After Eve Chapter 1

The horizon is pregnant with the setting sun, and the view from my vantage point is where I’m meant to be forever. A soft, rhythmic beat from his pulse penetrates my heart so deeply I can’t stop the small tear that escapes the crease of my eye. It rolls across my cheek onto his neck.

He reaches down and tilts my head up and regards me with concerned eyes. “What’s wrong, my love? Don’t stain that beautiful postcoital glow with unnecessary tears.”

“Oh nothing,” I sniffle.

“Jones, I know you.”

Our lips meet again, and this time with passion. I roll on top of him, and I feel his readiness between my legs.

“Jesus! Jones, you are going to give me a heart at- tack,” he says, panting. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“You’re just going to have to learn to keep up with me, old man.” I giggle and pull at the little gray hairs on his chest. Our seventh round of lovemaking is interrupted by the sound of my cell phone. I whine into our kiss.

“I’m sorry, baby. I have to get it. I’m on call.” I kiss his nose and dismount my straddle.

“Dr. Jones speaking.” I look over at Henry’s Adonis body, lying and waiting on the bed. He’s stroking his beautiful cock to maintain what I started. I have to look away. It’s just too distracting. We’ve been married for five years, and I still can’t get enough of him.

“Okay, Mr. Smith, call my office and speak with Dottie, and she’ll book you in for Monday. No, I’d advise against going to see your wife at her workplace to clear the air. That’s definitely not a common-ground space to discuss marital issues. No, no, yes, that’s correct. Like I said, call Dottie, and tell her I said you can book the first two hours of my day. No, that’s okay. You haven’t ruined my weekend. Don’t worry—yes, I’ll see you Monday.” I hang up and toss my phone onto the pink, velvet chair in the corner and saunter back to my gorgeous husband and slide slowly back onto him.

“Now, where were we?” I moan.

Henry tilts his head back with appreciation and in- hales through clenched teeth. The sound of my cell interrupts us again. We look at each other, worry reflected in our eyes. It’s the ringtone I have designated for my mother.

“The twins,” we say in unison.

I hop off my perch and stretch to fetch my phone from the chair. Where is it? Four bird chirp rings later, and I finally find my phone between the cushion and the tangle of clothes that we clawed off each other last night like we used to when we were first dating.

“Mom, what’s wrong? Are the girls okay?”

Henry sits up and puts his head against mine so he can hear the conversation.

“I’m not uptight, Mom,” I retort. “Well, we were having a good time.” I can hear the twins babbling in the background. “Yes, Mom. Thanks for checking in. Okay, see you tomorrow. Kiss my babies for me.”

I collapse back onto the bed. Henry follows. We let out a relieved sigh. He turns on his side and props his head up into his hand.

“Do you want to go home?” he asks, smoothing my hair away from my face.

“No, I don’t. It’s just . . . It’s overwhelming how much I love them. We’ve been gone for two days, but I feel like we are going to miss something important. A new coo or a wink or a silly, crooked smile.”

Come on, Izabel. Henry’s been so patient and helpful over the last few months.

My feeling of detachment toward the girls, and hopelessness for the future since the accident was such a low point, and he didn’t judge any of it. He just kept reminding me it’s all part of the healing process.

And now we’re on this amazing getaway that he planned so we could be alone and reconnect, and you want to up and leave? To add to all my bullshit self-pity, I can’t stop thinking about the guilt that’s eating away at me for leaving the babies for a sex weekend. They’re only ten months old. We shouldn’t be away from them this long, not yet. They’re too young. Okay, stop it now—this maniacal behavior is not sexy at all.

“Jones this getaway is for you to have whatever your beautiful heart desires, and if that means going home, then that is what we will do.” He flashes me his signature Henry smile.

I turn to face him and rub my thumb across his bottom lip.

“No, we deserve this anniversary weekend after everything we’ve been through.” I push at his chest gently until he’s flat on his back again, his mischievous grin challenging my next move. I swing my leg around his body and hover over him. As I stare longingly into his green eyes, my mind begins to wander again, and I’m overcome with horrific memories of the past year that I’ve desperately tried to erase from my mind.

Before I can stop myself, I blurt out. “If you ever almost die on me again, I’ll kill you myself. You hear me, Rudolph?”

He lets out a soft chuckle and pulls me in until my forehead rests on his.

“I’m not going anywhere, my love. You’re stuck with me forever.”

I inch my way down his body until our chests meet. Sometimes I just need to feel the cadence of his heartbeat for reassurance that he is still with me. I have no desire to live a life without him and the twins. My life only makes sense with them in it. I’m so tired. As safe as I feel tangled in Henry’s embrace, my dreams should be euphoric, but they are all too often haunted by the nightmare that was that horrifying day.

☐ ☐ ☐

“Hey, baby . . . can you answer my cell? I’m in the tub.” I sink down into the bubbles and rub my swollen belly. “You’re going to have the best daddy in the world,”

I say to my stomach. “And in a few weeks, you get to meet him and fall absolutely in love with him, just like I did. And if he gets his way, which I’m sure he will, there are going to be many of you little babies running around in the future.”

I let out a contented sigh. My life is right on track.

I’m exactly where I am supposed to be.

“What are you grinning about, beautiful?” Henry says while leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

I give him a big, toothy smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I tease. “Who called?”

His mouth forms a rigid line. “Bo.”

I roll my eyes. Bo and I never severed ties like I thought we would. He fell into a bit of a downward spiral a couple of years ago. Part of me felt responsible, and so I kept going to his rescue. Henry never once questioned my intentions; he’s always been supportive and eventually forgave Bo for what he did to me. He says everyone deserves a second chance. Henry convinced Bo that it would be beneficial to his therapy and recovery to volunteer at the shelter for battered women where his mother, Tippy, is a board member.

The Christmas holidays were especially hard on Bo. His younger sister, Becky, got married late December after a very quick engagement. Mind you, any engagement seems quick after what Bo’s father, Jack Carmichael, put us through during our relationship. He made us change the wedding date three times. There was always a last minute political event that was more important. We were engaged for three years before we got married. But Jack wanted this guy to be part of the family so badly. He’s some hotshot political up-and-comer he wanted to dig his claws into, another minion. Bo took it really hard when his father pushed him aside for this new pet project. Henry and I were invited to the wedding by Tippy. It’s up for debate whether it was for show or because she’s genuinely thankful for the emotional support we still offer Bo. We declined the invite, of course. Adding insult to injury doesn’t help anyone.

“What does he want now?” My third trimester hormones are apparent in the clipped tone of my query.

“The usual,” Henry says. “He’s drunk at a bar. I’m going to pick him up before he gets himself into trouble again.”

I motion for him to sit at the edge of the tub and hold out my hand. He sits and envelops my hand in his and kisses my knuckles.

“You’re so good. Have I told you lately what a lucky girl I am?” I swoon.

“Not nearly enough,” he says, then leans down for a kiss.

I wrap my arms around his neck, almost pulling him in.

“Easy, tiger.” Henry releases a hearty laugh.

“Babe, I can’t help it. I read that during this stage of pregnancy, women get really horny, but this is crazy. I want you all the time. It’s maddening.”

He can’t hide the amusement from his face. “Listen, I promise when I get home, you can take complete advantage of me,” he says, kissing the tip of my nose.

“Are you mocking me, Mr. Rudolph?” I cast him a playful scowl.

“I wouldn’t dare think of it, Dr. Jones. Plus, if the only thing I have to complain about in my life is that my gorgeous wife wants sex all the time, I could die tomorrow a happy man.”

“Okay, well, give me one more kiss before you go. I’ll behave. Promise.”

He blows me a kiss in consolation. “I’ll be back in an hour, tops.”

“I love you!” I yell out after him.

“Love you more. See you in an hour,” he replies.

☐ ☐ ☐

I wake with a start and bolt up to a sitting position. I am alone in bed. I panic.

“Henry! Henry!” I cry out.

He comes running into the bedroom. “Izabel, I’m here. I’m here.” Henry sits on the bed and wraps me in his arms.

“Shhhh.” He rocks me back and forth for comfort. “Come. I made breakfast. Let’s eat, then we will head back home. You’ll feel better then.”

My breathing slows, but I clutch him tighter and kiss his bicep. I need to feel his flesh.

“I love you, Henry.”

“I know,” he says and kisses the top of my head. He stands and pulls me to my feet. “It’s your favorite: egg whites and spinach,” he singsongs.

“Ugh.” I stick out my tongue. “Any bacon?”

“Hey, you were the one who said you have to lose five pounds and told me to ignore any insults directed at me to keep you on track. I’m just doing what I’m told.”

He reciprocates by sticking his tongue out. Then he pulls me in and grabs my ass.

“I happen to love this ass and don’t think you need to change a thing. But I will do whatever makes you happy.”

“You know what would really make me happy right now—getting a jump start on working off a few of those pesky pounds?” I slide my right hand down the front of his low-hanging pajama pants and thank him with a generous squeeze and a few strokes.

He moans. “Yeah, fuck breakfast,” he says and throws me on the bed.

☐ ☐ ☐

We usually drive the scenic route back home whenever possible. There is so much history in the towns we pass through along the way, and at this time of year, the parks and civic centers are already decorated with the autumn holiday colors. Sometimes we’ll stop in one of them to go to a farmers’ market and grab some delicious pumpkin and apple pies.

The first time I took Henry to Milwaukee to visit Mom, we stopped in Wind Point to explore the lighthouse, and he immediately fell in love with the area. Once we got engaged, we started looking for a home here. Mom was of course beside herself, to say the least, when we told her how close we were going to move to her. Ultimately, we ended up buying our house with the in-law suite. I’d never seen her happier than when we showed Mom her new space. Henry and I agreed that keeping the condo in Chicago was a good idea because we both still worked in the city. We haven’t spent much time there since the twins were born, but I think after this weekend, Henry will lobby to come more often. I reach across the middle console of the car and intertwine my fingers with his and give him a little squeeze. He turns to me and flashes me that smile. The smile that tells me everything is okay. We continue down the colorful, tree-lined driveway towards the house. Sometimes I can’t believe we own such a beautiful home on waterfront property. I feel bad that the family we bought it from went into foreclosure, but it was such a good deal that we couldn’t pass it up. Henry made a huge donation to USA Cares, a charity for veterans, to help alleviate my guilt. The front of the house is newly decorated with a scarecrow and some cornucopias. Looks like Mom’s been busy while we we’ve been gone. This woman never stops. I hope I’ll be half as good of a mother as she is.

Excitement builds as we reach the house. I look over at Henry, and he’s grinning from ear to ear. I wiggle and clap my hands together.

“Happy to be home?” he asks, chuckling.

I can’t even speak. I nod like a bobblehead.

“You’re so amazing, Jones. Thank you for this weekend. We needed it. Now let’s go kiss our babies.”

“Yippie!” I squeal.