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"My guess is there’s a reason you’re telling me this"

In response, she kissed the side of his neck "The way I feel now is the same way I felt earlier when I saw that fish fly I didn’t believe it, although I saith my own eyes I felt a little ridiculous And I wanted to deny it, pretend it hadn’t happened Then, as I said, someone else confirined it, after all"

"So…" Perhaps it was the scent of her perfued his brain But for the life of hi about or where this rather unusual story was taking hiet away to think about it"

Ah, Roy was beginning to understand, and his hold on her tightened "You want to leave?"

"I should"

"What if I asked you to stay?" Noas the one kissing her, dropping light kisses along the side of her neck, hoping to lure her into spending the night They were both adults who knehat they wanted, and he wasn’t interested in pretending otherwise

Her ansas a long ti quality "Don’t ask"

"All right" Difficult as it was, he relaxed his grip

She stood up froot to his feet, ready to protest when she retrieved her coat froo"

She smiled, walked over to where he stood and kissed hio, either"

"Then stay" He bit his tongue before hemore This decision had to be hers

For just a ht he’d succeeded, but then he watched a renewed determination settle over her "I can’t I just saw a fish fly through the air"

He didn’t knohat it was about that stupid fish, but it appeared to have sonificance for her

"I can’t quite believe what’s happened," she said, "but I’ in love with you"

Love? Roy’s heart fell That was the last thing he wanted to hear

Seventeen

Julie stepped back froly set up in a corner of the living room This was probably the most difficult part of the Christmas season for him

And for her

Hercereo, the three of theether Andy Williaround and the smell of popped corn had permeated the air

"It’s perfect," Julie announced

Her father shrugged "If you say so I brought the decorations up from the base that if she hadn’t o Christether

"Did you find the Christmas CDs?" she asked

"Nope"

Julie suspected he hadn’t looked They were no doubt packed aith the decorations

"I think I’ll see how the Huskies are doing" He picked up the reton football tea to help decorate?" Julie hated the thought of doing it all by herself, but she didn’t want to force her father to participate Lectures froood, as E

Her father’s eyes grew sad "I’m sorry, Kitten, but I just don’t have the heart for it this year"

He hardly ever called her Kitten, a name fro they’d endured, Julie couldn’t coness to take part in an activity that brought back ht not be ready to face "That’s okay," she told hi This was hard, so much harder than she’d realized it would be

"I can do it," Julie said more to convince herself than her father Maybe it wouldn’t be as painful if he stayed in the room "You can be my adviser"

He acquiesced with a reluctant nod Settling down in his usual chair, he flipped through several channels, then found the Huskies ga "Deck the Halls" to herself, Julie located the string of lights and began to weave it around the base of the evergreen, working her way upward This task had always been reserved for her father Afterward, Julie and E with theirthe decorations It had been an ihter and music Now it seehts before you started putting the the first commercial break

"Uh…"

"I can see that you didn’t" He clahts, but that’s it"