Your Ma and Pa won't miss you," he whispered - nay, growled - in my ear as my knees began to buckle from fear and panic and the pain of him squeezing ...y arms. I told him he was hurting me, begged him to let me go, and I felt his grip loosen. He turned me around until I was facing him again, and let go of one of my arms, but kept his hand against my skin. My eyes were still closed tight, and I could feel his hand moving down my arm, the small of my back and finally cupping my little tight. "We'll take drinks by the pool."Jackie sauntered across the kitchen toward the doors, hips swaying provocatively as Marie and Susie headed after her. At that moment Dale walked into the kitchen and felt the air bristling with tension. Jackie paused in mid-stride, looking Dale up and down. "I see your boyfriend has arrived." With a flourish she left, her two giggling friends quickly following her.David felt the stem of the glass in his hand snap cleanly in two. Fortunately he hadn't cut himself. Dan, of course, was still picking the kids up every Friday night and dropping them off Sunday evenings. Diane was always very pleasant when she saw him and seemed to finally start to accept the situation. She had just landed a full time job at another bank as a teller. That was good news to Dan. He felt it would help her sense of independence and, hopefully, start to rebuild the pride in herself that she had completely lost. Bev was being a true friend, helping her get her life back on track. I just want you to know that even if I'm not first, I want your baby. And then I want to take him to Seattle—just to visit—and show him to his Aunt Betts. Maybe when she has number two. I miss her."Doreen had leaky eyes when she talked about missing Betts, but they flooded when she came.Something had changed this week.I still woke up at four-thirty, at least briefly, and I still whispered a few words to Rhonda. But there was a strange sense of peace and love when I woke up for this brief pause.