And there was Him, her loving . . . No! She stopped herself and pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders. She scanned the area nervously as if j...st thinking about Him would summon His attention. Three years and three months ago her father had been in a horrible car accident. The EMT’s saved him even though he was DOA and months of emergency surgery, ICU and drug encouraged comatose sleeping later, mother nature wrested control back from the doctors and he died. And her happy. Then I lost a bar bet to my friend Bette one night and ended up getting gang fucked by a pack of coon hounds the bar owner had. In the bar. In the crowded bar. After that I didn’t always try to get away from them. A few times a month I’d get comfortable in a nice grassy area of the yard and let them have at me. But today I didn’t feel like spending a couple of hours letting the poochs take turns on me.Back in the house and the guys were up. Hubby and our three boys were up, hungry and expecting. “Meanwhile, closer to home, the Duluth Accords have been signed, settling the affairs of Minnesota, if nothing else. Minneapolis-St. Paul is officially at peace with its neighbors. The Twin Cities are now something called the Republic of East Minnesota, which has an interim President and will be holding elections soon. The authoritarianism of the recent past, mild as it was, is over.“The counties outside the Twin Cities are calling themselves the Union of Greater Minnesota, while the Chippewa. I turned to see the pretty blue eyes of Kim.“Hiya, guy. What’s up?”I made a quick glance to the sky. “Clouds.”“You do think you’re a comedian. Too bad you aren’t.”“I’m hurt,” I replied.She smiled as she sat down, flopping a bag videos on the table. “You think so now. Just wait,” she said.Before I could ask her to explain, she added, “Jenny’s getting coffee for us. She’ll be out in a moment.”To fill the awkward silence, I asked, “so you’re a teacher at Gil Thorp, as well.”“Yep,” Kim answered as.