Parenting? Part 2

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Dana Miller has a problem. Actually two problems. His mother has been savagely raped and brutalized causing her to revert to a childlike state. The other problem is his body; he’s becoming more female at a startling pace.

Parenting?

Part 2

By

BrandieS

The phone wouldn't stop. I got tired of the noise and unplugged the wall jack. Still, I cast suspicious eyes at it every time I passed by it. I knew I was being foolish, but the fact was I was hiding, from the world, Alex, Mom and myself. Did you ever wish that you could go go back in time? I had that feeling now. Still, the pragmatist in me knew that even if I did go back, I wouldn't change anything. So much for wishful thinking. At least the house was clean. Now to clean me!

I started the water for a shower, and then thought better of it. I don't as a rule take baths, but somehow the appeal of soaking in a hot tub was overpowering. I set the drain plug and adjusted the water flow watching the water level rise in the tub. Mom had some Bathe Beads and I swiped some of them to put in the water. I might smell a little different, but I didn't care at this point. The box advertised the product as a 'Water Massage' something I couldn't pass up.

Ah, the soothing effects of a hot bath. Unfortunately, it didn't last too long. I heard a noise and stiffened. The noise seemed to go away and then I heard it again. I got out of the tub and quickly dried myself. I went into my room and threw on a pair of shorts, then picking up Mr. Kentucky, I went into the hall. The noise was coming from the front and I tip toed in that direction. Looking around I didn't see anything, but then I heard the noise again and saw the front door handle move. Shit, someone was trying to get in. I could call the cops, but dummy me, I had unplugged the phone. So, I retreated down the hall to look for a hiding place. Maybe it was just a robbery. I went to my room and nothing came to mind, I passed through the bathroom and had an idea. I pulled the shower curtain part way and stood behind it. I adjusted it so I could see what was what in the mirror and still have secrecy. Then I flushed the toilet. Maybe the noise would scare whoever it was away. Worth a try I thought. So holding Mr. Kentucky I hid behind the shower curtain as I heard voices come into the apartment.

I stole a glance at the mirror and let out a small gasp. It was the policewoman, Sandy. She was startled by my sudden breath and placed her hand on her gun. I said "Uh, what are you doing here?"

Looking at me, dressed in only shorts and holding a bat, she laughed. I did notice that her eyes traveled over my body and settled on my chest. My nipples were hard and my breasts were sticking out. She smiled, then "We were concerned about your safety. We knocked, but no one answered, so we let ourselves in. You better put something on. Another officer is with me and he may become distracted with you dressed like that." Of course, her partner chose that time to walk into the room. I dropped my bat and shrieked as I pulled the shower curtain across my chest. (Now, I know what you're thinking. I considered myself a boy. Right! Well, for some reason that was the last thing I thought of as I pulled the curtain to cover myself. I did not want to be exposed to a man. What was happening to me?)

Going into mom's room, I selected a simple blue blouse and a clean bra. I dressed and then brushed my hair quickly. I felt better and better dressed too. Sandy stayed at my side as I changed and grunted her approval. Leaving the room, we went to the living room and then Sandy began. Her mouth opened but the noise that came out was not from her. A loud "Harrumph" filled the room. Sandy looked around and saw her partner and smiled as she said "Sorry about that, Dana this is Officer Mark Winston, Mark this charming lady is Dana Miller." I don't remember who blushed the most. I held out my hand in greeting as Officer Winston stood there. I had a 'Deer in the headlights' look and it took prompting from Sandy for me to recover. He grasped my hand lightly and I felt a tingle run through my body. Wow! What the hell was happening to me? I would find out later that my body was undergoing an advanced puberty as a part of my 'condition', at this time though it was un-nerving to say the least.

Sandy sat us on the sofa and began with a rundown of the case. She was worried about me being alone and offered me sanctuary with her. When I questioned this, she tap-danced around the reason for her offer. I was suspicious and just said that I would stay here. Officer Winston said that he lived near and could drive by occasionally. Neither one of them wanted me to be alone. When I mentioned Samantha, Sandy got quiet. Her face turned away and when she did look at me, her words were like a cold poker in my belly. "Um, Dana, I talked to the doctor's and they don't have a lot of hope for her recovery. It's been several days and she's still curled up in a ball. When she says anything, she calls for you, her mommy." I was starting to sob and she placed a hand on mine and continued "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you. I, that is, we, we want to take you to see her." Sandy pulled gently on my hand getting me to my feet. I guess I was on autopilot because I don't remember much of the ride to the hospital.

It took me a couple of days to recover from visiting mom. I called the hospital and confirmed visiting times and left messages for her doctors. I even called Dr. Anders and set up appointments for myself. There was a lot going on in my life and I needed the clutter to take my mind off mom. It was the aftermath of Dr. Anders visit that tipped the scale. She was talking about my physical and how I had been accidentally labeled as a male at birth. She posed several hypothetical questions and talked about how they might relate to my birth defect. She scheduled scans and more blood work. The scans showed what my body looked like and how it was arranged. They didn’t mean anything to me.

Dr. Anders wanted to take more blood samples and schedule me for a complete scan. I agreed to the additional testing. Then she dropped the bomb on me. “Dana, I want to warn you about my brother. He’s young and impressionable. I know he helped your mother, but he has a bad habit of trying to seduce his patients or their eligible daughters. That’s you. I’m warning you to be careful around him. As a sister, I don’t want him hurt and as your doctor, I don’t want you hurt. I told him to lay-off and will again. Just so you know.”

I looked at her and nodded my head, then said “I appreciate it, really. I’m not quite ready for a boy girl thing. I’m still mostly boy myself. I just want my mother to get better and find out what’s happening to me.”

Dr. Anders smiled and replied “That’s what we both want. I’ll reign in Alex.”

I went home thinking about my appointment and how my life was changing. The Psychiatrist treating mom was careful and urged caution. Her physical wounds would heal quickly, but the psychological wounds would take longer. He recommended counseling to help me better understand what Samantha had gone through.

Sandy was a big help and she spent time with me. She treated me like a regular girl and told me the wickedest stories about growing up. She helped teach me about war paint and hair. Her style was the KISS principle and she often said it was too easy to overdo but harder to do well with a small amount. She was fun to be around. Her partner, Mark, would drive by and wave. He even stopped one day and talked for a few minutes. There was something about him that…

Mark, Officer Winston, left and I was fixing lunch. Not terribly hungry, I just poured part of a bag of salad on a plate and added dressing. A few bites into the meal, the phone rang. “Hello.”

“Ah, Dana, this is Doctor Rikards. I was hoping that you could come by my office and we could talk about Samantha.”

“Um, yea, sure, what time and do I need to bring her anything?” This was the first time the Psychiatrist called me. I was worried.

“She might like some of her clothes and things, nothing too elaborate, yet. I’ll tell you more when you get here. Say about 2 this afternoon?”

“Sure, I’ll see you then.” I hung up wondering what he wanted to talk about. I finished my salad and gathered up some clothes for mom, like the doctor said nothing too elaborate. I called for a cab and rode to the hospital. Can you spell W O R R Y?

Getting to see the doctor was more difficult than it should have been. It seemed that there was a protocol involved that I was ignorant of. Yes, he had called me, but had not told his secretary and she had set his schedule for the afternoon, without bothering to ask for any updates from him. I would just have to wait my turn as I was considered a walk-in. I settled in to do just that.

After browsing several out of date magazines and trying to read the bottom of the TV screen to keep up with the news, the doctor called for me to come back to his office. I gathered up the bag with mom’s things and headed off following the doctor. I was ushered into a nice office and given a comfortable seat. Seeing the bag the doctor asked “Is that for Samantha?”

“Yea, I just brought her some simple stuff.” I listed the items for him and he agreed that we’d give them to her or to the nurse. Then I asked the 64 thousand dollar question. “Ok, doc, what’s going on with Samantha?”

The doctor looked everywhere but at me. I could tell something was wrong. Dam, I knew it! Finally, the doctor looked at me and said “There are several things that we need to discuss. Not the least of which is you pretending to be your mothers’ mother. Shall we begin?”

I was busted and explained how I was often mistaken as her sister and how I got a fake ID with female on it. I talked about how we lived at home and how I was treated outside of the home. No, I assured the doctor, I wasn’t gay or transitioning. Whatever the last was? I told about my boobs and what I understood the doctor saying to mom and how I dealt with having them. This doctor wanted to talk about me an awful lot. Finally, I asked “What about mom. All you’ve done so far is talk about me, what about her?”

He chuckled, which made me mad, then said “Ok, to business. Samantha, we’ll call her that, less confusing. First, let me congratulate you on your appearance. The only way I found out was by using Samantha’s fingerprints. We did a routine check of her and found out several curious things. The information included her date of birth. The only logical conclusion was that you were her mother that is until we reviewed her previous Medical Records. We’ll let that lay for now as we need to discuss Samantha. Anyway, Samantha has a form of Schizophrenia, which manifests itself in regressive behavior. Now, that doesn’t mean she’s crazy, just emotionally disturbed. Think of it like a soldier after a battle. A battle in which he has seen his friends killed. It’s sometimes called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As to when she will come out of it, who knows? In the mean time, we have to treat her as she sees herself. Using a combination of Play therapy and Hypno-therapy, we estimate that she’s regressed to about age 9. It appears that she has a history of childhood abuse. The Hypnosis was inconclusive, but I believe it was her brothers and their friends that abused her. She does keep asking where they are. At first, we said they were on the way to see her, but that seemed to exacerbate her symptoms. Then we decided to say they were away and her symptoms decreased. She’s relatively stable at the moment, but that could change. As to taking her home, no, rather not at this time.”

I was stunned by what he had said. Mom raped by her brothers. Maybe that was why she never talked about them. Wow! The doctor was watching my face as I sat there listening. He reached forward and touched my arm. “Dana, are you alright?”

I smiled weakly at him as I sobbed, poor Mom. I was handed a tissue and allowed to sob for several minutes. “Uh, doctor, what happens now? I mean…” My voice trailed off.

“Well,” he began, “usually in a case like this we like to treat the underlying cause of the disease. In this case, I don’t think that’s going to happen. What needs to happen is multi-focused. We need to work with her to stabilize her and her behavior. I can tell you that we don’t know how long she’ll stay regressed. In some cases it can be for a long time, in other cases, the patient matures at their own rate. We’ll have to wait and see. Sorry, but there are no absolutes. We also have the problem of your age and relationship to the patient.” Doctor Rikards continued. “We’ll need to deal with that later, but deal with it we must, also the fact that you are masquerading as her mother.” He paused, looked at me, then said “Tell me are you really a boy under that disguise?”

Again, I nodded and said “Yes.”

“Amazing, I’d have never guessed had I not seen her Medical Records.” I told him about my breast and about being seen naked by Dr. Templeton, also, what Dr. Templeton had said. He seemed to be in thought then asked. “Have you given any thought to talking to a professional counselor?”

“No, no one has even mentioned it, until now. Why?”

“As you’re seeing Dr. Anders, I would assume that she’d refer you to someone to help you understand your body changes. In any case, I know someone that deals with Rape counseling that I’d like you to see. I’ll look for a second therapist for the body image change. Just a quick question, how comfortable are you with this, uh, change happening to your body?”

I looked at him with big eyes. Did I just hear him ask ‘a quick question’? If so, then what of the answer, I did not know. I tried to think, but knew time was the enemy of thinking. I did not know what to say. Finally, I realized that having been successful masquerading as a woman, I could do it. I had plenty of reason, not the least of which was my traitorous body. I looked at Dr. Rikards and said “I’ve passed as female before this and my body seems to be heading that way on its’ own. I have mom to think about and can’t abandon her, either, also whether I want it or not, my body seems to have a mind of its’ own.” I smiled at the last, not intending any sort of joke.

“I’m sorry. I got side tracked by your story. Now, where were we?” The doctor continued to talk about Mom’s course of therapy. He suggested that she be admitted to a special therapy unit. At this unit she would be monitored 24/7 and if she began to come out of her regression, she would be reintroduced to her life. I was to help in this by sorting through her possessions and providing photos and assorted memorabilia. I agreed. Before I left the doctor gave me the name of the Assistant State’s Attorney that was assigned to mom’s case. I had been called by the State’s Attorney’s office, but had been unable to contact anyone with knowledge of mom’s case.

I had asked to see mom before I left the hospital. I wish I hadn’t. I could only see her through a glass and she didn’t look too good. Just watching made me cry. I thanked Doctor Rikards and went home. I was emotionally exhausted. I cried myself to sleep that night. Gah, I was getting so emotional and girly.

Noise. Noise. Noise was coming from the front of the apartment. In my semi wakeful state, I recognized the noise as someone knocking on the door. I stumbled down the hall and flung open the door. Not realizing I was naked from the waist up, I stood there half-asleep and gestured for Officer Winston to come in. It was when he sucked in his breath that I realized my error. I hid behind the open door and said “Just get inside, quick.” He did and I closed the door but not before giving him a free show, at least of my chest. I immediately covered myself with my arms and ran back to the bedroom. I grabbed a robe and walked back into the kitchen as if nothing had happened. ‘Play it cool.’ was my only thought.

Mark was half sitting at the counter and stood as I neared. I smiled and he flushed. Pointing to the second cup, he said “I brought you a coffee.  ¾ Caf, with 1 sugar and 2 creams.”

I pried off the lid and took a sniff, followed by a sip. He had gotten it right. This man would make someone a great husband. That caused me to flush and turn away. Composing myself, I turned back and asked “So, Officer Winston, what brings you here so early in the day?”

He smiled and I felt giddy. He said “Actually, I wanted to ask you something.” I just took another sip of my coffee and smiled, giving him silent encouragement. He continued “Sandy’s having a small gathering tomorrow. It’s her turn. Anyway, I wondered if you would like to go with me.”

I felt my eyes pop out of my head. He had a real honest to goodness puppy dog look on his face and I melted again. What the ****** was wrong with me? I said “You mean like a date?”

This time, Officer Winston flushed and looked away. It took him a few seconds, then he turned to face me again and said “Uh, no, not a real date, just, uh…”

I smiled as he fought for words. “Officer Winston, I don’t think it’s a good idea. You know, with the case and all. Thanks anyway.”

His face reflected the hurt. I was looking at him and was amazed at what I saw. He was a nice guy. His face was well shaped and his hair kept short and neat. No extra facial hair adorned his cheeks and chin. His teeth were white and even. He had full lips and when they opened and he smiled, it was a warming sight. His eyes flashed as light cascaded off them, causing them to almost sparkle. I knew he was a few inches taller than I was and his build showed that he took care of his body. As I looked at him, I wondered what the heck I was doing appraising him like this. Another part of my change?

Picking up his cup, he said “Well, think about it at least. It’s not really a conflict if that’s what you mean. It’s just a friendly gathering, something we do monthly. Nothing special, oh, and Sandy suggested you might like a break from your solitude. Think about it, please!”

I thought that I should call Sandy and talk to her and said so. He seemed relieved and left me to think. I did know one thing, I was changing. I also knew that he, Officer Winston, saw me as a woman. I kind of liked the last part. I was thinking about this as I walked to the bathroom and started a bath, of course adding a Bathe Bead.

As the water filled the tub, I got out clean underwear and a fresh bra. I could wear Mom’s and I selected a simple one. I also pulled a bias cut denim shirt and a white long sleeved blouse. I added pantyhose and a pair of shoes to the mix. The bath water was ready and I grabbed my coffee and took a sip before setting the cup on the counter, then stripping out of my clothes, I lowered myself in the hot refreshing water. I got fully immersed and rested my head against the end of the tub. My thoughts replayed to conversation with Mark, Officer Winston and my body betrayed me. I felt something warm and tingly as I visualized his face and smile. The tingling sensation spread from between my legs to my chest and I instinctively put a hand over my nipple. It was hot and taut. I thought that my nipple would explode as I tenderly touched it. I took my free hand and touched the other nipple and it too was hot and taut. A shiver ran through me and as I stroked my nipples, I felt something give. It was a feeling of intense pleasure, followed by a warm tingly feeling. I hugged my hands to my chest and lay back smiling. I had been thinking about Mark and being with him.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, what the heck was I doing? Playing with myself, thinking about a man, well large boy? Christ am I a pervert or what! I’ll take ‘Pervert’ for a hundred Alex and to top it all off I let the bath water get cold. I pulled the plug and stood, then turned on the shower to finish washing. Using the towel, I dried myself, but as I rubbed the towel over my chest, it hurt, so I had to use small patting motions. Finishing I went into the bedroom and pulled out some clothes. I know I had done that before my bath, but I was under the influence then, I wasn’t now. I wore my small underwear and a sports bra, then jeans, a t-shirt and a loose sweatshirt. Throw in a pair of sneakers and I was ready for the rest of the day. I still needed to call the Rape Counselor and then the State’s Attorney. I looked at my watch and noted the time. Then I dawned on me that in less than 2 months, I’d be 18 years old.

“Hello, Argyle and Associates. How may I direct your call?” The voice was both female and pleasant at the end of the line. I took a breath and said in reply, “I would like to speak with a M. Jayne.”

“One moment please while I put your call through.” Music filled my ears then I heard the sound of a telephone ringing. After a few rings, I heard the distinctive click of someone picking up a handset, followed by “Mike Jayne, can I help you?”

“Uh, Mr. Jayne, I was given your number by Dr. Rikards. He, ah, he, uh…”

I heard a gentle chuckle from the phone, followed by “Dr. Rikards didn’t tell you I was a man?” Not waiting for an answer, he continued, “If that’s a problem for you, I can give you the number for a Female therapist.”

"Uh, no, it’s fine. I, uh, that is Dr. Rikards thought that I needed to talk to someone about my family member.” I had to scramble for the last part.

“Ok, I need to talk to you first and see if you will fit in to the group. Since Dr. Rikards recommended me, I’m gonna assume you fit. I have an opening at 2:45 this afternoon, just give me your name and I’ll pencil you in.” I just complied with his requests. Then wrote down the address and hung up. Now for the next call, the State’s Attorney, I got through to the number I had been given and was soon speaking to a Mr. Barnes. There was no information that he would tell over the phone and finished with saying that he would call me when more news was available. Thankfully, he didn’t delve deeper.

After the calls, I felt confused. I had the appointment at 2:45 and that was good, but all I could get from the State’s Attorney was nothing. Instead of worrying about it, I had lunch, more salad and went to the appointment.

I gave my name to the receptionist and was told to wait. I sat and watched 2:45 turned into 3 o’clock and then 3:30. Still I sat. At 3:50, a man came and sat beside me. He didn’t say anything. I remained silent and wondered what I should do. At 4:15, the man finally spoke, saying, “Bet yer tired of waiting?” I nodded and glanced at my watch. The man continued, “Follow me.” He got up and motioned for me to follow, leading me down a corridor to a break room. He pointed to a table and said, “Have a seat.” I pulled out a chair and sat. He returned with two cups of coffee and packets of instant creamer and sweetener. I looked at the packets but didn’t move. I watched him as he easily sat and opened several of the packets emptying the contents into a cup in front of him. He stirred and then took an exploratory sip. I continued to watch. Finally, he raised his eyes to mine and said, “Go ahead, Drink your coffee. Then we’ll talk.” I took creamer and sweetener and added to my cup and stirred taking a sip and setting back into the chair. I don’t think I had taken the next sip when he got up and walked out of the room. Stupid me, I followed.

He led me on a merry chase through the building, ending in an unmarked room. There were several couches in the room along with a TV and VCR. The noise the door made as it closed behind me scared me and I screamed. “About time.” He said. “You’ve been following me like a stray puppy since we left the first floor. Lesson number one: Don’t follow anybody if you don’t know where you are going! Got that?” I nodded ‘Yes’. “Lesson number two: Don’t let just anybody sit down beside you. You should have asked my name when I sat next to you, made some kind of conversation, anything instead of just accepting it. There were empty chairs and people that don’t know each other tend to put some space between them-selves and the next person. Be careful!” Again, I nodded. “Damn fool girl like you is asking for trouble. I’m not saying you’re asking to be raped. I’m saying that unless you talk or say something, it’s easy to take advantage of you. Got that?” He was looking at me and smiled weakly then asked. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Huh? Whadda you mean?”

He was looking stern as he gazed at me and I felt like a gold fish in a tank of water. “There’s something different about you. It’s like you’re two different people. Strange.” He sat on a couch and gestured for me to sit, then he spoke again. “So, do you want to tell me about your rape? If you don’t that’s ok. Once we get you in-group, we’ll get you the support you need and some more help. You’re not the only one out there with this problem.” He was actually quite kind as he said this.

“Uh, it’s not me that was raped. It was actually my mom. The Psychiatrist, Dr. Rikards, thought that I’d get some help by seeing your group.”

He smiled and said in return, “First, you’re in the group, I’ll give you the name of a person to assist you, like a sponsor. Next and probably more important, you have been raped, maybe not physically, but mentally. Whoever did it, took away some of your innocence and vitality. They made you aware that Rape is closer than you ever thought. If it happened to your mom, it could happen to you. These are things we’ll discuss at Group.” Saying all of this he stood and opened the door. This time I asked where he was taking me and he smiled, then told me. I followed.

He took me to his receptionist and she gave me a folder with some pages in it. I was given the name of a sponsor and the receptionist placed a call to her. A meeting was set allowing us to get acquainted and then I was on my way home. I spent the ride home thinking about what had just happened.

To be continued.

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Comments

Thanks for continuing, Brandie

this chapter answered some questions and controversies from part one.

A nice continuation.

You are handling a difficult subject, well several subjects, and doing well.

John in Wauwatosa

P.S. So the future husband of part one's intro could be the first chapter's young doctor, her rape therapist, the person that therapist assigns as her helper, or the young police officer who like the female office cares and fears for Dana but also sees her as a beautiful young woman he'd like to know. Good to see her own doctor has warned him her brother is a bit randy with female patients and that she has told him to back off and behave.

So happy you resumed this after four months and look forward to more. I only hope all the years she must care for her mentally scared mom have not robbed her of love and a chance at her own children. I hope the so far unhelpful DAs's office nails the mom's rapists and maybe even gets her childhood assaulters, her family in trouble. Mom needs justice, Dana needs a happier life, he/she's been largely robbed of her childhood.

At first I thought the rape councilor creepy but he taught Dana a critical lesion. She, well almost a she now, having grown up a boy is poorly equipped to anticipate danger as a female and will be a target, an easy target if she doesn't wise up soon. Thankfully so many care for her.

John in Wauwatosa

Wow!

Talk about a full story. I had to go back and review the first chapter. This story is just jammed pack full of issues. Dana's intersexed condition, her mother's rape and mental illness, the trauma rape does not just to the victim but the entire family. I mean just look at all the emotionally charged stuff! Though all of this I really feel for Dana and her trying to deal with all of this.

Just a wonderful piece of writing!

Hugs!

grover

Wow... You have a definite

Wow...
You have a definite talent for writing and I am glad you posted your story here. I eagerly anticipate the next chapter. Thank you for sharing your story with us here.

Jayme Ann

On a side note was there some sort of class for Cliffhangers that I somehow missed?

The answers to all of life's questions can be found in the face of a true friend

The answers to all of life's questions can be found in the face of a true friend

Well done!

There are a lot who can identify with this story. The issues you bring up in this story sound like a soap opera. There is the intersexed teenager, the sexually assualted parent, and doctors trying to heal each of the two, in more ways than one. Then there are the police officers who take it upon themselves to make sure our heroine is safe, and not lonely. Hmmm, I don't know of any police officers that would do this, but it adds humanity to the story. Then there is Dr. Anders treating Dana for her "condition". Why is it that none of the other doctors are asking for files from Dr. Anders, and just assuming that Dana is masquerading as a woman? I hope this all gets answered in the next part. All of my doctors are constantly in touch with the other. This is a very nice continuation from the first part.

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

Will Both Of Them

Get marrid?

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Great story

Hihi Brandie,
This is a great story so far and I hope you can take us further on this journey. I do wonder about Dana, with the way Danas' body has developed, I would think he/she would be more cautious in regards to unknown people as I would have expected him/her to have been abused by his/her peer group in school. Maybe you have plans to cover this area of intrigue in a future chapter.

Huggles,

Winnie

Huggles,

Winnie
Winnie_small.jpg

When I started

writing this story, I said it was difficult to write. I stand by that. As a fellow reader and fan, I too have unresolved angst about several of the characters that I encounter while reading. Your comments make me want to write faster, yet a loud cry warns me against being sloppy. Dana's life and trials are such that I would not dare to rush into her life head first, with eyes closed, putting down a stream of useless words.

I value you as readers and hope that you will allow me to take the time necessary to put down the 'right' words that describe Dana's life.

Till we meet again, thank you for your support and patience.