"Has it stopped snowing?"

I move away from the window. "Not yet." It almost feels like we have to spend the weekend in bed. We did go downstairs this morning, for the complimentary breakfast, but there really doesn't seem to be any chance of going outside today. And we can't watch TV because the reception is terrible right now.

Not that I'm complaining. And even though Sam and I have agreed that this isn't going to build into the romance of the century, we still like each other and we still like going to bed together.

"Come back to bed! I'm freezing!"

"Sweet-talker." But I come back to bed, and not just because I'm freezing, too.

We snuggle up and stroke each other's bare skin. It's not foreplay or afterplay. It's just enjoying each other's body.

She is changed from sixteen months ago, but I knew she would be. In some ways, she's more beautiful than before, like her body has more stories, if that makes sense.

"You've filled out a little," she remarks.

"Yeah?"

"It must be from lifting all those heavy computers. And snakes."

"Yeah." I kiss her.

"You're still a skinny geek though."

"Thank you." I tickle her.

She tickles me back. And then we start wrestling. We never roughhoused like this when we were kids, maybe because she was older, or maybe because she was a girl. I guess we had to get to this level of being comfortable together.

But at some point it crosses over into foreplay and I become gentler with her, while her teasing is, well, more teasing. Instead of digging into my ribs, she flicks my nipples with her fingertips and then her tongue.

"Sam!" I breathe, stroking her short hair. And then I cup her full breasts from underneath and then squeeze upwards.

When we spent that summer night and morning together, I really didn't know what I was doing. She had to talk me through the whole thing and I still didn't really get it. I didn't date Susan just to practice for Sam, but I inevitably learned some things. She said I was the most attentive boyfriend she ever had, which made me feel guilty because I wasn't entirely present in that relationship, although I honestly I did try. Finally, I decided to stop kidding myself.

Yes, Susan was surprised and hurt. I feel guilty about that, too. Still, I don't regret the break-up, even if things aren't going to develop into more with Sam. They weren't with Susan either, and it was fairer to both of us to end it before.

"Jonathan, focus," Sam reminds me.

"Sorry."

"I'm not boring you, am I?"

"You never bore me, Sam."

"Aww, Jonny!" She kisses me softly on the lips.

And then I wrestle her so that she's on her back. She laughs.

We make out a long while. We're not in any hurry of course. This is only Friday, and we're not leaving till Sunday. Assuming the roads are clear. If not, um, I guess I'll have to call someone at Yale to let them know I'm snowed in. Not Kyle, he's pretty unhelpful.

Well, I'm not going to worry about it right now. Right now I'm playing with Sam and slowly letting things build.

When we're ready, she puts the next condom on me. Yeah, we'll still have nineteen more after this.

My favorite moment of sex is the first entrance, just like my favorite part of an apple is the first bite. It's always better than I remember. Not that the later bites aren't good, too.

I'm getting better at enhancing it for her. Not just the obvious things, but I've noticed that girls like things like having their faces stroked, making eye contact. Women like to feel special. Well, Sam is special. I'm not just doing this because I'm supposed to, but because I want to show her I care, even if I'm not in love with her.

"You're the nicest guy I'll never fell in love with."

I smile and then kiss her neck. "You are the sexiest woman I'll ever have sex with."

She chuckles. And then I tease her spine until she gasps. Then she does the things she knows will speed up my orgasm, knowing also that I will not just fall asleep and forget about her, not this early in the day.

"I like to see you come," she says after I do. "I mean your face."

"I bet it looks silly."

"No sillier than usual."

She gets more tickles for that. But also some rubs and strokes of a kinder sort.

Her orgasmic face is amazing. Like she's having a religious experience, if that's not blasphemous to say. It's a hell of an ego boost to bring it out in her, but I also just like the idea of making her feel that good. If I can do it more than once, all the better.

I do nap after awhile, but she does, too, snuggling up against me. We're not afraid to be affectionate or playful or whatever. Somehow saying we're not in love has freed us. Plus all the kissing and hand-holding and hugging these last few months has, again, made us more comfortable. Maybe we're too comfortable together, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I dream of skiing down a mountain, shushing along. It's really easy, although I'm not a great skier in real life. (Sam is better.) Things are fine, until the avalanche.

I wake up to the phone ringing. Sam is closer so she answers. "Hello?"

Then she sits straight up.

"Sam?"

She covers the mouthpiece of the phone. "It's Mona!"

"Why would my grandmother be calling us?" She's the last person I'd expect to ruin a naughty ski trip. Then I wake up more. "Is Val OK?"

She uncovers the mouthpiece. "Mone, is Val OK? Oh, good. Yeah, he's right here." She holds the phone so I can hear, too.

"OK, Jonathan. And Sam. I don't want either of you to worry—"

"Grandma, please don't start out like that."

"Sorry. But your mother has gone into early labor."

"Oh, shit!" Sam whispers.

"A month early?"

"Yes. She's at the hospital right now. I called Bonnie, who's on her way over to watch Val."

"But Bonnie has a job at the Fairfield Inn and she works weekends."

"She told them it's a family emergency."

I say, "Just not her family."
"God, Bonnie's awesome!" Sam says.

"Yes, she is. I'll go to the hospital as soon as she gets here."

"When did the labor start?" I ask.

"Last night around midnight."

"Why didn't you call us?" Sam demands.

"We tried, but Vermont phone lines were down. Walter and I have been taking turns, calling you every hour."

"Walter is awesome," I murmur.

"He'll do. Now how are the roads up there?"

I go look out the window again. "It's not snowing but the roads look bad."

Sam relays this to Grandma, then tells me, "She says we shouldn't come back till it's safe. She'll call again in a few hours to give us an update."

I nod.

Then Sam tells me, "She says that sometimes twins come early, and this not being Angela's first birth speeds things up, too."

"OK."

"I love you, too, Mone. I know. Goodbye. Get some sleep when you can."

After Sam hangs up, she comes over to the window. I've just been standing here, sort of lost in my thoughts but going blank, if that makes sense. She hugs me and I kiss her cheek.

"What are you thinking, Geek?"

"I don't know, Mallrat. I feel a little guilty for being here with you."

She nods. "Yeah. But this isn't our fault. We couldn't have foreseen this."

"I know."

"We can't do anything for her right now."

"I know."

"Come back to bed, Jonny."

"Mantha, I—"

"I know. But it won't change anything. I mean, not for the worse."

So she takes me by the hand and leads me back to bed. She kisses and caresses me, and I kiss and caress her. And then when it's building and we're almost ready, she says, "Oh, shit, I have to put fresh spermicide in!"

I laugh really hard. "Oh, Sam."

"You wouldn't think it was so funny if you were the one risking your second unintended pregnancy in a year and a half."

"Well, no, but I mean we do have nineteen condoms, Sam."

"Yeah, but who knows how long we'll be snowed in."

Now I feel guilty that that turns me on. But I'm a nineteen-year-old guy, so the guilt doesn't interfere.

Once we're fully protected, we pick up where we left off. And soon we're moving our bodies together, and it is comforting. I mean, it's not just comforting but it is good to be physical like this. I don't know that hugging would've been enough.

And then we take a nap till the next time Grandma calls.