Tomorrow she would have surgery and Tim would be gone forever. Marie sat on the edge ofher bed and began crying. Her mother came in and tried to comfo...ther but the tears just got worse."There, there sweetheart, tomorrow it will be all over. You willbe on your way to womanhood. The doctor left us a message andyour appointment is for 9AM. Here is your pill. Now come help mewith dinner. You must learn to cook and keep a nice kitchen.Perhaps someday you will be a housewife with a family."Her mother. Say -- I hate to ask -- you got anything to drink with you? Soda pop, even cold water...Oh, heck no -- I wouldn't mind a cold beer at all, if that's what ya got. I love these pull tops -- i still rememeber when you hadda use a "church key" to open the can.Yeah, I s'pose I am maybe a bit older than I look.What's a camper like this like inside? Well, no, I wasn't hinting, but if you don't mind...?Whoof. Bit of a step up there for somone who usually has her feet on the ground.Neat. a little dining. "You involved?"Makeeda quickly shook her head. Her black hair was thick and coarse, and was being whipped by the wind. Her startling hazel eyes clouded up briefly, not with tears but emotion. "Was," she said, so softly that the wind nearly blew the word away before Laura could hear it. Then she looked out over the ocean.Laura realized this was not something she should press. There was plenty of pain evident in Makeeda's face."Tell me about your name. Makeeda. What a beautiful name. Does it mean. .. after I got out of the hospital ... when Millie and Sandra took turns staying with me ... as I got my strength back ... after the fiasco at the Springfield Airport."All Sandra told you was that she lost her concentration, and I fell in the shower. The truth is that she climbed in the shower, pushed me against the shower wall, and backed her furry friend onto Mr. Johnson. When I came, she pushed back too hard and knocked me down, causing me to hit my head and scaring us both half to death.".