" I stood in the kitchen waiting for them.Martha entered the front door, telling Ronnie, "Steven should be back by now. By the way, I didn't tell you,...there's something waiting for you in the dining room."Ronnie said innocently, "For me?" and I suppressed a big smile when I heard her say that. Martha waited at the door, watching Ronnie enter, and I said casually, "Why, hello. So glad you two could come." Hello," Ronnie said, crossing the living room, a sneaky smile on her face. "Well, Martha.... They drove silently back to the house, Raphael looking over at his daughter every few minutes. It was dark, but he could still see that she’d been crying. Mia was one of the strongest people he knew, and it tore his heart to see her so broken. When they reached home, he carried her in, his other two children asleep, but his wife who was sick with worry, came running. She looked at her daughters tear streaked face, black salty trails down her cheeks. She let out a small sob, ‘my baby…’. ? I knew Eric?s eyes were on my bottom and below.? I gradually relaxed but still felt amazed that I hadn?t died of humiliation as I had undressed in front of a strange man.? He would still be looking at me.? At my arse stuck up over Sir?s knee.? Oh God.? It was certainly different to being in the shop though in some ways being draped over Michael?s knee was quite comforting, feeling reassuringly restrained in a position I was beginning to accept. I felt his had slap me.? Harder than he usually. ***20:21 4 Jan "So is your cousin cute?" he grinned. "Amy? She's fourteen." "Never mind," we both chorused. I snickered.***20:27 4 Jan "So why is Lisa so down on Christmas?" I asked. "Oh," he waved his hands, "she hates her parents, and thinks herother relatives are worse." "Are they?" I asked after a long pause. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "It's... hard to say.They're... very busy, and they don't have a lot of time for Lisa, butwhat time they do.