“You smell like bubblegum,” Natalie said later that night when she bent down to kiss me.
I laughed, reaching back to push my bedroom door shut behind us. “That would be Mason’s bubble bath. Sorry… he took forever in the tub tonight, and then he wanted me to read two bedtime stories when I tucked him in. I can’t say no when it comes to books, especially on my kid’s birthday.”
She giggled and brushed her lips against mine. “That’s so cute. Will you read me a story next?” she asked as she climbed into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I struggled to roll myself further into the room with her legs dangling over my left wheel. “What kind of story do you wanna hear?”
“Hm… how about a love story?” she suggested, her warm breath tickling my cheek. I could tell she was trying to be sexy, but her little girl act didn’t turn me on. Considering our age gap, I wasn’t comfortable with any kind of “daddy” kink.
“You smell like beer,” I replied, wrinkling my nose. “And bug spray.”
Natalie burst out laughing. “Hey, now!” She playfully swatted my chest. “You can blame your nanny for that. I don’t even like beer, but I drank two of ‘em with Dawn out on the porch while you were putting Mason to bed. Between that and our day at Dinosaur World, I probably do stink! I should’ve taken a shower.”
“You can take one in here.” I tipped my head toward the bathroom.
She raised her brows. “You mean together?”
That wasn’t what I’d had in mind. “You don’t wanna take a shower with me,” I said, shaking my head as I pictured the way my naked body looked in the waterproof shower chair I used in the bathroom. “Trust me – it’s not sexy.”
“Well, neither are airplane lavatories, yet, somehow, the Mile High Club’s a thing. Come on,” she said, nuzzling my neck. “We can make it sexy.”
How could I say no to that? I still felt self-conscious about certain aspects of my disability, but I supposed it was better to let her see it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly – than try and hide it from her forever. “All right,” I reluctantly agreed.
It took us a long time to get me undressed and strapped into my shower chair. I had to talk Natalie through every step of the process, every transfer, everything I took for granted when Dawn did it. But Natalie was patient and eager to learn. “I don’t mind,” she insisted when I apologized for being so high-maintenance. “I wanna learn how to help you.”
I suddenly remembered what Dawn had told me the day we’d set up my online dating profile: “A lot of chicks dig a dude who’s vulnerable in some way. It feeds their nurturing instinct, you know? They want someone they can take care of.” Maybe she was right.
Natalie followed me into the bathroom, then flitted around my chair and stopped in front of me. “Now it’s your turn to take my clothes off,” she said, smirking as she unfastened the button of her shorts for me. I wedged my fingers beneath the waistband and wiggled the shorts slowly over her hips and down her thighs. As they fell to the floor, she kicked them out of the way.
I put my hands on her waist, working the hem of her white tank top slowly up her torso to expose her stomach. I pushed it up as far as I could reach, and she did the rest, pulling it over her head and arms. Then she reached back to unhook the clasp of her pale pink bra so I could slip it off her. As I reached for her panties, she put her hands over mine, helping me pull them down.
Stepping out of them, she sashayed over to the roll-in shower and pulled back the curtain. “How hot do you like it?” she asked as she turned on the water, giving me a smoldering look over her shoulder. Now, that was sexy.
“Hot,” I said, smirking back at her. “Really hot.”
She let the water heat up, sticking her hand under the stream every few seconds to check the temperature. Within a few minutes, the bathroom was full of steam. “Tell me if it’s too warm,” she said as I rolled to the edge of the shower.
I reached my arm in, rotating it until I could feel the water on the inside of my wrist. “It’s fine. Perfect, in fact,” I replied, pushing myself the rest of the way in.
Natalie followed, pulling the curtain closed behind her. I positioned my chair so that my back was to the detachable shower head. She stood facing me so I could watch as she took her hair down, letting it fall loose over her shoulders as she shook it out of its messy bun. She slipped the two hair ties that had held it in place around her wrist as she stepped forward into the stream of hot water, closing her eyes as it hit her face and washed over her head. Her breasts were at eye-level for me, and I couldn’t help but stare as the water dripped down her body. She brought both hands up to her head and smoothed back her wet hair before running them sensually over her breasts and belly and along her hips.
My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her, admiring every line and curve. At the same time, I couldn’t help but envy her self-confidence. Although I had grown accustomed to letting caregivers see my unclothed body, I hadn’t felt fully comfortable in my own skin for more than four years. But, of course, Natalie had nothing to hide and no reason to be embarrassed of her body; she was young, fit, healthy, and whole. I had almost forgotten what that felt like.
“You’re not just gonna sit there and watch, are you?” With a smile, she took my hand and brought it up to her breast, gently unfolding my curled fingers so I could cup it. I wished I could feel her soft, warm skin beneath my fingertips, but the only part of my hand that had any sensation was the base of my thumb. I kneaded her breast with the heel of my palm, relaxing and extending my wrist to force my fingers to open and close around it. “See?” she said as I brushed the bottom of my thumb across her nipple to feel how hard it had become. “Told ya we could make it sexy.”
“It’s only sexy ‘cause you’re here.” I continued to caress her body as she took the bottle of shampoo from one of the built-in shelves on the tiled wall and squirted some into her hand. “You could make almost anything seem sexy.”
Natalie raised one eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Uh-uh…” I watched as she rubbed her hands together and raked them through her hair, working the shampoo into a thick lather. Then she wet a washcloth and added a liberal amount of body wash before running it up and down her arms and over her chest. The suds streamed down her torso in rivulets as she let the water rinse them away.
When she’d finished washing her top half, Natalie lifted her right leg and propped her foot up on my left knee. “I’m a little sore from playing Twister,” she said, her bottom lip protruding in a pout. “Will you wash my legs for me?” She placed the soapy washcloth in my hand, folding my fingers over it to help me hold onto it.
I doubted she was the least bit sore, but I was happy to play along. “Of course,” I replied, rubbing her thigh with the washcloth. “Lemme get rid of that bug spray residue while I’m at it.”
Natalie laughed as I ran the cloth down her shin and around to her calf. “Hey, at least I don’t have a bunch of bug bites. Mosquitoes usually love me.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re so sweet,” I said, wiping the top of her foot. When I wedged my hand underneath it to get at the bottom, she giggled and pulled her foot away.
“That tickles!”
“Sorry.” I flashed her a sheepish smile as she lowered her foot to the tiled floor. “I forget how ticklish feet can be.”
“It’s okay. I forgive you.” She leaned forward to kiss my lips before she switched legs, planting her left foot in my lap so I could wash that one as well. Then, putting both feet on the floor, she turned around. “Now will you wash my back, please?”
“You’re gonna have to get lower, or all I’m gonna be able to reach is your butt,” I replied with a chuckle. “C’mere…” I patted my knee. “Have a seat.”
Shooting me another seductive smile over her shoulder, she perched on my lap. I took my time washing her back, watching the tiny hairs stand on end as I wiped the washcloth slowly down her neck and across her shoulder blades. “Looks like you got a little sun today,” I said, noticing tan lines where her tank top had been. I leaned forward and touched my lips to the freckled skin of her sun-kissed shoulders.
“I should have had you help me put on sunscreen. I always seem to miss a spot,” she said with a sigh as I worked my way down, dragging my thumb along the groove of her spine. “Ohh, that feels so good…” The crow tattooed on her right shoulder seemed to ruffle its feathers as she writhed with pleasure, her skin erupting in goosebumps.
I dipped the washcloth into the crack at the base of her tailbone, admiring the two little dimples that appeared just above the swell of her butt. Then I set the cloth down and dug the heels of my bare hands into her lower back. “Tell me if I’m hurting you,” I said as I began to knead the flesh there.
“Lord, no. You can do it harder,” she replied, tossing her head back and arching her spine as I continued the massage. I worked my way back up, occasionally using my knuckles to add a different texture. I could practically see the tension leave her shoulders as her posture sagged, her body becoming like putty in my hands.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer until she was leaning back against my bare chest, limp and relaxed. She reached for my hands, putting the right one over her left breast and the left one between her legs. She placed her hands over mine, gently guiding their movements. I supposed she thought she was being helpful, showing me where and how she wanted to be touched, but it made me feel more like a marionette puppet than a man. I didn’t like her pulling my strings. From my vantage point, I couldn’t even see parts of her body I was touching, which made it harder for me to pretend I could actually feel them.
I cleared my throat. “We should probably finish up before the water gets cold. You, uh… wanna wash me next?”
Natalie seemed to get the point. “Sorry,” she said as she got up from my lap, giving me a sheepish smile. “I got a little carried away. Of course, it’s your turn now.” She reached around the shower curtain to grab a clean washcloth from the towel rack on the wall and held it under the warm water. “Time to get you all nice and squeaky clean.”
I couldn’t help but cringe because that sounded like the sort of thing someone would say to a kid my son’s age. “It doesn’t have to be squeaky clean,” I replied as she added soap to the washcloth. “I like things a little dirty sometimes.” I waggled my brows when she looked up, laughing.
“Oh, do you now?” She began to wash the front of my body, spending the most time on the places she knew I could feel, like my neck and shoulders and the top part of my chest, before working her way down. “How dirty do you want it?” she asked, smirking as she reached between my legs.
“Don’t waste too much time down there,” I told her, watching what she was doing. “I did go to my doctor and got a prescription for something that should help me stay hard longer, but I haven’t taken it yet. I will when we get out… I mean, if you want me to.”
She nodded, a little smile tugging at her lips as she knelt down to wash my legs. “I actually went to my doctor last week, too, and refilled my birth control prescription,” she replied. “I stopped taking it after I broke up with Derek, but now that I’m finally dating again, it seemed like a good idea to go back on it.” She glanced up at me. “I thought it might help with your situation if we didn’t have to waste time putting on a condom – as long as you don’t have anything you could pass on to me.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “That is one problem you don’t have to worry about with me.”
“Okay, good,” Natalie said, giggling as she straightened up. “Me neither.” She moved behind me, massaging my neck and shoulders as she washed my back and shampooed my hair. I knew she wanted sex and that, for her, this was all just foreplay. But, for me, it was a thousand times better than anything below the waist where I could no longer feel.
I closed my eyes as her fingers crept across my shoulders, up the back of my neck, and over my scalp. She kept me guessing, alternating between lightly grazing my skin with her fingernails and applying firm pressure with the pads of her fingers and the palms of her hands. The different sensations drove me wild and left me wanting more. “Don’t stop,” I whispered as she folded the top of my ear down and wiped the space behind it with one finger.
“Does that feel good?” she asked as she did the same thing on the other side.
I nodded, my breath catching in my throat. I had never been an ear guy before, but now, I was turned on by the mere sensation of her touching my ears, gently twisting and tugging on my earlobes. It was as if my defective nervous system had gotten its wires crossed, mixing up the messages coming from that part of my body with the kind of signals I used to receive from down below. I felt more aroused than I had when she was giving me a handjob the last time. “C’mere,” I said, patting my thigh.
She came around to the front of my chair and climbed onto my lap again, facing me this time with her legs straddling my hips. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her long and deep as our upper bodies collided. Her hands continued to crawl through my hair while the hot water rained down on us, rinsing away the rest of the shampoo. Running out of air, I broke the kiss long enough to catch my breath, but her lips kept moving along my jawline and down my neck. I drew in a sharp breath as she took my earlobe between her teeth and gently bit down, nibbling and sucking. I nuzzled her neck, brushing my cheek against her silky skin.
As we continued making out, the water gradually began to cool. Before I could start to shiver, Natalie climbed down from my lap and shut off the shower. When she pulled back the curtain, the air in the bathroom was thick with steam. She wrapped herself in a clean towel from the rack, then handed a second towel to me and helped pat dry the parts of my body I couldn’t reach.
“Do you mind wiping down my chair, too?” I asked, using one end of the towel to blot the excess water out of my hair. “I don’t want the hardwood floor to get wet.”
Natalie was busy wrapping another towel around her head like a turban. “Sure,” she said as she tucked in the end. She used a hand towel to dry off the wheels and frame of my shower chair before I went back into the bedroom, where the air conditioning was on full blast.
Wearing nothing but a towel draped over my naked body, I was freezing cold. My bed looked warm and inviting, but I realized I needed to take care of business before I transferred into it, especially if I was going to get laid.
I rolled over to my bedside table and took a prescription bottle out of the drawer. “Can you please open this for me?” I asked, handing it to Natalie. “Someday I’ll start asking the pharmacy for bottles with easy-open caps, but not until Mason’s older. No matter how many times Dawn and I have talked to him about the difference between medicine and candy, I still worry about him getting into my meds. He’s a good boy, but you know… kids do dumb stuff sometimes.”
“Of course. Better safe than sorry.” She took the bottle from me, glancing at the label on the front as she twisted off the childproof lid. “Do you just take one?”
I nodded, and she placed one of the little blue pills in my hand. “Thanks.” I popped it into my mouth and swallowed it with a swig of water from the bottle I always kept by my bed. Then, clearing my throat, I said, “Why don’t you go make yourself comfortable? Give me just a few more minutes to get ready.”
“Get ready?” she asked with a curious raise of her eyebrows. “Don’t you need my help with that?”
I felt my face flush. “No… I need to cath myself before we mess around anymore,” I clarified, figuring I might as well be honest with her. “Trust me – you don’t want me going to bed with a full bladder.”
“Oh…” She giggled, blushing as well. “Sorry, I should have realized what you meant.”
I shrugged. “I probably should’ve been more upfront. I just didn’t wanna turn you off… or gross you out.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said, shaking her head. “Sure, I can be a little squeamish, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide things from me. I can handle it.” She lay her hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye. “Like I told you, I wanna learn. And I’m not dumb; I figured that was something you had to do, even before that night at the hospital. I mean, I may have looked up some stuff online when we first started dating.”
“Did you?” I grinned, both amused and touched by the thought of her googling to educate herself on my disability. “You could have just asked.”
“I didn’t wanna embarrass you or make it awkward or anything.” She smiled back sheepishly. “But from now on, I will ask you.”
I nodded. “Ask away.”
I felt better about being open with her, but I still closed the door for privacy when I went back into the bathroom. I emptied my bladder and brushed my teeth, giving the pill time to take effect.
When I finally came back out of the bathroom, I found Natalie sitting on my bed, towel-drying her hair. “Hey,” I said, smiling at her.
“Hey,” she echoed, smiling back. “All ready now?”
I nodded. “I hope so.”
With her help, I transferred to the bed, spreading a towel over my pillow before I lay my damp head down on it. Natalie crawled in next to me, pulling the covers up over us so I could warm up while we continued where we’d left off. “Do I still smell like beer and bug spray?” she asked, tipping her head back as I kissed along her neck. As she spoke, I could feel the vibration of her vocal cords buzzing against my lips.
I paused long enough to inhale the musky, minty scent of sandalwood and eucalyptus that clung to her soft, clean skin. “No. Now you smell like… me.”
We both laughed. “You do have very manly-smelling body wash,” she said, running her hands across my chest. “But I don’t mind.”
“Better than bubblegum, huh?”
She smiled. “Definitely more mature. At least you don’t smell like a little boy anymore.”
“Well, that’s good,” I said with a chuckle. “As long as I don’t smell like an old man either.”
Natalie giggled. “Good thing Viagra doesn’t have a scent, huh?”
“Hey…” I frowned, pretending to be offended. “Don’t make fun of me after I confided in you about that.”
The smile quickly faded from her face, which flushed beet red. “Oh, goodness, no; I didn’t mean it like that!” she sputtered as she sat halfway up, her eyes wide and horrified. “I’m sor-”
Before she could finish apologizing, I burst out laughing. “Don’t worry about it, babe; I was just messing with you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Not funny!” she cried, smacking me. But the corners of her lips twitched as she leaned back on one elbow, her body turned toward mine.
“I know,” I said, flashing her a crooked smile. “But, sometimes, I just have to laugh about it. Feels a lot better than crying. I never thought I’d need a wheelchair and fucking Viagra at forty, but here we are.”
Natalie offered me a sympathetic smile in return. “Hey, look on the bright side: at least you still have a beautiful head of hair,” she said, raking her fingers through it. “And not a single strand of gray.”
I chuckled. “Eh, don’t look too close. But I guess you’re right – every cloud has a silver lining. I’ve gotta remember to count my blessings.”
Brushing the hair back from my temple, she bent down and kissed it. “You do have a lot to be thankful for,” she said, stroking the side of my face. “You have a beautiful home… a wonderful son… and an amazing girlfriend.” She grinned.
“Yes, I do,” I agreed, grinning back.
“Shall we see what kind of magic your amazing girlfriend can make happen with the help of that little blue pill?” she asked, arching her brow as she ran her hand further down my body.
I nodded. “Go for it, girl. Work your magic.”
She giggled as she reached between my legs and went to work. I used the remote to raise the head of my bed so I could watch as I waited for the magic to happen, wishing I could feel what she was doing down there. It must have been effective because, within a few minutes, I seemed to have doubled in size. “Damn,” I said as I looked down. “You’re good!”
She shrugged. “I guess that stuff your doctor prescribed really does work, huh? Let’s just hope it lasts a little longer this time,” she said as she repositioned herself, throwing one leg over me. She rose onto her knees and straddled my thighs, letting out a little moan as she slowly lowered herself onto me. “How does it feel for you?” she asked as she began to rock back and forth, finding her rhythm. “Any different?”
I thought about that as I reached down to put my hands on her hips, letting the force of her thrusting movements flow through my arms. “Not below the waist,” I admitted. “Still can’t feel anything down there. But you’re sure making my head spin.” I felt slightly dizzy, but I told myself it was just because of the disconnect between the impaired and unimpaired parts of my body. My brain and my dick were desperately trying to communicate with each other, but none of the messages could make it past the damaged part of my spinal cord.
She giggled. “Is that a good thing?”
“I dunno… I guess. Is it good for you?” I asked hesitantly. I hated feeling like I had no control over her experience.
She bit down on her bottom lip as she sank lower, forcing me deeper inside her. “Uh-huh…” She closed her eyes, her breath coming in short gasps as she rocked faster. But after just a few minutes, her movements began to slow without any indication that she had reached her climax.
“Everything okay?” I hoped I hadn’t suddenly gone soft again, but the look she gave me when she opened her eyes again confirmed my fear.
“It’s okay,” she said kindly as she climbed off me. “It was better than last time, right? The little blue pill worked. Maybe you just need a higher dose.”
I nodded, appreciating her positive take. “I’ll ask my doctor about it,” I promised, hoping I hadn’t disappointed her too much. “I wanna find a way to make this work for both of us.” Remembering the advice Dawn had given me, I added, “But, in the meantime, maybe it would be better if I just used my mouth.”
She glanced up, raising an eyebrow. “Really?” she asked, a smile spreading slowly across her face.
I gave her my sexiest come-hither look as I reached for the remote again and lowered the head of the bed. “Come up here so I can finish the job. It’s my turn to work some magic.”
“Well, then… your wish is my command,” she said, her voice low and sultry. She crawled, catlike, toward the top of the bed and crouched over my face, hanging on to the headboard for support. Before long, it began to rattle against the wall as she rocked back and forth, breathing hard as my mouth moved beneath her. Then, suddenly, she let out a loud, almost primal cry of passion as she hit her peak.
“Shh!” I hissed, struggling to hold back my laughter. “Don’t let Mason hear you.”
“Sorry,” she gasped, unable to hide her grin. “I couldn’t help it. Hopefully he’s sound asleep by now.” She collapsed onto the bed beside me, resting her hand on her heaving chest. “My goodness, Kevin… I knew you could sing, but I never realized what a talented tongue you had in that mouth of yours.”
I snorted with laughter. “I take it you liked what I did, then?”
She nodded. “That’s a fair assessment,” she replied faintly.
I smiled to myself as I swallowed, still tasting her on my tongue. I felt like a kid on Christmas – no, more like an adult on Christmas, when the act of giving is better than receiving. Just as I enjoyed watching Mason experience the magic of Christmas as he opened his presents, I delighted in pleasing Natalie with a much different kind of gift.
As I lay there naked in bed, basking in my own glory with my girlfriend sprawled at my side, I suddenly heard a tiny knock on the bedroom door. Natalie must have heard it, too; her head whipped toward me, eyes wide. “Did you lock the door?” she whispered.
Too late. Before I could answer, the door clicked and swung open with a creak. “Daddy?” Mason’s voice called softly.
To Natalie’s credit, her reaction time was lightning fast. In one swift motion, she yanked the covers over us again, hiding our unclothed bodies before he came into the room.
“What are you doing up, buddy?” I asked as he approached the bed, trying not to sound too annoyed with him. “Did you have an accident?”
He shook his head. “I heard a noise. Like a lady screaming.”
I glanced over at Natalie, biting down on my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing. “Really? We didn’t hear anything, did we, Nat?”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head as she clutched the comforter to her chin.
“You must’ve just had a nightmare,” I told Mason, forcing a sympathetic smile onto my face. “Everything’s fine. You can go back to bed now.”
He frowned. “What are y’all doing?” he asked, his eyes darting suspiciously from me to Natalie.
“Nothing. Just snuggling.”
“Can I snuggle, too?” He stepped forward as if to start climbing into bed with us, but I shook my head.
“Not now, buddy. It’s way past your bedtime.”
“But-”
“No buts,” I said firmly. “Go back to bed.”
“Will you tuck me in?” he whined.
Most nights, it would have broken my heart to hear him beg me to tuck him in after I had already transferred to my bed, but for once, I was glad to have a good excuse not to get up. “Mason, you know it’s not easy for me to get out of bed by myself. Besides, I already tucked you in and read you two bedtime stories earlier,” I reminded him, more gently this time. “You’re a big boy now; you don’t need me to tuck you in twice.”
Mason’s bottom lip jutted out as he gave me his best puppy dog eyes. “Can’t I sleep with you tonight?”
Sorry, buddy, but I’m sleeping with someone else tonight, I thought, glancing toward Natalie again. “Not this time,” I told him. “You go back to sleep in your own bed, and I’ll see you in the morning. It’ll be the Fourth of July. We’re going over to Mammaw’s house for a family barbecue and fireworks, remember? Won’t that be fun?”
He shrugged his thin shoulders and looked down at the floor, trying to appear as pitiful as possible.
I sighed. “Why don’t you go knock on Dawn’s door and see if she can tuck you in this time?” I felt bad for pawning my son off on his nanny, but it was times like these when I was glad I paid someone to help me take care of him.
“Okay…” Mason agreed grudgingly. “Goodnight, Dad…”
“‘Night, buddy. I love you!” I called as he trudged out of the room, closing the door behind him.
As soon as he was gone, Natalie gave me another wide-eyed look. “That was so awkward,” she whispered, giggling into my shoulder.
“Sorry,” I said with a sheepish grin. “I never lock my bedroom door. How would Dawn get in to help me out of bed in the morning?”
She shook her head. “Well, maybe we should start locking it when I’m in here with you, huh?”
I nodded. “Good idea.”
Natalie got out of bed and tiptoed across the room to turn the lock. “I guess you’re stuck with me now,” she said, smiling as she crawled back under the covers.
I raised my eyebrows. “Does that mean you’re sleeping in here tonight?”
“If you don’t mind.” She snuggled up next to me, nestling herself into the crook of my arm. “I don’t wanna go back to my bed either.”
I chuckled. “Fine, but I’m gonna need you to do a few things for me before we fall asleep.”
“Anything,” she agreed.
I talked her through the process of putting on my condom catheter, hooking up the drainage bag, turning on my air mattress pad, and positioning me, which required rolling me onto my side and placing pillows between the bony parts of my body. If she was uncomfortable helping me, she didn’t show it, doing everything I asked of her without hesitation.
“How’s that?” she asked when she finished, fluffing the pillow under my head one last time. “All nice and comfy now?”
I nodded, trying not to cringe at her motherly tone. I don’t think she meant to coddle me, but more than ever, I was convinced that Dawn had been right about Natalie’s “nurturing instinct” and need to take care of me. I knew I should probably talk to her about it if it continued to annoy me, but I didn’t think it was the right time, not after all she had done to help me get ready for bed. “Come join me,” I said, patting the empty space beside me.
She turned off the light before she climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over both of us. I could no longer see her face clearly, but I could feel her warm breath on my bare skin as she curled up beside me, her body mirroring mine. Her presence was comforting. It had been so long since I’d lain with a woman in the dark or shared my bed with anyone but my son.
“Still wanna hear that bedtime story?” I asked her, feeling relaxed but not yet ready for sleep.
“Of course,” she replied. I could tell by her tone of voice that she was smiling.
I cleared my throat. “Once upon a time, there was a king. This king had everything he could ever want: a beautiful wife, a handsome baby boy, and a castle where they lived together in a faraway kingdom that was filled with sunshine,” I began, picturing rocky hills and streets lined with palm trees. “But, one night, something terrible happened. The king and queen were coming home from a ball when their coach crashed.”
I heard Natalie draw in a sharp breath, but she didn’t say anything.
“The queen was killed,” I continued, my voice cracking as a lump rose in my throat. “The king was grievously injured with wounds that would never fully heal.” I swallowed hard, pausing to regain my composure before I went on with the story. “When he was finally well enough to return to his castle, the king had to rely on a few of his faithful subjects to help him rule the kingdom and raise the young prince. Somehow, he went on with his life, but it wasn’t the same. He was lonely without his wife, but his limitations made him feel so worthless that he didn’t think he would ever find another woman to fall in love with him and become his new queen. Whenever he felt sad, he tried to comfort himself by stroking the golden pendant he wore around his neck, which contained a piece of the queen’s jewelry.”
Instinctively, I reached for my infinity necklace before I remembered that I was no longer wearing it.
“One day, the king boarded a ship that would take him across the ocean to a distant kingdom. During the voyage, he met a fair maiden in a red dress who charmed him with her beautiful smile and kind nature, but he never thought he would see her again once they went their separate ways. Soon after the ship docked, he discovered that his precious necklace was missing, and he fell into despair. But then, the beautiful young woman he’d met on the ship called on him and brought him back the pendant, which she had found.”
“Hm… this is starting to sound familiar,” said Natalie.
I smiled. “Beyond grateful, he invited her to dinner in an effort to repay her for her kindness. As the two began talking, they discovered that, despite their differences, they had a lot in common. They quickly formed a connection and agreed to keep in touch after they returned to their respective kingdoms. As time passed, their feelings for each other grew. The maiden made the king feel worthy of love again, and when he was with her, he felt happier than he had since losing his wife.”
“This is a beautiful story,” Natalie said softly, “but you’re forgetting an important part. What about the fair maiden’s perspective? How did she feel when she was with the king?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Why don’t you tell her side of the story?”
“Okay, well… once upon a time, there was a fair maiden who worked on a… ship,” she began, her soft Southern drawl drifting through the darkness. “She lived a life full of adventure, traveling to all sorts of exotic places, but she was unlucky in love. She had been engaged to be married once, until she found out her fiance was unfaithful. Thinking she might never find a good man to settle down with, she learned to love herself and embraced her nomadic lifestyle, flitting from place to place without a care in the world.”
“Sounds like a pretty good life to me,” I said.
“Yes, but just wait.” Natalie went on: “One day, a handsome king rode in on a silver chariot, awakening feelings the maiden thought she’d put to bed. She was instantly attracted to him, but she didn’t see any point in exploring those feelings. After all, he was a king, and she was just a lowly peasant whose job was to serve him while he was a passenger on her ship. It would be forbidden for her to pursue any sort of personal relationship with him. But after the ship docked and all the passengers had disembarked, she found the king’s necklace lying on the floor. She thought she could win his favor by returning it to him, so she did. As a reward, he bought her a drink and took her out for dinner, where they talked and laughed together, genuinely enjoying each other’s company.”
I smiled as I listened to her describe our first date in London, glad to know she’d had just as good of a time as I had.
“When the maiden sailed away, she found herself missing the king and looking forward to the day when she would see him again. Luckily for her, the king invited her to visit his castle, where they rode horses together, took a tour of his kingdom, and slayed some dragons.”
I laughed, picturing the dinosaurs we’d seen earlier that day.
“He even introduced her to his son, the prince, who the maiden found just as delightful as his father,” Natalie added, making my heart melt. “That’s when her mindset began to change. Maybe she would settle down someday and have a family of her own after all.”
“But how does the story end?” I asked, smiling at her through the darkness. “Do they live happily ever after?”
She reached for me, running her hand up and down my arm as she whispered her reply: “I hope so.”
***