"JEN!

JEN!" JEN!" I TRIED TO MAKE MY CHAIR MOVE, BUT I COULDN'T BUDGE

IT ALONE. SOMEONE ALWAYS BROUGHT ME DOWN TO THE BEACH AND TOOK I WAS BESIDE MYSELF. SHE HAD RUN FROM ME

ME BACK TO THE HOTEL. AND I COULDN'T FOLLOW. TO HER?

OH, JEN, WISE LITTLE JEN. WHAT HAD I DONE

OH, JEN,

I CRIED MYSELF TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT AND ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION ANY, IT CLEARED SOME OF THE COBWEBS FROM MY WILFUL, MUDDLED BRA IN. THE FIRST THING I HAD TO DO WAS FIND JEN AGAIN. TRUNDLED ALL OVER THAT BLASTED HOTEL BUT I DIDN'T SURPRISE HER ANYWHERE. SHE SHE HAD EVAPORATED. I SAT FOR HOURS I SAT FOR HOURS WATCHING THE PEOPLE AND HOPING I'D CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THAT IMP. BUT SHE WAS TOO SMART FOR THAT. SHE WAS LETTING ME STEW IN MY OWN JUICE FOR A WHILE. AT THE END OF THE SECOND DAY OF NO JEN, I WAS READY TO GO DOWN ON MY KNEES BEFORE HER, FIGURATIVELY AT LEAST.

SHE DIDN'T GIVE ME A CHANCE FOR A BIG SCENE EVEN THEN. I GUESS SHE'D HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH OF MY NEGATIVE HISTRIONICS. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN | RANG AS USUAL FOR ONE OF THE STAFF TO ASSIST ME INTO MY CHAIR, JEN APPEARED IN THE DOORWAY, FIXING ME WITH A QUIZZICAL EYE. I WAS SLEEPY AND GRUMPY AND CAUGHT COMPLETELY OFF GUARD.

"GOOD MORNING, MISS," SHE SAID WITH A LOPSIDED GRIN.

"JEN!" | GASPED AND THE REUNION WAS MARVELOUS TO BEHOLD. JEN LOCKED THE DOOR AFTER HERSELF, THOUGH, SO NO ONE BEHELD ANYTHING.

WE WERE BUSY TOGETHER AT A THOUSAND THINGS EVERY DAY AFTER THAT AND AUGUST RUSHED TOWARD US MUCH TOO FAST. I DISCOVERED THAT JEN WAS A NURSE WHICH I SHOULD HAVE GUESSED FROM THE HARD-BOILED WAY SHE HAD PLAYED WITH MY FEELINGS. SHE NEVER RESORTED TO THAT MANNER AGAIN, THOUGH. SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO; WE WERE TOO MUCH IN LOVE.

JEN SET HERSELF THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF MAKING ME WALK AGAIN. "| KNOW WE CAN DO IT, LEE," SHE SAID VEHEMENTLY, AND SHE STARTED ME ON A REGIME THAT PUT ME BACK IN GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS IN NO TIME. SHE TOOK ME DOWN TO THE BEACH AND WE STAYED FOR HOURS WHILE SHE WENT SWIMMING AND I SOAKED UP THE SUN. SHE PERSUADED ME TO LEAVE MY CHAIR, A CHANGE THAT PUT ME AMONG THE LIVING AGAIN. SHE'D PILE PILLOWS AT MY BACK AND THE WARM SOFT SAND FELT SO GOOD ALL AROUND ME, I'D WATCH HER PLAYING IN THE WAVES WITHOUT A SHADOW OF DISCON-