Exactly five of each kind graced the plates (no one had to take the last of anything), but I stopped counting after ten different kinds. Of course, mo...t of them went back into the cookie tins, but they made the table into a cornucopia. My parents manufactured some safe chitchat while we dawdled over dessert, mostly about school and about his piano music. He answered amiably, but didn’t volunteer much. One thing shocked me, though. I forget what the exact phrase was, but something about our. Nat found that I could keep up with him. I'm tall and those long legs that I hated in middle school and tolerated in high school had filled out and now looked good. I enjoyed walking because of how it made me feel and how that exercise helped maintain strong legs and a tight butt.I had noticed that Nat looked while we walked and seemed to enjoy what he saw. We reached the top of a big hill and could see for a long way. It was a restful and peaceful scene. As part of that, I felt peaceful around. It is thestudy and practice of magic." The doctor said gauging Neil's reaction in theprocess.Neil, always of a scientific mind choked on the whiskey he had just began todrink and after coughing/laughing for a couple of minutes said "You can't beserious, are you one of those guys who puts Dr. in front of his name just tosound important." Neil didn't mean to be offensive, it was just his naturalreaction to such a ludicrous suggestion."Would you like a demonstration then?" the doctor said. Then he. She slid beneath the covers wordlessly, and withinmoments she was asleep with her armed wrapped around mytorso and her head tucked securely in my armpit. A kissto her forehead as my hand moved to her soft andslender forearm, and I, too, forgot the world for onemore night.When I awoke, Anna was gone, the sheet she wore stillcrumpled beside my bed. The faint smell of ham and eggsdrifted through the air, as I rose and showered toconfront her with the financial dilemma her presenceevoked. The.