Filled with affection, protection, and indescribable happiness. It was a casual thing, though mystical and on levels of strangeness I could never expl...in. But I always found great comfort it in. I would sometimes see ‘her’ in my thoughts when I’m crying. I never knew her name, or in a way I did know her name but it was more of a feeling then a word. I’d be wrapped up in myself on the bed, not caring about anything or anyone, mad at the world.. consumed with so much anger and hurt. Then I would. ’ ‘I don’t, do I Mr Snake?’ ‘What?’ Sierra said she was serving and would join him in a minute. Duncan wanted to avoid a heart attack and Sierra wanted to control her weight, so the lightly cooked fish was served just with parsley (picked growing wild beside the mint box outside the front door) and she added six low-cal potato chips and half a sliced tomato to each plate. ‘Is this lunch?’ he groaned, looking at what sat before him. ‘Shut up – take a mouthful of wine, swallow slowly then chew. The courier hadwished her all the best and had walked back to his van. It left the veryhumble townhouse neighborhood.She, once, had been younger and had known so much more about life.She was older now. Her hair was salt and pepper and hung lifelessly. Herforehead was wrinkled: age and worry. Her eyes were tired. Cheeks thathad once burst with colour were now splotched and pallid. There was nosmile on her lined face. The corners of her mouth were turned down.She cradled the parcel as a mother. She arrived at work, and……..nothing. Nobody looked at her funny; no-one said anything; there was no talking behind hands or sniggering behind her back. Nobody knew a thing, after all. She had no reason to feel bad. She had spoken to her boss on the phone and he had been his normally obnoxious self, but had said nothing. Half way through the morning she was requested to go to ‘Jabba’s’ office with young Tina from one of the tills. Tina hadn’t been long with the company, and was a good willing.