" She looked down adoringly at the girl seated on the floor next to her chair. "Maybe you should stay home 'til Daddy has time to play with you some m...re." Yes, Miss Becky," Kim rubbed against her mistress's leg, "anything you say." Aren't they sweet," Mommy cooed."Becky's got a girlfriend. Becky's got a girlfriend," Billy sassed. "Becky's got a girlfriend and she won't share." No!" Becky's face flashed as red as her hair. "She's mine! Mommy, tell Billy he can't have her." You heard her,. ‘You have a camera at your apartment. It’s on the shelf in your hall closet. Connect it.’ Linda stood, stepping back from the laptop. She thought about calling Tom but discarded that idea given the Entity’s apparent reach. This had suddenly become too personal and she needed to slow things down. Not sure why she was whispering, she told Tammy to ‘Turn that damn thing off.’ Tammy held her finger on the laptop’s power switch until the screen went black and the soft whoosh of the cooling fan. ‘You don’t have to tell me.’ I added hurriedly. ‘No, it’s okay. I’ll tell you.’ She sighed and looked away for a moment before turning back to face me. ‘ I woke up that morning feeling full of beans, I was out on a big adventure, away from parental control for the first time. And suddenly you weren’t there, one of the props of my life was gone and everything felt wrong.’ She paused for a moment. ‘When Mark suggested maybe it was for the best and he and I could be alone together at last I. ..weren’t just spying. I guess you weren’t, judging from the book.” “I was...oh...” and she had nothing to add. “Did you like the book?” Helga’s throat was too dry to speak, so she only nodded. “Oh dear,” Ella said. Teresa patted her shoulder and Ella kissed the top of her head. “Come here, you poor girl.” Ella cradled her head on her shoulder. After a few minutes she said, “It’s not easy being like us, you know. You’ll have so much trouble.” Helga nodded. Ella thought for a moment and.