Stanley paused, considering my jeering. “One piece. That’s all I’ll share and that’s because you’re wearing open toe shoes. I don’t fancy them. But you did bring my great-nephew to celebrate my birthday, and that has earned you one piece.”
He paced to the back, now leaving me laughing to the point of tears. That was Uncle Stanley. He was a pseudo-loner. When he felt inclined, he’d light up the room with unmatched energy, but you could always be guaranteed the following day he’d decline your invitation for more of it. Mercurial, just like his nephew.
Stanley and I had my mom’s banana bread and tea. I watched as he opened the gifts my parents—or more specifically, Mom—sent over. He seemed content with them, though with him you never knew. One reaction that wasn’t ambiguous was that to Jordan awakening. It was perfect timing, considering my breasts were filled to capacity. He’d fallen out on the way here. I didn’t expect for him to sleep so long. I guess I should have, considering how late he stayed up the night before. It was unusual for him now that he’d just been trained to sleep through the night by Eligia who turned out to be a god-send.
Stanley had just asked me about school when Jordan started wiggling and getting fussy in his lap.
“Lunch time for the Jordan!” I cheerily announced to calm him. “Is there a room I can use to feed him? I don’t want to have to explain your myocardial infarction to your next of kin.”
“Sure.” He chuckled. “Use the room near the living room. You’ll have plenty of room there. If you saw mine, I’d have to explain your myocardial infarction to Sarah Barrett.”
In no time, I learned the room he offered up was Stenton’s childhood bedroom. It was small…and dark from not having direct sunlight due to the close proximity of the house next door. The walls boasted sports awards and academic certificates along with a few posters of rappers. There was a desk in the corner, still covered with old notebooks, binders and folders. I pulled the tiny chair from the desk and made myself comfortable, idly wondering if a teenaged Stenton could fit in it. It was at the perfect height for me. A hurried Jordan was wrestling with my blouse before I was able to open it and unhook my nursing bra. Once he was suckling, I sat back, trying to relax as he finally did. I knew this would be a long feed considering the length of time he slept, which was fine by me because I had the supply. As Jordan relieved one boob, I observed the small room with curiosities running wild. I switched him over and found myself regarding another wall of the room, near the door.
On the mirror of his dresser were pictures and short, ripped out articles of Stenton’s successes. I even noticed one of a girl tucked under his arm, wearing a smile marginally brighter than his there. I wondered if that was his girlfriend, his first love. I yawned, pondering what it would have been like to be Stenton’s first love back then…if I were his age of course. Would he have been as taciturn as he is at thirty-one? Would he have been more inclined to be together? Did he hold hands back then, write notes, go out on dates? Did he open doors, dry hump, or sneak into windows late at night. That’s what I would have had him do. I could hardly resist Stenton now, I could only imagine at what level my audacity would have been then.
I don’t know what jostled me from my sleep, but my eyes snapped opened. It dawned on me just how exhausted I’d been from Jordan’s late night conversations. My eyes instinctively diverted to the door once I realized where I was. Stenton stood there, resting his tall frame in the doorway. Clearly oversized for the space, his legs stretched wide to accommodate his height. He looked pained, troubled. Then I recognized the slant in his eyes. I raked down his length and immediately caught his unabashed erection. It was eerily long and thick against his thigh.