I didn't want to think about it myself, let alone try to explain why Cindy was only going to be home one week, the same week as my final exams.I spent... the next hour making entries in my journal. I recorded what had taken place at school the previous week, Cadets I had counseled, Charlie's visits to my room, Josh getting his chance to play quarterback, the play, funny things that Marcie had said and my correspondence with friends. When I got to Cindy the entry was only one sentence; 'Cindy is. She asked if I would sleep with her in her bed. Strange choice, since I had a king size bed and she only had a twin. But she was scared and needed me so I agreed.We crawled under the cover, she had a nighty on, a short one, and I had a t-shirt and boxer shorts on. Our legs touched each other when we got in the bed. Yeah, sure our bodies touched as well, but they had clothes on so no skin was touching. Nat hugged me and thanked me for being there for her and for protecting her. She held me tight. Jeff will find a job, the economy isn't that bad right now. I'm sure he can find one."Megan held her older sister's hands in her own. They'd always been a bit distant, owing to the fact that Elizabeth was 34, and Megan only 28. Megan had always been the more driven and responsible of the two sisters. She was fresh out of law school, and had already landed a job at one of the nation's top law firms. Elizabeth on the other hand had muddled through college and gotten an MRS degree as easily as she. It wasn’t too late to turn around and go home. She’d forfeit the fee she’d paid, of course, but at least she’d be safe… Shaking her head, she took a slow, deep breath, and steeled herself. If she chickened out now, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. She set out on the trail, thankful for the cool breeze that whispered through the trees to either side of her. It promised to be a warm August day. She was dressed for it, though. In fact, she was under dressed. Other than the sturdy hiking.