“He seems so . . .helpful.”
“I think that’s what’s hot.”
All the joke memes about gender roles had suddenly become relevant in Gwen’s life, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Before having June, if she’d seen a cartoon of a man doing the dishes and a woman swooning in the background, she would have rolled her eyes. But she understood it now. Her definition of romantic gestures had changed.
Leigh looked thoughtful. Finally, she said, “I think I’d want a threesome with both of them. Angeni Luna and her husband.” She nodded, as if confirming this choice after much deliberation, and said, “Yeah, a threesome.”
Gwen laughed so hard that June stopped suckling and stared at her, so unfamiliar was she with the sound of her mother’s amusement.
“What? You don’t agree?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Gwen said.
“They would both be so ...attentive.”
Leigh appeared lost in a fantasy, her eyes glassy, a soft smile on her face. Gwen could not stop laughing.
“I’m impressed you can have any kind of sexual fantasy at all,” Gwen said.
“I mean, I have to keep things interesting for myself, don’t I?”
“Are you and Nathan ... you know?”
Gwen felt her face flush. She was embarrassed that she was so embarrassed to talk about sex. What was she, a fifth grader? Then again, she barely knew Leigh. Leigh might be the kind of person to tell any joe on the street about her desire for a threesome with a social media momfluencer, but Gwen was not that kind of person.
Leigh sighed dramatically. Belle pulled off her nipple again, and Leigh switched her to the other boob.
“Nathan would love to return to regularly scheduled programming, but I am not there yet.”
Gwen didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she finally let it go.
“I’m so relieved it’s not just me.”
Leigh looked at her, disbelieving. “Of course it’s not just you. No new mom wants to have sex with her husband.”
“I bet Angeni Luna does.”
“That woman is not normal,” Leigh said. “She is some ethereal goddess being, not of this world. I’m sure they have the hottest sex.”
“Jeff and I ... we tried for the first time since I had June. It was so bad.”
“Painful, right?”
Gwen wanted to hug this woman, to hold on for dear life.
“Yes. Why didn’t anyone tell me about that?”
“Like you’re being stabbed in your vagina with a switchblade, right?”
Gwen felt her eyes well up with tears.
“Are youcrying?” Leigh asked, astonished.
Gwenwascrying. Weeping.
“Happy tears,” she said, using her free hand to wipe her eyes. “It’s just nice to talk to someone.”
Leigh reached over, placed a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. It was the simplest touch, but it made Gwen weep more.
