Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 46

Meryl breathed a sigh of relief that everyone in their hospital room was asleep. Don had finally fallen asleep not long after they got the babies to sleep. Larry and Liz told them that if they needed any help then they would be in the waiting room. While they had left for a little while earlier; neither of them were comfortable going far with the ups and downs of the day and they wanted to help with the babies so Don and Meryl could sleep as much as possible. Meryl couldn't get Don to let her get the babies to sleep by herself; it seemed to upset him more when she just wanted him to rest so she gave in as much as she wanted him to rest. She knew he felt guilty, though there was no reason for him to feel that way; and she had greatly missed him taking care of the babies with her. Once the babies were asleep Meryl ran her fingers through her husband's hair as his sheer exhaustion took over. As much as she could tell he wanted to stay awake and spend time with her; making sure he rest and got better was more important to her so he could spend the rest of his long life with her and their children. As he fell asleep holding her free hand so many different things went through Meryl's mind: she was angry, she was tired, she was hurting and she missed sharing certain memories with her husband. One certain memory came flooding back to her and her hand went down to her flat stomach as she remembered the night she began to show.

***

Don smiled as he finished getting ready in the bathroom for a date night out with his wife. She was having a good day and the morning sickness wasn't so present so he wanted to take her out. He couldn't wait to have some time alone with her; there was nothing like being able to have a private table in a restaurant with them looking at each other over candlelight. He knew it was hard for her to stay down and not do anything; and so he wanted to give her a little treat. He was happy with the charcoal pinstripe suit and blue shirt he chose to wear, knowing it was his wife's favorite, and went out to see if she was ready.  Don stopped in his tracks as he saw his wife looking at herself in the mirror and her hands came to stop over her belly. This was the first time he really noticed the appearance of the small bump that sheltered their baby. He looked her over from head to toe. Her hair hung in loose waves with the sides pulled up loosely. She wore a black wrap dress that hugged her in all the right places, showed off her perfect little bump and her perfect and shapely legs that drove him crazy. She was absolutely glowing and he just needed to be close to her. We went up behind her and placed his hands on hers on her belly. "My God, you are so fucking beautiful, Mary Louise."

"Hi, there." Meryl smiled as her hand went up to the back of his head while she looked at him in the mirror. "You, Donald Gummer, make my heart beat faster you are so damn gorgeous. And you smell good. You're wearing my favorite suit."

Don couldn't resist attaching his lips to her neck. "You taste amazing, too. Do you have ANY idea what you do to me, Meryl Gummer?"

"So..." Meryl turned around in his arms. "You like the dress?"

Don smiled as he knelt down in front of her. "I love how it hugs your amazing figure; but do you know what's even better?"

"Huh?" Meryl was quickly losing concentration as he lifted her dress and ran his lips over her baby bump while his hands caressed her lacy panties that were covering the ass she knew he loved so much. "What's even better?"

Don looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "You're carrying my baby again; our baby. Not just that you're carrying our baby again; but that you are risking your life to do so. It is a sign of love not only to our baby; but to me. I'm going to make this okay, baby; you're going to be okay."

"I know I am; because I have you." Meryl reached down and wiped away his tear. "You make me feel so damn beautiful and sexy."

Don kissed his way up her body and landed on her lips. "That's because you are; god, I love you."