” Alice shrugged her shoulders as if to say ‘whatever.’ I leaned over and kissed Mel gently on her lips. At least, I think I’m open to this.**...*******Mel’s TakeWe kicked Jim out without making him do the dishes. Well not kicked, of course. He and I had gone through an awful lot since last night. It was an emotional roller coaster for both of us. Neither of us was expecting to meet someone and experience the… gamut of emotions we did. I truly felt strongly for him. But he needed to go, I needed. What was getting into me? I had not criedsince middle school. But sure enough, another one fell from my othereye. They started coming faster and I tried to stop them, but soon theywere pouring out. It was strange, but it actually felt good to let themgo.All the fear, all the bewilderment over what had befallen me werechanneled into those tears. I mourned the loss of my old life andidentity in great cathartic sobs without a clue as to what my futureheld. This went on for quite a long while.. .” The following week I asked Tom if he could help me put in the screens on the upper level. I had a ladder that would almost reach the second story but I could use his height to reach the top of the windows. So late on Saturday afternoon Tom and I put the ladder up near the master bedroom get the last of the windows. Tom climbed the ladder to wash the window and get ready to install the screen. I was at the bottom holding the base.“Can you reach the top of the glass?” I asked from the. But none of that kept her from worrying. The worst days were the ones when someone was seriously injured or killed. The sickening news speeded along the phone lines among the wives and girlfriends. “Somebody from the 164th died, have you heard who?” “I heard it was the 112th. Have you heard from Mitch? If he calls, ask him if Andrew is OK.” And then the long, sleepless night, waiting for someone to find out what really happened, watching the TV news, desperately hoping to see Mitch’s image.