It was different with Penny, right?”“Penny and I actually had a year-long relationship. The problem there was she was too young, and she wasn’t ...ble to share.”“But...” Eve began.“What happened later is a different story,” I said, cutting her off. “And I don’t know all the details, nor do I want to know them. Suffice it to say, at the time, the obstacles were far too high.”“How old was she?”“It started on her fifteenth birthday and ended on her sixteenth.”Eve nodded, “I knew it was during High. It took him most of the day, but he finally finished it. He did a good job. When I paid him, I explained that I was giving him a little extra since he used a push mower and that I would supply a mower next time he came so he wouldn't have to drag his around. When he showed up the next time, he found not only a new push mower but a new JD lawn tractor complete with all the accessories, including a snow blower attachment. There was also an assortment of rakes, hoes, and everything else he could. First one knee then the other intruded between her legs driving them apart. One hand snaked spread fingers up along her neck into her hairline. The fingers curled around her dark hair and pulled her head back from the wall. "Open wide." Quiet, not a whisper, a demand, simple and polite. Bobbi wanted to protest, to scream, to agree, to moan but said nothing afraid she had been wrong after all. Something jammed against her lips, pushed her jaws apart with insistence. The blonde invaded her mouth. I didn't like football and baseball anyway. I wasdifferent from the other boys and I was learning to enjoy myuniqueness.At the beginning of summer vacation, just a few weeks before mythirteenth birthday, my mom hit me with the biggest surprise ofmy life. I was sitting at the kitchen table and she was brushingmy hair. It was just something she had enjoyed doing since I wasa baby. She always said that if you wanted healthy hair, youmust brush it at least 100 strokes a day. Often when shefinished.