Like Pieces of a Jigsaw Puzzle–Part 3

CHAPTER7

The next three weeks passed in a blur. I worked Henry tirelessly with studies as the highest priority, me second, and apartment chores last. He was at the point where he could take my urine anywhere and he was so submissive to me that I thought his training might be close to over. His study habits were much better and I had high hopes for his final exams. I was right and extremely proud of his achievements. He had earned one C, two C+’s, and two B’s, much better than I had hoped—almost a 2.7 GPA. I had three A-‘s and two B+’s for almost a 3.7. We drove to Great Neck more than a week before Christmas.

I had decided to give Henry a little time off, but he had other ideas. He cooked breakfast every day and helped Mom in the kitchen every evening, even cleaning the common areas in preparation for the big day. On Christmas eve Daddy asked if he could borrow Henry for some “boy talk.” “You gals have ‘girl talk.’ I think we’re entitled to equal rights. C’mon, Henry—let’s go for a ride.” I stood in the doorway as they drove away in Daddy’s new BMW M6 convertible.

*****

Daddy drove into the Broadlawn Harbor Yacht Club and sat in the parking lot overlooking the inlet from Long Island Sound. “I’ll bet you’re wondering why we’re here, Henry.”

“That’s for sure although I sure do like your car.”

“One thing you’ll learn Henry is that a car is just a way to get from A to B. Some are faster or more luxurious, but they’re all basically the same. I wanted to talk to you about your relationship with Nancy.”

“You want me out of her life.”

“Oh…no; I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. Actually…just the opposite; I wanted to give you these. They were my mother’s rings—engagement and wedding and here’s my father’s for you.”

“I…I don’t… I don’t know….”

“Henry, you can and, believe me, every girl wants to be asked. Carmela and I have talked about nothing else since Thanksgiving and you have our blessing. Nancy may be good for you, but it’s clear that you’re the best thing to ever happen to her. We want you to be a member of our family. Now…if I may be so bold I’d like to suggest Christmas Day. We always go to Midnight Mass and open our presents when we get home. That would be a great time.”

“She’ll be the best present I ever received.”

“I’m glad you think so. Can you hide them until tomorrow morning?”

“I’m not sure. Think you can help me and, maybe hide them on the kitchen counter until we go to Mass?”

“You’ve got a deal.” He took the rings back then extended his hand to Henry. Ten minutes later they were back in the garage.

Of course, Nancy was curious, but Henry refused to disclose the nature of the conversation even under threat of a good paddling. The family went to Midnight Mass, wishing each other a Merry Christmas as the rite began.

*****

We had just returned from Mass when I cornered Henry. “It’s lucky for you that it’s Christmas, Henry. I’m angry that you are hiding something from me. Wait until we get back to the apartment. You won’t be so lucky then.”

“Would you excuse me a second, Nancy? I need to get something from the kitchen.”

“Oh…go ahead.” I looked across the living room at the bemused expressions on my family’s faces. “What? Aren’t we going to open our presents?”

“We will, Nancy…in a minute or so.” I noticed Henry walk back to me from the kitchen. I’m sure the look on my face was one of shock when he knelt in front of me and took my hand. My family was all smiles as Henry began to speak.

“Nancy, I couldn’t tell you earlier what your father and I discussed, but I will now. Nancy Marie Rizzo…will you marry me?” As shocked as I was all I could see was Henry shaking. I leaned forward, placed my hands in his hair, and pressed my lips against his, holding them there for several minutes.

“That was a yes, Henry. You can stop shaking now and put the ring on my finger. That was Grandma’s, wasn’t it? Now I understand the need for secrecy, Darling and I forgive you. My hand was shaking as Henry slipped it onto my finger. I took a quick look at it and pulled Henry to me, holding him as I would for the rest of our lives. Everyone jumped up and came to us for handshakes, hugs, and kisses. What a Christmas present!

I held Henry as I’d never held him before and I would have continued had my sister not asked if we were EVER going to open our gifts. I took the hint and reluctantly released my slave—my husband-to-be.

We all went to the tree and found our pile of gifts. One of the advantages of being rich was that was always received more than our share of presents. The biggest surprise was that Henry’s pile was biggest by far. I guess Mom really did like to shop. We’d been back at Penn State only a few days when she sent the first text asking for Henry’s sizes—shirt, slacks, underwear, and shoes. Mom and Daddy had bought him an entire new wardrobe. I was thrilled, but saw tears in Henry’s eyes as he began to open his gifts. I knew why—he’d never had a Christmas like this growing up.

It had taken me a lot of time and effort, but I’d eventually pulled the entire story out of him. His mother blamed her husband’s death on Henry. He was three and had hurt his thumb playing with a hammer. He had been crying and wouldn’t stop when his father left for a jog. That he jogged almost every day seemed to be lost on Henry’s mother. No amount of explanation by Henry’s grandparents could change her mind and, over time, they came to see things her way. What a shame!

We returned to the apartment two days later and I continued with Henry’s training, concentrating now on personal services for me. I had him shave my legs and armpits several times until he could do it in the dark. Then I began the manicures. He would shape and polish my nails before applying polish, blowing them dry with his exhalations only to remove the polish and start again. I must have run him through the cycle a dozen times that first day. The following he worked on pedicures and foot massages. I must say that my feet never looked better than they did then.

It was two days before New Year’s and I had just watched Henry clean the entire apartment. I was sweaty just from watching him so I led him to the shower. He had finished bathing me when I took the soap from his hand and turned him around. Rather than starting at the top—his shoulders—I began at his ass, sticking my soapy finger in. He started, but calmed when I asked, “Who owns this?”

“You do,” was the right answer.

“Don’t ever forget it. I own all of you and I can do with it as I wish.”

“Yes, Nancy.”

I finished washing him then exited the shower where I allowed him to dry me. I led him back to the living room where I bent him over the back of the upholstered chair. “Wait here for me. Don’t move and don’t say a word.” I returned five minutes later to push my lubricated fingers into his ass. “Do you know what’s coming now, slave?”

“I…I think so. I’m afraid, Nancy.”

“Why don’t you get up? You’re stronger than me, aren’t you?”

“No…I can’t. I must obey you.”

“Good boy, slave. Relax…I don’t want to hurt you.” He did and a few minutes later my strap-on was pressed fully into his ass. I took a second to wrap a condom around his hard cock. I jerked him—one stroke for every stroke into his asshole. He came quickly, pouring what seemed to be a gallon of semen into the condom. I gripped it tightly as I pulled the dildo from his body. I pulled him up, turned him around, and kissed him passionately. “Clean this and yourself up then come back here and take care of me. Go on now; hurry up.” Taking the strap-on with him he ran down the hallway, returning to me only a few minutes later.

I was lounging on the couch, my legs apart and lightly fingering my cunt when Henry returned and dove immediately to me. I could barely move when he was done so I lay back and pulled Henry to me. “You’ll sleep in bed with me tonight and every night, Henry. I own every part of you now. Can you carry me to the bedroom?” He could and he did. I was on my side, Henry spooned closely behind me with his hand on my breast when I fell asleep. We rose around five and I took Henry out to dinner. We were celebrating.

I took Henry to Spats Café and Speakeasy, a restaurant I’d heard about from one of my classmates. The food was excellent. Henry ordered the Crab Stuffed Portobello and I had the Mediterranean Mahi-Mahi. We weren’t yet old enough to drink so we skipped the speakeasy part, opting instead for iced tea. My head was on Henry’s shoulder when we walked into the apartment. It was our custom for Henry to undress me, but tonight I turned the tables on him, stripping every piece of clothing from his body. I even made him stand still while I dumped our clothes in the hamper. I led him to the shower by his most recent erection.

I teased poor Henry without mercy once I had the soap in my hands. Running them into his crack I soon had a finger easily into his anus. “Oh my,
Henry—you’re so loose here. I think you really liked that.” His red face told me that he didn’t. “Okay, I know you didn’t so I doubt we’ll do it often if ever again. I needed it to prove that you were completely mine, that I have total control over you. If you didn’t rebel then you never will. I love you even more now, if that’s possible.” I dropped the soap into the tray and moved into Henry for another one of his wonderful kisses.

We made love for at least an hour. How Henry could fuck me almost all that time without cumming amazed me. The only thing I could think of was his total submission to me. Something in his brain held him back until he knew I was ready. I’d had two orgasms when Henry finally went over the brink. He hesitated not at all as he licked and sucked all of his spunk from my body. Once he was done I climbed over his body to use the toilet. It was the first time since before Thanksgiving that I’d urinated into a bowl. “Did I do something wrong,” Henry asked.

“No, Darling—I did that—pissing into your mouth– to encourage your submissiveness. I no longer feel that I need to do it. I may still use you occasionally just to keep you on your toes, but more often than not I’ll use the toilet. Let’s go to sleep. I want to go shopping tomorrow morning. Good night, my love.” I kissed Henry gently, but lovingly and fell asleep in his arms.

We went out for breakfast—Denny’s—and then bicycle shopping. We found a nice Shimano 24-speed mountain bike with an aluminum frame and–best of all–the dealer was willing to give us a student discount. Including a high visibility vest, and quality helmet, and lock the tab came to $459 plus tax. Henry mounted it on the car’s rack and we drove home. We already had my bike in the second bedroom/study center and now we had two making the space a bit tight, but workable.

I had been on the phone with Mom and Lisa daily about the wedding. She told me we could get St. Aloysius for the Saturday after Christmas and there were several catering opportunities including the yacht club the same day. I explained that Henry wouldn’t be inviting any family—I wouldn’t either if they had treated me the way they had treated him—nor would we invite any friends from Penn State unless we made some very close friends over the next few months. To date we’d had classmates, but no really close friends. We had each other and that was all that mattered.
 
Henry and I never did socialize very much even though we were invited to several fraternity and sorority parties. We attended a few, but stopped after I was hit on repeatedly one evening even though I had told the jerks repeatedly that I was engaged. We left after only an hour and never returned. Instead, we found plenty of things to do on our own—bowling, movies, the theater, even biking to a nearby campground for an overnight when the weather was warm enough.

Before we knew it the year had passed and we were second semester sophomores. I had spent much of the summer break shopping in Manhattan for a dress and checking out several catering halls before making a decision. Henry spent the summer working in the mail room for Daddy. That kept him out of my way during the day and made our nights even more passionate, if such a thing was even possible.

We had another great Christmas, but we were all a bit nervous about the upcoming wedding only two days later. I knew that it was supposedly bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding so I banished poor Henry to one of the other bedrooms the night before. We had exchanged our personal vows earlier that afternoon. Henry was kneeling before me when he pledged his eternal love and servitude to me. I promised to love and care for him—to be faithful and to protect him for all my days. Essentially, it was a repeat of our initial pledges, but renewing them would only serve to make our bond even stronger. There was, of course, another reason for privacy. Stating Henry’s, in which he agreed to obey would be terribly humiliating for him. I could never hurt him like that.
Lisa was Maid of Honor and Jack, one of the guys from the mail room, was Best Man. I liked Jack. He was a decent, honest man just a few years older than we were. Best of all, he was nothing like most of the male attorneys who all seemed to have huge egos and thought they could have any woman.

Henry and Jack were at the altar in their tuxes when Daddy and I walked slowly up the aisle at St. Aloysius. I don’t remember much about the ceremony other than the Wedding March, Daddy’s kiss, exchanging rings with Henry, and, of course, kissing Henry at the end. We enjoyed the reception at the yacht club where I learned what a great dancer my husband really was. All I wanted to do at the Mixer was grind myself into Henry’s leg and the fraternity parties were usually so crowded we couldn’t do much else. Our first dance was a waltz and I felt so special as Henry whirled me around the floor.

The cocktail hour was wonderful with lots of jumbo shrimp and lobster cocktail and other hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. The booze flowed like water, but not for us. We were underage and inexperienced although I doubted that either mattered at the yacht club. The last thing I wanted was for either of us to get drunk. We left the reception for my parents’ home where we changed into casual clothes and a short ride to one of the hotels near LaGuardia Airport. We left the following morning for a week at the Sheraton Maui courtesy of my parents.

We had a wonderful time snorkeling and dining out and just lounging in the sun. We managed to make love a minimum of three times every day and that didn’t include the times Henry used his powerful tongue on me. I pissed into his mouth twice to reinforce my dominance and control over him. That may seem unnecessarily cruel, but Henry found security in my control. I had decided that my husband should handle the driving; it was a pleasure to be able to sit back and relax while Henry chauffeured me through the heavy traffic and narrow lanes. We returned to my parents’ home in Kings Point for a few days before driving back to our apartment for the remainder of the break.

Now that Henry had been a Dean’s List student the last two semesters I could ease off his required study rules. Nor did I have to worry that he’d waste time at the student union. I had forbidden him to go there without me when he had agreed to become my slave. He had become the most serious student I had ever met–even more than me.

I had decided to retain my maiden name—Rizzo—for professional reasons. I planned to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania just as my father and grandfather had before me. I did very well on the LSAT and was accepted. While I was preparing for law school Henry had prepared a resume in the hopes of obtaining his first teaching position. He had an exceptional student teaching experience and had worked as a reading tutor with underprivileged students both junior and senior years. I wasn’t at all surprised when he was hired in the prestigious Lower Merion School District just outside Philly.

As hard as I worked in law school I really thought that Henry worked even harder his first year as a teacher. I had never given much thought to all the preparations an elementary teacher faced every day. Henry had to develop lessons for Language Arts, Arithmetic, Social Studies, Science, and even Spanish each and every day and he sometimes had to handle lessons in art and music. He loved his work and never missed a day. I was thrilled to hear his principal praise him wildly at the school’s holiday party.

I enjoyed mixing with the teachers and their spouses. I found them to be intelligent, perceptive, and unpretentious, unlike many of the attorneys I had met over the years as the boss’s daughter. Lower Merion is an affluent area, much like Great Neck. They paid their teachers well and expected results. Henry had an excellent experience there, but applied for jobs in Nassau County during my last year. By then he’d completed his Master’s Degree, making him an even more desirable candidate. I never sent out even a single application; I was going to work for Daddy.

CHAPTER 8

Henry was hired in nearby Garden City; we took an apartment in Manhasset, right next door to Great Neck. First year attorneys work long hours, even when the boss’s daughter—hell, especially when the boss’s daughter–seventy to eighty hours a week and sometimes more. Luckily, I knew that Henry would be busy at home between his lesson planning, grading, and cleaning. We scheduled dinner for 9:00, going to bed as soon as he had cleaned up. We showered together as always and made love virtually every night—I needed Henry’s soft touch and strong tongue to cope with my stress. I thought things were going well for both of us right up until my first holiday party at Rizzo, Rizzo and Samuels. Sometimes I just hate attorneys.

We sat with a number of first year lawyers, away from my parents, on purpose. There are more than one hundred attorneys in the firm and I wanted to get to know as many as possible. That wouldn’t happen if we were sitting with my parents and grandparents. I had instructed Henry to introduce us as, “I’m Henry Fuller and this is my wife, Nancy.” We had just been seated when I asked Henry to get us some drinks. He was at the bar when he was cornered by three associates I knew by reputation were probably the biggest assholes in the firm. One of them seemed intent on giving Henry a hard time. He was taller and I guessed about thirty pounds heavier with thick brown hair. Most importantly, he was full of himself and—yes I know what you’re thinking—full of shit, as well.

“Hey, man—you look familiar.”

“Well…I did work here a few summers ago in the mail room.”

“That couldn’t be it. I never go to the fucking mail room. That place is for losers. What are you doing now?”

“I’m a teacher in Garden City.”

“Oh, yeah? What do you teach?”

“Third grade.”

“You teach fucking elementary school? Man…you really are a loser.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” I said from behind the group. “I married him.”

He gave me the once over, his eyes undressing me in the crudest possible fashion. “So, that must mean that you work here.”

“Yes indeed,” I said, playing the game. “I’m Nancy, a first-year.”

“Well, first-year Nancy, I’m Mike Forester and in another six months I’ll make partner. When I do I’ll be looking you up.”

“Why, pray tell, would you want to do that?”

“So I can give you a much better fucking than you can get from loser-boy here. I’m gonna hang the biggest set of horns on him and once I do you’ll never want him again. I’ll stretch your sweet pussy so much you’ll never even feel his pencil dick. That’s why.”

“I should mention that my dad thinks the world of him and so do I.”

“Why should I give a shit what your old man thinks?” Then, grabbing his crotch obscenely, he continued. “Honey, what I have here could never even fit in loser-boy’s pants. I need to have my suits custom made just to accommodate my package.”

“I’m sure I’m suitably impressed. Please excuse us. We need to pay our respects to our hosts.”

“Go ahead, but don’t forget my name—Forester as in Fuck and that’s what I going to do to you. Think June—that’s when I’ll make partner.”

“I doubt I could ever forget you, Mr. Forester. C’mon Henry.” I extended my hand to his and led him away. “God, sometimes I hate attorneys. Luckily they’re not all assholes. Let’s go say hello to my folks.” We did and—surprise!—the next morning Mike Forester was summoned to Daddy’s office to discuss his becoming a partner. Five minutes later he was escorted from the office by two huge security guards. I walked up to him, a smirk on my face. “Instead of bragging about the size of your package you might have asked who my father was. I’m Nancy Rizzo. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life.” His personal property had already been collected in a brown cardboard box. I’ve heard they’re looking for attorneys in Argentina. That might be far enough away for him to escape my father’s and grandfather’s influence.

Surprise again! I did make partner after four years and when I did I decided we needed a house for our family. We went to dinner on a Friday night. Henry ordered a Foster’s; I ordered an iced tea. “No margarita for you tonight, Nancy?”

“No, Henry—you’re not supposed to drink when you’re pregnant.” Henry’s jaw dropped so I leaned across the table to lock his lips to mine. “Congrats, Dad; I’m only off the pill ten weeks and I’m already knocked up. That must be some potent juice you’re squirting into me every night.” I pulled the home pregnancy tests from my purse. I had three and they all said “YES.”

“I want to explain what’s going to happen. I hate the thought of our children growing up with a nanny or in day care. They will need a parent to help and cherish them.”

“Yes, I’ll have to quit my job.” I gave him time to continue. “It makes sense. You make much more than I do and I already do all the chores and cooking. Plus, I have the experience of working with kids.”

“You’re right, my darling. I know how much you love children. If it’s a girl I’m going to name her Henrietta.”

Henry sat up straight and tall. “Over my dead body!”

I couldn’t suppress my smile. “Not even born and you’re already the mother hen. Damn, I love you so much.”

“I knew you were only teasing.”

“You’re forgiven for your outburst. Say, don’t we know that waiter?” We did. It was Mike Forester—hot shit lawyer. I thought things might get really interesting when he came for our order, but he didn’t seem to remember us so we played dumb. However, we laughed like hell once we were in the car.

“I guess he never made it to Argentina.”

“Huh?”

“That’s how far I figured he’d have to go to escape Daddy and Grandpa. You saw how pissed they were when they heard about him. I didn’t tell you that he was fired the next day on a sexual harassment charge. Any attorney—even Clarence Darrow—would find it impossible to overcome that. Grandpa and Daddy know almost everybody in the legal field. Any prospective employer would call personally and he’d never be able to get a reference. That’s how you wind up in a waiter’s job. You know something?”

“What?”

“I never noticed a bulge in his pants.”

“I can’t believe you’d even look.”

“Well, I don’t want you to think I’m not impressed with yours, but after all that bragging he did I will admit to being a little curious. C’mon…let’s go home. Just thinking about your package is making me horny, besides we have something to celebrate, don’t we?” We did have a good reason and we did celebrate all night. Then we slept and celebrated again.

I made an appointment with my OB/GYN for late afternoon so I could get at least a half day’s work in and so Henry could join me. We met at home, our recently purchased four bedroom ranch with an expandable attic in Garden City. Like many in the city our house was older, built in 1977, but with several renovations including a new roof and replacement windows. There were solar panels on the south-facing rear roof which provided plenty of hot water, both for drinking and heat. It was a great starter house for us and one we could easily afford. By now Henry was earning almost $80,000 a year while my earnings were roughly five times that with almost unlimited potential.

Housing in Nassau County is expensive and the property taxes can be murder, but we have the finest services and the best schools imaginable. Almost 1.4 million people live in the county and traffic into Manhattan is a bitch. That was why I always took the train. Henry’s school was within walking distance from our house so I always took the car to the station. On the day of my appointment we reversed and Henry picked me up at 3:42 for my 4:00 appointment. It was only a ten-minute ride.

We sat in the office for close to forever. Apparently, the doctor had a delivery that morning and everything was backed up about two hours. Luckily, we didn’t have to actually see the doctor. A nurse took a blood sample and I peed on a few more test strips. Three days later our hopes were confirmed. We made arrangements to visit my parents the following Saturday.

Daddy always greeted me the same way—“How’s everything on the civil side?” Daddy was a criminal defense attorney. I hated the idea of dealing with smarmy criminals every day so I took up civil law, what’s commonly known as a plaintiff’s attorney, meaning that I sued the shit out of people. Sometimes the work was trivial, but occasionally I was able to do some real good representing people who had been screwed over or even killed because of corporate greed or stupidity.

We had just sat down to dinner after meeting Lisa’s fiancé, Tom. He was a resident in thoracic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital where she was an occupational therapist. Unfortunately, Mom still wasn’t as good a cook as Henry. The roast was a trifle overdone and the baked potatoes underdone. The vegetables were from a frozen package. Henry never made frozen vegetables. I was accustomed to better, but then Henry was the best, not only in the kitchen, but in other rooms, as well. We’d made love in every room in the house and even in the basement, my butt sliding back and forth on the dryer.

Daddy spoke first once the food was served. “How’s your class this year, Henry?”

“It’s great, Dad, but, it’s going to be my last.”

“You’re not going to be fired, are you?” Henry’s remark was met by shocked looks on my parent’s faces. They knew too well what a great teacher he was.

“No…they love me there. I’m going to quit over the summer. We’ll need someone to take care of our baby.” That was as far as he got. My parents and Lisa were out of their seats in a flash with hugs and kisses and exclamations of sheer joy. Mom left the table to phone my grandparents; they came just as dinner had ended. Henry and I had to endure the celebration again. Grandpa hugged Henry so tightly that he was lifted off the floor.

We had chatted for more than an hour when I saw Henry and Tom walk out to the patio. “Can I ask you a question, Henry?”

“Sure.”

“Um…Lisa tells me that you’re subordinate to Nancy. Is that true?”

“Subordinate? No, that’s not true. Back during our freshman year at Penn State Nancy gave me a choice—end the relationship or become her slave. That’s what I chose. I gave her total control over me and I’ve never regretted it; well, maybe once or twice. You probably think I’m some kind of wimp.”

“On the contrary—I had to take a psych rotation so I know a decision like that takes real strength. Most men are so insecure they’d never have the courage to do that. I see it’s worked out well.”

“Yeah, it has. In some respects I’m the typical male slave in that I do all the household chores, cook the meals—I really enjoy that—and do the laundry. I also do Nancy’s finger and toenails and shave her when we shower. On the other side she has never really denied me. I don’t get to initiate sex, but since we have it virtually every day that’s not a problem. It also helps that we never argue. We both know she’s the boss. I’d be lost without her; I probably would have flunked out at Penn State. I wasted so much time that I could never finish my work and what I did was just junk. Instead, I graduated cum laude.

“Wow, that’s pretty incredible. I asked because I’m kind of submissive, too. Lisa hasn’t insisted that I be her slave, but I can see that she wants to run the show.”

I walked out and I could see that my presence had interrupted something. I wrapped my arm around Henry and reached up for a kiss. That was Henry’s cue to rejoin the rest of my family. I didn’t ask what they were talking about. I knew Henry would tell me on the way home.

We spent an interesting evening with Daddy and Grandpa competing at who would contribute the most to the child’s college fund. We left at ten. Henry had just backed out of the driveway when he told me about his discussion with Tom. “That doesn’t surprise me, Henry. Remember how Lisa reacted to seeing your big fat Henry? She’s been looking for a submissive man ever since and she’s discussed it with me any number of times. I hope it works out for them.”

“Me, too. He seems to be a nice guy and a surgeon…wow!”

“He’ll never be your equal.”

“Probably not; I shouldn’t mention it but….”

I interrupted before he could continue. “The roast was overdone and the potatoes were hard.”

“Yeah, and frozen veggies.”

“Damn, Henry—you have spoiled me rotten. Take me home and fuck my brains out, will you? Please!”

“When have I ever refused you?”

“Never—you wouldn’t dare!” We hesitated a second and then we laughed like we were insane.

CHAPTER 9

Had I known how much sympathy a pregnant attorney could get I would be pregnant all the time. My first clue came when I was late to court. “You’re late, Ms. Rizzo. I am not pleased—not at all.”

“Sorry, Your Honor…morning sickness.”

“Oh…okay; don’t sweat it. Let me know if you need a little break during the day.”

“Yes, Your Honor…thank you.” Then I went out and kicked ass. I thought we had a good case, but not as good as it was that day. I could do no wrong, winning a suit for 2.5 million dollars for my client. The firm would receive thirty-five percent, or $875,000 plus expenses—about a thousand dollars. Things only got better as I began to show and had to buy business suits for pregnant women. By then almost everyone in the courthouse knew I was expecting. I had an amazing stretch during those seven months, winning twenty-one straight suits and bringing in millions in fees.

I was religious with my diet and exercise regimen, keeping my weight under control even as my breasts grew from C’s all the way to DD’s. Henry never failed to tell me how much he loved them, but Henry would say the same thing if they shrunk to A’s. He was more attentive than ever, even volunteering to take my urine several times when I had trouble moving to the toilet.

Henry accompanied me to every OB/GYN appointment and I knew he was looking forward to the sonogram. He was eager to buy furniture for the baby’s room and he had learned to hang wallpaper online so he was desperate to learn the baby’s sex. We spent more than an hour in the waiting room that Wednesday morning. Henry had taken a personal day. As a partner I just took the day off. I was relieved when Dr. Groenke finally walked in. She spread the gel on my abdomen and ran the sensor over my swollen tummy. “Do you want to know the sex?”

I could see Henry chomping at the bit even though I knew he would remain silent. “Yes,” I stated much to his relief.

“It’s a…girl. Sorry about that, but I can’t resist a pregnant pause.” Neither Henry nor I laughed. It was a really lame joke. All the same we were relieved. Henry would never say a word, but I knew he was praying for a baby girl—a mini-me to hold and love and teach. I could already see him teaching her the alphabet and her numbers and reading her to sleep every afternoon and every night. Henry was 176 pounds of love.

That’s basically all I heard at his school’s Christmas party. Virtually every teacher and administrator told me over and over how much they loved working with Henry. “He’s the only person I’ve ever met who never gets angry,” one of the teachers told me. “He’s so cooperative,” were another’s words. “He’s always the first to volunteer,” his principal mentioned in addition to numerous other laudatory remarks. I had a feeling that Henry would be sorely missed.

Later in December we attended my firm’s party. It was much more lavish—the ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria—but I’d had a better time at Henry’s. There was no hiding in anonymity this time around. I was a partner and very well known. I even had a nickname—the “tiger shark.” I thought it was apt. We sat with my parents and grandparents. Henry and I danced several times, but only to slow tunes. In a rare act of defiance Henry had refused the fast ones. Even my threats of a paddling didn’t deter him. “I don’t want to take a chance on you falling. You could get hurt and the baby….” I was just about to scold him when one of the young secretaries did fall. Henry could tell from my facial expression that I was repentant.

“I should know better by now, Henry. All you’re concerned with is taking care of me. Come here and kiss me.” He did, but it was too quick for my tastes. I gave him a look he knew too well as I gripped his head and pulled his lips to mine. I held the kiss for almost five minutes before hearing Grandpa, who was sitting next to me, whisper, “Get a room!”

I broke the kiss and turned to him. “We have nine, Grandpa, and we’ve done it in every single one. Thanks for mentioning it, though. I think we need another run through.” Henry’s face was strawberry red when I turned around again. “C’mon, Henry.” I led him back to the dance floor. My hands were around his neck and my face was buried into his shoulder. “How soon do you think we can get out of here? I liked your party better.”

“The food and liquor are better here, but you’re right,” Henry replied. “The people at my school are real and they’re not trying to stab each other in the back. Everybody I’ve seen here is looking for advancement and willing to do just about anything to get it. The only exceptions are you, Dad, and Grandpa. Other than the three of you I can understand why the general public has such a low opinion of lawyers.”

I pulled myself even closer to Henry as I whispered, “You’re right, unfortunately. Not everyone is a colossal jerk, but there are plenty. Have you seen Forester’s two buddies tonight?”

“I don’t think I’d even recognize them. He had the spotlight that night with his idiotic big mouth.”

“Well, you won’t see them. They were both let go.”

“During the holidays?”

“No…I think it was back in August. I didn’t mention it because I couldn’t see the point. They also got into sexual harassment. See the guy in the grey suit…the one at the table behind you?” Henry spun me around so he could see.

“Purple tie?”

“That’s the one. He’s Sam Chalmers and he’s gay. They heckled and hazed him for months. Sam got a lot of it on his digital recorder and brought it to me. I brought it to Daddy and they were history. I like Sam; he’s an excellent attorney. His sexual orientation is his business. There are lots of kinds of sexual harassment.” There was a fast tune now, but we were still dancing slowly.

I leaned back to look at Henry. “You said you wanted to dance to a fast one, didn’t you?”

“You are definitely going to get it when we get home.” He did—he got my mouth, my pussy, and my ass before we went to sleep. We woke up around ten, showered, ate a quick meal, and did it again.

Other than morning sickness my pregnancy was uneventful. The only problem that occurred wasn’t directly related. I had tried to plan my pregnancy so Henry’s school year would be over when I gave birth. Unfortunately, Lisa wanted to get married at the end of June. She also wanted Henry and me to be in the wedding party. “Sorry, Lisa, but I don’t know what shape I’ll be in. I’m due June 27th, but the doctor says it could be a week either before or after. I’m sorry. I know how important it is to you, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” I stuck my fat stomach out and everyone laughed.

“You win, Nance. Momma, can we look at the end of May? That didn’t work, but August did. Mom and Daddy booked St. Aloysius and the yacht club for the second Saturday. Henry and I did agree to be an usher and bridesmaid. Henry had a tux, something I’d made him buy a few years ago, but, of course it didn’t match what the others would wear so he rented; I had to purchase one of those stupid matching bridesmaid dresses that I’d never be seen wearing in public if not for my sister. “Size six,” I told the saleswomen. “By then that’s what I’ll wear.” That’s what I got along with matching shoes and purse in teal. Not very practical– but we could easily afford the expense and I only had one sister.

I worked right up until my ninth month. It was hard at work because I had to turn cases I liked over to my subordinates. It wouldn’t be fair to the client for me to start the case only to step out midway. I could still advise from home by phone or via internet, if necessary. There was another reason for taking my leave then—Henry was becoming a nervous wreck. He was terrified I’d go into labor while in the city and that he wouldn’t be able to get to me in time. He actually cried when I suggested he take a helicopter from one of the local airports.

“Okay, my darling—I’ll stop May 31st so I’ll be real close to you, but you’re going to have to pay. He pulled my panties down my legs and sealed his lips to my cunt. I laughed. “No, not like that; I’m going to use the toilet, but you’re going to eat me morning, noon, and night.”

He looked up at me with those puppy-dog eyes and my heart broke just like every other time, but when he said, “How are you going to punish me,” I couldn’t hold back the laughter. All the same, it was good advice. It was Thursday, the second week in June and just before 9:00 a.m. when I felt the first contraction. It took me by surprise and since I wasn’t expecting it I paid it no attention. However, I did when I had the next one thirty minutes later. I kept a record and two hours later I called Henry’s school. Dottie, the principal’s secretary, told me she’d get Henry as soon as she could find a sub. “I think I need to get Mrs. Fielding to drive him otherwise he’ll run the entire way. I’ll phone you back in a few minutes.” I knew Mrs. Fielding, Henry’s principal, cared for her teachers as much as Henry cared for his students.

I’d heard from Henry how the teachers hated to cover another’s class because they had to give up their preparation period, but this wasn’t high school and the kids had to be supervised at all times. Ten minutes later she called me. “I’m going up to his classroom now. Mrs. Fielding should have him there in five minutes. She just went to get her car.” I thanked her and had no sooner ended the call when I made another, this time to my doctor.

I was seated in the living room when Henry bolted through the door at 12:05. “Come here, Henry. Come here and kiss me. We have plenty of time.”

“But….”

“Come here, slave.” Henry recognized my tone of voice. I would accept nothing but strict compliance. I hadn’t used this tone since his training period. He hung his head and kneeled at my feet. He was about to kiss them when I pulled him up, meeting him halfway and getting the kiss I wanted and needed.

“We have hours, Henry. Dr. Groenke told me not to get to the hospital before two. We have plenty of time for you to get me a light lunch. Kiss me again. I’ll eat it here.” I kissed him and he literally jumped up and ran into the kitchen. Henry made me a turkey breast sandwich on rye with light mayonnaise and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. He also gave me a pickle spear and a glass of ice water.

“Water, Henry? I really don’t think that a Pepsi now would hurt me.”

“Water’s better—no caffeine and no artificial sweetener. Who knows what that stuff can do to your body?” He left and returned a few minutes later with a sandwich identical to mine and another glass of water. He sat next to me while I calmly ate my sandwich; he toyed with his. I knew it was just an act to conceal his feelings. He didn’t want me to be upset or to worry.

“I can see how nervous you are, Henry. I…uhhhhhh!”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He was back on his knees in a second, his concern etched into his face.

“I’m okay, Darling; it was just another contraction. Get used to it. I’ll have plenty before Alicia is born.”

“Alicia? That’s the name you’ve chosen?” He moved back onto the couch.

“Yes, do you like it? Alicia Marie Fuller; I think it has a nice ring to it. What do you think?”

He chuckled. “I think it’s great.”

“Feeling better yet? I know you’re nervous.”

“I’m more than nervous; I’m afraid…terrified something will happen to you.”

I moved closer to Henry and pulled his head to my breast. “I’m young and healthy, Henry, and I’ll have the best medical care available. You’ve given me the best and healthiest food and we’ve walked and biked miles almost every day. You’ve taken great care of me, and,” I had a big grin plastered across my face, “then there was the sex. How many times did you make me cum? Eight-plus months is more than 250 days so I’d guess somewhere between 800 and 1,000. I doubt you could have done better. You’ll be with me every second and I know you’ll be strong for me. I’ll need your strength to help me just as you’ve helped me every day since we met.”

“You helped me, Nancy; I didn’t help you.”

“Didn’t you? You cleaned the apartment and you clean the house now. You’ve always done the laundry, even ironing my blouses and skirts. You became the best cook I’ve ever known. You’ve cared for and loved me every day. Then there was the sex. You are the most incredible lover. I remember thinking I’d have to work on orgasm control with you, but I never did because somewhere in your submissive mind you wouldn’t let yourself cum until you knew I was completely satisfied…and I always was…and I always will be. Now, I’d appreciate if you’d take my urine then I’ll want you to clean your mouth and use the toilet. I know you’ll feel much better when I’m in the hospital, but no speeding. We still have plenty of time.”

Henry helped me into my car. We had two now even though Henry preferred to walk to school. We thought he would need one once the baby came. How would he get to the store for food or take Alicia to the doctor? He had a Toyota Camry and I had another BMW, an X5 SUV. I had a much easier time getting into the SUV which was much higher than the Camry.

My bag was placed into the back seat and Henry backed out into the street. I could see his concentration as he drove. Henry was always concerned about my safety, but never more so than today. Several drivers beeped when he was slow once the light had turned green. Nassau County drivers would never be considered patient or polite, but today Henry seemed to find the bottom of the barrel on our thirty minute drive to the hospital. He dropped me and the bag off at the entrance, making sure I was comfortable on the bench before trying to find a parking spot. It was almost twenty minutes later when he trotted around the corner, his face showing his concern and his exertion—he was sweating heavily.

He found me a wheelchair and, in a rare display of assertiveness, insisted that I be wheeled to Obstetrics. Ten minutes later I was wiggling my ass at him through one of those hideous gowns. Women are fairly adept at buttoning and tying behind our necks and backs, not that I ever tied an apron, but I needed Henry to fasten the back of this monstrosity. I wasn’t in bed more than three minutes before Henry disappeared, returning with a big cup of ice and water. He spoke quickly when he saw the expression on my face. “Remember those pre-natal classes; best thing to drink is ice water. I’ll get you a towel in a few minutes.”

I had to smile. “Henry, we’re hours away from that. Wait until the doctor comes in. She’ll tell you.” Dr. Groenke came in about ten minutes later. I told her the contractions were now about fifteen minutes apart. She checked me for dilation and told us, “Ten to twelve hours; get comfortable and relax. Henry, sit down before you have a heart attack.”

The time crawled and crawled. I even turned on the TV and was reminded immediately why Henry and I always found time to make love. We rarely watched the tube. Truthfully, most of it was tedious and I hated the so-called “reality shows.” I had trouble finding anything remotely related to “real” in any of them. The only good thing was that Henry was near me the entire time. We held hands and kissed and we told each other how much we loved each other maybe thirty times over the next few hours. Finally, at six I told Henry to go to the cafeteria for dinner. He was reluctant to leave me so I gave him the scowl I had perfected during his training so many years ago. He knew better than to argue.

He was back twenty-five minutes later and I had to laugh again. Henry had a huge ketchup stain on his shirt. “Did you actually eat anything, Henry or did you just wipe it on your shirt?” He looked to be hurt so I asked for a kiss and when he gave it to me I wouldn’t let him go. My tongue must have explored him mouth for ten minutes, at least. I whispered, “Does that tell you how much I love you,” when I broke it.

“I’ve always known that, Nancy. I thought you were angry at me, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no reason to be sorry, Henry. This should be one of the happiest days of our lives and it will be.” I kissed Henry again—a brief one this time because I had a really big contraction followed almost immediately by my water breaking. Henry ran out of the room to tell a nurse.

“Not to worry, dearie; this happens all the time. We’ll get the floor cleaned up and, when it is, we’ll change your bed. We have some clean mattresses in the storeroom.” My wonderful, never complaining husband held my hand the entire time. Dr. Groenke came in again to check on me and I thought Henry was relieved when she said it wouldn’t be long now.

She was right. I went into labor less than an hour later. I was thrilled when I gave birth at 12:04—mother and child doing well. My beautiful daughter was born on the same day as my loving husband. Holding our daughter was incredible, but when Henry took her I almost cried with joy. Then he gave her back to me and went out to tell my parents and Lisa. They joined us a few minutes later. Despite the hour Daddy phoned Grandpa who insisted on speaking to both Henry and me. Once we were done I insisted that Henry go home. He needed sleep and I knew that neither of us would while he was here. I was dead to the world as soon as he stepped out the door.

CHAPTER 10

Henry took me home two days later, driving even more carefully than he did on the way to the hospital. I sat in the wheelchair while Henry took every precaution with our precious daughter. Only when he was completely satisfied with her position in the rear-facing car seat did he return to me. I could see his love in everything he did. Once at the house he opened the door before returning for Alicia and me. My mom was and would be here with me for the first two weeks because I wanted Henry to return to his school so he could finish the year with his students.

Of course, there were all kinds of questions from the class which Henry patiently answered as he showed them pictures of Alicia and me while they “ooohed” and “ahhhed.” He told me that his class thought I was beautiful and that Alicia was “special.” Once the school year was over Henry took over as primary caretaker, handling everything other than feeding. I stayed home with Henry and Alicia for three months until I was going crazy with boredom. I was reminded of Henry’s popularity when he asked if he could take Alicia and me to his former school. He was mobbed by teachers and students alike when we entered at the opening of school. We stayed for an hour, spending most of our time in the school office while Henry beamed the entire time showing off Alicia and me, I returned to work the following Monday morning.

Two years later I gave birth again—another girl I decided to name Brianna Jo. Henry was better during the birth, encouraging me and even enduring my curses throughout the pain. Our final child arrived a bit over two years later—Cara Ann. I told Henry to get a vasectomy. He never said a word of complaint.

I thought our life was happy. Grandpa had retired and Daddy moved up to Senior Partner while I moved up to Managing Partner. The money was better and so were my hours as my courtroom appearances dwindled due to a huge increase in administrative responsibilities. Still, I had a long day, catching the train at 8:10 to start work at 9:00 and returning to Penn Station at 5:38 so I could get home by 6:35. Henry scheduled dinner for 7:00 so the girls always had free time to spend with me. They loved to share either what Henry had taught them that day or what they’d done at school. He went far beyond what I could have expected, teaching them songs in addition to the alphabet, numbers, and even reading. Many nights I was treated to a concert or a skit. All three of our girls could read and add and subtract by the time they had entered kindergarten. I don’t remember when he began teaching them Spanish. He continued to work with them until they had graduated and were off to college.

We never hid the nature of our relationship from our girls, explaining why I was in charge and why Henry stayed home to care for them as soon as we thought they were able to understand. They also knew that Henry was over them, a lesson Brianna learned the hard way at age ten when she defied Henry, telling him she didn’t have to obey “some stupid slave.” She was in her room and the others were in the living room sitting silently when I entered. “What,” was all I had to ask. Cara was more than happy to rat out her sister. The locked door to Brianna’s room slowed me down for only a second. My foot broke the lock and I stormed into the room. I didn’t have to say a word before Brianna threw herself at my feet, crying and telling me how sorry she was. “Don’t apologize to me, Brianna. You need to clear this up with your father.” She did and, not surprisingly, Henry held and consoled her while she cried for almost an hour. We ordered pizza in that evening and there was never again a question about Henry’s authority.

I was earning more than a million dollars a year and investing almost half of that for our retirement, but Henry went on every school field trip and volunteered at every opportunity. When I couldn’t take time from work Henry took our girls to Disney World on his own. I enjoyed hearing all about their adventures when they phoned every evening, but I knew I was missing out. I began to wonder if earning all this money was worth what I was giving up.

Henry prepared the girls for their first period and also for dating and sex. He didn’t just have ”The Talk” with them, he had a series of discussions complete with diagrams he’d found on the internet. He scheduled them when I was home and available, but it was very clear to me that they trusted him and looked to him for advice. Our daughters knew as much about sex as their sex ed. teachers. We never had to worry about them being drugged or tricked into sex and they always had condoms in their purses even though Henry put all of them onto the pill when they turned thirteen. I often laughed when I thought of Henry in the OB/GYN office with his daughters even though they wanted him to be there with them.

All of our girls had graduated from excellent universities and were successfully married by the time Henry and I were sixty. We became grandparents a year later, probably the only grandparents still making love at least once every day. That’s when I decided I would retire at sixty-five. We had more than forty million dollars in investments, ten of which I had inherited when Daddy passed away only a year ago. Unfortunately, God and Mother Nature had another idea—the Big C.

It was a routine physical, begun with the normal blood tests and a follow-up appointment a week later. All of the partners at Rizzo, Rizzo, and Samuels had one every year. I wasn’t too concerned when the doctor suggested some additional tests, including a whole body MRI, but the following week she asked to see both Henry and me together.

“It’s cancer, Nancy.”

“Okay…what do we do? Chemo? Radiation? Can’t most cancers be cured these days?”

I should have known when her face turned white. “Yes, most are curable. Based on your tests it appears that you have pancreatic cancer. That’s one of the most difficult to treat. We need to operate as soon as possible. It appears to be somewhat advanced.” They did and I spent the next six months undergoing radiation treatment and another six in chemo. It turned out that I had suffered for more than a year for nothing. The cancer refused to die. I became weaker and weaker. My weight dropped all the way down to 80 pounds by the time I knew I had less than a month to live.

“Take me home, Henry. If I’m going to die I want to do it in my own bed.” Henry always followed my orders. That brought me to where I was today—leaning back against my pillows while Henry sat in tears at the side of my bed, his hands gently holding mine. Looking up I could see my daughters and their husbands crying behind him. The girls all had their hands on Henry’s shoulders. I realized then something I should have known decades ago—they were his daughters–not mine. They were crying because of the anguish he was experiencing, not because I was dying.

“Henry,” I whispered, “come closer.” He did and my weak fingers opened the clasp to the chain around his neck. “You’re free, Henry. You’re no longer my slave.”

“No, Nancy—I’ll always be your slave. I’ll be yours forever.” He replaced the chain as my eyes closed for the last time. I walked into the light where I was welcomed by my parents and grandparents. Looking down I could see that I was young again and healthy. I knew that Heaven was supposed to be enjoyable, but without Henry I felt lonely and incomplete.

Henry followed my directions for the wake and funeral just as he had followed my orders every day of his adult life. I was buried in the same plot as my parents with a headstone for two—a headstone with room for Henry when he joined me.

As an attorney I had prepared my will with the utmost care. My million dollar life insurance policy went to Henry. I had created trusts for each of my daughters–$5,000,000 to each, the total to be turned over to them when they turned thirty. Henry received the rest—more than thirty million dollars. He received a million dollars from the life insurance policy the firm had on each of its partners. Three months after my passing he sold the firm for another twenty million dollars. Once Grandpa and Daddy had passed I became the sole owner.

Had I known what he was going to do with it I would have retired earlier. He gave virtually all of it to charity beginning with the Garden City School District and then he went back to work. Not even a single administrator recalled him from his teaching days so he took a position as a substitute teacher. Soon he was working every day and when one of the young women took a maternity leave Henry was asked to fill in. That led to a full-time position, one he held until he turned seventy.

Then the Board of Education tried to force him out until an attorney from my firm went to bat for him. I had asked him to keep an eye out for Henry and he did, winning my eternal gratitude. The Board backed down immediately after being threatened with a multimillion dollar suit for age discrimination. Henry was supported by more than two hundred former students. He stayed on the job until the end of the year right after turning eighty-five. When asked why he had decided to retire he commented only that, “I know I’m going to die soon. I couldn’t ask my students to deal with that if I passed during the school year.” It was so typical of my Henry—always thinking of the children he loved.

There was a huge party for his retirement with many of his former students and their spouses in attendance. The Superintendent of Schools and the Mayor spoke and presented Henry with plaques. I laughed as I looked on from above. I knew that Henry would have preferred the money be spent on the kids.

Henry must have known something because he joined me in Heaven less than four months later on September 30th. He was right; the students would have been devastated. We looked on together, hand in hand, as many of the older students, even those who hadn’t been in his class cried like babies when told. There were hundreds at his wake and funeral. Other than my family only a dozen co-workers had attended mine. I knew then who’d had the better life and I resolved that our eternity together would be nothing less than fantastic. We were complete now—together at last for all eternity like two tightly fitting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

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