"Thank you mam," I said."You know your father was very mad at your brother for hitting you," shesaid."He was? Why?" I asked."Because," she said, "he d...oesn't want you in the hospital and he doesn'twant to spend the money on you. Incase you haven't figured it out by now,your father thinks that spending money on you is a waste. I mean, you arejust a sissy maid after all." Yes mother, I know," I said as I kept folding the clothes."Would you like to go with me to get your nails done Bobbie?" she. She let go of her bear hug and I turned to face her. There is no substitute for a warm welcome home. The villager was one of the early settlers, a quiet woman with a woodcutter for a protector. Her eyes were warm with welcome and I kissed her with a warm, loving kiss, more than I should, given her status. When she opened her eyes a broad smile greeted me."The first beauty to greet me gets the best kiss," I said with a half-grin.She squeezed me and ran off into the crowd of porters, as a few. I rubbed her leg with my fingertips. She sniffled once, but said in her soft voice, “No, I do some martial arts, kung fu and a little tai chi.” I kept rubbing her leg. Her skin was perfect. My hand slid along her hip. “Tai chi? Isn’t that like super slow arm waving or something?” She laughed a little. “Well, it can look like that, but there’s a lot more going on. It’s sort of the same as kung fu, except it’s internal, not external. It’s slow, at least when you practice the forms but I mostly do. Beth Ann looked at me, in the bright moonlight, and said, "I don't have any idea what it is with you, Mister, but I feel so attracted to you. When Colleen bragged to Rebecca and her mother about being with you, all I could think about was us kissing the other day."Carl, I'm not very experienced, but for the first time in my life, I am willing – even anxious – to be with a man and do ... things ... together. You know ... things." Her smile was nervous, and I knew her courage was about to fail,.