It never even registered that her last name was Bell. That means that scoundrel who sold you into prostitution was our ancestor, too. Shit, shit, shit...”We sat there quietly for a few minutes until we heard the shower turn off.“Thank you for comforting me last night, Kyle. You’ve always got my back.” I got up and went to get ready for Sunday dinner.I didn’t have much time to think about what had happened in January of 1871. It was a good thing, I suppose. I’d have driven myself crazy. The first. She was in our house, with her two big suitcases and a smile, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Jessie was out and not going back until the next Monday, then only for three weeks until the winter, spelled C H R I S T M A S, break started. That lasted until the middle of January, then a couple of weeks later, Wendy had to go to work anyway.Screeches and hugs ruled for five minutes while we got her established in the front guestroom this time, instead of the back one. She got a sad look on her. Humans recognized that, probably before a way was found to make language into little marks that could be read, rather than heard. Some humans wisely decided to work with Nature, accepting her balance. Others tried to impress their own desires on the natural order, something that can look like it's working, but probably isn't. Without going into a long dissertation about it, one example of this is housing. If you work with Nature, you might live in a cave. If you decide that's not good enough,. .. something extra to say the least. This year there were five boys coming of age for the selection. They were Nensho, Jun, Hikari, Satomi, and Nel. Of them Nensho was the closest to making the age cut off, just having had his birthday a few days before and he was nervous. The kitsune, to be given to the elder females, were required to be of at least eighteen years of age. Bristling with excitement, Nensho would be looking forward to what was to come, having barely been able to get any sleep.