Well, I got amazed. She acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. She didn't have to get many buttons undone before she could see the clos...ly wrapped strips of tape around my torso."What happened to you?!" she asked again. This time she sounded upset. "Did my mother do that?!"I told you she was a smart girl. Didn't I? Hell, I can't remember now, but if I didn't, I should have, because she was."Don't worry about it," I tried to growl. It came out as more of a weak gasp as her hand. " I just shook my head."Seriously, you know I'm an only child ... and I worshiped my dad. Dad was gone a lot on missions and TDY. So, whenever he got back home, I wanted all his attention. Of course so did mom. She had a hard time coping with running the house alone, she just wasn't that good at it. So not only did Dad spend a lot of time alone in their bedroom with her, he also had to clean up the bills and do the things around the house that most military wives learn to deal with."It was like. " And what happened?" I asked. She looked at me, like a deer in headlights, but I just returned her gaze, so she started telling me what happened."I had asked my mother whether I could be there when you took her," she began."Is that really what you asked her?" I inquired. "Because the way I heard it was a little different." I guess that I asked her to find out from you if it was OK for me to be there," she replied."Why have her ask me? Why not just ask her?" Because she told me that you were in. “Here.”He jogged across the room to a briefcase that sat on the edge of the table.“I’m going to get some refreshments.” Val said. “Coffee for everyone.”“Merci.” Giselle agreed.“One milk, three sugars.” Frieda said.“Double double for me, sweetheart.” Kirk said. Frieda was crowding him as he laid out the coin, with its attached receipt on the table. Val waited for Giselle to give her instructions. Giselle walked over to inspect Kirk’s coin.“He gave this to you directly?” She asked.“Of course!”.