A Benign Something

I'm not sure how much time passed, but we dragged ourselves to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Under the water, we continued to make love. We embraced, digging our hands deep between the other's legs, entwining our tongues, sucking and kissing, slipping fingers into anuses and nursing softly on taut scarlet nipples. And, when the frigid water chilled our skin, we stepped out of the shower and dried off, where we walked hand-in-hand to the bedroom.

Gayle brought out her candles, and soon the room was filled with their soft amber glow. I was lying on the bed, when she came to me, and I reached out my hand for hers, guiding her body atop mine. We caressed each other's face and kissed lightly, giggling and hugging and rolling onto our sides.

"I fell in love with you, the first time I saw you," she whispered.

My heart fluttered and I closed my eyes, laying my head against the pillow and smiling.

"I think I fell in love with you at your party," I replied softly.

Gayle sat up, and I opened my eyes at her sudden movement.

"Really?" she exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest in disbelief.

I chuckled. "Really," I replied.

She dropped her jaw and gazed around the room.

"Wow," she muttered.

"What?" I replied with a tempered laugh.

Gayle turned her eyes back to mine, saying, "That was the second time I fell in love with you."

I giggled, pulling my knees up, and rolled on top of her, kissing her face and neck, until once more our passion overcame us and erupted into sensual lovemaking.

And so began my new life with Gayle.

A few years later, Gayle and I were walking into the house with our suitcases. We lugged them up the stairs, me laughing and struggling with mine, while she passed me on the steps, scolding me, and saying she had warned me not to pack so much.

It had been my home, but now Gayle shared it with me. Rachel had graduated two years prior and moved off to start a new job in a new city with her new husband. It turned out she wasn't quite the lesbian she'd once thought, and, when she entered graduate school, Kate moved on, as well, and Rachel fell in love for real this time with someone new. And now Gayle and I were returning home from their wedding, which we used as an excuse to take an entire week off for vacation.

My friends and family took some time adjusting to the relationship I had with her, but it wasn't nearly as daunting as any of us had supposed. Gayle was graceful and polite and full of charm, and it was difficult to resist not warming up to her. But what really filled my heart with joy, was when everyone, including my husband's parents, hugged her, as we departed the wedding, and told her how happy they were that I had found such a wonderful person to be with.

That evening, as we sat next to one another at the kitchen table over dinner, Gayle set her fork down and turned to me.

"Mow what?" she mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and nudged her with my elbow. "Don't talk with your mouth full," I snorted.

"Sowwy," she snickered, still chewing.

She reached for her glass and took a long gulp.

"I was thinking," she said. "I'm coming up on forty pretty soon here."

I nodded and chewed.

"Mm hm," I replied with a wink.

"Well," she sighed, dabbing a napkin on her lips. "What would you think about me being pregnant?"

I set my fork down and slowly turned to her. I swallowed, replying, "Really?" She nodded happily, and I blinked a few times, saying, "I think that'd be great. You mean at the hospital? The fertility clinic?"

Gayle pushed her plate forward, and then folded her arms on the table.

"Yeah," she said. "I've been thinking about it for a while now, but this last week sorta made me put some serious thought into it."

I set my glass down and nodded. "Yeah," I replied. "God, yes. We could set up everything for the tot in Rachel's old room. That'd be wonderful. I think you'd make a fantastic mom."

Gayle blushed and dropped her face, brushing the hair from her eyes.

I continued eating, but could see her staring at me from the corner of my eye. I turned to her, and she grinned.

"What?" I chuckled.

She took a deep breath and looked down into her lap, playfully kicking her feet under the table.

"Something else I've been thinking about," she replied.

Gayle hesitated, and then raised her eyes, giving me a devious grin. She gazed at me in silence for a moment, and then reached down for my hand and helped me stand.

"C'mere," she said, leading me out to the living room where she had me sit on the couch.

"Just stay right here," she said anxiously. "I'll be right back."

I wagged my head up and down, curious as to what Gayle was doing. Then she quickly turned to dash upstairs.

I could hear her moving around in the bedroom and looked up the steps. Her shadow darted quickly against the wall opposite the door, and I chuckled.

"What're ya doing?" I called.

"Hold your horses!" she replied.

A minute later, she emerged from the bedroom and tromped down the steps, holding a hand behind her back. My heart started racing and my hands began trembling on my knees, as she approached me with a broad grin on her face. My mouth drew into a deep frown and tears welled in my eyes. Gayle kneeled on the floor in front of me, and I slapped a hand across my mouth and started crying. And, when she slowly pulled out the hand from behind her back revealing a tiny black box, I bawled and nodded, leaping from the couch and throwing my arms around her.

"Yes!" I cried, as we toppled to the floor in a heap.