"These shoes are a better match with my jeans, don't you think?"I said.Stephanie and my wife chuckled and then my wife said "Yes, I thinkso. What do y...u think Stephanie?" I agree as well"I flushed again, but then laughed."That did sound rather girlish, didn't it?" Yes" they said in unison which was followed by more chuckling."I take it those fit?" said my wife."Yes." Good, then I also take it you want all three?" Oh, yes. Most definitely." Ok, Stephanie I think we're done here."Stephanie. . "Who did I leave out?"An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane and he turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?" Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly."Okay," she said. "Those. Just touching it nearly drove me mad. I still had no idea how to handle any of this. I dressed in shorts and a tee, seeing that it was Saturday and I had the day off. I went into the kitchen and made coffee. I heard Stevie jump in the shower and when she came out she was wearing the bikini. She looked like a goddess. Except when she got up close and I saw the red swollen eyes. It hurt so much to know that I had caused her this pain."What are your plans for today?" I'm just going to lay out by. “I would rather not meet the Queen for the first time while drenched in my mother’s blood. If Edraele will forgive me for keeping her waiting, I’d like to return to my quarters to make myself presentable.”“The Queen forgives you ... for keeping her waiting,” Luna replied, her rich voice kept carefully neutral as she gestured with a gauntleted hand for Sarinia to proceed.Edraele stood by the window in her office, gazing out at the panoramic view. This time neither the golden spires of Genthalas.