The tipping point came a week after Thanksgiving. I was changing to go out for dinner with friends, half dressed in lingerie and pretty French stockin...s, busying myself with my hair and my makeup, when Cassie stepped into my bedroom."I'm s-sorry, Ms. Cole," she stammered, seeing me standing there in my underwear. Her face lit up fire red, a growing flame that licked her neck and the exposed flesh of her upper chest. "The door was open, I should have knocked, I--" It's fine, honey, come on in,. I stared at the list of people to whom I was sending graduation invitations. I had invited everyone. Friends and enemies.My alarm sounded, reminding me it was time to begin preparations. I was glad that the university had a "gowns optional" policy. Forking out fifty dollars for a piece of cheap nylon was not something I relished.Years of practice while hiding behind locked doors paid off. I had driven several hundred miles yesterday, to a city where no one knew me. The makeover and waxing was. ***********In spite of the massive amounts of lotion absorbed by Jeff's back and legs, the burn was still painful when they awoke at 4:00. They had paid up the night before, so they only had to pack the car and head out into the quiet, still tropical morning air. Backlit columns of cumulus clouds began to show over the Atlantic as they passed over the seven mile bridge. The sun crept over the horizon as they stopped for breakfast in Marathon. Jeff painfully extracted himself from the car. . Naangal vegamaaga vagupirku varuthu yaarum theriyaathu, en kaathaliyin thanthai vegu thulaivu velaiku selvathaal avar athi kaalaiyil magalai palli ku azhithu vanthu vitu vitu sendru viduvaar.Athanaal yaarum santhegam enbathu varave varathu, naan vantha udan ennai irukamaaga kati pidithu kondaal. Naangal iruvarum 10 nimidangal kati pidithu kondu irunthom. Pinbu naan avalidam pesa aarambithen, kandipaaga naan ippozhuthu seivathu thapana vizhayam aanal veru vazhi ethum illai endru endrum.