Six Week Check-Up
"How ignamonious!" Betty exclaimed as she lay on the exam table, feet in the stirrups, for her six week check up.
"Mrs. Peacock, we have to make sure everything's ship-shape. I'll try to make this as painless and as quick as possible," said Dr. Parker.
Stephen sat on a chair in the exam room holding Stephanie. She slept soundly in Stephen's arms. He looked over at Betty and cleared his throat.
"He wants to know when we can resume, um, relations," Betty asked sheepishly.
"Everything looks alright. Your sutures are completely healed. There's no bleeding. Are you having any pain or burning sensations?" He pressed on her
abdomen, "Is there any pain or tenderness here?"
"No. I feel fine."
"Well, whenever you're comfortable to do so, you can have sexual intercourse," he explained.
Stephen's face lit up and he smiled like a Cheshire cat, "Thank you, Doctor! Thank you! Thank you!" he gushed.
"Oh, give over!" Betty groaned.
Stephen raised his eyebrows and dipped his head a bit, as if to say, "One more thing…"
"Oh," said Betty, "He wants to know if he could play with the Bristols."
"Absolutely! There's no reason for them to be off-limits."
Stephen let out a long delighted exhale. He bit his lower lip seductively and winked at her.
"You two may want to consider using some form of birth control since you know that you can get pregnant again," he warned.
They both looked at each other with raised eyebrows and tittered.
"You may pick up some prophylactics from the nurse's station on the way out."
They left the doctor's office after he gave them the green light to be intimate; Stephen drove Betty home. He kissed her good-bye and kissed Stephanie's
forehead. He headed back to Woodward & Lothrop.
Back at work, Stephen marked his locker calendar with hearts on the day. Colin saw this and chuckled. Stephen had been putting a big "X" on each calendar
day leading up to Betty's six-week check-up. He took a lot of ribbing from his coworkers about his countdown calendar, but he didn't let it bother him; he
loved Betty and enjoyed the intimacy they shared.
"Stephen!" called Mel.
"Yes, sir?"
"I need you to work a double tonight!"
The others hung about to see Stephen's reaction. His face fell and he pouted. They erupted into a cacophony of hoots and howls.
"You are wicked, Mel!" Richard called over.
"I'm sorry, Stephen," Mel began, "We couldn't resist takin' the mickey on you. You don't hafta work tonight!"
Stephen looked around and smiled wryly, "Thank goodness for that!"
After dinner, Betty nursed Stephanie as Stephen impatiently waited. He had showered and shaved and wore his silk boxers and a white vest underneath his
dressing gown. Satiated, Stephanie's little mouth relaxed and she let out a small sigh. Betty handed her to Stephen, "Make yourself useful! I'm going up to
get freshened up a bit."
He smiled, positioned the baby on his shoulder, and tapped her back. Her little eyelids fluttered and she went limp. A small burp released.
"Good girl!" He slowly ascended the stairs to her room. Betty met him wearing a dressing gown.
"I want to wash her up right quick. If you help me, it won't take a minute."
"All right," he sighed. He enjoyed this time with Betty and Stephanie, the winding down and getting Stephanie ready for bed. The house grew peaceful. Betty
filled the washbasin in the loo with warm water. She took Stephanie from Stephen and stripped her, putting her dirty things in the diaper pail. Betty carried
Stephanie to the loo wrapped in a towel. Stephen collected the shampoo and a flannel from Stephanie's changing table.
Betty felt the water before placing Stephanie in the sink. Satisfied it was the right temperature, she set her in. Stephanie stiffened and her eyes went wide
and she let out a loud howl. Stephen ran into the loo, "What's wrong?"
"The water startled her. She's fine. Would you bring me a cup, Dear?"
"Certainly!"
They bathed their daughter and playfully flirted with each other. Stephen gently poured water on Stephanie's head and rubbed shampoo between his hands
before applying it to her hair. Betty squeezed the flannel, sending a cascade of water down Stephanie's back. He bent down and kissed Stephanie's tiny
forehead.
He looked lovingly at Betty and kissed her lips. Betty tenderly lifted Stephanie from the basin and Stephen slipped a towel under the baby, then he carried
her to her room. Betty donned a clean nappy on her and dressed her for bed. Betty nursed her one last time and rocked her in the chair. They put Stephanie
to bed and tiptoed out of her room closing the door about halfway.
Stephen grabbed Betty and wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing himself against her. His aggressiveness startled her.
"Not here!" she whispered.
He walked her backwards into their room, arms still clutching her. He swung the door shut behind them.
She reached up and opened his dressing gown, kissing his chest. He loosened his grip and opened her dressing gown, revealing she was wearing nothing
underneath. His breath hitched and his eyes widened; he slipped his hands inside and wrapped his arms around her. Her skin was soft and warm. He lightly
scratched her back. He explored her mouth, chin, and neck with his lips. His moustache tickled her and she smiled. He slipped her dressing gown off as his
dropped to the floor. She kissed his neck and he ran his hands up and down her back, his hands coming to rest right above her bum. She raised a leg and he
lifted her; she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He held onto her thighs. He kissed her deeply, his breath quickened and she
made little moaning sounds. He walked to the bed carrying her, and hitting his shins on the bed rail, they both fell onto the bed with him on top of her. The
bed collapsed with a loud cracking of wood and a thudding crash. They burst out laughing hysterically.
"I'll fix that later!" he laughed.
"Did you remember to pick up some protection?" she teased. He shot her a look; even in the dark she could see him rolling his eyes at her.
He pulled his vest over his head and tossed it somewhere in the dark. She craned her head forward and kissed his pale chest.
She pressed her fingertips into his back. He buried his face in her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair. He tugged at his boxers and kicked them off.
"Be gentle," she whispered.
"I'll try," he murmured.
He was usually a gentle and considerate lover, but that night he took her with wild and reckless abandon.
The next day Stephen arrived at Woodward & Lothrop right on time. He strode in and opened his locker.
"Look at 'im! He's struttin'. Just like a…Peacock!" Jack snorted.
They gathered round whooping and chuckling.
"A'ight! Let's see it!" Mel ordered.
"What?" Stephen asked, feigning confusion.
"You know good and well what! C'mon…show it!" Colin pressed.
"Show what?" He was teasing them. He knew what they wanted; he just wanted to razz them a bit.
"Let's see your neck," Mel demanded.
Stephen rolled his eyes, loosened his tie, yanked his collar down, and tilted his head. They all strained to look. There, in the crook of his neck, was a dark
purple welt- a love bite.
"Cor! It's almost black! And you could almost see teeth marks! She tagged you good, your Betty!" Richard blabbed, "You stud!"
They all oohed and ahhed; they were impressed.
"What? No breakfast? Surely a romp that commanded a mark like that would have qualified us for breakfast!"
Stephen slapped his palm to his face and shook his head. He straightened his collar and adjusted his tie.
"Is that the only one she gave you?" Paul asked, pointing with his chin.
"That's the only one I'm showing you lot!" Stephen answered point-blank.
After they had dispersed, Paul approached him, "Level with me. What's it like?"
Stephen did a double take and his eyebrows shot up, "I beg your pardon?"
"Don't toy with me, Peacock. What's it like?" Paul was serious.
"Good God, man, that's private!" Stephen looked at him incredulously.
"Not that! You have got the wrong end of the stick! I mean what's it like having a wife who adores you?"
"Oh…that!" he chuckled, "It's wonderful. It really is wonderful." Stephen's eyes went all dreamy.
"Funny, when you talk about your wife, your eyes do this thing," he said pointing and making a circle in the air in front of his face and imitating Stephen's
expression, "You do realize you are now officially a Big Jessie!"
Paul walked away. Stephen laughed and put on his work smock. He looked at his collection of photos of Betty and Stephanie. He kissed his fingertip and
touched his wedding photo. Smiling, he shut the locker door.