Part 6

We didn’t speak about the husband incident, it was more of a quiet understanding; me being glad he was gone and Faith being glad that someone had finally stood up for her.  She had a new ease about her: a feeling that comes when you realize that you’re truly not alone.  I was feeling it too and I liked it.

Amanda had pretty much put her father out of her little head the minute she’d left the room and I was ecstatic about it, I mean, wouldn’t it be cruel to leave her wanting after something that was just unobtainable.

Okay, Okay… don’t tut me.  Truth is, I didn’t want to share her beyond Faith… and I wasn’t planning to have to compromise.

Anyway, today was a big day here, that’s right; we were going off, together, to Xander’s wedding.

We’d gotten up early, packed the house and left at first light and I truly have to tell you I was about to scream bloody murder.

What with Faith having to pee every 4 miles and Amanda constantly asking questions, well maybe not questions… but her constantly going, “oooh cars”, well it was getting on my last nerve.  After my third spastic fit of the trip, Faith took over driving and I crawled into the back seat to sit with Amanda, who promptly unhooked her car seat and sat in my lap.  I swear that kid is like some kind of octopus: Before I knew it, she’d cupped my breasts and asked me where my boobies were.

She shocked me into silence.  No kidding.  Me.  Quiet as a frickin mouse.  What could I say, nothing that’s what, so I sat there and stared at her, but Faith, well, she started cussing and that was only because when Amanda asked the question, she drizzled the coffee that she’d just drank out of her mouth and onto her shirt… otherwise she’d have been laughing so hard that the car would’ve been swerving all over the road.

I finally pouted myself out, cause, really, could you stay angry with these two?

We pulled into the small chapel around three and slowly climbed from the car.  Faith changed in the backseat while I dressed Amanda in the front.  I watched as Faith slid into the sundress; watching her grimace, inwardly cursing her luck at ruining her suit.  A small smile graced my features.

I smoothed myself out and touched up my hair and we made our way into the chapel and sat to watch the ceremony.

It’d been a while since I’d seen Xander and the years had been kind to him.  He’d filled out a good bit but it was his face that showed his accomplishments.  He had this serene glow about him and as his bride marched down the aisle, his eyes danced and filled with love.

It was a short ceremony and concluded outside in the garden.  I made a direct beeline to Xander and threw my arms around him.

I met his wife, Karen and caught up as quickly as possible.  My attention drifted sometime during the conversation, became a blur and faded out.

I found myself entranced and caught up in the most beautiful sight.  Faith and Amanda were off in the distance.  The sun blanketed them, illuminated them, causing Faith’s body to silhouette against the fabric of her dress.

She swung Amanda around, lifting her and I watched enthralled as they laughed and smiled.

“Buffy?”

“Buffy?”  Xander asked again, getting my attention.

I turned and faced him and he looked right through me and nodded up at Faith and Amanda, stating.  “You’re falling in love with them, aren’t you?”

I looked at him hard, not really knowing what to say.  I turned my attention back to Faith and Amanda, watching them momentarily before turning back to Xander, my system still shut down, silent.

He smiled at me.  “It’s okay, you know.” 

I remained silent, finally nodding up at him, wrapping my arms around him as he pulled me closer and enveloped me in a big bear hug.

I leaned against him and turned my eyes back to Faith and Amanda, watching them from afar.

We finally said our goodbyes to the wedded couple and climbed back into the car, heading home but stopped off at a hotel along the way, each of us, tired and spent.

I lay in my bed and stared over at Faith and Amanda as they cuddled against one another until they finally fell asleep.  I silently waited, counted minutes, waiting for the inevitable to happen and it did.

Amanda started her nightly aerobatics; kicking, shuffling around, flinging those little legs and arms that’d somehow catch you in the ribs or throat area.

I smiled inwardly, my heart hammering inside my head, my mouth suddenly dry.  I licked my lips and pulled in a deep breath.  “Come over here.”  I stated lowly, trying not to awake Amanda.

Faith slowly extricated herself from under the covers and padded to my bed.  I moved over and gave her some room to climb in.

Our breaths were labored and heavy and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife and yet neither one of us gave in.  She eased under the covers, relaxing back into the pillows, sighing. 

I watched her and shifted, pulling the blanket up and over her.

“Are you alright?”  I asked lowly.

She nodded, whispering.  “Yeah.”

I licked my lips and moved closer, slowly inching my hand out towards her belly. She tensed and held her breath, waiting for contact.

My hand gently eased over her stomach and I watched her face, watched as she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. 

I tried to control my breathing, tried to back down all the emotions swirling around in my head and body but I was a lost cause.  I closed my eyes and made myself calm down.  I eased my hand over her stomach, feeling, searching for the baby within. 

Faith placed her hand over mine and guided me downward and over and put some pressure on her hand, pushing me into her, allowing me to feel the tiny little movements of the baby. 

We smiled and laughed as the little being moved and swirled under our touch.  I forgot about being nervous and tense and leaned my head on her shoulder, my hands and movements grew bolder, more confident as I eased her top up and over her belly, my fingers tracing over her soft warm skin.  I eased her pajama bottoms down a bit, exposing her belly to my touch.

I lay there, tickling my fingers over her skin, feeling her warm flesh, the baby’s movement and I was completely oblivious to the world around me.

And that’s how we fell asleep, wrapped around each other.  Of course that’s not how we woke up, or how I woke up rather.

I couldn’t breathe, or rather I had the feeling I was being suffocated.  I tried to push out a breath and couldn’t so I opened an eye and found a little leg draped over my mouth and nose.

I lifted the leg and sucked in some air, sat up partially and looked around.  Faith was over in the other bed, sound asleep and I was here with the incredible kicking monster.

I rolled my eyes and crawled out of bed, making my way to the bathroom for an early shower.

Not ten minutes into the shower I felt something shift around me, the air or something.  I turned and low and behold, there was Amanda, right there with me, naked as a jaybird.

“Faith!”  I called, waiting for her to reply.

“Faith!”  I called again.

“What?”  She called out, her voice sleepy and annoyed.

I sighed and tried to back down my usual early morning snippiness.  “Come and get Amanda.  She got in the shower with me.”  I waited for an answer but none came, then I heard some bumbling and fumbling around; grumbling filtered through the sounds of the running water.  I waited for Faith to snatch Amanda out of the shower.

Then I heard it; the flush that is.  “Bitch.”  I muttered under my breath as the water turned from hot to ice cold.  I screamed and tried to get out.  Amanda screamed and moved towards me.  We pretty much clamored out of the shower and stood there, cold, drenched and dripping in soap.

Faith stood there, eyes swollen with sleep and stated.  “She’s out.”  She turned, left us staring at her back and climbed back into bed.

I looked at her lying in the bed and I nodded, plotting to myself.

I put Amanda and me back into the shower and got us clean and rinsed, dried off and dressed and then I quietly left to get a bucket of ice.

We crept back into the room, me with a bucket full of ice and Amanda with a cube in each little hand.

We positioned ourselves around her, stalking, salivating over the payback.
Faith suddenly winced and grabbed her belly and that threw the payback out the window.  I sat the ice down and went into nurse mode.  I helped her up and waited nervously as she took a shower, with her declining my want for us to head to the hospital.

We finally got back into the car; our only stop was to eat at a local diner.

A pregnant Faith is something; really, every little thing annoys her, especially if she’s eating.  The waiter kept coming over, trying to flirt with us, interrupting our meal, and then all of a sudden, every time he’d start to come over, Faith would wince out loud and grab her belly. 

I sat and watched and caught the pattern, she’d interrupt his movement, halt him right in his steps, send him the other way.  Guess he didn’t want to be birthing a baby or something. 

I watched her in utter shock, although I must admit I still wasn’t getting the big picture.

She looked at me, took a bite of a burger and stated as she laughed.  “Works every time.  No body wants to mess with a woman that could drop a load at any given minute.”  She laughed and then looked pointedly at me.

I sat there, staring, my mouth hanging open.  “You’ve been doing that to me when you didn’t want to be bothered with me?”  I half asked.

She pulled in a half breath and stared at me, stating, “maybe.”

I continued to stare at her, my hands reaching for the food on the table. 

Faith suddenly bolted out of the booth and ran out of the restaurant with me close behind, flinging potatoes at her retreating form. 

We collapsed outside on the ground, her laughing and me trying to rub potatoes in her face.

The next thing I know, a little munchkin jumped on my back, her hands filled with mushed food and each of them clasping around me, wiping the goo onto my clothes, to either hang there or drip.

I flipped Amanda over and held her in my arms, tickling her until she gasped and gave up, tired, panting for breath.  I laughed and looked at them.  Amanda was curled onto her side, smiling and pretending to be invisible so the ticking would stop and Faith was just lying there, serene, quiet, her eyes closed.

I reached out and touched Faith’s face, wiping off a bit of food that’d splattered there.

She opened her eyes and looked at me as I slowly ran my fingertips over her face.

“Are yall gonna kiss now?”  A voice stated from above us.

We looked up into the waiter’s face, each of us, coming out of the daze we were in.  We went back in, paid the bill and headed toward home; each of us silent, thinking and eyeing the other inconspicuously.

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