"Do you want us to sit with Sophie while you go to the studio today?"
"I'll think about it. I'll wait and see how things are with Drake's mom first. If she's really bad, I might drop Sophie off with you while I go up with Drake and see her."
"That's fine with us," he replied. "Whatever you need, sweetheart. Let us know."
"I will," I said and ended the call. "Well," I said to Sophie, who sat in her highchair, her mouth stuffed with Cheerios. "Looks like we'll have a busy day."
We took our usual walk along the beach and played in the sand. I was surprised to find that Drake was home when we got back. The car was in the driveway and the patio doors were open to let in the breeze. Drake was in the shower, and so I put Sophie in her play chair and put some fresh coffee on to brew. When Drake came out of the bathroom, bare-chested and wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts, toweling his hair off, I went to him and slipped my arms around his waist.
"Welcome home," I said and we kissed. "How are you? How's your mother?"
"She's doing a little better," Drake said, his arms around me. "I spent the past few hours with her because she couldn’t sleep."
"Did you get to talk to her?" I asked, not sure if she was able to understand who Drake was. "Is she aware of who you are?"
"I talked with her, but I have no idea if she knows who I am. I decided I'd tell her all about my life after she left, and my family. How dad was, and how he died, although I'm sure she knew."
"So, she didn't respond? Not at all?" I said, my heart sinking for Drake when I saw him shake his head.
"Sadly, no."
"That's too bad. How are you?"
He shrugged and took in a ragged breath. "It's been hard, but I'm glad that Kent and Amanda were there so I got to meet them both."
"What are they like?" I asked, curious to learn more about Drake's half-siblings.
He led me to the sofa, where we sat together. As usual, he pulled me onto his lap and we sat like that, my arms around him, his arms around me.
"They seemed nice, from what I could tell. I didn't get a chance to talk to them very much, but they did tell me
some stories from their childhoods. Gave me an idea of what kind of mother she was to them."
"And?" I asked, wanting to encourage him to talk.
"She seems like she was a devoted mother. They love her. They felt loved."
He said it with no emotion in his voice and it made me feel sick that Drake had been denied that love.
She couldn't give it to him. That's why she left.
"She met her current husband and he saved her life. She turned things around, they got married and she had her children."
Drake turned to look in my eyes. I could see sadness in his.
"You have a family," I said and stroked his cheek. "Half-brothers and a half-sister, nephews and nieces. And a step-father."
He smiled finally. "I do. I never thought I'd have a family. After my father died, your father and the O'Rileys were the only family I had. Until you." He kissed me, his fingers tangling in my hair. "If I didn't have you, I'd still be keeping my distance from some new submissive, never getting emotionally close to any of them. Using them for sexual release and nothing more."
"You do have us," I said and kissed him again.
"I want you," he said, his voice low. The tone of his voice sent a thrill through me.
"We'll soon have five days off. Maybe Elaine and my dad can take her for an overnight again."
He nodded and then narrowed his eyes. "We could put Sophie in her playpen and fuck in the next room, with the baby monitor on loud."
I laughed. "You think you could concentrate with her babbling in the background? I couldn’t."