To all regular readers of my smutty stories: Bless you, and may you live long and prosper but, if you are expecting to find a lot of sex in this tale, you will be disappointed. There is only one scene and a little more by reference. You can find some in previous romantic stories about this couple, but not much even there.
*
On a Monday morning in the middle of February, Donna and Kevin O'Brien awoke at virtually the same time, as they did almost every morning, looked at each other and smiled at their close proximity, also as they did almost every morning. Neither of them said anything while they slid closer together and embraced, sharing a long kiss, which was also the way they always started their day. Not until they moved their faces apart, did either of them speak.
"Good morning, Sweetheart," Kevin said.
"Good morning, My Love." The greeting formalities were followed by another long, deep kiss while the ecstatically married lovers continued their embrace.
Except for weekends, Kevin and Donna rarely made nude, physical love in the morning. When they were doing something as pleasurable and important to them as that, they didn't like having to rush themselves in order to get to their respective jobs, but they more than made up for it most nights, including the previous one. That morning would not be one of the exceptions, and he moved away from her to slide over to her side, which faced the door. She moved over and they sat on the same side of the bed, not even letting their place of love-making come between them.
Another hug and kiss and Kevin arose, slid his feet into his slippers, put his pajamas back on, donned his robe and headed for the bathroom. Donna had gone to bed the previous night wearing matching pajamas and she put hers back on too, before shrugging into her robe, which also matched that of her beloved husband, and used the bathroom when he was finished. Kevin started toward the kitchen, stopping on the way to see if Kerry and Katie were awake yet. They were, so he kissed them good morning and continued to the kitchen, where he started preparing a fresh pot of coffee.
When she finished in the bathroom, Donna stopped to kiss the children good morning, followed by joining Kevin in the kitchen. There she sat at the table sipping the cup of coffee he had ready for her and watched while he set about preparing breakfast cereal for all the family members. This was a normal way for the family to start their weekdays, and Donna had no wish to deprive Kevin of something he enjoyed doing.
They thought of themselves as being in a groove, not a rut, and there was only one thing that might possibly have improved on their idyllic life. Because her womb was not fully developed, Donna was unable to have children of her own, so she lavished her love on those of Kevin from his previous marriage and on her charges at the day care center where she worked. All the children returned her unconditional love, and she knew she had to settle for that, although Donna still sometimes thought of how lovely it would have been if she could have had children of her own.
She had considered the possibility of adoption, but Donna's salary, before she started working at her current job, would not have been enough for her to support a child even if she, as a single woman, had been allowed to adopt. Fostering would have been another alternative, but the studio apartment where she lived would not have been big enough. With her marriage to Kevin and her moving into his spacious apartment, those factors no longer existed, but she had always been reluctant to broach the possibility to him. They had only even known each other slightly more than a year and, early in their relationship, he had expressed no interest in any more children in his life. Still, the idea of somehow adding to their family remained in the back of her mind.
After breakfast and everybody's morning ablutions and after everybody was properly clothed, Donna and Kevin shepherded the children into the elevator to the parking garage and from there to their automobile. With Kerry safety-belted into the back seat and Kate strapped safely in her children's' seat, Kevin began driving to their destinations. The first stop was Mrs. Ortiz's child care center where Donna worked. After ringing the doorbell and being recognized, she was allowed to enter with Kate. The next stop was dropping Kerry off at the school where he attended kindergarten, and the final destination was the parking lot beside the building where Kevin's accounting firm had their offices.
Everything that morning had followed the routine worked out, through trial and error by the adults of the family. They were aware the day was Valentine's Day, but hadn't given much thought to it. Donna had been brought up in an extremely fundamental Christian sect, where they considered almost every holiday and special occasion to be pagan inspired. Kevin, his youth devoid of any kind of romance never really thought about it, and the children were too young to even be aware of valentines or what they were meant to signify. The day started as a completely ordinary one but, once Donna spoke to Mrs. Ortiz, something different and unexpected was added.
"Donna, you know Shauna Stevens?" It was a rhetorical question, because the little girl asked about was in Donna's class.
"Of course. That sweet little black girl."
"Yes, that's the one. Well, Miss Stevens, her mother was arrested last night and charged with dealing drugs, and her bail is so high, she'll have to stay in jail until her trial. It seems she has an extensive record from years back, before Shauna was born."
"That's terrible. I really feel sorry for her. She always seemed so nice, and I know she worked really hard cleaning here. But, what about her daughter? What about little Shauna?"
As always, Donna's primary worry was with the welfare and safety of the child. Dorothy Stevens was a friend and co-worker, besides being the mother of one of her regular charges, and Donna was concerned and sympathetic, but her thoughts were primarily with the sweet and innocent child who might be put at risk without her mother. She was aware that Dorothy was a single mother who worked at a low-paying job and moonlighted as a cleaning lady at Mrs. Ortiz's day care center in exchange for leaving her daughter there while she worked at her regular job.
"That's where you come in," Mrs. Ortiz continued. "At least, I hope you do. Can you take Shauna home with you for a while, until something can be worked out, or until her mother gets out of jail?"
"Of course."
Donna replied without giving the question a lot of thought but, even if she had considered it long and hard, her answer would have been the same. She had unlimited love in her heart for children, not just the ones who called her "Mommy," and not just those who were in her daily care, but for all children, everywhere in the world. If a defenseless little one needed her help, and she was able to provide it, she would, regardless of what anybody, even including her husband, might think. She would have to call Kevin, but it would be to tell him what she had done, not to ask permission to do it.
But she couldn't do it just then. For one thing, he was still driving to work and she didn't want to call his cell phone. More importantly, parents were starting to arrive with their children, most of whom had valentines for their teacher. The cards had to be opened and read and exclaimed over, and thank-yous had to be appropriately expressed. Most important of all, appropriate care had to be taken of the little ones in her care. The youngest were gently placed in their assigned bassinets and covered comfortably. Those who were older but not yet walking were placed in cribs equipped with various toys for their education and exercise. Toddlers and older children, including Kate and Shauna, were taken to the large playroom where they would be able to socialize with their friends.
Donna was busy for the next three hours, changing diapers, giving out bottles, distributing toys, settling squabbles, kissing booboos and generally doing the work she loved and did better than anybody else. She was glad to see Shauna seemed none the worse for her mother being away, possibly for many years, and she was playing a simple children's game with Kate and two other little girls. She and Kate had been friends for almost as long as Donna had worked for Mrs. Ortiz, which made her even more certain she had done the right thing.
It was after eleven o'clock when she called her husband to tell him about the temporary addition to their household. Kevin took the news with equanimity. He was aware his wife loved children more than anybody else in the world, except maybe Santa Claus, and how she was still disappointed about being unable to have any of her own. Besides being sympathetic to his wife's needs and wishes, he liked children too, and saw the need to step in when his help was needed. This was especially so when the alternative was the bureaucratic hell of the County Child Welfare Services.
"It's a good thing we didn't get rid of Kerry's children's car seat after he outgrew it. I'll swing by the apartment and bring it with me when I come and pick you up. All four of you," he added. "I suppose Shauna can share Katie's bed for now, and wear some of her clothes until we can buy some new stuff for her."
After a profession of gratitude for his being so considerate, Donna chatted with her husband, but only briefly. He is the managing partner at the local branch of a large CPA firm, and tax season was starting to get hectic. She had to get back to work too so, after a profession of mutual love, they ended the phone call and returned to their work, which soon included introducing Kerry to his temporary second younger sister.
He was proud and happy about the news. "Don't worry, Mom," he told her. I'll protect her and Katie too."
