" Lucas poured out two generous measures of brandy and corked the decanter again."I insist," he said, taking the heavy crystal tumblers to the couch ...and passing one to Mia. She took it uncertainly, and sipped. "Now," said Lucas with a warm smile, sitting down next to her, "what seems to be the trouble?" It's the assignment. Donne, Elegy Twenty. I've read the poem a hundred times, and it doesn't make sense." In what way?" It's..." She hesitated for the briefest moment. "Archaic?" It is,". Herbirth parents pretty much never gave her anything pleasant, and her realparents never surprised her, and she had no idea whatsoever how to react."Wowwww, thanks so much, guys!" she said eventually, because shelogically determined that she had to say something like that, but justthe idea of all four of them taking the time and effort to work togetherto actually prepare something like that, to actually put that stuff on,to actually do something like that for her because they truly wanted todo. There were several other pictures of the family on themantle. In any picture that should contain his mother, he saw himself inher clothes posing instead. He didn't see any pictures of himself as aboy. There were only pictures of him wearing his mother's clothes, hisfather, his two sisters and the dog.Inside he looked at himself in the mirror. There he saw himself.Beneath the lipstick and the eyeshadow he saw his own face. Nothing hadchanged. But seeing himself he did what he had to do, he. It was November when that first snow came. There had been a cold rain for two days before reminding everyone to think about better coverings. When the water in buckets outside froze, it looked exciting at first to have some cold weather since most of them had prepared for it.By Thanksgiving, the snow stayed. People were starting to suffer from the cold and game was harder to find.John was considered the best hunter. He had abandoned his rifle to a place on his mantle along with its remaining.