She finished up, I got dressed, and she went into the bedroom to tell the girls goodbye and that she was leaving. She got a hug from my step-daughter,...a hug from Jessica, kissed me goodbye and left.About an hour later, I was in my bedroom, laying on the bed, and I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I said.I was shocked when Jessica walked in the door."Hey, what's up?" I said.She looked at me, kind of nervous, and said, "Not a lot. What's up with you?"I said, "Nothing much. What's going. "It zips on the side, sweetie," Lisa told me, andamazingly, I instinctively knew which side: the left side. Just aboutall ladieswear either buttoned or zipped up the left side, rather thanthe right.Lisa handed me the white top, and I slipped my hairless arms into thesleeves. It was no exception; it was mostly identical to a men's whitedress shirt with a button-down collar, except it buttoned on the leftand contained seaming designed to better fit a womanly chest. Ibuttoned it up halfway,. We contemplated more surgery.Finally, when her doctors found it in her spinal fluid and said the next stop was her brain, we knew her time was almost up. I pleaded with her to continue with the treatments, but McKayla firmly told me that she didn't want any more."If I go through all that—the surgery, the chemo, the radiation—what's that going to get me?" she asked through teary eyes. "Another month? Two? And for what? Feeling like shit after taking a handful of pills? Or throwing up for two. Theshop-lady told me it was an authentic chorus-girloutfit, a hand-me-down from one of the local danceschools. I managed to talk her down to ten dollars forthe dress and a pair of black stiletto heels I'd seenin the window. Everything fit perfectly; I literallycouldn't believe my luck.The layered petticoats were a little more difficult tolocate (not to mention expensive) but I eventuallycame across a dancewear supplier on the netspecialising in music-hall accessories. I used mymother's credit.