"Don't worry, I'm here," he says.

Your first time. Kennedy knows this, which is why he is courteous, gentle, unhurried, and devotes as much time as necessary to foreplay. Gentle circular movements on the hips focus attention on the sensations of hot hands. There is no pressure in them, only heat. It seeps through the skin, reaches the lump of icy fear inside. It's still there, but it's getting quieter, muffled by touch. It's thawing out.