He, too, was changing. Zak was still thin, but scrawniness had become wiry muscle. A boy, but working on becoming a man. If genetically he favored his... father, Alice was beginning to see why Krissy's mom had strayed."Almost," she told him, looking down at the cucumber plants before her. "At least for today." Same here. Looks like tomorrow there will be more."That was one of the things Alice had been pleasantly surprised to discover. Vegetables did not all ripen at once. They came in waves, not. "Whatever," I stupidly answered before I realized she was going to be pissed. It must have been the Valium loosening my brain up."Whatever huh?" She did not look as pleased as her voice rose. Then she laughed. A sinister, cruel, gut-turning laugh. "Whatever sounds good to me too."Without warning she slapped me hard, making my head spin. Damn this woman liked to slap the shit out of me."Don't you EVER talk to me like that!" She steamed, "I thought I had made that perfectly clear earlier! You. With a savage jerk, he sent the buttons skittering to all corners of the room. Her naked tits bobbed into view."Mr. Marshall! You can't do this!" I can and I will. You come on so damned strong. You one of those goddamn Women's Lib types wanting to push men around? You a cock-teaser, you sultry bitch? I'll show you what it takes to make it around Acme Manufacturing!"His fingers locked like steel bands on her arms. She fought, but it did no good. He lifted her like a rag doll and carried her to. His known relatives, my mother told me, were in another island. He has a girlfriend who sometimes slept in his house to which I fell jealous to when I saw her around. Of all the children around our place, I feel that I was Bouncer’s favorite and was very proud of it. I love the way he showed me his affection, and I love the way he hugged me close to his body when no one’s looking around. As a child with an immature and innocent feeling, I consider his advances normal like a real relative. One.