‘Okay, Ashley, you can be my friend. You seem like a nice lady.’ ‘Thanks, Mandy.’ Streams of tears started flowing down Ashley’s face. ‘I ...ppreciate that.’ Tom started pushing the cart out of the store, Amanda skipping along beside him. Ashley wiped her face and then sprinted to the back room. As they emerged to put the bags in the back of the Escape, he wondered at the display, although Ashley was an accomplice to Renee’s flight from motherhood four years earlier, she wasn’t a close friend at. She got out of the van and came to the back to talk to me while I was changing the tire and she told me she had just dropped her k**s off at soccer and was glad it didn't happen with them in the car, and made some idle chit chat about being married and her k**s as I changed the tire. I got the spare put on for her, and she thanked me and tried to pay me for my time, and I told her just do something nice for someone else, and that will be payment enough. I walked back to my car, got in, and. Once in the room, I ran to my wife and cut her loose. She pulled off her gag and said, “My dear Husband, I knew that you would come for me.” That was all she said as she picked up a saber and shield from the floor and took a defensive stance beside me.By this time, four men had charged at us, and we had no more time to talk. This was the first time that I had seen my wife use a sword and shield in an actual fight, and I was highly impressed. She was as good as me; her only problem was that she. Padraic's voice softened slightly, "No one, least of all me, could replace your real father, Callie, but you think he would be happy about this?"Callie snorted derisively, "I didn't even know him. I don't owe that sperm donor anything."The anger in her voice was palpable and Padraic weighed his words carefully. "He was a good man Callie and he loved you. I understand you didn't know him well, he died so long ago. But if you don't watch that smart mouth of yours and speak with more respect, I.