She felt the cold envelop her legs and loved it. As she moved forward through the snow she knew that soon she would be on the ice and her excitement h...ightened further. Even though it was cold now today had been warm, high 30's, maybe even 40. Would that have made the ice unsafe?She felt her heel hit the ice, then her other heel on the next step. The thrill ran up her spine as each step took her further onto the frozen lake. The light was falling now, dusk was approaching and the cloudy sky did. A birth defect that I had to work hard to fix.Something that cost me so much, but something I got passed, got fixed.Something in the past, where I'd rather it stayed. But to you, you findout I was born with an 'M' on my birth certificate and that becomes theone and only truth. The only truth that matters, everything else is alie to you. I'm dishonest for not having told you because that one truthis now the only thing that matters." Again, you make it out to be all my fault." No, I'm not. It's. Your very angry and your not thinking straight. Don't do anything you might regret later. Mary Helen is still your daughter." Get out esposa, now!" he bellowed.Nena's mother, tears running down her face, quickly shuttled her brood out the door. Constancia followed close behind. She looked at Nena triumphantly as she slid out the door."I am going to show you how your father deals with cheap whores," he said menacingly, as he undid his thick leather belt. Nena looked at him in horror and began. ”Trying to follow what Mr. Atkins was saying nearly drove Jerry crazy. All the talk about taking a bullet for the old man didn’t make sense. He didn’t remember anything like that happening. Even though it hurt to talk, he said, “I don’t remember anything.”Mr. Atkins stood and walked over to the bed. Standing there, he looked down at Jerry and said, “Thank ya.”Not knowing what he was getting thanked for, Jerry replied, “You’re welcome.”Turning away from the bed, the old black man shuffled out of.