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He laughed

"So like that Don't worry about it IT put inback for you Rain I promise," he said

"Roy"

"That's it, hang up," I heard "Now"

"Bye for now Rain" he said quickly and the

phone went dead inlocked up in the stockade, a price he had been willing to pay just to spend another twenty-four hours with me Hoished he didn't love me that much

I dropped my head back to the pillow, but it was al to do with ht? Should I just pack up and return to England immediately? Hoished I had someone close to adviseon black-andwhite pages and legal codes I didn't even have a close girlfriend

Loneliness was

like rust, eating away inside you, weakening your resolve I just wanted to pull the blanket up and over ht bring Then I reuished in self-pity and how angryshe once got when I dared to pity her I also recalledabout his life and how my mama hated it

"Self-pity is just a fancy way of avoiding responsibility," Grandood old fashioned raw anger and defiance and you'll get further in your life," she advised

"I hear you Grandmother," I muttered under the blanket Some people are so influential, their voices echo in your head years and years after they've gone Grandmother Hudson was certainly one of them

I threw the blanket back and rose to shower, dress andcoffee, I decided to write ive me some advice

Dear Daddy,

As you know I returned to Virginia to attend Grandmother Hudson's funeral I told my mother I had met you and she was very interested in how you reacted I also told her about your wonderful family

She, my stepfather, and Aunt Victoria are very upset about the amount Grandmother Hudson has left me in her will They want me to compromise and take less or they, mostly Victoria, I think, will take ,