Grecia was surprised when she woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t panic. There was a warm body next to her. Not crowding her, but present.
Elias was sound asleep with nothing but his hand on her shoulder. She must have somehow disturbed him though because he was suddenly whispering in her ear. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes. I need to pump,” she informed him.
“In the middle of the night? I thought you were done doing that?”
“For Orson,” she said softly, turning to face him. The nightlight gave her enough illumination to see his expression.
“Right. Of course. I’ll go get you some water. You’ll be thirsty.”
Grecia sat up slowly and watched as Elias pulled on his shorts and padded from the room. Her heart was thumping as she watched him. He had forgotten about Orson, but he didn’t flinch when he remembered, and he couldn’t have done anything to be more supportive than going to get her some water.
Grecia reached for the pump. She was still naked, so all she had to do was hook it up and try to relax while the machine worked its magic.
When Elias returned, he handed her a bottle of water before climbing up to straddle her from behind. His hands were on her shoulders and he kissed her behind her ear. “You’re a good person, Grecia.”
She took a deep breath and twisted her head to look at him. “This is not heroic. It’s life. If Renee’s milk doesn’t come in, she will need me. And if not her, someone else will need me. It makes me feel useful. Does it bother you?”
His brows lifted. “Not at all. I’m so proud of you. We all are.”
She bent her head to kiss his knuckles on her shoulder. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if her men hadn’t supported her decision. It had been spur of the moment, and she had considered afterward that she probably should have told them before she made the offer.
On the other hand, they were her boobs. It was her body that would be taxed from producing more milk. Not theirs. And they’d told her time and again she had complete autonomy to make her own decisions. Hopefully this odd choice fell under that umbrella.
Not one of them had flinched when she’d told them earlier in the evening, and Elias wasn’t behaving as though he were the least bit put out even though his sleep was disrupted.
When she was drained, she turned off the machine and started to rise. She needed to clean off the cups and hoses and put the milk in the fridge.
Elias slid out from behind her and rose, keeping a hand on her shoulder. “Lie back down, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this.” He pointed at the water. “Drink the rest first. You’re going to be very thirsty.”
Again she watched Elias shuffle from the room, this time to store the milk and rinse out the hoses and cups. How the hell had she gotten this lucky?
She drained the rest of the water and reclined against the pillows, pulling the covers back over her nude body. Until last night, she had never slept in the nude. Not intentionally anyway. Oddly, she felt perfectly comfortable.
Whatever concerns she had about her body after giving birth had been squelched without question by both Jeremy and Elias. She was confident she would find the same reaction when she was with Dawson the first time. Nothing but acceptance and love.
Just as she was about to drift off, Elias returned, closing the door almost all the way but leaving it ajar. He slid in behind her.
She rolled onto her side and nestled up to him, wrapping her arm across his chest and resting her cheek on his shoulder. She’d never felt this kind of contentment.
He had one arm around her and he gently rested his hand on her hip, so careful with her. Always so considerate of her feelings. Emotions welled up inside, but she needed to tamp them down. She needed more sleep. She would be exhausted within a few days if she intended to produce more milk. She’d need far more caloric intake and a hell of a lot of water. She could do this though, and she smiled as she drifted off.
There was a knock on the door early the next morning as the four of them were getting ready for the day.
Dawson had Amelia cradled in his arms. Elias had gone to get them all coffee and was sitting at the table sipping his.
Jeremy opened the door.
Grecia turned to find Leo standing in the doorway. The man looked distraught and tired. He was wringing his hands in front of him, but his brow wasn’t as furrowed as the day before.
“Come in,” Jeremy said as he stood back and opened the door wider.
Leo glanced at all of them, finally settling on Grecia. “I hate to ask for your help again, but, uh…”
Grecia shook her head. “No problem at all. I planned to come find Renee and Orson first thing this morning anyway.”
Leo shifted his gaze to the men in the room. “I feel bad bothering you all and Grecia, and—”
Elias stood. “No reason to apologize. We understand. We are fully supporting Grecia’s decision.”
Grecia jerked her attention to Elias and everyone at large. “It’s not a choice. It’s a human life.”
“Of course,” Jeremy said gently. “We didn’t mean it that way.”
Grecia sighed. “I know you didn’t.”
“He’s right,” Elias said. “If you were in Renee’s shoes, I’d hope someone would step up and help my child.”
Leo took a deep breath. “Well, we really truly appreciate it. The good news is the pumping is working, but it’s slow progress. She has gotten more milk each time. I was hoping maybe if you have a spare bottle for this morning…”
Elias turned to the fridge and grabbed three from the left side. It made Grecia’s chest tighten to realize he knew exactly which milk was the newest and which needed to be used first.
Elias held them out to Leo. “This should get you through the morning and part of the afternoon. It might take a bit to get Orson to latch on to the synthetic nipple. It’s not the same as what’s attached to his mama, but he’ll get it.”
Leo’s eyes were watery. He clutched the bottles and gave Elias a one-handed manly embrace. “Thank you.” He turned to face Grecia. “Thank you,” he repeated.
“I’ll come check on Renee after I get off work. I’m only working mornings at the daycare,” Grecia informed him.
Leo nodded. “Appreciate it.”
After the door closed, they all stood quietly for a few moments. Finally, Jeremy came to Grecia and pulled her into his arms. “So proud of you.”
She hugged him back, finding it easier and easier with each passing day to let these men wrap themselves around her.
Elias hugged her next.
Finally, Dawson. He held the baby between them, but he lifted her chin and stared into her eyes for a long time with a slow smile. When he kissed her, his lips held promise and passion. He was the only man she hadn’t slept with yet, and she knew he would be in her bed later that night.
She shivered when he pulled back. He didn’t say a word. Simply continued to hold her chin and stare into her eyes once again.
When Amelia cooed between them, they both took a step back to look down at her. Her sweet little cherub face was lit up with life and made Grecia smile.
It felt good to smile. It felt like the weight of the world was lifting. Maybe Grecia would get her chance at happiness. It was her turn.
Why then did it feel like everything could crumble away like a log that had burned all night and one poke at the corner made it collapse into ashes?
Grecia tried to shake the ominous feeling as the five of them went to get some breakfast and then head off to start their days. Today was supposed to be like any other day. Dawson and Elias would head to the clothing exchange to continue sorting what they’d brought in. Jeremy would head to the agriculture department to oversee the produce. Grecia and Amelia would head for the daycare center.
A regular day filled with hope and excitement.
Fear and concern.
Stress and anxiety.
The world had never been kind to Grecia. Why would it start today?