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"Only six!" She had to keep reminding them of the limit. They wanted to invite every single one of their friends- she couldn't blame them for that. And she was grateful that they had so many- opossums were not always welcome, or popular. But Todd and Jeff were good boys, and smart, if she could be excused for a little pride. They had only tried the "Six each?" strategy once, at least.

There had been some whining. "But mo-om, if we invite Billy then we have to invite Dean! And then if Dean is coming P.J. will come whether we invite him or not!" And on and on through the web of friends and best friends that made up Todd and Jeff's eighth grade class. They had drawn actual diagrams, sitting at the kitchen table while their younger brothers looked on.

In the end she had had to relent and allow seven. Todd and Jeff had successfully argued that Mark and Chris, being another set of opossum brothers, should come together and count as one. There were only a handful of opossum families in Cedarford, and of course Todd and Jeff were good friends with Mark and Chris and there goes a whole third of the list right there! She advised them to invite the lucky few who had made the short list personally and to try to make sure that word didn't get to the ones they had to leave out. And if they did find out, they were to claim that she was an evil monster.

They had nodded and said, "Yes, momster," and laughed and that was that. Planning the food (pizza delivery) and the actitivies (water gun and balloon fights in the woods, movies on the TV in the treehouse, games in the treehouse, swinging on ropes from the treehouse) was easy by comparison.

The treehouse was a big one- but not big enough for seven fourteen-year-old boys to sleep in all at once. Besides, while it had electricity run to it from the house, it wasn't air conditioned. It being high summer, she expected most of them to surrender to the heat and come back inside at some point. There was more than enough room in the house- her mate Wade had been a compulsive builder. There had been only two bedrooms when they had bought the place on the edge of town; now there were six, with two more bathrooms and a large game room. The back deck was still half-finished, though. Wade hadn't completed it before he had been killed on the job on an offshore platform. Ginny couldn't bring herself to hire someone to do it, and didn't have the first idea how to finish it herself, so it had sat half-done for four years. A skeleton of pressure-treated timbers set in concrete posts with no decking. Maybe the boys would be able to finish it one day, she hoped. For now they used the supports as balance beams.

It was just her, Todd, Jeff, Matthew and Dale, so the extra bedrooms were furnished for when family came to visit but otherwise unused. There had been plans to fill up those rooms with more pairs of opossum children, and then their children too, maybe. A real homestead, like in the old days. But Ginny tried not to dwell on what could have been. Besides, she was only 34. All she had to do was find herself another jack.

***

The day before the party, Ginny did her best to live up to the "monster" label. She made all four boys clean as if the queen herself was coming to visit their ramshackle little manor. Furniture was moved, cushions were turned. Many lost objects were found, along with fifteen dollars and seventeen cents in loose change. She let them keep that. The boys were ecstatic and put it in the jar they kept their allowance in. They were saving up for a new computer of their own.

Truthfully, she could have bought them one for their birthday, and every so often she thought she really should. Then they wouldn't all have to share the one. But she knew that you can't really know the value of something until you have to pay for it yourself.

There had been a large insurance settlement, after the accident. Wade's employer provided it for all their workers, and they had bought extra on top of that. Ginny could have moved in closer to the center of town, bought a nice big house, a luxury car, computers for everyone, and had plenty left over to send the kids to good colleges. But she felt the weight of that money whenever she thought about the price she had paid to get it. She'd still send them to good colleges, or whatever they wanted to do, but she put the money away in trusts and invested funds. Hired an accountant to deal with it for her. She didn't want to know, she told him. Just make sure it's there for them when the time comes.

So she kept her honest job at the textile mill, and supported them all herself. It wasn't so hard- they had never led an extravagant life. The land and house and the old reliable pickup truck were hers outright. She owed no one anything, except maybe a good life for her kits.

The boys began to lose their focus as the house got closer to being neat enough for Ginny's satisfaction. So she turned them loose outside to make whatever preparations they felt necessary to the treehouse and surrounding woods. She finished up inside, vacuuming and wiping down counters and tables. She wasn't ashamed of her house and its odd meandering layout, but she knew that some of Todd and Jeff's friends came from families who would judge her, or them, on how it looked.

She called out the kitchen window, "Matt! Dale!"

The ten-year-old boys came running out of the woods half a minute later. "Yes, momma?" asked Dale.

"Go and clean up all the toys and junk from the front yard for me, please? We don't want Jeff and Todd's friends thinkin' we're a bunch of trash-pickers!"

They dashed off around the house with a nod. She had said it like a joke, but even at ten they knew what some people thought of opossums. Especially when they lived out at the edge of town down a long unevenly paved road. She sighed and finished up the dishes. People would think what they wanted to think and there was nothing she could do better than to be kind and patient.

By dinnertime everything was done, but the boys, all four of them, were too excited to realize how tired they actually were from cleaning and moving and carrying. Even a nice heavy meal of pot roast and potatoes and greens couldn't get them to settle down so she put one of their favorite movies on the big screen in the game room and sat with them on the couch. Within a half hour all of them, Ginny included, were asleep against each other.

***

Ginny woke up on the couch alone. She blinked the spots from her eyes and swiveled her round black ear-cups, taking a moment to remember where she was, what day it was, what time it might be. There was daylight behind the curtains, and the smell of eggs in the air. She pushed herself upright, stretched and scratched. Yawned wide as only an opossum can.

After a necessary visit to her bathroom, she stumbled into the kitchen to find the boys eating plates of cheese eggs and skillet potatoes. They had made her a plate as well.

She grinned and said, "Did you know that y'all are the best kits ever?"

"We know," answered Jeff tartly.

"Want some OJ, mom?" asked Todd.

Ginny sat down at her place at the kitchen table and said, "That would be lovely, thank you." She sampled a bite of the cheese eggs. A little cold- they must have made it a while ago and not wanted to wake her up. She said, "Now, not that I'm not grateful for this delicious breakfast, but I'm not going to find that someone drove the truck into the creek, or broke a window, or something, right?"

One of the younger pair, she didn't catch which, giggled.

Todd said, "Nope! We just wanted you in a good mood today."

Ginny snorted. "When am I ever in a bad mood?"

Todd and Jeff perked their ears and looked at each other, then stayed wisely silent, filling their mouths with eggs and potatoes instead.

Ginny said, "That's what I thought. Now, what still needs doing?"

"Not much," said Jeff. "Well, we have to clean up from breakfast, I guess."

Ginny nodded. "Yup."

"And I guess I could mow the grass," offered Todd.

Ginny took a drink of her orange juice. "Good idea. I'm going to head into town to buy snacks and sodas. Oh, and the water balloons. Anyone want to come with me?"

"Me!" said Matthew and Dale almost at the same time.

"All right, then. You two take showers yet?" she asked the younger boys.

They shook their heads.

"Then as soon as you finish, you get cleaned up. I ain't taking stinky boys with me to the store. I'll grab one after you."

They nodded eagerly and began hastily vacuuming up the rest of their breakfast. Ginny had to smile. The kits always looked forward to summer when they were in school, but after a few weeks any change of scenery was welcome, even the grocery store.

***

The first guest arrived at three PM, exactly on time. A late-model SUV turned off the road onto the gravel drive carefully, crawling and crunching its way to the front yard. A young fox jumped out of the passenger seat nearly before the driver had parked the thing, and Ginny opened the front door as the kit headed her way. A tod wearing a polo and khaki slacks, along with some far-too-nice leather shoes, got out of the driver's seat and headed across the lawn as well. He carried a backpack with him. When he reached Ginny (the kit had already said his quick hello and dashed inside to join Todd and Jeff in the game room), he extended a black-furred hand.

"Hi. Ken Burnside. Sorry about Peter, sometimes he forgets his manners. As well as his stuff," he said, lifting the backpack.

Ginny gave the taller fox a smile and squeezed his hand. "Oh, that's all right. I'm sure he's just excited for the party. Did you want to come inside?"

The fox hesitated. "Um, actually, I really can't stay. Mrs. Burnside and I are taking advantage of the free evening to go out to dinner."

"Oh, I can understand! I hope you have a nice quiet evening."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson."

"Ginny."

"Ginny. Anyway, Peter's change of clothes are in here, and also his inhaler in case he needs it. My cell number is on a laminated sheet in there too, just in case," he said, handing the backpack over.

"Perfect! Most folks are coming by tomorrow around nine, but don't worry if you're a little late."

"Ok, thanks," he nodded. "Oh, and good luck," he added, casting a glance over the house and yard. Then with a nod he turned and strode back to his car, a little faster than he had left it.

Ginny went back inside the house holding the backpack and watched him through the screen door as he turned his car around and left. He'd be here at nine AM next morning, on the dot. She'd put money on it. Another car passed him and pulled onto her drive. She waited for the occupants to get out of their car before she opened the screen door again.

The grey tabby boy stayed with his mother as they walked together to the door, and he said, "Hello, Mrs. Jackson."

"Hello there, Dean. Good to see you again. The boys are in the game room. Peter's here already too."

Dean looked to his mother, who waved him on. He shouldered his duffel bag and went inside.

Dean's mother smiled at Ginny, her long tail waving slowly behind her. "Are you going to be ok, Ginny? I know I'd lose my marbles being the only adult trying to watch seven boys running around."

"Eleven, counting mine. But it's no big deal, really. They're all good boys. I wouldn't let 'em invite the bad ones!" she laughed.

Dean's mother laughed as well, beaming just a little, as her son was deemed one of the good ones. "Well, you call me if you need some support later, or if Dean needs a talking to. I told him you were mom and grandma and the police all rolled into one tonight."

"Hah, that should cover it. Don't you worry, and we'll see you in the morning around nine."

"Ok, and thank you!" said the feline, before she turned and headed back to her car.

Ten minutes later P.J. arrived, flanked by his mother. The pair of grey squirrels stayed together just like Dean and his mother had, though P.J. was quieter than his feline friend. His mother, however, was almost comically gregarious.

"I love this house! Absolutely love it. It's like it has a mind of its own! You could just keep building and building."

Ginny nodded, her hairless tail twitching behind her. "It's done, for now," she said, not really wanting to get into that conversation.

"And is that a tree house? Oh my god that is amazing!"

"Mo-om, please. I told you about the tree house."

"I know, but seeing it- wow. I am impressed, Mrs-"

"Ginny,"

"Well, I am impressed, Ginny. I can see why P.J. was so excited about this party. I'm Deborah," said the woman, extending her hand.

Ginny squeezed it and then asked, "Would you like to come inside for a few minutes, Deborah?"

"Oh, sure!"

Ginny led the squirrels inside, listening to P.J.'s mother compliment nearly every thing she saw to the point where Ginny wondered if she could possibly be sincere. P.J. quickly disappeared and Ginny offered his mother a drink, which she accepted. Matthew and Dale came into the kitchen and flanked their mother.

"Todd said we have to do everything they say because it's their birthday," complained Matthew.

"And Jeff said we had to bring them and their friends drinks and snacks whenever they wanted them."

Ginny frowned. "Tell them I said that if they're gonna do the same for you when it's y'alls birthday, then you can make that deal."

They both grinned and hurried off to deliver the verdict. Ginny fixed Deborah a glass of pink lemonade and sat down.

"I know how that goes! P.J. has two younger sisters. They would have him in chains if I wasn't there to balance the scales. So are all your boys twins?"

Ginny shook her head. "No- oh, excuse me just one moment, got another at the door!"

She left Deborah and opened the door for Mark and Chris, the other opossum boys. They had been to the house before, as had their mother, Sally, who was right behind them. They were both taller than Todd and Jeff, as tall as Ginny already. They both shook Ginny's hand and dipped their long muzzles.

"Hi, Mrs. J," said Mark.

"Hi," said Chris.

Ginny held the door open and they passed inside, followed by Sally, who hugged Ginny. The boys went straight to the game room and Sally followed Ginny back to the kitchen.

Deborah stood up and offered her hand to Sally. "Hi! I'm Deborah Lipscomb, P.J.'s mom?"

"Oh, nice to meet you, Deborah."

Deborah asked, "Was that another set of opossum boys I just saw?"

Sally nodded. "Mark and Chris."

"Do you opossums always have twins?" asked the squirrel.

Ginny answered, "Almost always two, almost never twins."

"Really! That's so interesting!"

Ginny expected her to ask for an explanation, and was relieved when the squirrel didn't press further. There was a crash from the game room and Ginny said, "Oh, lord, it begins. Excuse me."

Deborah turned to Sally and asked, "Are you staying the night, to help out?"

Sally shrugged, "Hadn't planned on it. Ginny didn't ask- I think she can handle the boys just fine."

Deborah nodded, sipping her lemonade. "She seems to know how to keep her own in line."

"Oh yeah. She doesn't take back-talk, that's for sure."

"Does she- well, does she hit them?"

"What? Oh, no. Hitting a kit won't teach them anything but how to hit back."

"I'm sorry- I didn't mean that how it sounded. Sometimes I talk faster than I think!Haha! I was just wondering how she did it, is all."

"It's ok. I wasn't offended. Ginny might be, though she'd never say so."

Deborah nodded.

Ginny returned. "Some furniture needed moving, is all. Glad we cleaned underneath!"

Deborah took a large swig of lemonade and set the glass down, still half-full. "I should get going, Ginny. It was good to meet you both! Tomorrow at seven?"

"Nine."

"Nine!Right. Sorry. Ok! See you then! And good luck!"

Ginny saw the squirrel to the door and returned to the kitchen to find Sally looking at her with an ears-perked amused look.

"She was a trip, huh?" observed Sally.

Ginny laughed. "Wasn't she? Oh, lord I thought I was going to have to explain opossum anatomy to her right here on the spot."

"Pfft if my guess is right her boy will know more than her by tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.

"I mean you taught yours the facts, and I taught mine and boys that age like to tell stories. Maybe even compare, uh, notes."

"Ha!Notes. Look, I'm not going near that tree house. They can compare whatever they like in private. I guess I'm glad they didn't get it into their heads to invite girls. Not that I would have allowed that."

"Asking for trouble."

Ginny just nodded.

"You know I'd stay, if you asked, right? Bob can handle our other four by himself."

Ginny raised a hand. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm gonna fly solo. Think of it like a test. You know, in case."

"In case what?"

"Well, in case maybe I want some more of my own," said Ginny without meeting Sally's eyes.

Sally reached out to pat Ginny's arm. "I still got that cousin in Hoskins City."

Ginny shook her head. "He's a good-looking jack, no mistake. But I'm still..." she trailed off.

Sally nodded and stood up offering her arms.

Ginny hugged her, sighing. "Sorry for being stubborn. Maybe I'll just go to one of those clinics."

Sally said, "Whatever you decide, Bob and I will be here to help. We gotta look out for one another."

"Thanks Sally," said Ginny, before letting her go. She could hear gravel crunching outside.

"You call me for anything. Anything at all."

Ginny nodded and saw Sally out as the next visitor was arriving.

***

The afternoon was bright, hot and muggy, perfect for aquatic warfare. Ginny sat in a wooden captain's chair by the back door, sipping pink lemonade and watching as teams formed and dissolved, ranging all over the back yard and into the woods. A few boys held the high ground in the tree house, until they ran out of ammunition and were forced to flee from a concerted assault. The squirrel boy was particularly effective, Ginny noticed. He had no fear of heights and could climb trees like no one she ever saw.

Once the balloons ran out the sprinklers were hooked up and there was a sort of style competition running and jumping through the shifting water. Travis, the raccoon boy, had attempted something a little too ambitious and ended up having to come inside to be fussed over and bandaged by Ginny.

By dinnertime she had 11 fairly soaked boys on her hands. As they paraded in through the mud room she made them strip down to their skivvies, tossing their clothes in the washer as they went, and grabbing towels from a stack. Some of the boys were obviously embarrassed, but Ginny acted like she couldn't care less as they quickly wrapped themselves back up, shy both from her eyes and the other boys'.

She didn't have to act, for the most part. She'd had a house full of boys for long enough now that she wasn't about to blush at a bunch of skinny fourteen-year-old males in underwear. That is, until Mark and Chris came in the door, last of the crowd. They didn't need to be told to strip, having seen everyone else do it. They tossed their clothes into the washer and Ginny poured in a capful of detergent and looked away as they walked past her.

She'd seen enough in one quick look though. They may have been the same age as Todd and Jeff, but they were more mature, for certain. Fuller faces, heavier arms. Taller, of course. She had held her breath, not wanting to smell them, not trusting herself.

She closed the lid and set the timer, hitting the knob with the flat of her palm. She looked up, to her side where the boys had filed out in their towels to dry in the cool air of the game room in front of a movie that was already being argued about. Mark was still there, holding his towel with one hand at his hip. He leaned easily against the door jamb and asked, "Uh, do you need any help, Mrs. Jackson?"

She let out her breath and looked up at his face. His black velvet ears were perked up and she noticed that he had a streak of darker grey fur that came down from his head halfway between his eyes. Her muscular tail thumped the side of the washer, making a hollow metal sound. She blinked and shook her head and said, "Oh, don't worry sweetie, I've got everything under control."

He smiled and nodded back, then pushed off from the door jamb and walked away, towards the game room where the rest of the boys were already putting on their other set of clothes they had brought. She leaned out away from the machine to watch him go. When he turned the corner she leaned back against the filling washer and covered her eyes with her hand, nose pointed at the floor. She laughed. Shook her head. Went into the kitchen to order the pizzas.

***

Dinner took an hour to arrive, on account of how far they were from the restaurant. She had figured half a pizza for everyone, then added two more just to be safe. When the carnage was over, only a few lonely slices remained. She had eaten three herself, sitting in the kitchen while the boys came and went.

Once enough grease-stained paper plates had been left in the kitchen trash, she called out, "All right, who wants cake?"

She had baked them after returning from the store. Two round layer cakes, just like always. Todd liked chocolate frosting while Jeff preferred coconut cream. She had put 14 little birthday candles on each, arranged in circles. She busied herself lighting them with a long stove match while the eager footsteps approached.

More paper plates were clutched in eager young hands. You would have thought they hadn't just eaten enough pizza to feed twice their number. She started singing the birthday song, and after an awkward moment they all joined in. They were awful- voices cracking or just plain off-key. By the end they were laughing at each other and Todd and Jeff quickly bent at the waist to blow out their respective candles. Jeff got all his in one breath and then punched his brother in the side playfully before Todd could get all his out.

Todd whuffed and then had to take a breath to get the last few candles.

Jeff raised his hands and said, "Winner! Coconut wins again!"

Todd grumbled, "Dude, no fair."

Chris called from the back of the audience, "That's ok, we'll just call him coconut from now on."

There was general laughter and agreement and Jeff looked a little less pleased with this idea. Ginny shook her head and ushered the boys to the side so she could start slicing.

Cake distributed, they all stood or sat in the kitchen, enjoying their cake in the focused silence of eating teenagers. Todd was the first to finish, perhaps trying to win a race of his own making, though he didn't announce the victory.

"Thanks mom," he said, giving her a chocolaty kiss on her cheek.

Jeff followed suit, as did Matthew and Dale. The rest thanked her as Mrs. Jackson, but she didn't get any more kisses.

Mark lingered behind, collecting the new pile of paper plates and plastic forks and throwing them in the garbage. He looked at the remaining pizza.

"Still hungry, Mark?" she asked him.

"No, I'm stuffed. I just thought we should put the rest into one box, and put it in the fridge."

She nodded, "Yep, I was going to do that. You can go have fun."

"Um. Ok."

"Thank you for trying to be helpful. Sally should be proud of you."

The boy blushed, his pink nose getting redder as he smiled and turned to go.

***

The treehouse was different at night than it was during the day. For one, it was not quite so stifling hot. And for another, Todd thought, it felt less like a lookout post- more like a sanctuary that held them safely inside. It was built in a great oak tree on the edge of the woods, so that one set of windows faced the house and the road, and the other set looked into the trees. At night, with the lights on inside the treehouse, the world outside was black and terrible. Except for the house, of course. It was the other sanctuary- the real one. But the treehouse was their little floating island, tethered to the mainland by a single power cable.

There were books and comics and games stored out here- more than usual, as Todd and Jeff had carried them across the yard in milk crates earlier in the day, planning for whatever their friends wanted to do most. As it turned out, though, they ended up mostly just talking about school, and their friends that they couldn't invite, and the notable or funny things that had happened during the last school year, real and rumored.

Most of them were going to be freshmen at the same high school in the fall, though not all. Peter was starting at a boarding school, out of town.

"Boys only?" asked Chris.

"Yeah," said Peter.

"Not that you mind that, eh?" said Jeff with a grin.

The fox rolled his eyes and didn't answer. It was a kind of open but never admitted secret that Peter liked boys. But none of his friends gave him any serious hassling about it. It was more of a novelty for them. Their gay friend.

P.J. said, "More important, do you have to wear a tie and a jacket and stuff, like in the movies?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I got to wear a uniform."

There was general mutterings of sympathetic outrage at that.

Peter added, "And I have to do my own laundry."

"Damn, dude, I'm sorry," said Todd. "Why do you have to go? What's wrong with Cedarford High?"

Peter shrugged. "My dad went there, and I passed their entrance exam. Maybe I should have flunked it, huh?"

"Nah," said Dean. "I'd go there if my folks could afford it. I took a tour once. It's fucking sweet."

"No sweet fucking though," giggled P.J. in his still-squeaky-high squirrel voice.

"Pff, what would you know about that?" demanded Jeff.

"Hey, I got the internet at home!"

"Peej, we're not talking about you jerkin' it every night."

"Well I doubt any of you have gotten any tail. Or we'd have heard about it," concluded P.J.

"Maybe some of us have," said Chris. "And we don't want to wreck it by telling the whole world about it."

P.J. flickered his grey bushy tail and opened his mouth to challenge Chris but he saw Mark lounging behind his brother making a lewd hand-sign and nodding while looking his way. The squirrel closed his mouth and just went, "Hmmph." But he looked at Chris with more respect, and some envy.

Instead of asking further, though, he turned to Todd. "Hey, maybe next year you could invite some girls."

Todd and Jeff laughed. Jeff said, "Yeah, like mom would allow that. Would be awesome, though, huh?"

There was general assent, even from Peter. The conversation turned to which of their female classmates they would have invited (or male in Peter's case, though he refused to name someone), then which they would want to share a bed or sleeping bag with at this fantasy co-ed birthday party.

There was a knock at the door to the treehouse. Todd didn't get up from where he was sitting, and instead just said, "What? We're having adult conversations in here."

The other boys snickered. From the screened window came Dale's voice. "Momma says she wants to know who's sleepin' where."

"Sleep? It's only like eight or something! I'm not going to sleep, like ever."

Dale was insistent. "She said you should figure it out now instead of later. That's what she said."

Todd used his most exasperated voice. "Fine! We'll decide and tell her in a while, ok?"

"Ok," said Dale, and the boys waited until they could see him crossing the yard with a flashlight.

P.J. said, "Dibs on the treehouse!"

"Same!" said Todd and Jeff.

"Not me, I'm sleeping inside, in the A/C," said Peter.

Billy mumbled, "Yeah, me too."

Chris said, "Treehouse. If there's room for another opossum?"

"Yeah, we can do four, maybe five up here," said Jeff.

Mark looked out at the house and said, "I think I'll grab one of those nice guest rooms y'all have."

Travis considered for a little and then said, "Well, I figured we'd be watching zombie movies until three AM, so I'm gonna be on the couch down in front of the big TV. Dunno if I'll be sleeping, though!"

"Zombie movies?" asked Todd.

"Yeah! I brought Z-Force and Hungry Dead and Hungry Dead 3 and-"

"What happened to two?"

"Two sucked."

"How can you tell the difference?"

"Hey, zombie films are an art!" insisted the raccoon.

Todd said, "Ok, whatever, what about you, Dean?"

"Ehh, can I decide later?"

Todd shrugged. "I guess. I dunno why mom cares."

Jeff said, "Good enough. Go tell her, Todd."

"What? I'm staying here. One of y'all who are sleeping inside can do it."

"We're not going in right now, are we?" asked P.J.

"How about we all go in and watch Travis' movies and then when you get tired, or scared, you tell mom where you're gonna sack out and then she'll know where everyone is."

That got enough nods for Todd's satisfaction, and he got up and headed out the door and down the ladder, followed by the rest.

***

Ginny had no interest in disgusting zombies, so she retired to her bedroom to watch cable on her own TV, and left the boys to their movies in the game room. She left the door open, so she could hear if she were needed, but mostly all she heard was jeering comments from the boys and the occasional scream or visceral meaty sound from the movie. She tried to tune the latter out.

They had told her who was planning on sleeping out in the treehouse, but she thought it was much more likely that most of them would end up sprawled across the carpet in the game room despite efforts to stay up all night. She'd just have to do a headcount later, to figure out where everyone was, just in case there was some kind of emergency. The weather, according to the channel she had just flipped past, was forecast to be clear and quiet for days, though.

She had told Matthew and Dale that they could stay up as long as they liked too, and they were determined to take advantage of that. She gave them an hour, two at the most, before they were curled up on one of the couches.

Periodically she got up and did a tour of the house, to check on them all. The first film had had a full audience, but the second one the raccoon boy had brought had less of a following, and the group had split up. There were four in the kitchen playing Mille Bornes- Jeff and Todd were teaching Peter and Billy, who had never played it before. Travis and Dean and Mark were watching the movie. Matthew and Dale were watching the insides of their eyelids.

She asked Mark, "Where's your brother and P.J.?"

Mark said, "They went out to the treehouse to watch something else on the little TV up there. Want me to check on them?"

She didn't really want to get her shoes back on and go walking through the yard with a flashlight, so she nodded. "Please? I just want to be sure they're in there."

"No problem, Mrs. J," the young jack said, getting up from the couch and heading to the back door.

She followed him to the mud room, to fetch the clothes from the dryer. He looked out the door and said, "I can see the TV's on up there. Be right back," he smiled to Ginny.

***

The TV was certainly on when Mark made it to the top of the ladder and opened the door, but Chris and P.J. weren't watching it. They were sitting on the floor facing each other.

"I interrupt something?" asked Mark.

"N-no," stammered P.J.

Mark looked at Chris, whose nose betrayed him. He said, "Look, man, I won't judge. Though I might tell Peter he's missing out."

Chris laughed. "No, it's not like that. Well, maybe it is to P.J." He looked at the squirrel. "Is it like that?"

The squirrel shook his head vehemently.

Chris continued, "No, see, P.J. wanted to hear about me and Kelly Price, you know?"

"I know," Mark nodded.

"Yeah, well, you also know that why Kelly wanted to get with me was mostly because I'm awesome, but also partly because she was curious about our uh, marsupial advantage."

Mark rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "So you had to show him, huh?"

Chris nodded.

Mark looked to P.J. "Was it a religious experience for you, like it supposedly was for Kelly Price?"

P.J. laughed. "It was far out. All I got are a set of huge balls. But you guys take the fucking cake!"

Chris said, "We take the cake and eat it too!"

Mark had to grin at that. "All right, I'm only here to make sure you two are safe in the treehouse for Mrs. Jackson."

"You've been sucking up to her all evening, I noticed," said Chris.

"I'm just trying to be a good guest."

"Uh huh. Nothing to do with her being a hot-looking jill?"

"Dude, she's Todd and Jeff's mom."

"Yeah, but she's not ours."

Mark made a skeptical face and flatted his ears. "Anyway, you two are up here for the night?"

"Probably, yeah," said Chris.

"Then my work here is done. I'll let Peter know it's dick show and tell up here when I get back to the house." He turned and headed out the door. As he was walking back to the house he could hear Chris hooting at his back.

"Good luck with Mrs. J!"

***

When Mark got back to the house, he made good on his word and told Peter about the activities in the treehouse. Peter thought he was just ribbing him, so he elected to keep playing cards.

Looking around the house, Mark found Ginny in her bedroom, sitting cross-legged on her bed while she watched her television. He stayed in the doorway and said, "Chris and P.J. are fine. Thought you'd uh, like to know."

Ginny nodded. "Thanks again, Mark. Are they staying out there?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Mark noticed that Ginny had changed into a light green nightgown, probably preparing for bed. He looked further down, in her lap. She was wearing panties too, to his disappointment.

She noticed he was still standing there in the doorway and looked over at him. "Is there something else you need, Mark?"

Mark quickly shook his head. "No, ma'am.Uhm. What are you watching?"

"Oh, it's one of those detective shows. I'm flipping between that and the news when they go to commercial. But a lot of the time they seem to have commercials at the same time!"

Mark laughed. "I know! Uh, which detective show?" He took a step into the room, and craned his neck to see the TV screen.

Ginny said, "Law & Order."

Mark recited the familiar opening lines of the show and Ginny giggled. "That's the one. I guess you're a fan too."

Mark nodded.

"Well, you can watch with me, if you want. I guess you're not too into zombies either?"

There wasn't a chair in the room, only the bed, so Mark hopped up on the corner, sitting cross-legged like Ginny, facing the television. "No, but I didn't want to say anything. Travis is pretty serious about it."

Ginny stole a sideways glance at Mark. He was looking at the television, but soon he tried to steal a similar glance at her and quickly looked away again. She smiled. "Have you seen this one?"

Mark said, "I think so- is this the one where the guy has his mistress killed and frames his wife for it?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm pretty sure it is. It's funny, I still watch 'em even when I know what's going to happen."

"Me too."

They watched in relative silence for a while, occasionally laughing at some quip from one of the policemen on the screen. Ginny began to be very aware of his scent, am achingly familiar earthy musk. Why hadn't she noticed it on Todd and Jeff's clothes, she wondered?

When the episode ended she excused herself to make her rounds. The zombie-watchers were still enthralled, and had gained another back. The card game had ended, the game boxed up on the kitchen table by someone. The players were gone- one back to the movie, and the other three to the treehouse, presumably. Her two and Peter, by her count. Rather than ask Mark to troop out there for her again, she went to the back door with the flashlight and headed out herself.

She reached the bottom of the ladder and called up, "Head count! Last call for the night!"

There was a small commotion and Jeff's face appeared behind the screened window. "Uhh- five!Me, Todd, Chris, Peter and P.J."

"Ok. You need anything before I head to bed?"

"Nope!" was the quick answer. "G'night!" and his face disappeared.

Huh, she thought. Probably best not to dwell on it. She headed back to the house.

***

She decided to carry Matthew and Dale to their own beds rather than leave them on the couch. They were getting heavy- it hit her, then, how old even her babies were. In only a few years Todd and Jeff would probably be off to college, with Matthew and Dale right behind them. And then where would she be? Alone in this house full of empty spaces. She tucked them both in, kissing their foreheads and closing the door behind them. Even though they had so many bedrooms, both pairs still roomed together with bunk beds.

She did one last sweep through the game room- one more boy was missing. She found him sprawled out on a guest bed- he had chosen the king-size- and she closed the door as she headed back to her own room.

She had somehow forgotten about Mark. She found him curled up on his side on her bed, also asleep. The next episode of Law & Order was well underway so she reclaimed her spot and watched the rest of it, then clicked the television off. What to do now? She didn't want to wake the poor boy up and roust him out. She didn't want to go sleep in one of the guest bedrooms, either. A fleeting image of what she really wanted but didn't want to consider bubbled to the surface but she held her hand to her muzzle and closed her eyes.

That didn't help. She carefully leaned over, studying the young jack. He was wearing a t-shirt for some band she didn't know, and some frayed denim shorts. His thick naked tail came out the notch in the back, and the end was curled around one of his pink-soled feet. She quietly sniffed at him, filling her nose with that scent. She shivered and brought her knees up under her chin, staring at the dark television screen. She could see herself in the dark reflection, huddled with herself, with a jack asleep next to her. Suddenly she was crying. Silently, with her hand over her muzzle, not wanting to wake him up. Not wanting to explain. Not wanting him to see her like this. She crept into her bathroom and sat on the lid of the toilet until the tears stopped.

When she returned to her room, she closed her door and crawled under the covers on her side, letting Mark stay on top of them on his. For once, she thought, she would have warm company for the night.

Mark woke up in darkness. For a moment he couldn't figure out where he was- his room at home had various small devices with LEDs that never went off unless the power failed. Then he remembered he wasn't at home. The warm lump under the bedcovers next to him helped him solve the rest of the puzzle. He had planned to just take a little nap while Mrs. Jackson was out of the room, but apparently his body had had other ideas. And she didn't wake him up! She just crawled into bed next to him and went to sleep, herself.

He pushed himself up to his knees, and looked over her to the other side of the bed- there was a light in the darkness. Red numerals told him it was 3:22. He sat on his knees for a while, listening to her whispering breath as she slept. Well, clearly she had been all right with him sleeping in here. He didn't really want to leave. He pulled his shirt off and left it on the floor next to the bed and crawled under the covers with her. He found she was on her side underneath, facing away from him. He eagerly spooned up with her, resting one hand on her hip. His only problem now was a lack of drowsiness, and a distinct tightness in his shorts.

Ginny rose slowly out of the depths of sleep, her dreams dissolving into nothing as she became more aware of her real self, her real bed. And the real presence snuggled up behind her. The real warmth of his furry chest against her back. The real weight of the palm of his hand on her hip. It felt so good, so right, so dreamlike that she at first assumed it had to be a dream. She kept still, barely breathing, worrying that at any moment it would end and she would be alone in her bed again. But it didn't fade and she opened her eyes. Her clock told her it was 3:43. And the breath on her neck told her that Mark had joined her under the covers.

It was wrong, she knew. This was her boys' friend. Her friend's son! Though Sally had said they'd be there if she needed anything at all. Those were her words. But not this. Why not this? How was this worse than going to the damned clinic and getting some faceless jack's seed? Because he'd know. And Sally would know. And oh lord Todd and Jeff would know. And the whole world would know and she'd be exactly the kind of hillbilly trash everyone expected an opossum to be. It wasn't fair. Especially since she could feel the boy faintly throbbing against her tail.

She whispered into the darkness, "They can never know."

"I know," whispered Mark, his breath warm on her ear-cup.

She sat up like a shot, and he fell onto his back.

"I- I- I-" she stammered.

Mark reached over and stroked her thigh. "Sorry, Mrs. J. I didn't mean to scare you. I just meant I won't tell anyone you let me sleep here tonight."

Ginny found herself hyperventilating, and she forced herself to calm down. "Ok. It's ok, Mark. I was- I thought you were- never mind."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No, I- I don't want you to go. Can- can you spoon with me some more? I just- it feels real nice."

"I think it does too."

She couldn't see him in the darkness, but she slid back down, back to him, pushing herself against him as he curled around her, one arm now over her side and placed on her belly. She shuddered out a sigh and whispered, "Thank you, Mark."

He didn't answer, but his hand gently stroked over her belly. He throbbed again, against her tail. She decided not to mention it. After the third time, though, he said, "Sorry. I can't help it, Mrs. J."

"I know, sweetie. It's not your fault." He wasn't the only one feeling aroused, she thought, as an internal contraction rolled through her groin.

He made a small sigh and rolled his hips against her, beginning to dry-hump her tail.

"That is, though."

He stopped, backed away. "Sorry, Mrs. J," he said, shame in his voice. "But you're so pretty. And you smell so good."

She smiled, reminded that he was no adult lover, despite how mature he might look. "Do you need to take care of that, so we both can get some sleep?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and sat up. He slid out of bed and started picking his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To- to take care of it. Like you said."

"I didn't say you had to do it yourself."

He stopped. She couldn't see him, but she could imagine his stunned expression. It gave her a shiver. He said, "D-do you mean..."

"Come back to bed, Mark. And take off your shorts."

She heard the eager fingers working at the buttons, front and back, then the soft sound of his shorts hitting the floor. He slid back under the covers, naked now. She reached out, finding his chest, and slid her hand down over his stomach to his groin. There she found him fully erect, his twin points flared apart and angled away from each other, as if he were already deep inside a jill. It would not take long, she thought. She explored his length, from thick root to tapered points. This is the first erect penis I've held in over four years was her next thought.

She ducked her head under the covers and followed her nose to the thick scent of his arousal. He lay back against the pillows, unsure what to do with his hands. She didn't offer advice- her mouth was busy. She gently took one of his points in her muzzle, cradling him with her tongue while her fingers wiggled the flesh of its twin. So hard and eager! She could feel him twitch and harden against the roof of her muzzle, taste the salty-musky-bitter pre. Her fingers slipped lower to cup his balls, they were already tight. She opened her mouth and tried to engulf both points at once. She could just do it, while her tongue flickered over the flesh of the split.

He gasped. She relented, for a moment, then starting moving her tongue again, then her whole muzzle, letting both tips feel the ribs of her palate. He was breathing quick, shallow, loud. He swallowed and moaned and his hips jerked up. She wasn't expecting it but she recovered and held him in her mouth. He jerked again and he made a louder groan. His penis jumped against her tongue and semen squirted from both tips into her cheeks. She held him fast, keeping her tongue still as he came. His whole body tight as an overloaded clothesline. She let his warm seed pool in her cheeks until he finished. Then she slowly pulled her muzzle away, cleaning him off as she did so. Then she lay back on her pillow next to him, quietly swallowing him down. Another thing she hadn't done in over four years. She found the taste had not improved.

She licked her muzzle and asked, "Better?"

He took a minute to answer, as if he was considering the depth of his reply. "Yes," he finally said.

She reached over and petted his shoulder. "I don't think I have to tell you to keep this quiet?"

"They can never know," he whispered.

"Smart boy," she said, and rolled back onto her side.

After a minute, he resumed his position curled up behind her. He said, "I feel like I should do something for you."

She chuckled. "You're sweet, but you ever licked a girl before?"

"No," he admitted.

"Well, I'm not teaching you tonight. But I appreciate the offer."

He nodded, tucking his nose against her neck, apparently drowsy after his orgasm. As she had hoped. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep as well.

After thirty minutes of torture, she gave up. She wasn't going to get any rest with her loins slick and swollen. Worse yet, the boy was hard again. She really should have expected that. And maybe she had. Maybe she was waiting for it. She reached between her legs, felt her soaked panties, traced the furrow of her vulva. So easy- it would be so easy.

She slid her body away from him slightly, and he didn't move to protest. Asleep, then. She hooked her fingers under the elastic of her panties and stripped them off, tossing them near where she thought her hamper was. Then she snuggled back against him once more, nudging and worrying her bottom into his belly, her tail curling out of the way, the prehensile tip holding onto her ankle. She could feel his erection, the points still together, gently touching the back of her thighs. She reached between her legs and stroked him, felt him respond.

He awoke with a start and a sharp inhale. "Mrs. J?" he asked.

She didn't answer, just kept stroking him. She could feel him getting harder. She held him against her slit. He could feel her heat and he moaned, "Oh Mrs J- Oh I wanna-"

She pushed him into her opening and he eagerly thrust forward. She bit her wrist to keep from crying out. The warmth, the feeling of being full again, and not with dead plastic. Real, living throbbing flesh, seeking deep into her. He held himself there, his hands grasping at her shoulders tightly. He pulled back, breathing quickly and raggedly, plunged back inside. Held himself there again. She could feel his points beginning to flare, beginning to quest into the tight passages that led to her twin wombs. There was nothing, nothing better than a jack, she thought.

He was shaking, unable to control himself. He humped again, and again, unable to fully process or control the cascading bliss he felt. His paws left her shoulders and wrapped around her middle, holding her tight. He ground his hips against her thighs, pushing himself deeper, feeling how her insides perfectly surrounded him, like nothing he had ever felt. He could feel the tide rising again in his balls.

He croaked, "I'm gonna cum, Mrs. J."

"I know, sweetie, I know. Do it inside me, please..." she let her plea trail off into a hiss of pleasure as she could feel him really flaring now, his points angled apart, pointing straight at her unprotected cervices. She was committed now, and thought of two little squirming kits in her pouch, then clinging to her back, then keeping her house filled with happiness and love.

It was doubtful that Mark was thinking anything of the sort. His mind was overloaded with the impending climax and he rolled up onto her thighs and held himself there, still clinging to her middle. He hunched and grunted and his groin contracted, sending a torrent through his shaft and out both points simultaneously.

Her passage clenched around him and she squealed into her pillow, feeling his sperm squirting into her in a series of strong jets. He was breeding her, filling her with new life. She knew her body would be taking advantage of the suddden opportunity, releasing eggs to to meet his rising twinned swimmers. She let go of everything, her doubts, her grief- she let the warm pleasure overtake her, the tingling spreading from her abdomen all the way to her fingers and toes and tail and ears.

She came back to reality seconds later with him still hunched atop her rear end, breathing loudly against her neck. She tried not to move, in order to prolong the weightless feeling she had missed so much. She could feel him twitch every so often, but he was done, she knew. His points were already receding, shrinking away. Soon he would slip out of her. Then would come the talk.

She waited until he had rolled off her, lying on his back. She still could not see him, but she knew he was awake, probably staring at the ceiling. She said softly, "Mark, honey. We should talk a little."

"Yeah."

"You need to know that you probably just impregnated me."

He swallowed and said in a pleading voice, "I'm sorry, Mrs. J- but you said..."

"Hush, dear. I know. I wanted you to. It might not have been my best idea ever. But now we have to understand each other."

"They can never know," he whispered again.

"That's one part, yes. I don't think Todd and Jeff would forgive you. And I don't know what Sally would think. As far as any of them will know, I went to the clinic and got donor sperm. I like this way better, though," she said, and found his hand, squeezing it in hers.

"Ok. But they will still be my kits."

"Yes, they will. But I'm not looking for a father for them. You can visit them, but you have to be careful. There may come a day when we can tell them. Tell everyone. But I will decide when that day is. Do you understand?"

"I can't- this is too much. I can't believe I just got you pregnant, Mrs. J!"

"Do you understand? I know I'm asking you to be as grown up as you look, Mark. Please Mark, for me, for Todd and Jeff, for your mom. For the kits you just made with me. It's the only way this works."

"Ok," he said after a minute of silence. "I understand. Was that all you wanted from me? Just my cum?" he asked, sounding hurt.

She rolled towards him and hugged him. "Oh, baby, I wanted a lot of things from you, some you can't even give me. But having you snuggled up against me reminded me of things I hadn't felt since-"

"Oh."

"Can you forgive me?"

"Yeah, Mrs. J."

"Will you stay with me until the morning?"

"Yeah. I will."

"Thank you, sweetie. It means a lot to me."

"Can we- can we do this again? Maybe?"

She giggled. "Ask me again in a few years."