He didn't want to get a run in his pantyhoseand bending anymore than a few degrees was definitely out of thequestion because of the corset. In additio..., his now expanded hips, rear,and chest made the task that much more difficult.The dinner was fairly uneventful, and both Denise and Jesse werethankful that their waitress barely spoke English. It was also a bonus thatthey were seated at a short traditional Japanese table and had to take offtheir shoes to sit. The real girls did all the ordering,. Next were the Yorks, Sam and Virgil?s parents. This was followed byGabby Lawrence, Courtney and Jessie?s mom, and Beverly Bollinger andbaby Jack, Will?s mother and Jake?s wife. The latter two he just smiledand nodded to as they continued talking knowing that he didn?t actuallywant to speak.Ethan was a bit weirded out by so many people being interconnected.Karen gave him a minute then introduced him to Ben and Beth Herman andtheir baby Benny, Wendy and Belle White-Clark who are. Lori continued the thought. “You know, next week will be the twelfth anniversary of the first time we did it. We should do something special.”“Like maybe shave your heads and paint your scalps green?” Ted chuckled.The twenty-seven year old woman looked thoughtful for a moment.“Um,” Ted added, “that was a joke you know.”It is in the nature of human beings, young and old, to think they know a shorter way than the obvious path. Paula Akron and Paul Macon were not exceptions. Turning left on Kuhio. This was a dream, surely. The beach had been crowded with people not so long ago, when the stresses of her life pulled out to sea with each retreating wave and her eyelids grew blissfully heavy. Now she seemed alone, with this stranger shading the warm sun, robbing her eyes of what she needed to take in his form. He was standing perfectly still, in no hurry to end this eclipse. She pulled herself up, supporting her light frame on her elbows, and as her eyes adjusted to the light, she followed.