Rifiuto: Non Miriena

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her cheek against his back. They were silent for several minutes, with only the sound of the coffee starting to break the calm. He turned around, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What is it, Jojo?" He asked, kissing her quickly. They stood for several minutes, letting the kissing turn to touching and the touching turn to caressing and the caressing turn to undoing of clothes. Eventually, she pulled away, resting her forehead to his.

"I want another baby."

His eyes widened, and he pulled away to look into her eyes. "A... another baby?" She nodded. "Um... Jojo, do you remember what happened the last time we had a baby?" She thought a moment. "You threatened to kill me not long after you went into labor."

"Okay? It couldn't have been that big of a threat." She asked. He raised his eyebrows.

"Not that big of a threat? Jojo, you threatened to kill me with a semi-automatic! And if that didn't work, you said you'd go terminator on me if I ever mentioned the words 'want' and 'baby' in the same sentence ever again." She blushed, burying her face in his chest. After a moment, she looked up.

"I am so sorry about that, Jack. I... I was... in a lot of pain. You know... being ripped in two kind of pain..." She sighed. "I was having your baby. Can you blame me?" He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Slowly, her hands slid up his chest, before wrapping around his neck. "Besides, Jea's old enough that she can help out and look after Eri if need be. And Eri's six, so we won't have two babies to take care of, just... the one..." She trailed off, realizing that she'd talked too long. "Please Jack? I really want another baby."

"What brought this on, Jojo?" He asked softly, reaching up to cup her face in his hand. She shrugged.

"I just... I watched Eri getting dressed this morning, and... I realized that... that my little girl doesn't need me to help her with... much of anything anymore. Some things, yes, but... not much. And... there were days when Eri was a baby that I had to work, or there was some sort of... crisis threatening the town, and I had to help, and so I missed out on... little things. Like... like her playing with her toes, or seeing the delight in her eyes as she pressed a button on a toy that made music... we both did."

"But there were plenty of moments like those that we didn't miss out on." Jack told her.

"I know, but... but Jack... Eri turns seven in two weeks, and I... I guess I'm just having a little anxiety, since my... baby girl is turning seven and... soon she'll be in high school and then driving and then going to college... with Jea... and... and soon we'll be living in an empty house, bored out of our minds, trying to save this... crap town while our daughters are out getting college degrees and having relationships and getting married and having their own babies..."

Jo had pulled away from her husband and stalked into the living room, talking all the while. Hands in the air, she'd paced back and forth, her words and motions getting more and more frantic as she got more hyped up. Eventually, she'd plopped down on the sofa, and now sat with her face in her hands, trying to calm her racing heart. Jack had watched from the kitchen as his wife talked, realizing that she was right. They're girls were growing faster than they could count- one minute Eri was learning to walk, and the next she was learning Latin.

Sighing, he went to her, sitting beside her and taking her hands. "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you, Jojo?" She nodded, sniffing. Gently, he reached up and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "You really want another baby?" Another nod. "You're sure you want another baby?"

"Yes." Taking a deep breath, she reached up and cradled his neck. "I want another baby. I really do. Please, Jack."

He thought a moment, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he nodded. "Okay. Let's have another baby."

The door to their bedroom shut softly behind them. They crashed onto the bed, their clothes leaving a trail from the sofa in the living room to the bed. The girls slept soundly several doors down. Only in their underwear, they ran their hands over skin and into hair, lips crashing together as their bodies moved to join together.

His hands unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor, his lips never leaving hers. Her hands tangled in his hair, and she pulled away, moving his head towards her breasts. Once they were fully nude, he pushed her gently into the pillows and blankets, trailing his hands over her body, finding the familiar curves and crevices of her body. He had no need to reaquaint himself with her body; he knew every curve, every dip, every smooth surface and rough patch of her body, from the small mole on her lower back to the curls of her pubic hair. He relished watching her shower; the tightness of her arm muscles as she lathered her hair, the way one foot ran up and down her leg as she stood under the showerhead, or the curve of her body as she leaned back and washed the shampoo from her hair.

Most people would have thought it disgusting that he would watch his wife shower, but neither of them did. She knew he would watch her, and even enjoyed the feel of his eyes on her body as she washed the grime of the hours before from her skin. She never put on a show, but delighted in the attention she recieved from him, and always, before she finished, beckoned him to join her.

And now, as they lay making wild, passionate love among the pillows of their bed, he couldn't help letting his eyes roam over the beautiful sight before him. She looked up into his eyes, reaching up to cradle his face in her hands.

"What? What are you thinking? Jack?"

He blinked, realizing that she was watching him, waiting for his answer. He stared into her dark eyes and realized that he did want another baby- if only to look into that innocent face and see his wife staring back at him. She furrowed her brow, suddenly worried.

"Jack? Jack, what's wrong?" She ran a hand down his chest, around his waist and towards his buttocks.

"Nothing, Jojo. Nothing's wrong. I just... I love you so much."

The smile that greeted him lit up her face.