He got himself behind her and ran his hands along her sides. For him, drunk and whole were pretty much the same thing. They were a divorce from the reality of the bad turn his life had taken. That he was making the conscious choice to be with her and not drunk only spoke to the concern he had for his liver. It made no mention of his general avoidance behavior.

After tracing her sides and her spine, he reached one arm around her belly, supporting her as he pushed inside her. Despite the teasing he'd given her earlier, he still opted for the more traditional use of the position.