Over the course of the next few months John began to feel much like a yo-yo, seemingly constantly in motion and usually somewhere else in the world than where he'd rather be. To he and Dee's initial disappointment she had not 'caught' immediately, but they soon learned the delight of Rae Jeanne's old saw about "Practice makes Pregnant" - enjoying the opportunity to 'practice' at every possible opportunity. It began to look like things might settle down for a while for them though. His latest orders included both some recruitment and advanced training duties, and he was looking forward to the 'rest'.
Dee meanwhile had 'branched out', finally confessing to Rae Jeanne about the 'boudoir' pictures she had taken to send to John while he was gone. Rae Jeanne had demanded to see them and despite blushing, initial refusals and vociferous protests, Dee had ultimately given in, showing her the downloaded disc John had made of her pictures. Rae Jeanne had applauded and raved about her skill and artistry before demanding a set of her own...for PAY.
Again Dee had protested that this was just a hobby, something she had done for John and that Rae Jeanne was her friend and she couldn't possibly accept pay but Rae Jeanne had given her "that look Johnny, you know - her 'Mother look'" and she'd given in to that as well. Inevitably other women in the neighborhood and housing area had found out and she was 'in business'.
Just thinking about her set John's blood stirring and his cock filling. In the time they'd been married she'd put on some weight. She'd never be fat but now she was voluptuous, a pint-sized elfin Sophia Loren. With her copper hair cut short-short, wispily framing her face, her ivory skin and huge blue-green eyes, she looked fey - leading John to finally understand the term 'faerie' in terms of 'faire-folke'. From early morning, waking to suckle and finger her to orgasmic wakefulness, to late at night when they could finally lie coupled together, touching and stroking, life with Dee was a never-ending delight. An erotic buffet, he thought, but aware also that without their growing love for each other and commitment to their relationship, it would all be 'just sex'. Wonderful sex, true, but what they had was so much more complex, and richer than just the sex. If only, he thought, he could think of some way to tell her, to show her....
She was one of the smartest women he knew, not perhaps, as well educated as some but self-taught and rich with native intelligence. They could carry on a conversation on almost any topic and she understood many things about his job almost intuitively. The longer he knew her, the more things he found to love and admire about her, but it frustrated him that at times her earlier life experiences still colored her self-worth.
Pulling into the drive in the Santa Fe he found both she and Mimi with their butts in the air and heads buried together in the front flower bed. Wondering what they were planting now he walked over to find his beautiful, generally retiring wife holding a snake.....while his lovely curly-haired daughter petted it.
"Ummmm....Is that wise?"
"Hi Daddy! Lookie! 'nake!"
"Yes Baby Girl, Daddy sees the snake. Daddy sees Mommy holding the snake."
Dee giggled, "You sound like my Kindergarten Reader...'See the snake'." And she giggled again.
"Kiss Daddy! Holch me!" Which John successfully translated as 'Kiss me daddy' and 'Hold me', picking up the toddler and giving her a peck.
Dierdre held up the writhing creature and John took an involuntary step backwards.
"He's a pretty little thing isn't he."
"Uh huh. Honey, be careful he might bite."
She looked up at her husband, the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, inquisitively, and then burst out laughing.
"John, it's a little grass snake. I don't think he can even open his mouth wide enough to bite me! Don't tell me that you of all people....."
"C'mon Mimi Fi. Let's go have a snack!" He mock glared at his pixie wife while kissing his daughter's forehead, stomping loudly up the wooden stairs in pretend anger. Dee, having let the snake go, was now rolling happily on the ground with gales of laughter. John winked and blew her a kiss as he closed the door, enjoying her delight at being able to do something he.....wouldn't do. He emphasized that thought to himself, that he COULD handle a snake if he chose to, he just wouldn't choose to. He was, however, glad she was teaching Mimi to be fearless around the reptiles.
Having already promised Mimi a snack he knew he'd better deliver and began the hunt for something the toddler would like, that would also be nourishing and wouldn't ruin her dinner.... Two mistakes he would never make again with one snack, he vowed. Dierdre seldom lost her temper but when she did it was a truly impressive display of wrath. She had apologized later 'for blowing up over such a little thing'....a little thing it turned out that had been the end of a long string of little things that day. Still, he had learned his lesson about too many cookies before dinner and found some baby carrots in a baggie setting the little red-head in her high chair with a Mimi-size hand full. Turning in time to wrap both arms around her mother, kissing her soundly.
She put her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, inquiring about his day, laughing with delight at some of his stories. While she washed up and finished dinner, he entertained Mimi Fi playing "Itsy Bitsy Spider". They chatted, laughed and flirted through dinner, despite Mimi's best efforts to remain the center of their attention. He was, he thought, a lucky S.O.B. - a beautiful wife who was always willing and ready, and a daughter who, schooled by her mother, was going to give him premature gray hair. After dinner it was his night to take Mimi upstairs for bath time while Dee washed the dishes. Later they would switch and she would put Mimi down for bed while he finished up any dishes, drying them and putting them away. As divisions of labor go it was not ideal. He much preferred times when they would have a chance to do the dishes together - talking, touching, and 'accidentally' bumping into each other in a subtle foreplay they both understood and enjoyed a great deal.
Bath time with Mimi was an event of a different sort - usually leaving him drenched from eyebrows to knees as the future mermaid loved the water, taking every opportunity to splash and kick, then squeal with delighted laughter. He'd learned to keep his uniform on until AFTER her bath when it was his night, knowing through experience that whatever he chose to put on would be soaked by the end of the half hour. Heading back downstairs, his daughter in her nightie slung over his shoulder giggling, the riot of copper curls coiling damply along her neck - kissing Dee they traded off and he got bedtime 'sugar' from his princess who then walked sedately back upstairs holding her Mommy's hand. One bedtime story later a pair of slender arms crept around his waist and a barely disguised voice asked, "Guess who?"
"Jennifer Aniston?" He asked mock-hopefully, trying to name someone different every night.
Her response was a snort of laughter, "Hardly, try again?"
