......" and she let it hang for a few minutes. "What?" I asked again. "He's dead!" She pushed her part of the paper across to me and pointed to an obi...tuary. I looked at the picture of the gentleman. He was a nice looking older man, probably around my age or a little older, and I read the obit. "Dead!" she said once more. "I can't believe it." I put the paper down and we looked at each other. "Can you believe that?" she asked me. "I never would have expected a heart attack," she stated. "He. ’ She said, scared half to death. ‘Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you ever again.’ I said in a reassuring voice. She looked up at me. ‘Michael.. You don’t understand how much it would hurt me.. I’m still a virgin..’ That gave me a little shock. But I sat down on the couch next to her and said: ‘I’ll protect you. I always will.’ She had tears in her eyes now, happy ones. She hugged me as tight as she could and gently kissed me on the lips. It was more than a kiss you give to your friends. Much. It seems like ever since Mom died, Dad has been obsessed with making a lasting impression. You were seventeen, I was fourteen. Maybe Dad's lectures made a bigger impression on me." Sam sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, a gesture Al had seen since Sam was a kid. When something couldn't be explained, or Sam couldn't find an answer, that was what he did. "I don't know. There are times I wish I were more like you, easy going and free. It seems like I always have to be producing, coming. His station for the final segment of their extended charade was elsewhere.As soon as the bay was re-pressurized Mallet strode confidently down the lander's extended ramp. "Cromartie!" he called out as he went. He was, as Meiersdottir had predicted, by himself. But his hand lingered suspiciously near a pocket in his suit."Mallet only," said Cromartie on the bridge into his communicator. He was observing the bay on the monitor."Go' i'," MacPherson's voice responded."OK," came Igwanda's whisper;.