Jennifer was right on several counts. We did have to show Mom that she could be proud of us and we absolutely had to have a plan. The sex had been fantastic but if that's all we had, we had nothing at all.
That night, as I did my journal entries, I took a few minutes to take a look at myself, not physically but as a person. I hadn't worked in months and I was still facing at least three months of idleness. Eventually, insurance would compensate me for my lost time, etc, etc. but that did literally nothing to advance career or personal goals. It was time for some specific steps, a course of action if you will.
The next morning, I told Jennifer that I wanted to do my speech therapy right away and I wanted her to start getting tough with me.
"What brought this on," she asked.
"You," I replied. "You made me think last night that if we have any chance to make it as a couple, we have to start with a plan and I realized that I didn't have a plan for myself. Without that, we can have no plan as a couple."
"So?"
"So I'm working on one and one of the first things I have to do is to be able to speak clearly and distinctly. I'm assessing my career goals and how to get there too. I can't just sit on my ass for three months, Jenni. I have to have a purpose and a plan of action. I know you said to relax and let you worry about our financial goals but that's not realistic. If I can't work, there must be other things I can do."
"Have you been reading my mind?" she said. "I stopped at the school last night to turn in some papers and I saw a brochure on her desk. It was about rehabilitative educational opportunities and Danni, the state will pay for whole thing. She told me she has eleven people in her classes right now and she has no doubt that you'll qualify for college study funds. Their whole goal is to get you to be productive again. You have to face one fact Danni. There's no way to know your eventual physical condition. I'm not trying to be negative, just honest. You're doing great right now and there's no reason to assume that you won't be a hundred percent but there is no guarantee. You can't do your job without doing a lot of standing and walking so now is the time to give yourself some options."
I was speechless. How could I not have even considered that I might be handicapped or more? The injuries had been traumatic and extensive. A year from now, two years, ten years, how do you plan for the 'just in case' factor?
"Danni?"
"Sorry, I guess I zoned out there for a minute. Do they have someone at the school like a counselor or something?"
Her face brightened and she kissed me. "Her name is Dr. Grodney. She's awesome. Oh baby, I'm so proud of you right now, I could burst. I love you so damned much."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said. "Now are you going to help me with speech or just stand there looking beautiful? I've got therapy in just over an hour."
I drove myself so hard at therapy that my therapist told me I had to slow down or risk muscle damage. I had goals now and by god, I was going to walk without stumbling all over, wobbling, or limping if I could help it. When he handed me a cane, I almost told him to shove it up his ass but when he showed me how to use it just to help my balance and coordination, I accepted it. It wasn't as easy to use as I thought but it really did help.
When I got home, my smart assed girlfriend/nurse/lover said she'd buy some condoms so I could use it as a dildo.
Our lovemaking that day was less frenetic and more enjoyable. She spent a great deal of time on foreplay, making love to my breasts, one after the other, until I was so wet I felt like I should be floating. Instead of diving into my clit, she licked, kissed and caressed my thighs, pausing here and there to nip at some flesh and hold it in her teeth. When she licked over me, it was slow and sensual, dragging her flat tongue over my labia until they were puffy and sensitive.
She spread me open and blew her hot breath over my clit several times before she pressed her tongue into me in her special way, forcing it into a very sensitive spot just below my clit until I was so far gone that nothing could reverse the path of the oncoming orgasm. Just before I came, she slid a long dildo into me and slowly made love to me. My orgasm wasn't a powerful one, it was a beautiful one. I slid so gently over the top that it was only with a slight quiver that I came. It was beautiful. I returned the favor with the same slow paced love making, gently bringing her to the brink, to take her over the top with two fingers and my lips.
""We'd better change these bandages," she said, as she caressed me. I winced as she pulled off the bandages, and again when she applied the cream before replacing them.
"There, that should do it," she said, but her voice sounded funny. I turned around in time to catch her wiping at her eyes. I grabbed her and pulled her to me, holding her so hard I thought I'd crush her.
"Will you stop that, honey? Please? It wasn't your fault, and they will heal."
"I can't help it, Danni," she said. "You can't see what I did to you."
"I don't care, sweetie, I really don't. I love you too much to worry about it."
She went to wash her face and I got up to straighten the bedding.
When we got on the bed, I started fondling her breasts. "We don't have time," she said. "You're mom will be home in just over an hour and we have to clean up in here."
"Too bad," I said. "I want more."
I reached in the drawer to get the two vibrators I'd placed there just in case as we moved into a sixty-nine.
She tasted so damned good that I kept licking and sucking until she was squirming all over the place. I had just pushed the vibe into her when we heard the garage door open.
She jumped off of me and pulled me to my feet. "GO," she commanded, pushing me to the shower.
We didn't have time to really shower so we wiped soapy foam through our pussies and rinsed off. We pulled on our clothes without bras or panties and more or less made the bed. A quick spray of room freshener and we were on our way to the living room.
Mom smiled when she came in like the cat that ate the canary, but she didn't say anything. .
"I've got dinner if you're interested," she said.
"Sure," we said.
We went to have some cavatina from Rediccio's restaurant and some ooey gooey French bread to go with it full of herbed butter and sun dried tomatoes.
As we shared some tiramisu later, Mom said the words that sent me into a tailspin.
"Jennifer, we have to talk about next week," she said. "The insurance company called and they may not pay your wages after this week. We can go after the other insurance but can we justify it if they file an appeal?"
"I won't be here during the day any more after tomorrow anyway," she said.
I excused myself, went into the bathroom and proceeded to fall apart. Of course we knew that it had to happen sooner or later, but we hadn't discussed it or anything and I wasn't prepared for it. I choked back some tears and fought to maintain control but I didn't have a chance.
Mom thought I was throwing up so she came to check on me. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"She didn't even talk with me about it."
"She hadn't planned on telling me that until tomorrow night. Talk to her. She's really hurting too. She could have said it better but she can't help it. She has to go back to work at the hospital to pay her rent. I can't afford to keep paying her."
I finally washed my face and went back out. She was in the living room with her back to me. I walked over and wrapped my arms around her and just held on for dear life. "I'm sorry, Danni. I didn't mean to say it like that, I really didn't. I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I didn't intend to say anything till tomorrow evening but..."
"Mom says you have to go back to work," I said.
"I can't pay my rent if I don't," she said. "You're mom can't pay me after this week."
"When am I ever going to see you?" I asked. "You go to school almost every night and you have to study too. Are you trying to say we have to break up?"
She spun around like a top. "No, honey, oh god no. Never. Danni, I love you. I could never hurt you like that. Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry if you thought that I..."
I think the pressure had been building for so long that when the dam burst it was like the Grand Canyon ruptured.