Page 76 of Certified To Handle You 2

When her feet hurt, I sat at the end of the bed and rubbed ‘em until she fell asleep. I ain’t care if I had to be up before the sun to bust moves and handle shit outside the house. If Isley started cryin’ in the middle of the night, I got up before Pluto could move. I changed diapers, warmed bottles, and walked around the room with my daughter against my chest while Pluto got whatever rest her body allowed her to get.

Some mornin’s, I would be standin’ in the kitchen with Isley in one arm and my phone in the other, givin’ orders to grown men while I waited on a bottle to warm. Ain’t nobody on the other end know about all the stress my household was under ‘cause it wasn’t they business. They just needed to do what the fuck I told ‘em to do while I took care of my kids.

I ain’t look at none of what Pluto did as just her job. These was my kids too, and she had already done more than enough by carryin’ three of them inside her body. I could lose sleep. I could change diapers. I could walk around with a cryin’ baby at three in the mornin’ and still get up to handle whatever needed to be handled ‘cause that was light work compared to what Pluto had been through.

Still, there was parts of my wife I missed, and I felt guilty every time I admitted that to myself.

I missed the way she used to crawl across the bed and climb on top of me ‘cause she wanted attention. I missed hearin’ herlaugh more than I heard her sigh. I missed how she would follow me around the house talkin’ about whatever was on her mind, even when I was barely listenin’ ‘cause I just liked hearin’ her voice. I missed the softness in her eyes and the way she used to melt into me without lookin’ tired or distracted.

I knew she was still in there, but right now she was buried under bottles, diapers, feedings, and all the shit her body was still tryna recover from. I loved every version of Pluto, and I wasn’t gon’ make her feel bad for not bein’ the same woman she was before Isley came. I just wanted my wife to feel good again, and I ain’t know how to make that happen without makin’ her think I was tryna fix her.

It was late, and every child in the house was finally asleep. Isley had gone down after fightin’ it for damn near an hour, and I had already checked the monitor twice even though she was right down the hall. I was laid across the bed in nothin’ but some briefs while the television played low, but I wasn’t payin’ attention to whatever was on.

The bathroom door opened, and Pluto walked out naked with a towel in her hand while steam followed her into the room. Her skin still had water on it, and her hair was damp around her face. She had gained weight since havin’ Isley, and every bit of it had landed somewhere that made my dick jump before my mind had time to stop it.

Her breasts sat fuller, her stomach was soft, and her hips had spread enough to make her waist look smaller. Her thighs rubbed together when she walked, and that ass had gotten thicker in a way that made me want to grab it and keep my hands there.

Pluto had always been beautiful to me, but motherhood had put somethin’ else on her. Her body looked soft, grown, and made for me, and I could feel my dick gettin’ hard under my briefs while she moved toward the bed.

A few months ago, I would’ve reached for her before she even made it across the room. I would’ve pulled her on the bed, spread her open, and fucked her until she forgot how tired she was.

I knew every sound Pluto made and every spot that had her grip on me like she was scared I might stop. I knew how to make my wife fall apart, and I wanted to do exactly that while I watched her climb on the mattress.

Then the picture of all that blood flashed through my mind, and everything inside me changed.

Pluto came right over and climbed on top of me without sayin’ anything. She settled her body against mine, laid her head on my shoulder, and buried her face in my neck while her naked skin pressed against me. Her lips moved over my neck, leavin’ soft kisses that made me close my eyes and slide one hand up her back.

I rubbed her slowly, feelin’ every curve beneath my palm while she kept kissin’ me. My hand moved down her spine until it reached her ass, and I caressed it before squeezin’ one cheek in my hand. A light moan left her mouth, and that sound went straight through me ‘cause I had missed hearin’ her react to my touch.

Pluto lifted her head and looked down at me before pressin’ soft kisses all over my lips. She took her time with it, kissin’ the corners of my mouth and then comin’ back to the center while I held her against me. My dick was still hard under her, and every time she shifted her hips, I felt the warmth between her legs brush against me.

I wanted her so bad that my whole body was fightin’ against what my mind was doin’. One part of me wanted to flip her on her back and remind both of us what we had been missin’. The other part kept seein’ Pluto pale in that hospital bed while a doctor explained how much blood she had lost.

She reached between us and wrapped her hand around my dick. My body reacted to her touch at first, and I groaned against her lips while she lifted herself enough to guide me toward her pussy. The second I realized what she was doin’, fear hit me harder than the pleasure did.

My dick started goin’ soft in her hand.

Pluto stopped and looked down between us before liftin’ her eyes back to mine. The disappointment on her face came quick, even though she tried to hide it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothin’,” I told her, reachin’ up to pull her face toward mine.

I kissed her ‘cause I ain’t want her thinkin’ it had somethin’ to do with how she looked. I wanted her to feel that I still desired her, but she stared at me after I pulled back, and I could tell she ain’t believe a word I said.

She looked down at me again before rollin’ her eyes and lettin’ out a tired sigh. She ain’t argue or ask me another question. She just climbed off me, turned toward her side of the bed and pulled the covers over her naked body.

That quiet shit she always did, got under my skin worse than her yellin’ ever could. At the same time, the old Pluto would’ve asked me what the fuck my problem was until I told her. She would’ve climbed right back on top of me, or done whatever she felt she needed to do until we handled it. This version of my wife acted like she ain’t have the energy to fight for an answer. She would roll her eyes, shut down, and leave me sittin’ there tryna figure out what was happenin’ in her head.

I rolled on my side and moved closer until my chest touched her back. My arm went around her waist, and I pulled her against me while I pressed kisses along her shoulder and the back of her neck.

“Why you trippin’?” I asked, rubbin’ my hand over her stomach.

Pluto ain’t answer me. She stayed still in my arms and kept her face turned away while I kissed her again. I could feel the coldness in the way she held her body, and that shit bothered me ‘cause Pluto had a coldness that the coldest muthafucka couldn’t match.

“Baby, talk to me,” I said, keepin’ my voice low.

She still ain’t say nothin’…