Scene Change

by J. A. Armstrong

  Emma swiftly turned.

  “Emma—”

  Before Addison could mount her protest, Emma’s tongue bathed her center in a flurry of flicks and licks.

  Addison lost her breath—lost her will for a split-second. She moved to hold Emma’s hips and returned to her exploration of Emma’s softness. She could feel the trembling of Emma’s legs, and was grateful. Emma’s tender touch and faint kisses were about to send Addison into oblivion. She wanted to reach the pinnacle with Emma. She also wondered what Emma was thinking. She needed to slow Emma down. “Em.” Addison pulled away.

  Emma stopped with alarm. Had she hurt Addison? She moved to face her wife. “Are you all right?”

  “So much better than all right,” Addison promised. She’d forgotten about her injury. “I wanted to see you,” she said. “Tell me what you were thinking.”

  “I wasn’t thinking.”

  “What were you imagining?” Addison asked.

  Emma grinned. Ah, I see. “I was imagining you teasing me—the way I suspect you had planned.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I imagined you touching yourself.”

  Addison sighed. “I want to touch you.”

  “Mm. You were touching me. You want to hear me too?”

  “Yes,” Addison confessed.

  “Maybe we can both have what we want,” Emma said. She kissed Addison passionately. “We’ll go back to the beginning. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. You touch yourself while you make love to me.”

  Addison swallowed hard. Emma kissed her gently and returned to her original position. “Tell me,” Addison requested.

  “Touch yourself, Addy, and I will tell you.”

  Addison took a deep breath and dropped her hand between her legs. Her tongue danced over Emma lightly.

  “Mm. So good, Addy,” Emma said. “I love the way you feel. I wish I could see you touching yourself.”

  Addison moaned.

  “You were going to handcuff me to our bed. And, then what?” Emma asked. “You were going to tease me. Suck my nipples and make me beg you for more?”

  “Mm,” Addison moaned against Emma.

  Emma was about to lose control. She knew her words would bring them both the release they sought. Addison wanted to hear her fantasy. That aroused Emma as much as Addison’s touch. Knowing that Addison was touching herself turned Emma on in ways she was sure Addison didn’t comprehend. It wasn’t the action or even the vision that made Emma dizzy with lust. It was knowing that Addison trusted her completely. It was witnessing Addison’s pleasure. She felt her legs quivering and hoped her words would bring Addison closer to letting go. “You would,” Emma continued. “Then you would make me watch you touch yourself. I couldn’t touch you. I couldn’t reach out for you. It just makes me want you more.”

  Addison pictured Emma looking up at her, pleading with her eyes, struggling against her restraints. Her orgasm mounted quickly. She sucked on Emma gently.

  “Addy! Yes. Come with me, love. Please.”

  Addison felt Emma’s body as it quaked above her and promptly fell into a series of blissful shudders. She heard Emma’s call to keep going and tried to focus on both their pleasure. The moment Emma shook again, Addison’s second release pulled her under.

  Emma finally pulled away and collapsed beside Addison. “Good God, she said. “Where did that come from?”

  “You are amazing, Em.”

  “Addy—”

  “No,” Addison said. “You are. I would give you anything.”

  Emma kissed Addison’s breast and snuggled against her. “I keep telling you, you’ve given me everything.”

  “Well, maybe I think we need to keep expanding what everything is.”

  “Maybe we do.”

  Addison shifted.

  “Hurts?” Emma guessed.

  “I’ll be okay.”

  Emma pulled herself from the bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get that ice,” Emma said. “Was it worth it?”

  “Emma, I would live in traction for a month to have a night like we just shared.”

  “Traction?” Emma asked.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” Addison said.

  Emma laughed. “Maybe not a month,” she said with a wink as she left the room.

  Addison shook her head and laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A WEEK LATER

  “I was surprised to get your call.”

  Emma shrugged. “Why would you be surprised that I would call?”

  “You did just leave,” Sherry Bronson reminded her daughter.

  “True.”

  “So? Care to tell me why you requested my visit?’

  “Addy and I have decided to sell this house.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  Emma shook her head. “We’re selling it to Christie and Tam.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “I think so.”

  “Emmie?”

  “Eventually, Addy and I will need to find someplace here—a second home.”

  “This isn’t exactly news,” Sherry pointed out.

  “Mom, Kansas will be home, not Los Angeles.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “For now,” Emma said. “I don’t know what the right decision is, Mom. That’s the truth. I know this is what I need to do. I worry sometimes that if I step too far away, I will lose—”

  “The ability to step back,” Sherry guessed.

  “More like the desire,” Emma admitted. “I’ve always battled this demon.”

  “Demon?”

  “That’s what I would call it. Is it too much to hope that I can have my career and still have the life with Addy and the kids that I want?”

  “Don’t you already have the life with Addy that you want?”

  “I do, but—”

  “But you want to work.”

  Emma nodded. “And, I wonder if that is fair to them—the kids most of all.”

  “I know you do. Emmie, listen to me for a minute. You need to stop trying to be what you think is the right kind of mother and be Emma.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Those girls adore both you and Addison. I know there are days they test your patience. God knows, you and your brothers tested mine over the years.”

  Emma laughed.

  “You all grew into compassionate, capable adults, and you’re all terrific parents. That’s the best thing any parent can hope for—that their children grow to become good people.”

  “You were always there for us,” Emma said.

  “Was I? You’re referring to the fact that I stayed home through most of your childhood.”

  “Partly. We had structure.”

  “Vicki and Hannah have structure,” Sherry replied. “Plenty of it. You need to stop thinking that a perfect schedule is the same as structure. You’ve set healthy boundaries for the kids. I’ve seen it. They know their limits, and they know that you love them.”

  “Mom,” Emma began with a sigh. “The things that they will be exposed to if—”

  “Emma,” Sherry addressed her daughter firmly. “You’ve been home for almost four years. You’re not on a show. I walk into the grocery store and your face is still on one of those litter-box liners.”

  Emma chuckled uncomfortably.

  “You can’t shelter the kids from everything. You have to trust that you and Addison, that the structure you have put into place, and that your parenting will get them through their unique circumstance. Moving to Kansas will give them some distance. I agree with you and Addison on that point. But Emma, you will always be Emmie, Mrs. Blake, and Emma Bronson. They are all a part of who you are, and that is who we all love.”

  “Sometimes, they do feel like separate people,” Emma offered.

  “Well, welcome to life. That’s no different for anyone, sweetheart. I’m sure there are days Addison wonders if sh
e’s the writer, the producer, the wife, the mom, or the kid missing home.”

  “Did you?”

  “I never wondered if I was a writer.”

  Emma rolled her eyes.

  “Of course, I did. I still do. One minute, I’m Grandma. The next, Jackson is at my door asking if he can borrow Dad’s truck. And, then ten minutes later, your father is pulling me onto the couch to watch a movie. And, we both know that his movie choices are less entertaining than a trip to the dentist.”

  Emma laughed.

  “Sometimes, in the middle of the day, when no one is around, I swear I am ten-years-old, and I wonder when your grandmother is going to walk into the kitchen. We are all different people rolled into one—not just that we play different roles for others. Those roles are part of our person. I love being your mother and being Grandma. Most days, I love being your father’s wife. Some days, I lose sight of that little girl, though. You know, I worried about raising you where we lived.”

  “Why?” Emma wondered.

  “Oh, let me count the ways. Your father’s parents did not share my views about anything. I worried you’d be led by more God-fearing than God-loving, for one thing.”

  “You and Daddy would never have let that happen.”

  Sherry arched her brow.

  “No. No. It’s not the same,” Emma argued.

  “Really?” Sherry challenged. “Of course, it’s the same. How many stories did you hear through the grapevine about me over the years?”

  “A few.”

  “Mm. And?”

  “I never said anything—I mean to Grandma or the people at church. I did pull out Mrs. Milligan’s chair a little once. Good thing she didn’t fall. I didn’t know about her hip replacement back then.”

  Sherry’s roar of laughter filled the room. “You didn’t.”

  “Yeah, I did. Jackson put garlic in Grandma’s apple pie for the Ladies’ Church Supper once too.”

  Sherry’s jaw dropped.

  “They deserved it,” Emma said. “That probably wasn’t as bad as the time we used shaving cream on Mrs. Dandridge’s custard.”

  Sherry covered her face and shook with laughter. “Please tell me you’re making this up.”

  “Nope. Should I go on?”

  “Yes. But not until we are able to share a bottle of wine again.”

  Emma nodded.

  “You see? You need to trust that your children know you, the real you, Emmie. They will see their Mom, not the woman on the litter-box liners in the grocery checkout. You think it’s different from your grandmother’s church friends. It isn’t. People see what they choose to see, and they often say whatever thought pops into their head without considering who it might hurt. That might be magnified for you. It exists for everyone. Whether you live here, or you make your home in Kansas, you’ll have to deal with it at some point.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Mm. You still haven’t told me why I’m here. You could’ve called me with this revelation.”

  “I suppose that’s true. I thought having you here might help Tam—just a little.”

  “Why? Is something wrong?”

  “Not wrong. Tam is pregnant. Due not long after me as a matter of fact.”

  “And how exactly do you think I can help with that?”

  “You know Tam. She thought I would be here. She has Christie, and Jeff and Sandra, but Addy is her family.”

  “You and Addy are her family.”

  “Yes,” Emma agreed. “And so are you and Daddy. Tam hasn’t even told her family about the baby, Mom.”

  “I think I get the picture.”

  “My friendship isn’t equivalent to your wisdom,” Emma said.

  Sherry snorted. “Wisdom? Emmie, I swear to you, I have more questions now than I did when you were born—about everything.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do. I recall wanting my mother close when I was expecting.”

  “I think Tam worries that because she isn’t close to her family, she’ll fail at parenting.”

  Sherry nodded. “Family barbecue?”

  “I thought that might be a good place to start. It is a little strange to be leaving now.”

  “How so?”

  “Both Tam and Sandra are pregnant. God knows that Vicki and Hannah have loved having Brody around. I won’t lie to you; it made me pause. Noah would have two best friends to grow up with—two cousins right here. You know how much I love Evan and Andrew, but they aren’t the best playmates for Vicki and Hannah—much less Noah when he arrives.”

  “You do know that you can change your mind,” Sherry said.

  “I know. I don’t want to change my mind—again. It’s just that no matter where we go, we leave family behind.”

  Sherry squeezed Emma’s knee. “That is a wonderful problem to have.”

  “Yes, I guess it is.” Emma grinned. “There was one other thing.”

  “Uh-huh. Exactly how long do you want me to babysit?”

  Emma shrugged. “Just one night.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I want to take Addy away—just the two of us. It’s been a long time since we’ve done that. I just think that—”

  “No need to explain,” Sherry said. “Disneyworld, moving, another baby—you need to take a little time for each other. Where are you two headed?”

  “Not far—just someplace quiet for a night.”

  “Take a few,” Sherry advised.

  Emma was surprised.

  “I mean it. You and Addy haven’t taken any time away together in years.”

  “We’ve had time together.”

  “You’ve had time away from the girls.”

  “Together.”

  “Yes, but not away from the noise, Emmie. One or both of you has been working. Take a few days and escape somewhere. It will be good for both of you, and it’ll be good for the kids.”

  “You think?”

  “I know. They expect to visit us when you two are underwater with a project. They need to know that their parents are entitled to Disneyworld too.”

  “I’m not sure they’re ready for that information,” Emma deadpanned.

  Sherry rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting you take a rollercoaster ride.”

  Emma winked.

  Sherry giggled.

  “Sorry,” Emma apologized.

  “For? Be grateful,” Sherry advised. “Some people will tell you that intimacy doesn’t matter after a while. It matters. Kids, work—life, it can all get in the way. My advice is to do everything you can so that it never does for very long.”

  “You never traveled much with Daddy.”

  “We never traveled far when you were little. Sometimes, it was a short ride to a cabin by the lake. We made time. You and Addy need that time.”

  Emma reached out and pulled her mother into a hug. “Thank you—for everything.”

  “Oh, Emmie. Seeing you happy is all the thanks I will ever need. Trust me on that.”

  I do.

  ***

  Addison walked into the bedroom and froze. A suitcase sat on the bed open, half-full of familiar clothing. Her face crinkled with confusion. She called out for Emma. No reply. She took a step closer and peered inside the luggage. “What on earth—”

  “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in,” Emma said from the doorway.

  “Obviously,” Addison replied. “Am I going somewhere?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? Um, Em?”

  Emma chuckled. Addison was perplexed. “We are going somewhere. In fact, we’re leaving in the morning.”

  Addison tipped her head in question.

  “It’s a surprise,” Emma said.

  “A surprise?”

  “Yes. You do remember what those are?”

  “The last surprise I remember was Hannah leaving her toy car in the hallway.”

  Emma cringed. “Yeah, that wasn’t a great one.”

  “What are you up to?”

&nb
sp; “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” Addison said.

  Emma stepped into Addison’s arms. “Do you remember the last time we went anywhere together—alone?”

  Addison was still perplexed.

  “Things are going to get crazier than the usual insanity around here soon. I would like to spend a little time with my wife before that happens,” Emma explained. “Alone and away from everything that can distract us from each other.”

  Addison’s eyes twinkled.

  Emma giggled. “You are worse than a teenage boy sometimes.”

  “Nah,” Addison replied. “I am surprised.”

  “That I want to spend time with you?”

  “No, but that you want to leave here to do that.”

  Emma sighed. “Call it my reset button.”

  “Reset button?”

  “Yes. A deep breath, a short time to remind us that there is an us.”

  “I’m game. Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “You didn’t make reservations at some kinky Air B n B, did you?”

  Emma laughed. “What has gotten into you lately?”

  Addison blushed. “I was just asking.”

  “No. I can’t promise you any bondage-friendly beds.”

  “Oh,” Addison feigned disappointment.

  “Stop.”

  Addison winked. “You really want to go away with me?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “It’s not that—but, I mean, we have the trip to Disney coming up, and packing, and—”

  Emma silenced Addison with a kiss. “Those are all the reasons we are taking a few days away.”

  “A few?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Nope.”

  “Even if there’s no recreational furniture?”

  “Em, with you any piece of furniture can be recreational.”

  Emma burst into laughter. Well, if nothing else, it will be an interesting few days.

  ***

  “Momma?”

  Addison turned to find Vicki staring at her with a forlorn expression.

  “Hey, Sprout. What’s wrong?”

  Vicki shrugged.

  Addison put down the book in her hands and directed Vicki to come sit beside her. “Why the long face?”

  “How come you’re leaving?”

  “Mommy and I are taking a short trip together.”

  “But how come?”