The dress she chose was a lovely print that fell to her ankles. The color and the pattern both complemented her good looks, but showed only the minimu... of skin, de-emphasized her narrow waist and full breasts and covered her with long sleeves and a high neck. She put on earrings and half-stockings, then a pair of low shoes. Unlocking the bedroom door, she raised the blinds, made the bed. She hung the towel in the bathroom and went out through her living room and into the kitchen to make coffee. Dessert and the rest of the wine would be consumed in the living room. With the dishes having been disposed of and the left-overs in the fridge, they adjourned to the living room. Kate was soon ensconced on her throne, her legs drawn up under her and her head nestled on Merle’s chest on the sofa. Slowly they sipped the wine and fed each other a spoonful of the fruit sorbet they’d each selected. The dessert gone, they sipped their wine in silence until the unavoidable discussion finally became. I confessed that I hadn't, since this is the first time I haddone anything like this. She looked at me and asked, "How do you feelabout 'Sarah'? You look like a 'Sarah'." "Sarah it is then," I replied.We arrived at a second-hand store that Lisa had explained would be a goodplace to get some basics. She said that we would eventually be gettingsomething new for my outfit but w needed to get something else first- shesaid nobody went shopping for nice clothes wearing their boyfriend'ssweats. . Quite naturally, a spell that could tell a woman when she could become pregnant could also tell her when she could not. Alicia knew that this spell would not come to her quickly. Even the first word made her tongue feel as though it was trying to tie itself into a knot. The challenge only strengthened her resolve. The patter of the heavy rain outside helped to focus Alicia’s mind, drowning out the sounds of the night and those few still awake within the house. Alicia barely found the presence.