"You've been nominated for three but you've got some pretty stiff competition." I don't know," he said. "You tell me. What do you think our chances ar...?"This threw her off stride. She was not used to people asking her questions."Well, if there's nothing else," Jake said when she failed to answer him, "the call of the spirits is beckoning to me." The call of the spirits?" she said, her brow wrinkling in confusion."The bar," he clarified, holding up his empty glass to her."Oh... I get it," she. "Do you wish legal counsel before we continue?" he asked her.Ellen said, "No sir." Very well then. Let the record show that the minor Ellen Tremons does not wish to speak with counsel at this time."He asked her, "Do you want Mr. DeShade to adopt you?"Ellen answered, "Yes sir, I do. I love him very much and I want him to be my father."The judge said, "Very well. So, what medal did you get if I may ask?"Ellen held up the Bronze star and said, "The Silver Star Uncle Dar was awarded in Iraq." Very. We seemed to all agree that the two mothers and their babies were all adorable and sweet together, to the point that even their grouchy moods and their fussiness was tolerated for now. When the two ladies put down the newborns for the night and spooned together, it was rather charming the way that they cuddled under the blankets. None of us seemed to mind this at all."Lovely, aren't they? You are so good to them, too, no matter how cranky they get," Anne observed, making me shrug."They're new. Riley, have you adjusted to life as a rat? It is a rat that you are and a rat that you have ever been."I looked at the aging rat King and didn't have a good retort to show him I didn't care because I was unhappy with my life as a rat and would do anything to change back to my former self.It was almost as if the rat King read my mind and he pointed his paw at me."You would do anything, would you? Well, in that case, I am sending you back as a woman instead of a man and I want to see how you fare.