"You're going to breast feed, Brad. So I think you are going to have big breasts for a while longer than another couple months."
"Of course. You're correct. I wasn't thinking. It could be for a year and a half or two years, neh? What do you think? How long should I breast feed him?"
"I'm afraid that you're asking the wrong person."
"You must have some idea. One year, two years?"
"My thoughts would be to talk to the doctor. Talk to a woman like Cheryl. To me, most importantly, is to see how the kid is doing. How big he gets and how fast he gets there."
"I have talked to some women. None of them seemed to have an answer that fits my baby and I."
"Doesn't that tell you something?" You are an independent thinking woman. You always come out with the correct answers when you listen and then make up your own mind."
"Okay. We'll see how Brad is doing then decide when to wean him. I like that idea.
You don't mind if I nurse him for a year or even two?"
"I want a happy, healthy wife and child. If that's what it takes, so be it."
"That seems to be it, domo, Rick.
But I have to have at least one new bra now. I can't go in public without one. And I really need one before tomorrow night. I don't want to be around a bunch of GIs without wearing a bra with these big boobs." Tomi raised her shirt. "See how big I am. I'm already huge and I'm not feeding him yet. Yesterday before you got home, when I was dressing, I put on my biggest bra that is only a month old and it was so tight that it hurt me. That is why I wasn't wearing one when you came. I wasn't trying to be sexy. I just didn't have one that fit me
Did you think that I was being sexy? Tell me the truth, Rick."
"I didn't think that you were trying to be sexy. I knew that you were sexy."
"Eeee, Rick! "
"Easy. Slow down. I know that you don't think you’re sexy or were not trying to be. You just are naturally sexy and don't even know it. Tomi, you would be sexy dressed in an Eskimo's parka with only your nose showing."
"You think that, Rick? Really?"
"I'm prejudice because I'm in love with you. So shoot me for telling the truth."
"How could I shoot the one person who I know will always tell me the truth?
I am going to dress like an Arab wife. You know, that black sack dress with netting to breathe and see through. But only until after he's born and I get my body back."
"Maybe we should go to Kokusai Dori tomorrow and buy you some lingerie before you do something drastic. There is no way I can get them at the PX because you don't even know what sizes you'll need. Maybe after you come up with some sizes I'll be able to."
"Domo Rick. Now I will get dressed in something that will conceal my big body parts so we can go buy our dinner. Yes?"
"Hai. If you'll get off of me, I'll get dressed."
"Help me up. dozo. It seems like a long ways up when I get down like this. When you go back to work I won't sit on the tatamis except when you are with me. I might get down and not be able to get up again. There will be no one here to help me up." She kidded knowing she just wanted to feel his touch.
Rick placed his hands under Tomi's arms and lifted her upwards. "It's a good thing that you're petite. Makes it easier for me to pick you up. Maybe we should buy you a rocking chair, It will be good for now until the baby comes, then you can sit in it to nurse him. All American mothers sit in them to soothe and nurse their babies."
"Honto?. I have seen them but never sat in one.
Can we get one here on Okinawa, Rick?"
"Hai, I'm sure that we can. We'll look tomorrow when we go to Kokusai Dori."
"I would like to eat lunch at the coffee house. Then we can come home from there."
"Good idea. You can rest all afternoon before we meet Bob and Cheryl.
Where do you want to go to shop for your lingerie? Ryubo's?"
"Oh, no. There is a very nice women's store around the corner just off of Kokusai Dori. She has very nice lingerie, some American and European.
I have bought some things there. I will show them to you after the baby is born." Tomi said with a shy smile.
"You like this bra? I want to try it on if you like it."
"I think what matters is if you like it and if it's comfortable."
Tomi took two different sizes and started for the dressing room. "I think one of these will be the right size. Come on I want you to look at it after I try it on."
Tomi disappeared into the curtained dressing room.
"Rick, are you there? Come close to the curtain."
"Okay. I'm here."
"Is anybody else there? I just have a bra on.
"It's okay show me."
Tomi reached thru the curtain and grabbed at Rick. "Come in, dozo. Please."
She stood back from the curtain holding her arms across her breasts though she did have a bra on.
Dropping her arms she looked at him questioningly. "Well, what do you think?"
"It's very pretty and does things for you, but it's too small. It can't be comfortable. It looks like it's squeezing you."
"Yes, I think so too. The longer I have it on, the more uncomfortable it's getting. Turn around. I'm going to try the bigger one on."
Rick reached for the curtain to leave.
"No! Stay, dozo. It will just take me a second.
Okay, now you can turn around. Well? It is the same, neh? Just a bigger size."
"I'm not an expert in bras, Tomi. But I would say that it's also too small."
"How can I have got so huge? Last month the bra I bought was two inches smaller and the . . . holders, were one size smaller.
Oh, what are they, Rick?" She asked and held her hands up in front of her breasts as if she was holding an apple in each hand.
"I think that they call them cups. Cup size."
"Yes. I knew that. Why could I not remember it?"
"Relax Love. Turn around and let me look at the clasp in the back.
I think it is big enough around your chest. Your breasts have just grown bigger around. Let me go get you a couple of other sizes."
"Domo, Rick. I'm okay. I just have not tried to deal with these kind of things before. For twenty years my body has not changed size. Then all of a sudden I am getting huge and fat."
"You are not getting huge and fat. A little bigger yes. A little extra padding that will disappear about Christmas time.
If you stop eating so much." He said almost under his breath.
"I heard that. I promise that my new dress will fit me for New Year's Eve and you will drool when you see me in it." She knew that he was kidding because they had talked about her eating and realized that it was for the baby,
"Turn around, domo." Tomi laughed out loud very noisily. "Look at me, Rick. I have become a old woman in a tiny while."
Rick couldn't help but laugh. The bra she had on was huge on her small body. It was so loose that the front of it flapped and hung down off her breasts barely covering her nipples.
"I hope that's the largest one."
"It is." She said reaching behind her and unclasped the bra. "Maybe none of them will fit me."
"I brought two others. They're different combinations of sizes. The sales lady said for my okusan to try them on."
With no further thought of modesty Tomi slipped her arms out of the oversized bra and into the straps of the bra that Rick handed her. Turned her back to him and asked . . . . "Dozo, hook it. My arms are tired.
Oh. Oh, Rick. I think it fits. It feels good. What do you think?" She turned back to face him. She cupped a breast in each hand, lifted and wiggled each breast smiling happily.
"Good. Now can I leave?"
"Oh, I am sorry. It is not your thing is it? I made you stand here and undressed in front of you."
"I understand and it's okay, Tomi."
She stepped up close. He
r stomach pushed against him when she kissed him with more than a little passion. "Thank you, Rick. You spoil me and let me use you.
I am going to wear this one today and buy another the same size. We can wait to see if I blowup anymore before buying others."
After Rick closed the curtain behind him he turned back and told her, "You can pick out and try on panties by yourself. If you want my opinion it will have to wait until we get home."
He heard laughter from behind the closed curtain. "We can do that. Do you want to wait outside? I won't be long. I already know what I need and you don't have to worry, there will be nothing provocative or sexy about them. Now go. I'll be just a couple of minutes, My Love."
After a warm welcome from Michako and Mama-san, Tomi and Rick went to what they now considered their table in the back of the coffee house.
"I have always liked this table. It is the most private and unobtrusive."
Did you and Brad sit here?"
"Yes." Tomi answered in surprise that Rick had asked such a question. "Does it bother you?" She asked him.
"No. Jesus, no. I'm just glad to see that you can sit here with me and be happy."
"Brad would want me to be happy." She took Rick's right hand in both of hers. "I am really happy now and no longer scared about what could happen to me and the baby. I have you who will help me and hold me when I get scared. How can I be anything but really very happy? I love you so very much, Rick."
"Okay, but we have to add some conditions to this relationship." He said with mock seriousness. "You cannot, I repeat, cannot . . . "
Tomi looked at him in amazement. Never had she heard him talk to her like this.
"Ever tell anybody about today's shopping trip. Especially about buying bras. I'm glad I left before we got into the buying of pregnant ladies panties. That would have been a real kicker." He finished as he still tried to maintain his tone of seriousness.
She watched his face. Stared into his eyes and waited for him to break down. She did know him very well. Knew that he could not hold out against her. She contemplated turning on the sad face but decided that would be too cruel after their talk of Brad.
She watched the corners of his mouth slowly start to twitch upwards. Now his eyes were smiling and so she knew it was time. A flick of her tongue and Rick burst out laughing.
"Damn you, Tomi. Won't you ever let me win?"
She shook her head gently. "You are too easy. You show your whole life on your face."
"Cheryl told me that not long ago. I guess that it's true, huh?"
"Yes My Love. It is very true."
"I will be ready in just a minute more. Are you ready for the unveiling of the new Tomako Tomanaga? You will only get this one chance until about Christmas time."
Tomi came out the bathroom. She had on the dress that she had greeted Rick home in. It was of course still tight across her stomach. Her new bra held her better and added an uplift that had been missing before. She had a touch of the new deeper pink lipstick on and a little less blush on her high cheek bones since her complexion had taken on a fresh bloom of its own. Her hair was up on the top of her head with a few strands of her raven black hair hanging down to outline each side of her face. Rick took a deep breath. Held it, until it escaped in a ragged breath. "My God, You are so beautiful."
He let her come to where he sat at the table. When she came within reach he pressed his face against her baby belly and held it gently with a hand on each side of its bountiful curves. Her hands touched his hair than gently moved down to the sides of his face.
"I think that we should go. Kiss me gently or I will have to put my lipstick on again." She told him when he stood, and took her hand before starting for the door.
Tomi's ojisan was waiting for them and said that he would check at Kadena Gate #1 for them about ten o'clock to bring them home.
"Maybe make it 2100 Ojisan." Rick told him. "Our sukoshi mama-san gets tired early and will never make it past then."
When Tomi and Rick walked into the NCO Club and started across the dining room Bob was the first to notice them. He shook his head in wonder, softly whistled until Cheryl looked at him and followed his line of sight.
She placed both hands to her mouth and smiled as the tears started to run down her face.
Leo turned to look. Got up and walked to them. Reaching them he shook Rick's hand, then kissed Tomi carefully on the cheek as if she was made of a delicate porcelain. He took her hand that Rick wasn't holding and led them to the table.
The Kruses both stood and smiling broadly, yet a word hadn't been spoken. Cheryl hugged Tomi first then Rick.
"You are absolutely beautiful." Bob exclaimed as he stepped back from Tomi. "Isn't she Cheryl?"
"You are very beautiful, Tomako." Cheryl reiterated and again hugged her. "Rick, whatever you have done to and for this girl is amazing. She has absolutely blossomed since we first met her." She placed a small gentle hand on Tomi's stomach. Waited until she felt him stir then smiling, almost laughing asked, "Is everybody feeling as good as you look, Tomi. I cannot believe that you are 38 years old. I swear that you are still a child yourself."
"Oh domo arigato gozaimasu. You are all so kind." Tomi thanked them with a voice full of emotion and went on. "We are all wonderful. The baby is growing and very active. Rick has been so kind and it is so good to have him home. I really do need him right now."
They all sat down and ordered fresh drinks with no serious talk but lots of side comments and laughter.
"What do you want Lover?" Rick asked her. "I'm going to have a C/C and kori mizu."
"I'll have the same, dozo." When everybody turned their attention towards her she smiled and added, "without the C/C.
Chotto matte kudasai?" She asked the waitress. Then turned to Rick and asked. "Maybe something like ginger ale? A small one? Dozo."
"Sure." Rick looked at the waitress who nodded her head slightly in the affirmative.
"Bob, are you looking at a bottle of wine with dinner? A nice mellow white Zinfandel to go with fish." Rick asked
"You don't know anything about wine yet do you?" Cheryl asked with a smile.
"In four years of training I couldn't teach him a thing, Tomi. I hope, in fact I can see that you are having better luck than I did."
Tomi smiled. Turned to Rick and under the table took his left hand and squeezed it as hard as she could while she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Domo arigato." Rick told her.
"Do-itashimashite, My Love." She answered with a smile.
They were back in kind of an alcove which was quieter than the main part of the dining room. It did have speakers so the music from the bandstand came back to them. The group of five had a quiet meal with talk of life, children, babies, clothes, but no mention of work. Subjects like flying, tankers and being TDY was off limits on this night.
Rick turned to Tomi when she and Cheryl, who was sitting on her left started to talk about how their bodies changed as their time drew nearer. Tomi caught his motion and turned to him with a gentle smile. Made a kissing motion with her lips and patted his thigh before continuing to talk to Cheryl.
Assured that no tales would be told out of school, Rick couldn't help but chuckle when Cheryl in the usual Cheryl animated discussion, put her cupped hands up in front of her to describe to Tomi how her breasts had enlarged and she also went through the buying bigger bras stage. Then the drift was that she quit wearing bras at all until after she got through nursing.
Bob was interested in the discussion and had to add his comments to Cheryl's. He wanted to relate how Cheryl, in the inevitable Cheryl approach, would embarrass him by going bra-less wearing just one of his tee shirts which draped over her baby belly. "For two kids she did this," he complained smiling and obviously proud of his petite outspoken wife.
Rick felt Tomi lean against his shoulder and he checked his watch. It wa
s barely 2030. He turned to her. Her soft smile and drooping eyelids told him all he needed to know.
"Okay, guys. I hate to break up this get together, but it is almost Cinderella's midnight. I have to get my little bundles of joy home and put them to bed.
Thanks you for the great meal and talk." He stood, helped Tomi up and held her against his side as she thanked everybody and tentatively made plans for them to go to the Kruse's home and that Cheryl would come to the coffee house when Tomi went back to work next week.
"I'll see you Tuesday morning, Leo. 0900, Bob?"
"You got it. Plans are still the same."
"I hope Ojisan will be waiting for us." Rick said to himself as he opened the Club's outside door for Tomi and slipped an arm around her waist as they passed through the door.
He hailed a base taxi and told the driver Gate #1.
"He will be waiting somewhere out of the way where he can see us when we go out the gate. He is always early for me." Tomi assured him.
TWENTY-SIX
The sun came through the apartment's south windows at enough of an angle to put some of its warmth onto Tomi's side of their bed. It didn't seem to be disturbing her. She was tucked up against him with her left leg thrown over his left thigh and her left arm was stretched across the space created by her stomach, to rest on his shoulder.
Rick went to move his thigh out from under her but she moved her left leg higher and closer to him as her right knee slid up against his stomach.
She moaned softly and in a rolling push, slid further up onto him until her stomach stopped her from going any higher.
"Are you getting up?"
"I might if you let me."
"I like you where you are. I want to feel you up close." Then she thrust her baby belly tighter against his thigh.
Rick slid his right hand down from her waist onto her butt and pulled her tighter into him.
"Mmm. That's nice. Do you think we are corrupting the baby?"
"Doubt it. His morals aren't developing yet.
Besides, we're just doing what comes natural. For us."
"For us? Do you mean we could be perverted because no one else would do it?" She spoke in a sleepy voice. "I think this is good exercise for a pregnant lady."