“You smell of peaches,” he says, kissing my forehead and breathing me in deeply.
His mouth finds my lips, and we settle into a slow and deep kiss, completely oblivious to the ten men surrounding us. Oblivious until I feel hands moving over my body and kisses pressed to my neck. They encircle me like worshipers, the game playing out on the television forgotten. In minutes, I’m lifted and carried upstairs, Donovan heading to his room, John carrying the baby monitor, and the rest following behind. There’s a hush over the group, the quietness of anticipation. I guess they’ve been as eager for this as I have.
There is nothing like the feeling of being laid on a bed and surrounded by my boys. Eleven men watch as I strip my clothes. Eleven men view my swollen breasts and rounded stomach more hungrily than I’ve ever seen them, and when they each make love to me, the deep connection that I feel with them all is renewed. They take precautions without me having to ask, showing me how much they support me in taking some time to finish my education and how much they respect my dreams.
And as I fall asleep, cradled in their arms, with no worries that our son will be taken care of in the night, I know with all my heart that this is my team. They’ve shown me that I can be a team player. They’ve shown me that I don’t have to fear being alone or worry that expressing my opinion will end our love. More importantly, they’ve proven that love can come in all shapes and sizes, and I look forward to increasing the size of our team in the days to come.