When the doctor removed the cast, Bill stared at his arm in shock. The skin was a bleached white covered by black hairs. It looked disgusting. The doc...or looked over the arm, pleased with how it had healed. He said, “Now, bend your arm.”Bill moved his arm, finding that that elbow was very stiff and that the muscles were very weak. Comparing his two arms, the left arm was visibly thinner. He said, “It feels stiff and weak.”“That’s normal. You haven’t used it in months. Take it easy on the arm. " Ahh," I sputtered, realizing this was one item every young person these days seemed to have, but which I hadn't found among Cooper's possessions. "I've just gotten back into the country a few days ago and hadn't gotten around to getting one yet." Oh, here let me," she giggled, and quick as that pulled a cell phone out of her apron pocket and dialed a number from memory. "Kelli? Mila!" I was listening to one side of a conversation that was already in some sort of friendly shorthand. "You guys. ”“How can I…” I began.“You can always just talk to them instead,” she said. “They’ll understand that you want to try to work through some things without using your powers at all. They’re not quite adults, Caleb, but they’re already good, solid people – just like you are. Trust that.”I nodded and stood. Even if I didn’t how to start that conversation, I knew I couldn’t keep being a coward. That would be on me.As we walked back to the house, Dianna asked me about my shield.“Just before everything. Grace’s heart skipped a beat. She needed the sound of his voice more than she was willing to admit. So, it was wonderful that he suggested calling her. She answered immediately when it rang.“Hello, my sexy future wife,” Mac said. “I’ve missed you the past two days.”“I’ve missed you, too, sexy future husband.”“Spread your legs, Grace. Now touch yourself and tell me how wet you are.”“I’m dripping, baby.”“Did you bring any toys with you?”“Sadly, no,” she said. Then she remembered her last-minute.