They didn’t use any protection

Terri’s knuckles whitened against the quilt. "Please tell me you used protection," she whispered, her voice cracking just slightly. "Tell me you were careful."

Wendy’s breath caught as she watched her mother’s throat work—the way her pulse fluttered beneath her pearl necklace. The towel clung to her damp skin as she nodded, fingers trembling where they gripped the terrycloth. "We—we didn’t ," she managed, the memory of Joe pulling out just in time shooting his load on to her stomach behind her eyelids. "It was… awkward, but he made sure."

Terri’s fingers dug deeper into the quilt, the fabric creasing under her grip like crushed paper. A sharp inhale—too loud in the stillness—escaped her lips. Her pearl necklace trembled against her collarbone as she swayed slightly, as if the words had struck her physically.

Wendy watched the color drain from her mother’s face, the way her pupils dilated—black swallowing blue. The damp towel slipped a fraction down her shoulder, but she didn’t move to adjust it. The air between them thickened, every second stretching like taffy.

"You didn’t—?"

Wendy’s fingers tightened on the towel, the damp fabric slipping further as she took a shaky step forward. "We got caught up in the moment," she whispered, the words tumbling out in a rush. "It was—he was—"

Terri’s hand shot up, silencing her. The pearls at her throat trembled again as she swallowed hard, her lips pressing into a bloodless line. The quilt bunched under her grip, threads straining.

A drop of water slid from Wendy’s hair down her spine, icy against her skin. She didn’t dare wipe it away. The air hummed between them, thick with unspoken accusations.

Terri’s hand fell limp to her side, the quilt slipping from her grasp as she took a single, unsteady step back. The pearls at her throat caught the light, glinting like frozen tears. "Young lady," she breathed, the words barely more than a tremor, "I thought we had talked about this." A vein pulsed at her temple. "What if you had gotten pregnant your first time?"

Wendy’s breath hitched. The towel slid another inch, the damp hem clinging to the curve of her breast. She could still feel the ghost of Joe’s hands on her hips, the hot rush of his breath against her neck.

Wendy's knees nearly buckled as she lurched forward, the damp towel now slipping dangerously low. She caught it just in time, her knuckles brushing against the still-warm patch where Joe's cum had dried on her stomach hours earlier. "Mom—" Her voice cracked like thin ice, and she reached out with her free hand, fingers grazing Terri's trembling wrist. The pearls were cold beneath her touch.

Terri flinched but didn’t pull away. A single tear tracked through her powder, catching in the fine lines around her mouth.

Terri’s fingers twitched against Wendy’s wrist before she pulled away sharply, the pearls at her throat swinging like a pendulum. “You’re grounded,” she said, her voice low and frayed at the edges. “No phone, no car, no seeing that boy—not until we figure this out.” A muscle jumped in her jaw as she took another step back, her silk blouse whispering against her skin. “And I want tell your father for your sake and Joes”

Wendy’s breath stuttered—her fingers clutched the towel, the damp fabric now barely clinging to the dip of her waist.