“Addy,” Emma begged for more. “Tell me, Addy. Please. Please, tell me.”
Addison knew what Emma wanted to hear. “I love fucking you.”
Emma’s orgasm built to the point that it was almost painful.
“That’s what you want to hear, isn’t it? That I love this.”
“God, yes.”
“I want you to come,” Addison said. She reached a hand to Emma’s breast and squeezed an erect nipple. “Right now. With me. Right now, Emma.” Addison couldn’t hold back any longer. She shook as she thrust into Emma.
Emma’s body thundered in response. “Don’t. Stop.”
Addison obeyed. She thrust into Emma again, and again, amazed that Emma wanted to keep going. When Emma finally moved to pull away, Addison thought they were done. She was ready to pull Emma into her arms.
“No,” Emma said. She pushed Addison back and climbed on top of her. She settled herself over Addison’s hips.
“Em,” Addison panted. “What are you—”
Emma felt as though she were possessed. She wanted to be possessed by Addison. She needed more and more—and still more. She grabbed Addison’s hands and placed them on her breasts. Her hands moved to Addison’s nipples. It all began again. Emma threw her head back in ecstasy.
“You are so beautiful,” Addison said. “So fucking beautiful it hurts.”
Emma opened her eyes. “I love you.”
Addison traced Emma’s lips with a fingertip. “I love you, Em. God, I love you. I love you like this.”
“I love us like this,” Emma said. “I missed you, Addy.”
Another shift, another step, another dance—they’d begun to make love. Addison’s heart ached. “Anything you want, Emma. I would give it to you.”
Emma smiled. “I know.” Her hands fell on either side of Addison’s shoulders as they both crested and fell again. “I would give you anything too, love.” Emma finally collapsed onto Addison. Addison started to withdraw from Emma. Emma stopped her. “No. Just like this for a minute. Just hold me right here, like this.”
“Anything,” Addison promised. “I missed you too, Em. I don’t think I realized how much until today.”
“Mm.” Emma moved. She relieved Addison of the object between them and tossed it aside. “We need to be Addy and Emma sometimes—just Addy and Emma, where we can let go of everything and everyone else. Just for a while.”
“We do,” Addison agreed. “Em?”
“Hum?”
“Was that—”
Emma looked at Addison lovingly. “Everything we just shared was perfect, Addy. It always is because it’s you and me. I will keep telling you this until the last breath I take, I am always making love to you—with you. Always.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I do. Most of the time,” Addison began. “I need to be—”
“Tender?”
Addison nodded.
Emma smiled and kissed her softly. “I know. That’s one of the reasons I love you so damn much.”
“Can I tell you something?”
“Anything. You know that.”
“I don’t ever want it to get old, Emma. I mean, I don’t ever want us to stop—”
“We won’t.”
“Even when we’re eighty?”
Emma giggled. “Well, some of the acrobatics might need to change.”
Addison laughed.
“I will still want you close to me. I will always want you close to me.”
“Even when we’re not in Kansas anymore?” Addison joked.
“We’re not in Kansas now.”
“More like Oz.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “I had to fall in love with a writer.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Oh, no. You know how to write a love scene.”
“Maybe. You know how to play it, though.”
“Pretty good team,” Emma said.
“Pretty good team. Love you, Em.”
“I love you too, Addy.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
A MONTH LATER
Tamara dangled her feet in the pool and sipped some lemonade. “I can’t believe it.”
“Which it?” Sandra asked. “Living in Emma’s house, having a baby, or Addy and Emma moving away?”
“That they went to Disney without me.”
Sandra laughed. “That is the worst thing that’s ever happened, Tam.”
“Hey, I love Disney!”
“It does seem weird.”
“What?”
“Seeing all the boxes in the house,” Sandra said with a sigh. “I’ll tell you something, I’ve wanted to talk Emma out of this since she told me they were leaving.”
Tamara nodded. She’d fought the same desire a million times. It still didn’t seem possible to her that this would be her home with Christie in a couple of months. She was house-sitting for the week, or as Tamara referred to it, accepting King Duty. “This house won’t feel right without King.”
“Well, look at it this way, it’s one less set of messes you have to pick up.”
“True,” Tamara said. “King leaves some nasty bombs outside.”
“Can’t be worse than some of Brody’s diapers were.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better, Sandra.”
Sandra laughed. “You’re a pro with diapers.”
“Have you seen me change a diaper?”
Sandra searched her memory. “Come to think of it—no. But you changed tons of Vicki’s and Hannah’s, not to mention Brody’s diapers.”
“Mm-hum. I have.”
“Tam?”
“I have a method.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
Tamara shrugged. “Dangle and spray.”
“Come again?”
“If there is anything other than wet, I use the dangle and spray method.”
“Is this one of those things you and Addy discovered in all those baby books you two read when Emma was pregnant with Vicki?”
“Nope. You know, I should write one.”
Sandra cackled.
“Why is that funny?”
“No reason. Tell me about this method of yours.”
“Dangle and spray gets the poop away. It’s simple.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s the best way to ensure nothing dingles or dangles.”
Sandra shook her head.
“Close the flap and carry child into the bathroom. Start the shower. Remove poopy Pampers. By the way, why do they call them Pampers?”
“I have no idea.”
“Pampers? What is pampering about pee and poop? They just wanted to keep with the Ps. That’s what I think.”
Sandra covered her face. Where Tamara came up with her logic remained a mystery to everyone. “Continue with the Dangle and Spray theory.”
“Not theory. Method. Where was I?”
“Showers, as I recall.”
“Right. Start the shower. Dangle child under the spray. Apply a little soap. Dangle again. Remove child. Dry baby bum. Fasten new P pad, and voila! There you have it—clean baby, no dangles, no wipes needed.”
“That is how you cleaned our children?”
“Yep. I did use the kitchen sink a couple of times with Hannah when Vicki was still potty-training. Don’t tell Em. That sprayer is a Godsend!”
“And, just think—you will own that sprayer before the baby arrives.”
“I knew there was a reason she spent so much time in that kitchen.”
“You are tapped, Tam.”
Tamara grinned. “Just don’t spill your lemonade in my soon-to-be pool. Someone will think we peed in it.”
Sandra laughed. “Tapped. Completely.”
***
Emma wondered how many miles they had walked in two days. It seemed that Vicki had one setting—high. She was wired for sound and speed by six in the morning and fought tooth and nail to stay up at night. Emma expected that the initial Disney excitement wo
uld fade after a few hours—no such luck. Vicki was determined to see everything.
“Mommy!”
Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. She heard Addison snigger. “It’s not funny,” she whispered. “What is it, Vicki?”
“You can go on the river ride.”
Vicki had prattled on and on about Na’vi River Journey for weeks. There were a handful of rides that allowed Emma to participate. This seemed to be the one that Vicki was the most intent on finding. She followed Vicki’s finger to the sign.
“Okay,” Addison said. “We’ll go there next.”
Vicki stopped cold and stared at Addison. She shook her head.
“What?” Addison asked.
Vicki grabbed Emma’s hand. “Me and Mommy,” she said.
Addison and Emma were both surprised. “You don’t want me to go with you?” Addison tried to understand.
“You can take Hannah after,” Vicki said.
“Vicki,” Emma began.
Addison stopped her thought. “Okay,” Addison said. “Me and Hannah will take a walk while you and Mommy go down the river.”
Emma looked at Addison.
“In fact,” Addison said. “Why don’t we split up for a couple of hours and meet back here? You and Mommy can pick someplace to have lunch together. I’ll find something for me and Hannah.”
Vicki grinned excitedly and tugged on Emma’s hand.
“Are you sure?” Emma asked Addison.
“Completely. Have fun. We’ll see you back here around one. Is that good?”
“Yep. Come on, Mommy.”
Emma chuckled. “Hold on, Sprout. Addy—”
“Go,” Addison said. She kissed Emma’s cheek. “Besides, me and the bean have big things to do. Don’t we, Hannah?”
Hannah giggled. “Momma!”
“What?” Addison asked.
“Momma!”
“Yep, that’s me. What do you say? Adventure time?”
“Raffes!”
“Giraffes. Right. Got it. Let’s find giraffes.” Addison winked at Emma. “Don’t fall in the river.”
“You can’t fall in,” Vicki said. “Come on, Mommy.”
Emma laughed. Well, this is new. Vicki tended to be attached to Addison. If Addison was home, Vicki went to her momma. Emma knew part of the reason stemmed from the fact that Addison did work and was not always with Vicki. It was more than that. Vicki had always gravitated to Addison. Hannah was content with either her momma or her mommy. Vicki would grow sullen if she spent too much time away from Addison. Emma wondered what prompted Vicki’s desire to spend time with her without Addison—at Disney, no less. “So, tell me again about this ride?”
“It’s easy. It’s a river.”
“I know that much.”
“We get to go in caves.”
“Wow.”
“Yep.” Vicki led Emma into the line. “Mommy?”
“Hum?”
“Can we spend today?”
Emma was puzzled.
“Me and you,” Vickie explained.
Emma led Vicki out of the line and over to a bench nearby. “Don’t you want to spend today with Momma and Hannah?”
Vicki shrugged.
“Sprout.”
“Hannah can have Momma today.”
Emma tried to understand. “I thought you were excited to show Hannah and Momma everything?”
“We can go to the castle tomorrow.”
“Vicki,” Emma began cautiously. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Vicki shrugged.
Emma took a deep breath. “Are you worried about the baby coming?”
Vicki shrugged again.
“Sprout?”
“You get busy,” Vicki said.
“Oh, Sprout.” Emma pulled Vicki onto her lap. “I’m never too busy for you.”
“Hannah got you yesterday.”
“Hannah did stay with me a lot yesterday because you wanted to go places Hannah couldn’t go,” Emma reminded her daughter.
Vicki looked down.
“I can’t go to all of those places right now either, sweetheart. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to go with you.”
Vicki looked up hopefully.
Emma smiled. “I think I understand,” she said. “It’s not always easy sharing.”
Vicki looked down again.
Emma kissed her daughter on the head. “I always want to spend time with you,” she said.
Vicki looked at her mother.
“Sometimes, you would rather spend time with Momma or Grandma, with Evan and Andrew or Brody,” Emma reminded Vicki. “Sometimes, you even like to spend time with King.”
“King needs me.”
Emma nodded. “And sometimes, Hannah needs me, and sometimes, Noah will need me. That doesn’t mean I don’t need you.”
“But can we?”
“I think that we should have a talk with Momma later and make sure that you get to spend some alone time with each of us. Okay? You’ve been looking forward to showing Momma the elephants and going on all the rides with her and with Hannah.”
“But you’re alone.”
Ahh. The real issue. “Oh, Sprout, that’s okay. Is that what has you worried?” Emma had taken Hannah on a few excursions while Addison and Vicki waited in line for a ride. She had also been forced to sit out a few that the three were able to enjoy together. Vicki was talkative, excited, and creative. Sometimes, it was easy to lose sight of how sensitive Vicki could be. She was worried that Emma was left out, and it was her job to take care of Emma. “I don’t mind sitting out a few rides, sweetheart.”
“But you’re alone.”
“Only for a few minutes,” Emma said. “And, I will tell you a secret.”
Vicki’s eyes popped wide.
“I might have snuck away to the bathroom a couple of times, and I even had a pretzel while you were in line for The Tea Cups yesterday.”
“Does Momma know?”
Emma chuckled. “No.”
“I won’t tell on you.”
Emma tried not to laugh. “Thank you.”
“But, Mommy, I can take care of you.”
“Oh, Vicki, you do take care of me. I promise.” Emma kissed Vicki on the forehead. “Now, come on, what do you say we take a ride down the river? Then we can find some pizza and meet Momma and Hannah.”
“Kay. But can we do it again?”
“I promise, Sprout. We will make a little bit of time every day for just me and you. Okay?”
Vicki nodded happily.
“Excuse me?” a voice called for Emma’s attention. “I don’t mean to bother you.”
Emma met the gaze of a girl she guessed to be about seventeen.
“I really don’t,” the girl said apologetically. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
Emma shook her head.
“I mean, for Off Screen and everything.”
Emma nodded her understanding. “Thank you—” she implored the girl to give her name.
“Jen.”
“Thank you, Jen.”
“I really am sorry to bug you.”
Vicki looked at the teenager curiously. “Hi,” she said.
Emma chuckled.
“Hi. You must be Vicki,” Jen greeted the toddler.
“You know Mommy?”
“Not really. I know who your mommy is, though.”
Vicki had been with her parents a few times when people stopped them. Emma had explained that people recognized them from TV. That made sense to Vicki. She was excited to see Princess Jasmine and Ariel. “Cause she’s like a princess.”
Emma laughed. “A princess?”
“Yeah,” Vicki said. “Cause you and Momma are on TV. Not a real princess like Jasmine,” she pointed out.
“Of course not,” Emma said. She turned back to her admirer. “Thanks for stopping.” Normally, Emma avoided lengthy interactions. She didn’t like to draw attention. Something about the teenager told her this time was an exception. Off
Screen had touched home for many people—many young women struggling with their sexuality. She had received many letters over the years, and she always tried to be mindful of how imperative it was that she not dismiss that journey. “Would you like a picture?”
“Really?”
“Sure. Vicki loves to take pictures. If you trust her with your phone.”
Vicki grinned.
“Sure.”
Vicki hopped off her mother’s lap and accepted the iPhone from Jen.
“It should be all set,” Jen said.
Emma patted the bench for Jen to sit. “Be careful,” Emma advised her daughter.
“I got it,” Vicki said.
Emma nearly choked. There were times her four-year-old sounded more like a fourteen-year-old. God, help us all.
Vicki took a few photos and handed the camera back to Jen.
Jen looked at the photos. “Hey, these are great.”
Vicki beamed with pride. “Auntie Tam taught me. Momma says she’ll get even one day.”
That did it. Emma roared with laughter. “I’ll bet she did. Come on, Sprout. We have a date with a river. It was nice meeting you,” she told Jen. “Enjoy the park.”
“Thanks—I mean for—”
Emma winked. “Thank you,” she said. She held out her hand to Vicki and started toward the ride.
“Mommy?”
“Hum?”
“Do you know Princess Jasmine?”
“What?”
Vicki shrugged. “Cause you’re on TV!”
Emma laughed again. “Sorry, Sprout, I’m afraid I am not quite as famous as Princess Jasmine.”
“Oh.”
***
TWO NIGHTS LATER
“Tired?” Addison asked.
“No.”
“Really.”
“Yes. They’ve yet to come up with a word for what I am.”
“Exhausted?”
“Beyond. It’s been worth it,” Emma replied with a yawn.
“Ready to go home?”
“Yes.”
“You do know that Vicki is already asking when we’re coming back.”
“We’ll talk about it in a few years. Maybe like ten—or thirty,” Emma said.
“Hoping to hold off until we have grandkids?”
“Stop talking.”
Addison laughed. “Did she really ask you if you knew Princess Jasmine?”
“Yes, she did. That was followed by, did I know Pluto, Mickey, and why didn’t I know any princesses.”
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