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Janice
She watched Jack riffle through the pages in the folder, his silence was almost alarming in its intensity. Jan realized that she had been selfish in thinking this wouldn't affect him and reached out to caress her husband's face causing him to flinch.
"I'm... Gods, Jan. I was... concentrating," Jack stammered to cover his embarrassment, but it didn't fool her at all. He hated what was about to happen. Maybe even more than she did.
"It's okay, Jack. I understand," she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek as she picked up the folder from the bed where he had dropped it. "I suppose I really should be the one looking at this, huh? We can talk about it when I'm finished if you like."
Opening it for the first time on her own, she glanced down the index to see what it covered. The first mini chapters dealt with the plague and it's aftermath, followed by the need for procreation and a lot of other scientific mumbo jumbo that was moot in her opinion. Then, of course, there was the obligatory "how-to". Janice sighed. Of course it was more than possible that some of the couples had never been sexual with anyone.
"Insert Tab A into Slot B," she laughed ironically. Janice had never had sex that didn't involve love-making. This made it all sound so 'clinical'. Maybe that's what she needed to do. Look at it from a clinical standpoint rather than a personal one.
"I know, Jan. I saw that part, too" Jack said resignedly. "Maybe it's the next part that you need... "
His voice trailed off as he saw that his wife was already there -- Getting Your Partner Aroused. "If it's any consolation... Mark knows... the basics."
Seeing the look on Jan's face, Jack regretted the words as soon as they came out. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her, but she was as rigid as a flag pole. Jack couldn't remember a time in their lives when she had not responded to a hug. There would be a lot more changes in their lives. A lot more.
It was almost dawn by the time Janice finished reading. Jack had dozed off hours ago. She closed the folder and set it on the nightstand before turning off the lamp.
How simple this would all be depended on Mark and his willingness -- or not, she realized as she read. There were a few things that she had noted in the final chapters and planned to have Jack pick them up for her in the morning -- just in case. Praying for strength to get them all through this, sleep finally claimed her moments before the alarm went off.
"Sleep a bit, Jan" Jack murmured as he stretched and sat up. "I'll get the twins ready and fed and off to school."
Janice nodded groggily and murmured, "Thanks, love. There's a list to get by the lamp."
"Sure. What are... " Jack started to ask but Janice had already fallen back to sleep.
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