Rather, she'd done it because she was happy, and wanted ME to be as happyas she was – and chosen that way of accomplishing her goal. On anotherday, she might have made a cheesecake for us (my favorite dessert), orbought me some little gadget or 'toy' that I'd mentioned. Other times, I'd done similar things for her: breakfast in bed, giving her a singleflower simply because I loved her, and so on.
Grinning at me, Kelly finally guided me to sit on the bed, then on tolie on my back so she could curl up next to my side. With her head onmy shoulder and one leg thrown across mine, she let her arm rest on mybelly.
I put my arm around her, and gave her a small hug before kissing thetop of her head and telling her 'Kelly, I love you – a lot morethan I could ever tell you. I know you want a baby with me, and I'm glad you do. I've wanted kids, too – but always been afraid of being ableto raise them properly. But now that I have you, I know that's not aproblem: if we love our child even half as much as welove each other, he – or she – will be just fine.'
Kelly looked up at me and smiled before asking 'You don't careif it's a boy or a girl?'
'Not even a little bit. What's important to me is that it's our child. As long as all the parts are there, and they work, then the restof it isn't worth worrying about.'
Kelly gave me another smile before laying her head on my shoulder again.
After a bit, I heard her ask 'And what about me? Are you still goingto love me even when I get fat and everything?'
I hugged her again and answered 'Kelly, you're not going to get'fat'. You're going to have our baby growing inside you. But to answeryour question, yes – I'll still love you, even when you get swollen uplike a blimp, start having all those hormones and things sloshing aroundmaking you cry one minute and screaming mad the next. I'll love you whenyou can't see your feet, but you know they're there because you can feelhow swollen they are. I'll love you when you're old and gray, even. Kelly, I will love you always.'
When I finished, I could feel something warm hit my chest; it took mea second to realize that she was crying. I didn't understand why until she told me 'Oh, Dan! You're so sweet – sometimes I love you somuch it almost hurts! And I have to wonder what I did that brought youinto my life; I'd try to bottle it, and give it away so that other people could find out what it's like to be as happy and loved as I am!'
I kissed her on top of the head again, and the two of us lay like thatuntil we both eventually fell asleep.
It was a couple of weeks later, and I was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready when Kelly came in and told me 'It worked.'
Being a little distracted, I asked 'What worked?', not reallypaying attention.
'The visit to the doctor. It worked – I'm pregnant.'
I damn near dropped the kettle I was holding, but managed to set itdown before I turned to look at her. I could see a trace of fear in hereyes, now that she was faced with the fact of it, and worried what I'ddo and say. I walked over to her and took her in my arms and hugged herbefore saying 'I'm glad, Kelly. You're going to have our baby.'
That was all she needed, and I felt her wrap her arms around me andstart crying into my chest in a combination of relief and happiness.
When I finally let her go, she stepped back and told me 'My periodshould have started a few days ago, and I've been using one of thoseearly pregnancy tests every morning; the last couple of mornings, itsshown 'positive'.'
I cupped her face in my hands, and told her 'Good. From now on, the only thing we worry about is making sure that you're okay. When wesee the doctor next week, we find out from her what you can and can'tdo, and when. She's a urologist, though, so we'll have to get you anobstetrician – and you will do what the doctor says, right? I don't thinkeither one of us wants to take any chances with OUR baby.'
Looking into my eyes, she nodded. I could see on her face that she wasdelighted that it had happened so soon – and, I think, a little worried about what the future might hold.
Taking her by the hand, I guided her over to a seat at the dining tableand told her 'Now, you just sit there, and I'll take care of breakfast.
Remember, you're eating for two, now!'
She started to protest, but I cut her off by simply kissing her andletting her know just how much she meant to me. When our lips parted, I could see that I'd gotten my point across from the delighted smileon her face.
Doctor Cole was pleased to be able to confirm Kelly's pregnancy thefollowing week. She got in touch with Kelly's regular gynecologist, andthe two of them came up with a couple of obstetricians they thought Kellywould like. Doctor Cole told Kelly about both of them, and when Kellyhad chosen one, made an appointment for her.
When we were done, I saw Doctor Cole whisper something to Kelly, andsaw Kelly's shocked expression; but figuring if it was anything I needed to know, one or the other would tell me, I didn't say anything aboutit.
When we got home that night, Kelly started calling the others – Pauland the boys, Jan, Sandra, Robyn, Susan, and Candice – to try and getthings set up for a small celebration. The next day, we also invitedmy secretary and her husband over, as well.
When the day came for the celebration – we'd opted for a cookout inthe back yard – everyone had a great time. Candice had been able to flyin and stay with Susan for a couple of days on her way to do a storyfor the newspaper she worked for, so we had everyone there that couldmake it. We'd already sent a letter off to Marlyn, letting her know thegood news.
Everyone was sitting around the table in the back yard when Kelly stoodup and announced 'I've got some special news that we wanted to sharewith all of you.'
Having everyone's attention, she went on to tell them 'The specialnews is that I'm pregnant. I'm six weeks along.'
My secretary, Sarah, and her husband Al, along with Paul and the boys, all thought it was great – it was Jan and the others that had expressionsof bafflement on their faces. The girls all knew that I'd had a vasectomy, so they were trying to resolve two apparently incompatible facts: eitherI had gotten Kelly pregnant despite the vasectomy; or Kelly had gottenpregnant by someone else, despite her dedication to me. It was Kellythat solved the conundrum for them by saying 'We used a sample Danleft before his operation.'
With the mystery cleared up, all five of them were even more enthusiasticabout congratulating us than the others had been. Paul and Al both gaveme a hard time about it taking so long (little did they know!) and whatI was in for (dirty diapers, baby vomit, and the like), while Sarah wasin a huddle with the girls explaining to them what to expect during Kelly'spregnancy.
Later, after everyone had left, Kelly told me that Sarah had talkedto her about some of the things that she could expect to go through asthe pregnancy progressed. She went on to say 'I know that I haven'twanted to make love with you very much, Dan, and you've been a dear aboutit. Sarah told me that that's part of it, too – at least, inthe first few months. After that, she said that I'd likely feel more'amorous' for a few months before I didn't feel like it again.'
I smiled and told her 'It's okay, dear. I don't imagine I'd befeeling too frisky, either, going through what you have these last few weeks!'
Kelly came over and hugged me before saying 'Well, I just wantyou to know that I've taken care of it. Just because*I* don't feel up to it, it doesn't mean that you should have to suffer. Jan orone of the others is going to come over every couple of nights and staywith us, so you'll have someone to make love with, if you want to. Infact, Candice will be over here in a couple of hours.'
Kelly and I had always welcomed the any of the girls that had come over, whether it was just to visit, or for a little fun and frolicking; thatshe'd made arrangements for them to come over for the explicit purposeof being available to me for sex almost literally floored me: I couldonly stand there for several seconds before I told her 'Kelly, that really wasn'tnecessary. I love you, and the rest of them come over often enough thateven if we didn't make love, I'd be able to wait. You didn't have tomake any kind of special arrangements for them to come over here justto take care of me that way.' – the last bit with a note of displeasurein my voice.
Kelly answered 'I don't doubt that you could – but I didn't seeany reason why you should have to, is all.' Fromthe tone of her voice, I knew that Kelly was a bit upset at my response.
'And that's my point, Kelly – it's not a case of 'having' to. Youknow full well that I'm not one of those guys that lives with his crotch.
I love you, more than anything else, and it is not aproblem for me not to make love with you, for any reason' Ianswered, calmly.
'Dammit, Dan! That's what I'm trying to tell you!
I know it's not a 'problem' for you – and I don't want it to become one!
