I just wanted to have my friend back.Switching to French, I managed to complete most of the assigned work whenI heard mom calling for me from downstai...rs. I jumped off the bed andbounced down the steps, wondering what was important enough for her toyell up at me.I rounded the corner and froze at the entrance to the living room. Myfather was standing in the middle of the room, the television behind himtuned to one of the twenty-four hour news channels. He usually left itplaying as background. I’ll be sure to put that in my resume. My abductor said I was more trouble than a bunch of wildcats.”“I’ll write you a recommendation if you like?”“You know something, Bubba, I might just take you up on that. Add some human interest and life experience to what’s in my high school year book entry.”I laughed.“I’ll have to do some thinking about the best way of phrasing that without incriminating myself. Just make sure you accept any ‘friend’ request from a guy calling himself Bubba, and I’ll. He knew shecould be emotional but not very often. He wondered what she wasgoing to say. She dabbed her eyes with tissue and continued. "Your remarks last night hit home. They hit hard. I am so, sosorry I didn't respect who you are. I just wanted to change how youlooked at people, especially women. I thought if you had to live asa woman you would see things differently. I never realized you feltthe way you do. You can go back to wearing your men's clothes." He thought he had misheard her but. "No way," you say, "She's amazing. She's the only one for me."The barmans eyes widen."You probably shouldn't have said that." he says."Whatever," you sneer, and head off to the bathroom.You finish your business, wash your hands and go to leave.. but the door back to the bar isn't there any more."What the hell?"You hear a musical laugh behind you and turn to see Maebh sitting casually on the high windowsill, dressed in her weird, old fashioned looking clothing, boots, a long skirt, some sort of.