The following day, they got out of bed at 6 a.m. Stan got ready for a day at the office while Jen cooked breakfast for them both. While eating, Stan noticed that something was bothering Jen.
"You ok, babe?"
"Yeah, just tired, I guess. I didn't sleep well last night," Jen replied, not looking up from her plate.
She felt fine physically despite a slightly sore throat and not sleeping. Her problem was emotional. Jen felt conflicted by what had happened last night. Donald had raped her. She couldn't get past that, but she felt guilty that she had allowed herself to be in that situation in the first place.
She didn't know if his disability made him not know what he did was wrong. Jen had spent most of the night reliving what had happened and was no closer to an answer.
Then there was her feeling of betraying Stan.
She might not have agreed to what she and Donald had done, but she hadn't told his mother or anyone else. To make it worse, her body had responded. Even now, when Jen thought about how he used her, she felt her juices starting to flow again.
Stan reached across the table and lifted her eyes to meet his.
"I know you, dear, and something is bothering you. I promise to listen if you want to talk, but I understand if you don't want to as well."
His touch was gentle, and the love and understanding in his eyes were too much.
Jen pulled away and turned to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She picked up her plate and put it into the sink, leaving an awkward silence.
Here is your chance. Just tell him what happened. Stan will understand and know how to fix everything,
Jen thought.
She steadied her voice and started talking.
"I'm ok, Stan. I guess leaving the house and moving here hit me harder than I thought."
Jen realized she had chickened out, and now the opportunity to tell him had slipped away.
I will just have to stay away from Donald, She promised herself.
"You sure that's all that is going on?" Stan asked as he wrapped his arms around her.
She briefly tensed but relaxed before Stan was sure he had felt it.
"Yes, dear," she said, turning in his arms and kissing him.
"Now, enough of this nonsense. You must go if you don't want to be late for work."
"I could call in and stay to help with the movers," Stan offered.
"We had this discussion already. The movers are doing all the work and only need someone to point out where things go. I have already taken the day off, so there's no sense both of us using vacation days for this," Jen said as she ushered him towards the door.
She handed him his briefcase and gave him one final kiss before watching him leave.
She closed the door and put her forehead against it when he was out of sight. She felt tears running down her face as she wept.
She managed to pull herself together before finishing cleaning the kitchen. Glancing around to ensure everything was where it should be, Jen took a long shower before the movers arrived.
The rest of the day was a blur as their belongings were delivered. In the end, she tipped the movers and thanked them for all of their help. Glancing at the clock, she realized Stan would be home soon and started dinner.
Over the next few days, their routine settled out, coming close to what it had been before the move.
Jen had not seen or spoken with Camila or her son, and while Stan still asked if she was ok, Jen could put up a better front.
Stan had tried to initiate sex several times, but Jen begged off, saying she still didn't feel well. She hated lying to him but didn't want to hurt him either.
On Thursday, the company Stan worked for informed him they needed him in Denver for a week to help with a problem. He tried explaining the issue to Jen, but she grew bored and stopped listening.
"When are you leaving?" Jen asked after she realized he had stopped talking about the problem.
"Tomorrow morning early," Stan told her, looking a little sheepish.
"Tomorrow!"
"Why didn't you lead with that?" Jen realized she was yelling and took a deep breath.
"Well, I was hoping when you realized how important it was for me to go, you wouldn't be too upset on the short notice," Stan said, embracing Jen.
