Thanks for all you do. Remember, next year when my girl is on this stage, light her well, or you will have me to worry about.”“Sure thing, Boss,�...� he said, slapping my back.“Ladies, I am in the mood for a spa later tonight. How about you?”“Michael,” my mother said looking at me funny, “Something about you ... is different, but I can’t put my finger on it.”“You better not, or Jenn may have something to say about that,” I grinned, going up to her and giving her a big hug and a nice kiss.“I am so. ..I'm kind of bored of parties, you know? They're all the same. I think I'm too old for it." Old before your time?" Just grown up."The house seemed very quiet. A clock ticked. Sonia’s palms sweated. "School's really not as good without you, you know," Sonia said."That's very flattering, but I'm enjoying the time off." Writing your book?"He seemed to choose his words carefully. "Yes. Of course. But mostly looking after Ivan. We tried both working for the first year, but he really needs at least. Then there was this doorbell ringing. It was the Chinese food delivery boy. I made mashimoni comfortable, disposed off the delivery boy, put the food in the microwave and started fixing the drink. Like me, mashimoni enjoyed her premium scotch but kept within limits. But I knew that, again like me, she didn’t mind crossing the limit, when free of worries and in right company. I remembered one occasion at her house when both of us got a bit tipsy in the company of only our husbands. That evening. A few more sessions and Mr Smith would have his lovely wife preciselywhere he wanted her. Reginald would have her, too, since he always lefta "back-door" in his programming of his patients - a term that wasparticularly appropriate for the modifications he was making toVictoria's mindset. Reginald would have his very own "back-door" toVictoria's very own back-door."Doctor?" his receptionist's voice called, made slightly tinny by theelectronic intercom. "Your three-thirty appointment is.