All of a sudden all the emotions she thought she had dealt with came to the surface, and tears welled up in her eyes. Not once did anyone make her fee... wanted or special, so why, was this stranger, calling her his Christmas Angel? She looked up into his blue eyes and asked, “Why do you call me your Christmas Angel? I really don’t feel that special?”He held her chin up, and kissed the tears on her face. “Oh honey, did he hurt you that bad? He should be ashamed of himself, for loosing a precious. ”The man was clearly enjoying provoking Linda’s husband – so too, apparently, were the others.”What is she doing?” Linda heard her husband ask. Instead of shock or outrage the tone was more like a curious, quietly excited question – sexually aroused sort of curious. “Is she misbehaving now?” she heard him add.Surely, thought Linda, they aren’t going to answer that truthfully! “Tell me what she is doing!” the voice of her husband begged.Linda felt both an indignation and rage at her husband’s. I was laying between the toilet and the wall. I was in a daze and, honestly, all I could think of was how I needed to clean behind the toilet. The walls of my world began to darken. Everything seemed a bit fuzzy as my vision narrowed. I may have been just this side of delirious.My head hurt, my face was very warm and I was suddenly gasping for air. I reached for my face and felt dampness. Was my head gushing blood again? Yes, I said "again" but that's another long and sad story. I felt like I. " Yes...?" I ask. "And Keith junior's staying with his grandparents fora week." But the point is," Charlotte says, "he doesn't HAVE to. Why don't youand Stuart look after him instead? Prove everyone wrong who says thatyou wouldn't be a good mother." Umm... Are you sure?" I ask."I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," Charlotte says. "So... Are youup for it?" I blink twice, shocked by the offer- Charlotte's alwaysbeen protective of her son to the extent that when she and Keith wereseparated, she.