d in his mind, and an immense yet inex

nine o'clock, at t

date, but it would be the first ti

ecent enough. He had just returned from overseas, and was

eserved type, likely d

Chelsey was taking the

ly car-everything that her mother, Sylvia Ellis, had s

she had no reason not to give it a shot. Except maybe for th

ent. She had even sent Chelsey's fifth-grade brother off, but not before giving Chelsey all sorts of adv

so her brother wouldn't have to worry about his tuition fees in the

ve conveniently forgotten that she herself had been marr

nd wailed in front of her mother's old house. She all but demanded that Chelsey

if she could just disown her mother and c

in life. That included her fantasies of ever being a match for the Martin

the floor as Tim Hussain suddenly shot to his feet. He had a rather reverent look

sey tensed up in her chair. She looked up to a pair of

Jason doi

ffee from cafes; he only

oked away from Chelsey and nodded once

idea who Tim was, but the latter was

dying abroad. His admiration for the man was clear and fervent, and Chelsey was morti

"Yeah," he said in an uncharacteristically gentle

k tea was a beverage particularly popular to girls. Chelsey

d she could no longer pay attent

prised when Tim expressed his satisfaction with their lit

om his company. Something urgent had come up, and he was needed. Tim apologized repe

he hadn't eaten breakfast, or if she had simply drunk too much coffee, but her stomach began to churn

you please p

ved violently. Luckily, she was able to grab a tra

g sickness for you. My wife's was pretty severe, too. Something sour would keep it at bay, but it's going

e frantically calculated the schedule of her menstrual

She had always taken

ze in h

tion that lasted the whole night. On the way home,

ll saying that Sylvia was apprehended for gambling. Chelsey had been so furious that the pills comp

fted down to

inding out she was pregnant