Devil's House

Sorry Isn't Enough

Chester hummed as he cleaned up the kitchen the following evening. He couldn't help the good mood he was in as he wiped down the counters and inhaled the smell of fresh coffee brewing. After the talk that had happened last night between him and Mike over cheeseburgers, he was relieved and feeling positive about where they were as a couple.

Mike had taken the idea of going to couples counseling seriously, and Chester had already called to set the whole thing up. Their first appointment was scheduled for Tuesday next week. It was exciting to think about all the progress he and Mike would hopefully make. Chester knew couples counseling wouldn't be like his solo therapy. It wouldn't be about bringing up childhood trauma or digging up buried feelings or learning how to cope with daily stress or to navigate complicated feelings.

No. Couples counseling would be focused on him and Mike as a couple and how they communicated with each other. It would be about learning how to listen. Learning how to not react with trigger emotions. Learning how to speak truthfully but respectfully to each other. And most of all, Chester was hoping the end result would be a tighter union between them, and any worry over Mike feeling like he was in too deep or putting Jason first, would be gone.

It was something that Chester was looking forward to and a decision he'd called Ryan right away to tell him about. It had been a happy moment when he'd smiled into his phone and told Ryan that not only had he and Mike had a long talk about how they felt and what they wanted, but that Mike had wholeheartedly agreed to start counseling and an appointment was already made.

The plan for a group FaceTime call was quickly made between them, with Ryan promising he and Jason would be there. They could all talk and sort a few things out and hopefully the end result would be Ryan and Jason heading home shortly after.

The idea that Ryan could be home in just another day or two had Chester's insides feeling light - joyful - as he glanced at the time. Everything was lining up. The girls had gone down easily earlier. Dinner had been good, and Mike was already in the shower. As soon as he was out, it would be time to call their friends.

Everythings going to be okay. We're going to learn to communicate better. And it will probably help us communicate with Ry and Jay, too. I think me and Ry communicate perfectly fine already but we could always improve too. And Mike and Jay, they seem like they need help with that especially right now.

It was an encouraging thought and Chester couldn't help the smile that followed. Sex this morning feels like we're already taking the right steps forward. I've missed him so much like that. I was starting to worry he just didn't want me.

Chester stopped, his busy cleaning coming to an abrupt pause as he thought about the events that had taken place in the wee hours earlier that morning. The twins had woken up at the same time for the four o'clock feeding. It had brought Mike and Chester out of bed together, each of them handling an infant until all was well with the world again.

They'd gone back to bed, but instead of passing out right away, they'd started talking. Then rubbing on each other. Then kissing, and it had escalated quickly to pajamas coming off and their bodies coming together. It had been the equivalent of a long quickie, lasting maybe fifteen minutes. But that was okay. After a month of going without, they'd both come quickly anyway - both in a hot rush that had felt amazing, and had left them both satisfied.

It had been a relief, and he and Mike had already both agreed that it needed to happen more often. All the reassurances and loving touches had been good for Chester, and it felt like a great place for him and Mike to be in for the FaceTime call that was coming.

They'll see we're okay and how things are relaxed here and we're going to start counseling and Jay will know it's okay to come home. To let Ry come home, he whined in his head before he went to wash his hands. The kitchen looked good and now it was time to pour coffee and head back to the bedroom. They were going to be sitting on their bed - on their flannel blanket - when this call was made, and Chester was ready for it.