A Beauteous Flower Ch. 20

Fortunately, Daniel didn't get angry, and admitted that he understood and shared her desire to start a family someday. However, he did make it clear that he thought that it was irresponsible and disrespectful of her to not talk to him first. While Madison agreed to that premises, she also pointed out that Daniel had not been at all clear with her about his thoughts on children, which wasn't very responsible or respectful either. After some quiet thought, Daniel concurred with her position and then sighed that he wished she had told him before he had pumped an immense load of himself into her. Madison giggled and asked him if that would really have stopped him and Daniel smiled gently and admitted that, given the circumstances, it probably wouldn't have. After a little more discussion they agreed it wouldn't be responsible to have a baby while their relationship was just getting back on the rails, and, therefore, a family was a discussion for a later date. Since Madison's birth control pills would need time to kick in, they agreed that they would use condoms for the near future until they could discuss family planing.

While she agreed with the plan, what she viewed as a step back in their relationship made Madison melancholy. She wasn't sure what upset her more; that she would have to wait a bit longer to start a family with Daniel, or that they would use condoms again. Condoms made Madison feel like a teenager and while it was the right thing to do, it felt like a regression. She consoled herself with the thought that maybe Daniel's Friday orgasm would do the trick and she made a note to see if she still had a few pregnancy tests stashed away just in case her bill didn't come around next month.

With that issue out of the way, Madison wanted to get back to the business of sex as soon as possible and Daniel showed as much enthusiasm as she did for the project. Much to their mutual chagrin they quickly discovered that there were no condoms in the house, so intercourse was off the table. That elicited a bout of tears from Madison, which were mollified with several exchanges of orgasms induced by oral sex. Afterwards, Daniel promised he would go into town the next morning and replenish their condom supply.

Along with the painful moments, like the decision to put of having a family, came cathartic moments too. That Saturday morning Daniel arose at his customary five AM, and left Madison in bed while he made an early trip to town to pick up condoms and breakfast. Madison heard him leave and tried to stay awake to wait for him, but she dozed off and woke up later that morning to the whiff of smoke. When she went out onto the balcony, she saw Daniel perched on his chopping block stump beside a bon fire that contained the hard drive and cameras for their security system. Madison dressed and silently went down to join him. Daniel nodded to her and patted the stump next to him. Madison sat and Daniel put his arm around her shoulders for warmth. So poised, they sat together in silence and watched as the computer equipment blistered and melted. Eventually, the fire burned down, so Daniel stood to add more wood and Madison took him by the hand.

"Those lounge chairs by the pool," she said quietly while she looked Daniel in the eye. "They need to go."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully and together they dragged the lounge chairs over and added them to the fire. The bonfire created by the lounge chairs burned for the rest of the morning until there was nothing left but hot ash for Daniel to douse with the hose.

After that weekend and their preliminary reunion, the real process of reconciliation between them began. It took weeks of work and effort and adjustments and long talks and along the way there were bouts of anger, laughter, tears, promises, apologies, and shared anxiety, like any other relationship, but now the foundation of their relationship was honest respect that gave them both the space to be the best versions of themselves.

As with all wounds, the healing process took time. There were more painful moments and there were more cathartic moments. There were quiet moments when they simply sat together and listened to the wind in the trees or walked hand in hand down the path to the lake shore. There were cute and cuddly moments such as when Madison fed Daniel oatmeal at breakfast or when they snuggled together on the sofa while Daniel watched a documentary about Science Fiction. There were funny moments when Daniel told her stupid dad jokes that made Madison groan and giggle or when he smirked at Madison's attempts at dirty jokes. There were passionate moments that left them both entangled, breathless, and enraptured. During all these moments Madison rediscovered just how intimate touches, caresses, hugs, hand holding and especially eye contact could be.

Whatever type of moments Madison and Daniel had after that night were shared moments; good and bad and happy and sad. Their new connection made a safe, warm bubble for them both. At times Madison had to encourage Daniel, but with practice he expressed his emotions, thoughts, and feelings to her more readily. And at times Daniel had to remind Madison that they were a team and she had to take a moment and consider his thoughts on whatever was the matter, but with practice Madison learned to consult with Daniel before choices were made.

Winter settled in and one morning Daniel woke Madison before sunrise one December morning to ask if she would like to discuss a family plan with him. Madison, freshly awake in her frumpy flannel pajamas, with no makeup on and her hair up in a sleepy ponytail instantly cried because she looked like hell with a giant post-period pimple on her chin and she considered herself too ugly for such a discussion. But Daniel held her just the right way and kissed her despite her morning breath and suddenly Madison couldn't think of anything she wanted to discuss more. When they agreed that their Christmas present to each other that year should be to try to start a family, Madison spent the next ten minutes in an ugly "boo hoo" of relief and happiness.

Aglow with joyful tears, Madison ceremonially flushed her birth control pills down the toilet in front of Daniel while he brushed his teeth and then she insisted that they start on the project that very minute. Daniel obliged her with a lengthy session of shower sex after which Madison sheepishly revealed her furtive stash of maternity and baby clothes, which she had collected and squirreled away ever since she decided she wanted to have babies with Daniel. Daniel smiled warmly and promised to do his best to help her fill both sets of clothes as soon as possible. To that end they arranged for a quickie during lunch that afternoon, just to increase the odds.

That afternoon quickie stretched into a passionate afternoon and Madison and Daniel enthusiastically mauled each other until they were both pleasantly exhausted. Afterward, as she lay in bed under the blankets with her hips raised by a pillow to get the help of gravity, Madison knew she had never been that happy in her entire life. She also decided that it was time that someone who had helped her get that happy deserved a little taste of it themselves. With a mischievous giggle, Madison scooped up her phone and dialed Cassidy.

"Hello, Madison."

"Hi, Cassidy."

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was wondering if you wanted to get some lunch tomorrow as a thank you for all the help you gave me with Daniel."

Cassidy tssked at Madison.

"No biggie. I'm just glad it worked out for you two."

"Cassidy, I'm serious. Just meet me for lunch, OK?"

"I don't know."

"C'mon. Just us girls."

"Ugh. Right. Us girls and Daniel's fishies."

Madison blinked.

"How did you know?"

"Because you sound so happy that I can hardly stand you right now. I bet you have your hips up in the air, don't you?"

Madison's eyes widened a little in surprise. Cassidy was good. Maybe she really was a witch?

"Well, just come to lunch. Please. It would mean a lot to me."

Cassidy exhaled and Madison pictured how her red bangs moved with the puff of air.

"OK, fine. Just don't brag to me about how happy you are with Daniel, or I'll slap you. Not everyone is in a committed relationship with the great man, you know."

"Great! Tomorrow at 1 PM. At Chili's."

"Chili's? I can feel the gratitude just oozing out of you." Cassidy grumped sarcastically. "Isn't Chili's a little low rent for a girl of your stature?"

"Well, this is me thanking you, not Daniel. Which means I take you where I can afford on my own salary. I'm trying to be a little more thoughtful lately."

Cassidy made a sound like she was slightly impressed.

"OK. Date. I'll meet you at Chili's at 1 PM."

"Fantastic. See you then, Cassidy."

"Go get pregnant."

Madison hung up with a small smile. Then she dialed the next number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Burt."

"Oh, Hiya Madison. What's up?"

"Burt, I need an accountant for a project and want to get your thoughts. What are you doing tomorrow around 1:30 PM?"

Burt ruminated for a moment in his slow, pensive way.

"Nothing."

"Great! Meet me at Chili's at 1:30 and I'll buy you lunch!"

Burt ruminated some more.

"You know, Chili's is my favorite restaurant."

Madison beamed.

"No kidding? Then I have chosen wisely?"

Burt seemed vaguely impressed at the reference.

"Yes, you have chosen wisely. I'll see you there tomorrow at 1:30 PM."

"Don't be late!"

Burt scowled playfully into the phone.

"A wizard is never late! Nor is he early! He arrives precisely when he means to!"

"Well, I'm glad you'll be there. See you down the line?"

"On down the line. Out."

Madison hung up the phone with another mischievous giggle as Daniel strolled into the room.

"Who was that?"

"That was Burt. He's meeting me and Cassidy at Chili's tomorrow for lunch."

Daniel's eyes narrowed.

"Are either of them aware the other will be there?"

Madison snickered impishly.

"That's the point."

"Oh, dear," Daniel sighed. "Heaven knows how that will end up."

Madison checked the clock by the bed and then cast her best "fuck me" eyes at Daniel.

"Sooooooooooo, it seems I'm free until tomorrow...," Madison purred in her best bad girl tease.

Daniel looked at Madison in mock alarm.

"I'm still spent from the last time!"

Madison enticed him with a sultry Cleopatra pose.

"Come to me!"

"Madison...."

Madison slapped the mattress petulantly to cut off Daniel's mild protest.

"Daniel! Under this blanket I'm naked, I'm horny and I'm a furnace of baby fever! I'm not asking! Now get over here and put a baby in me!"

"Oh... since you put it that way...."

And Madison squealed in delight as Daniel vaulted across the bed and landed on top of her.

*****

The next day, Madison arrived at Chili's early and got a table for four people. Just after she sat down, Cassidy arrived, dressed casually in a fluffy, forest green turtleneck sweater that set off her roan hair, and jeans with high-top sneakers. She quickly spotted Madison and threw an avuncular wave as Cassidy walked past the host station.

"Hey," Cassidy greeted Madison. "You and your hubby baby it up yet?"

Madison smiled and shook her head.

"We just started trying. Won't know until next month."

"Does Daniel know this time?"

Madison mugged a mock look of offense.

"Yes, he does, I'll have you know."

Cassidy plopped her purse in the seat next to Madison then sat down across the table and propped her chin on her folded left knee. For such a little girl, Cassidy always carried massive purses. Cassidy flat-lined a face at Madison.

"OK, lucky bitch. That's all I want to hear about that, thank you."

Madison chuckled and then caught sight of the large cross that hung around Cassidy's neck. Cassidy shrugged when Madison pointed with a question in her eyes.

"Adalina gave it to me about two weeks ago, just out the blue. She's Catholic. Who knew. She said I looked lost, so she took me to church a couple of times." Cassidy looked a little sheepish. "It felt good, I suppose, so I'm giving it a go."

Cassidy looked down shyly and bobbled her head in concession.

"Everyone needs a little unconditional love," she said in a small voice.

Uncertain of what to say to that, Madison kept her peace and simply held Cassidy's hand. Cassidy smiled her thanks and then they got down to their girl business. They both ordered a drink and laughed about practice and the team news. Then they both ordered a salad from the teenage waiter who couldn't keep his eyes off them and while they waited for their food, Madison kept a close eye on the time. As 1:30 PM approached, Madison tried to take a discrete glance at the door, but Cassidy caught her anxious look and turned around.

"What are you looking at?"

Just as Cassidy turned to look, Burt strolled up the front sidewalk, as punctual as ever. He seemed incapable of haste, but he was never late.

"Great Caesar's ghost!" gasped Cassidy in admiration. "Look at that hunk of man!"

With a gleeful grin, Madison reached across the table, and grabbed Cassidy by the arm. Cassidy looked down in confusion at Madison's hand, before she looked at Madison's face.

"Cassidy, do you remember how you said that you prayed to find a guy you could let your guard down around and just be your honest self, even on your ugly days?"

Cassidy looked dubious.

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean it? I mean, do you really want that?"

"Yyyyyyyeah. So?"

"Well then...."

The door chimed, and Burt ducked in. Madison had never really noticed how very tall Burt was until he stood in the doorway of Chili's that afternoon. He wore a thick brown sweater which coupled with his neatly trimmed brown beard and placid affect, made him look like a big comfortable teddy bear. He might have been dressed plainly, but Burt stood out. Daniel was tall, but in a wiry and sinewy way, unlike Burt who towered like a giant as he swung his studious gaze over the room. His eyes met Madison's and Madison waved him over enthusiastically. Cassidy shook her head at Madison with fearful disbelief.

"Oh, God!"

"Your prayers are answered, Cassidy! Don't blow it!"

Cassidy's eyes got big and round while she covered her mouth with her delicate fairy hand and Madison noticed Cassidy's nail polish was distressed and chipped. Cassidy followed Madison's glance and checked her fingernails. A horrified look of embarrassment spread on Cassidy's face.

"Madison!" hissed Cassidy in a shrill whisper. "I can't meet a guy right now! I'm on my period! I look like shit!"

Madison responded like a ventriloquist while she smiled Burt into an approach vector.

"He's not a guy. His name is Burt. He's Daniel's best friend and accountant and you'll never find a more gentle and thoughtful man. Not only is he easy on a girl's eyes, but he also has a truly good and tender heart and ready or not, here he comes!"

Cassidy snatched up her purse and rummaged through it in desperation.

"Ooooooooh! I don't have my make up on, Madison! Wait! Give me a minute to put some concealer on my period zits!"

"Too late!"

Burt pulled up next to the table in his easy and unhurried way. Cassidy gave a small yip of fear and disappeared behind her long red tresses. Madison had never seen Cassidy flustered before and the effect of this unforeseen vulnerability was decidedly attractive to Burt who glanced at Madison and then did a double take to give the stricken Cassidy his full attention.

"Hi, Burt!" Madison greeted as she went on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "How are you today?"

"I'm good, Madison," Burt muttered absently with his eyes fixed on the top of Cassidy's red head. "Ummm... how are you?"

Burt continued to gaze studiously at Cassidy, who clutched her purse like she might dash out the door.

"Hello," Burt ventured.

Cassidy slowly turned her face up to Burt who smiled gently for her. His strong jaw and neat beard highlighted his straight teeth and Cassidy's eyes went big and nervous as she took in the huge scope of Burt's good looks. Her face showed she was thunderstruck and to Madison it looked like Cassidy might cry, so Madison rode to her rescue.

"Burt, this is my friend Cassidy. Cassidy, this is my friend Burt."

"Charmed," Burt said in his soothing bass voice and reached out his big paw of a hand.

Cassidy stared up at Burt in amazement. On a good day Cassidy stood all of four feet eleven inches tall and, after a big meal and a shower with her clothes on, she might have tipped the scales at ninety-five pounds. Next to Cassidy, Burt was an absolute mountain, and looked more than double her size. From the outside, they seemed a mismatched pair.

But as ferocious as tiny Cassidy could be, gigantic Burt could be that gentle and somehow, despite their obvious differences in size and temperament, Madison thought that this might be a match written in the stars. It proved true only a moment later when Cassidy slowly reached up her dainty little hand and shook Burt's gargantuan mitt, and Madison could have sworn she saw sparks fly between their fingers. Madison had never seen love at first sight, and up until now she wasn't sure she believed in it, but right there at a table at Chili's, Madison saw it up close and personal, even though she still almost didn't believe her eyes. Then Cassidy broke the silence with big gulp of an inhale and plunged in headfirst.

"I'm Cassidy and I'm a professional cheerleader," she blurted. "And I want you to know right from the start that there is a video of me blowing a man posted on Pornhub that has over half a million views. But you should also know it's the only one I ever did."

Madison blanched in horror. Surely this was a topic they would have to discuss at some point, but not right out of the gate. Yet there it was, laid bare on a table at Chili's for Burt to see not thirty seconds after Cassidy had met him. Madison held her breath and waited for what she assumed would be Burt's inevitable rejection, but then Burt surprised her. He nodded in his thoughtful and ponderous way and looked bemused. Then he looked gently into Cassidy's hopefully upturned eyes.

"I'm Burt and I'm a professional nerd. I want you to know right from the start that there are over two dozen Youtube videos of me dressed as a wizard while I throw beanbags at other people. In more than one of them I get red-faced angry because those other people don't follow the rules. But you should also know that I fully intend to post more of them."

Cassidy's face fluttered to a shy grin of relief and her grip on Burt's hand tightened. Burt smiled back at her in his generous and comfortable way.

"May I join you?" he rumbled to Cassidy.

Cassidy released Burt's hand and patted the chair next to her while she absently dropped her purse on the floor. Burt didn't miss a beat and scooped up Cassidy's purse and slung it over the back of her chair while he sat down next to her. Cassidy giggled her thanks and Madison watched awestruck by the strange juxtaposition before her. The fierce fairy Cassidy seated next to the gentle giant Burt was a sudden and flawless union. Their connection was so obvious and organic that it seemed the din of the other restaurant patrons got a little quieter in reverence.

Without another word, Cassidy reached out and entwined her little fingers into Burt's massive hand and flashed him a magnificent smile. Burt smiled back and gave Cassidy's tiny hand a squeeze of reassurance. In that moment, their connection became as complete and comfortable as peanut butter and jelly and they instantly possessed the easy synchronicity of a couple who had been together for several years. Cassidy positively glowed every time Burt turned his giant brown eyes to her, and for his part, Burt couldn't take his eyes off Cassidy.