August Fanfic Challenge: Summer 1977

Summer 1977

Author: OhioCardinal

Fanfiction Challenge – Jill's first campaign event

Late summer 1977

"I'm so sorry, Jilly," Joe said. "I should have thought about how people would behave."

Jill took a deep breath and tried to center herself. She had been completely blindsided by how people swarmed around her, each seemingly wanting to tell her some story about Neilia. Or about how involved they had been in the 1972 campaign. Or about where they had been when they heard the tragic news. Each seemed to need some sort of validation from her. And they all clearly were assessing her. Was she worthy of Joe, their hero? Could she possibly measure up to saintly Neilia? Who was this young woman?

Joe struggled with Jill's silence. He felt terrible. He had put her in this situation. But how could it have been avoided? What could he have done? He needed Jill to say she was okay. He needed her to tell him it was okay, that she understood. He also couldn't help but recognize that this was exactly what she had not wanted. Exactly the reason she had hesitated to say yes the multiple times he had asked her to marry him.

"Jilly, what can I do?" Joe asked plaintively.

"I just need to be alone," Jill replied softly.

Joe desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her. But he knew when she said she needed to be alone that he had better leave her alone. Instead, he told her he would take the boys out and let her have the house to herself. She nodded at him, not even moving to kiss them goodbye.

Jill threw herself on the bed and just stared at the ceiling. This was exactly what she had feared. How could she ever live up to Neilia? She was the perfect wife, the perfect political wife and the perfect mother. The Whole Package. "I am just always going to be letting Joe down," she thought.

Just then, Mom Mom knocked at the door. She gently sat down on the bed next to Jill, who sat up.

Mom Mom hugged her. "We are all so grateful to you, Jill. You are the absolute best. We love you. You are exactly who Joe and the boys need. You."

Jill felt the tears prickling her eyes, as Mom Mom hugged her again.

"Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself, Jill. Especially not strangers who like to think they know things."

Mom Mom pulled Jill so she could look in her eyes. They smiled at each other warmly as Jill took a deep breath.

"Thank you," Jill said softly. "Thank you. I needed that."

With that, Mom Mom got up, "you're welcome," she said. "I am keeping the boys tonight, ok? They can come home after church."

Jill noticed that Mom Mom had paused. She was asking for Jill's permission. Because it was her decision to make.

"Yes, that would be nice," Jill answered. "They always love staying with you. Thanks."

A few minutes later, Joe returned. He was relieved when Jill got up to greet him with a kiss.

"Jilly," Joe began, "I really am so sorry. If you never want to go to a campaign event again, I completely understand. We can figure it out."

"Joe, I love you, but don't be ridiculous. I'm your wife. I can't not go to campaign events for my husband the US Senator running from reelection."

"Jilly, I know this is hard for you and it's not fair to you. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to."

"Joe, I love that you want to protect me. But that's just not realistic. I knew what I signed up for," Jill said. "I'm just sorry that I'm not as good at all of this as Neilia was. I worry that I'm letting you down."

"Oh, Jilly, please. You could never let me down," Joe said. "You are amazing and I love you."

"I'll be okay, Joe. I will figure it out."

"Ok. But you don't have to figure it out alone, okay," Joe said. "I don't want you to ever feel like you are letting me down because you aren't. You are everything I could ever need or want. Please, please don't doubt that."

Jill looked Joe in the eye, swallowing the lump in her throat as she saw his tears. She recognized that today had been very rough on him, too. Perhaps it had been even tougher. And she knew it wasn't because he was sad and missing Neilia, it was because he was so distressed for Jill. His love for her was so palpable, it actually took her breath away.

Jill leaned in and kissed Joe, just as he was about to say more.

"I know, Joe," she said. "How about you show me how much you love me and we stop talking about all the things and people we can't control."

"I think I can do that," Joe said with a smile.

"Good. Let's enjoy our kid-free evening," Jill said, grabbing Joe's hand to lead him upstairs in a hurry.

When they got to their bedroom, Joe paused and pulled Jill in for another deep kiss.

"Would you like some pampering now or later?" Joe asked.

"Hmm," Jill paused, only to begin kissing him again.

"So, later, then," Joe said.

They laughed as Jill started undressing him and he followed her lead, unbuttoning her blouse.

Joe grabbed Jill's hands and held them above her head with one hand having pushed her down on the bed.

"Let me show you just how much I love you, Jilly."

With that, Jill gave in, letting Joe massage every part of her with his hands and his mouth. It was as though he was worshipping her. She reveled in the sensations, the pleasure and the knowledge that there was literally nothing he would rather be doing.

After he brought her to the edge multiple times and finally let her reach her peak, he then entered her achingly slowly, gently thrusting over and over, making her climax once again, just as he let himself go.

Later, Joe insisted on drawing a bath for Jill and she insisted he join her in that bath. As they soaked together, Jill posed a question.

"So, did you ask your mom to come over or she did that on her own?"

"My mom came over?"

"Yes. She's pretty amazing."

"She is. I told her what happened, but I didn't ask her to come over. I guess I'm not surprised she did, though. She loves you very much. And she knows how incredibly good you are for me."

Jill laughed and nodded.

"We better get out and eat something," Jill said.

"Want me to go pick something up?" Joe asked.

"No. I will cook. You just have to come sit nicely in the kitchen and keep me company."

"Deal."