulling back to look at him again.
"I love you." He said sweetly and with all his heart.
"I love you more." She replied, making him smile.
"That's not possible." He said.
"We should wait to tell Maggie." Kate said.
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Because I don't want to upset her anymore than she already is." Kate said.
"I get that Kate and I appreciate that she's your first consideration, but she's going to react how she's going to react whether we tell her tomorrow or two weeks from now. I'll go into work late and take her out for breakfast and talk to her. I'll leave out the part where I told you that I'm definitely the guy that would love to have a baby with you." He said.
"You never told me that." She giggled.
"I just did." He said rolling her onto her back and slipping out of her, chuckling at the instant pretend pout she shot at him.
"God you're cute." He sighed happily and kissed her again.
Jack sat across from Maggie in a booth in the pancake house. She was a little moody and he considered not telling her, but decided it was better he do it than have her notice the ring on Kate's finger and pounce. He watched her pick at her food, the lethargy he'd attributed to her not being quite awake still lingering.
"Are you okay sweetheart? You're looking a little pale." Jack asked.
"I think I might throw up dad." She groaned and ran for the bathroom
He followed behind her, not caring that he was inside the ladies room. He held onto her so she wouldn't have to touch the public toilet and held her hair out of her face, watching her lose the contents of her stomach and then some. Every time he thought she was finished she'd start crying and begin heaving again, struggling and gagging and bringing up nothing.
"Make it stop daddy." She cried.
"Shh, it's going to be okay." He spoke softly, kissing the side of her head and continuing to hold onto her.
The routine continued on for another couple of minutes and she finally relaxed in his arms. He pulled her away from the toilet and carried her out of the stall, the woman in the bathroom that had been witnessing all of it handing him a wet paper towel and him thanking her. He set her down and wiped her mouth and nose. Her color was returning along with her awareness.
"That was really gross." She groaned.
"Maggs, I'm really starting to worry about you. How about you come to the office with me and I get you checked out." He suggested.
"No, it's my fault dad. I ate a bunch of those tomato things Kate made and too much tomato always makes me sick you know that." She admitted.
"They why'd you eat so many of them?" He asked and tweaked her nose, feeling a lot less worried the more she talked and seemed perfectly fine.
"They were so good with all that cheese and bacon all mixed in with those biscuits, but maybe we should ask Kate not to make them anymore." She said and held her stomach, making him laugh lightly.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay now?" He asked.
"Yes, but if it's okay with you, I'd rather skip breakfast." She said.
"Yeah, I'm not really hungry either. I guess we can talk in the car." He said and took hold of her hand.
He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street that would eventually lead them to the condo. Maggie was flipping through the radio stations and he finally reached up and turned it off.
"We need to talk." He said.
"Am I in trouble?" She asked.
"No, you're not in trouble. You know that Kate is very important to me and that I love her very much right?" He asked.
"Yes and that's why you guys have sex, because you love each other and not just because it feels good." Maggie answered.
"What?" He asked in a somewhat exasperated tone.
"Sorry, I meant that's why you guys make love. Kate says it's a way for people to express their love for each other. Why are you asking me about this dad?" Maggie asked.
Jack had to laugh at himself and how uncomfortable he suddenly felt, but managed to pull himself back together and regroup his thoughts.
"I asked Kate to marry me last night and she said yes." Jack told her.
Maggie looked at him for a moment and then turned her head toward the window, staring out at the passing traffic and not saying anything. He finally pulled the car into a nearby parking lot and put it into park.
"Maggie look at me." He said.
"No." She refused.
"Baby, please. If you don't talk to me I can't help you." He said, knowing that she was crying and needing to understand what was going through her young mind.
She turned to face him, her eyes full of giant alligator tears and while he was prepared for an angry response he wasn't prepared for this.
"What's going on Maggie? Why so sad?" He asked.
"There's too many people dad. I'm going to be the only kid in the 6th grade with 3 dads and 2 moms. It's too hard to know how to feel about everybody. Why can't I just be a normal kid with a normal family?" She choked out through her tears.
"Okay, first of all you have one mother and one father and that's never going to change. Mike and Bill are just Mike and Bill and Kate is just Kate. You don't have to love any of us Maggie or you can love all of us. The only thing that matters is that your mom and I love you." Jack said.
"It's gonna be just like it was with mom." She cried.
"What is honey?" He asked.
"I think I'm going to be sick again." She said and grabbed her stomach as she tried desperately to get out of the car.
He stepped out of the car and went to be with her. She wasn't sick, she was upset, holding her stomach and crying hard. He sat down in the passenger seat with his legs outside of the car and pulled her into his lap, holding her close and letting her cry for awhile before he attempted to pry anything more out of her.
"Baby, talk to me. You can tell me anything and I promise I won't be mad." He said.
"You're not going to come see me anymore are you dad?" She asked.
"Why would you think that Maggie?" He asked.
"Mom married Bill and they had a baby together, a baby they wanted and she didn't like me anymore. All she says is Maggie I can't deal with you right now or Maggie I don't have time right now or Maggie the world doesn't revolve around you so you need to get used to it. I don't think the world revolves around me dad, I just miss having a mom that cares about me. She only cares about Bill and the baby and once you get a wife and probably a baby that you really want you won't come see me anymore. Daddy I'm sorry I've been so bad. I'm trying hard not to be." She spoke softly and sadly, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Maggie, I'll be honest with you and admit that I am puzzled by your mom's behavior and I believe you when you say you don't expect the world to revolve around you. She's sick honey and I don't know how long she's been sick or if it is even the depression that caused the problems you're describing, but I believe you when you say you feel like she stopped caring about you. I should've taken you more seriously when you first started calling me and begging me to let you come live with me. I screwed up Maggie and I'm sorry." He told her.
"It's not all mom's fault. I've been bad, you've seen it." She sighed.
"I have seen it, but Maggie it doesn't make me stop loving you or stop caring about you. I'm very worried about why you're having these outbursts and I'm going to do everything I can to make things better for you." Jack said.
"What if mom never gets better? Where am I going to live dad?" Maggie asked.
"With me." Jack answered.
"But what if you marry Kate and she doesn't want me to live with you guys?" Maggie asked.
"Do you really think Kate would feel that way Maggie? Hasn't she been nice to you?" Jack asked.
"Yes, but Bill was nice at first too." Maggie argued.
"Fair enough. Let me put it another way then. Do you trust me Maggie?" Jack asked.
"Yes." She answered.
"Then I need you to trust that I would never marry a woman that didn't want my daughter around. You know Kate didn't want me to tell you about us getting married. She said it would upset you and thought we should wait and give you more time to adjust. She isn't interested in taking me away from you Maggie. In fact, she's determined to make sure you never feel like she's replacing you in my heart." Jack told her.
Maggie was quiet for a moment, recalling the conversation she'd had with Kate the previous day about how her father had left her behind and even though her head was making her feel unsure, she knew in her heart that Kate would never do anything to hurt her.
"She's real nice dad. I'm sorry I wasn't happy for you." Maggie said.
"I'm sorry that your mom and I have made you feel so overwhelmed. Can you do me a really big favor Maggs?" He asked.
"What?" She asked.
"Focus on being 12 and being happy and let me worry about the big stuff and that includes your mom and her problems. I'm your dad and I'm going to take care of you and always love you no matter what. I promise." He asked.
"Okay daddy." She said.