‘Message understood, arrival at first stop imminent,’ I text, before sliding the phone into my jacket pocket. The taxi pulls up to the hotel that ...s my initial destination, and I pay the driver with a modest tip to make sure the journey is entirely unremarkable. I step out and walk into the lobby, and there she is. I immediately understand that her joy is the most important thing in the world to me, and my mind is filled with perfect pleasure both at the understanding and at my unhesitating. The other half was in counter-circling braids making a coronet on her brows.She was already wearing a white linen shift that just covered her knees. They held the pellison while she put her arms through the sleeves. It was Mother's and the edges wrapped to her sides. They fastened a girdle around it so the bottom edge was raised up to her ankles. When that satisfied everybody, she raised her arms for the bliaut. They tied it so it fit tightly from her waist to just under her breasts. The. ‘How did you manage to get yourself in this mess?’ she asked hating the feel of his cold skin under her fingertips. ‘You can’t die you know. Who will I crash with if you die? Who will help with the munchkin?’ she rambled, ‘Damn it James open your fucking eyes and answer me.’ She lowered her head to the side of the bed and closed her eyes. For the first time in a long time she really prayed that everything would work out. Without knowing how she relaxed and drifted off to sleep with her head on. Is he any relation to you?" Could be. Is he a cantankerous old fart? Always snooping and griping about every little thing?" Um, yeah, that sounds like him." That's my cousin, Irv. Nasty old bastard isn't he?" Not the friendliest guy on the block, that's for sure." Ya know, I haven't thought about him in years. Had a fight when we were younger and just sort of went our own ways. Haven't seen him in better than twenty years. Sounds like time hasn't softened him up a bit."The next couple of days.