{ "submission_id": "637905", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "1404", "keyword_name": "baby", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "21478" }, { "keyword_id": "80297", "keyword_name": "baby bottle", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "414" }, { "keyword_id": "123", "keyword_name": "female", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1092574" }, { "keyword_id": "23493", "keyword_name": "flying squirrel", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1035" }, { "keyword_id": "1569", "keyword_name": "life", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1654" }, { "keyword_id": "9260", "keyword_name": "living", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "587" }, { "keyword_id": "165", "keyword_name": "male", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1200623" }, { "keyword_id": "12007", "keyword_name": "married", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1167" }, { "keyword_id": "1295", "keyword_name": "sleeping", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "13133" }, { "keyword_id": "185", "keyword_name": "squirrel", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "31216" }, { "keyword_id": "5610", "keyword_name": "studying", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "229" }, { "keyword_id": "62779", "keyword_name": "white squirrel", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "39" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "1", "create_datetime": "2014-06-28 05:42:07.819824+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "28 Jun 2014 07:42 CEST", "last_file_update_datetime": "2014-06-28 05:39:25.998479+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "28 Jun 2014 07:39 CEST", "username": "ElfenSciuridae", "user_id": "17077", "user_icon_file_name": "14671_ElfenSciuridae_fern-inkbunny.gif", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/14/14671_ElfenSciuridae_fern-inkbunny.gif", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/14/14671_ElfenSciuridae_fern-inkbunny.gif", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/14/14671_ElfenSciuridae_fern-inkbunny.gif", "file_name": "840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.jpg", "thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life_noncustom.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life_noncustom.jpg", "thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "120", "thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "90", "thumb_large_noncustom_x": "200", "thumb_large_noncustom_y": "150", "thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "300", "thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "225", "files": [ { "file_id": "840641", "file_name": "840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.png", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.jpg", "mimetype": "image/png", "submission_id": "637905", "user_id": "17077", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": "1100", "full_size_y": "824", "screen_size_x": "920", "screen_size_y": "689", "preview_size_x": "300", "preview_size_y": "225", "initial_file_md5": "6496f34cb6480f85ce753a061a193e4a", "full_file_md5": "c027e182c5d66ed9987734a564aacb8f", "large_file_md5": "a171d0dced76b30e49696d39b91ac7e0", "small_file_md5": "60a1beffad7d0c5525e96706fffc206e", "thumbnail_md5": "294c77ce46786c4010ca185db8715aed", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2014-06-28 05:39:25.998479+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "28 Jun 2014 07:39 CEST", "thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life_noncustom.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/840/840641_ElfenSciuridae_f_c_married_life_noncustom.jpg", "thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "120", "thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "90", "thumb_large_noncustom_x": "200", "thumb_large_noncustom_y": "150", "thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "300", "thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "225" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "16423", "name": "True Stories", "description": "Things that had happened in my younger life... no matter how strange they were.", "count": "75", "submission_left_submission_id": "637903", "submission_left_file_name": "840639_ElfenSciuridae_stuck_in_elevator.png", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/840/840639_ElfenSciuridae_stuck_in_elevator.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/840/840639_ElfenSciuridae_stuck_in_elevator_noncustom.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/840/840639_ElfenSciuridae_stuck_in_elevator_noncustom.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "98", "submission_left_thumb_large_noncustom_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_noncustom_y": "163", "submission_left_thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "245", "submission_right_submission_id": "745729", "submission_right_file_name": "1005893_ElfenSciuridae_f_t_final_goodbye.png", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1005/1005893_ElfenSciuridae_f_t_final_goodbye.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1005/1005893_ElfenSciuridae_f_t_final_goodbye_noncustom.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1005/1005893_ElfenSciuridae_f_t_final_goodbye_noncustom.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "100", "submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "120", "submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_x": "167", "submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "250", "submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "300" } ], "description": "December 1983\n\nI get home at my wife's place on Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn, at 6:30 pm though my day of work was not over for another couple of hours. The place was empty for Cathy was at her parent's home to pick up the baby after her day from college. As the season approaches Winter, it has already been dark for little more than an hour. I find a note on the table saying that the ingredients for dinner was in the lower shelf of the frig defrosting along with a little something for Baby James. I start to prepare dinner for the two of us, the baby food can be prepared in much less shorter time so I set it aside for later.\n\nMacaroni and cheese is prepared rather quickly, though the steak and assorted vegatbles take a little longer to cook, but in all taking nothing more than thirtyfive minutes to prepare. Once dinner is done, I start on James' tiny meal, which only took 10 minutes to prepare. I set aside the meal on low simmer to keep them warm as I wait for my wife and stepson to arrive at home. As I await, I set up my Vic 20 computer to do more programming on the First Star projects. Cathy enters the house about fifteen minutes after I set up the computer, as I was completing some important lines of code and some major revision changes in the program.\n\n\"Hey, hun, a little help here?\" Cathy asks as she stands by the door.\n\n\"In a minute...\" I said as I typed a couple more lines of code.\n\n\"Fernando - dear... now...\" Cathy stated with much importance. I turn around and see her with various packages she has bought for Christmas, and the baby carriage. I quickly go to her and help her out by taking the packages and gently tossing them into an empty corner of the living room. I held the door for her as she walks into our home, pushing the baby carriage in front of her.\n\nOnce in the living room, she parks the stroller in the middle of the room and undoes little James from his restraints and coat. She quietly takes him to his crib in our bedroom and puts his sleepy body inside. I take care of the stroller and fold it up, putting it to the side of the room. She takes off her coat and sits on the bed, taking out her Calculus book to study as finals were coming soon. I take her coat it and put it away in the closet. She then plops her self on the bed with her study material and just sits there tired.\n\n\"You OK, dear?\" I ask her.\n\n\"I'm just tired, hun. It was just crazy out there.\" Cathy answered.\n\nI sit on next to her, \"Dinner's ready when you want it.\"\n\n\"You also made something for James?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Of course I did.\" I answer. Just in case, I get out of the bed and head into the kitchen and check on his meal. I turn off the stove and put his meal onto a cold burner.\n\n\"Want to eat now?\" I ask her as I walk back into the bedroom.\n\n\"Later, when I'm less tired.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"Want about James?\" I ask.\n\n\"Let him sleep first.\" Cathy says.\n\nI lean over to her and kiss her forehead, \"I need to work on some code for the job.\"\n\n\"Still working on that thing?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"The depends on what that thing is...\" I began to answer her, \"Yes, I'm finishing up on some video game code; but I'm also going to test an idea on another system for that other job once I'm done.\"\n\nCathy lets out a half hearted sigh, perhaps from being tired. \"Fernando...\" She begins to ask, \"Get me some water please.\"\n\nI don't answer verbally to her request, but does as she requested - going to the kitchen and preparing a tall glass of cold water for her. I give it to her, and she takes a drink from it - taking in more than half the glass' contents.\n\n\"Thank you...\" Cathy says.\n\nI sat next to her for the moment, she leans a little bit closer to me. She finishes the glass on the second try and holds onto it when she's done. I reach for it and take it from her, bringing it to the kitchen. I head to the computer and begin typing.\n\nAfter a while, I started hearing the slight soft sound of snoring. I look at the clock and see that it's a little past 7:40pm, and began to wonder - both are tired and sleeping, and neither had eaten yet. I get up off my seat to go to the bedroom, placing myself by Cathy to check on her. Her math boos was open to where she was reviewing for her exams.\n\n I kiss her on the forehead, she soflty says \"Thanks.\"\n\nWith a couple of baby coughs, James wakes up crying before I could take my second step away from the bed. I immediately go to his crib and pick him up, trying to sooth him as I carry him to the kitchen area. There, I sat him up on the counter and checked on his vitals - since his diaper was neither wet or dirty, he must be crying from hunger.\n\nFor now to get him quiet I gather his bottle with some apple juice and put it to his lips. He takes to the bottle's nipple and starts drinking from it. I slowly carry him back to the bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed, hiding him in my arms as he drank from the bottle.\n\nIn a couple of minutes as I fed Baby James his bottle, Cathy wakes up, slowly getting up from here she lays onto her knees and takes the few steps to me. \"Thank you.\" She finally says as she leans against me.\n\n\"What for?\" I ask.\n\n\"Taking care of little James for me.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"Cathy, it's my job to do so... as your husband and his father.\" I tell her.\n\nBaby James opens his tiny eyes before pushing th bottle away from his face, and sees his mother and calls for her as he reaches for her, \"Ma-ma\"\n\nCathy takes James from me hand and continues feeding him.\n\n\"You know you don't have too.\" Cathy says.\n\n\"Don't tell me that I don't have too when I must for I accepted him as part of you and there is no way I am not going to go back on you and deny that I love you.\" I tell her.\n\n\"But he is not your child.\" Cathy says.\n\n\"Cathy, why must we go through this every so often?\" I ask.\n\n\"No reason.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"Look - if you got seriously sick or hurt, you want me to abandon James and not take care of him? Not to love him as my own?\" I ask.\n\n\"I want you to do what you can, and I know you would do your best.\" Cathy says.\n\n\"Then why?\" I ask.\n\n\"Do you honestly love James or is it that you accepted him as my child?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Cathy, I love James with all my heart, for he is part of you. And if I cannot love any part of you, then I cannot love you at all.\" I tell her.\n\nCathy leans over and kisses me on the cheek. She then picks up James up to face him in a baby-like tone, \"You finish little boy?\"\n\nHe lets out a big burp, and then begins to giggle. She looks at him sternly for a second, then smiles and kisses him. She puts the baby on to the bed where she finishes taking off the rest of his little clothes and put on his little pajamas.\n\n\"He won't be going to sleep for quite a while...\" I tell her.\n\n\"I know, but at least he can be comfortable in his night clothes.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"You want some dinner?\" I ask.\n\n\"Yeah... please.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"Want it to be served here?\" I ask.\n\n\"Yeah...\" Cathy said.\n\nI step into the room and turn on the TV for her as she crawls onto the bed to be with her son. I then head back to the kitchen to prepare her dinner and bring it to her. I put the contents onto the bed serving table we have for those times we eat in bed. I walk back in into the bedroom, carrying the table with her dinner on it, placing it by her. I walk to the other side of the bed and take James from her so she could eat. He reaches out for her, so I move over to get close to her. Holding him by his waist, he stands up on my lap, reaching for his mother. Cathy leans over to kiss him, then draws away to have her meal.\n\n\"Ma-ma?\" Little James says, almost asking.\n\n\"Shhhh... she's eating...\" I tell him softly in his ear.\n\nHe turns to look at me with a confused and uncertain look. I smile back at him, and he begins to smile back at me.\n\nCathy eaten about half of her meal, when she started to reach over to hold the baby. I hand him over to her. \"That's your Da-Da...\" She tells him softly.\n\nJames looks her, trying to repeat what she say but only makes a \"Mmmm... Mmmm...\" sound as he tries to speak with his mouth closed.\n\nI lean over to them, giving James a kiss on his cheek, \"Don't worry about it kid...\" I said softly. I then slowly get out of the bed, walking to the doorway of the bed room.\n\n\"Fernando?\" Cathy calls to get my attention.\n\n\"Yes dear?\" I return.\n\n\"I'm finished eating.\" Cathy said.\n\nI look over the contents she had left behind, seeing that she only ate half her meal. \"Cathy, you only ate half...\" I started to say.\n\n\"I know, I'm not hungry.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"But you're eating for two, you know.\" I say to her.\n\n\"I know. I'll eat later when I'm hungry.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"OK then.\" I said as I walked back to take the tiny bed serving table back to the kitchen.\n\nI cleaned up the dishes, and trashed what was left behind, then cleaning up the rest of the area. I then take my meal and spilt it in half for her to enjoy later on. Cathy had quietly walked through the house without me noticing, having put James back in his crib. From behind she reaches over and hugs me, I tense up, refraining from having my fight/flight reflex from striking her.\n\n\"What's wrong?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Nothing, dear... honestly.\" I tell her.\n\n\"You have not held back from hitting me since high school...\" Cathy started to say.\n\n\"It's that I'm tired and you startled me.\" I interrupt her.\n\n\"...OK.\" Cathy says.\n\nI finish up the dishes and turn to hold her, \"James asleep?\" I then ask.\n\n\"Yeah he is.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"Good...\" I said.\n\n\"Is something bothering you?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Cathy, maybe there is, but I don't know. Maybe it's the holidays, and that we may have to spend them separated again like we did on Thanksgiving.\" I explained.\n\n\"I see.\" Cathy answered, \"Well, to let you know, I feel the same way as you do.\"\n\nI lean over and kiss her on the forehead. Pulling away for a slight bit, she leans upwards to me to return the favor, but on the lips. We hold onto each other for a while, for a few seconds before we break away.\n\n\"Didn't you had work to do?\" Cathy says, pointing to my make-shift computer area in the living room.\n\n\"You and James are more important than work right now. Besides, I can finish it over the weekend.\" I explain to her.\n\nCathy continues to look around the house, seeing that I kept it in order, made dinner, fed both her and the baby, before commenting. \"Didn't you eat anything?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Actually, I'm not hungry either, I'll eat later, preferably with you.\" I answered.\n\n\"Then what shall we do during that time?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"We can watch TV quietly in bed...\" I answered.\n\n\"It better be quietly, or James will wake up again.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"Don't trust me?\" I asked.\n\n\"I don't trust us...\" Cathy said with a smile.\n\nI give her a tight hug and pick her up with it. Cathy complains but I whisper to her to keep it down or we might wake up the baby. She stops struggling against me, then I reorientate my arms so I can carry her better and begin to take her to the bedroom. She tries to complain, but does so in silence as to not to wake up the baby. I place her sitting on the bed, then I follow and crawl onto the bed and lay down next to her.\n\nCathy leans over to me and whispers into my ear, \"That was unfair and uncalled for.\"\n\nI place my finger at my lips and Shh'es her. Cathy gives me one of those semi-angered looks, crossing her arms in front of her. I reach over and then grab her by the shoulders, pulling her down to me. She tries to resist, almost squealing. For a moment we stop, listening in on James' crib because he stirred within. We look at the crib, seeing that he was still asleep.\n\nCathy turns to face and throws a hard punch with the side off her fist at my shoulder. It was not meant to hurt, being more playful than anything else, but it did hurt.\n\nI grab my shoulder, whispering, \"Oww... why you did that for?\"\n\n\"Why you carried me to the bed?... Did I hurt you?\" Cathy asks as her tone changes.\n\n\"I'll be fine, you just caught me off guard. That's all\" I tell her.\n\n\"You sure?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Yes, I'll be fine.\" I tell her.\n\n\"Hmm... OK.\" Cathy says.\n\nI just lay back on the bed in silence for a while.\n\nCathy position herself over me, supporting herself over me with either arm besides my shoulders. \"You want to watch TV?\" She asks.\n\n\"What do you want to see?\" I ask.\n\n\"It really does not matter. Nothing really on Friday nights.\" Cathy explains.\n\n\"Yeah, I know.\" I replied.\n\nShe reaches for the remote and turns on the tv. After a while, the picture tube brightens up to it's fullest, and she begins to go through the channels. Nothing is really on, just a few movies, a doctumentry on PBS, that's about it. She keeps it on the PBS documentry, about the history of Egypt, Rome and the Metaterian Sea at the time of Jesus and the Apposiles. We shift ourselves to get a more comfortable view of the TV while on the bed.\n\nThe show continues for another hour, before Cathy gets out of bed to go to the bathroom. She comes back to sit on the bed and starts to take off her clothes. She places them on one of the two chairs we keep in the room, by the nightstand before going to the dresser and pulling out one of her silk night-gowns. Once she puts it on, she sits on the bed and leans over to me to whisper in my ear. \"Aren't you going to get ready for bed too?\" She asks.\n\n\"Huh?\" I ask.\n\n\"Fernando - take off your clothes...\" Cathy almost demands.\n\n\"Oh, yeah, later.\" I tell her.\n\n\"Why later, why not now?\" Cathy asks.\n\nI slowly sit up on the bed, as she reaches to unbutton my shirt, working her way down to unbuckle my belt and undo my pants. I take her by the shoulder and push her off me to get her attention. She looks surprized as I interrupt her from her task. I give her a kiss on the lips, and then withdraw quickly, \"I can do the rest myself.\"\n\n\"Aww...\" Cathy says.\n\nFirst comes off the shirt, which is thrown onto the chair where she placed her clothing at, and lands onto the seat. The pants follow, as does the socks. Then I lay back onto the bed again, as she lays next to me, putting her arm around me. My arm goes around her from underneath.\n\nSilence. One of the better aspects of a relationship. Nothing to argue about, everything in it's place, and peace having settled upon us. Perhaps better than making Love, for this is another form thereof. At least we can have something in common with each other. Another 40 minutes pass as we stay there in silence, with just an occassional touch and silence comments.\n\n\"Dinner?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"You hungry?\" I ask.\n\n\"Just a little.\" Cathy says.\n\n\"Cathy, may I ask?\" I started to say.\n\n\"Ask what?\" Cathy says.\n\n\"When you were pregnant with James, did you eat a lot or no?\" I ask.\n\n\"Well... in the later months I did.\" Cathy answers, \"Why? You worried about me not eating because of the baby?\" She asks.\n\n\"Well, yes. But I know that you will do what is right for you and the baby.\" I explained, \"But... what about your parents?\"\n\n\"What about them?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"You can't hide being pregnant from them too long. Eventually they will know.\" I said.\n\n\"Until then, it's none of their business.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"When you get to that point, who are you going to tell them who is the father?\" I ask.\n\n\"That is still none of their business... until we get married... again.\" Cathy answers.\n\n\"I see. Funny, the baby will be born before we get married again.\" I said.\n\n\"How is that funny?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Put it this way - who are we going to invite? Then, out of all those, who will think that we are getting married because I got you pregnant? And out of them, who's going to argue that it is not my child?\" I asked.\n\n\"Fernando?\" Cathy asked.\n\n\"Yes, dear?\" I replied.\n\n\"Shut up.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"OK dear.\" I answered.\n\n\"Now how about that dinner?\" Cathy asked.\n\nI slowly got up into a sitting position, \"I'll take care of it.\" Before stepping out of the bed and walking into the kitchen.\n\nOnce in the kitchen, I prepare two smaller plates of dinner, and set them on the bed serving table. Along with some water and orange juice, I take it to the bed and place it by her. Cathy looks at the plates oddily.\n\n\"You're not going to any more?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Actually, you're having half of mine, beacuse you need it more than I do.\" I tell her.\n\n\"Your sure about that?\" Cathy says.\n\n\"You're eating for two... I need to watch what I eat or I'll get fat.\" I tell her. She tried to keep from laughing, and begins to have her meal.\n\nFor a moment, I step into the bathroom to wash my hands. For some reason I take my time, doing the proceedure of a thorough wash down as if I was back in college during comparative anatomy about to do a disection. I return to the bedroom, where Cathy continues eating, but she had already finished her plate and just started on mine.\n\n\"Hey...\" I quietly complained.\n\n\"What? You took too long.\" She said.\n\nI slowly sit by her, taking a fork onto my hand. I skewer the meat, or what's left of it, with the fork and start to eat it. She picks at the vegetables and the macaroni and cheese. I ate what ever she leaves behind. When done, I place my fork down onto the table. She follows with a small kiss.\n\nI get out of the bed, carrying the table with me back to the kitchen. I take my time in cleaning up the plates, utenziles and the table; drying them off before putting everything away. I then start on the pots and pans I used to create the meal. She quickly goes to the bathroom for a moment, I know that her being pregnant forces her to go more often than normal. After drying them off, I put them away. Cathy puts away her books and study material as I was in the kitchen.\n\nShe stand by the kitchen doorway before walking in, watching me put away the pots and pans into their storage place. She then walks to me, giving me a hug.\n\n\"Anything wrong?\" I ask.\n\n\"Why do you constantly say that?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"I don't know. You're being too huggy.\" I answered.\n\n\"Can't I be affectionate to the man that actually cares about me?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"I'm not complaining, it's that I'm just unsure as to why.\" I answered.\n\n\"And that 5-day 24-hour-a-day sex-fest we had on the first weeks when we met again, you did not question...\" Cathy tried to say.\n\n\"Cathy - I'm not complaining. It's that sometimes, I don't know.\" I started to explain, interrupting her.\n\n\"Just accept that I love you and that I will never let you go.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"I love you too, since the day I first saw you.\" I tell her.\n\n\"Well... what day would that be?\" Cathy said.\n\n\"September 8, 1978.\" I answer.\n\n\"You were blind back then...\" Cathy said.\n\n\"Just because I had problems seeing with my eyes back then did not make me blind.\" I explain.\n\n\"Since Day One, then, you were in love with me?\" Cathy asks.\n\n\"Yeah, I was... I know it took you longer.\" I said.\n\n\"Not really, I would not have kissed you that day if I didn't liked you.\" Cathy explained.\n\n\"Well, now that we are together, what shall we do?\" I ask.\n\n\"Just grow old together.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"What about saving the world?\" I ask.\n\n\"The world can save itself. Right now, you're mine.\" Cathy said, tightening the hug.\n\n\"Eventually you will have to let me go, even for a moment.\" I said.\n\n\"You're going to be unfaithful to me?\" Cathy aks.\n\n\"I would not do that to you, not ever.\" I said, \"But I have a job to do, and it will be done; understand that.\"\n\n\"As long as you come back to me.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"Always.\" I tell her.\n\nCathy smiles back, and leans her head against my chest.\n\nCathy then pulls away, \"Just do me one favor?\"\n\n\"For you, anything.\" I tell her.\n\n\"Stop questioning my love for you...\" Cathy said.\n\n\"I don't question that of you.\" I answer.\n\n\"Then whatever it is that you question - stop it.\" Cathy said.\n\n\"OK...\" I said.\n\nCathy lets go of the hug, but still holds onto my hand and starts walking to the bedroom, tugging on my arm to follow her. I follow her up to the bedroom doorway and then stop, which forces her to stop and step back towards me. I kiss her on the forehead and then bend down to pick her up and carry her into the bedroom. I gently place her on the bed, and crawl on the bed myself to be beside her. She rolls over towards me, and puts her arm around me. I put an arm under her and with it, hold her against me, several kisses, caresses and \"I love yous\" are exchanged.\n\nWe stay like that until the start of the nightly news at 11pm. The TV stays on for a while for the headlines to be heard and seen, but at the first commercial break, it is turned off. We continue as we were in the darkness of the room, with my reaching over to the blankets to cover ourselves with it. After what may seem as a moment of time longer than a half hour, we go to sleep.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "December 1983

I get home at my wife's place on Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn, at 6:30 pm though my day of work was not over for another couple of hours. The place was empty for Cathy was at her parent's home to pick up the baby after her day from college. As the season approaches Winter, it has already been dark for little more than an hour. I find a note on the table saying that the ingredients for dinner was in the lower shelf of the frig defrosting along with a little something for Baby James. I start to prepare dinner for the two of us, the baby food can be prepared in much less shorter time so I set it aside for later.

Macaroni and cheese is prepared rather quickly, though the steak and assorted vegatbles take a little longer to cook, but in all taking nothing more than thirtyfive minutes to prepare. Once dinner is done, I start on James' tiny meal, which only took 10 minutes to prepare. I set aside the meal on low simmer to keep them warm as I wait for my wife and stepson to arrive at home. As I await, I set up my Vic 20 computer to do more programming on the First Star projects. Cathy enters the house about fifteen minutes after I set up the computer, as I was completing some important lines of code and some major revision changes in the program.

"Hey, hun, a little help here?" Cathy asks as she stands by the door.

"In a minute..." I said as I typed a couple more lines of code.

"Fernando - dear... now..." Cathy stated with much importance. I turn around and see her with various packages she has bought for Christmas, and the baby carriage. I quickly go to her and help her out by taking the packages and gently tossing them into an empty corner of the living room. I held the door for her as she walks into our home, pushing the baby carriage in front of her.

Once in the living room, she parks the stroller in the middle of the room and undoes little James from his restraints and coat. She quietly takes him to his crib in our bedroom and puts his sleepy body inside. I take care of the stroller and fold it up, putting it to the side of the room. She takes off her coat and sits on the bed, taking out her Calculus book to study as finals were coming soon. I take her coat it and put it away in the closet. She then plops her self on the bed with her study material and just sits there tired.

"You OK, dear?" I ask her.

"I'm just tired, hun. It was just crazy out there." Cathy answered.

I sit on next to her, "Dinner's ready when you want it."

"You also made something for James?" Cathy asks.

"Of course I did." I answer. Just in case, I get out of the bed and head into the kitchen and check on his meal. I turn off the stove and put his meal onto a cold burner.

"Want to eat now?" I ask her as I walk back into the bedroom.

"Later, when I'm less tired." Cathy answers.

"Want about James?" I ask.

"Let him sleep first." Cathy says.

I lean over to her and kiss her forehead, "I need to work on some code for the job."

"Still working on that thing?" Cathy asks.

"The depends on what that thing is..." I began to answer her, "Yes, I'm finishing up on some video game code; but I'm also going to test an idea on another system for that other job once I'm done."

Cathy lets out a half hearted sigh, perhaps from being tired. "Fernando..." She begins to ask, "Get me some water please."

I don't answer verbally to her request, but does as she requested - going to the kitchen and preparing a tall glass of cold water for her. I give it to her, and she takes a drink from it - taking in more than half the glass' contents.

"Thank you..." Cathy says.

I sat next to her for the moment,  she leans a little bit closer to me. She finishes the glass on the second try and holds onto it when she's done. I reach for it and take it from her, bringing it to the kitchen. I head to the computer and begin typing.

After a while, I started hearing the slight soft sound of snoring. I look at the clock and see that it's a little past 7:40pm, and began to wonder - both are tired and sleeping, and neither had eaten yet. I get up off my seat to go to the bedroom, placing myself by Cathy to check on her. Her math boos was open to where she was reviewing for her exams.

 I kiss her on the forehead, she soflty says "Thanks."

With a couple of baby coughs, James wakes up crying before I could take my second step away from the bed. I immediately go to his crib and pick him up, trying to sooth him as I carry him to the kitchen area. There, I sat him up on the counter and checked on his vitals - since his diaper was neither wet or dirty, he must be crying from hunger.

For now to get him quiet I gather his bottle with some apple juice and put it to his lips. He takes to the bottle's nipple and starts drinking from it. I slowly carry him back to the bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed, hiding him in my arms as he drank from the bottle.

In a couple of minutes as I fed Baby James his bottle, Cathy wakes up, slowly getting up from here she lays onto her knees and takes the few steps to me. "Thank you." She finally says as she leans against me.

"What for?" I ask.

"Taking care of little James for me." Cathy said.

"Cathy, it's my job to do so... as your husband and his father." I tell her.

Baby James opens his tiny eyes before pushing th bottle away from his face, and sees his mother and calls for her as he reaches for her, "Ma-ma"

Cathy takes James from me hand and continues feeding him.

"You know you don't have too." Cathy says.

"Don't tell me that I don't have too when I must for I accepted him as part of you and there is no way I am not going to go back on you and deny that I love you." I tell her.

"But he is not your child." Cathy says.

"Cathy, why must we go through this every so often?" I ask.

"No reason." Cathy answers.

"Look - if you got seriously sick or hurt, you want me to abandon James and not take care of him? Not to love him as my own?" I ask.

"I want you to do what you can, and I know you would do your best." Cathy says.

"Then why?" I ask.

"Do you honestly love James or is it that you accepted him as my child?" Cathy asks.

"Cathy, I love James with all my heart, for he is part of you. And if I cannot love any part of you, then I cannot love you at all." I tell her.

Cathy leans over and kisses me on the cheek. She then picks up James up to face him in a baby-like tone, "You finish little boy?"

He lets out a big burp, and then begins to giggle. She looks at him sternly for a second, then smiles and kisses him. She puts the baby on to the bed where she finishes taking off the rest of his little clothes and put on his little pajamas.

"He won't be going to sleep for quite a while..." I tell her.

"I know, but at least he can be comfortable in his night clothes." Cathy answers.

"You want some dinner?" I ask.

"Yeah... please." Cathy answers.

"Want it to be served here?" I ask.

"Yeah..." Cathy said.

I step into the room and turn on the TV for her as she crawls onto the bed to be with her son. I then head back to the kitchen to prepare her dinner and bring it to her. I put the contents onto the bed serving table we have for those times we eat in bed. I walk back in into the bedroom, carrying the table with her dinner on it, placing it by her. I walk to the other side of the bed and take James from her so she could eat. He reaches out for her, so I move over to get close to her. Holding him by his waist, he stands up on my lap, reaching for his mother. Cathy leans over to kiss him, then draws away to have her meal.

"Ma-ma?" Little James says, almost asking.

"Shhhh... she's eating..." I tell him softly in his ear.

He turns to look at me with a confused and uncertain look. I smile back at him, and he begins to smile back at me.

Cathy eaten about half of her meal, when she started to reach over to hold the baby. I hand him over to her. "That's your Da-Da..." She tells him softly.

James looks her, trying to repeat what she say but only makes a "Mmmm... Mmmm..." sound as he tries to speak with his mouth closed.

I lean over to them, giving James a kiss on his cheek, "Don't worry about it kid..." I said softly. I then slowly get out of the bed, walking to the doorway of the bed room.

"Fernando?" Cathy calls to get my attention.

"Yes dear?" I return.

"I'm finished eating." Cathy said.

I look over the contents she had left behind, seeing that she only ate half her meal. "Cathy, you only ate half..." I started to say.

"I know, I'm not hungry." Cathy said.

"But you're eating for two, you know." I say to her.

"I know. I'll eat later when I'm hungry." Cathy answers.

"OK then." I said as I walked back to take the tiny bed serving table back to the kitchen.

I cleaned up the dishes, and trashed what was left behind, then cleaning up the rest of the area. I then take my meal and spilt it in half for her to enjoy later on. Cathy had quietly walked through the house without me noticing, having put James back in his crib. From behind she reaches over and hugs me, I tense up, refraining from having my fight/flight reflex from striking her.

"What's wrong?" Cathy asks.

"Nothing, dear... honestly." I tell her.

"You have not held back from hitting me since high school..." Cathy started to say.

"It's that I'm tired and you startled me." I interrupt her.

"...OK." Cathy says.

I finish up the dishes and turn to hold her, "James asleep?" I then ask.

"Yeah he is." Cathy said.

"Good..." I said.

"Is something bothering you?" Cathy asks.

"Cathy, maybe there is, but I don't know. Maybe it's the holidays, and that we may have to spend them separated again like we did on Thanksgiving." I explained.

"I see." Cathy answered, "Well, to let you know, I feel the same way as you do."

I lean over and kiss her on the forehead. Pulling away for a slight bit, she leans upwards to me to return the favor, but on the lips. We hold onto each other for a while, for a few seconds before we break away.

"Didn't you had work to do?" Cathy says, pointing to my make-shift computer area in the living room.

"You and James are more important than work right now. Besides, I can finish it over the weekend." I explain to her.

Cathy continues to look around the house, seeing that I kept it in order, made dinner, fed both her and the baby, before commenting. "Didn't you eat anything?" Cathy asks.

"Actually, I'm not hungry either, I'll eat later, preferably with you." I answered.

"Then what shall we do during that time?" Cathy asks.

"We can watch TV quietly in bed..." I answered.

"It better be quietly, or James will wake up again." Cathy said.

"Don't trust me?" I asked.

"I don't trust us..." Cathy said with a smile.

I give her a tight hug and pick her up with it. Cathy complains but I whisper to her to keep it down or we might wake up the baby. She stops struggling against me, then I reorientate my arms so I can carry her better and begin to take her to the bedroom. She tries to complain, but does so in silence as to not to wake up the baby. I place her sitting on the bed, then I follow and crawl onto the bed and lay down next to her.

Cathy leans over to me and whispers into my ear, "That was unfair and uncalled for."

I place my finger at my lips and Shh'es her. Cathy gives me one of those semi-angered looks, crossing her arms in front of her. I reach over and then grab her by the shoulders, pulling her down to me. She tries to resist, almost squealing. For a moment we stop, listening in on James' crib because he stirred within. We look at the crib, seeing that he was still asleep.

Cathy turns to face and throws a hard punch with the side off her fist at my shoulder. It was not meant to hurt, being more playful than anything else, but it did hurt.

I grab my shoulder, whispering, "Oww... why you did that for?"

"Why you carried me to the bed?... Did I hurt you?" Cathy asks as her tone changes.

"I'll be fine, you just caught me off guard. That's all" I tell her.

"You sure?" Cathy asks.

"Yes, I'll be fine." I tell her.

"Hmm... OK." Cathy says.

I just lay back on the bed in silence for a while.

Cathy position herself over me, supporting herself over me with either arm besides my shoulders. "You want to watch TV?" She asks.

"What do you want to see?" I ask.

"It really does not matter. Nothing really on Friday nights." Cathy explains.

"Yeah, I know." I replied.

She reaches for the remote and turns on the tv. After a while, the picture tube brightens up to it's fullest, and she begins to go through the channels. Nothing is really on, just a few movies, a doctumentry on PBS, that's about it. She keeps it on the PBS documentry, about the history of Egypt, Rome and the Metaterian Sea at the time of Jesus and the Apposiles. We shift ourselves to get a more comfortable view of the TV while on the bed.

The show continues for another hour, before Cathy gets out of bed to go to the bathroom. She comes back to sit on the bed and starts to take off her clothes. She places them on one of the two chairs we keep in the room, by the nightstand before going to the dresser and pulling out one of her silk night-gowns. Once she puts it on, she sits on the bed and leans over to me to whisper in my ear. "Aren't you going to get ready for bed too?" She asks.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Fernando - take off your clothes..." Cathy almost demands.

"Oh, yeah, later." I tell her.

"Why later, why not now?" Cathy asks.

I slowly sit up on the bed, as she reaches to unbutton my shirt, working her way down to unbuckle my belt and undo my pants. I take her by the shoulder and push her off me to get her attention. She looks surprized as I interrupt her from her task. I give her a kiss on the lips, and then withdraw quickly, "I can do the rest myself."

"Aww..." Cathy says.

First comes off the shirt, which is thrown onto the chair where she placed her clothing at, and lands onto the seat. The pants follow, as does the socks. Then I lay back onto the bed again, as she lays next to me, putting her arm around me. My arm goes around her from underneath.

Silence. One of the better aspects of a relationship. Nothing to argue about, everything in it's place, and peace having settled upon us. Perhaps better than making Love, for this is another form thereof. At least we can have something in common with each other. Another 40 minutes pass as we stay there in silence, with just an occassional touch and silence comments.

"Dinner?" Cathy asks.

"You hungry?" I ask.

"Just a little." Cathy says.

"Cathy, may I ask?" I started to say.

"Ask what?" Cathy says.

"When you were pregnant with James, did you eat a lot or no?" I ask.

"Well... in the later months I did." Cathy answers, "Why? You worried about me not eating because of the baby?" She asks.

"Well, yes. But I know that you will do what is right for you and the baby." I explained, "But... what about your parents?"

"What about them?" Cathy asks.

"You can't hide being pregnant from them too long. Eventually they will know." I said.

"Until then, it's none of their business." Cathy said.

"When you get to that point, who are you going to tell them who is the father?" I ask.

"That is still none of their business... until we get married... again." Cathy answers.

"I see. Funny, the baby will be born before we get married again." I said.

"How is that funny?" Cathy asks.

"Put it this way - who are we going to invite? Then, out of all those, who will think that we are getting married because I got you pregnant? And out of them, who's going to argue that it is not my child?" I asked.

"Fernando?" Cathy asked.

"Yes, dear?" I replied.

"Shut up." Cathy said.

"OK dear." I answered.

"Now how about that dinner?" Cathy asked.

I slowly got up into a sitting position, "I'll take care of it." Before stepping out of the bed and walking into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, I prepare two smaller plates of dinner, and set them on the bed serving table. Along with some water and orange juice, I take it to the bed and place it by her. Cathy looks at the plates oddily.

"You're not going to any more?" Cathy asks.

"Actually, you're having half of mine, beacuse you need it more than I do." I tell her.

"Your sure about that?" Cathy says.

"You're eating for two... I need to watch what I eat or I'll get fat." I tell her. She tried to keep from laughing, and begins to have her meal.

For a moment, I step into the bathroom to wash my hands. For some reason I take my time, doing the proceedure of a thorough wash down as if I was back in college during comparative anatomy about to do a disection. I return to the bedroom, where Cathy continues eating, but she had already finished her plate and just started on mine.

"Hey..." I quietly complained.

"What? You took too long." She said.

I slowly sit by her, taking a fork onto my hand. I skewer the meat, or what's left of it, with the fork and start to eat it. She picks at the vegetables and the macaroni and cheese. I ate what ever she leaves behind. When done, I place my fork down onto the table. She follows with a small kiss.

I get out of the bed, carrying the table with me back to the kitchen. I take my time in cleaning up the plates, utenziles and the table; drying them off before putting everything away. I then start on the pots and pans I used to create the meal. She quickly goes to the bathroom for a moment, I know that her being pregnant forces her to go more often than normal. After drying them off, I put them away. Cathy puts away her books and study material as I was in the kitchen.

She stand by the kitchen doorway before walking in, watching me put away the pots and pans into their storage place. She then walks to me, giving me a hug.

"Anything wrong?" I ask.

"Why do you constantly say that?" Cathy asks.

"I don't know. You're being too huggy." I answered.

"Can't I be affectionate to the man that actually cares about me?" Cathy asks.

"I'm not complaining, it's that I'm just unsure as to why." I answered.

"And that 5-day 24-hour-a-day sex-fest we had on the first weeks when we met again, you did not question..." Cathy tried to say.

"Cathy - I'm not complaining. It's that sometimes, I don't know." I started to explain, interrupting her.

"Just accept that I love you and that I will never let you go." Cathy said.

"I love you too, since the day I first saw you." I tell her.

"Well... what day would that be?" Cathy said.

"September 8, 1978." I answer.

"You were blind back then..." Cathy said.

"Just because I had problems seeing with my eyes back then did not make me blind." I explain.

"Since Day One, then, you were in love with me?" Cathy asks.

"Yeah, I was... I know it took you longer." I said.

"Not really, I would not have kissed you that day if I didn't liked you." Cathy explained.

"Well, now that we are together, what shall we do?" I ask.

"Just grow old together." Cathy said.

"What about saving the world?" I ask.

"The world can save itself. Right now, you're mine." Cathy said, tightening the hug.

"Eventually you will have to let me go, even for a moment." I said.

"You're going to be unfaithful to me?" Cathy aks.

"I would not do that to you, not ever." I said, "But I have a job to do, and it will be done; understand that."

"As long as you come back to me." Cathy said.

"Always." I tell her.

Cathy smiles back, and leans her head against my chest.

Cathy then pulls away, "Just do me one favor?"

"For you, anything." I tell her.

"Stop questioning my love for you..." Cathy said.

"I don't question that of you." I answer.

"Then whatever it is that you question - stop it." Cathy said.

"OK..." I said.

Cathy lets go of the hug, but still holds onto my hand and starts walking to the bedroom, tugging on my arm to follow her. I follow her up to the bedroom doorway and then stop, which forces her to stop and step back towards me. I kiss her on the forehead and then bend down to pick her up and carry her into the bedroom. I gently place her on the bed, and crawl on the bed myself to be beside her. She rolls over towards me, and puts her arm around me. I put an arm under her and with it, hold her against me, several kisses, caresses and "I love yous" are exchanged.

We stay like that until the start of the nightly news at 11pm. The TV stays on for a while for the headlines to be heard and seen, but at the first commercial break, it is turned off. We continue as we were in the darkness of the room, with my reaching over to the blankets to cover ourselves with it. After what may seem as a moment of time longer than a half hour, we go to sleep.", "writing": "", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Married Life 12/83: F&C", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "0", "rating_name": "General", "ratings": [], "submission_type_id": "1", "type_name": "Picture/Pinup", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "135" }