Finding Consolation

Danny shows up at Anita’s door looking hollowed out. She pours him coffee that goes cold while she slides onto his lap and kisses the grief right off his mouth. He stops talking and starts tugging at her jeans, and she helps him get them off, dark hair falling forward as she takes him deep in one smooth motion. Her lips wrap tight, tongue working, and the room fills with the wet sounds of her mouth. When his hand finds the back of her head, she pushes farther down until he shudders. Anita pulls free, strokes him twice, and leans back so he can paint her face—cheeks, lips, lashes—in thick, white streaks. She stays kneeling, catching her breath, a faint smile breaking through while the last drops slide down her chin.