‘Can I? I didn’t think artists allowed anyone to see works in progress.’ ‘We don’t like the subject seeing it, simply because the prep work ...ooks a mess until the details are applied.’ Hand in hand we went off to the studio space that she was working in. There was a drop sheet over the easel to keep any dust or bugs off. When she removed it I saw, even though it was only the background and base coats, that it would eventually be a portrait of our esteemed host. ‘I’m having problems not turning. .. was something planned for us? Something wonderful ... or maybe something horrible? The strength of our love left plenty of room for something to hurt us ... a ghastly disease, or the split-second mistake of a careless driver. Fate is mindless, and it’s easy to see cruelty in that mindlessness. I prayed, I prayed stronger than I had in all my twenty years that nothing would happen to her, and especially that the strength of my love wouldn’t temp fate to tear her from me. I clung to her at. The invoice was for her halls of residence accommodation. Three hundred and sixty pounds for ten weeks. I smiled to myself, Lisa would have spent that much on a pair of shoes. I took out my cheque book and wrote one for the full amount, made out to the university estates department. I held the cheque out for her. She took it and studied it."The full amount, up front—you would do that for me?" Yes, I'll do that and I'll do it again next term, but there are conditions. You must cancel that ad and. Every time she had this thought, she would drive home very quickly, having to satisfy herself with her vibrator. And so this was Abi’s present state. She felt as though she was living in a state of limbo. She figured that until Doug told her that she could no longer physically work at the restaurant she wouldn’t go. Her family were being a pain in the behind but she was glad that they were happy and content and as long as Alex stayed out of the restaurant and continued saying wonderful things.