Daddy sighed, trying not to think of what lay ahead and climbed the steps. Right now, a hot shower was in order to get the days sweat and grime off hi... body, to soothe his aching muscles. After the shower daddy stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection, as he rubbed his hand over his short hair, thinking about the fact his girl wasn't up waiting for him. He was so sure she would be. The pangs of disappointment gnawed deep inside him. Daddy grabbed his robe off the door hook and. ." He bragged about it Reeny, I talked to a guy who heard him." I said not to call me that." Oh c'mon, its what we called you back in the day, you always liked it." Its what you called me and I hated it." Mother retorted with annoyance that seemed mostly feigned."No, I called you 'Teeny Reeny'!" He managed to say before he broke out laughing. "And 'that' you hated!"Without warning his chair slid away from the table and flipped very unnaturally backwards dumping him on the floor.I slowly looked. ‘It took you that long? I think I was in love with you when we sat next to each other in kindergarten.’ She laughed softly, and raised her head against my chest. The cool night air filled with the scent of her hair, and my arms tightened around her. ‘Whatever happened to that guy who asked you out at the bar?’ Mary ducked her head down, and a smile crossed her face. ‘There wasn’t any guy, was there?’ She shook her head, and her hands began to move over my chest. ‘I just wanted you to think that. It couldn't be anyone but Billy."Bill had gifts for Grace, Mary, Agnes and me. I opened his gift to me: a set of fine watercolor brushes. "Perfect," I said. "My watercolor brushes have had it. These new brushes are sorely needed." Which was true. I'm hard on brushes.I took Grace, Mary and Agnes's gifts away with me, saving him a delivery.My gift surprised Frazier. "Hey," I said, "you gave me my start, Gary. This is my way of saying thank you and wishing you a merry Christmas." I don't have a.