A Lesson In Latching

Skylar Snow shows up at her stepmom Mona Azar's place with something on her mind. They talk easy about the baby she and Lacey are expecting. Then Skylar gets to the real reason she’s there: she’s worried about breastfeeding. Lacey’s body will go through changes first—tenderness, soreness, the whole messy process—and Skylar wants to learn exactly how to handle it. Mona’s been through it. That’s why Skylar came straight here. Mona explains the basics: baby’s latch, positioning, timing. Then she drops the warning Skylar doesn’t want to hear: Lacey’s tits are going to hurt like hell some days. Breast massages, Mona says. That’s what saved her. She shows exactly where the spots land and how much pressure works best. Skylar freezes up. She imagines hurting Lacey by pressing too hard or missing something obvious. Her need to get it right overrides the thought that this could cross a line. Mona catches the worry and offers a solution. Skin-to-skin practice. Skylar swallows and nods. Mona strips off her top. Heavy, bare, warm under Skylar’s uncertain hands. Mona walks her through the slow, deep circles, showing her where to start, how to finish, how not to bruise. Both of them breathe faster as the instructions turn slippery. Fingertips drag over stiff nipples. Oil-slick skin glistens. Mona’s guidance slides from helpful to hungry. Skylar shows up for a lesson on keeping her wife comfortable and ends up memorizing every curve of her stepmom’s body instead.