"So I'm my ownfather?" I asked awkwardly.She laughed nervously and changed the subject. "Where's your computer?We'll get it connected with the Wi-Fi. ... also put in an adapter surgeprotector over there," she told me, pointing to my desk from the otherdimension that she had set up in a corner of the giant room.I walked to my backpack and pulled out my laptop and power cord beforewalking to my desk and chair. Both seemed bigger to me now. While theyhad shrunk some when they came through the. . " Cheryl blurted out before he stopped her mid stream by raising his hand."You cannot cast aspersions on a senior member of staff like that Mrs Thompson. Trying to lay the blame on someone else for your own failings is most unbecoming and not the type of conduct we will accept from our staff. And we certainly don't want to be rocking the boat do we!"He paused briefly before continuing. "If memory serves me correct you were extremely grateful to get this job. I think your words were; I can't. "You live there?" she asked, pointing to our modest little colonial bluestone."Yeah," I nodded, "I live here with my Mom." I live with my Mom too," she commented, still working on her balance (althoughthe fence was only a foot off the ground), "but not my Dad. He went away a longtime ago." Where to?" I enquired, surprised that we were both single-parent kids."France, I think." Mine's in Chicago." We spoke with the unselfconscious curiosity of very youngchildren, communicating with the. As soon as we got into the lounge, he kissed Hazel on the cheek. She looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. She liked him. At last we were going to have some fun. We got chatting and discovered that Roger had been divorced for five years. It was a pleasure to be in his company, as he was very articulate, open and quick-witted and it was obvious that Hazel was enjoying his company too. I whispered to Hazel that with a little luck she would have the fun she'd been denied twice that week..