I wish she loved us.”I hugged them to hide my tears.“Kids, I am sure that your mom loves you. Maybe she just forgot for a little while. Anyway, on...Wednesday we are going to have an adventure. I have to meet with your mom and to do that we will have to go to the city. I will take you to grandma’s house. She says that she has a big pile of cookies for you.”“Can we see Mom?”“I don’t know. I will find out.”A few hours later my phone rang, and the caller ID clued me that something was not right.“She. ’ ‘Really? Where? I have some work to do tonight…’ Reema nervously pointed out. ‘Trust me,’ Cassie smiled. The brown girl continued to look at her with annoying reluctance. ‘Okay, okay. If you really want, we can try some cardio.’ She then led them over to the treadmills again. ‘Just choose your cardio setting and the incline and you’ll be ready to go,’ Cassie explained. The Indian girl looked over the control panel and decided how to navigate it. ‘How does this…hmm…’ The machine starting. But, you know what? We just stood there, as naturally as could be, using toilet paper and a wet washcloth to clean ourselves up. I should have been mortified, would have been mortified, just a couple of hours ago, but I wasn’t now. Mark was a part of me now, and I was part of him, and there simply were no more secrets. Well, OK, one secret: I wasn’t going to let him see me put in another tampon. I shooed him out of the bathroom to do that, and then grabbed some TP to go fetch the tampon I’d. His hands were warm and I was losing it going in a little trance. I tried real hard to withdraw my hand but it was just to beautiful the way he felt it. “Could I use them as a model for some future drawings?” How could I say no to that. I had to whisper: (“…yes Mich, but we’ll have to be very private and discreet about it. Ok?”) He looked up at me with his beautiful green eyes. He looked around. We were alone on the stage. He quick kissed my hand and took off running. My mind was breaking all.