I mean I want to help you out and all, but I’d feel kind of funny accepting your friends as my companions. Do I even know these people?” I asked.�...�You know them quite well, I’m afraid. That’s why I am so reluctant to ask this of you,” she replied, honestly.“So, who are they?” I demanded, growing tired of her beating around the bush.“Your cousins,” she answered, flinching.“What!!!” I exclaimed. “Surely, you can’t be talking about the twins. Come on, Mom, you know how I feel about those two. She had counted thechange from the previous day to make sure it exactly matched differencebetween the amount she had given him and the receipt he showed her. Shetook it back and gave him only the amount she estimated he needed fortoday's purchases. This, of course, would keep him from skimming thegrocery money in order to save enough to fund an escape. When hereturned from the grocery store, he immediately changed back into hisuniform, not wanting to risk a repeat of yesterday's. Goodbye dear." And she kissed him on the cheek and left.Ned dumped his satchel and headed for the bathroom, footsore he might be but thoughts of Wendy had returned and he felt that a little attention should be paid to the result of those thoughts. He was sitting on the w.c. a few minutes later, his left hand grasping his stiff willie when it suddenly occurred to his what the men had been referring to when they had spoken of being left handed. Ned let out a snort of laughter."What are you doing. " Well, I'm back. Back to stay. I've learned my lesson." Just not cut out for the big city, eh?" I guess not. But I must say, you have a braw way of welcoming me back." I'm a patient woman, Arch. We're both still young -- twenty-six. We have time on our side." You aren't disappointed in me? Jillian came between us for a while." I was angry. I didn't bother with disappointed. I went straight to pissed. You were mine. You've always been mine. How could that black-haired bitch come between us?.