Sybil traced her finger slowly down Jack’s chest, luxuriating in the soft feel of the hair that grew there, in stark contrast to the lack of any on top of his head. His warm, solid presence comforted her, and for a moment she just soaked in it, breathed it in, letting her cares slip away.
Only for a moment, however. That old demon returned, as it always did, to nag at her. Was he really happy with her? Did his attention perhaps roam at times, caught up in someone more elegant, more beautiful, more slender, more… just more? Could she really still be enough for him, or would he seek someone who could do so much more for him than she ever could? She told herself this was silly, Jack had never once given any hint of anything like that, it was just her persistent insecurities talking to her. Still, she worried.
“Hey. I’m right here. Come back to me, sweetheart. What’s going on?”
Jack’s voice brought her back to the present, and his touch soothed her as he slid his hand along her side to her hip. His palm was calloused, the palm of a man who had worked hard with his hands, though his skin was not so rough as it had been. His firm grip on her hip reassured her, and Sybil looked up into his eyes, hovering only inches above her face. She saw only love there, and remembered why she was with this man. She ran her own hands down his body, tracing the contours of his back with her fingertips, before answering.
“I’m sorry, darling. Just… nothing. It’s nothing.”
His eyes questioned her, he knew it wasn’t just nothing, so to forestall any more questions Sybil leaned up and kissed his lips, still soft yet with their own touch of roughness to them. She brought her hands to his waist, gripped him there, and wrapped her legs around his.
It worked. Jack gave a soft moan against Sybil’s mouth and moved against her body. His hips rotated back and forth, and now Sybil gasped, sweetly filled and fulfilled, his heat warming her inside and out. This man, this beautiful man, making languorous and luxurious love to her, how could she ever doubt him?
She didn’t doubt him. It was herself she doubted. Oh, not her love for Jack. She loved him as passionately as ever, but how could he still desire her? So many other women were so much thinner, so much more graceful, had so much more energy.
Jack moved atop her, sliding his entire body first one way then the other, causing delightful little frissons of friction within her. Sybil brought her attention back to him, back to them, and she moved herself beneath him, squeezing him, pulling him in tightly.
“There you are,” he whispered against her ear, before gently biting her lobe. “I lost you for a moment, but I still know how to bring you back, don’t I?”
He did desire her. His body could not lie. After all this time, his passion for her remained unflagging. A tear formed in Sybil’s eye.
“Oh, Jack.” Her voice hitched, caught in an upwelling of emotion.
He stopped moving, pulled back just a bit to look in her eye.
“Darling, I know I’m not as young, not as strong as I used to be. I know you could have your pick of men, now as well as then, but you chose me, and I chose you. Nothing has ever made me more proud and more happy. Are you still happy with me?”
Sybil’s voice hitched again, this time in a choked off laugh rather than a cry.
“Oh, Jack,” she said again. “If you only knew the depth of my… well, you do know. You always have known. But it is you who could have your pick.” She turned her head, ran a hand through her grey hair against the pillow.
Jack cupped her face in his strong hand, brought her back to face him. “How long have we been married?”
She didn’t even have to think about it. “Forty-two years.”
“And do you remember what I said to you, forty-two years ago, that day we ran off, ignoring everything everyone told us, when we eloped off to Vegas? Do you remember?”
“I do.”
Jack laughed. “Yes, I said that, too, but before that.”
Sybil laughed with him, feeling much better already. “Yes, Jack, I remember.”
“It’s as true today as it was then, as it has been every day and every year since. What did I tell you?”
“You said, you’re the one for me.”
“That’s right, babe. I’ve gone bald, and you’ve gone grey, but around you I still feel like a twenty-two-year-old kid.” He grinned at her, randy and lascivious, and she loved it. She grinned back.
“You’re the one for me.”
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amazing – so deep of romance and love – great language!
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Thank you! π
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The emotion in this piece is palpable. It’s so refreshing to read an erotic story about mature love, love that transcends the blind celebration of youth, love that flaunts rather than hides its wrinkles. So tender and well-written. Do you mind if I reblog this? π
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Rachel, let it be known henceforth that you always have my permission to reblog. Of course! And thank you so much! You are such a doll. And you’ve enumerated everything I was trying to achieve so succinctly, I guess that means it worked. π
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Yes, it most certainly did! π And thank you, I’ll be sure to take advantage from here on out. β€
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Reblogged this on Rachel Woe and commented:
This sweet, romantic flash fiction piece by my dear friend, Lace Winter, is refreshing in its exploration of mature, seasoned love.
So often, we find ourselves caught up in the narrow celebration of youth, our obsession with beauty, and the all-consuming flame of infatuation that we forget that love, at its core, is really about the appreciation and acceptance of another human being, and humans age. Skin and eyes lose their luster, hair turns gray or vanishes altogether, and limbs don’t bend like they used to. It’s inevitable. But love, if it is nourished and handled with compassion, care, and a sense of humor, can last a lifetime.
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Absolutely charming, Lace, and beautifully written.
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Thank you, sugar frosting! π
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This is completely lovely! I choked up a little when I realized the extent of their relationship.
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Thank you so much, Maria! That is actually music to my ears, to know I could invoke some little emotion. π
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crying my frickin’ eyes out over here…
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Oh no! Well, actually, I’m rather touched that my little story could inspire that much emotion. Thank you, Felicity, for this, and for so much that you do.
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nice!
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Thank you!
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You’re doing really great stuff. Such a joy.xx
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Music to my ears! π
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Oooh I love this!!
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Thank you! π
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Reblogged because I love it so much. Filled me with warm fuzzies. ^_^
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Well, you’re filling me with warm fuzzies now π
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I’m glad, it is rather chilly tonight π
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It sure is here! But, shouldn’t it be getting warmer where you are?
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You’d think so! It was terribly wet and windy on the weekend and it was sunny mostly today but very cold tonight!
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Reblogged this on DragonflyLady's Writey Ramblings and commented:
I came upon this post following a link on Twitter by Rachel Woe and OMG I loved it. It’s just… perfect!
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I’ve been married for five years and been in a relationship which has spanned my transformation from a young man, barely more than a teen, to an adult. I can relate to the second-guessing and self-doubt, but this is a beautiful reminder that our partners did choose us and are as invested as we are.
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Thank you! Yes, I wanted to capture the feeling of insecurity… insecurity in our bodies, insecurity in our relationships, etc… and then put it all to bed, so to speak. Well, in this case, in a bed. π
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Well you’ve done that perfectly.
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I was all set to comment on this from my other account, but I couldn’t wait that long to log in! This is such a sweet, lovely story. It just touched me.. I loved it! π
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Well, your thoughts are always welcome no matter which account you send them from. π Thank you so much! I’m quite blown away by the huge positive reaction this one seems to be getting. It is already in my top 5 most-viewed posts of all time, and is the 3rd-most-commented, and it’s only been up a couple days! And to think, I almost didn’t write it due to feeling guilty about not working on my ‘real’ story instead… lol! Not feeling guilty now… In fact, having a few of those warm fuzzies over here. π
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Oh, Lace. This was lovely and sweet! Totally heart-warming!
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Thank you so much, Jade! π
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