And then I smelled cigarette smoke. I froze. My breath caught in my chest so hard it hurt. I couldn’t move for a moment, and then for just a fleet...ng second, I was afraid of Daddy, angry, rushing at the shower curtain and falling on me, hitting… and then decided that I was only making it worse by not opening the curtain, like usual. No one was there. I cleaned up the bathroom after myself in record time. One of Mom and Dad’s rules was that the shower stall had to be thoroughly wiped down. ? He whispered. ?I want you conscious for this.? His eyes slowly traced the line of my body, still tied to the stool, as I gasped for air, coughing and trying to regain control of my racing thoughts. ?Now, that I have your undivided attention?I’ll ask you again.? He said. ?Are you frightened??Yes. But I just nodded my head slowly, my eyes brimming with tears. He nodded back. It was an understanding gesture. ?Think carefully before you answer My next question.? He paused and placed. My wife was upstairs and out of commission–I could hear her shut the bedroom door after brushing her teeth–and I had a woman here who trusted me completely. Still… ‘Nicole, whenever you hear me say ‘Sleep, Cosette,’ you’ll return to this state of compete relaxation and trust. Do you understand?’ ‘Yes.’ I thought of something I had read somewhere about improving a person’s attitude through force of will. I figured that I could try something small to make my sister in law a little more pleasant. 'When did I start holding my breath? Must have been when I heard your boots. How many times have I imagined the sound only to realize it was my imagination?' Springing up from my seat in the corner of the couch, I wrap my arms around you. "Baby, I've missed you," I murmur against your chest, crisp linen against my cheek. The muscles there are hard, evidence of hard work and sweat. My fingers touch the same tautness in your back. The cotton over the skin of my back slides under your hands as.