The two gentlemen arrived on time and Aaron and Jacob both came to the door and greeted me. Jacob wasn't nearly as quiet as he was last time, giving me a big hug when he greeted me that melted my heart. He was absolutely precious! Aaron kissed me on the cheek but nothing more than that. The car was chauffeured, but the driver kept the glass up the whole time, so I never knew who it was. Aaron must have given him instructions beforehand because he knew exactly where to go, where to drop us off, and when and where to pick us up after.
Aaron and Jacob and I spent the afternoon and part of the evening at the zoo. To say Jacob loved it was an understatement. It was amazing to see him take in all the animals. He was scared of a few, like the bigger animals that came close to the crowds at the edge of the natural habitats, he was really enraptured by so many different living things. He loved the birds, especially the colorful parrots and macaws. He giggled when he fed the alpacas and they ate out of his hand, and didn't seem to care about the sticky spittle they left behind. He was amazed at the monkeys flying through the branches overhead, gibbering like monkeys do.
To be honest, Jacob made this outing absolutely wonderful. It made me long to have a child myself, to experience this kind of pure wonder and happiness. I actually teared up a few times at his sheer unbridled enjoyment of the myriad animals at the zoo, though I made sure Aaron didn't see. What made it really sweet is that Jacob would hold my hand as we walked, or hold my hand and Aaron's at the same time. As the day turned to evening, and Jacob began to tire, he even asked me to carry him, and when I did, he rested his head on my shoulder. It was the most beautiful thing, to be holding that cute little boy like that, that he trusted me and thought enough of me that he felt safe like that in my arms. If I wasn't there with Aaron and Jacob, I would have cried my eyes out. It gave me a small, very small glimpse into what motherhood might be like.
Aaron, too, was the perfect companion. As we walked and guided Jacob through the exhibits, we talked about all manner of different things, though we didn't talk about was anything sexual or the Society (or Ms. Oeaux). Though I wasn't sure this was a date or not, Aaron sure made it seem like one. When Jacob wasn't holding my hand, Aaron would grab my hand and we would walk like that. He would come up behind me at an exhibit and put an arm around me as we leaned up against a protective gate enclosing the animals. You know that feeling when you are falling in love with someone and you don't know how they feel yet, but they show you genuine interest and closeness? Well, that's what I felt all the time today that I was with Aaron. For a brief instant, I let myself feel like this was a family, like I was a part of their family. Without a doubt, it was a truly beautiful afternoon.
As we returned to my home that evening around 9:30 p.m., Aaron and Jacob came inside. They both rested on the couch as I fixed them both something to drink. I put a movie on the TV for Jacob so he could relax, and he pulled up a pillow on the floor to rest and watch. Before we knew it, he had fallen asleep. It was an exhausting day for him.
With Jacob asleep, Aaron and I sat together on the couch, and the conversation turned quickly to more adult topics. "So Elizabeth," Aaron began eagerly, "how was your time with Ms. Oeaux?" He sounded both eager to know and exasperated he had to wait all day to ask me.
I told him the truth. "It was really mind-blowing." He looked dejected at my answer, but covered it up quickly as I continued. "She is really incredible. She did things no one has ever done, and made me feel incredible. I wasn't certain I would like it, but she really didn't make me do anything for her. Instead, what made it so incredible is that she totally focused on me."
Aaron remained quiet as I went in depth and told him more. I didn't go into detail with everything, like the emotions it brought out in me or how I felt towards Ms. Oeaux. Instead, I focused more on the how and what she did. He listened intently, nodding here and there in understanding. He would sometimes interject and tell me that what I was describing was something he liked and did from time to time, and with a few things, commented that he had never heard or tried them.
We talked about this for quite a while, and it was starting to get late, both for me, as I had to be to work early in the morning, and for Jacob, who had school in the morning too. I began to wonder if Aaron had plans to stay the night, and in retrospect, I really wanted him to. Talking about everything that happened with Ms. Oeaux had excited me all over again.
He did ask one question that made me think. "Elizabeth, now that you've been with a woman, how do you feel about me?" I thought he was going to say 'how do you feel about men?' I think he even intended to say 'men,' but what came out was 'me.' I figured it was a slip of the tongue on his part, a subconscious change to reflect what he really wanted to know. I didn't give him time to change it.
"Aaron, I adore you," I told him quickly. I couldn't bring myself to say that I loved him, or that I was falling in love with him. I wasn't sure he was asking that. "What happened with Ms. Oeaux has certainly opened my eyes to being with a woman, but to be honest, it was just sex. Okay, it was incredible, mind-blowing sex, and although we are now great friends, it really is only sex. It's not the same as with you. With you, there is more feeling, more emotion, more of a connection. It's more gratifying on multiple levels, not just the physical."
He seemed to like that answer, as he reached forward and placed his hand on the back of my neck, pulled me forward and into him, and kissed me. It wasn't a hard or passionate kiss, like you would give someone that you are trying to turn on and try to get in the mood to go to bed with you. No, it was more of a simple and emotional kiss, one of relief that someone you hope likes you just confirmed it. He broke off the kiss slowly, keeping his hand on the back of my neck, then he pulled me into him and just held me like that. I wrapped my arms around him and held him too, resting my head against his chest. I could feel his firm muscles against my face. I closed my eyes and rested against him. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but eventually, Jacob stirred and brought us out of our contemplation.
Aaron got up and saw to Jacob. "I think we had better get going. I have to get this little one to bed." I nodded in understanding.
"Of course," I told him, thinking that I really wanted him to stay, but was still unsure if I was ready for another encounter, especially based on what I had gone through the night before. My muscles were already sore, but I didn't know if I'd be too sensitive, or not sensitive enough. I had never had experiences like these so I didn't know what to expect or how my body would handle it.
Aaron bent over and picked up Jacob, then headed for the door. "I'll be right back," he said, cradling Jacob as he went outside. I followed him to the door and held it open, standing there, while I watched him put Jacob gently down on the seat and buckle him in. He stayed with Jacob making sure he was okay and going back to sleep before he returned.
"I'm so glad you came with us," he said as he followed me back inside the doorway. He kept the door open slightly, letting me know that he wasn't back inside for long. "We really enjoyed having you with us, both Jacob and I ... but especially me."
With that, he kissed me again. I kissed him back, holding him tight, my arms around his neck. This kiss was a more deep and passionate kiss than the one a few moments ago, but we both knew it was a kiss goodnight. He broke the kiss, wished me a good evening, and said that we would talk more tomorrow. I told him how much I enjoyed spending the day with him and Jacob. He smiled as he said goodnight again, then he turned and left.
That night, my sleep was restless, like so many other nights. I dreamed of the three of us, walking through a park as a family, when another woman that I had never met appeared, very angry, and shouting at Aaron. He cringed and picked up Jacob, who was scared, told me goodbye and all three of them disappeared together, leaving me alone.
I actually woke up after that, almost jumping awake, and sat up in bed. It was quiet in the house, with nothing making a sound. After experiencing everything I did over this weekend, as good as the sex was with Ms. Oeaux, it paled in comparison to the feeling of being with Aaron and Jacob and getting a small taste of what having children and a full family would be like. My dream caused that beautiful image to shatter, bringing me back to the reality of my situation.
As I lay back down and tried to get back to my restless sleep, I realized just how alone I was. As the sadness and futility of my situation hit me, I began to weep. As I did, my tears soaked my face and pillow. I don't remember when I fell asleep, but I eventually did. I knew I had to change something about my situation, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how or what I needed to do.
*******