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Note: There is no descriptive sex in this story.

Here I am, now 45 years old. My wife Glenda is a year younger. We've been married for twenty-five years, so earlier this year we celebrated our silver anniversary. We took a weeklong cruise to the western Caribbean and immensely enjoyed our rejuvenation.

Our son, Allen, just turned twenty-five. After receiving his degree in Electrical Engineering, he met and married his adorable wife, Brenda, who is a joy to be around. Our daughter, Elise, is a year younger than Allen. Her degree is in music education. She is the assistant choral director at our local high school and loves her job. She recently married Edward, and they act like two lovebirds every time we see them. Neither has given us a grandchild yet. We're actually glad to have a breather to enjoy our empty nest, so we're not pushing either of them about grandchildren.

Glenda and I have shared an idyllic marriage. We've always had each other's backs and taken care of each other's needs. Our love life may have slacked off from when we first married, but we've both been perfectly content with the frequency of our lovemaking. She often played the song 'Bubbly' by Colby Caillat and said it was exactly how she felt about me. That girl sure knew how to make me feel loved.

We often go out with or visit Bob and Teresa. I've known Bob since junior high school and we've been best friends ever since. Glenda and I are godparents to their three grown and married children, and our kids have always called them Uncle Bob and Aunt Teresa even though they are not blood relatives. Our kids and theirs act more like brothers and sisters since we've spent so much time together. We've always had a great time with them and have taken more than a few vacations together over the years. Of course, Glenda is the most attractive woman in the world to me, but in all honesty, Teresa comes in a close second. The four of us, however, have always respected boundaries. Sure, we've danced with each other's wives but there has never been any hanky-panky. Next to Glenda, I'd probably sacrifice my life to protect Teresa and Bob if need be, and am certain they feel the same. That's how close we are as two couples who love each other.

Did I say we had an idyllic life? Just when all the planets seem to be in alignment, something comes along to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Due to some unusual feelings, she had about her body, she went to see the doctor about it. She was immediately referred to an oncologist. I accompanied her to her urgent appointment where she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. We were told that stage 4 pancreatic cancer cannot be cured or treated. We were told that a person with terminal cancer is actively dying and will usually not live for more than a few months. However, there are treatments that can help a person at this stage of cancer feel better (palliative care). Up until she felt something was off, she never even felt sick. The doctor said that it can be easy to miss the signs. A person may not know that they have cancer because they do not feel sick. Even if they do have symptoms, they might not bother them much.

The oncologist said that, in his opinion, she had about six months left to live. He indicated that the first four of those months could still afford her a very good quality of life. The remaining couple of months might be best relegated to palliative care, managing her pain until she passed. To say this was a shock to us would be the understatement of the year. We soon passed on this information to everyone important to us.

Allen and Elise and their spouses spent a few days at home with us expressing their love and support. They offered to stay indefinitely but Glenda would not hear of it. She stoically didn't want their lives disrupted any more than necessary.

Bob and Teresa were devastated right along with us. We were all very close and their love and support meant the world to us. Glenda knew that they would be there for me for encouragement after she passed and she pleaded with them to make sure I didn't fall through the cracks and grieve for her for too long. Right in front of our best friends, Glenda urged me to start dating again and remarry after a reasonable period. I wasn't prepared to have that conversation, so I said nothing in response. I felt that she needed to vent her feelings and express herself in order to deal with the myriad of emotions I know she must be grappling with. I loved my wife beyond measure, and I was determined to be the best husband I could be to her right up to the bitter end, no matter how devastating losing her would be to me. I would step up to the plate and be there for her.

Glenda, in her infinite wisdom, didn't want to waste any time on pity parties. I told her that she could quit working, but she insisted that working helped keep her grounded and that she needed it for consistency. But something happened to her libido that I must admit turned out to be a nice bonus for me. She insisted that we amp up our sex life. We didn't simply start having sex more frequently, she became super adventurous, wanting to try anything and everything at least once. Many of the things we tried had to have been very uncomfortable for her, but she didn't care. It's as if she was working off some kind of bucket list. It had been two months since she was diagnosed and she was wearing me out sexually. She was a dynamo and I loved every minute of it. If we weren't home having uninhibited sex, then we were out with Bob and Teresa, laughing and wringing every bit of joy out of life that she could.

"Hank, have you been enjoying our sex life lately?"

"Yeah, babe. It's as if you're trying to fuck my dick off. I'm not complaining, mind you. Every moment with you is special and unforgettable."

"That's what I'm trying to do, honey. I won't be around much longer and I want us to make enough special intimate memories of us together to last you a lifetime. I don't want to waste a single moment just doing nothing."

"I figured that's what you were trying to do. I'm all in, Glenda, whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Hank. I've been meaning to talk to you about something and I guess now is just as good of a time as any."

"Sure, babe. What's on your mind?"

"I don't want to dilly-dally, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. Hank, you KNOW that I love you with ALL of my heart. There's not a single cell of my heart that doesn't totally belong to you. You're the perfect husband that any woman could ever hope to have and I thank you for giving me a lifetime of happy memories to take with me when I pass on. We've been having a lot more sex lately and I've insisted on that primarily for your benefit. I want my husband to be totally satisfied as I slip from this world into the next."

"Glenda, I've loved every minute of our lovemaking. I couldn't have asked for a better wife and I'd love nothing more than for us to continue making memories with one another."

"Well, with all the sex we've been having lately, it has renewed my libido big time. I'm not making myself have sex with you, Hank. I crave it, like an addiction, as if I'm grabbing life by the balls and squeezing out every seed it can produce. Accompanying my revived libido are some thoughts about unfilled sexual desires and experiences. I find myself constantly thinking about sex and craving new experiences before I leave this world. Before we married, you told me that you had three other sexual partners before you met me and I have no problem with that. As you know, I was a virgin when we married and I am so happy to have given that gift to you. Hank, I've been thinking. I'd like to have the experience of being with another man before it's too late. I'm not talking about an affair. I'm thinking about one weekend and then those feelings will be forever behind me. Would you support me in this please, Hank? I can't explain why. I just need this."

I couldn't believe my ears. I wasn't prepared to hear this. I know she's dying and she wants to experience life to the fullest, but does she have to eviscerate me to do it?

"Honey, I hope this is just a hormonal phase that you're going through with your rejuvenated libido. Hopefully, it will pass soon. Or that you're pulling my leg and not seriously making this request of me. Please tell me you're not serious."

"I AM serious. I don't have the luxury of time to play games. That's why I wanted to engage you directly on this. It's important to me, Hank. It consumes nearly all of my thoughts. I can't get the idea out of my head. I NEED this. Please, Hank. Please tell me you understand and give me this selfless gift of a life experience," she pleaded.

My head was spinning. This is no joke. She wants to fuck another man and have me condone it? I'd cut off my right arm for her to give her nearly anything she wants, but I can't do that.

"Glenda, I have loved you since the day we met. You've always been the best wife a man could ever ask for. I'd sell everything I have and give it all to you. But I don't see how I can share you with another man. But before we go any further on this, who did you have in mind to be intimate with? Were you planning on going to a bar and picking up some random stranger?"

"Of course not. Don't be silly. I would never take the chance of bringing an STD back to you. I've given this a lot of thought and I have talked extensively with Teresa and Bob. They understand my circumstances. I could never be with some random stranger. It would have to be someone I know, love, and respect. Bob is the man I'd be with for just one single weekend. Then that need would be met, fulfilled, and forever be in the rearview mirror."

"So you've already talked to my best friends behind my back, and convinced Bob to fuck you for a whole weekend? I don't imagine it took much arm-twisting. Over thirty years of friendship flushed down the toilet."

"Don't be silly, Hank. They're my best friends too. We're both godparents to their children, not just you alone. There's no way you'll toss away the friendship you have with them. It's rock solid. You are not the type of man who gives up and throws everything away. You always find ways to work through anything. That's one of the best things I love about you. Teresa has volunteered to spend the weekend with you in my place. You'll have so much fun with her you'll never even know I'm gone," she insisted.

"So you plan to cheat on me with my best friend, he's going to cheat on his wife, and his wife is planning to cheat on her husband to be with me, and you think I'll be happy to cheat on you with her as my consolation prize? You have got to be kidding me," I fumed.

"Nobody's cheating here, honey. I'm suggesting a swap. There's no cheating going on if you know about it in advance and participate. That's why I'm having this talk with you now. Nothing's happened yet, I swear. I need this, Hank. If you love me, you'll let me have this as my dying request."

Stunned at her words, I gave her a look of disgust. "So you're going to play that card, huh? IF I love you? You're not sure that I do, so you say IF? What's more, that's a low blow for you to characterize it as a dying request. You're not right in the head, sweetheart. This is crazy talk. I just can't go along with such an inane idea. I'm telling you straight up, if you do, it will be the end of us."

Undaunted, she persisted, "Hank, since the day we married, you've always exceeded all of my desires and expectations. You've taken me to exotic locations for our vacations, you've always provided the best luxurious cars for me to drive, and you've allowed me to purchase all the clothes and shoes I could ever want. Why is this so different?"

"Did I ever send you on a vacation to be alone with another man? No. It was always you and me. Did you buy those clothes to wear for another man? No. You bought them to please me. It has always been just the two of us together, Glenda. Perhaps that is too much to ask of you now, but it would ruin our marriage for me."

"Baby, please think about it this way. After I'm dead and gone, you will likely be intimate with several other women before deciding to remarry. I won't ever have that privilege. Can't you see that what I'm asking is only fair?"

"I'm sorry that you've had to make such a huge sacrifice being with me and no one else all this time. Once you're free of me, you can try out as many men as you wish. Hell, you won't even have to worry about pregnancy or STDs. You'll have it made, girl," I said sarcastically.

Her ire started rising, "Look, I've always put my needs on the back burner and taken care of you and our children. I don't regret a single second of it, yet, now I feel as though you should be a bit more understanding and put your fragile male ego on the back burner just this one time and let me have this," she logically explained.

"Let me ask you, Glenda. If you weren't dying, would your bucket list still have eventually presented itself and induced you to want to have sex with another man? Be honest."

"I don't know, maybe."

"Well, thank you for your candor. I'm sorry that I'm not enough for you."

She winced but pressed on, "Let me ask you a question, Hank. If I had never contracted cancer, and I asked you for permission to be intimate with another man, would you selfishly deny me the experience?"

"Of course not. Once we were divorced, you could have all the experiences you want with whoever you want to be with, as often as you'd like, except you'd never again get to experience me."

She ignored my threat and continued unabated, "Haven't you always wanted me to have everything? You've always given me more than I have ever asked for. Would you start denying me now, as I impart my dying request?"

"Glenda, I once believed that I was your 'everything'. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways and straightening me out on that misunderstanding."

She began crying and ran out of the room. Normally I'd exert every effort to comfort her, but this was different. I hope she changes her mind about wanting this. I heard her talking on the phone with someone but couldn't make out what was being said. Ten minutes later. I heard a car pulling into our driveway. Bob and Teresa didn't just decide out of the blue to drop in for a visit. This is an ambush. As she was going to the front door to greet them and let them in, I quietly slipped out the back door and went for a zig-zag walk through the neighborhood. I had left my phone on the kitchen table, so getting in touch with me would be difficult. I certainly had much to occupy my thoughts as I walked. When I returned about ninety minutes later, their car was gone, so I felt as though their attempt to blindside me had failed.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick. Bob and Teresa stopped by for a visit and we had no idea where you were!" Glenda said worriedly.

"When you were crying and upset earlier, I felt we both could use some space, so I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I don't recall Bob and Teresa saying they were going to stop by for a visit today. What gives?"

She gave me a distasteful glance, "They were running errands and just happened to be nearby, so they stopped in for a short visit. We've both dropped in on each other dozens of times over the years, you know that. It's a shame you missed them. They were eager to talk with you about our earlier conversation."

"I assure you that their eagerness is totally one-sided. I have no desire to ever talk to either of them about the atomic bomb you dropped on me earlier."

"But they're our best friends, YOUR best friends. Who better to talk to about what's on your mind?"

"They WERE my best friends, but that ended today. From now on, they're YOUR best friends. I will no longer have anything to do with either of them."

"You can't mean that, Hank! Why are you being so obstinate about this? All I did was have a conversation with you, nothing more. Are you willing to toss away a lifetime friendship without so much as a word passing between you? You're a better man than that. I know you are and so does Bob."

"I assume you spoke with them about our earlier conversation while they were here?"

"Of course, I did. What do you expect? They're our very best friends. That's what friends do, hear each other out and help each other get through things."

"I figured as much. And just what advice did dear old Bob have to offer about our issues?"

"They both know the kind of man you are, Hank. They agree that you are the kindest, most understanding husband, father, and friend that anyone could ever hope to have. He reminded me that it was you who helped him get hired at the same place you work. He said he knows no better man."

"I'm sure that's not all he said, Glenda. What other nuggets of wisdom did he impart to you about our little problem?"

"He said that he can see both sides of our situation. And even though he's been your best friend for most of your life, you're not the one who's dying. He said special allowances should be made to accommodate requests made by those who will soon be leaving this world. His advice makes perfect sense. I agree with him."

"And what, dear wife, was his advice?" I asked sardonically.

She grimaced before saying, "He said it was easier to get forgiveness than permission."

"You will get NEITHER from me," I seethed before walking away. If Bob and Teresa weren't history to me before, they certainly are now. The friendship train has left the depot, never to return. I would make sure to limit all contact with Bob at work to a professional level only. We work in different areas, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Later that evening, Glenda gradually inflamed my lust and used it to have her way with me again. She made me cum orally, anally, and vaginally. Three times in one night was about all I was good for. She seemed to gloat over the infectious hold she had over me as if she were winning a contest. In all honesty, I have no problem or objection to having sex with her as long as she hasn't crossed that line, and I was sure he hadn't, yet. She thoroughly cleaned my clock every night that week until Friday morning before I left for work.

"Hank, honey. There's something I want to say before you leave for work. Tonight, at 9 pm, I'm going to drive over to Bob and Teresa's home. He and I will leave from there. He told me that he's tried numerous times to talk to you to alleviate your concerns, but you refuse to speak with him about anything other than work issues. He says you also refuse to answer his personal calls and texts. Teresa said you no longer respond to her either. I'll be back here Sunday afternoon very anxious to make love with you. I'm telling you this now because I want to make sure you come straight home after work. I'm going to fuck your cock off this evening to where you can hardly walk. I want to leave my loving husband satisfied and completely drained. Okay?"

My world was shattering before my eyes. Everything I knew about my life as it was before would change after tomorrow. She appears determined to go through with it.

"Glenda, you know I love you, but I don't love you enough to ever forgive you for cheating on me, and yes, I call it cheating because I don't approve of it, and don't want you to do it. If you fuck Bob or any other man but me this weekend, I won't be here when you return. I will never speak to Bob or Teresa again and have nothing to do with our godchildren. The betrayal of all three of you is worse than you can possibly imagine. If you have sex with him, I will never touch you again," I sadly stated.

She teared up upon hearing such strong resistance from me, but Bob and Teresa had convinced her that I would come around and forgive her afterward. It was unimaginable to her that I would not be there for her as she passes from this world to the next.