The Descending of Jessica Ch. 12

"Um, so you're not interested in my opinion?" I asked, smiling so they would know I wasn't upset at them taking charge.

Allison looked at Donna who looked back at her. Then they turned in unison to face me in the mirror and both said, "No."

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting pampered and fussed over. But my mothers' efforts made me look as good as I ever had. Occasionally, Brat would pop in and make suggestions, which they were willing to listen to, but about the only input I had was how much mascara and eyeliner to apply, and that only because I was unwilling to let anyone else fuck around with stuff that close to my eyes.

At 6:30 or so, the Pastor arrived, and at 7 my mothers left to go to the great room. A few minutes later, Ron came up to escort me down the stairs, walk me to my place beside Brent, kissed me on the cheek and gave me away to his son, then took a place behind Brent as best man. Without a lot of pomp and circumstance, a few minutes later, we were pronounced man and wife.

It was almost perfect. After rounds of hugs and congratulations, just as the Pastor was wishing us well and saying goodnight to us all after extracting a promise to come to church the following Sunday so he could announce and introduce us as a couple to the congregation, and after reminding us that we were doing it again in June, the doorbell rang.

"Why don't you two answer that? Allison suggested as Brent and I were closest. We opened it to find Carolyn on the steps.

"Am I too late? My flight got delayed."

"No!" I said, wrapping my arms around her, "You're never too late!"

Then the day was perfect.

She entered with Dr. Rick and a new round of embraces began.

"Well," I said, holding up my left hand that now had two rings, "We did it!"

"Oh! That's wonderful! I wish I could have been here. Apparently when it snows in Chicago it screws up air travel everywhere from London to Sydney," Carolyn said.

Before I could say anything, Brent said, "You're here for the important part, the rest of our lives."

"What he said," I quipped, "Well, come on in, I think you both know everyone!"

"Miss Jessie, I'm on duty at the hospital tonight. I can't stay, but is there somewhere we could talk alone for a minute? I'd like to clarify a few things on your treatment schedule." Rick asked, sounding professional rather than personal.

"Uh sure. Come on down to the den," I replied and led him there.

Once we arrived, he began, "I just have a couple of minutes and I've been worried because of our conversation the other day, uh, about exercise?"

"Uh huh. I shouldn't work out for a while, I understand. Either running or, well, at night."

"Well, I just wanted to stress that. You're going to be married a long time, your whole life I hope, and I just want to make sure that life is long and healthy. So while I know you will want to be sexually active immediately, you really need to wait until your next MRI. I'm truly sorry to tell you this, but I need to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Now, as to exercise, before the wreck I'm estimating your resting heart rate was around 60 to 65, which is excellent. It may have been lower in fact, I have no real way of knowing. The other day in the stress test you got up to around 120 for ten minutes without trouble. So as long as you stay below that, you should be fine for short periods. Anytime you work out, you should be fine as long as you don't go above that. And over the next week I want you to walk and raise it a few points each time. Don't go above 130 or so, and not for more than 10 minutes at 120." He then gave me a monitor I could wear on my wrist to track it, and again cautioned me about intercourse.

"I have the best doctor!" I said and hugged him, before we rejoined everyone.

Doctor Rick excused himself and left, and Carolyn joined us in the great room where snacks and champagne were served. I'm not really a drinker, but it seemed appropriate to have a glass, or two, as everyone toasted us. Donna and Brat got sparkling cider instead of course, but seemed happy with it. Since it was right after Christmas and my birthday was coming up, and of course since we would be doing it again in June there were no presents or tiered cake. We did have a small cake though and Ron took pictures as Brent and I stuffed it in each others mouths which was fun and got Brat laughing. Then we all sat around on the couch talking and reminiscing. Ron and Allison retold Donna the story of us sneaking around behind their backs all summer thinking we were sly and smart and everyone giggled at us for that.

Finally Brent, not one to speak in groups normally, said he had something to say.

"Honey, a week or so ago you told me what I had to do to marry you," he began, but I interrupted,

"All you really had to do was love me," I said.

"Well, yeah. Now you tell me. Anyway, now that Carolyn is here I wanted to give you a progress report. First, I got transferred, you know that already. Second, Carolyn, Ron and Allison didn't have to retrieve my stuff 'cause it was already here, so I never had to go back to that den of inequity." He said laughingly. "You also said I couldn't go around certain people that have caused us problems, and I'm happy to say from what Carolyn tells me you are the only Anderson to have talked to any of them. Frankly, even though you love me, and I love you, well I wanted to tell you about what I've gotten done with everyone here because you kinda scared me that night," he grinned.

"Oh I wasn't that scary and give me a break, I was medicated heavily and just out of a freakin' coma. You try to explain how much you love someone under those conditions," I grinned.

"Well, you did say 'fuck' a lot," Allison snickered.

"Okay, okay. So, where I'm going with this is that I failed you," Brent said, still smiling.

"What do you mean, darling?" I asked, knowing from his smile there would be a punch line to this.

"Well, you told me to get us into married student housing, a three bedroom as I recall. But the university doesn't have any three bedrooms available in married student housing this spring," he said, still grinning, and I suspect he was getting tipsy.

"Well whatever you got will be fine, I'm sure. We'll get by. I don't care so long as I'm with you."

"Right, well, that's where Mom and Dad come in. Dad, you want to help me out here?"

"Sure, the best man is supposed to make a toast anyway, and I suck at that," Ron said, raising his glass, "Jessie, when the lady told us they didn't have what you needed, I called my investment broker about some advice he gave me a few years ago, and well, I diversified a bit. So, now, I own a duplex just off campus. Allison and I want you and Brent to move into one side. And Carolyn, if you like, you take the other. I, well, we'd feel better if you were nearby in case Jessie needs help. Whatever you're paying in dorm rent is fine. I'm going to write the place off anyway and when you all graduate, sell it. Hopefully, I won't make anything, because if I do the IRS will get it anyway and, with luck, I can show a loss. In the meantime, Brent gets to mow the yard. And paint. And rearrange furniture. And hang pictures. And walk the dog. If you get a dog, which you should. Dogs are great. And do all the things a husband is supposed to do for a wife that says 'fuck' a lot. We closed on it yesterday," Ron said and he was clearly tipsy.

"You didn't have to do that!" I almost shouted, "we could have lived on campus!"

"So? You know what the nice thing about being rich is?"

"No, what?" I asked.

"I can do pretty much what ever the fuck I want. When I fucking want to. And say 'fuck' a lot. And no one can fucking stop me!" he laughed.

"That's too much, though!" I said.

"Jessie, remember when I gave you advice about marriage on the way to school in the fall, about how couples should communicate and such?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, but," was all I got out before Allison interrupted.

"Well, one more bit of advice to add to that. Don't argue with Ron when he's been drinking." she laughed, clearly tipsy herself.

There were, fortunately, no more surprises that night. I would later learn that Ron and Allison had been planning for some time to buy a place for us to live off campus after we married. They didn't look at my campus, though, until I demanded Brent transfer. Fortunately there was a lot of churn in the market and he was able to get a good deal on the place, which was in pretty good condition. It would keep Brent's free time occupied with painting and house work for the foreseeable future, and he became a pretty skilled handyman over the next few years.

But you don't want to read about all that, do you?

All evening, Brat was telling me I was the most beautiful bride ever, and how she wanted to be just like me when she got married. I scolded her to aim higher, but it fell on deaf ears, I'm sure. In truth, Donna and Allison had done magic to make me look pretty spectacular, and I suspect Brent's smuggling of fast food into the hospital helped me gain just enough weight to fill out the dress nicely. I was anorexic looking at the hospital, now I just looked waif like, but a waif with nice perky boobies. I really needed to start building muscle, but had the medical restrictions to worry about.

Brat fell asleep, her head on my lap, and that was a signal to all that it was time to retire. Ron carried Brat to her room, then he and Allison wished us good night. Carolyn took the guest room, of course, and as she got up to walk to it we hugged.

"I wish your boyfriend could have stayed. I really like him for you," I said.

"Oh. Um, well, he's not really my boyfriend any more. We're splitting up," she replied, but didn't seem upset.

"Oh no! What happened?"

"Oh, nothing bad, you're right, he's great! But it's not like it was ever going to be a forever thing. We just liked being together, and when I needed someone to help me through, you know, your hospitalization, he was the one whose shoulder I cried on. I mean, there's love there in a sense, but not the sort that makes you stay together forever. The main thing is that his residency is ending and he's moving to Maryland to work. Well, since a long term was not in the cards, a long distance didn't make sense either. Its cool, though. We're friends and we're going to be together until he leaves, and we'll stay in touch. Who knows? After I graduate maybe we can see where we are, but its not fair to tie either of us down now. You don't worry about that! You're married! Be happy! I am!" Carolyn smiled as she gave me one last hug.

She did make sense, but I still offered an ear if she wanted to talk about it.

"We'll talk later. It's all good." Carolyn winked and walked away, leaving us alone.

"Come on, let's go to bed. If you're nice you can tuck me in and tell me a bedtime story," I said taking Brent's hand and leading him up the stairs to our room.

When we got to the door, Brent offered to carry me across the threshold, but I told him to save it for when we moved into our new home. It seemed more appropriate, and I really didn't want to mess up the lace overlay on my dress anyway.

"So. Here we are," I said as he closed the door behind us.

"Yep. What's that?" he asked pointing at a notepad on the vanity.

"Oh, I was practicing signing my name today while Allison and Donna played 'Lets dress up Jessie.' My new name," I said.

He picked it up and read aloud from the scribbles that covered it, "Mrs. Brent Anderson, Mrs. Jessica Anderson, Jessie Anderson. Which one are you going with?" He smiled.

"Not sure. Probably all of them." I smiled as I reached my arms around his neck.

"I love you so much I can't describe it," he said as he looked in my eyes.

"Don't use words, then." I kissed him deeply and passionately. He returned my kiss, but pulled away too soon.

"I don't want you to get hurt. I thought tonight before we go to sleep we could just talk. You know, about the future and what it holds. And how happy I am. And how happy you've made me today. I always feel close to you when we just talk, you know?"

"That's sweet. Me, too. Could you unzip me?" I asked as I turned around, thinking he was doing well at hiding his disappointment. I knew he had adjusted to the idea of forced celibacy for a few weeks like we had thought, but neither of us really liked the idea.

He slid the zipper down my back as the dress loosened. I reached up and unpinned the hat and veil, which had been lifted, but not removed and hung it from the corner of the mirror. Next, I tugged the dress from my shoulders as he watched. I slowly revealed a white satin bra and panty set underneath, as well as the thigh highs I always wore when I wanted to feel sexy. I laid it carefully over the back of the chair by the vanity, then unpinned and gently shook out my hair until it fell into long curls that reached below my shoulders.

"Could you unhook my bra? I don't think I'm bendy enough to reach back there yet," I asked as I turned my back again to him, showing my still pretty well defined ass to Brent. Seven weeks of hospitalization had not undone years of running, at least as far as my butt went. Of course, it didn't occur to Brent that I could just slide it around in front and unhook it myself.

"Um, sure," he replied as he deftly worked the hooks and unsnapped it.

I turned holding the cups to my chest. "Were you looking at my butt?" I mischievously asked.

"Well,, uh, would it be that bad if I was?"

"You better have been, mister! I worked hard for it!" I grinned as I let the bra fall from my chest. I gave him a couple seconds to stare at my chest then placed my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply again. His starched shirt rubbed my nipples and made them even more erect as my excitement grew.

"Hey! I have an idea!" I suddenly said.

"What's that?" He asked, still holding me close.

"Well, you've had a lot of time lately to think about our future, but since I woke up I've been focused on the wedding and doing what the doctor told me, and, well, reconnecting with the world."

"Okay," he said, his voice betraying that he had no idea where I was going with this.

"Well, instead of us talking about the future before we go to sleep, why don't you tell me what you think, and I'll take care of your, um, needs?"

"Are you trying to tease me?" he smiled.

"No, I, uh, just want to do something. It's our wedding night," I whined.

"Yeah but, no, that wouldn't be safe, I'll wait until you're able to, you know, go all the way."

"That's so sweet," I said as I kissed him again.

"Brent, do you remember the second night we were together and I gave you all those rules to follow?"

"Ummm, yeah, that was, uh.. very memorable," he smiled.

"Well, this sports watch thingy? It has a heart monitor. Dr. Rick said as long as I don't get worked up more than I did in my stress test I should be fine, and he wants me to start exercising."

"Uh, does that mean..."

"Well he doesn't' want me to have sex, but I don't think what I have in mind will hurt, so long as I don't get worked up."

"Uh, well, yeah, I mean. I think, no, I wouldn't be able to, you know, stop worrying about you," he stammered.

"Well, how about this then? I'm your wife. You have my heart, my soul and my body, just as I have yours. I want to be with you, like a wife should be with her husband. I have married you and I have an obligation to take care of you, and I don't want to feel like a failure as a wife on my wedding night. We may not be able to do everything we want, but I want you and me to look back on tonight and remember it as a celebration, not a 'celibacy-ation'. Plus, I wasn't really fair to you when I woke up at the hospital. I mean, I was drugged up, and kinda still out of it, but I know you didn't step out and I was mean to you for no real reason. I guess all the angst from two months ago was still in my system and it had to get out," I said. "And I want to be your wife, in sickness and in health, remember? Well, so I'm sick now. I'm fragile, but I still want to be there for your needs, as best I can. I, uh, I think I would be a horrible, terrible wife if I didn't at least try to take care of you. And if this monitor starts beeping, well, I can watch you finish. Okay?"

"No. It's not worth the risk. You're too precious to me for that. You've already made me so happy today. I just want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel as happy as I am. We've got forever now. If we have to wait to, uh, well, you know, then I would rather wait. I don't want to risk forever for one night," Brent said.

"So," I said as I leaned in to kiss him again, "I think we need to get you undressed." I slowly unbuttoned his shirt and kissed him where each button revealed the fresh white tee shirt underneath, until I was squatting in front of him. He pulled his shirt off and threw it aside, while I pulled the tee out of his pants.

Brent's abs were as rock hard as the last time I had seen them. If anything, they appeared more muscular.

"Someone has been working out," I whispered as I kissed the skin just below his navel.

"I haven't had much else to do. Seriously, you need to stop," he said.

I unbuckled his belt, unfastened his pants and pulled down the zipper, then tugged first his pants and then his boxers down slowly exposing his hardening manhood. It was like seeing an old friend that I hadn't seen in ages, and picking up the conversation right where we had left off.

"No, Jessie, I'm not going to let you do anything, I'm sorry, but no. I don't want you for tonight, I want you forever. So cut it out." Brent grabbed his shorts and turned to one side away from me. "Jessie, I appreciate what you're trying to do, really, but we'll wait. You don't know what it was like the last two months, wondering every day if you would live, then wondering every time I left if I would get that call that said...."

Brent sat on the bed, tears welling in his eyes, unable to talk more. "We can't risk that," he whimpered, as he lay down and faced away from me.

I felt rejected a bit. I thought that I had been, well "sexy" enough to turn him on, but mainly I felt confused and disappointed. This was not how I had envisioned my wedding night. In truth, I had not thought a lot about it at all. Before Brent, I figured on getting married after college, and as a little girl, well I didn't think about it at all. Throughout the fall though, before the wreck, I had put some thought into it, and all week since I woke I had considered it even more. I knew we wouldn't be able to fuck like wild animals, but I had hoped to express myself in some small way. Then, suddenly, the man I committed myself to refused to accept even the smallest of physical gifts I could give, and it made me feel like a failure. I was a wife for two hours, and was already a loser.

Brent felt me climb into bed and rolled over on his back, sliding his arm under me ever so gently. "I love you, Mrs. Anderson," he whispered, and I took some solace in his words. I loved him too, more than I could say, and for the moment, more than I could express. I drifted to sleep eventually, but mostly just lay there feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in self pity.

I woke up crying on Brent's shoulder, this was not how I had envisioned our wedding night when Brent had proposed at the end of summer. He was asleep and snoring gently. I was cramping as my period started and feeling sorry about my pitiful status as the worst wife ever. I slipped out of bed, took care of my feminine needs, pulled my pj's on and went down stairs, figuring I would sleep on the couch. It didn't feel right sleeping with a husband I couldn't satisfy, and in the emotional state I was in I decided I wanted him to annul our wedding until I could. We could get married in June if he wanted to, and I could live with Carolyn until then. We could even be exclusive if he wanted, or even live together, but I didn't want this to be my wedding night. As I left the room, I looked back once more at him on the bed. He was so handsome and, well, beautiful. I was a horrible wife and person, and he deserved better than me.