November
Our son, Hendrick Milan Rivera was born on November 26 at 9:55am via cesarean section delivery. Bram and I chose it this way because my OB-GYN explained the risks of my age. Bram did not want to risk my life and the baby’s life with normal delivery. I woke up three times in the recovery room. When I was able to move my feet up, they transferred me to my hospital suite.
The next day, I cried again when I held baby Milan in my arms. We were trying to teach him to latch on my breast. My tears kept falling from my eyes and Bram was worried sick about what was happening to me. Mama Credence was no longer in the suite with us, it was just Maria, Bram and me. But they said she was here earlier before Milan came out. My stitches were so uncomfortable but because of my IV antibiotics and pain medications, I was not feeling anything yet.
I noticed that Bram and Maria were always getting out of the suite to answer phone calls. But they never went out at the same time. There was always someone with Milan and me. I also noticed the dark circles under both of their eyes. I felt really bad that I was depriving them of sleep and rest.
I was also wondering why my mom had not visited me yet. After lunch, I decided to ask Maria for my phone. I checked all my messages and saw that some of them were responded to by Bram. He indicated his name in all the replies. But there was no call log or message from my mom.
When Bram and Milan were sleeping I called Maria’s attention, “Did my mom come here when I was in the recovery room?” I asked her.
“No, madam,” Maria answered me. Her eyes darted to Bram.
“How about my brother?” I asked her again. Maria just shook her head. My eyes pooled with tears and Maria quickly came near me.
“Madam, please don’t cry,” she said to me. Then I saw Bram stood up so I wiped my tears.
“I’ll take care of her, Maria. You can have your coffee break,” Bram told Maria.
When Maria left the room, Bram hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. Then he went to check on Milan’s bassinet, “Hate to break it to you, love, but Milan’s got my brown hair.”
I gave Bram a small smile, “We’ll see it when he grows up.”
“I sent mom his pictures,” Bram continued, “And she said the same thing. We had the same hair color and texture.”
“Is Mama Credence busy?” I asked, curiously, “I thought I saw her before they brought me to the operating room.”
“She was here but then she left because of an emergency,” Bram said while he walked to the right side of the bed.
“What was the emergency?” I asked as I followed him with my eyes.
“There was a fire in the ancestral house,” Bram told me. His eyes were staring at me intently.
I covered both hands with my mouth. I winced when I felt the needle of my IV line on my left hand, “What happened? What started the fire?”
“The culprit was caught on site,” Bram explained to me, “The investigation is still ongoing. We did not tell you because we don’t want you to worry.”
In the five days that I stayed in the hospital, Bram, Maria and Chantal were with me. They were constantly watching and waiting for everything that Milan and I would need. Bram brought two laptops and made the divan and the center table in my suite’s living room his make-shift office. And when we got home everything that Milan would need was inside the master bedroom.
Everyday when I was at the hospital, I tried calling Roland and mom but mom was the only one who was replying to my text messages. She said that they were busy at the restaurant. But just last month, when the three of us had dinner at mom’s house, they told me that they could not wait to meet my son. I was wondering what happened to them.
One morning when I was breastfeeding Milan, I asked Maria to call my mom using my phone. Maria placed it on a loud speaker and it was just ringing. Maria and I looked at each other for a while then she returned my phone to me, “When was the last time you spoke with my mom, Maria?”
“When Milan came out, madam,” Maria responded to me, “I was told by Sir Bram to call her while he called Madam Credence.”
I nodded in acknowledgement, “What about the fire in the ancestral house? Is there any news?” I asked her again.
“I don’t have enough information, madam,” Maria responded while she handed me a reusable breast pad. I covered my breast with it and Maria assisted me on making Milan burp.
“Do you need assistance for your bath, madam?” Maria asked me, “I will call the maids to wrap your wound in cling wrap?”
“Yes, please,” I answered her.
When Bram got home he always went straight to our room, changed his clothes, sanitized himself with alcohol spray before he hugged and kissed both Milan and me. My daily ensemble was a pair of pajamas, t-shirts and cotton shorts, and my loose cotton dresses. During weekends Bram cleaned and changed my wound dressing and Maria did it when Bram was at the office. Mama Credence and Aunt Calla video called me almost everyday. They apologized that they were not able to visit us because they were working on the restoration of the ancestral house.
Saturday
I opened my eyes to a peaceful morning. The rays of sunlight were already streaming at the bottom of Milan’s crib. I felt Bram’s right arm under my breast slightly moved. We were facing the side of my dresser where Milan’s crib was installed. I automatically lifted my head to check Milan’s crib. He was still sound asleep. Bram pulled me closer then he inhaled the right side of my neck.
I giggled because it tickled me, “What are you doing?”
“You smell the same but there is another scent,” Bram whispered with eyes closed, “Probably breastmilk?”
“Probably, that’s why Milan loves to be with me,” I whispered, smiling.
“When are you allowed to have sex again?” Bram asked all of a sudden.
My eyes widened in surprise. After all that I had been through in the operating room. I realized that I had never thought about sex in a while. For a first time mom like me and my first ever surgery, the c-section was very traumatizing. Now that Bram mentioned sex, I remembered the contract. Three years, two babies. I would probably have a horrible death!
“Emma?” Bram hugged me tighter, “You didn’t answer my question?”
I bit my lower lip, “Probably after three months? I think the wound inside my body needs more time to heal.”
Bram inhaled on my neck again, “I might need to start jogging outside then?”
“I thought you were doing that already?” I turned my head to him.
“Treadmill, remember?” He reminded me.
“Okay,” I replied, “How about when you go on track? Was it not helpful?” I asked him as I referred to diversions against sexual tensions. He shook his head. Bram and I were way past the idea of him doing it by himself. He said that it was not the same when he did it inside me.
“I guess you really have to go outside and take Milan with you for his daily dose of Vitamin D.” I told Bram with a toothy grin.
Bram checked his wristwatch on the nightstand then he turned and went on top of me. He rubbed his aroused manhood on my genitals while he kissed and sucked my lips. Then he touched his nose to mine, “Three fucking months?”
I nodded in reply because I was getting slightly aroused too, “I believe in you, my love,” I told Bram.
“I’ll charge with interest after three months,” Bram said as he got off me. I laughed a little, then he yelled from the bathroom, “It’s not funny!”