“I think they always did…he wanted you,” muttered Jim before refocusing on his wife. “Is there a point to this, baby, because you are beginning to spoil my anniversary mood?”
“Sorry, yes. Well, it turns out that they did want different things because Rosa is like Lenny and wants respectability and to keep up appearances, but not Howser. He has moved to Boston and set up home with two nurses, one male and one female,” Tasha explained with a huge grin and a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows that did cause Jim’s lips to curl.
“You mean—” was as far as he got before Tasha interrupted and completed his sentence.
“Yes, he and they are a couple, no, a couple’s two, a group, a ménage, well, whatever it’s called. They’re all in a relationship together so I am guessing I wouldn’t really have been his cup of tea as there’s only one of me.”
“Natasha,” Jim warned and without any other words Tasha knew that her husband had tired of the conversation and inference that there was ever a Tasha and Howser.
“Sorry, but you know what I mean.”
“Hmmm, I suppose. At least you didn’t sandwich yourself with him and one of his friends.” Jim frowned seriously.
“Hey, I am a one-man woman and that one man is you, well, I might be a two-man woman now that our son has arrived.” She grinned suddenly as Jim moved closer, still rocking Connor.
“He might just be the only other man I will share you with. Now, our son appears to be asleep, so assuming he stays that way for a couple of hours we should get some sleep too, baby.”
****
Tasha had stopped listening to the million instructions she’d received from the nurse, Maisie, Abby and her grandmother when Jim arrived and after kissing her turned his attention to Pippa who was holding the baby.
“Hey, Pippa. I told you he was handsome, didn't I?” He perched on the bed next to Tasha.
“He is so sweet,” she agreed, smiling down at her nephew while Jim turned towards his wife.
“You okay?” He gently pushed her freshly washed hair back off her face.
“Mmm, can we go home yet?” She suddenly looked sad.
“We'll have to ask the doctor.”
The other women around him began chatting together about their own thoughts, ideas and experiences.
“They are driving me fucking crazy,” Tasha whispered, making Jim frown.
“Baby, that mouth,” he cried with a half-smile now. “Ten more minutes and then we throw them out and sleep.”
“You think we can?” Her grateful smile suggested she liked the idea and was relieved Jim was there to take care of everything, to take care of her because there is no way she would ever have thought to ask everyone to leave when she knew they all loved her and Connor.
“You bet we can.”
With everyone speaking at the same time Tasha could barely decipher who was saying what. She really was grateful that so many people cared and wanted to offer their thoughts and experiences, but she didn’t want to hear it all because this was her baby, her body and it was her turn to do this her way.
Briefly, as her grandmother offered her a small smile, Tasha felt slightly guilty that she was being ungrateful for their love and care so chastened herself. She thought that under normal circumstances a new mother would have her own mother on hand to offer support, guidance and advice but she didn’t have that, not that she wanted her own parents anywhere near her or Connor, but the strange and poignant realisation made her feel sad. Her grandmother seemed to understand her thoughts were taking her to a dark place and shook her head, as if to say negative thoughts had no place here, with her beautiful new baby and her future just waiting to be explored and experienced. With a quick sniff to hold back any tears that might be about to appear, Tasha refocused on her son who was making a strange squeaking sound as he was cradled by his auntie who was clearly smitten.
It was exactly ten minutes later when Jim looked at his watch. “Right Grandmas and Aunties, my son needs feeding and my wife needs to sleep so feel free to visit the hospital cafeteria or go shopping, but your time is up.”
“James!” cried his mother. “You can't do that, we want to spend some time with Connor.”
“And you have and you can visit again later, but Tasha is tired and too polite to say so, whereas I—”
“Sorry,” interrupted Tasha awkwardly, knowing she could feed Connor in their presence and she wasn’t tired enough to need a sleep so Jim was simply making excuses to give her some kind of breather from them all and their best intentions.
“No, darling, we should be apologising. Gramps and Dan want to visit later so I'll come back with them.” Smiled her grandmother.
“Of course, and you're going to stay with us for a while, aren't you?”
“Tash, look at him, we may never go home,” cried Pippa excitedly as Connor began to fidget in her arms.
