She hesitated, looking at the flowers.
“Okay.” She opened the door wider so that he could come in. “But no mojitos.”
“Scout’s honor.” He saluted her before closing the door behind them.
Chapter Forty-five
At the end of the Labor Day weekend, Julia and Gabriel returned to Cambridge in order to begin the academic year. Gabriel was teaching a graduate seminar and an undergraduate class at Boston University, while Julia attended Harvard.
In the second week of September, Gabriel visited a well-respected urologist. He didn’t want Julia to accompany him, since the appointment conflicted with one of her classes. So he went alone.
When he arrived home for dinner, she pounced.
“Well?”
“Good evening to you, too.” He brushed his lips against hers and pulled back, staring at her.
“I’m still getting used to these.” He touched the frames of her tortoiseshell glasses.
She adjusted them self-consciously before taking them off. “I only need them for reading. At least, that’s what the optometrist said.”
“You look like a sexy librarian. In fact, I think we should take them into the study and introduce them to the wonders of desk sex.”
Julia laughed. “You aren’t going to distract me with desk sex, Professor Emerson. I want to hear about your appointment.”
Gabriel’s smile faded.
“What if I promise you consecutive orgasms?” he whispered, grasping her wrist and bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her, nipping at the skin.
She swallowed hard. “That sounds—great. But I still want to hear about the doctor.”
He took a step closer, walking her toward the kitchen table.
“And if I promise you kitchen table sex, the likes of which you’ve never experienced before?”
He placed her on the edge of the table, spreading her legs so that he could stand in between them.
She raised her hand to his face. “I’d say you’re worrying me because you’re trying to distract me with sex. Please tell me what happened.”
Gabriel pulled away and sat down heavily on a nearby chair.
“Did you cook or did Rebecca leave something?”
“Rebecca made lasagne.” Julia hopped off the table to retrieve a can of Coke from the fridge. She poured it over ice in a glass and handed it to him. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“The doctor isn’t sure it will work.” Abruptly, Gabriel placed the glass on the table.
“Oh, sweetheart.” She sat in the chair next to him and placed a hand on his arm.
“He’s pretty confident we could do artificial insemination if the reversal is unsuccessful, but I have to be tested to see if I’m producing viable sperm. When he has the results, he’ll determine if we should schedule a reversal or not. My test is scheduled for next week.”
“And?”
“Even if he performs the reversal, the probability of success is low.” He cleared his throat. “Since the procedure was done almost ten years ago, the chance of pregnancy is thirty percent. There’s a possibility of antibodies, scar tissue, and a secondary blockage point.”
“I didn’t realize it was so complicated.”
He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “It’s far more complicated than I expected. But it’s a credit to the doctor that he was thorough in his explanation. He also forbade me to smoke.”
“Well, that’s a good thing. When will we know if the procedure is successful?”
“He says I could be fertile within a few months or it could take a year.” He hesitated. “Or never.”
Julia sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel. I wish I’d gone with you. I could have supported you.”
“You were there in spirit.” He gave her a half-smile.
“If the sperm production is fine, then we could pursue artificial insemination. If we want, he’ll gather sperm at the time of the reversal and freeze them for us.” He toyed with her hair. “The doctor suggested you visit a gynecologist, in case there are fertility issues on your side.”
Julia grimaced.
Gabriel watched her expression carefully. “Is that a problem?”
“No. I don’t like those kinds of checkups, but I can see why it would be necessary. I’m due for one.”
“Unfortunately, the doctor also said that we’ll have to abstain from sex for three weeks after my procedure. He told me that there cannot be any ejaculation.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Three weeks? Scheisse.”
“Exactly. Are you still sure we should do this?”
“I’m not happy about having to be celibate for three weeks.” She shuddered. “But I was celibate a lot longer than that before.”
“Quite.” A smile played at the corners of Gabriel’s lips. “This will be new for both of us—marital celibacy. Who knew there was such a terrible thing?”
“I certainly didn’t. Except for, you know, one week a month.”
“That reminds me. We’ll have to ensure that one of the three weeks coincides with your cycle. Otherwise we might have to be celibate for four weeks.”