C4 antho - Chamber Four

For the Sake of the Children ~73~
Peter slides down to sit between Dawn’s legs, the better
for her to massage his back. He edges a few inches to the
right so she can reach the sore spot. The only bit of him that
he can actually stop from aching these days. He feels her
fingers prod between his muscle and skin and wills for his
genes to pass through them like this. As easily as this.
“What if,” he says and Dawn pauses for a fraction of a
second too long. So alert is he to her these days that he can
feel the tenseness in her fingertips. “What if we have an early
night,” he continues. “That’ll be nice,” Dawn says brightly although
she doesn’t want to. She hasn’t enjoyed sex since all
this business started. Peter knows this but hopes she hasn’t
realised that he doesn’t want to either. That the thing that
went the first time he picked up one of the magazines left out
for him so discreetly hasn’t come back yet.
* * * *
Michele Jones calls for her brother. “Daddy’s full of
cash,” she shouts. “Lovely, lovely money.” His wife laughs
and squeezes down next to him on the sofa, thrusting a catalogue
in his face. “I thought this in salmon pink,” she says.
“Nice,” says Owen. He glances at the price, comparing it instinctively
to the cheques from the clinic Susan has banked
that day.
I’ll have one in salmon pink, he imagines each couple
asking. Nice, Susan will smile, her short buffed nails tapping
on the enveloped cheque.
* * * *
Susan shouts at Colin to leave her alone. He goes off into
the kitchen and she can hear him slamming cups down,