Jerome was born in August. His Irish twin sister, Madison, was born the previous October. Although Madison was born ten months before Jerry -- he hates Jerome -- they were in the same class year in school. School districts usually establish a date certain to allow children to begin school when five years old and Jerry and Madison's school district used September first for that purpose. Jerry's mom withheld Jerry for an extra year until he was six. She felt the extra year provided extra maturity that would serve Jerry well and improve his school performance. Madison expressed her disagreement with her mother's decision about Jerry, suggesting that it was unfair and she really wanted to attend school at the same time as Jerry. Her mother relented and held Madison for an extra year as well. The result was Jerry started school just after he turned six but his sister had to wait until she was almost seven.
They were in the same kindergarten class, the same sixth grade class and the same graduating class. When they graduated from high school two years ago, Madison was nineteen and Jerry was eighteen. They've been attending classes at the local campus of the state university since graduation and are still living at home with their parents.
Heather, Jerry and Madison's mother, is a talented artist. She works from home and sells art on the internet and at an occasional art show or exhibition. These events take her away from home for a week or more, something that has been happening more often since the kids are older. Joshua, their father, is an executive employee of a three-letter, acronym federal agency and travels extensively on assignments, sometimes for a month or more.
The Irish twin thing occurred when Josh was home between assignments for Madison's birth and the holidays. Even though they're not Catholic, he took a lot of ribbing about having Irish twins.
They live in a four-bedroom, colonial house on a cul-de-sac in a small community. Madison and Jerry have their own bedrooms and share a bathroom between the rooms. Josh and Heather share a larger bedroom with its own bathroom. The largest room, which was advertised as a bonus room, was converted into a studio for Heather's artwork. The room height was expanded into the unused attic and much of the roof, and one wall, were converted to windows allowing for a natural northern exposure.
Madison and Jerry are very close. Over the years, they have learned to trust each other and they share their private thoughts and personal experiences with each other without hesitation or embarrassment. They are both sexually active since graduating from high school and they discuss the various successes and failures of their sexual liaisons with each other. Madison is not reluctant to describe the various physical attributes of her sexual partners, leaving Jerry to ponder on how he would rate on Madison's personal size preference scale. She is also quite open about her use of birth control hormones to prevent pregnancy. Jerry also shares his exploits with emphasis on the size, shape and texture of his conquest's breasts and his use of condoms when unsure of a woman's own pregnancy preventive methods. Madison sometimes, usually after one of Jerry's stories, will stand in front of her mirror, naked, fondling her breasts and wondering how Jerry would rate them.
Despite this close relationship, neither of them has expressed an interest in having a sexual relationship with their sibling.
Recently, the routine around the house changed. Josh had left two weeks earlier on an extended assignment without a definite completion date and Heather was taking a break from her artwork, spending her time reading and lunches with friends. School was in a planned ten-day break. Madison was home with her mother and Jerry was off to a five-day computer exposition in Las Vegas, presumably learning about hardware and software. He informed Madison he was packing condoms, so he was probably sowing some oats as well.
Heather and Madison shared breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and shared increasingly personal conversations with each other. During dinner, two days after Jerry had left for Vegas, Madison shared with her mother some of the topics she was able to discuss with her brother.
"You mean you and Jerry discuss sex with each other?" asked Heather.
"Not sex with each other. That doesn't happen. We share the details of our sex with others," clarified Madison.
"Details?" asked Heather.
"Yeah. Details," confirmed Madison.
"Isn't that uncomfortable?" asked Heather.
"I thought it would be at first but Jerry is very supportive. He listens without judgment. He cheers my victories and consoles me on my disappointments. Overall, I'm glad he's there for me."
"How about Jerry?" asked Heather. "He shares the details of his successes and failures with you?"
"He doesn't have many failures," Madison told her mother. "And he is forthright about those he does have. He understands the meaning of 'no,' even at the last second and he seems to be supportive of the women if they are embarrassed by the situation. Once, he shared about his own embarrassment when, after a few too many adult beverages, he was unable to perform with a more than willing woman. He was able to laugh about it when he told me. According to Jerry, he and the woman sealed the deal the next night. Jerry told me the expectation was high, the performance anxiety enormous and the reality worth the wait."
"That's incredible," offered Heather.
"What's incredible?" asked Madison.
That you and your brother can have such open and honest conversations with each other," said Heather. "Your father and I used to have similar discussions but never about sex with others. However, talking about our sex lives together greatly benefited our relationship."
"You sound as if the discussions are no longer happening," said Madison.
"They're not completely gone, just less frequent. Much less frequent. Your father's gone a lot and we've gotten older. In reality, I miss the sex," said Heather.
"Mom!" exclaimed Madison.
"I know I shouldn't have said that," said Heather. "I hope you will treat it with the same care that you do with what you and Jerry share."
"I will," pledged Madison.
At breakfast the next morning, Heather seemed distracted.
"Mom," asked Madison. "What's the problem?"
"What? I don't have a problem," responded Heather.
"Then why the long face?" asked Madison.
"It's nothing," said Heather.
"Look," said Madison. "Something's bothering you. You talked with me last night. Talk to me now," she insisted.
"It's really nothing," Heather responded.
"Then tell me about nothing," said Madison.
"I had a dream last night," Heather finally admitted.
"It must have been a hell of a dream to get you down this morning," said Madison.
"I dreamt about sex," declared Heather.
"How can a dream about sex be depressing?" asked Madison.
"It wasn't about sex with your father," announced Heather.
"Oh. That was unexpected. Who did you dream you had sex with?" asked Madison.
"That's the problem," said Heather.
