Page 56 of Down the Aisle
Why am I such a mess?
It felt like such a bad breakdown, and I didn't know how to process it. I wanted to feel embarrassed for losing my shit like that in front of Adam, but it was buried under some kind of cathartic release.
I shouldn't be sobbing my eyes out like a child, but God did it feel good.
"P-pl-pl—" Fucking hell, I couldn't even speak.
Every time I tried to utter a single word, it'd come out as some sputtering mess.
Of course, being the perfect fucking lover he was, Adam kept me safe in his loving arms. Every brush of his fingers across my hair and body caused calm ripples to settle throughout. While his soothing touch warmed my body, he whispered sweet words into my ear in both English and Italian.
A long stretch of time passed before I found myself eating and drinking whatever Adam pressed against my lips. I don't know if I stopped sobbing because my crash evened out or if my body had grown too exhausted to continue. Either way, I didn't have the energy to do anything but give in to him completely. Besides, some water and food wouldn't harm me. I mean, it was nice and caring of him.
Granted, Adam was always the best when it came to aftercare. He was always there for me after a scene, holding me,feeding me, bathing me if my state called for it, cuddling me until I felt better or fell asleep.
"Mia rosa." His soft but demanding voice commanded my attention fully to his worried eyes. "You did amazing, and I'm so proud of you for taking that fucking like my good girl. You were wonderful with edging yourself and holding back. So fucking proud of you…" But? There was a but coming; I just knew it. "But please, talk to me."
Well, at least it wasn't a bad but.
Heh, his butt isn't a bad thing either.
Okay, I needed to get ahold of myself, because it was not the time for such thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, I snuggled myself more into his comforting body. Inhaling a lungful of his intoxicating scent, I let my nerves settle more before opening my mouth to try and speak. "Fine… Tired…" Those were the only two words I managed to get out in a small voice.
Adam pressed his lips against my forehead in a brief kiss before loosening his hold on me. His face came into my field of vision, letting me see his relieved expression. "Let me get you cleaned up and dressed, then I'll let you nap on the couch while I make dinner, alright?"
All I could manage was a nod and hum in response to him before buddling the sheets around me to replace his warmth when he left for the bathroom. I don't know how much of a nap it'll be because I felt like knocking out completely for the rest of the day from the heavy drag of exhaustion. But, who knows, I might surprise myself with some kind of power nap.
Minutes after leaving my side, Adam returned with some washcloths and a bottle of my lotion. Slowly, he unraveled me from my blanket burrito and wiped my face clean, before moving down my body. He took his time freshening up every inch of mybody, before giving me an impromptu massage as he applied the lotion to my body.
Once he was done, he slipped a pair of panties and one of his t-shirts on me before picking me up in his arms and taking me to the living room. Gently, he settled me on the couch, propping a throw pillow under my head, covering me with the heated weighted blanket he'd gotten me, and leaving me with the TV remote after kissing my head.
No surprise to me, I fell asleep before the opening credits for Criminal Minds finished playing.
What did surprise me, was the lack of exhaustion and burst of energy that surged through my body when I was startled awake by Asher. His tiny but hefty, little body slammed right into me, winding me. "Mama! Mum mum! Mum mum!"
Forcing a laugh through my strained groan of pain, I cuddled my struggling toddler against me while I recovered. "You're going to squish me one day, baby," I commented with an adoring look.
"He'll make the best wrestler," Hailee, Adam's sister, remarked through an amused giggle. "Don't know what you guys feed the little guy, but he's built like a damn tank."
Sitting up with a winded breath, I held Asher in my lap for a few moments longer before letting him down to play with Adelaide. "Honestly, I have no idea where he gets that chunk from." I wasn't a big person, and neither was James.
Sighing softly in thought, I shook my head to clear it. "Was he good today?" I asked Hailee after looking up at her.
"Perfect as always," Hailee replied with a big smile. "Seriously, he's more well-behaved than Adelaide."
"That's because Adelaide is a carbon copy of you," Adam snarked teasingly with a laugh from the kitchen. "And you're a little demon, especially when you were little."
Hailee stomped her foot while fuming slightly. "Oh, like you were any better! You used to catch bugs and put them in people's food and drinks until mom whooped your ass the one time she drank a mouthful of them," Adelaide retorted with a soft scowl. "You're lucky Asher's a good boy, otherwise I'd teach him to stick a squirrel down your pants so it can eat your damn nuts."
Fire scorched my throat and nose. I’d mistakenly taken a sip of my water before she spoke, and fire scorched my throat and nose when I choked and spat out my water at what Hailee said. Adam's footsteps were drowned out by my coughing fit, and I barely felt his back pats and rubs until everything subsided a little. "Hailee!" Adam half-shouted with a slightly red face.
"What? Not like you'll need them. Besides, Eliza only needs the part hanging off your body," Hailee remarked evilly with a grin and laugh of her own.
A scurry of pitter patters rushed over to us in an instant, and each of our kids hugged our legs. "Mama puppy, plwease?" Adelaide grinned up at her mother, who paled a little with a nervous smile and chuckle. "Big pwuppy fo cuddles!"
From the corner of my eye, I saw Adam's lips curl deviously before he leaned down and beckoned his niece over with a wave of his hand. "Addy, come to uncle Adam and you can tell me all about this puppy." Adam actively ignored the scolding glare from his sister as he continued to sweeten his niece up. "Uncle Adam will get you all the puppies you want, a whole room full of them, yeah?"
