"I'llshow you a new life." She actually chuckled to herself. It was the firsttime she had felt anything like joy since the accident.)It rained heavily... that Sunday night, and not long after the girls hadfallen asleep, a thunderstorm began. Both girls came running out of theirbedroom and asked if they could sleep with their mother. She turned backthe covers and invited them to climb under with her. The sensation oftheir bodies against hers was both strange and comforting at the sametime. "There,. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard the bathroom door creak open and turned my head to look. Oh my god. Sam was standing there in only a towel, her mass of blonde ringlets falling around her bare shoulders. I sat up quickly, staring at her. ‘See something you like, Fredweeb?’ she taunted. ‘Come here,’ I said in a tone that was so low I wasn’t sure if it was even my own voice. Sam edged toward the bed, seeming a little nervous. I held my hand out to her, taking hers and kissing it. Monica is pretty determined to get back into the house, one way or the other." What about the guy?" His name is Tom Bostic. He is still in the hospital, and will probably be there a couple of more weeks." What the hell? All I did was beat on him a little. Why is he still in the damn hospital?" You beat on him a lot, John. Besides the broken ribs and collar bone, he had a lot of damage inside. I couldn't get all the details, but I think it had something to do with his kidneys and spleen. You. I am a widow.”I apologized profusely, which she waved off as unnecessary. “I am curious,” I admitted. “You are not many years older than I, so how can you be a widow several years.”“Well, you see, I married when I was your age, at sixteen, but within our first year found myself widowed. Michael died nigh on four years ago, so the pain is gone, but not the memories, and they were sweet memories indeed.”“Go on. I am all ears,” I urged.“Well, just in case you haven’t learned by now, I grew up in.