"Wendy slapped him."Stop it, my darling. You're dreaming. Theresa's not going over any precipice." Wendy? Wendy?" Yes, my sweet." Oh God! I've just ha... a perfectly horrible dream." Yes, darling, but that's all it was: a perfectly horrible dream." But it was so real." Tell me."He told her and her midriff tightened sickeningly at the frightening reality of it as it applied to Theresa's situation."Bill, my darling, you told me yourself this morning that Mum's a fighter. She's not going to float. "When can you stop long enough to make love some more?" I asked."After I'm done with this chapter, OK? That moment I just read about you thinking of your mother, naked in bed was extremely hot." She turned to see what page the chapter was over at an added, "Fifteen minutes at the most, I promise!" All right beautiful," I said just watching her face as she read the rest of the chapter.She turned the edge of the page that she stopped at, and put the manuscript on the lamp pedestal to her. She panicked and did the first thing that came into her head. Instead of running the other way, she ran into the back yard of one of her neighbour's homes and hoped they were not early risers. Her head peered from behind the corner of the house and she watched as Gerald jogged by. And there she waited.The sun was rising. It was full dawn and soon everyone would be up and busy at their various morning routines. She was frozen to the spot and excited as all hell. This was the dare she'd lied. "Mommy says that, too!" She broke character momentarily. She shook herhead just a little as if shaking back into her chosen role. "You are sopretty you can surely have one or two, and some hot cocoa? My treat!" Shesmiled and winked. She actually winked like she was flirting. It was allBilly could do to not burst into laughter at how absurdly adorable thatwas."Well, I guess. The weather is quite serious out," he said, looking outthe window, taking a cookie he assumed April had baked recently..