”She smiled shyly at his praise. “So..big plans or the holidays?”“No, not really. Since my folks and Gran moved away, it’s just me,” she s...ghed.“I can relate,” Nnamdi said, nodding.“Doesn’t feel much like Christmas this year.”Ifeoma looked around at his tidy, almost Spartan, living room. “You know what? You need a tree.”An hour later, they were back with a tree…a stand…a couple of boxes of ornaments…a string of lights…all the things Ifeoma insisted Nnamdi needed, and he had obliged because her. For a minute there I was sure we were dead." Yeah, I almost wish that I was." Anyone else around?" No. Cindy must be still over her friends house, Shelly's not back from the mall yet, and Christine just went to work." Umm, okay. Do you want anything from the kitchen?" No, I'm good. I gave Melanie a call." How's she feeling this morning?" Fine, so she couldn't have been all that sick." Did you tell her about us?" Yeah, but she didn't sound all that surprised. And anyway, Melanie's on her way. He knew, or should have known, that we would be seen and it would get back to you. Anyway he is over there all nervous and I finally figured out he was afraid you would see him. I hate being lied to so here I am checking things out.”“He probably is afraid that I’ll see him. He is supposed to be visiting his grandparents tonight; at least that is what he told me. He thinks he is putting something over on me. What he doesn’t know is that I’m not here by accident. Helen Liss was in the booth next. Aur us ka hath mujh sai touch honai laga yakin janoo maira seenai ka ubharr baad gayah aur wooh mairee sinai ko hi daikh nai laga mainai apna seena aur fula liyah takai usai aur majah aye aur howa bhi yahi lakin is kai saath hi usnai apni paint kai upar sai hi land ko masalna shuroo kardiyah mainai kani ankh sai daikh liyah aur mai waisee hi chalnai lagi jaabh kai aabh bhi us ka ek hath mairai ungli sai touch bhi hu raha tha aur mujaih bhi majah aaraha tha kai achanak us ladkai nai apna land.