Living with Dementia

Shinner asked Mike if he would do Anita a favour."Sure." Mike said. "What would you like." Anita looked at Mike, her head slightly bowed, she was starting to blush. "Will you dance with the maid of honour," Shinner asked. Mike looked at Anita, she was also wearing the same oyster coloured dress as Nann, except the bodice of Anita's dress was slightly different, as Anita did have a bigger bust than Nann, but she still looked beautiful. Mike smiled at Anita, then taking her into his arms they danced together, as they danced Mike whispered into Anita's ear. "Don't tell the wife, will you, she can get very jealous if I dance with someone else." Anita smiled. " Maureen is my best friend, she has no reason to worry, I love David, and will never hurt him." they were both giggling over their silly conversation, as the music stopped Nann tapped Anita on the shoulder. "Any chance you and I can change partners." Nann had been dancing with Shinner and the four of them were now together in the middle of the dance floor. The music started up again and both couples danced with there own partner, with Nann now in Mike's arms he said."Well Mrs Palmer, how do you feel at this moment in time, because with you in my arms I feel over the moon." Nann looked at him. "Say that again," she said, Mike began to say the whole sentence, but Nann stopped him. "No," she said. "The Mrs Palmer bit." "Oh." Mike said. " you like that." Nann nodded and held Mike tight to her, she then kissed him. "Mr Palmer, I love it, but it's going to take some time to get used to it, so please love, be patient with me over this." Mike kissed her again. "Don't worry sweetheart, you have the rest of your life to work out who you are now, but I will remind you one more time. Hello Mrs Palmer, I am your husband." he looked at his watch. "Of three hours."

Mike felt a tap on his shoulder. "May I cut in please." Mike turned around and saw Roger standing next to him, Mike stepped aside and let Roger dance with his daughter, but then Grace came over to Mike and took his hand. "Come on son." she said. "show your mother in law what you can do." Mike and Grace danced for some five minutes making small talk most of the time, then as the music ended, Grace said to Mike. If you have any problems son just give me a call. I want this marriage to work, you're a lovely lad, and I know you love Maureen very much and will look after her, as I know she will look after you because she loves you." there were tears in her eyes as she spoke. Mike took a hanky from his pocket and handed it to his new and loving Mother in law, as she wiped her tears away Mike said. "You and Roger have nothing to fear, I promise I will take good care of Maureen, I know you love her, and I hope the love I have for her will not only match your love but in time will overtake it." Dorothy came over and saw the state that Grace was in, she tried to reassure  Grace that Michael would never let her down, he had proven time and time again how he felt about Maureen. "I know," Grace said. "I know he will take care of her, it's just that she will be out here, and I will be in England." Dorothy looked at her son and smiled at him. "Go to your new wife, she needs you." Mike walked away, leaving Dorothy and Grace with there arms around each other.

Mike and Nann were called to the top table, that had been left in place with the remains of any food, plus the three tear cake, this as promised had been made by the chefs in the squadron, the bottom tear being made by the chefs on Bossington. As the bride and groom stood at the table to make the first cut, the skipper removed his sword from its scabbard and handed it to Mike saying. "Michael, Maureen the ship would be honoured if you would use this sword to make the first cut." Holding the sword together Maureen's hand over both of Mikes they placed the tip of the sword onto the line that the chefs had put on the cake, although part of the pattern, it was a place where the icing was thin, and there was no marzipan so that once the cake had been cut people could if they wished to take photos and the cake still looked good for those photos. After all the pictures had been taken, the bottom tear was taken away just leaving the top and middle tear on the table, the bottom tear was cut into pieces for the guests to take home with them. As the afternoon went on, the car had arrived for the bride and groom,  this was decorated in the same pink and white flowers as Nann's bouquet, and the same pale green ribbons were also used from the bonnet to the top of the windscreen, and a large bow on the boot. As Mike and Nann made to climb into the back of the car, the last pictures were taken, and Maureen was called to throw the bouquet at the small crowd of guests, which she did, this was caught by the captain's wife, who as she held it in her hands gave Mike and Nann a wave and kissed the flowers as a sign of good luck.

At the flat door, Mike handed Nann her key, it had a small chain on it with a clasp to fix it to her handbag, as she opened the door, Mike picked her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold of there first home, he carried Nann into the lounge and putting her down again went back to the front door and locked it. Going back to his new wife who had remained in the same position as he had left her, he kissed her, but Nann had other plans, taking Mike by the hand, she led him into the bedroom. In the middle of the room against the wall opposite the window and small veranda was a brand new bed and mattress, on the bed were two crisp white sheets, four pillows with white covers over them, two blankets one pink and one blue and a quilted eiderdown in all the colours of the rainbow, the room looked clean, fresh and smelled of roses.

Nann stood in the middle of the room near the dressing table, Mike just couldn't keep her eyes off her, she looked so beautiful. "Come here, Mr Palmer," Nann said softly. "I need your help." Mike walked toward her, Nann turned around, Mike was looking at a zip that went from the top of Nann's dress to just below her bottom. plus two little hooks and eyes at the very top. Mike's fingers trembled as he tried to sort out the hooks and eyes, he had undressed Nann loads of times, but now he was all fingers and thumbs. Nann turned her head. "Are you ok darling," she asked, Mike, kissed her cheek. "Just a bit fiddly." Mike took a deep breath and then unhooked the hooks from the eyes, then he lowered the zip, as he got it to her waist, Nann held the dress in her hands and pulled it off her shoulders, it fell in a heap on the floor, Nann stepped away from the dress, and standing in front of Mike in just a pair of panties she helped him out of his uniform, and with both of them naked they lay together on the bed, Nann could feel that Michael was ready to give her what she wanted, they made love, and Nann as always hit cloud nine within a very short time, but she also realised, that Mike was holding back, he was going so far, then stopping, She needed him to finish the job, she wanted to feel that great feeling of Mike leaving her full of his love. Nann then grabbed one of the pillows and placed it under her bottom, then holding Mike she guided him back to where she needed him to be, again she was heading for cloud nine, only this time Mike didn't stop, he continued until he also found release, Nann dug her fingers into Mike's shoulders as she screamed into his mouth, she looked up at him, pure wonder on his face, they had not made love for some time, and it would seem, to Nann anyway that what Mike had stored up, was now in her body. As Nann looked at Mike a smile came to her face. "Well my darling, it is now the middle of the month, and what you have just put inside me is if anything to go by, I will be giving you a son or daughter in around nine months time." then she lay her head back and said. "I know I shouldn't ask love, but do you think you could do it all again." Mike did his husbandly duty, he made love to his wife twice more that afternoon, and there was not a rubber anywhere to be found, Mike was tired, he lay alongside of his new wife and closed his eyes, Nann looked at him, she had a twinkle in her eye, and as she also closed her eyes, she was thinking to herself, I am going to have Mike's baby, I just know it, and as she turned to face her sleeping husband, she felt happy, proud and content.

They both woke with a start, someone was banging on the front door, Mike put on his dressing gown and went to the door only to be confronted by his new mother in law carrying the beach bag. "Take me to the kitchen," she said, In the kitchen, Grace switched on the cooker and then placed a dish on the middle shelf, then looking at Mike she smiled. "This will help you regain some of that lost energy." she then kissed his cheek and left.

Mike and Nann didn't leave there new home until Monday morning, they spent their time between the kitchen and the bedroom, it was a case of every time Mike or Nann saw the twinkle in the others eye, they were dragged into the bedroom and the lovemaking would start, and it would only end with either Nann's head in the pillow crying out for Michael to finish, or for Nann begging Mike to let her down slowly from cloud nine, or beyond. The thing was, now that they were married, and making love was for them the name of the game, they just wanted to get on and enjoy the feeling of pleasure they gave to each other, so for them, going out that weekend was not an option.

On the Monday morning Mike and Nann made their way into Sliema they walked arm in arm along the waterfront, Nann went into a couple of the food shops and came out with a few things to tied them over, as they got near to Tonys bar, they decided they needed a drink, plus it was almost lunchtime, so a snack would go down well. As they sat at one of the tables, they were joined by Roger, Grace, Dorothy and Ken. Sat at the table, they were both asked how married life was treating them, Nann looked at Mike and both faces broke out into a huge grin. "They're loving it,"Dorothy said. "It's sickening." The Grace piped up. "Wait till they have their first disagreement, then we will see just how strong this love is." But Mike was quite adamant. "I don't care what problems we have, even if we have to write to you lot for advice, I would rather go to my wife and tell her we need a cooling off period, write to one of you, and wait for the reply to save my marriage than give up altogether." Nann placed her hand on Mike's shoulder. "I agree with my husband, we can, and will make this marriage work." "Anyway." Mike said, tomorrow will be the big test for Maureen, I go back to my watchkeeping duties and she goes back to her N.A.A.F.I. job in Valletta, we will both be sleeping alone, and Maureen will be alone in the flat, for the first time." "Is that true," Grace asked. "Yes mummy it is, but don't you worry about me, I have loads to do to keep me occupied so that when I do fall asleep, it will be from total exhaustion, and anyway, my husband will be home at just after six, so we can have a kiss and cuddle before I go to work, then meet up as always at our favourite cafe in Valletta in the afternoon. Mike squeezed her hand under the table, she looked at him and she knew, Michael felt confident that what they had, was good, and would get better as the years passed.