Standing at the front door, Celeste frowned. It was her father's birthday today and they were attending his party. Daniel and Naomi had already left over an hour ago with Kate and her children. She yelled up. "Are you read yet?"
No response.
Celeste closed the door and headed for the stairs. She easily bounded up them. Smiling at the top, she was pleased that all her recent hard work was paying off. Although, she was signed off by her physio, several months after her accident, it had taken her up until now to fully recover her physical fitness.
She opened the bedroom door and entered. Amy had changed out of her outfit and was standing in her underwear in front of the mirror gently rubbing her stomach.
Celeste's heart skipped a beat. She smiled and moved to stand behind Amy. Putting her arms around her, she pulled her close.
"No I'm not ready!" Amy said. Her bottom lip trembled. "I can't find anything to wear because I'm massive!"
Lovingly, Celeste rubbed Amy's stomach. "Don't you know you're beautiful," she said looking at her in the mirror. "You're only six months pregnant. You're far from massive." She smiled at Amy's reflection and kissed the top of her head. She loved every minute of her partner's pregnancy, and still couldn't believe that their child was growing inside her.
Amy leaned into Celeste and tucked her blonde hair behind her ears. She pointed to her strewn clothes. "But can't you see? I am! I can't find anything to wear!" She lifted her eyebrows and head looked up at Celeste. Wanting attention, she pouted and with the biggest big blue-eyed expression she could muster said, "All my clothes are too wee!"
Smiling patiently, Celeste looked down at Amy then at their reflection.
Amy looked at the mirror then put her hands over Celeste's, and together they rubbed her stomach.
Celeste sighed enjoying the intimacy.
Amy tilted her head back so that Celeste could kiss her. They kissed deeply.
After a while, Celeste gently pulled Amy's hair aside and kissed down her neck, eager to feel the reassuring weight of her increasingly heavy breasts, she sneakily unclipped her bra
Amy straightened. "Hey, I'm expressing," She protested. "And I know exactly what you're up to."
Ignoring her, Celeste continued to stroke her breasts. Although her full recovery was only recent, it had never hindered her need for Amy, which was insatiable.
Amy tried to slap Celeste's hands away, "Not now," she said laughingly. "Celeste, we have to go. You have to help me find something to wear!"
Ignoring Amy's protests, Celeste successfully slipped her bra off. Staring at their reflection, she cupped Amy's breasts, and groaned heavily when desire crept up Amy's cheeks. She smiled wickedly knowing that despite all her protests, Amy always succumbed.
Amy smiled aware that in a minute she would no longer be worried about what to wear. Whenever they were alone, Celeste used it to her full advantage. In the last few months, the brunette had developed a penchant for restrooms. Amy blushed remembering that last week they were caught when out nursery shopping. They had stopped for lunch and because of her pregnancy, her first need was always to find a restroom and usually make several visits thereafter.
After their meal, unknown to her, Celeste had followed her into the cubicle, and began an assault on her senses. No matter how worried Amy was about being caught, she just didn't have the willpower to resist Celeste. By sheer luck they had, until last week, never been discovered. It was only when Amy climbed down from her orgasm that the sound of a flushing toilet from the next cubicle permeated her brain.
Shocked that someone had heard them, she pulled Celeste up and buried her face into her shoulder. Even when the woman left, she had refused to come out of the cubicle. It was only with much coaxing from Celeste and cursing from Amy that they were never to repeat this again, that she eventually appeared. And much to Celeste's amusement she refused to go back into the restaurant, and instead made a sharp exit.
Amy sucked in air when she saw a look of hunger fix on Celeste's face as her hands roamed. She had many weaknesses with Celeste. Strong manipulation of her breasts was definitely one of them. In fact it was her true weak spot and Celeste used this to her advantage. Outside bedroom hours, Amy had to be careful around her, because once Celeste got her hands on her breasts it was difficult for Amy to avoid going all the way. Although Celeste's predilection was currently restrooms, she was beginning to have a thing for elevators too.
Celeste teasingly bit into Amy's neck as she played with her breasts.
Amy gulped when her groin tightened. She moaned and began pushing into Celeste, rubbing into her provocatively.
Celeste wrapped her arms around Amy and whispered into her ear. "Do you want me to show you how very, very beautiful you are?"
Amy nodded.
Celeste turned Amy around and unbuttoned her jeans. She took her hand and gently pushed it down the front of them. Grinning wickedly she said, "That's how very, very, very beautiful you are."
Amy laughed. "Mmmm…Is that so," she said as she found Celeste's weak spot.
Celeste groaned and leaned her forehead on Amy's before bending down to catch a rock hard nipple in her mouth. Over the last few weeks Celeste had, much to Amy's amusement, discovered that her favorite activity, when they were making love, was suckling on her milking breasts.
Knowing that she would have to rouse Celeste or she would stay in this position forever, Amy tugged the brunette's hair and lifted her head. She looked deeply into her eyes, and with a seductive smile moved her fingers over her slickness.
Celeste's eyes rolled closed.
Amy caught Celeste's bottom lip in her mouth and suckled it, then captured her tongue and stroked it with her own before kissing her deeply.
Pushing into Amy, Celeste started to grind.
Amy murmured and following in Maggie's footsteps said as she tried not to laugh, "Do you know that the strongest muscle in the body is the tongue?"
Licking her lips, Celeste quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She smiled. "Then mine," she said, as she leaned in to recapture Amy's mouth, "must be up for an Olympic medal given all the exercise it has had recently?"
Amy's knees weakened. She kissed Celeste fully as she stroked her.
Placing her thigh between Amy's, Celeste wrapped her arms around her, then caught her partner's earlobe in her mouth and nuzzled it lovingly before sucking on it slowly as she pressed down on her thigh.
Aware that it might be quite a while before they arrived at the barbecue, Amy closed her eyes and surrendered completely to Celeste.
Camille laughed and watched Amy pile food onto her plate. Raising an eyebrow she said, "She must be very hungry if she is prepared to risk her life consuming your father's offerings?" She looked at Celeste and asked, "Are you not feeding her enough, chéri?"
Celeste grinned at her mother and said with a note of astonishment, "Mom, we can't keep up with her. She even munches on the kids leftovers after every evening meal." She didn't tell her mother that she was never hungrier than when they made love. "Do you know she asked me for a slice of pizza while she was having her bath this morning? It was just after nine!" Celeste elaborated, "And she hates pizza."
"So, she likes pizza now too, hmmm."
Celeste stiffened when Josh stood beside them. Although, she was beginning to tire of his innuendos she forced herself to bite back her comment. She knew how hard it was for him to come to terms with the fact that she and Amy were together. She could still hardly believe it herself. When she fully regained consciousness, which was almost a week after the accident, the first clear memory was of looking into Amy's blue eye. She was stunned when she had wrapped her arms around her and for the longest time told her how much she loved and needed her in her life.
Celeste's eyes narrowed when Josh smirked, and for the first time she retaliated. "What are you trying to say, Josh, that she never used to like being with a woman either?"
Camille frowned anxiously at them then quickly moved off toward the children, clearly intending to move them out of the way should the tension increase. Celeste understood that her mother was afraid of a confrontation, but she was also aware that one was long overdue.
Josh grimaced as he looked at Amy. He eyed Celeste for a long moment before sneering and moving away.
Celeste watched him then released her breath slowly and wondered if it was just a matter of time before he blew? Or is this it? she thought. Is this the way it's always going to be? Is this the way he wants it so that he can always carry his grievance card to play his hand whenever he decides?
Josh, she knew, was putting distance between them.
Lying on the hospital bed, Celeste could hardly believe what Amy was telling her. Holding her hand, Amy explained that she knew it was a decision that they should have made together, but it felt right. And as she smoothed hair from Celeste's face, she told her that their future had no room for deception.
To say that Josh reacted badly would be an understatement, since Amy's announcement he had refused to speak to either of them. Celeste had desperately tried to speak to him, to explain. But he wouldn't listen. It was now at the stage where she didn't even try. He didn't want to know. She closed her eyes briefly, aware that no matter Josh's reaction, and no matter how much it hurt, she couldn't deny that she was proud of Amy. Proud that she had made the decision to love her openly.
Celeste looked at her father. She had thought that she would have had a battle with him, but to her surprise he had accepted it. Accept was maybe too broad a term she realized, and conceded that he was only as accepting as he was because of the hard work on Camille's part, and because he was genuinely happy to have Amy back home and safe. Fraser always had a soft spot for Amy and it wasn't too long after he found out about the fire she was involved in that she was able to wrap him around her finger.
Her biggest concern was that Josh's comments would affect Amy, but to her amazement nothing fazed her these days. If anything, Amy was the one reassuring her that he would come around one day. When she told Amy that she wasn't so sure he would, she told her gently as she took her in her arms that sometimes life had loose ends and that it's that very messy unresolvability that makes it what it is. That life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. And no matter what they just had to keep trying.
Celeste wasn't easily won over by Amy's new found dime store philosophy, but she was grateful that she was so upbeat.
Aware that Amy and Sophie had been watching her interaction with Josh, Celeste smiled at them and they smiled back. She watched Sophie whisper something in Amy's ear.
Amy took a bite of chicken, nodded then gave Sophie a hug.
Celeste was about to join them when Denise joined her.
"Josh doesn't mean it, Celeste," she said looking at her. "It's just hard for him. I think he can accept Amy moving on. It's just difficult that she's moved on and found happiness with you."
Celeste looked at Denise. She liked that she was such a straight talker. "Do you think he'll ever come around?"
Denise smiled. "Maybe," she said rubbing her stomach. "Maybe I'll keep him so preoccupied with babies that he won't have time to think about anything else." She smiled broadly then whispered, "I'm pregnant."
Celeste hugged her and said quietly, "Congratulations."
After the barbecue and the gifts were opened, Josh quickly organized for his family to leave. Celeste hated how uncomfortable these once routine family gatherings had become. She hated that Josh was so unhappy, but she accepted that for now that was how it was. She watched Josh pack the kids into the car. Denise hugged Camille and Fraser goodbye, Josh didn't. Celeste hoped that he wouldn't hold a grudge against her parents for too long. She watched her brother drive away and feeling tense decided to take Colin up on his offer of a walk along the beach with the kids.
Alex waited for Amy to finish eating her cake, before taking her hand and walking slowly with her along the beach. He looked at her. "I love the way that you are so carefree, so spontaneous, so much your old self but so much was different, so much is new."
Amy laughed. "I know you do."
Naomi came running toward them to show yet another seashell that she had found. Amy and Alex in good humor rolled their eyes at each other, but gave her all the attention she wanted.
A few weeks ago, Colin had caught Naomi's imagination. He had built an elaborate world of mermaids who lived far, far away and could only be heard through seashells. Since then, Naomi had fallen in love with seashells and now had one permanently stuck to her ear, waiting patiently to hear the mermaids call. Amy had left it up to Colin to explain when Naomi wondered why she couldn't just ring them on her cell phone. Now, waiting to hear the mermaids call was a full blown obsession and she and Celeste were struggling to get Naomi to stop listening even at bedtime.
Amy smiled when Naomi asked her not only to listen but to kiss the seashell she had found. In exasperation, she bent down and pulled Naomi into her for a big hug. She looked at her. "Munchkin, why do you want me to kiss the seashells?"
Naomi looked back at her as if she only had one brain cell. "Because Uncle Colin said it's good luck."
Amused, Amy replied, "Well I think the best thing to do is ask Uncle Colin to kiss them himself because as you know Meme's having a baby and maybe your little sister wouldn't like it." Amy looked up at Alex in disapproval then looked at Naomi. She rubbed Naomi's nose with hers. "All the good luck I ever need I get from kissing you and Daniel."
This seemed to make perfect sense to Naomi and wriggling out of Amy's arms she ran ahead to Colin.
Amy straightened and looked at Alex. "You know your partner's is a complete nutter, don't you? And this seashell thing, as you've no doubt gathered, is getting completely out of hand. She's obsessed." Amy looked at him sternly. "Colin needs to stop, before Celeste wrings his neck."
Alex laughed. He picked Amy up in his arms, and twirled her around. "I'll speak to him," he said as he twirled her again. "You look stunning. More beautiful than ever. Pregnancy really suits you." He gently put her down and touching her stomach asked, "How's the baby?"
"She's got your appetite and damn fine you know it!"
"I know," Alex said, wide eyed. "I'm amazed that you're not the size of a small country with the amount of food you've put into your mouth recently."
Amy laughed then shoved him. "Fortunately, she's the one getting bigger, not me. But if I end up delivering a baby rhino, you're in trouble, big guy."
They laughed then sobered when Celeste strode purposefully toward them, both understanding that Amy shouldn't really tease him as his role was strictly biological and "Uncle" status only. But, still, she liked to tease him anyway.
Grinning, Amy watched her partner approach. She remembered how surprised and delighted Celeste was when a few months after her recovery, she first broached the subject of having a baby. Amy had laughed at her shocked face. "What?" she said. "You didn't think that we would stop at two did you?"
Alex swallowed and whispered, "She looks like she means business." He hurriedly told her that he would take the children for a walk along the beach with Colin.
Nodding, Amy let go of him.
Alex went to the edge of the water and rallied the children and Colin.
With a worried frown, Celeste stopped in front of Amy and took her arm. "Naomi said that the baby wasn't well."
"What?"
Celeste felt for Amy's pulse.
Enjoying the attention, Amy indulged her for a while then laughed and tried to explain. "Look, Colin's been feeding Naomi's very fertile imagination with daft things like I need to kiss the seashells for good luck. All I said to her was that I couldn't kiss them because her wee sister might not like it."
Celeste looked annoyed. "I think it's time I had a word with Colin."
Amy smiled then teased, "Colin's in for it now, isn't he?"
Celeste nodded and continued to check Amy over before she was satisfied that everything was okay.
Amy looked around. The beach was deserted and Alex, Colin and the kids were quite a distance away. She sat down, laid back then looked up at Celeste. "Well. What are you waiting for? There's no one around, and we have good ten minutes at least before they return."
Celeste's eyebrow quirked at Amy's provocative play.
Impatiently, Amy sat up knowing that Celeste still found it hard to believe that she didn't mind being so openly in love. "Will you hurry up and kiss me, Celeste!" She waved a finger and warned, "Just don't touch my breasts, because, if you do, you'll have to finish what you've started."
Amy lay back on the sand and looked up at Celeste seductively.
Celeste growled playfully then dropped to her knees. She lay down, pulled Amy on top of her and gently kissed her. Ignoring Amy's words of warning she reached for her breasts.
Amy growled and Celeste quickly held up her hands. Laughing heartily she managed to say, "Okay, okay…lets trade."
Smiling, Amy cocked her head and looked at her enquiringly.
Celeste murmured. "If I can touch you're," she pointed at Amy's breasts, "then I'll promise no more hijacking you in toilets!"
Amy smiled sneakily. "Or elevators."
"Elevators…No."
Amy nodded.
Celeste sighed. "What the hell, let's throw in elevators too."
Amy whispered as she took Celeste's left hand and placed it on her breast, "I'm such a pushover."
Ahead, Colin was walking with the children.
Trailing behind them, Alex turned and looked behind him. He shaded his eyes. His heart sang as he watched Amy in Celeste's arms. He thought back to that day when he had confronted her, and exhaled. Thankfully that was a lifetime ago and very much a part of their past. Scanning the deserted beach, he quirked his eyebrows, when he heard peals of laughter from Amy. He smiled, and muttered to himself as he moved quickly toward his partner and the children. "Maybe there's something to be said for being a romantic old fool after all."