CHAPTER 15
SUMMARY: Sam and Mercedes enjoy the reception and honeymoon; Abby connects with them and with Cooper; Cooper and LaTonya continue exploring their relationship; Cooper and Blaine have talk about his new relationship
RATING: Mature. Explicit sex. Cursing.
AWAKENING
After the ceremony, the guests left the great hall and went downstairs to the ballroom for the reception. Before going downstairs to join them, Mercedes took both Sam and Abby by the hand and slipped into the nearby waiting parlor to speak with them privately. Closing the door behind them, she sat down on the couch with Sam and Abby on either side of her. She held Abby's hand and said:
"How are you feeling?"
Abby thought for a moment and said:
"Ok… different. Remember my old music box?"
Mercedes touched her cheek.
"What about it?"
"For a long time it wouldn't work. When you turned the winding key nothing happened. Then me and Daddy took it apart and we found a loose spring and we fixed it and it worked again."
"Yes, I remember," Mercedes said, stroking her daughter's head.
"That's like me. I had to be taken apart."
Mercedes hugged Abby to her heart.
"Oh, sweetie. You had to dig inside to find your pain."
"It was hard."
Sam rubbed Abby's back.
"Stuff like that is always hard. But if you don't do it, you can never heal."
Abby hugged Sam.
"I'm glad I did. I'm happy."
Mercedes and Sam hugged her together and shared a kiss over her head.
"We're happy too," Sam said.
SOUL GROOVE
Mercedes was amazed at how wonderful the ballroom looked. Soft blue uplighting shined on the gold gilded walls. Each table was covered with a white satin tablecloth and had a bouquet of blue and white roses sitting in a blue glass vase and surrounded by blue tea light candles that gave off a subtle floral scent as they burned. All of the chairs were covered with white satin chair covers, and a royal blue ribbon sash was tied in a big bow around each one. Crystal chandeliers sparkled from above and a DJ played music at the other end of the room that was set-up for dancing. Mercedes, Sam and Abby went to the head table where Aunt Josephine, Carol and Burt were waiting for them. There were many tears and hugs and joyous cries about Abby speaking for the first time. Mercedes almost forgot their first dance together as husband and wife until the DJ announced:
"Ladies and Gentlemen I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hummel!"
The guests all cheered and clapped and then the music began for their first dance: Peter Gabriel's "Book of Love."
"Now the bride and groom shall have their first dance!" The DJ announced.
She and Sam walked across the ballroom to the dance floor and soft blue and white spotlights shined on them as they began to dance.
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts, some figures and instructions for dancing
But I,
I love it when you read to me.
And you,
You can read me anything.
Mercedes tried not to cry, but it was hard. She recalled the first time she heard that song. Sam sang it to her on a particularly bad Sunday morning. Abby had had a panic attack and wouldn't leave the apartment, and Mercedes was sitting outside her bedroom crying when Sam knocked on their door, and she let him in, and instead of saying he had all the answers or that everything would be ok, he held Mercedes in his arms, and began to sing that song. Abby eventually came out of her room a little while later and Sam kissed her forehead and asked her if she wanted his famous pancakes for breakfast and the day progressed from there, and even though Abby didn't leave the apartment the rest of the day, it was less painful with Sam spending the day with them. That's how it was with her husband. Even if he couldn't fix things, he still tried, and was willing to sit through the losses they suffered.
When they discussed what their first dance song would be, Mercedes immediately knew that she wanted "Book of Love" because it represented a milestone in their relationship and showed what a rare soul Sam was. She and Sam sang the next verse together as they danced:
The book of love has music in it,
In fact that's where music comes from.
Some of it is just transcendental,
Some of it is just really dumb.
But I,
I love it when you sing to me.
And you,
You can sing me anything.
Then Sam said to her:
"Well, Mrs. Hummel. We made it."
"Yes, Mr. Hummel we did."
"We got a miracle today too."
She nodded and kissed him as they continued to dance, gliding across the floor, bathed in the colorful lights. And all she could see was Sam staring at her with so much love and adoration that her heart swelled twice it size.
"You're beautiful schätzchen," he said.
"So are you."
He smiled down at her and gave her a kiss. They danced until the song ended and everyone was clapping and cheering as they walked back to the head table with their arms wrapped around each other and sat down. Next the wait staff, dressed in white shirts and black pants, came out and served the food. There was a selection of four different entrees consisting of either steak, lamb, chicken, or a vegetarian dish. The invitations included the menu and the guests checked off what they wanted which made everything easier.
Carol told Mercedes that dessert would be a cart of different sweet treats to choose from and of course wedding cake. If the guests wanted something stronger than the water, iced tea, and soda served with dinner; they could opt to go the open bar a few feet away from the head table. After their dinner was served, Mercedes could hardly eat, but she forced herself to anyway, the New York steak she ordered was delicious, but her stomach was doing somersaults because of all the excitement. She looked over at Sam who was tearing into his lamb chops with reckless abandon. That man never suffered from a loss of appetite and she chuckled to herself as she took a sip of water. She looked out into the crowd and she spotted Cooper, nudging Sam she said:
"Look, there's Cooper and his date."
Sam studied them for a moment.
"Finn's right. She is pretty."
"Are you trying to make me jealous?"
"Just an observation," he said kissing her cheek, "Don't you like your steak? You've barely eaten."
"It's good, I'm just feeling overwhelmed."
"Do you need to lie down?"
"No, I'm ok," she said gazing over at Abby who sat next to Aunt Josephine at the other end of the table; the two were in a deep conversation and a few times she saw Aunt Josephine wipe tears from her eyes, and kiss Abby's cheeks. They always did have a special bond. Then she thought of Pauline and Carter, and how they wanted to raise Abby, she would've been worse off with them. Even if they had the best of intentions, their ways were devious and hurtful, and Abby definitely would've devolved further into her silence. Witnessing what she did at the wedding and hearing her daughter's voice, she decided that Sam should adopt Abby like Shannon suggested and they would do it right away; they could hyphenate the name for her so it wouldn't be like Shane was erased but Abby's safety came first and foremost.
"Our honeymoon suite has a sunk-in bathtub, and a huge glass shower," Sam said to her, keeping his voice low, "I want to make love to you in each one."
Mercedes shivered at his words.
"Do you think you'll have the stamina?"
"Are you challenging me Mrs. Hummel?"
"Of course I am."
"How did the lingerie fit?"
"Perfectly."
Sam blushed and took a long drink of water; when his glass was empty he said:
"I can't wait."
"Oh, and I have a surprise for you."
"What's that?"
"You'll see."
"Not even a hint?"
"May I remind you that this is a family affair. We can't discuss such things," Mercedes said with mock disgust, teasing him.
Sam leaned over and kissed her.
"I don't have time for propriety when you're sitting here looking all kinds of beautiful and sexy and I know what you have on underneath."
"Samuel Emmanuel Hummel, you'll just have to be a good boy and wait."
"Now I know why I married you."
"And why is that?"
"You can keep me in line."
"Somebody has to."
He laughed and kissed her then resumed eating his meal.
After dinner was finished, the dishes were cleared away and the cake was wheeled out. It was a four-tiered white frosted cake decorated with cascading blue roses that descended down the cake like a waterfall. Mercedes and Sam cut the cake together and fed it to each other; it was delicious; it had strong vanilla flavor but with subtle hints of lemon and the frosting wasn't too sweet. As the dessert carts were wheeled around to the tables, people began to get up and dance. Sam pulled Mercedes out to the dance floor and did a very funny version of the robot that had her laughing so hard that she had difficulty dancing at first.
The DJ played a lot of old soul tunes that he and Mercedes adored and they really got down with the theme from Shaft. Everyone was up on their feet jamming to the music, and even Finn in his awkward movements, managed to do something that resembled dancing. Abby and Lucy danced together, laughing and giggling as little girls their age often did, their dresses swishing this way and that. Burt and Carole looked so cute doing the Hustle and Mike and Tina were imitating the dance moves from Saturday night fever. Mercedes never thought she could be this happy. She pulled Sam down for a kiss and he held her in his arms.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you," he whispered, kissing her.
"You were Samuel Emmanuel Hummel, that's what you did."
The next song that played was "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees and Sam held her close and sang to her, while gazing into her eyes:
You don't know what it's like, baby
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you…
And Mercedes knew that he meant every word.
YOU ARE EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS YOU
Cooper couldn't get over how lovely LaTonya looked in her long turquoise chiffon gown with a halter-top that showed off her beautifully muscular arms and fit snugly across her ample bosom. Her skin was dark and smooth as molasses and flawless; he watched her sip a glass of champagne before taking a bite of wedding cake. He wondered if she wanted to dance. Dancing wasn't something he ever had the talent to do; he was hopeless in this area, but he noticed that she was bopping her head to the music and humming along, and he hated to deprive her of anything she wanted to do simply because of his ineptitude for certain social rituals. Before he could stop himself he said:
"Would you like to dance?"
She looked at him in surprise.
"Really?"
"By the way you're moving to the music I just thought –"
Suddenly, the music changed to a slow ballad.
"I love this song," LaTonya said, a dreamy longing in her voice.
Cooper had a vague memory of this song playing on his parents' stereo when he was a little boy and Blaine was a toddler crawling around on the carpet. He said to her:
"I've heard it before, but I don't know the name of it. Would you like to –"
Before he could finish his sentence, LaTonya was on her feet, pulling him out onto the dance floor. He had no idea what he was doing, and he suddenly felt nervous and afraid of making a complete ass of himself. LaTonya didn't seem to mind his stiff movements, and she was gentle with him.
"You're ok. You're doing good," she said, encouraging him as he moved to the music with his arms around her waist. Cooper felt like Frankenstein, big and lumbering, and LaTonya was a curvaceous and beautiful queen, possessing the patience to sway along with him.
"Don't think about it too hard, let yourself feel it, like when you play the piano," she said, smiling up at him, "Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
"Alright."
"Do you see the notes in your head? Just follow them and feel them. Don't worry about how you look, that doesn't matter."
He immediately relaxed. He indeed saw the notes in his head, and he pulled her closer to him, and she put her head on his shoulder; he followed a slightly different rhythm than everyone else and that was ok. She made it ok. He heard her singing the lyrics in his ear:
You are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh, you are everything and everything is you
When the song was over, and he opened his eyes, she was staring at him with kindness and what he thought might be love, he leaned down and kissed her, tasting champagne and wedding cake, smelling her sandalwood perfume. It didn't matter that he was a clumsy ox on the dance floor and couldn't chit chat with the checkout girl at the supermarket; it didn't matter that he had blood on his hands that he could never wash away; it didn't matter that facts made more sense to him than people; all that mattered was how she felt in his arms and it felt damn good to him.
HONEYMOON BLISS
Sam couldn't thank his mother enough for booking a honeymoon suite at the Paradise Hotel. Before their big send-off, they took Abby aside to tell them how much they loved her and that they would be back in four days. They had made arrangements for her to stay with Finn and Rachel. She gave them each a big hug and told them to have a good time. They also said good-bye to Aunt Josephine, who cried more than anyone, and told them that she was happy for them.
Sam loved that LaTonya caught Mercedes' bouquet and that Cooper caught the garter belt, simply because of the looks on their faces when it happened, especially Cooper's, that man had love on his mind judging by the way he stared at LaTonya on the dance floor; with Blaine comically gaping at his brother the entire time, shocked at his behavior. Sam was definitely going to get the inside scoop from Cooper once everything had settled down and they could have a proper visit.
When they finally left the Marquis Ballroom and waved good-bye to everyone in the sea of bubbles the guests blew during their send-off, Sam couldn't wait to get in the limousine that took them to the hotel. Due to the champagne, dancing, and overall festivities of the evening, he wanted nothing more than to take her right then and there, on the leather seats with only the glass partition separating them from the chauffeur, but he thought the better of it and instead they engaged in a risqué petting and make-out session with him squeezing her breasts that were like offerings pushed up in her dress and she let her hands wander to the bulge in the front of his pants. By the time they arrived at the hotel, checked in, and made it to their room, they were both on edge, and needed to make love.
The honeymoon suite was gorgeous with a king-sized brass canopy bed covered with a blue silk and satin brocaded comforter and tall windows with matching curtains. A fireplace was in front of the bed and they had a beautiful view of the mountains from their window. The adjoining suite had a plush blue leather couch and love seat, a television that set on top of cherry wood entertainment center, and a minibar. The bathroom was huge with white marble floors a big, white sunk-in whirlpool tub and a glass shower.
There was a double sink made of the same white marble as the floor and a long gold-framed mirror hung above it. After they did a brief tour, Sam turned on the gas fireplace and looked at Mercedes who stood next to the bed. Her hair was slightly mussed and her lipstick smudged; she already had passion marks on her soft neck. He knew she was waiting for him to undress her. That was their routine, and tonight was no different. He loved undressing her; peeling away her layers of clothing and finding her naked, voluptuous body underneath. He kissed her gently on the lips and then he took his time unlacing the corset ribbons that crisscrossed the back of the dress, next came the zipper, and then he pulled down the dress and she stepped out of it.
Knowing how his wife was about her clothes, instead of tossing it on the floor the way he wanted to, he hung it up in the closet, and dimmed the lights. He stood back a moment and admired how she looked in the firelight, wearing the delicate white lace and satin bustier with garters, white lace trim satin bikini cut panties, and white lace top sheer stockings. She was right, it fit her perfectly: her wide, fecund hips, generous bosom, plump thighs and big behind were all on display and so beautifully wrapped in the white satin and lace.
"Turn around," he said.
She did a slow turn about, letting him take it all in, every curve of her body was accentuated, nothing hidden. He walked over to her and they kissed, their tongues forcing their way into each other's mouths; he was breathing hard when he pulled away, and motioned for her to get on the bed. Which she did, lying back, waiting for him. He took off his jacket and placed it on the chair in front of the desk. Then he got on the bed and ran his hands up and down her thighs, he slowly slid her panties down her legs, but left on the stockings, garters, and bustier for now. And then he saw her womanhood, smooth and bare and glistening. Not a single hair was on her mound.
"Angel?"
"That's my first surprise," she said, "I got waxed down there. For something different."
He always loved her pubic hair and had no problem with it, but seeing her bare was turning him on too. He glided his finger along her vulva, letting her wetness coat his fingers.
"Spread you legs wider," he said wanting to look at her more fully. She did as he asked and he gazed at her flower petal folds, all purple, pink and shining, aching for him to fill her. She lay there patiently as he slipped his fingers inside. She cried out, moving around on the bed, her ample chest rising and falling as she tried to keep breathing at a normal pace.
"What's my second surprise?" he asked her while continuing to pump his fingers.
"You'll see," she said as she thrust her hips, "Sam, please…"
He removed his fingers and put his head between her thick thighs, holding them apart with his strong hands, and he pushed his tongue inside as far as it could go.
"Sam!"
He continued burrowing his tongue inside her and he licked and sucked her pretty pearl clit, that bundle of nerves that brought her so much pleasure and joy; and she came apart, flooding his tongue with her "sweet nectar" as he called it, her thighs quivering around his head. He left his place from between her thighs and lay on top of her, fully clothed, kissing her face and neck, as she came down from the intense orgasm. He took off his pants, shirt, and tie throwing them aside, and positioned himself between her warm thighs; he loved seeing her partially nude with the tops of her breasts spilling out of the bustier and the garters and stockings on her big, shapely, brown legs. He was so hard that it hurt, so he pushed himself inside her, stroking her urgently, watching her curvy body, respond to his thrusts; knowing she needed him as badly as he needed her; she was so tight and hot, squeezing his member, feeling beyond wonderful.
He pounded into her, her breasts jiggling in their white satin confines, he couldn't bear to have them covered anymore so he yanked down the cups, freeing them, and that's when he saw his second surprise of the evening: gold heart shaped diamond nipple rings were on each of her plump, erect nipples. Seeing those rings on her breasts, pushed him over the edge, and he came hard, copious amounts of his semen filling her, his body shook and he yelled out his release, unable to control the volume of his voice. He was beyond caring if anybody heard them, they were in a honeymoon suite, damn it, so what else could they possibly be doing? He lay on top of her and she held him.
"I guess you liked my other surprise."
He raised his head a little to look at her.
"Damn, baby, I wasn't expecting that at all," he touched them, feeling the cold metal rings piercing the thick nubs of flesh, "What made you do it?"
"I knew you would like it."
"Did it hurt to have it done?"
"A little. But not much. Tina went with me."
"So you two took a walk on the wild side together?"
"You could say that."
He continued to play with her nipples, pinching them between his fingers.
"This is so hot. Thank you," he said, kissing her breasts and sucking on them.
She moaned as he did this and then she said:
"I want you."
Sam flipped them over, so that she was on top. She rode him fast, bucking her hips, and he held onto her, urging her on, admiring the view of her breasts bouncing and slapping against each other, the gold and diamond heart nipple rings shined in the firelight; she came and he once again exploded inside of her, it was her turn to test the soundproof quality of the walls because this orgasm elicited a high pitched wail from her and then she became limp, falling on top of him.
"There, there," he whispered, rubbing her back, "Did you see stars?"
Mercedes laughed into his chest.
"Entire galaxies."
Sam laughed and they fell asleep for a few hours, and when he woke up, he was harder than ever. He wanted to take her from behind, but she was so tired, that he decided against it and let her sleep. Instead he settled for his hand and fantasizing about her abundant butt cheeks shaking and jiggling as he slid into her, the backs of her thighs in those lace stockings; he had just begun his fantasy when she stirred next to him opening her eyes.
"Sam?"
She looked down and saw what he was doing and smiled, raising her eyebrows at him.
"You have a wife who happens to be half-naked and right beside you."
"I didn't want to wake you."
"Tell me what you need," she said, lying back and gazing up at him.
Sam's hand went between her legs, and she opened them allowing him access, he began stroking her, and she moaned at the contact.
"You on all fours," he said sinking his fingers deeper inside, slowing stroking her.
Mercedes nodded, unable to speak, and did as he asked, and he pushed himself inside, grabbing her big beautiful derriere, squeezing and slapping it, and he thrust in and out, loving every jiggle, quiver and shake of her cheeks as his balls bounced off of them, enjoying the view of the white lace stockings and garters from behind, that covered those thick, cellulite dimpled thighs he loved so much. He once again erupted inside her, and they came together, moaning and crying out. After they rested and regained their strength, Sam picked her up and took her to the bathroom where he ran a bath in the big, sunk-in, whirlpool bathtub. As the water filled the tub, he removed her stockings, garters and bustier, placing them on the counter.
Her body was sticky from the residue of their lovemaking and that aroused him, how much they gave of themselves. Mercedes noticed his rapidly growing member and sank to her knees, taking him in her mouth, her soft hands gently cupped and played with his balls as she sucked his shaft. Sam gripped the counter for support as she worked earnestly, her head bobbing up and down, her long curls, trailing down her back. It was a sweet sight to Sam, watching his manhood disappear between her plump, kiss-bitten lips, this beautiful woman who was now his wife, giving him pleasure out of love that flowed from her heart, wanting to please him, and the thought made her actions even more wonderful and it felt so good the way she loved him like this, he enjoyed every moment, and he flooded her mouth with his seed, which she eagerly took and swallowed, when she was done, she looked up at him and he saw a little bit of the white cream on her chin.
He helped her to her feet, licked it away and kissed her, sharing the taste of his seed with her. They held each other, catching their breath and he helped her into the tub and then he got in and turned on the jet streams. She snuggled up in his arms and he kissed the top of her head, then he remembered something. He got out of the tub and grabbed one of the clear plastic shower caps that the hotel left for them on the counter, he got back in the tub and put it on Mercedes' head, carefully pushing all of her hair underneath it until it was completely protected by the shower cap.
She yawned, leaning back against his chest.
"Thank you, Sam, you think of everything," She said, "This feels so good."
"Yeah it is pretty awesome. The jet streams feel like they're massaging you."
"Hmm, yeah, they do."
He kissed her shoulder.
"I love you, Mercedes. I'm so blessed to have you."
She turned around, her eyes shined with tears.
"Sam, I love you too. I'm also blessed. Tonight was amazing."
"It's not over yet."
"Proving your stamina?"
"You could say that," he said, picking up a washcloth and squirting it with the body wash the hotel provided; it smelled like jasmine and white tea.
"Raise up. I want to wash your back."
As he washed her back, they laughed and talked together, and Sam felt so fortunate to have this wonderful woman as his wife.
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND
When things were winding down at the reception, Abby walked over to Cooper and LaTonya's table. She felt shy at first, like she did when she walked up to the kids in the cafeteria, hoping they would let her sit with them, but Cooper immediately put her at ease and got up from his chair, hugging her.
"Miss Abby it is so good to see you."
She smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief and hugged him back. He always made her feel safe.
"I'm glad you're here," she said.
They let go of each other and she saw a pretty lady smiling at her.
"Hello Abby," the woman said, "My name is LaTonya. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too."
She wanted to talk to Cooper alone. The woman seemed nice but she felt funny talking in front of her. As if reading Abby's mind, LaTonya said:
"I need to go to the Ladies Room, I'll be back soon," she said, rising from her chair and kissing Cooper's cheek, she looked at Abby, "I'll see you later."
She walked away from the and Abby sat next to Cooper and held his hand.
"It doesn't hurt me to talk," she said, staring into his odd blue eyes, she liked that they didn't match, "I was scared to for a long time."
"It's wonderful to hear your voice."
"Did you think it would sound like this?"
"I had a hunch."
She opened the small blue satin purse that was slung over her shoulder and took out the magnifying glass he gave her.
"Thank you for giving this to me."
"You don't have to thank me; I'm glad it helped."
"I still use it."
"You do?"
She nodded.
"There's still a lot of stuff I need to see."
"I understand."
"You always do. You don't talk to me like I'm a kid."
Cooper smiled, touching her cheek.
"What did you learn?"
"When you don't talk you can hear more."
"Very good."
"Except for Sam, you're the only person not to treat me different."
"There was no reason to."
She reached over and hugged him.
"I love you, Cooper. Thank you for helping me."
"I love you too, Miss Abby."
She pulled away from him, staring at his face.
"You looked happy dancing."
"Did I?"
"Yes, your eyes were closed and you were smiling," she said, and tried to imitate him, swaying back and forth; "I liked how you dance."
"Why?"
"Because you were happy."
Cooper blushed not knowing what to say. Abby held his hand.
"Your eyes don't look as sad when you smile."
"Thank you for noticing."
"LaTonya helps you, doesn't she?"
"You could say that."
"She looks nice."
"She's very nice and I care for her deeply."
Abby put the magnifying glass back in her purse, zipping it up.
"When Mommy and Sam get back, I want us all to go someplace together."
"Where would you like to go?"
"I don't know yet, but you're our friend and I'll want to see you sometimes."
Cooper gave her another hug, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"I promise to visit, ok?"
"Ok."
Abby kissed his cheek and then she had to go because Carol came over and said Finn and Rachel were looking for her.
"Nice to see you Cooper," Carol said nodding at him,
"Likewise."
"Come on, Abby we have to get a move on," she said taking her hand.
"Good-bye, Cooper," Abby said, "I'll see you soon."
"Good-bye, Miss Abby."
Abby loved that she found her voice again; and talking to Cooper and being his friend made it even better.
ooo
LaTonya returned from the Ladies Room and sat down next to Cooper, who immediately took her hand and held it.
"I have a new friend."
"Abby?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad to hear it. She appears to adore you."
"I helped her with something difficult."
Cooper didn't bother with the details of his relationship with Abby; there would be plenty of time to explain their bond, right now he was feeling tired and elated all at once, and only wanted to go back to the hotel. He booked them separate rooms to be on the safe side. He and LaTonya had not yet consummated their relationship and that was ok with him because he wanted her to be comfortable and ready for that type of intimacy. Just as he was about to suggest that they leave, his brother Blaine comes over, grinning at him, and sat down at their table.
"Hey, Coop, glad I could catch you. With all the commotion I didn't get a chance to say hello."
Cooper looked at his handsome little brother, his friendly easy-going manner, his talent for "fitting in" and felt a sudden jealousy bubbling inside him. He felt foolish for it but it was there; if Blaine were straight, LaTonya probably would've preferred him. He felt her squeeze his hand.
"Hello Blaine, I've heard a lot about you. My name is LaTonya," she said offering her hand to him.
"Nice to meet you, LaTonya," he said, shaking her hand and smiling that smile of his that charmed everyone he met, "That's a lovely dress."
"Thank you," she said returning his smile, and then she said to Cooper, "Sweetheart, I'm going to get a bottle of water. Do you want anything?"
"Another slice of cake would be good, thank you."
"No, problem, I'll be back shortly," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she nodded at Blaine and left the table.
Cooper cleared his throat.
"Thanks for saying hello. We're leaving soon so -"
"No problem. Glad you could make it. That was some ceremony."
"Yes it was."
"So how long have you two been going out?"
"Why do you want to know?" Cooper said, annoyed at his brother's nosiness.
"Oh, calm down, Coop, you don't have to tell me, I'm just… you know."
"No, I don't know."
"I'm shocked. I see you dancing with this woman, quite strangely, and she's calling you 'sweetheart' and you're smiling and… I want to know what happened to my brother."
"Nothing happened. I'm in a new relationship."
"I've never seen you in any relationship. I've never seen you dance. You almost cried today when Abby hugged you. What's all this about?"
"So I can't be human?"
"I never said that."
"But you were implying it. Just because I'm not a popular golden boy doesn't make me less worthy of affection and love."
Blaine sighed and put his hand on Cooper's shoulder, squeezing it gently.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to put you down. But I've known you all my life. It was like a stranger came to this wedding in your place and it threw me off guard."
"I'm still me, Blaine. I've only let a few more people into my life that's all."
"I think it's more than that."
"Think as you wish."
"Well, whatever it is, I'm happy for you. How did you and LaTonya meet?"
"If you must know, she's my assistant, and it evolved from there."
"Interesting."
"I knew you would think so."
"Are you going to introduce her to Mom and Dad?"
"Blaine, please, it's still very new. I haven't given them any thought. Anyway, I don't need their approval."
"Nobody is saying that you do. They miss you. You should call more."
Cooper was growing weary of the conversation and he could see that Blaine could tell that he was trying his patience.
"Alright, I won't guilt trip you, I'm just putting it out there."
"How noble of you."
Blaine smiled.
"May I ask you another question about LaTonya?"
"What is it?"
"Was she in an accident? I noticed how she walked and – "
"She has a prosthetic limb."
"What happened to her?"
"You said one question and that's two."
"Ok, I can take a hint."
"No, Blaine you can't because this conversation has gone on for far too long. But I will say that it was nice to see you."
Blaine laughed and gave Cooper a hug.
"Now, that's the brother I know and love. Cut the bullshit and get to the point."
"You should put that on a Hallmark card," Cooper said smirking at him, just then LaTonya returned with the water and cake. Blaine nodded at them both.
"Good-bye Cooper, and I hope to see you again, LaTonya," he said and walked away.
"So you had a sudden urge for a bottle of water?" Cooper said as she sat down, he leaned over and gave her a kiss, "I love the subtle way you make your exits."
LaTonya laughed.
"I know he wanted to talk about me behind my back."
"It wasn't anything bad. Just his usual little brother curiosity and the odd fact that I look happy with you."
"And why is that odd?"
"He's never seen me like this before."
She handed him his slice of cake that was in a small wax paper bag.
"Good. He should see more of it. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
"So am I."
They got their coats from the coatroom and braved the winter cold as they walked outside to Cooper's Jaguar, it had begun to snow, and they shivered in their coats. As he drove them back to the hotel, he thought about his conversations with Abby and Blaine, and was beginning to see how he was changing. He thought the change was good and being with LaTonya made everything worthwhile. As he waited at a red light he reached for her hand and held it, she squeezed it in response, smiling at him, and though nothing was said, everything was felt.
HONEYMOON AFTERGLOW
Just as Sam had wanted, he and Mercedes made love in the bathtub, with her rocking her hips on his lap, gently riding him, splashing the soapy water onto the marble floor, afterwards they took a breather and then took a shower and they ended up making love again, this time with Mercedes pressed against the glass wall, and Sam thrusting into her from behind as the hot shower spray rained down on them, her hands, slipping on the glass, her shower cap came off and they ended up washing and conditioning her hair together which Sam delighted in doing. By the time the sun was rising, they were starving and called room service and got a huge country breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, grits, orange juice, biscuits, and fruit salad. They sat in the suite and ate their food, Sam enjoyed feeding Mercedes from his plate and she did the same. She looked beautiful with her long hair dripping wet, wearing an oversized cream-colored bathrobe that was partially opened and giving him peeks at her large, firm breasts and jewelry-adorned nipples, the flashes of gold and diamonds, tempted him each time she shifted about on the couch. After they finished eating, they retired to the bedroom, removing their robes and crawling into bed, holding each other. Mercedes lay her head on his chest, and together they cuddled under the covers, staring into the fireplace.
"I want you to adopt Abby," Mercedes said.
"You do?"
"I've been thinking about it and the sooner we do it, the better. We can hyphenate the name."
"I'm all for it. But what will Abby think?"
"After what happened at the wedding, I don't think she'll object to it at all."
"Ok, we'll start the arrangements with Shannon."
"What do you want to do today?"
"What we're doing now."
"You mean just lying in front of the fireplace?"
"That and make love and never wear clothes or answer the phone…"
"Sam, we've go to go out at least once."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"I've got everything I need right here. A roaring fire. A hot naked wife. And good food delivered to my door."
"You got me there. But after we've made love and eaten and slept, I would like to at least go for a walk sometime later, get some fresh air."
"That sounds reasonable."
"I wish we could take a longer honeymoon," he said kissing the top of her head, "I could do this for at least a month."
"I wish we could too, but since I was out all that time we were in Kentucky, I don't have the time to take off; they were being generous with giving me four days."
"Do you ever think you would ever want to stop working?"
"And do what?"
"Stay home and raise kids."
Mercedes was quiet for a while and Sam worried that he upset her.
"We haven't made arrangements for other kids yet. I guess I would have to think about it. I've always worked. I might miss it because I love my job."
"Oh."
She raised her head and looked at him.
"You sound disappointed."
"I just hate seeing you so tired when you get home. Your job is so stressful."
"You're right it is, but could we even afford for me to stay home?"
Sam tried not to get angry. They had been through this before. He felt like she didn't believe him when he said he had enough money to support her and their family.
"Schatzchen, we've been over this before. I told you I've got the funds to support us so we can live comfortably. You've seen how many houses I've sold and we haven't struggled once; I'm even thinking about opening a new business, but that's later down the road."
"What kind of business?"
"Seminars on house restoration."
"Sounds interesting."
"Anyway, back to supporting us, I can do it. I swear. I think you're afraid."
"Sam, I didn't grow up in a cozy two-parent household with the bills paid. Aunt Josephine and I struggled. So I get nervous when I think about only one income."
"Baby, that's just it. I have multiple sources of income. Not just from one source. I've got stocks and bonds, rental properties, and other investments. I was taught to never have all your eggs in one basket."
"I need to think about it. We also need to think about adoption since we want to expand our family."
"There's something I want to tell you," Sam said, wrapping a strand of her damp hair around his finger.
"What is it?"
"I've been taking herbal supplements for the past few months to increase my sperm count. I started doing it because of an article I read about a man who had the same fertility issue as me and he found this alternative route successful."
Mercedes sat up, and pulled the covers up to her chin.
"Why the secrecy?"
Sam shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't want to jinx it. That experience with Quinn was hell and I didn't want to get my hopes up."
"What did your doctor say?"
"When I went to him two weeks ago, I asked if we could do the same procedure that Quinn and I did. Basically, if I can't increase my sperm with the supplements as I've been doing, he would perform a testicular sperm extraction, which means that sperm would be extracted from my testicles using a surgical microscope and then the recovered sperm would be used to fertilize your eggs through in vitro fertilization."
"Wow."
"Yeah, wow is right."
"Why didn't it work before?"
"We don't know. When they tried the extraction, nothing could be found. We tried several times and then when sperm was found and the eggs were fertilized, she miscarried. It was a girl."
"Sam, I'm so sorry."
He tried to block out that awful day when they found out they lost the baby. It was the same day she had just finished the nursery. He pushed the memory out of his mind and continued the story.
"So we tried again, and again nothing was found, it was like the other time was a fluke, by then our marriage was on the rocks anyway."
"After I met with my doctor about trying again, he said he would be willing, but he wanted to re-check my sperm count, so I'll be going in again to see him next week."
"I'm willing to try and if it doesn't work either naturally or through IVF, I have no problem adopting."
He hugged her tight.
"As long as you're willing, that's all I needed to hear. Who knows? Maybe the supplements will help."
"We'll have to wait and see," she said, yawning as her eyelids closed.
"Sleepy?"
"Very."
"Yeah, I'm kind of tuckered out too. Let's get some sleep."
"Hmm," Mercedes said and she was out like a light. Sam smiled down at her and kissed her again. He stared a long time into the fireplace thinking about everything; he wasn't sure what would happen but he was certain, they would get the family they both desired so much.
END NOTES: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I don't know when I will be able to update again, but hopefully it will be soon!