You know what's sexy about having a new baby? Not a heck of a lot. You're tired all the time, there's pumping and bottles and diapers and crying... Not exactly good for the groove. And then of course there is the comparatively recent adventure the girl-parts have been through. Which isn't to say that sex never happens. Sometimes you have to steal a few minutes after the baby goes down for the night just so you don't forget what all the bits are for.
They'd have loved to say they were different. That they were Super Parents, that they had it all under control and could still have romantic evenings and well-organized outings. But they were just new parents. They'd gotten The First Time Back out of the way a few weeks earlier, but that was just about it in the way of naughty recreation. They were focusing on taking care of their son and taking care of each other. You know, the way it should be.
Speaking of taking care of one another, there was one particularly beautiful afternoon in December. You know the kind... a fresh blanket of snow on the ground that absorbs sound like cotton and reflects the cool light like diamonds. One of those days that makes you want to drink cocoa in front of a fire or bake cookies while you dance to Christmas music.
She was still on maternity leave, and he was off work because of one of those imaginary holidays that boarding schools like to make up. But for all that, they'd had a bad couple of nights, and the happy mommy in particular seemed a little frayed around the edges. He'd checked the fridge and saw that she'd pumped enough to get them through the day. So when he heard their bundle of joy starting to cry again, he glanced at the clock and made an executive decision.
Striding into the living room and lifting the little guy out of her arms, he announced "You, m'lady, have the whole afternoon off. I will take care of kiddo's every need. You go and take a nap, read for a while, go to knitting if you'd like. I've got this.
She started to argue, but the offer was just too good. She missed the ladies at knitting, but given how much work it was just to stand up, that nap was probably a much better idea. On her way up the stairs she heard leashes jingling in that way that told her he was taking the dogs for a walk with the little one in the front-pack. And she knew it was cheesy, but she thought her husband looked SO adorable with that thing on.
She reached their bedroom just as the front door closed. It took her a moment to realize what that strange feeling was. There was no crying, and no baby in her arms. Was this what peace and quiet felt like? She thought she remembered something about that...
Before slipping into bed, she double checked that the baby monitor was on (it's amazing how fast some things become second nature) then relaxed completely for the first time in what seemed like weeks. That lazy half-awake state just before a nap was usually when she had her sexiest thoughts. And she was surprised to find, as exhausted as she was, this was no exception. She fell asleep thinking about the way her husband looked when he smiled, the way he smelled when he came home from a long run, the feeling of his fingers running through her hair, the taste of his lips on hers...
The fact that she woke up indicated that she'd probably slept. The tingling sensation and residual, um, warmth indicated that she'd been having one HELL of a dream. She didn't usually remember much of her dreams, but little flashes, lingering images were usually enough to... mmm... Her fingers trailed down her belly, then lower still...
