I woke up early in the morning. Candles were spent, the room reeking of musk. I was hard, impossibly hard, snuggled against Sally’s back. I would have entered her right there but from experience knew how uncomfortable sex could be with morning wood.I also knew, if I was to take a piss right then, I would lose my hard-on. Nature won and I edged out of bed and sneaked off to the guest bathroom to relieve my bladder.On a sudden change of mind, I sneaked into the bedroom to retrieve my running gear. Sally was curled up in a fetal position. Her hair was splayed on the pillow we shared, and I was reminded of inhaling her womanly scents all night.After we made love, Sally taking us both to a powerful simultaneous orgasm, she keeled over and snuggled into me. Soon she turned around and I spooned her while drifting off to sleep. I could have sworn, just before sleep claimed me, she mumbled, “I love you, Baby,” but I wasn’t sure.We both slept fitfully having had a scrumptious dinner, enjoying each other to the max, and finding comfort in our feelings for each other.Feelings? I was sure I had fallen deeply in love with this beautiful woman, well again. This time I wasn’t going to smother how I felt and after last night, I was convinced Sally wouldn’t either. I remembered my running shoes still in my sports bag in my study after the last rugby practice and grabbing a pair of socks, went to the study to don my shoes. I wanted to clear my head. Not that I needed to figure things out which was leaving me perplexed. I just needed a good run to shake all my emotions, feelings, and thoughts into the right order.While pulling my socks over my feet, I noticed Andy’s album to the one side of my desk. The album pulled me in as if wanting to tell me something.I reached over, pulling it closer before removing it from the sleeve it came in. An envelope dropped onto the desk and I froze. I never noticed it before and frowned as I turned it over. It was addressed to me with a simple “Vernon” written in a flowing hand on the front.I felt the hairs in my neck suddenly erect and I shivered at the thought. It has been two whirlwind months since I left Seattle. Seattle, yes Seattle. Where I tried to get close to Julie after all these years and she would not let me. Hell, how could I blame her? Walk back into her life after twenty years and expect her to just open her legs?No, it was something else and bursa escort my thoughts went back to those moments we spent together and what Andy said about us seeming to be in love.I pulled two powder blue pages from the envelope and opened it. It was in what I now realized was Jullie’s handwriting.“Dear Vernon,I hope this letter makes sense as I had very little time to write before you were flying out again.Seeing you again after all these years brought back so many emotions, emotions which were dormant since that night after the wedding. Gosh, it seems like it was yesterday the memory is so fresh. I had hoped at that point we would not just be a one-time thing and that there would be a future for us together.I guess I was very naïve expecting that to happen, just as I was very naïve in thinking I would not get knocked up, failing to take precautions before allowing a man inside of me.Learning I was pregnant took care of that though. I finished college with a baby in my belly and again completed further studies with a baby suckling on me. But I got there; getting pregnant was a BIG wake-up call and I don’t regret having Andy. As I said to you the other night, thanks for our daughter.I made a few mistakes afterward and she blamed me. A failed marriage to a man who I thought would be the perfect daddy who turned out to be an ass of note. He had no respect nor love for me or Andy it turned out later.When you tried to steer me toward intimacy, I hesitated for one good reason. Don’t get me wrong, your affection had me ready more than a few times and once or twice I almost dragged you upstairs to my bedroom.Problem is just, I am not the woman you made of me that night in that hotel bed. I have urges, yes. I get horny, yes but though the things that scare me is not downstairs, even I fail to be able to touch myself.It came up to me unexpectedly, feeling an itch in my breast which would not go away. I put it off even after urging from Helen, but it wasn’t long before I was out of hospital minus one tit. I had chemo and started recovering but the scar was there.Sadly, I wasn’t off the hook and even though I had another op, losing my other breast as well, the cancer is back with gusto and there is no stopping it. Yes, I am terminal with stage 5.Now you know why I would not engage while you were here…Please, except for Douglas and Helen, you are all Andy has. Look after our bursa escort bayan daughter, please. She is a tough (seemingly) cookie, but I can see she’s not taking it well. Soon she’ll graduate as a doctor. I am so immensely proud of her. Stubborn like a true Gerber but also wild like a true Gallaway. But thankfully also open-minded about life.I hope you read this letter soon and please, don’t pity me, I don’t need it. I went through enough in life to prepare me and make me strong enough for the road ahead.Take care of yourself, Vernon.Remember, you were the man who made me what I am today and for that and our precious daughter, I will always love you.Love,July xoxo”I felt my eyes misting up as I refolded the two handwritten pages. My chair swiveled around without me turning it and I looked out of the window of my study toward the silhouette of the Cape mountains. Though I looked, I saw nothing, my thoughts were a million miles away, beyond those mountains. My heart felt heavy, my intended run was totally forgotten.I heard a sound and heard Sally calling out to me, “Baby, where are you?”“In the study, be right out.”Sally walked in, my work shirt from the day before around her shoulders. She stood behind me as if knowing to approach me otherwise would invade a very private moment.Her hands held my shoulders firmly as she spoke, “Why is it as if we always find each other in need at the birth of a day?”That broke me down and I realized the connection between Sally and me ran much deeper than the obvious.“How much do you know?” I asked her.“I don’t, I just knew something was up but didn’t know what. You should make that call, Darling. Don’t wait.”Sally stepped away, “I’m going to start coffee and then breakfast. We need to get ready for work if you want to start in the bathroom.”I nodded and slowly got up. As Sally was waiting for the coffee to run through, I embraced her from behind, “I love you too, Sweetheart.”She turned inside my embrace and standing on her toes, kissed me softly on my nose, “I know.”The moment was preciously loaded so I just looked at her, not wanting to say or do anything that might spoil the moment. The long few minutes were only interrupted when Sally turned to fill my mug with aromatic black liquid that soothed my emotions.Tasting the strong coffee, made the way I liked it, and I contemplated my day. It was early in Cape Town so, with Douglas escort bursa and Susan being the academics they were, they would still be up.I went to retrieve my phone form the bedroom and walked back to the kitchen, dialing as I walked.Douglas picked up on the second ring. Initially, we exchanged news on general things, before I asked him about Julie. He confirmed she was very ill but was holding out for the moment. Andy has since transferred to a med school in Seattle and being busy with her studies sort of soothed her through Julie’s illness.I wanted to refrain from asking for Julie’s contact, preferring to respect her privacy but Douglas agreed to send me the number and encouraged me to call but not to expect too much.“Douglas, honestly, what timeline are we talking about?” referring to how much time Julie had.“Difficult to say, two weeks, maybe six weeks, maybe a bit more. She is stage 5 but with the chemo, she tends to be up one day and then totally wasted the next.”“Is it wise to call then?”“Yes, Helen also agrees, and she would welcome the call.”“When is Andy graduating?”“At the end of summer, she’s starting her finals in about two weeks. So, she’s under a lot of pressure. But if you know how Andy like we do, it’ll be a breeze for her,” he chuckled.Though he chuckled, I could hear the strain in his voice and realized how bad things must be.With the call done and dusted, I drained the last of my coffee before planting a soft kiss on Sally’s cheek.“You’re welcome to join me if you want.”Sally looked up at the clock on the wall before looking at me. “It’s just after six thirty so if I join you, there’ll be no playing around.”“Wanna bet?” I teased her before walking upstairs. Our shower was sort of a navy shower, me shaving while she was in the cubicle, washing. I watched her unobtrusively in the mirror while doing my thing with the razor and the cream. She was the most gorgeous being I have ever laid my eyes upon. As she exited the shower, I got in but not after copping a feel of her soaked body against mine. I was at the point of licking the rivulets from her firm, full breasts but she ducked me.“You are impossible,” she giggled. She sat herself down on the toilet and I just shrugged.“What?”“Nothing.”“Well, get used to us sharing a bathroom. Anyway, it’s just pee,” she was quiet for a moment then added, “damn, I’m still leaking cum.”My cock stirred under the warm spray, but I needed to concentrate on getting ready.Sally was in her underwear when I entered the bedroom. It was plain black, no frills. It was practical but I still found it sexy. It was like having my own personal lingerie model.