’ He turned towards me. ‘Sophie, give me your hand.’ I offered him my right hand. He placed his palm underneath it, open, supporting it. I scann...d his face, suddenly aware of a group of men and women dressed in similar clothes to his, standing around us. Not crowding us in any way, but present. I knew they were there, watching, but all my awareness was centred on my hand in his. ‘I and my companions are on a path – a journey .We hope to discover – to find — minds/spirits/souls – and having. "I love you, pal."I kissed her back. And again. I didn't need to reciprocate her declaration of love. We were confident enough that neither of us felt the need to respond every time.We separated, flat on our backs, feeling the warm air and little breeze. Spring was here. Kate rolled on her side and I cradled her head against my neck. I was thinking about what had happened at the pool earlier that morning.Raining hard a couple of hours earlier when Ben and Kate and I arrived at the pool. Just. I can connect Barry to an assault that hospitalized me and at the same time probably killed a kid named Bruce something or other. If you let me talk to Barry before you Marandize him, he just might flip."I assume you would like to do this in the parking lot here before we get him to a place with audio video equipment," the state cop supervisor suggested."Exactly," I said."If he put you in the hospital, I know you want to return the favor. but if you do that his testimony will be worthless," he. "Tina has been talking about Cindy most of the evening." I paused. Dan looked at me, knowingly. I continued, "well, you know..." Cindy's been the same way," he said. "She says it's like finding the big sister she never had."I laughed. "You know, Bud, I never figured that you and I would be marrying sisters." Beginning to look that way," Dan said."Tina, they're talking about us," Cindy giggled."That's because we're the most important thing in their lives," Tina replied."You got that right!" I.