They all giggled at that.“See girls, he is not so dumb after all. Actually, we came to see Melosa, so you are lucky we are even talking to you,” A...na deadpanned to her Greek Chorus of nodding heads.I guess she was telling the truth, because they all gathered around Melosa and braided wildflowers into her mane as Baby Anna fed her some carrot pieces. When they were finished, Melosa looked as pretty as one of those pampered horses in the Rose Bowl Parade.I dawdled around talking to the Lopez. That broke my heart."I haven't come back from the war," she finally said. "I do the next thing. I lead my men. I get up every morning. But in here," she tapped on her temple. "I'm still fighting dragons."My eyes widened. We had heard tales, but I thought them far fetched. If it was true… Arden's grip on my hands grew uncomfortably hot, and I wriggled them. She abruptly let go, and hugged her hands to herself."I should go."Arden stood, and began putting her clothes back on. I watched her dumbly,. The white kid kept grabbing his thinning brown hair and yanked his hair hissing at him, "Watch you old fuck!"The youth who had forced me into the room pressed my hand up higher on my back. My mind swam with a wild fear. I heard the white guy cackle into my husband's ear, "Okay man, now you're going to get to watch my buddy fuck up your old whore!" Slow down Joey. We got a lady here," he raised his hand and a blade shut out of the handle he held. It was some kind of knife. "Let's see what this. “You really think so? I didn’t want to like him at first, then I kept looking at him and now I can’t wait until he comes back. I need to know if he likes me or not. I don’t know what I’d do if he did though, I’ve never been courted in my life. My Ma and Pa planned for me to wed the boy on the next farm back in Arkansas and I never met him until the day we got married. I liked him though and he was so kind and gentle. He was a little man, not much taller than Jefferson, but we learned to love.