Young Again

The technician moved the ultrasound wand over Brenna's belly. On the screen above them, the baby appeared. "Looking good," the technician said.

"Is everything okay?" Brenna asked.

The technician moved the wand around. "Your fluid looks a little low; I'll measure that in a minute. The placenta's still looking a little problematic, but nothing to worry about. You just need to take it easy and you'll be fine."

"That's good to know," Jerome said.

"Do you want to know what it is?"

"A baby, I hope," Jerome said.

Brenna swatted his arm. "Wise guy. Yes, we would like to know."

The wand moved, and after a few moments, the technician said, "Looks like you have a healthy little boy."

"A boy!" Brenna's face lit up, and she squeezed Jerome's hand. "We have a little boy, Jerome. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Absolutely," Jerome agreed. "I told you so."

The technician went on with checking the baby and Brenna's uterus. Finally she wiped the gel from Brenna's belly and said, "The amniotic fluid's a bit low, but not dangerously so. Just take it easy; stay off your feet as much as you can, but you don't have to be on bed rest. Do you have any questions?"

"No," Brenna said.

"Then I'll send you back to Doctor Baris. See you in a couple weeks."

Brenna adjusted her pants and shirt, and Jerome helped her off the table. They went back down the hall to the obstetrician's office, where Brenna was given the same instructions the technician had given her. Then they were dismissed. Brenna took Jerome's hand as they walked to the car. "You're going to have another son," she said.

"Yes, I am," Jerome said. "Emery should be thrilled; he always wanted a little brother. Of course, he's old enough to be the baby's father, but twenty-three isn't too old to play with his brother and teach him baseball."

"Or football, or ballet," Brenna teased.

"Sure, I can see Emery doing ballet." Jerome opened the car door and held it for her. "Well, now we know what flavor we're having, we can get more things for him and think of a name."

"What do you want to name him? I hadn't even thought about a boy's name."

"We'll talk about it. He's our son; we both get a say."

"Okay." Brenna leaned back in the seat and adjusted the seat belt under her belly. "I'm hungry. Could we go get some lunch?"

"Of course. We should celebrate me being right about the baby's gender."

After a meal at a nearby diner, Jerome took Brenna shopping for baby stuff. Although Brenna wasn't willing to buy much because of prices, Jerome kept track of what she looked at, and resolved to come back later to buy it when she wasn't there to argue about the cost.

"These are so cute!" Brenna held up a one-piece pajama set with trucks printed on it. "So what do you want to name the baby?"

"Jerome, Junior," Jerome joked.

"We could do that if you want."

"I was kidding, honey. I wouldn't name a kid junior. That's why Emery is Emery. His mother wanted him to be a junior and I said no."

"Oh." Brenna looked through the stack of pajamas. "Would you mind naming him after my dad?"

"What's your dad's name?"

"Seamus."

"That's a good Irish name. It works for me."

"That's good. Thank you." She hugged him. "I always wanted to name a child after him. He was the one who did the most for me when I was growing up. That's why I'm afraid I won't be a good mother; my mother wasn't."

"You're going to be a terrific mother," Jerome assured her. "Especially if you let me buy some of this 'cute' stuff you're looking at for our son."

"Maybe a few pairs of these pajamas. You can never have enough clothes for a baby, that's what people tell me."

"They're right. Babies are very messy creatures. Pick out the pajamas you want."

Brenna chose several sets of pajamas, and they paid for them and went home. "So how much do you want to celebrate the news?" Brenna asked.

"Oh, I can think of a few good ways to celebrate," Jerome replied.

Brenna kissed him. "So can I. Let's go to the bedroom."

In the bedroom, Jerome eased Brenna's shirt up, revealing her large belly. "This kid's going to be a football player," he said. "Look how big he's getting."

"How big I'm getting, you mean," Brenna said. "It's a good thing I keep reminding myself there's a baby in there, otherwise I'd think I was just fat."

"You're far from fat," Jerome assured her. "You're gorgeous." He kissed her belly. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"You're just saying that."

Jerome blew on her belly, making her laugh. "I'm not just saying anything," he said. "You're beautiful, and I'm thrilled that you're carrying my baby. And I can't wait to marry you."

"Only a few more days," Brenna said. "I can't believe it's so soon. I'm not even sure everything's ready."

"Quinn's taking care of it all. All you have to do is be there and look beautiful in that dress you haven't let me see yet."

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the gown before the wedding."

"I thought it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in the gown. That isn't the same thing."

Brenna grinned. "Well, maybe I just want to see your eyes pop out of your head the first time you see me in it, and that wouldn't happen if you'd already seen it."

"You mean once I see it, all I'll want to do is get you out of it?" Jerome kissed Brenna. "Right now, I want to get you out of these clothes and make love to you."

"Even with this big belly in the way?"

"That's why they invented other positions." Jerome carefully pulled Brenna's shirt over her head. "That's much better."

He caressed her breasts. Brenna gasped. "That feels nice, but careful. They're getting more sensitive."

"Then it won't take much to make you feel good." Jerome unfastened Brenna's bra and let it fall to the floor. Her breasts were larger than before the pregnancy, and heavier when Jerome cupped them in his hands. "They're beautiful," he said.

"They like to have you touch them." Brenna stepped away and slowly took off her pants. Completely naked, she held out her arms to Jerome. "All of me likes to feel your touch."

"Lie down," Jerome said.

At seven months pregnant, Brenna couldn't lie on her back anymore, so she lay on her side. Jerome slid her upper leg back so he could access her pussy, and bent his head to taste her. Brenna sucked in her breath and shivered at the touch of his tongue. "Jerome, I love this," she said. "I love you!"

Jerome stopped licking long enough to say, "I love you too." Then he resumed his oral attention to Brenna.

It was just moments before her hips bucked and she cried out. Jerome didn't stop until she said, "Honey, please, that was more than enough!"

"So you liked that, huh?" Jerome stood and stripped off his clothes. "Glad to hear it. Is there anything else you'd like?"

"Lie down."

Jerome shook his head. "I love feeling your mouth on me, but I'm too turned on to hold back if you try to suck me. I just want to be inside you."

"Then lie down."

Jerome lay on his back. Carefully, Brenna straddled him and lowered her pussy onto his cock. "Mmm, I love how that feels," she murmured.

"So do I," Jerome said. "Ride me, honey."

Brenna raised and lowered herself, slowly at first but then building her pace. With his hands on her waist, Jerome guided her as he moved himself to match her. She felt amazing, her pussy wet and tight. "That's it," Jerome said softly. "Fuck me."

"Oh, god!"

As Brenna came again, Jerome felt her pussy contract. That was all it took to bring him over the edge. He came inside her, moaning her name.

Brenna lifted herself off him and lay on her side next to him. "That was wonderful," she said. "Too bad we'll only be able to do it for a little while longer."

"As long as the doc gives the okay, we can make love right up until you're ready to deliver," Jerome said.

"I don't think that's going to be much longer. I know I still have a couple months to go, but I don't think it's really going to be that long. I don't want it to be; I want the baby to be healthy, but I want this pregnancy to be over."

"I think that's how most pregnant women feel after the halfway point." Jerome put his arms around her. "You're going to be fine, and so is Seamus."

"I hope so." Brenna snuggled against him. "So are we ready for the wedding? I mean, we've both been married before, but..."

"But it's been a long time for me; Lena and I were married thirty years," Jerome said. "And it sounds like your marriage wasn't all that good, from what you've told me. So this time will be different. But yes, I'm ready. Are you?"

"I think so. I know how much I love you. But your family doesn't seem too happy about it."

"Quinn and Emery are thrilled. Gillian's the only one not happy, and it doesn't matter what she thinks. She's upset because of the age difference between you and me, but she'll get over it."

"I hope so."

"She will."

* * *

Maybe Gillian would get over it, but the call Jerome got from her the next day proved that she hadn't yet. "What is this?" she demanded.

"It seems to be a phone call," Jerome replied. "Hello, Gillian. How are you today?"

"I'm sitting here holding a wedding invitation that my sister just dropped off. You can't be serious. You're marrying that woman?"

"Brenna and I are getting married, yes. You knew that."

"In less than a week. Way to give notice, Dad."

"Your sister was responsible for the invitations. If you didn't get yours early enough, then I apologize on her behalf. Personally, it doesn't matter to me if many people come or not. As long as Brenna's happy, I'm happy."

"She trapped you. How can you be happy?"

"She didn't trap me. I got her pregnant. That was my doing as much as it was hers, and I'm proud to take responsibility."

"You're fifty years old. You're old enough to be a grandfather, and you're starting the whole family thing over again with a woman fifteen years younger than you."

"We've had this conversation, Gillian. I love Brenna, she loves me. The baby's mine and while I understand that the idea of having a brother young enough to be your son might be disturbing to you, you're just going to have to get used to it. The wedding is Saturday. You're welcome to be there if you'd like."

"I'd rather not watch my father make the biggest mistake of his life." She hung up.

Jerome stared at the phone for a moment before setting it down. He'd heard that children had trouble adjusting to new stepparents, but Gillian was twenty-eight years old, for heaven's sake! Then again, ever since she'd first heard about Brenna, Gillian had acted this way. She didn't seem to care that she was being childish, and Jerome was just about done dealing with her.

"Who was on the phone?" Brenna asked. She came into the living room from the kitchen, drying her hands on an old ragged towel. "The dishes are done."

"I was going to do them, until Gillian interrupted," Jerome replied. "She wanted to know why she hadn't heard about the wedding sooner."

"Because Quinn and I didn't think she'd want to go. And I don't mind doing the dishes; you made dinner, so it's only fair that I clean up."

Jerome hugged her. "It's only fair that I do as much for you as I can so you can stay off your feet."

"Thanks, honey." Brenna sat down. "But I like doing things around the house as long as I can. So Gillian found out about the wedding?"

"She said Quinn dropped off an invitation."

"The wedding's going to be perfect, no matter who's there." Brenna leaned back and closed her eyes. "I might go to bed early tonight. I'm so tired, and Seamus has been kicking like crazy today. I think he's in as much of a hurry to get out of here as I am to have him."

"Probably. Must be getting pretty cramped in there for him. If you want to go to bed early, by all means, go ahead. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah." She yawned. "Maybe I should just go rest now."

"Go ahead, honey. Do you want me to come with you?"

"I don't think I'd get much rest if you were with me, but thanks." Brenna kissed Jerome's cheek. "I'll see you in a little while." She went to the bedroom.

A while later, when Jerome went in to go to bed, Brenna was sound asleep. Careful not to disturb her, Jerome got into bed beside her.

* * *

Saturday morning, Jerome was up earlier than usual for a weekend. Earlier than usual for any day, for that matter. He was too nervous to sleep any longer.

Brenna was still asleep. Jerome eased out of bed and went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He would need the caffeine to stay awake through the wedding and subsequent reception, though Quinn had assured him the reception would be very small.

Just as the coffee finished brewing, Brenna entered the kitchen. She looked exhausted, though she'd seemed to be sleeping soundly. "I don't feel well," she said.

"Nerves, do you think?" Jerome poured a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her. "I'm a little nervous myself."

"I don't know if it's nerves or something else." Brenna ran her hand over her belly. "It just feels strange, and I feel a little sick to my stomach."

"Do you want to call the doctor?"

"No." Brenna sat down. "I want to just relax until it's time to get dressed. I don't want anything to interfere with the wedding."

For the next few hours, Jerome kept a close eye on Brenna. She continued to look tired, but her color improved and she seemed more relaxed. By the time they had to get ready for their wedding, Jerome had decided that he'd been right; it had only been nerves making Brenna feel sick.

Since Brenna didn't want Jerome seeing her in the wedding dress before the ceremony, they had planned for Jerome to get dressed at the hall. He took his suit out of the closet and said, "Quinn should be here any second to help you get ready. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better," Brenna said. "Don't worry about me, just think about finally being married."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking about." Jerome pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I can't wait to be married to you. And to have our honeymoon."

"I thought we weren't going anywhere."

"Just an overnight trip to a little bed and breakfast I know about. I want to make love to my new wife somewhere interesting; we can make love here any time."

Brenna smiled. "That sounds nice. Okay, you'd better get going, or you won't be ready for the ceremony."

"I'm hoping if I stick around long enough, I'll catch a glimpse of that top-secret dress."

"Not a chance. Get out of here."

Jerome gave her another kiss and left the room. He opened the front door to leave, and his daughter almost fell on him. "Sorry, Dad," Quinn said. "I was just about to knock."

"That's okay," Jerome said. "Glad you're here. Brenna's in the bedroom, and I'm heading over to the hall. See you in a little while."

"We'll be there."

An hour later, Jerome was in his suit at the hall, surrounded by his son and a few friends from work, all of whom were chatting about the wedding and how exciting it would be to see Brenna and Jerome finally marry. Most of the work friends had followed the relationship from the very beginning, the night Brenna and her friend Nora had invited coworkers out for drinks with them, and Jerome had been the only one to go. "It's about time you made an honest woman out of her," Jerome's friend Mike joked.

"I'd have done it sooner if I could have," Jerome replied.

The justice of the peace came to the group. "Fifteen minutes," he announced. "Is the bride here yet?"

"No, but she should be any minute," Jerome replied.

"I hope so. You only have the hall for another hour and a half, and that includes your reception."

"Do you want me to call?" Nora asked Jerome. "Maybe they had car trouble or something."

"Wait a few minutes," Jerome replied.

A few minutes later, as Nora was dialing Jerome's home number, Brenna and Quinn entered the hall. Brenna looked more tired than she had when Jerome had left the house, and her face was pale. Jerome hurried to her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," Brenna said. But she didn't sound sure.

"You look beautiful." The dress Brenna had chosen was cream-colored, with lace edging the neckline and the calf-length hem.

"Thank you." She leaned against him. "I'm ready when you are."

The ceremony was quick. Jerome kept an eye on Brenna, watching with concern as she grew more pale and occasionally clutched her belly as though she was in pain. As soon as they exchanged their first married kiss, Brenna made her way to a chair and sat down. Jerome followed her. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I think..." She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I think the baby's coming. I know I said I wanted the pregnancy to be over, but I didn't mean this soon!"

"You think..." Jerome turned to the guests. "Someone get a car to the door. Now!"

Fortunately, the hospital was only a few blocks away. Brenna reclined in the passenger seat of Nora's car, hands over her belly and breathing deeply, while Jerome sat in the back seat and called the obstetrician. When they arrived at the hospital, a nurse was waiting at the door with a wheelchair, though it had only been a few minutes since Jerome made the call.

The next few hours were a blur for Jerome. He stayed with Brenna as much as he was allowed, though he had to stay out of the way of the hospital staff, including the obstetrician, who were working to try to stop Brenna's labor. She was only thirty-three weeks along; it was too soon for the baby to be born.

But Seamus had other ideas. The best efforts to delay his birth didn't work; Brenna had waited too long before letting anyone know she was in labor. By that evening, Jerome and Brenna were parents of a four-pound son, who was ensconced in an isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit.

After their son was taken to the NICU, Brenna lay in her bed and cried. "If anything happens to him, it's my fault. I should have told you, Jerome."

Jerome gently stroked her hair. "He's going to be just fine. He's a tough one, like his mother. You didn't say anything because you just wanted to be married before he was born, right?"

Brenna glared at him for a moment, then realized he was teasing. "Yeah, that's it. I wanted our son to be legitimate. Do you think they'll let me go see him?"

"Tomorrow morning," said a nurse who was listening. "You need to get some rest first."

"I want to see my baby," Brenna protested.

"Just take it easy, honey," Jerome said. "They're taking good care of him. You'll see him in the morning, and you'll see that everything's just fine."

* * *

The next morning, Jerome pushed Brenna in a wheelchair to the NICU, followed by a nurse. When Brenna saw the isolettes and the machines that some of the infants were connected to, she started to cry again. "I should have taken things easier," she said. "I should have told you sooner that I was in labor, Jerome. Maybe then he wouldn't have to be here."

"Your son is doing very well," the nurse said. "His lungs are maturing, and he'll soon get the hang of feeding. The pediatrician will be able to tell you more, but I would guess your baby won't have to be in here for very long."

Seamus was in an isolette near the door. He was tiny; it was hard to believe such a small thing could be alive. But as Jerome and Brenna watched, their son moved his arms and legs and let out a faint cry. "He's beautiful," Brenna said.

"Yes, he is." Jerome kissed the top of Brenna's head. "Like his mother."

"I can't believe he's really here."

"He is. And soon he'll be home with us where he belongs." Jerome took her hand and brushed his finger over her wedding ring. "Home with his family."