THE O'CONNELLS
Disclaimer: They are not mine...I wish they were.
Chapter 5 : Parents
A week had passed since Alex had made his entrance into the world, and life had deffinantly changed. The biggest change was how little sleep Rick and Evie were getting. It effected them both, because Rick was not the type of dad who was going to make Evelyn get up and do everything on her own. So at night, when Alex woke up, Rick was the one who brought him to their bed, so she could nurse him, and if Alex was still awake after he was fed, dad was more than happy to sit with him to get him back to sleep. In the beginning that had not been so difficult, but as Alex became used to his world, his feedings went from 6 hours at a time, to four, and now to two, and by the start of the new week, both parents felt like zombies.
Now it was morning and quiet, and Rick held Evelyn secure in his arms. He had just gotten Alex back to sleep, and was hopeful that his son would at least give them a little more time before the day officially started. Evelyn moved her body closer to his, and he nuzzled her neck.
“I miss us,” she whispered.
“I know, but you have to heal,” he reminded. She turned in his arms, so that she was facing him. She reached out and traced the tip of her finger over his lip, and gasped as he opened his mouth and sucked it in. He nibbled on it, then took his hand and pulled it out, and with that same hand pulled her head to his so that their lips met in a gently good morning kiss. Their tongues met in the familiar dance, and they enjoyed tasting one another. It was about that time, when they heard Alex’s little noises, not cries, but the noises he made before he was ready to wake the household and then some.
“You just changed him?” she asked.
“Thats why he was mad, yes he should be clean.” She didn’t want to stop.
“Are we bad parents if we just let him cry?” This whole thing, being a parents, having him was so new to both of them, and each day that went by, they learned more and more about how to take care of him. The hardest part was not to go to him when he was crying. Becky had told them both, that if they let him cry himself out, he would learn how to handle sleeping on his own, but neither of them were ever able to let him cry for more than 2 minutes, before one of them went to get him.
“I could take him down to Jonathan,” he said. She nodded, and Rick got up, and went to the cradle. Alex was making faces, and his squeaks and grunts, were getting louder.
“Hey buddy, How about a visit with your Uncle?” Rick put the burp cloth over his bare shoulder, having learned that if he didn’t have it, he was likely to need a shower or bath. Alex was good about spitting up on him, so this was protection. Once that was in place, he lifted his son against his chest. Alex cried, then settled as his dad swayed with him.
“Thats more like it,” He said kissing the top of Alex’s bald little head. In a moment he was still, and after getting a couple of diapers and a clean gown, Rick headed downstairs.
In the kitchen Jonathan was awake, sipping his coffee, and reading the post. He had not had a sucessfull night at poker, loosing most of his money. He didn’t have too much left, which meant he would have to sell more of his treasure to get what he wanted. The thought had entered his head, to get a job, but he wasn’t ready to go back to that. He liked living the free life. It was the squeak on the steps, which let him know someone was on their way down, and when he looked up, he found the new father of the house entering the kitchen, with his nephew, and some other things.
“You look as good as one of those mummies you fought at Hamunaptra,” Jonathan commented, as Rick came over to the table.
“You try getting up every two hours for a week,” Rick said lightly, setting the two diapers and gown on the table, the part that was clean.
“I have a favor to ask,” Jonathan nearly spit out his coffee.
“Oh no, I love Alex but no,” he said. Then all at once Alex was in his arms, and Jonathan looked down into that sweet face.
“O’Connell, you don’t play fair,” Jonathan said, not able to resist his nephew.
“Well partner I’ll just teach you how to play poker,” he said, kissing his soft little head.. Rick was half way up the steps when heard that.
“Not till he’s 40,” Rick hollered down, and Jonathan chuckled. He stood, and carried Alex into the parlor.
“Well now what should we do. You seem happy where you are, so I won’t disturb you,” he said, as he settled on a Sofa. He shifted Alex, and that caused him to get a little restless.
“Shh shh. I’m just sitting down.” After a moment, Alex relaxed, and Uncle John was relieved.
Upstairs, when Rick returned, Evelyn appeared to be asleep. He lay down next to her, and she turned to face him.
“Now where were we?” she asked. He grinned.
“Mm I think I was about to do this.” He kissed her lips briefly, then placed another kiss on her chin, and another to her neck, lingering there, nuzzling and nipping her, causing her to gasp. She was still clothed in a nightgown, but his hands worked fast, and for moment he stopped his delicious assault on her neck to remove her gown, and then his boxers, leaving them skin to skin. They may not be able to make love fully, but they could go through the motions, and with Alex in good hands, they had time to linger. He pulled her body against his kissing her neck and down to her breasts. Evelyn gasped as he began to lick over one, then the other, then his mouth closed over one, and he began to suck, taking in her milk, which was very arousing to him. She felt his hard flesh pressing against her thigh, and reached down, taking it into her hand. The feel of her hand grasping him, caused him to groan, and he threw his head back as she began to stroke him. It had been a week since he felt her touch, and his body had missed that.
“Oh god Evie I love this,” he said in a throaty tone.
“I need your mouth...” she let out a cry, as he covered her breast with his mouth tucking on hit with force, but pleasantly so.
It was not too long after they settled on the couch that Alex started to move about restlessly. Jonathan had almost gone back to sleep when he felt Alex’s sudden restlessness.
“Whats wrong hmm?” He laid Alex on his lap and rubbed his tummy, and Alex grunted, and Jonathan realized what was happening.
“You couldn’t wait for them to wake up?” he asked as he stood, going into the kitchen to get what he would need to change him. This was not anything Jonathan was all that good at, and he wasn’t all that comfortable with it, however he was determined to let Rick and Evelyn have a break, and set about getting what he needed which was two things, a washcloth, and a wash basin of warm water. He managed to hold Alex in one arm and get the things he needed back in the parlor, Then when he was ready, he spread a blanket over the couch, and laid Alex down.
“Now, I’m not as good at this as your parents, so don’t hold this against me.” Alex was getting more unhappy by the moment, and was crying before his uncle could even get his diaper off of him. The mess that awaited was big, not just in the diaper but up his back.
“Okay what did she feed you?” he asked over his nephews crys. He wasn’t sure about undressing him, and the more he did, the louder Alex cried. Jonathan knew he needed to get him undressed, and seemed to make more of a mess than anything as he did.
“A little help would be good,” he yelled over the cries of his nephew. Then Alex let a stream out, and Jonathan felt like crying himself.
The house was small, even though it was two stories, and now the sated couple lay together relaxed, when they heard Alex’s cries, and Jonathan’s yell for help.
“Welcome to the day,” Evelyn said as she rolled away from him, and went to her wardrobe. She got out a soft cotton dress and slipped it on. It was a simple dress, one of her maternity dresses that still felt wonderful to wear. She was ready then, and left her husband to go rescue her son from his uncle. When she got to the palor Jonathan was getting Alex, who was now clean, and very ticked off, dressed in his clean cloths. He looked up relieved when she walked over.
“He decides to leave the dirty stuff for me.” Jonathan huffed, and left to get himself cleaned. up She had Alex cradled in her arms, and her soothing voice, and her touch worked together to calm him down, though he was hungry, and once he was fairly calm she undid the front of her dress and settled down on the other side of the sofa and let him eat.
“You got all worked up,” she said rubbing his back.
“So what was the problem?” Rick asked coming in and moving the blanket away, settling beside them.
“Uncle John had to change a messy diaper,” she said not taking her eyes from her son. For her this was the best part of being a mum, holding him feeding him, and being beside the one man she loved more than life itself. Rick smiled and took one of Alex’s tiny feet in his hand.
“Sometimes I find myself wishing he could stay this small for ever,” he admitted. Evelyn looked over into her husbands blue eyes.
“I know, this way we can protect him and keep him safe, when he learns to walk and go off on his own it will be more difficult to watch out for him,” she replied, sighing as Rick pulled her against him.
“But he will always have us to come too if he needs us,” he reassured her. She knew that too, and decided it was best just to take each day as it came, face whatever was to come one day at time.
THE END