“Now she was tainted; transformed by her parent’s maleficent desires for power and fortune. I pitied her. But more so, I missed the friend I once had.”

“Hi,' I said, and I hugged her. I missed her more now that I actually had her in my arms than when I hadn't.”

“She paused, frowning as she sifted through her memories. “I think it was my mother who said it, that Kathleen married Frank Dunn just so she could leave Haverhill. I remember thinking at the time that that must have been a powerful desire she had, to see more of the world.” Or a powerful desire to get away from her small of corner of it, Chad was thinking.”

“I kissed her.  I kissed her so thatshe could feel my regret, my desire to do right, the way that she had a pieceof me now and I wasn’t letting go.  I kissed her because I had to and kissingher made me feel better.  When I lifted my head her mouth looked puffy and dampand her eyes were glassy with banked passion.I missed you too.”

“She transforms once again into someone carefree, and I transform into someone whose only care is her.”

“She could see so clearly now that he was only a childish fancy, no more important really than her spoiled desire for the aquamarine earbobs she had coaxed out of Gerald. For, once she owned the earbobs, they had lost their value, as everything except money lost its value once it was hers. ”