.. and? ..." Mary closed hereyes and touched her forehead with her fingertips. "And, I'moverreacting." She dropped her hand with a heavy sigh, opened ...er eyesand pulled a smile back on her face. "I'm sorry. You didn't deservethat. It's just, whenever I hear those words. ..."Tod came up behind me and wrapped an arm across my shoulders. "I reallyshould have warned him, but I completely forgot." Honey, you shouldn't have needed to warn him about anything." Maryturned to me looking embarrassed.. .” another female voice stated as she urged the other cyclist to pick up the pace a little.Erin floated between consciousness and unconsciousness for the rest of the trip, waking fully only to accept the water and nutrition shake offered to her through a straw at lunch time. She had surrendered to the situation and did not even attempt to communicate with her captors.As the air began to grow cooler Erin could tell that the sun was setting even though she was still blindfolded. The rumbling of. I asked if-n you wanna stay. Answer me."He faced me then and for once met my eyes. His eyes were a beautiful soft brown color. He reminded me of a sparrow. Small, light, delicate. Flightily. He had no idea how much control he could have over me if he took it. "I'd like to stay with you, Alex."A heartbeat went by. Two. I controlled the urge to jump his bones in the car and drove back to my house.We spent maybe ten minutes chatting with my mother before she let us slip down to the basement and my. "I truly think it's so great that you two have finally reconnected. You know how family is so important to me. You see the phone bills, with me always calling my brothers and sister. I want you two to have fun."We kissed longly, until the kids started objecting, booing and going, gross! Then I waved as the three of them moved through security and away from me.I was back at the airport the next day for my flight. Up in the air I went, and then a few hours later I was in Tampa/St. Pete. Lily had.