Itni der mein chai boil hone lagi, tab maine usse hatne ka ishara kiya aur drawing room mein chalne ko kaha. jab main chai lekar drawing room mein gay... to dekha ki wo sofa par baithe hue kisi se mobile par baat kar raha tha. usne issre mein bataya ki uske dad ka call hai. koi zaroori baat hai.Phir usne mujhe aapne pass baithne ka issara kiya. main sofa par usse ke karib baith gayi. usne mujhe kheech kar aapne seene se sata liya. aur mera haath pakar kar apne pant ke upar rakh diya. pant ke upar. “Who is it?” Liz asked as I continued to gaze at the screen.“I don’t know,” I replied.Liz smiled as she reached over and swiped the symbol to send the call to voicemail.It rang again before I could get shifted to put the phone down.“Shit,” I mumbled.I hit the speaker button and then hit the button to answer the call. I had been holding hands with Liz and I didn’t want a phone call to cause that to end.“Hello,” I said in what I hoped was a neutral voice.“Travis?” a female asked. I looked at Liz. I see bear-shit, you get an extra day. I'll show you how to handle bruin without losing an arm, like that stupid sod Elmer. You can doss down in the hay loft above the fodder store for now. Better than the U-em's dormitory. You eat in the cookhouse at eight, twelve and six. That clear?" Yes, mistress." You married, Hack?" Yes, mistress." Where's your good lady?" Like me, she was sentenced to community service with my daughter, mistress." Where? Not here. The barracks? The saloon? The Country. ’ I will admit that by the time we walked Martha to her car and kissed her goodbye Marina and I were giddy. We were convinced that we had just totally lucked out. As we walked out of Rusty and Teresa’s wedding that Saturday afternoon Marina asked, ‘If we are going to get married how come I do not have an engagement ring?’ The real answer was that it had never crossed my mind. The answer I gave her was, ‘Because you have not picked one out yet.’ By the end of that day she was flashing her ring.