“Whatever.” Laughed Tasha moving into the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“I will get rid of this.” Jim held the nappy up and handed Connor over to Tasha. “And then, we'll talk babies, baby.”
Sitting between Jim's legs on the sofa with her back pressed against his front, her legs drawn up, making a perfect slope for Connor to lie in Tasha couldn't believe she'd ever got this lucky or ever felt as happy as she did right now. Jim had his arms around her so he could touch his son whilst holding his wife who was stroking their son's face gently.
“You really are the most wonderful mother, Tasha.” He kissed her hair.
“And you say the nicest things.”
“It's true. Anyway, you sounded startled earlier when you asked if I wanted another baby, so?”
“You said about my body post pregnancy and I wondered if it was your way of saying you wanted us to have more children,” Tasha explained honestly. “Oh, and you told Mitch to book us in again in ten months when Connor was being born,” she reminded him making him laugh.
“I am still enthralled at the effect on your body of carrying this child. I hadn't really thought about having more, although I did once tell you if I had a younger childless wife I would want her to be happy and if that involved children that would be fine by me, so the real question is, do you want more children?”
“Not yet. I don't want to dive in and have another immediately, but I've been thinking about Lexi and how lonely she seems within the family and I know when I was pregnant Bobby suggested that if he and Abby were going to have more children they should do it sooner rather than later and I think Abby thought about it, but then rethought it, I think.”
“Mmm. That’s a lot of thinking you’ve been doing. Bobby had no children with his first or second wife. He had no desire to have children. He had his career and loved the life of a wealthy childless man. When he met Abby he really liked her and they fell in love and got married and he was still happy to be childless.”
“But not Abby?” Tasha put Connor's dummy in his mouth as he began to cry, hoping to put off feeding him earlier than usual.
“No. Not that she was that open about it. They'd been married a few months and Abby suggested starting a family. Bobby was not keen and told her as much, insisting she should keep her ob/gyn appointment to get her shot, but she didn't and got pregnant. Bobby flipped when she told him and Abby was surprised and upset by his reaction. He left her for a few weeks, stayed with me and tried to get his head around it. Unfortunately, Abby lost the baby and was devastated and so was Bobby, so he begged for forgiveness, they reconciled and a year later Alexi was born and Bobby loved her like he'd never loved anyone before and he couldn't wait to have more.”
“Not Abby though?” asked Tasha.
“She was not a natural mother and didn't enjoy having a young baby. She suffered a little with depression but had also gained about sixty pounds during pregnancy and struggled to lose it which I think made her decide that Alexi would be an only child.”
“Poor Abby, poor Bobby. I don't want Connor to be an only child so maybe in a year or two we could have another baby, or two. I know he has Philip and Lizzie, but it's not the same with them being so much older than him. They won’t all grow up together and I love having siblings and I know you do too so why would we deprive him of that?” She ran her fingers through Connor's hair, teasing it up into spikes making Jim laugh. “Has Bobby said much to you about Mickie having been pregnant with his baby?”
“Not really. He was shocked by it then I think he figured Mickie’s reaction was typical of her and that although he would have done the right thing by her and the baby it was probably for the best that Mickie remained childless.”
“I guess, and you? Was she right about what her being your niece or nephew’s mother would have meant?” Tasha continued to tease Connor’s hair into spikes to calm her nerves as much as anything because this conversation, like so many involving Mickie was overdue.
“Yes, although she should have remained uncharted waters anyway, but less of this.” Clearly any more talk of Mickie and babies with Bobby was going to remain overdue. “Let me take a look at my boy,” Jim said, quickly changing subject. “He looks like a little monkey.” Jim leaned over Tasha's shoulder to make monkey noises at their son who stared up at his daddy with a bemused expression on his face that made Tasha laugh.
“Nobody deserves to be as happy as I am right now,” she said with a broad and genuine smile.
Jim kissed her head and whispered against her hair, “Yes they do, Tasha. You do, always did, honey. I just need to make you believe that.”
Sniffing back unexpected tears she nodded. “Thank you.”
Chapter 20
“Jim,” called Tasha from Connor's nursery through to their bedroom where Jim was getting ready for work. “James!” she cried more urgently before picking the baby up and striding through to their bedroom where she almost collided with her husband in the doorway.
“What’s wrong?” asked Jim breathlessly, dressed in only a towel.
“Connor is making strange faces. Do you think he's okay?”
“What do you mean, strange faces?” he asked with an air of concern he was hoping to mask as his wife was clearly worried.
“Look.” Tasha walked past her husband and placed their son on the bed where she stood over him and began to talk to him. “Look,” she cried as Connor began to pull faces again and then his strange face turned into a huge smile. “Oh wow, he's smiling,” shrieked Tasha, causing her son to smile again as tears began to run down her face, happy tears, ecstatic tears.
“Yes, he is, honey. Morning, buddy. How you doing?” Jim’s words triggered another smile to broaden across the baby’s little face making his daddy laugh at him. “That good, huh? Although, I guess your life is pretty perfect, son; you've got everybody running around fetching and carrying, milk on demand, parents that really love you and your momma is the most beautiful MILF in the world, a momma that's crying again because you can smile now,” Jim told him as he pulled Tasha closer to hug her and wipe her tears away until they were both startled by the sound of laughter coming from the bed in front of them.
“He's laughing,” squealed Tasha, making Connor laugh again.
Jim reached down and picked him up while laughing at him. “You think you're clever, don't you? Smiling and laughing and making Mommy cry. If you were any other guy or a little older I would put you on your butt for making my wife cry.”
