He knew she was close to breaking down in his arms again, but things needed to be said even if he risked losing her again."I've been raising your daug...ter too. She asks me, 'Where's mommy?' and I have no clue what to tell her. Emily tries. I hate lying to either of the little ones but mentioning where you actually ended up would break their hearts. They'd suggest we could go and bring you home, but I knew in my heart that it wouldn't be so simple. I had to wait until you reached out to us.. Sometimes, I can’t get rid of it. Sometimes I spend the whole day trying to chase it away. To focus on something else that matters more in the moment, but it always comes back. I think about her face and I smile and I hum to myself. And even now, trying to be so in control, I look at the soft edges of her features and I smile. She taps my foot playfully with her free hand, drumming a little beat on it, then the other. I try and dodge her next switch with a pivot of my ankle, but she’s too. It wasn't like it was hard work or anything. Once in awhile my ass would get blown out by some huge stud but Ienjoyed that too. I was getting over Frank (the Bastard) andgetting prettier all the time. Micki even had me start onhormones so I could start growing tits.His name was Steven and he was 40-ish, balding, overweight andrich. Micki had planned to set him up with me for weeks. Theplan was to get him with me take pictures and blackmail him. The evening we were to meet, she had me dress in a. ." Then don't!" she interrupted him. "Hit me, beat me, shoot me! Hell, I'd like that! But don't ... Just talk to me. Don't not talk to me..." Tears were running down her cheeks as she looked around the house."This is where you've mourned me for, how many years?" she asked him. "We need to get away from here. Do something together. Create something between us here, now – in the present." She stood up and gazed into his eyes. "Now is what matters ... Please, just touch me."They stood, gazing into.