He was hurting. I don't know how much damage I had done to him, but my store was a wreck. Liz and I were cleaning up and taking out the broken chairs ...nd one of the smashed tables. I never looked at Bing or George as they carried Bob out between them. Rena came to me and apologized. "I'm sorry, Dirk. It just never seems to end does it? Send me the bill and I'll find the money somewhere." She hurried out.That night, Liz learned fully of my past. I had never explained about the rape of Mary. Also. I sure as hell didn't want Charles dead.The next day, Jennifer talked to Charles for an hour before he had to do something at the hospital. When she was through, she said to Sarah, "Charles is enthusiastic about the publicity. He thinks it will support his cause. He's thrilled to have Jordan start a book. He thinks he's coming home in a couple of days. They want to make a big deal of it at the White House."Sarah danced around the room. She said, "I think we've done it, girl. We turned disaster. Every time she saw his dripping, sperm-covered penis come out of her mother, she saw the same thing in her mind, except it was her own pussy he was pulling out of, and he had just made her pregnant with that dripping sperm.The only downer, really, was that she'd be teased, and called a slut, when her peers found out she was knocked up.But then Tom got orders for an overseas tour, in Italy. It was a three year tour, which meant his family could go with him.Tom waited at the boarding ramp,. I didn’t know if I was only imagining the stern look to her countenance; I thought not - the look on her face bespoke determination and resolve. As we walked, she spoke.“I’ve already locked the doors and turned on the ‘Closed’ light. My husband was very heavily insured with term insurance and I have no need for income now. I maintain the store only as a hobby. I often leave it closed for days or even weeks at a time.“I maintain one of my residences in the rear of this building. As we pass.