He couldn’t help but be drawn to it. He bent to read the sentence on the cover. ‘To the friend who wrote the next verse of my poem.’ It wasn’t...possible that the author of the poem had indeed returned and had even written back to him? The boy on the bench didn’t pay any attention to him so it obviously wasn’t his. His heart skipped a beat as he untied the ribbon. Looking around him he unfolded the note…no kiss on the outside this time. The paper was damp from the dew and sagged between his. She knew Katelyn was confused and in pain, but she was so afraid of losing her permanently. Somehow, almost in spite of their agony, the day managed to pass quickly, and both mother and nanny slept soundly that night out of sheer exhaustion.The following morning the phone rang at 7 am, and a sleepy Katelyn reached for it and woke up quickly when she saw Mike's cell phone number on the caller ID."Katelyn, listen, we need to talk. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn on the river--room 208. Do you. This wasn't like her birthday either, she didn't have to see him after tonight; she didn't need to be nice or friendly, she could have just been civil and left it there. Instead, just like everyone else, it seemed she really liked Rob, and that wasn't going to go away.****Sebastian and his parents sat at a table in the bar area as members of the audience came over to compliment Samantha's performance. His mother seemed to be enjoying the praise, but Sebastian pondered what they really thought. He photographed it in close-up, then took the opportunity to examine it closely. The small horns were blunt-ended, so more for display than causing harm. He clipped off a sample of the wool-like fur on the body, then rushed to grab a sprayer and some disinfectant.He sprayed the exposed surfaces of the animal, then did his best to turn it over on to its other side. He managed this, after some effort, and was glad it was not awake and able to resist him. Having done that, he thoroughly.