....... One week later:Silkie, sitting with Rachel, at the Doggie Diner in Venice Beach.Rachel: "..............................So, the oncologist tell... me, there's not much a mastectomy can do for me now, since the fucking cancer is in my lymph glands, my liver, all over the place....he still wants to do radiation, chemo, the whole fuckin' deal...................... Silkie, I don't need tears at this point, godammit, cry for me when I'm fuckin' dead..............I'm still alive, I still want to. " Yes: this is Allison - Miss Allison to you, she is the Secretary of thehockey team and I have agreed that from now on you are going to be theirofficial laundress. You will wash and iron the kit and clean their bootsevery week. There will be about fifteen of them and in return Ali hasagreed to come and give you a proper seeing to as and when required,isn't that nice of her?" I was quite dumbstruck. "I have alreadyexplained that another strong right arm won't do you any harm at all." Icertainly. ." Hush. Wait until Judy gets here, she won't be long." Thanks," Melissa whispered, feeling better.***"Are you okay?" Judy asked as she sat on the couch with her mug of tea."I guess," Melissa nodded. "Better now, anyways." Why don't you tell us what happened?" Marie suggested."Oh, okay." Melissa related the events of the party. By the time she wasdone, Judy's eyes were flashing angrily."She did what?" Judy shouted."Um, military school," Melissa repeated."I heard you sweetie, it was a rhetorical. I see Vanessa walking toward the barn carrying a glass of water. She walks up and hands it to me. “You look thirsty. You need to take a break and rest for a few minutes.” She says in a very caring way. I am touched by her gesture and can’t find any words that adequately capture my gratitude. I drink the water and say “Thank you. That was very nice of you to bring me the water.” She smiles and rubs the nose of one of the horses I was brushing. She looks around at the other horses and says “I.