Epilogue #2
Not long after Lissy turns six months old, they arrange for Elena to come to our home to babysit. T.J. comes along, too, which is a treat for Lissy, because when we saw them in town recently, she was delighted by T.J.’s peek-a-boo game.
I’m told the reason for the babysitting is so the four of us can take a hike to enjoy the mountain’s peak fall colors. The men must have a long route planned, because we’ve hiked several times this summer with Lissy along in a sling, wrapped against one of their chests, lucky girl!
“You have all of our numbers,” Atlas tells Elena. “There are extra diapers under the crib. If she gets fussy, the light-up octopus toy almost always makes her smile.”
“There’s milk for her in the refrigerator, along with chicken and carrot purees,” Boyd says. “Heating instructions are on the counter.”
“I see,” Elena says. There’s a hint of a smirk on her face as she scans the long list of instructions and notes the men prepared for her.
“If you need anything, call us,” Silas adds. “We can come back quickly.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I tell my overprotective, ultra-prepared men. “Elena knows how to take care of a child.”
“Speaking of T.J.,” Boyd says, “there are chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese for him, right next to Felicity’s food.”
T.J. cheers, and Elena raises her finger to her lips, reminding him not to be so loud since Lissy’s napping in the cradle.
“We’ll only be a few hours,” Atlas says. Turning to me, he asks, “Are you ready?”
I nod. “Ready.”
The four of us press gentle kisses to Lissy’s cheek, say goodbye to Elena and T.J., gear up in the mudroom, and then we’re off.
The weather is perfect. Sunny and cool with a light breeze that carries the scent of pine and earth. The gold aspens and the coppery oaks are stunning.
“Is it this beautiful here every fall?” I ask the men as we head down the forest trail.
Atlas, who’s holding my hand, gives it a squeeze. “It’s never been this beautiful.”
“Oh, do you think it’s the weather, or—” I stop when I notice the way he’s looking at me.
“Everything around here has been more beautiful ever since you arrived,” he says, his eyes warm.
Boyd, who’s on my other side, leans in and kisses my cheek as we walk. “Got that right. You outshine all the autumn colors, darling.”
Silas, who’s walking behind me, gives my hip a quick squeeze to let me know he’s listening.
“That’s nice of you all to say, though I feel like you’ve never even seen me at my best. When you met me, I was covered in bruises, and then I was bloated with baby weight. I’m still working on that, and I’m not sure my feet are ever going to go back to their original size.”
Atlas stops walking and brings me in close. “Your feet are perfect, love. Every inch of you is perfect.” His hand slides along my cheek, then he presses his lips to mine. His kiss still sends sparks through me. Every time.
When Atlas pulls back, Boyd is there, one of his strong arms wrapping around my middle. “You look gorgeous now, and you looked especially gorgeous during the last few months of pregnancy.” His eyes briefly dip to my chest, reminding me how much he’s been enjoying my enlarged breasts.
Silas’s hand clamps on my shoulder, turning me to him as soon as Boyd releases me. “When will you be ready to be pregnant again?”
There’ve been vague mentions of us having a bigger family someday, but we’ve all been entirely focused on little Felicity ever since she was born.
“You want more kids?” I ask, looking around at all three of them.
No one answers immediately. They all look thoughtful as we stand there among the trees, birds singing and squirrels chattering around us. Silas slides his hand down to the middle of my back and caresses me there, as Boyd reaches for my hand.
“We have a lot of chairs to fill at the dining table,” Boyd says with a big grin.
“Oh my gosh—” I cup my belly automatically, the gesture stirring up happy memories of when Lissy was in my womb. “I don’t know if my uterus is up for that kind of production.”
“Maybe you could have twins,” Atlas says with a grin. “Or triplets.”
“You always have efficiency in mind, don’t you?” I tease.
“But seriously, Kira,” Atlas says, “it’s all up to you. After falling in love with Felicity, I think we’d all like to fill the house with as many children as you’d like to have, but only if that’s what you want.”
“Lissy would probably enjoy having a sibling when she gets older,” Silas says.
I glance at Boyd, but there’s a faraway look in his eyes that keeps me from asking for his input.
We’ve had quiet talks about what it will be like to raise Lissy, and he told me how important it will be to him to help give her a very different childhood than the one he had.
A sibling, something neither he nor I ever had, would be a good thing.
“I’m not ready quite yet,” I tell them, “but I’d like that a lot. You’re all wonderful fathers.”
Boyd strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. “Can’t imagine a better compliment.”
After more hugs, we continue on. When we reach a fork in the trail, I expect us to take the path on the right, which leads deeper into the woods on the way to a large clearing. Instead, Silas takes my hand and leads me to the left.
“Are we stopping at the cabin?”
“The cabin is actually our destination today,” Atlas says as the small, rustic building comes into sight.
“Our destination? That was a short hike,” I say. “We could have easily brought Lissy along.”
The path to the cabin’s door is clear. One of them, probably Silas, must have been out here recently to rake the fallen leaves.
“We thought you could use some quiet time away from the baby,” Boyd says.
Silas unlocks the cabin door and opens it to reveal a very different interior than I’m expecting. The last time I was out here, the cabin held a military-style camping cot with a green wool blanket, two mismatched chairs, and a lot of survival supplies.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was here, and Silas and I actually shared a very memorable hour on the old cot, but today, there’s an actual bed covered with a pale blue duvet that’s folded back to reveal clean white sheets.
When we go inside, a fire’s already burning in the stove. There are several extra blankets and pillows, a thick white bathrobe hanging on a hook, about a dozen flameless candles flickering, and soft music playing. It’s a bit like stepping into a Twilight Zone spa.
“When did you do all this?”
The more I look around, the more I see. There’s a big tray with food and drinks on it: packets of cocoa, tea bags, fresh fruit, and mini sandwiches.
A couple of bottles of essential oils sit beside an eye mask, my tablet, and the book I’m currently reading.
A new pair of slippers is carefully aligned on the floor.
“You make it sound like it’s a big deal,” Boyd says with a grin.
“This is so sweet, but you didn’t need to do all this. You all help me get plenty of rest time at the house. That long bath yesterday was lovely.”
“Being a mom is hard work,” Atlas says. “You need time alone to recharge.”
“Time alone?”
“Yeah, we’ll get out of your way,” Boyd says. “There’s hot water here, for tea or hot chocolate. Your favorite soup’s in here.” He points to a thermos. “You can eat in peace while you read or listen to an audiobook, then take a nap…”
“You’re leaving me here alone?”
“You’ll be safe,” Silas says. “We’ll make sure of that. I checked for spiders, too.”
“I’m not worried about safety or bugs,” I tell them. “I really appreciate all this, but my idea of recharging isn’t being out here alone.”
“Want one of us to stay and keep you company?” Atlas asks.
I shake my head. “I want all of you to stay and keep me company.”
“There isn’t much space in here.” Boyd eyes the two chairs, which now have cushions on them. “And we didn’t bring enough food for all of us.” He’s teasing now. He knows what I want.
I grab the front of his shirt and pull him closer, while reaching for Silas at the same time. “We don’t need much space, and we don’t need any food.”
“You have a different kind of relaxation in mind?” Atlas asks.
“I do … if you’re all prepared,” I tease right back.
Atlas smirks as he takes off his backpack and opens the flap to reveal a bottle of lube nestled among neatly-folded towels. “Always prepared, love.”
He tosses the backpack onto a chair, and then I’m surrounded by all three of them. Boyd is right. There isn’t really enough space in here, so we’re going to have to stay close together, just the way I like it.
The four of us have shared several intimate encounters, but I’m usually with the men one-on-one. This is due both to their preferences and fitting in time while caring for Lissy.
Even though each of them prefers to have me to himself, if one of them initiates something and the others are around, no one leaves. No one’s left out. There’s never any awkwardness.
It’s clear that no one’s leaving now, either.
Three sets of hands are suddenly all over me, three mouths kiss and lick and taste me, as three pairs of eyes grow dark with lustful intent.
Atlas unzips my jacket as Silas kneels to untie my boots.
Boyd peels my shirt over my head and unclasps my bra with a quick flick of his fingers.
Atlas and Silas work together to slide my jeans over my hips, taking my underwear off at the same time, and then I’m naked, surrounded by three big, handsome, rugged, capable, wonderful men.
All of them are looking at me like they can’t decide where to start. They exchange a quick glance among themselves, making silent plans. They’ve all learned what feels best for me, and through our shared activities, they’ve learned each other’s preferences, too.