by BWWM Club
“Mrs. Yang!” she exclaimed as soon as she pulled the door open to admit the older woman. Rosa had always wondered what on earth she did to look so young and so elegantly put together. She was wearing a pale yellow kimono and black heels. It was already May and the weather was proving to be very accommodating.
“I am very happy to see that you have recovered from the accident.” The woman said in her polite cultured voice.
Rosa was fervently wishing that John was here, she did not know how to deal with his mother by herself and had long since abandoned the idea of trying to make things right with his parents, the accident had drove the idea straight out of her mind.
Just then Michael Phillip let out a small cry and Rosa hurried to his room, temporarily forgetting she had not invited the woman inside.
Rosa went into the room to see that her son had his hand caught in the receiver she had put inside his cot and was fighting to get it out. “Oh my poor darling,” she crooned, quickly pulling the material away and freeing her son’s hand. She lifted him out and hugged him to her, startled to realize that John’s mother had followed her to the room.
“What a beautiful child!” She exclaimed, staring at the wriggling infant in his mother’s arms. “He looks exactly like his father,” she murmured, coming closer. “May I?” she had put away her pocket book and reached her arms out for the baby.
“Of course,” Rosa said quickly, handing over her precious infant to the woman who was virtually a stranger. To her fascination, she saw the expression on her face change to one of extreme tenderness as soon as she held the baby in her arms. “He is so adorable,” she said huskily, her gaze transfixed on the infant who was staring at her in fascination. Lucy Yang walked over to the rocker and sat with her grandson, refusing to take her eyes away from him.
Rosa stood there confused, not sure what to do. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked uncertainly. She was dying to call John who would usually have called by now to check up on his two favorite people as he put it.
“Yes, thank you dear, a bit of herbal tea will do.” She told Rosa briefly.
Rosa hesitated a little before leaving the room to go into the kitchen. Once there, she reached for the phone and dialed her husband’s number.
“Baby what’s wrong?” his voice sounded anxious and she hastened to assure him that they were fine.
“It’s just that your mother is here,” she told him, placing the kettle on the stove to prepare the tea.
“Here where?” he asked puzzled.
“Here in our house John,” she told him impatiently, placing the tea sachet inside the cup and pouring the water over it.
“What is she doing there?” He asked.
“Well for starters, she is holding our baby like she does not want to let him go and I am in the kitchen making herbal tea that she so politely requested.” Rosa told him dryly.
Her husband laughed and Rosa had to smile. “Want me to come over?” he asked her.
“Could you?” she wondered in relief. “I know you are probably busy but I don’t know what to say to her John.”
“I will be right there,” he reassured her.
Lucy Yang was telling her how they carried babies in China when John came swiftly into the room. “John!” Rosa jumped up and went to her husband who clasped her to him with a calming squeeze and then went to his mother.
“Mother, how nice to see you,” he bent and kissed her cheek briefly, running a hand over his son’s raven hair. “I see you have met your grandson.”
“He is such a beautiful baby,” his mother murmured. If she was surprised to see her son come over she made no mention of it.
"He is," John agreed, exchanging glances with his wife. "How are you and father?" He pulled up a chair and sat beside her. Rosa was aching to take her baby away from her but she restrained herself.
"I want to be a part of his life," Lucy Yang tore her gaze away from her grandson to look at his parents. "I know we said we did not want to have anything to do with you because of the differences but I want to be a part of my grandson's life."
There was silence for a minute or two with Rosa looking at her husband.
"What does father say?" John asked his mother quietly.
"I have not said anything to him yet but for now I want to come over and visit when I can and I want to help out in whatever way I can." She was staring down at the baby who was looking up quietly at his grandmother with his big black eyes.
"We are okay as we are," Rosa began but she was interrupted as the woman stood up in one fluid movement, clutching her grandson to her.
"Please," she pleaded, coming over to stand in front of Rosa. "I know I have not been supportive and I know John blamed me for the accident that almost cost you and your son's life," Rosa looked at her husband in surprise. “But I want to be here for him and I know eventually my husband will come around.”
"The accident is not your fault Mrs. Yang and we will certainly welcome you being in your grandson's life because I strongly believe in family, don't we baby?" she looked at her husband for support.
John had stood and he came over and gently took his son from his mother, he was starting to get a little fussy. "I am happy you are here mother and I certainly welcome your presence here as well." He gave his son a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I think he needs some attention that only his mother can give him." He passed him to Rosa. "Mother how about we go to the kitchen and I fix us some lunch?" he took her arm with the intention of leading her outside the room.
The woman hesitated a fraction, taking in the tableau of Rosa pulling out her breast and putting it into her son's mouth as he latched onto it greedily, making little sucking sounds.
"He certainly loves his food," she commented.
"He sure does," Rosa stared down at her son tenderly.
John guided his mother from the room, taking one lingering glance at his wife and son, a smile around his mouth. He never got tired of seeing them like that.
Lucy Yang spent the rest of the afternoon, holding the baby as soon as he had slept and was awake. She promised to call before she came. John and Rosa protested that he already had so many things he was in danger of being spoiled but the woman had smiled gently down at the boy and said he was definitely going to be spoiled.
*****
"So what do you think?" John asked her anxiously after his mother had left. They were in the kitchen preparing dinner which Rosa had insisted she helped with as she was feeling much better these days. Michael Phillip had gone off to sleep again as soon as his grandmother Yang had left.
"About what?" she glanced over at him, a smile curving her lips as she looked at the cute little apron he was wearing. He had decided not to go back to the restaurant but to stay and help with dinner.
"About mother becoming a part of our son's life." He put the vegetable he had chopped up into a bowl. He had been getting a lot of business from his father and he was very grateful because it meant that the restaurant was holding its own.
"She is after all, his grandmother," Rosa commented, popping a piece of tomato into her mouth. "I am glad she has decided to become involved darling; remember that was what I wanted all along." She went behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as he stirred the meat sauce on the stove top. Her husband loved to cook and if she was not careful he would be in the kitchen all the time. "I didn't know you blamed her for the accident?" She felt him stiffen in her arms and with a sigh she went around to face him. "We have to put it behind us John and it was unfair of you to blame her."
“I told myself that after I hung up,” he told her wryly. “Forgive me for being totally irrational after I found out I almost lost my wife and child.”
“You are forgiven,” she told him gently, wiping a smear of flour from his cheek. “I love you John Yang.”
“I love you more,” he told her softly with a yearning look on his face. He had the vision of her feeding their son in his head and he could not get it out. Every time h
e came near her he had a constant hard on and even when he was at work he thought about her. The fact that he could not enter her because she was not well enough was driving him a little crazy and he had to improvise. “I ache for you,” he whispered, his mouth descending on hers.
Rosa opened hers underneath his and her breasts laden with milk brushed against his chest, sending a long shiver through her body as his tongue teased her tongue and her nipples hardened. They had been improvising when it came to lovemaking. He had been feeding on her breasts when she had told him it was okay to do so. The doctor had told her that some women lost interest in sex after child birth but she had laughingly told him hers had increased.
He released her and putting her a little away from her, he pulled her blouse down, exposing her lace maternity bra and with a gentle hand he pushed it aside, taking in her full breast to his hungry gaze. “I saw you feeding my son and I was hard, is that weird?” he murmured, one finger going over the tight bud. He was bursting from the crotch of his pants and there was a physical ache there. She shook her head, not able to speak as he bent his head and took the nipple inside his mouth. Rosa cried out softly, digging her fingers into his soft springy hair as his tongue slid over her nipple, gently sucking at it and tasting the milk inside his mouth.
He transferred to the other one and by the time he was through, Rosa was almost delirious with need. He brought his head up and took her lips with his, their combined needs reaching a desperation that had them with panting with desire.
*****
“Just look at my beautiful grandson!” Joan Hurley hurried over to take the baby from her daughter. She had been putting some vegetables in their special packages. Ever since she had gotten the extra business from her daughter’s restaurant she had been kept very busy, so much so that she was strongly contemplating hiring extra help.
“We stopped at the restaurant as his father wanted to show him off to every customer that came in,” Rosa said shaking her head as she put the car seat on the couch.
“Who wouldn’t?” Joan crooned, rocking him from side to side as she stared into his adorable face; even though his features had changed somewhat in the month he had been born, he still bore a striking resemblance to his father. He was through and through a Yang, no mistake about that. “No wonder Grandma Yang is so drawn to him.” Rosa had told her mother and Hayley about the visit from Lucy Yang and how she had been so reluctant to leave.
“I don’t know how I am going to leave him when I have to go back to the restaurant,” Rosa said with a sigh sitting and stretching her legs out. She and John had been discussing it at length and they still had not come to a decision as to what they should do concerning Michael Phillip. She had shied away from bringing a total stranger inside their home to take care of their son. Her mother would have been the perfect person but with her business growing, they were sure she would not have the time to take care of him.
“What are you going to do with him when you go back to the restaurant?” her mother asked her curiously, tearing her gaze away from her grandson to look at her daughter. It amazed her how much motherhood had transformed her from a very attractive woman to one of startling beauty and maturity. The girl was positively glowing.
“John and I have been discussing that for weeks now and we have yet to come to a decision,” Rosa told her disconsolately. “Leaving him with a stranger is out of the question and I can’t very well take him to the restaurant.”
“Of course you can’t,” her mother agreed, placing a soft kiss on the baby’s cheek. He was so plump and very quiet, moving his hands around and staring all over the room. “Why don’t you let me keep him?”
“We thought about that mama but aren’t you very busy with your produce?” Rosa asked her a flicker of hope rising inside her.
“I am actually,” she beamed. “Thanks to that husband of yours but I am hiring someone so I will be able to keep an eye on my grandson. All I need to do is to fix up your old room and put a cot in there and whatever he needs and you drop him off when you are going in and pick him up when you're done.”
“Mama are you sure?” Rosa asked, her eyes lighting up as she leaned forward.
“As sure as I am looking at you,” Joan Hurley said cheerfully, looking at her grandson tenderly. He was starting to get fussy and she suspected he needed his mama’s attention.
“Oh mama, thanks,” Rosa cried, going over to give her mother a hug which included her son as well. “I know he will be well taken care of.”
Her son started to cry just then and Rosa took him and held him to her, breathing in his special baby smell of powder and baby oil and she felt lightened significantly.
Her mother went back inside the kitchen to get the order ready to be taken out and left her daughter feeding her grandson. A smile on her face as she stood there for a little bit watching as her daughter crooned softly to the baby who was pulling at her nipple as if his life depended on it. Her daughter had done so well and she wished her husband was here to see how her life had turned out. That man she married loved her so much that he was almost putty in her hands.
She and Michael Phillip slept in her old room shortly after. Joan peeked in at them every now and then and closed the door softly behind her. John had called and she had told him they were sleeping and he had said he would call back later.
Hayley came by in the afternoon because Rosa had called her and told her that she was at her mother's. As soon as she came inside the house, she went straight to the sink to wash her hands and took Michael Phillip in her arms. “Lord, he makes me want to hurry up and get one of my own,” she said with a sigh as she rubbed her nose over the baby’s cheek. “How does he get more and more handsome every day?” she asked the question to no one in general, easing off her black heels and curling up on the couch with the baby in her arms.
“I ask myself that same question every day?” Rosa said with a grin. They had slept for an hour and a half and she had called her husband to let him know that they were okay.
Her mother had been busy packaging her products and had still found time to prepare fried chicken and potato salad, enough to feed an army.
“You can always take some home,” she had told her daughter firmly when she had protested at the amount of food there was.
The summer had arrived with rain and humidity and the air conditioner had been turned on along with a fan circulating lazily around the room.
“How is Jonathon these days?” Rosa asked her friend. Hayley had been complaining that he was traveling too much for the company and he had asked if she wanted to come with him on his next trip where he would be going to Hawaii for three days. She had of course, said yes.
“Busy as usual,” she said with a grimace. “So tell me again in details this time what John’s mother had to say about this adorable creature.”
Rosa told the story over again and how in panic she had called her husband as it appeared that the woman was about to run away with their son any minute.
“I am happy she has come around though,” Rosa said after they had finished laughing. “I want him to get to know both sides of the family.”
“How about her husband?” Hayley asked her curiously.
“She still has not said anything to him,” Rosa said with a shrug; reaching over to wipe a drool off her son’s mouth. Hayley took the receiver from her and patted his mouth dry.
“Maybe he will come around,” Joan Hurley said with finality. “This little man is his family and who does not care about family?”
They chatted about this and that and Rosa took her son and fed him while Hayley went into the kitchen to finish helping Joan prepare the food.
John came by at some minutes after five and greeted his wife with a kiss and then his son who looked up at him drowsily, getting ready for another nap.
They ate dinner in the small cozy dining room and drank glasses of ice cold lemonade to wash down the food. Rosa told him that her mother was willing to take care of Michael Phillip wh
en she went back to the restaurant and John expressed his appreciation.
They left shortly after, laden down with containers covered with fried chicken and potato salad and an apple pie her mother had baked.
John drove behind her to make sure that she was okay and she waited for him to park so that they could go up together.
He took the baby from her and with a smile she whispered a silent thank you as she linked her arm through his. Her family meant so much to her.
Chapter 12
Two months after the birth...
The first day going back to the restaurant was very rough and John had to keep reminding her that they had to leave. She packed her son's bag and went back inside his room to find more things to put inside the bag.
John had gently taken the bag from her and finished packing it; allowing her to feed their son. It was almost ten o'clock and her mother was expecting them shortly. They had made the decision for her to return to the restaurant because it needed her input and besides, she had rationalized that the longer she stayed home with John Phillip the harder it was going to be to leave him.
"Mommy is going to miss you so much my baby," she told him as she put back the breast he had been feeding on in her bra. He had grown so big, she wondered if he was the same baby she had brought home from the hospital two months ago. She looked up to see her husband standing inside the doorway. He was always so patient with her, never hurrying her and putting up with all her idiosyncrasies and she loved him so much for being such a wonderful husband and father.
"This is hard," she told him with a catch in her throat.
"I know," he told her softly, coming inside the room. He took his son from her and placing a blanket on his shoulder, he made sure he burped him, slowly rubbing his back. Rosa stood up; her eyes glowing with love as she looked at the men in her life; it was such a wonderful feeling and she felt like she was the most fortunate woman in the entire world.