After The Fact Ch. 03

Her moans were subtly different from usual also. I listened intently, finding that they didn't sound like her normal passionate offerings. It was something closer to a whimper, but without any hint of sadness. I couldn't really put my finger on exactly why, but I loved the sounds and found myself listening to her and forgetting everything else.

When I began running my left hand over her body again, I wasn't surprised that she was dripping with sweat. I could feel small tremors as my hand made its way from her stomach to her clit. I kissed her shoulder, relishing the taste of her perspiration. When I started to move my hand off her clit, I felt one of her hands stop me. It sat on top of mine, urging me to continue.

I looked at the clock by the bed and was shocked that we had been locked in that position for almost 45 minutes. We had engaged in marathon sessions before, but not like this. Normally we would change positions often and I'd go down on her every once in a while to make sure she stayed wet enough for us to continue. I could feel that there wouldn't be any problem with that today.

Everything felt so perfect, I wish we could have stayed like that all day, but I knew it had to end. I tried my best to keep it going longer because everything had been so amazing, but I felt the familiar stirrings in the pit of my stomach

"Jenny, I can't hold out, I'm going to cum."

She begged me, "Don't move sweetheart, please."

I laid still while she wrapped her legs around mine. She began moving at an impossible angle, sliding her hips and fucking herself on my cock. It felt amazing and sent me over the edge like I've never felt before or since. I held her as tightly as I could, feeling her heart beating as my cum boiled out inside of her.

When the first wave hit me, she had another orgasm, this one different from the others. Instead of her usual wild, rapid movements, she froze while I could feel her muscles contract around my prick. She slid her head back against mine and moaned loudly, her fingers digging into my arms. She shook like she had fever chills. I continued to hold her as tightly as I could as my climax subsided.

When hers had fallen off, my now soft penis slipped out of her. She made an audible moan of protest, then rolled over to face me. She wrapped her top leg around mine and buried her face in my chest. I tried to speak but she moved a hand to my lips. We stayed in that position for a long time before she spoke.

She slid up so that we were face to face and she looked me intently in the eyes. "That was wonderful, thank you."

I held her face with both hands as I kissed her. "No Jenny, I'm the one that needs to thank you."

Two months later, Bryan was working in his office when his phone rang. "Hello."

"Bryan, its John. Can I stop by and talk to you a minute?"

"Sure, I have some free time around five. Can you make it then?"

"I'll be there."

When I stepped into his office, I thought about how much things had changed since my first visit. Reconciliation with Jenny, my own sense of how to handle things and the way we refocused our lives. At Bryan's quiet urgings, we started attending his church and found many positives for our lives by helping others. Danielle really enjoyed attending and I loved seeing her discover the kind of things I had been raised with. Things were almost perfect. They always are before the bottom drops out.

Bryan met me at the front door, "John, it's good to see you. Your call sounded urgent, is everything OK?"

"No, it's not. Something terrible happened yesterday."

He ushered me into his office where I sat down on the familiar couch.

"Things have been shaky for a couple of weeks. She has been pushing me away and came up with a bunch of excuses to avoid us having sex. I wanted to talk to her about it, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Then yesterday I came home early and heard her talking to her sister in the kitchen."

"I was on my way in to say hi when I heard her say 'If that bastard thinks I'm going to keep doing things his way, he's out of his mind.' They talked about a lot of things. I couldn't catch most of it, but what I did hear was devastating. It was obvious she was getting ready for a big confrontation about doing things my way."

He looked concerned, "That's very distressing. Did you talk to her about it?"

"No, I was too upset." Noting his disapproving look, I tried to defend myself. "I couldn't just barge into the kitchen in front of her sister and start a fight. I went for a drive and when I came back, Nicole was gone. Danielle and Jenny were having dinner, so there was no chance. I just didn't feel up to it when we went to bed. I said I was tired and laid there until she fell asleep. Then I went to the living room and sat there for most of the night."

"Things have been so great between us for the last couple of months; I can't believe she feels that way. I don't know what to do. Today she called me at work and told me we had to talk. She said it was something that couldn't wait and she wanted to do it with just the two of us, so she was sending Dani over to Nicole's. She asked me to meet her at the hotel bar where we used to go dancing."

Bryan and I talked for a while, but didn't really accomplish much. I really wasn't expecting it to. I just needed to talk to someone before I went to meet Jenny.

That brings me back to where I started all this. Drinking alone at the bar. Waiting for what I am afraid could be the end of my marriage. After going through so much and fighting our way back, I couldn't believe it might end like this. After hearing some of what she said to her sister, I didn't know if she even wanted to continue working on things. Even if she did, I took her back under the conditions we agreed to and it had only been four months. If she was going to demand I drop everything, it was asking too much. It would take a lot longer than that to build back the kind of trust we used to have. If she refuses to see reason, I'll have no choice but to end it.

####

Seven Months Later...

I think about that night all the time lately. It showed me how much was still wrong between Jenny and I more clearly than any lecture from William, Bryan, or any of my friends could have done. I guess from the beginning of this, I've made a number of misjudgments about both Jenny and myself. My friends saw some of the mistakes and tried to subtly help me find my way. I'm lucky to have people that care about me enough to try, even though I didn't always like what they said.

As I walk down the hallway toward the group waiting for me, I don't have much time to think about it right now. However, it seems so appropriate now that I remember that lesson and what I learned...

...I saw Jenny walk through the door and watched as men stopped and turned to see the beautiful, radiant, well-dressed woman gliding through the crowd. My stomach turned as I thought about the possibility that things were going to again go bad. She walked up and kissed me on the cheek. With a serious expression, she asked to move to a booth in the corner.

When we sat down, the waitress asked if we would like anything. I offered to buy her a drink, but she just asked for water. I took the opportunity to order my second long-island, feeling the need for something to help deaden my senses. After letting the waitress get out of earshot, Jenny spoke.

"John, I'm sorry if I've been acting strangely lately. Something has happened that is going to change things between us."

I was too worked up to listen to her, so I interrupted. "Look I know what's going on, I heard you and Nicole talking." She gave me a surprised look. It almost seemed like she was disappointed.

"I don't know what caused this," I continued, "But I'm not going to put up with it. If you think you're going to force me into changing things with threats, you're mistaken. I love you, but I'm not going to be a doormat."

"Really?" Jenny looked at me with something that almost seemed like mirth. It was beyond my comprehension how she could think there was anything funny about the situation.

Jenny scolded me, "So you were eavesdropping? What happened to the rule about us talking things out and never going to bed angry?" She had to have seen how upset I was and suddenly her expression softened.

"After all, I can't have my baby's father not trusting me."

I sat there for a second stunned, thinking I had imagined what she just said. "Did you say...?"

Jenny couldn't hide her smile anymore. "Yes you goof. You're going to be a father again. I'm pregnant."

I didn't have time to think about anything except how relieved I was that I had been so wrong about tonight. I leaned over the table and grabbed her face to kiss her. The position was awkward and I realized I was pulling her into the table. I quickly got up and urged her out of the booth so I could hold her while I tried to take in the incredible change in events. We held each other without saying anything for a long time.

Finally, I collected myself enough to talk. "When did you find out?"

Jen raised her hand to touch my cheek like she did so often. I always wondered if it was her favorite gesture because she liked it or if it was because she knew I loved it. "Just today. The doctor said he's sure that it happened the day you surprised me with the adoption papers. The way you made love to me was something I'll never forget. I'm so glad that our child was created that way."

I didn't know what else to say. There were so many things running through my head, it was like my system just shut down. Finally, I was able to get my head around everything. It occurred to me that unlike my experience with Danielle's mother, I was actually excited from the first second she told me. I couldn't believe how much different it felt than before, when Katie told me the same thing.

However, I wasn't ready to let her off the hook just yet. "I can't believe you screwed with me like that. You scared the hell out of me."

She smiled, "I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Why didn't you just ask me what was going on?"

I was so embarrassed; I must have looked like a complete moron. "It happened so fast that I didn't have time to think. What the hell were you talking about yesterday? You said that you wouldn't let me run your life anymore."

"No, I said I wouldn't let him run my life...my boss. He was upset because I've already taken so much time off from work in the last few months. He warned me that he'd have to let me go if anything else happened. Well, I'd say this is a pretty big something and I'm not going to drag myself into work when I'm not feeling well just to keep him happy. Haven't you noticed how sick I've been the last couple of weeks?"

By this time, I knew there was no hiding from how badly I had misjudged everything. "I did, but I thought it was because you were avoiding me."

Jenny couldn't suppress a laugh, "You thought I'd make myself sick to avoid you?" I think she noticed how uncomfortable I was and finally stopped picking on me. "I thought something might be up so I took a pregnancy test. It came up positive, but I wanted to check with the doctor before I told you. I thought I was going to go crazy having to wait until today to find out, so I decided to tell Nicole. I was talking to her about it when you evidently decided to play detective. I guess I should have told you first but I just wanted to be sure. You've had enough bad surprises from me; I wanted to be able to give you a good one. Forgive me?"

Now it was my turn to smile. "Well, at this point I wake up every morning assuming I'll have to forgive you for something anyway, so I'll just add this to the list."

She tried to look indignant, but failed miserably as she punched me in the arm. "Just remember our list of rules mister. When I get fat and cranky, I expect you to attend to me properly."

"It will be my pleasure, milady," I said with a mock bow.

I heard a voice over my shoulder, "Can we join the party now?" When I turned, I was surprised to see Steve and Sharon. Pushing Steve aside, Sharon grabbed me in a crushing hug. I really didn't know she was that strong. She kissed me on the cheek and said, "I am so happy for you two."

Steve waited, looking impatient. When she moved on to Jenny he stepped in to shake my hand and even gave me a quick hug. "In case you're wondering, Jenny invited us."

I turned back to my wife, who looked suddenly somber. "I called them after I talked to you. I didn't think you'd mind, and I wanted them to be able to share this with us. If it hadn't been for their help, I don't know if you would have given me another chance."

I understood how sensitive she was about what she had done and how close we came to not working it out. I didn't want anything to spoil this mood so I put my arm around her shoulder reassuringly.

She smiled again, "Steve told me how he had to threaten to kick your ass to make you call Bryan." I grinned as I recalled my reluctance to face things when all of this started.

"That's right," Steve beamed, "I take full credit for fixing you two. As a reward for my infinite patience and foresight, I should be declared Godfather to my namesake."

"Namesake?" I laughed heartily, "I'm sorry, under no circumstance will I name my child shit-head." I had to duck quickly to avoid the incoming punch.

About an hour later, we finally said goodnight to our two friends. Jenny led me to the room she had reserved earlier in the day.

Despite her enthusiasm, Jenny still seemed concerned. "John, please tell me that this is what you want. I know that we still have a long way to go for things to be right between us but I'm so happy about this. It's really important to me that you're happy about it too."

I didn't hesitate, "This is incredible news. I wish we didn't have the other stuff to work through, but I'm very happy. I can't wait until we get to tell Dani she's going to be a big sister. She's going to be thrilled out of her mind."

Jenny's mood brightened. "Well, that's for tomorrow. We only have a few months until you're not going to want to have sex with me, so we better start doing it as much as we can now."

"I'm not ever going to complain about more sex Jen, but don't worry, I won't want to be cutting back any time in the near future. Remember, this isn't my first time through this. I know exactly how beautiful you're going to be."

We stopped talking as I kissed her softly, then began working my way to her neck. I found that everything seemed a little different with the knowledge that she was carrying my child. We made love tenderly; trying to do it just like the day I surprised her with the adoption papers. When we finished, I held her tightly, knowing how drastically things had changed for me in just a few hours.

After several minutes, I broke the silence. "Since I have your commitment to having sex a lot, I think we should consider starting right away." I guided her hand to my prick, which was already getting hard. "Do you have any requests?"

She smiled mischievously, "Well, I was checking out the snack bar while you were saying goodbye to Steve. I found something really interesting." She rolled over and grabbed her purse.

As she rolled back, I laughed loudly as I saw her triumphantly holding a large, red and white striped candy cane. It was wrapped with a yellow ribbon that was manipulated into the shape of a yellow rose like the ones I still liked to surprise her with.

"OK, that's one I never thought of..."

...Now those memories help me to appreciate how truly blessed I am. Jenny had a flawless pregnancy, which I'm thankful for. I savored every moment of that time with her. It had been so different with Katie, I was grateful for another chance to experience it the right way. Dani was a treasure. She read to Jenny's tummy often, making sure to kiss her there so when the baby was born it would know how much she loved it.

Pushing the memories from my mind, I walked through the doors into the waiting area to see our friends and Jenny's whole family waiting impatiently. I was torn between wanting to be a smart-ass and my desire to scream with joy. I finally settled for quiet exuberance. "It's a boy!" I forced myself to say without yelling.

After the celebration died down a little, I finally got to enjoy the moment I had been looking forward to for months. "Dani, do you want to come meet your little brother?"

Authors Note: In response to the people who offered constructive criticism, I made a change to the end of the chapter. I changed it when a very wise editor helped me figure out a way to keep the point of view in the first person through the end. Thanks to Jacuzzigal and Dynamite Jack for giving me a hand in updating the story to hopefully make it better for the reader.

I also want to say a quick thank you to all the very nice comments I've received on the story. I know it's not perfect, but I'm blown away by how much people have enjoyed it. Please remember, if you want to post anonymous, you are still welcome to email me about your take on the story. There have been a number of interesting comments I would have liked to answer, but didn't have an avenue to do so.

....S-Des