"When can we see each other again?"Inwardly, I said "never," but to his face, I said, "We'll see." I started to get out of bed, but he put his hand on...my arm. It was a heavy hand, with powerful fingers, attached to a strong, muscular arm."Wait," he said."What is it?" I asked."Can we talk a while?"I didn't want to talk. I wanted to put my clothes on, go home, soak in a hot bubble bath, and forget I'd ever met Manuel. "Talk? About what?" Us."My eyebrows rose. "Us?"He nodded, his face somber. His. I was Vicki now, and that is all I wanted to be. But that was only the beginning. Seeing the reaction this caused, Jennifer breathed the name again. She said it over and over. "Vicki.... Vicki.... Vicki." All the while she was tracking her fingers up and down my bound form. I wriggled next to her, twisting my wrists in the ropes, rubbing my legs together. Not that I was wishing to escape, but because It felt so good to feel the resistance on my limbs. Jennifer continued to play with me,. We marched to the parking lot where we were dismissed. It was dark out, but the black mercury was easy to find. I looked around the parking lot for the Volvo before getting into the back seat of the big car. Paula introduced me to her father as Mr. Augustine and the lady beside him in the front seat as Grace, her step-mother.Mr. Augustine confirmed what Paula had told me about Ned having something else to do. When we stopped for dinner on the way home Paula complained about having to wear her. They went inside and she closed the door behind them. She turned to face him and put her arms around his neck. "I'll still have to see to you for a while then, won't I? Just till you get your strength back." I suppose you will, Mother." Now give Mummy a big mushy kiss. It's so nice to have you back to normal." Hardly normal, Mum." Well, as long as you're still too weak to push me away, I don't care. Give me a kiss."And suddenly his mother's lips were upon his in an embrace like they had never.