This is part four of five. You should read the first three parts before jumping into this. All characters involved in explicit scenes are over eighteen. Enjoy!
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Unrequited, Part Four
Emma was very disappointed that Aunt Kayleigh hadn't been able to come to her game.
"Will Aunt Kayleigh come next week? It's my last game."
I smiled at her. "I'm sure she'll try."
"That's good. You are still friends, right?" There was a look of genuine, five-year-old worry on her face.
"Of course we are, sweetie, why would you ask that?"
"Because Mommy said she wasn't sure how long you would stay friends. You might mess things up."
"She did, huh?" I looked up at my sister, who was sitting in the front seat with Greg.
Natalie turned, a horrified look on her face. "Emma!"
"What? You did! What does that mean, anyway?"
My sister looked at me with a pained expression. I gave her a wide-eyed stare, pretending to be angry, which just got a sheepish grin in return.
"Well, Emma, it means your mommy doesn't think that your aunt Beth is capable of staying friends with Aunt Kayleigh, that I'd do things to make her not want to be my friend anymore."
"Like what?"
I laughed and shook my head. "Don't worry about it. Kayleigh and I are doing just fine." I aimed the last bit towards the front seat. "So, have you gotten any more stars in class?"
Emma's eyes brightened and she nodded. "Uh-huh. I read five books, and I counted to one hundred by fives. I have more stars than anyone in class except Danny and Bella." She jabbered on about her class, and I relaxed, knowing that I had successfully changed the subject.
After the game we stopped for dinner at Chili's, assuring Emma as we did that they do, in fact, serve chicken fingers, and that, despite the hot pepper on the sign, it wouldn't be spicy.
"Sweetie, we've eaten here before, and you liked it fine."
"Are you sure, mommy?"
"Yes, Emma." Natalie grinned and kept from rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, your daddy and I will order what you like."
I picked Emma up. "And then your mommy can order for me, too, cause she doesn't think I'm a grown-up." I stuck my tongue out at Nat, who scowled at me, the exchange making Emma giggle.
When we finally made it back to their place Greg took Emma upstairs for bath time while Nat and I sat on the couch.
"So, do you want a glass of wine? Stay the night?"
"Yes to the first one, maybe I'll stay." Sally's voice sounded in my ear about how I'd given up the chance of being with Kayleigh right now, and I could almost see the same thought forming in my sister's brain, but at least she didn't say it.
I tried to collect my thoughts while Nat rummaged in the kitchen. She re-emerged with a couple of wine glasses containing a sparkling rosΓ©, one of my favorites. She handed me one before sitting on the far side of the sectional. I waited for her to start peppering me with questions, but she didn't. Instead the first words out of her mouth caught me off guard.
"I'm sorry about, well, before. I need to start remembering little ears are listening."
"It's OK. I know you talk to Greg about things. And I don't want to mess it up either."
"That's not exactly what I meant."
"Yes it was."
"OK, it was." Nat leaned towards me. "But seriously, Beth, this is the happiest I've ever seen you. But something still feels off, like," Nat sighed and shook her head, "I don't know, Beth. I just worry about you."
"Natalie, we're fine. She just went home for the weekend. It was a big family thing. I didn't want to be a distraction." It was the second time this afternoon I'd used that excuse, and it wasn't any more believable now.
I could tell Natalie didn't believe me, but she let the subject drop as Emma and Greg came back down the stairs.
My niece climbed into her mother's lap. I grinned at Greg, noting his wet shirt and pants.
"Good bath?"
Greg smiled and nodded, "Oh, yeah." He looked fondly at his daughter and sighed. "Won't be a minute and she won't want me there when she's in the tub. Got to take advantage while I can, make some memories." He gave me a sly grin. "You really should see about having one of your own. It's magic."
He gestured towards his soaked clothing and I laughed and nodded. "I see that." I let myself picture Kayleigh singing to herself as she washed our baby in a little tub, a look of blissful maternal happiness on her face. That surprised me. I'd imagined having children before, of course, but then I've always imagined them as blonde and blue-eyed, basically miniature versions of Sally. But the child I was picturing now had a shock of dark hair and the hint of an East Asian shape to their eyes. Kayleigh's and my child. And somehow, this fantasy seemed far more real and attainable than any beforehand.
I looked at Emma and Natalie, watching my sister cuddle and laugh with her little girl, and I felt a pang deep inside.
"Hey Greg, why don't you go see if Nat wants a little cuddle time with you. I can keep Emma down here, and watch a movie. A loud one."
His face brightened immediately. "That might work." He proposed the idea of a movie to his daughter, who responded with an enthusiastic yes as we started up Disney+. I watched my sister's cheeks color as her husband whispered in her ear. Emma settled on
Ratatouille
, and her parents slipped away upstairs to their room.
If Emma wondered where her parents had gone she didn't show it, and after the movie ended I carried a very sleepy girl upstairs, since it was a decent amount past her bedtime.
She was already in her PJs, so I just had to hang up her robe in the little bathroom before talking her in and kissing her good night. As I slipped back out into the hall I saw my sister emerge from her bedroom, wearing one of her long, silky nightgowns. Even in the blue light of the evening I could tell she was glowing a little.
"Did you have a good time?"
"Mmm," she gave me a floaty grin and closed the distance and kissed me on the cheek. "Yes, thank you." She side. "It took so long for us to get pregnant again I almost forgot how good 'just for the hell of it' sex could be."
I laughed. "Remember, I am gay. That's the only kind of sex we have."
"True. I'm gonna go kiss her goodnight. Are you going to stay?" Nat nodded toward the guestroom.