It's in the Contract

Another familiar theme. This is a long story. If you prefer to avoid long tales or simply don't have time right now, please skip this. For those with adequate time and patience to continue, I placed chapter markers in bold for your convenience. Please forgive my preference for not breaking my stories into sequential posts. I will never write a willing cuckold story.

Chapter-1

What to do, what to do? I just inadvertently discovered that the person I despised most in the world, my ex-wife, was also..... I was so angry that I couldn't even finish my thoughts.

This was the second most upsetting news of my life. The immense flood of emotions stupefied me. Is everyone I know conspiring against me? Do I have any friends left truly on my side? I decided to revisit where I may have gone wrong in my life in my mind to explain my distressing conundrum.

It was the beginning of the third quarter of my first year attending the University of Texas at Austin. I was a student at the Cockrell School of Engineering working toward a degree in Chemical Engineering. I was there on a partial scholarship based on my grades. My middle-class parents chipped in what they could to help defray expenses and I was working a part-time job locally at Home Depot as I endeavored to avoid drowning in debt. I didn't want to be paying on student debt for twenty years so I was burning the candle at both ends. At this point, I was mostly taking the required courses along with one physics course that was as close as I was going to get to Chemical Engineering as a first-year student.

It was in the campus cafeteria that I saw the girl who made my heart beat faster.

"Hey, Brett," I began as I elbowed him. "Do you know who that is over there?"

"Which one? I count seven of them clustered together."

"The pretty one, silly."

"Sylar, I may be your best friend, but I can't read your mind. They all look pretty to me. I'd do 'em all, together or one at a time," he joked.

"The long-haired brunette in the yellow top. Is that specific enough?

Brett casually looked over again at the beauties. "Nope, never seen her before. But I do know Corrine. I have a math class with her."

"Which one is Corrine? Never mind, it doesn't matter. How about asking your friend, Corrine to introduce me to the cutie-pie yellow top?"

"I'm probably gonna regret this but I'll give it a shot for you." We casually walked over to the group of girls.

"Hi, Corrine, how's it going?" Brett innocently asked.

"Oh, hey, Brett. Just catching up with some friends and getting a bite to eat."

"I see," he conjectured. "About that, this is a friend of mine, Sylar Osborne, and he's dying to be introduced to one of your friends here."

"Which one?" Corrine asked as she saw me staring at my heartthrob. "Oh, Sylar, this is Ainsley Gruber. She's in the music program here."

I held my hand out to the angel before me. "I don't usually make such a fool of myself, but when I first saw you, I just had to meet you, Ainsley." As we shook, I searched her hands for a ring that might connect her to another but didn't see one. She giggled at my boldness but said nothing. At least she didn't shoot me down.

"So, Ainsley, do you sing, or do you play?" I nervously asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"Yes," she giggled again. "I sing and play. My friends here sing in a group for fun."

"Oh, wow. I didn't expect that. Would your group sing a song for me now?" I bravely asked.

Ainsley smiled and thrust her arm behind her back. "Since you twisted my arm, we might be able to come up with something." She looked at the other girls, nodded her head, and hummed a note. They took a breath at the same time and began singing 'Just the Way You Are' exactly as performed in the movie Pitch Perfect, hand clapping and all. When they finished, the cafeteria erupted in applause, none louder than mine.

"Wow, you girls have more talent in your little fingers than I have in my whole body. I'm sure you already know it but that was amazing. Thank you." And I nervously shook her hand again in appreciation.

Ainsley got on her tiptoes and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for asking. We love to sing."

I decided to make my move, "If I had a voice even half as good as yours, I'd be singing too. If you're not otherwise entangled, would you allow me to take you to a movie this weekend?"

Ainsley looked over at Corrine who said, "Brett's a good guy and if he's friends with Brett, then he's a good guy too or Brett wouldn't have brought him over here."

That seemed to reassure her. "Sure, Sylar. Here's my number. Text me the details. I look forward to it."

My heart melted into a puddle as I stood there with a stupid smile on my face. Brett finally dragged me away as the girls laughed at my naivety.

That weekend, we had fast food before the Saturday evening movie. As we were chatting and getting to know one another, I asked Ainsley to tell me a little bit about how she became interested in music. She seemed pleased to be asked.

"My mother was one of those well-meaning mothers who pressed their young children to take weekly piano lessons. My experience was tepid at first but after the first six months, I didn't mind at all. In fact, I loved the piano and I managed to press through three years' worth of lessons in a single year. My piano teacher said I was a natural talent. I soon begged for my first electronic keyboard. My best friend in high school, Heather Crocket, is also musically inclined but more toward singing. We put together an impromptu girl band. Heather sang soprano and I brought the harmony part while also playing keyboard. Other girls played the guitar, bass, and drums. Our no-name group was quite a success in local talent shows, coffee houses, and church performances. It seems that I could play anything with a keyboard in practically any style. Please don't think me bragging but many adults who heard me said that I was an amazing talent. The makeshift group I perform with now often performs covers of many popular hit songs that play on the airwaves and we're met with enthusiastic fanfare."

"I'm right there with the others. I think you're an amazing talent as well, Ainsley. So what are you taking here at the University of Texas at Austin?"

"Oh, all my classes are with the College of Fine Arts. I'm working toward a degree in Music Performance, Piano. My lifelong dream is to be a performing star in a group like the girl band Dragon's Breath."

"Oh, wow. I guess if you're gonna set your sights, might as well set them high. Dragon's Breath is probably the most popular group over the last ten years or so, right? With your talent, I'm sure you've got what it takes. I hope you realize your dream one day." She seemed pleased with my supportive words.

"Enough about me, though I admit, I'm one of my favorite topics," she chuckled. "What about you, Sylar? What are you taking here at school and what is your lifelong dream?"

"Me? I'm on the other side of the campus from you in the Cockrell School of Engineering. I have several interests but I think my focus will end up being Chemical Engineering. As for my lifelong dream? It's to live blissfully in love with the woman of my dreams, raise my family with her, and eke out a comfortable existence much like my parents. They're the happiest people I know and I hope to turn out just like them." I said introspectively.

"Not that, silly. Everybody wants a family including me. What lifelong dream do you have that sets you apart from all others much like my dream does for me? What special hunger lurks beneath the surface of your soul that you aspire to?" She challenged.

"Hmmm, to me, family has always been number one but there may be a secondary goal, or dream, if you will, inside me longing to get out."

"That's what I'm talking about! What is it?" She questioned excitedly.

"It's a pipedream, really. But in a perfect world, I'd like to be an inventor, not just any old inventor. I'd like to invent a product that the world would be clamoring at my door to buy. But right now, I don't have a clue what that might be, not a clue," I stated listlessly.

"It might not sound like much now, Sylar, but at least it's a start.

Needless to say, Ainsley and I hit it off and became exclusive after that date. She called it kismet. I called it blind luck. Her beauty and talent both placed her well out of my class but she stuck with me anyway and acted as if she was the lucky one. Since we both lived in Austin, once the school year came to an end, we continued dating over the summer. We discovered that we were very sexually compatible. She informed me that she was on birth control. My parents had drilled it into my head about pregnancy risks even with a partner on birth control. I insisted on using a condom every time. We both still had three more years of college to go and we both agreed that reducing pregnancy risks was the wise choice, so she never objected.

Ainsley's group finally named themselves Green Velvet and performed every weekend over the summer. They were becoming quite popular. Her best friend, Heather, was in the group and also attended UT but was working toward a degree in Music Production. I attended all of their performances and even helped set up and run sound for them at times. At the end of each Green Velvet performance, the girls, especially Ainsley and Heather would be surrounded by a pack of guys vying for their attention. Many asked Ainsley out on dates right in front of me even after she made it clear that I was her boyfriend. Fortunately, she tactfully shot every one of them down without fail. She appreciated that I never overreacted, reminding me that it would be bad for P.R. and future bookings. Ainsley had won my heart and my trust. She was my girl and we loved each other.

Heather explained to me one day that her parents owned a small studio where burgeoning artists could get their start. Although she loved singing, her goal was to get her degree and go to work with her parents producing songs, albums, jingles, and commercials in their family business. She didn't share Ainsley's drive to become a performance artist but knew that Ainsley would hit it big one day.

Fate has a way of sometimes knocking you down when you least expect it. We had just finished the first semester of our second year of college when we were greeted with unanticipated news. Ainsley was experiencing recent bouts of nausea, most frequently occurring in the mornings. We weren't stupid. Six differently branded pee-sticks later, we were certain of her pregnancy.

"...But I've been using condoms every time," I stupidly stated in frustration. We both knew that this was a potential game-changer for us. The news made me wonder if perhaps she had allowed someone else to wander into her playground.

"And I haven't missed a single birth control pill, Sylar. As careful as we've both been, this shouldn't be happening, especially not now while we're both still in school."

I mistakenly opened my mouth and asked the wrong thing, "There's not a chance that you were with someone else in a moment of weakness is there?"

She gave me a look that would kill an entire army for even allowing the stray thought to register in my mind. "Because I love you, I'm going to let that slide this one time! Don't you ever suggest such a thing again for as long as we both live, do you understand me?" She furiously seethed. "I'm the most loyal partner you will ever meet!"

Needless to say, I immediately offered my most sincere apology. Hiding such news from family would not work well for very long, so we both decided to bite the bullet and face both of our families together. We were both shocked when Ainsley's mother suggested an abortion. My parents were staunchly against that but the bottom line is that it is Ainsley's decision. It's her body after all.

She looked me directly in the eye in front of the four of them and without blinking said, "I love you, Sylar with all of my heart. If a baby has miraculously made its way into our lives despite all the obstacles we put in its path, I'll welcome it with all the love and care that only a devoted mother can give. I'm keeping this baby, whether you marry me or not."

Tears spilled from my cheeks as I embraced the future mother of my child in my welcoming arms. "That's it, then. From now on, honey, it's you and me against the world. I mean that. I'll go to the ends of the world with you to raise our family together. I don't have a ring yet, but it would be my greatest privilege if you would agree to become my wife."

In no uncertain terms, Ainsley joyously replied, "Yes."

Neither of our parents was thrilled at our new life plans but they could not fault us for following our hearts to remain together and raise our family. Ainsley and I talked for hours about ways we might be able to manage her completing her degree and try to pursue her lifelong dream. We knew that both of us could still complete our second year of college. After that, we would get married during the summer and re-evaluate our options. However, fate stepped in once again to knock the wind out of us both. Her OBGYN doctor wanted her to wait until after her first trimester for her initial ultrasound. We still had a month left to go before finishing the school year. Ainsley was quite visibly pregnant and all of her classmates wished her well. Our wedding date was still two months away. Both sets of parents wanted to be there with us for the first ultrasound. The doctor would only allow one person in the room with her during the procedure and Ainsley insisted that it be me. Our parents were on pins and needles in the waiting room, anxious for us to bring them the results.

I stumbled out to the waiting area in shock while Ainsley was getting dressed, not knowing what to say.

"Well?" The four of them chimed as I stood there mute.

Patricia, Ainsley's mother grabbed the folder out of my hand in frustration to view the ultrasound images for herself. The other three peered over her shoulder to learn the gender. Complete silence pervaded me as I watched them absorb the results.

"What does this mean, Sylar?" My mom queried for clarification.

"Is this right?" Patricia echoed.

"I'm afraid so," I numbly provided. "Triplets, she's pregnant with three babies."

All four stunned parents then looked at me astonishingly as Patricia asked, "What are you going to do?"

Ainsley walked up behind me as I answered, "With God as my witness, we're going to love all three of them equally and give them the best home that we can possibly provide." I was met with stunned silence as Ainsley wrapped her arms around me, and kissed my neck, then my cheek, then my lips.

"Damn straight, we are," she confirmed. Our overwhelmed parents' silence erupted into congratulations after realizing that they had raised two very mature, very responsible children themselves.

"We've already discussed it," Ainsley continued. "College is out of the question now. I'm going to be a stay-at-home mom and maybe find some kind of work I can do from home."

"And I'm going to take you up on your offer, Dad, to work with you selling life, auto, and homeowner's insurance. We realize that this would not be our first choice for either of us, but parents make sacrifices for family all the time just as you four have done for us. Ainsley and I are hoping we can count on you guys from time to time for babysitting services."

That remark provoked laughter and back-slapping with reassurances of support from both sides of the family. Then our parents began to question each other to learn if multiple births ran on both sides of the family. It did, but with cousins only and those were twins, not triplets. Lucky us.

The day after the school year ended, I started working with the Brady Insurance Group alongside my Dad who was tasked with training me. More than I was disinterested in selling insurance, I was interested in providing for my family. I decided to suck it up and do what I had to do. This was a far cry from my lifelong dream as I'm certain the same was true of Ainsley. Several friends, family, and co-workers gave us combined wedding and baby showers. We were grateful for every salt shaker and gravy boat we received. Most appreciated were the shower gifts for the triplets. Ainsley was quick to shoot off a thank you note for every generosity. We located an apartment that would be within our tight budget and had everything moved over by our wedding day. Ainsley requested that no pictures be taken that included her enormous belly. We had tons of close-ups taken as a result.

Our wedding was a modest affair. We requested a backyard wedding to save money for the new grandchildren and they respected our wishes. Ainsley said that becoming Mrs. Sylar Osborne was the happiest day of her life. The office manager at Brady Insurance Group has a condo at the beach that he let us have for a week. All we had to spring for was gas and groceries. When we walked out on the beach, Ainsley joked about looking like a beached whale. No swimsuit for her. She loves the water but she wore a maternity top and maternity shorts in the ocean for modesty. She wasn't one of those women who was proud of her size and stretch marks but we had a great time together as husband and wife. I was surprised at how well she accepted our situation. We both knew that our love would see us through any circumstance.

Although triplets are more commonplace nowadays than they were before, it was still like a zoo when they finally arrived. To be on the safe side, each baby was handed off, as they were born, to a different pediatrician who focused on their one baby. We were hoping for a vaginal delivery but recognized that very often with multiple births, a Cesarean section would be warranted. Not wanting the scar, Ainsley urgently requested that a Cesarean be the last resort but for them to do whatever they had to do to protect her babies. She told everyone in the room that if it meant her life, so be it, but she made it crystal clear that her babies were her utmost priority. After six hours of labor, the triplets were fighting to get out, and get out they did. Ainsley said she felt so dilated that a car could drive through her. Emily Rene Osborne was the first to appear, the namesake of Ainsley's grandmother. Twenty-seven minutes later, Sylar Brice Osborne Jr. made his appearance. We decided that we'd call him Brice to avoid confusion. Last, but not least, at least volume-wise, Darla Christine Osborne let the world know she had arrived. What a healthy set of lungs she had! I bet she will be a singer like her mother. She was named after my grandmother. The best thing and most surprising thing about the delivery was that it didn't require a Cesarean. The doctor suggested her youth was likely the pervasive factor.

They were fraternal triplets, not identical. Three separate eggs were fertilized by different sperm at the same time. That means that Ainsley is super fertile and I am super virile. Though they were still triplets, they were not identical in any way. We discovered this by hospital DNA testing to ensure that none of them at birth were identical. The unanticipated test settled the question of paternity. All three of the cuties were definitely mine, no two ways about it. I was ashamed that I had ever considered otherwise in the beginning, even for a moment. Ainsley was true blue. In everyone's eyes, these were miracle babies.

Ainsley had her tubes tied after the triplets were born. She'd wanted me to have a vasectomy. But I was too young to consider giving up my fertility, I wasn't ready, so she had the tubal ligation against my wishes. I was unhappy with her for doing that but there were two upsides. We began having uninhibited sex on steroids afterward and I didn't miss condoms a bit.