Phineas nodded, “he did, and it took me a very long time to forgive him. I went to therapy for a long time to address the fact the man I worshipped as a hero was fallible. He made terrible choices and he’s really fucking lucky my mother is a saint. He put in the work though. He went to therapy too. He did individual, couples, and family therapy. He spent years working on himself and trying to figure out why he was so consumed with the fear of getting older.”
“Do you fear of getting older?” she asked as she felt him reaching past her for her bodywash.
“Nope. I want to grow old someday. I want to have gray hair though. I really don’t want to go bald. Beni would look good bald. Not me. I think I’d look like Dr. Evil.”
She giggled. “You want to grow old with gray hair?”
“I do. I want to get wrinkly and old with grandchildren I can spoil. I want a big family I can sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with and know that when I die, someday, in the far future, I’ve built a good life with a good woman and a good family.”
“Do you see Beni and Adil at that table?”
–
“Absolutely. Beni needs to be bald though. Adil can have a toupee.”
She giggled and then gasped when his hands were touching her shoulders, “what are you doing?”
“Just washing you off,” he said soothingly, “we’re almost done. Some of the puke was in your bra and I want to make sure you’re not crawling into your bed with vomit in your creases.
“You think my body has creases?”
“Everyone’s body has creases. Your body has these,” he boldly lifted her breasts up in his palms and her eyes shot open to look at him, “and under these things can get trapped. I would very much like for someday my tongue or my cock to be trapped under here.”
“Phineas!” she gasped as he grinned unrepentant at her.
“Your body is incredible, Juniper. Every single curve, line, twist of it, has consumed my every thought.”
“Phineas,” she whispered as he went back to washing her off, “can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything you like.”
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep trying for a baby because I kept failing at it.”
“You didn’t fail, Juniper. Your body wasn’t ready and Kyst’s. sperm was the problem. We’re sticking with this theory.”
“I know but it felt like it was me since it happens to me, but I didn’t want to try again and Kyst insisted we try, and I was annoyed about it.”
“Okay.”
“But now that it’s gone, and my body is acting like it never even happened, I realize, I really kind of wish I had a baby. I didn’t know how much I wanted it until it was gone again.”
“I tell you what,” Phineas shut the water off and reached for a towel and wrapped it around her body, tucking it under her arms and then reached for a second one to towel off her hair, “when you are feeling better, when the world doesn’t feel so volatile and your heart isn’t so bruised, there will be three men at your beck and call to give you as many babies as you want. If it doesn’t work the natural way, we will adopt or steal one for you.”
“You can’t steal a baby, Phineas,” she felt tears stinging her at his sweetness. eyes
“I would for you.” He smiled softly. “We all would burn this world to the ground for you Juniper. I don’t think you understand the impact you have on us in such a brief period of time.”
“All three of you?”
“All three of us.” He swept her up, carried her to the bedroom, and set her on the side of the bed. He looked around, “we may need a bigger bed though but for now, this one will do.”
“You’re really all going to stay with me?”
“There is nowhere else any of us want to ever be.”
“I think,” she pouted prettily, “I could really use some cuddles.”
“Then cuddles it is.”
Juniper was wide eyed as Adil came back in and tossed a pair of pajama bottoms at Phineas, Adil not even batting an eyelash at the fact Phineas was standing in his soaking wet underwear. She was still in the towel Phineas wrapped her in.
Adil was wearing a pair of pj bottoms and was bare chested and like Phineas was covered in tattoos. His hair was wet, and he’d obviously showered at Beni’s condo.
“You’re drooling, baby girl,” he winked at her and then moved to the walk-in closet. “I’ll find her something to wear, Phineas if you wanted to get yourself dried off and changed. Beni is helping Suki get settled. She was arguing with him about her sleeping in her with Juniper and us sleeping in the guest room. She’s half-asleep though so he should be right in.”
“Sounds good.” Phineas looked at Juniper, “don’t move from there. We’ll get you settled into bed, okay?”
“Sure.” She swung her legs nervously. She watched them both walk away from her in different directions and felt her nervousness increasing. The alcohol was still in her system, but it wasn’t as bad as earlier. Her need to vomit was long gone but other needs were rising up.
Adil came back in with a grin on his face and one hand behind his back but the other handheld up a strappy red silk nightie.
“What is that?”
“We should put you in this.”
“Are you crazy?” she asked as he waved it at her like a flag in front of a bull.
“I’m teasing,” he laughed and tossed the night gown away and pulled out a tank top and shorts and held them out to her. “Can I help you put these on?”
“I’ve done this,” she blurted out worriedly. “I’ve never been naked in front of any man other than Kyst before and I was just naked in front of Phineas, and he touched my boobs.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.