On Becoming Miss Louisa Harper Of New York And Newport 6 free porn video

From 'The Autobiography of Miss Louisa Harper of New York and Newport' ~ "The day of Miranda's wedding was cloudy and overcast, so perhaps Aunt Ada had been correct. Perhaps God would not waste a beautiful day on a wedding that would lead to a loveless marriage. Instead of using the vast tents that had been erected on the lawns at Golden Bluffs, everything was moved into our grand ballroom, which was large, but could not accommodate everyone who'd been invited. So, tables were also moved into the large entry area of the estate. The higher up on the social strata you were, the closer to the head table you sat. Poor relations and acquaintances who were beneath a certain social rank made do in the foyer. Their food was just as good, but they missed out on some of the music and dance. Miss Edith and her husband, Theodore Roosevelt, chose to not dine in the ballroom, but rather spend time with, what he jokingly referred to as 'The Hoi Polloi' in the foyer. Truth be known, Mr Roosevelt's blustery personality and huge belly laugh tended to resonate better with the less cultured than the grotesquely wealthy, anyway. His politics did as well." Miranda did look exquisite, though, even if her demeanor remained as grey and cheerless as the weather outside. She followed me and her other attendants into the ballroom where a beautiful arch of roses, originally meant to be set up in the tents outside, had been placed. She dutifully took her vows, repeating the words that the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, the newest and grandest church on the island, read. Father had donated the funds for the beautiful, rose shaped, stained glass window, and had always stated that he'd done so just so the window would be a beautiful prop at his daughters' weddings, but even Father realized that Miriam's nuptials were far too secular to be held in a scared space. The entire event was as beautiful as a fairy tail, yet as emotional as a bank transaction. As Father and Mother were presenting the 'Happy Couple' with a present of a very handsome yacht, Aunt Ada leaned over and whispered in my ear, "The greatest gift I could offer your sister is a small vial of cyanid to mix into her husband's gravy." As much as I was typically amused by Aunt Ada's humor, I did feel that this remark was a bit too much. "That's a terrible thing to say," I whispered back. "I'm sure that, once they settle in, they shall find some measure of happiness together." Langdon, who could not possibly have heard Aunt Ada's remarks, leaned into my other ear and whispered, "I have never seen a more dour bride nor groom in my life. I am sure that this is a mistake." Indeed, it was, but a necessary one if Miranda was to live out her days in comfort without the stigma of spinsterhood. My heart broke for my sister, but when I looked at Langdon, it soared with joy at the happiness I was sure laid ahead for us." XXX "What, exactly, did Ricky say to you?" Ann asked as she turned off of the road that ran past the dance studio and headed to the first of the two bridges she'd have to cross to get back home. "He didn't say anything," Quinn sniffled and fumed from the passenger seat. "Then how do you know that he figured out that you're a boy?" "I saw it on his iPad." Ann was perplexed. "His iPad told him you were a boy?" Quinn grew angry. "No, Annie! He had his iPad with him and after I danced with someone else, I saw his it. It was opened to a story about the accident, Annie!" Annie's heart sank. She'd given him the hint to look at that article, but she'd hoped that he'd read it and then talk to Quinn so that all of this might be worked out. Instead, this was becoming more and more like some horrible Greek tragedy. "So... what did he say when he read the article?" "I didn't wait to find out. I ran out as quickly as I could." "Then... you don't know if he even read it." "Of course he read it, Annie. It's right there at the start of the article. It says that their SON, Quinn Collins, was in critical condition and was not expected to live." "Yeah, but maybe he hadn't even read that..." "Annie! Please! It's in like the fifth sentence. If he opened the story, he's at least read that far." Just then, Quinn's phone rang. Ann looked at her brother who was looking at the phone. "Is that Ricky?" Quinn pushed the button to silence the ringing and nodded. "Aren't you going to talk to him?" Quinn shook his head. "No. That's all over, now. I can never talk to him again." "Quinn, you might be over reacting..." Th phone rang again and again Quinn silenced it, then said, "Annie, what would you do if you found someone that you really, really liked, but you had to keep a huge secret from him - A REALLY HUGE secret. Something that would completely change how he looked at you from then on - Then, just when you're trying to figure out how to tell him everything, he suddenly found out? Would you just hang around and wait for his reaction?" The phone rang again, causing Quinn to scream irrationally at it. "STOP! STOP! JUST STOP!" Ann pulled to side of the road and snatched the phone from Quinn. She pressed the button on the side of it, shutting it off. "Alright, now, just take a breath and calm down. You're out of control." "Out of control!? Annie, my whole world just fell apart! I had really strong feelings for Ricky and..." "Then why did you lie to him!" Ann interrupted, almost angrily. Quinn was shocked into a quieter voice. "Annie... you know why I didn't tell him everything..." "No, no, no, Quinn. You lied to that boy. Even if you never said it in words, you told him that you were a girl in a thousand different ways and he believed you. Not only that, I think he loved you." His face was blank as he stared at his sister. "I... I... couldn't just... it would have hurt him too much..." "Oh, so despite the fact that you had ample opportunities to tell him the truth long before his feelings for you developed, you were only sparing HIS feelings by lying to him. And you were only thinking of HIS feelings when you let him drive all the way to Portsmouth every night. And you were only thinking of HIS feelings when you let him kiss you. And you were only thinking of HIS feelings when you met his enormous family and let them get to like you, too. My God, Quinn, now I see it! You were acting like freaking Mother Theresa, caring for everyone else's feelings while you suffered the horrors of being loved." "Annie... I..." "You're not a child anymore, Quinn. You're an adult and an adult, whether he's a man or she's a woman, has adult responsibilities and responsibility number one is treat people with respect. Did you treat Ricky with respect, Quinn?" He looked straight out the windshield and thought for a moment. "I... I think I did. I tried to be nice when I was with him..." Ann sat back in her seat and sighed. "Quinn... you know I love you to death, but you have to be a grownup about this. You know that Ricky was falling for you, right?" He nodded. "And every minute that you were with him, he treated you like you were a princess, right?" He nodded again. "Did he ever once, to your knowledge, lie to you?" He shook his head and wiped a tear from his eye. "And yet, you showed him nothing but contempt by lying to him every second of every minute you spent with him." "I didn't mean to, Annie," Quinn croaked as he tried to breath through sobs. "I just... I just wanted so badly to be... his princess." Ann felt horrible for having said everything that had burst out of her mouth in the last few minutes, but it was all true and it needed saying. Now, repair work needed to be done. "Maybe you still can be, Quinn. Why don't we go back..." "No," he shook his head vehemently. "No. Not tonight. Annie... I... I wouldn't know what to say. Please. Let's just go home. Maybe I'll call him in the morning or something, but... I just couldn't face him tonight. I'm too ashamed." Ann hoped that he meant he was ashamed of the lying and not of finding his true self, but she felt like she'd beaten up on him enough. "Quinn... the boy loves you. Don't play with his feelings for too long. It's not just deceitful, honey... it's mean. Now, I know you as well as you know yourself, Quinn, and we both know that you're not a mean person." He nodded. "Thanks, Annie. Can we just go home now and get some rest? I feel like I might get sick if we keep talking about this." Ann squeezed his hand. "Ok, baby. Just take a breath and stay calm. I'll take you home." As they drove through the evening twilight, Ann wondered if she'd pushed him too hard. She wanted to be supportive, but Goddamnit, she wasn't just his sister and his friend - she was his mother and his father, too, and sometimes mothers and fathers had to wake their kids up to certain realities. She just hoped that Quinn was strong enough to face them. XXX "Well, where could she have gone?" When Ricky hadn't returned, Sylvia had come out to the parking lot to be sure he and Quinn were ok. "I don't know, Syl," Ricky said in a distracted tone. "One minute she was there and the next she was gone." Sylvia looked around, worried as well. "Did you say something to her that might have upset her?" Rickey shook his head. "I wasn't even talking to her. She danced with Liam. I was helping you with the water and then... she just wasn't there any more." "Is her car gone?" "She doesn't drive. Her sister drove her and her car isn't here, but I don't know if she was waiting or not. I've called Quinn's phone like six times and left messages, but no one's picking up." He looked around once more. "I'm calling the police." Quinn raised the phone to call nine one one, but Sylvia stopped him. "Ricky, the police aren't going to come running because a full grown woman has been gone for ten minutes. She'd have to be missing for a day or more before they responded." Ricky let out a few more hollers. "Quinn! Quinn! Quinn!" But no answer came. "Ricky, come on back inside. If she's still around here, she'll be back. If she went home, then you'll find out what happen when she wants to talk to you." Sylvia put her arm around Ricky's back and tried to guide him towards the studio, but he stopped and thought for a moment. "What's your phone number?" He asked. She recited her number to him. "Why?" He dialed the number and let it connect, then disconnected. "I just called you, so my number will show up on your missed calls. I'm going to go see if she went home. If she comes back here, call me, ok?" "Ricky..." she tried to stop him, but he was already running for his car. "Call me!" He called back as he jumped in and started the engine. XXX Barbara looked at her phone when the text tone chimed. 'THE S*** HAS HIT THE FAN. ON OUR WAY HOME. NEED YOUR HELP. CAN YOU COME OVER.' Barbara grimaced and groaned. 'OF COURSE. I'LL WATCH FOR YOUR CAR.' 'THANKS. WE'RE JUST HITTING THE ISLAND NOW. BE HOME IN 30.' XXX "Hey, pal," Bill said into his phone. "Shouldn't you be in dance class right now?" "Grandpa, Quinn disappeared. I don't know what to do." Bill had never heard Ricky this agitated before and he found it concerning. "Rick, are you driving? Pull over, Buddy. You're too wound up to talk and drive." 'I can't, Grandpa. I have to get to Portsmouth..." "Dennis Francis Briggs, you pull that car over NOW and we will continue this conversation when that vehicle is in park." Bill was not about to lose his grandson to high emotions and speed. Ricky was shocked to hear his grandfather use his full legal name. That almost never happened. "Yes, sir," he said, soberly and he pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park. "I'm parked now, grandpa." "Good man. Now, tell me what happened." Ricky took a calming breath. "Ok... So, class started great. You know Liam, that guy in his nineties that comes to class, well, Liam and Quinn danced the first dance. I was sitting on the side of the room and then I helped with opening a couple of cases of water. The dance ended and Quinn walked to where I had been seated and then, when the next dance started, she was gone. I can't find her anywhere. I've called her phone and it goes straight to voicemail. I don't know where she is or if she's alright. I'm really worried, grandpa." "Ok," Bill said, calmly. "So, what's your plan? Go to her house and confront her? Rick... if she ran out and she's not returning your calls, then she's upset. I can tell by the sound of your voice that you're upset, too. So, how do you expect this all to play out? You show up and she's at home... she's already upset about something, you're already upset about her running out... What's going to happen?" Ricky didn't know how to respond. "I don't know, grandpa. I guess... we talk?" "Rick..." the old man chose his words carefully. "... we talked about this. That girl has been through more than you can imagine. She's only been out in the adult world for a few months. She's bound to have a bad day, now and again. Something happened to trigger her, pal. Let her get over it. Why don't you come back here and we'll talk it out. Ok? Let Quinn get past whatever it was that set her off." Suddenly, something occurred to Ricky. "Grandpa, I think I might know what upset her." "What's that, pal?" "Well, I had my iPad with me and, while she was dancing with Liam, I... I looked up the newspaper story about the accident that killed her parents and brother. I might have left the iPad open to that story. Maybe she saw it." His grandfather waited a moment before asking, "Did you read the article?" "No," Ricky was speaking quietly. "I read the first few sentences, but... there was a picture, grandpa. It was worse than you described. The headline said that Quinn wasn't expected to survive. That's what set her off, isn't it grandpa. She must have seen the picture." "Maybe," his grandfather spoke very calmingly. "Rick... come home. We'll talk." The young man thought for a few moments. "I will, grandpa, but first I have to at least swing past her house to be sure that Annie got her home ok." "Rick..." his grandfather was being calm, but firm. "... you are in no state to driving around Aquidneck peeking into windows. Turn around and come home." Ricky thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, grandpa, but I just need to be sure she's ok. I won't even get out of the car. I'll just swing by, then I'll come back home." Bill let out a heavy sigh. "Look, Rick. I have a friend up in Portsmouth. I'll ask him to check on Ann and Quinn. You just sit tight where you are and I'll call my friend. Just stay put for about half an hour and I'll call you back. But please... promise me you'll sit tight until I call you back." "Ok, grandpa," Ricky finally agreed. "I'm going to go about a mile up the road from here and pull into the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. I'll wait there." "Thank you, Rick. I'll call you back." Bill disconnected the call and looked up the name of an old fishing Buddy. He pressed the contact's name and listened as the phones connected. "Hello?" Came from the other end. "Hey, Chief. This is Bill Briggs. I know it's been awhile, but I wonder if I might impose on you for a favor." "Bill! Long time, no see! Sure, pal. What do you need?" XXX Barbara was waiting and when she saw Ann's car come down the street, she hurried out the door and over to the Collins' house to offer any support she could. Ann pulled into the driveway and Barbara reached Quinn's door in time to open it for him. "Oh, Quinny, what happened, honey," she said with a great deal of sympathy, but sounding a bit like a babysitter speaking to a toddler who'd scraped his knee. Quinn accepted the hugs and sympathy, but only shrugged in answer to the question. "Come on in the house, honey. We'll talk in there." Barbara put her arm around Quinn's shoulders and had him rest his head on her shoulder as they followed Ann to the door. Once the door was unlocked and they were inside, Barbara said, "Sit on the couch, Quinny. I'll get you some tea." "No, that's ok," Quinn said, sadly. "I think I'd like to just take a shower, if that's ok." "Ok," Barbara smiled. "I'll help you out of your corset." They went upstairs, but Barbara looked at Ann and said, "I'll come down when he's in the shower." Ann nodded as she dropped her purse onto the hall table. What a rotten night and she felt as if she was responsible for the whole thing. She never should have told Ricky to Google Quinn's name. She knew it would lead him to that article, but she'd hoped that cooler heads would prevail. What had Ricky even thought when he read about the fourteen year old boy who'd been pulled from that terrible wreck. Ann hadn't even been there that night and that godawful photo made her nauseated every time she saw it. She couldn't imagine what the last few minutes of her parents' lives had been like, let alone poor Tony. This was the seminal moment of the remainder of her life. The moment that drew a distinct line between what life was meant to be and what it was always going to be. The fear of pain and loss and empathy for her family churned her stomach whenever she thought of that night and the overwhelming weight of survivor's guilt always buried her for days after thinking of the crash. She should have been with them. Yes, she had work to do, but it had been Tony's sixteenth birthday. A better person would have gone with them and maybe, had she'd gone, they may have left Six Flags New England just twenty seconds later, so that when that truck came into the right lane, her family might have been a few seconds behind the truck instead of beside it. It didn't matter - it was all her fault. If she'd gone with them, they'd all still be alive. And this was all her fault, too. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Now... She poured a glass of wine for both her and Barbara, who was coming down the stairs. "He's not saying much," Barbara said as she entered the kitchen. "So, what happened?" Ann was about to answer when blue flashing lights appeared outside her front door. "What the hell is happening, now?" She grunted as someone knocked on the door." XXX From 'The Autobiography of Miss Louisa Harper of New York and Newport' ~ "Mr Theodore and Mrs Edith Roosevelt sat at a table with General William Tecumsah Sherman and his wife, Hugh J. Grant, Mayor of New York City and the youngest man ever to hold that post, and his wife, Charles F. McClean, Police Commissioner for New York City and his wife, and US Senator for the State of New York Senator Chauncey Depew and his wife. All of these men were key players in the Lincoln Republican Party and much of the conversation at that table on that afternoon would surely impact the people of New York City in the days, weeks and months to follow. Miss Edith caught me as I was making the rounds of tables, being the hostess-in-training, a post Mother had created for me, I was told that I needed to speak to every table, but Miss Edith grabbed my arm and invited me to sit with them for a bit. Truth be told, I needed a break and sitting at this illustrious a table would please Mother. Father was only as political as his business demanded, but he was not a huge fan of the reform minded Republicans of New York City. He found them difficult to buy and could not understand their reluctance to take his money. A man only worked for money, after all. 'You can't trust a man who pretends to be above money, Langdon,' I'd heard him say to my fianc?e more than once. Lanny would smile and nod, but I knew that he supported all of these men. I took my seat between Miss Edith and General Sherman and I must admit that being in the presence of the great general did make me a bit lightheaded. He was an old man, but he was still a formidable visage with his receding hairline, pockmarked face and thin beard. He was still the man in the photographs from The Civil War. The man who marched his men from The Mississippi River to Savannah, ending the war. "Thank you for inviting me into your home, Miss Harper," the general said. "I am honored to be present at the wedding of your beautiful sister." "The honor is all ours, general," I smiled as engagingly as I knew how. I had assumed that the conversation would remain civil and polite, and I was shocked to my core when I was asked a question that I never expected to be asked on such a festive occasion. "So, tell me, Miss Harper," Mr Roosevelt said to me, "what is your opinion of the condition of our public orphanages and workhouses in the city?" "Oh, Teddy," Miss Edith looked as shocked as I felt. "This is not appropriate conversation for a young woman or for this kind of festivity." "Nonsense," her husband replied. "Miss Harper and I had long discussions when last we visited. I think Mayor Grant and Senator Depew would like to hear her opinions." It was true, Mr Roosevelt and I had discussed a number of issues previously, but always in private. This kind of a public conversation was a very different matter and if Father should hear that I discussed public policies with men, even Aunt Ada would not be able to save me from his ire. Still, my opinion had been requested and I did have an opinion to give, so I gave it. "Well, to be honest, gentlemen, I feel that the current state of public facilities for all of the less fortunate is appalling. In this land of plenty, it seems absurd that anyone should be deprived life's most basic needs. Clean water, healthy food, medical services, education - these are things that we of privilege take for granted, but is not just unavailable, but flatly denied to those less fortunate. I believe it in incumbent on us to insure that all of our citizens have access to all of those services." The Mayor and the Senator smiled and nodded. "So, tell me, Miss Harper," Senator Depew smirked, "how do you feel that you could contribute to rectifying some of these conditions?" I blinked at him as a fire was suddenly lit in my chest. At that moment I knew that I would be dedicating my life to helping the poor and downtrodden of my country. "That is an intriguing question, Senator, and one for which I do not currently have answer, but I assure you, an answer will be forthcoming as I research this matter further. Gentlemen, may I call upon each of you once I have formed a proper answer. I do believe that I can do some good if I set my mind to it." Each man assured me that they would make themselves available to me should I call on them and I returned to my hostess duties with a new sense of purpose in my life." XXX The patrolman was young, certainly not yet thirty, and quite tall. When Ann opened the door, she found herself looking directly into the man's chest. "Yes?" Ann asked, looking up at his chin. The officer checked his note pad. "Oh, good evening, ma'm. I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I was asked to swing by and do a wellness check on..." he checked his note pad again, "Quinn Collins. Is Miss Collins here, Ma'm?" Ann sighed. "Yes, she is, but she is currently showering. Who asked you to check on her?" He checked his pad again. "Umm... a Mister William "Bill" Briggs, ma'm. Apparently, Miss Harper has been missing from a dance class for an hour or so and a lot of people are concerned." "Bill Briggs?" Ann mulled than for a moment. "Oh, Bill! Ricky's grandfather. Look, Officer, my sister had a rough night and I drove her home earlier than expected. She's... well, she's been through a lot and today turned out to be a tougher day than usual. I'm sorry, I should have let the people in the class know I took her home. Thank you for checking up on her." "Well, if you don't mind, ma'm, I sort of need to see your sister and be sure she's ok. I'll be in my car. I'll knock again in a half an hour or so and, hopefully, by then she should be out of the shower." "What?" Ann was frustrated. "You need to see her? That's absurd!" Barbara had been listening from down the hall. "Annie, it's fine. Officer, I'll come knock on your window when Quinny is downstairs and you can talk to her, then." "Thank you, ma'm," he said and was turning to go when something occurred to him. He turned back and said, "Annie? Annie Collins?" Ann was in the process of closing the front door, but she stopped. "Yes." Suddenly, the officer's stern fa?ade melted to a smile. "Annie Collins." He shook his head. "I'm John Tomlinson. From Salve Regina. You tutored me in English when we were freshmen. Remember?" It took Ann a moment to remember him. She'd tutored a number of people as part of her work study program at Salve Regina. Then she remember the awkward nineteen year old version of the man in front of her. In her memory, John Tomlinson was a tall, thin boy with feet too big for his body. He moved like a Great Dane puppy, still trying to figure out how his extremities worked. "Oh...? John? Oh, my goodness. I never would have recognized you. How are you?" "I'm doing good, I guess." He smiled. "Oops. I forgot who I'm talking to. I'm doing WELL, I guess." "That's wonderful," Ann smiled, then couldn't help but tease a little. "And it's 'to whom I am speaking,' not 'talking to.'" The Officer laughed. "Yep. You're right... oops, correct." He smiled at Ann and she could see he wanted to say more, but that wasn't the reason for his visit. "Well... it was great to see you, Annie. I'll be in the car when Quinn is available." "Don't be silly," Barbara suddenly burst back into the conversation. She pushed the door open and grabbed the officer's arm. "Come on in and have a cup of coffee with us." XXX Ricky's anxiety level was off the charts. He'd been waiting in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot for nearly an hour with no word from his grandfather or Quinn. He'd wait ten more minutes and then, if he hadn't heard from anyone, he was going to go up to Portsmouth anyway. Then, not only did his phone ring, but the caller ID said, 'Quinn.' Quickly, he pressed the 'accept' button. "Quinn? Are you ok?" The voice on the other end spoke quietly, "Ricky, it's Annie. I'm just using Quinn's phone because I don't have your number." "Annie? Where's Quinn? Is she ok? Why did she run out like that?" "She's fine," Ann tried to assure the young man, "she was just upset that you'd read the article about the accident. She figured you'd be mad at her, so she just ran out." "She thought I'd be...? Why would I be mad?" Ann was a bit confused by that. "So... you haven't read the article?" "Just the beginning. I saw the picture and almost got sick. I read that your mom and dad and brother all died at the scene and that Quinn wasn't expected to live. That's about all." It was at that point that he realized that he'd left his ipad at the studio. "To be honest, I really don't think I could get through the whole article. It was too upsetting. I don't know how you got through it so well." So well? Was he kidding? Seven years of guilt, seven years of crying with no warning, seven years waking up screaming, seven years of... of Quinn. It had been a waking nightmare for her, but for Quinn... it was so much more for Quinn. They hadn't 'gotten through' anything. They were just barely surviving. But that wasn't Ricky's fault. The issue at hand was that Ricky hadn't read enough of the article to know that Quinn was a boy. It was still possible for Quinn to deal with this in a mature manner. "Look, Ricky... you have to understand that Quinn's life changed really drastically that night and now... well... she's only taken a few steps into adulthood so far. You're her first real crush and... I think we're all expecting more from Quinn than Quinn is capable of giving just yet. Please... give her a few days, like she asked. Let her explain things to you her own way. Ok?" Ricky sighed, disappointed that he couldn't see Quinn for a few days, but oddly excited that Ann had said that he was Quinn's first crush. That meant that she did have feelings for him and that was a good thing. "Ok. Thank you for calling me. I appreciate that. Can you tell Quinn... well... tell her I'm sorry that I upset her. Ok?" Ann smiled at that. The boy had done nothing wrong, but was still apologizing for upsetting Quinn. "Ok, Ricky. Look, I have to go. Quinn was taking a shower, but I can hear her moving around upstairs, now. Thanks for understanding. Bye bye." "Bye," Ricky whispered, then despaired at the sound of the call disconnecting. After a moment, he called his grandfather's phone. "Rick?" The older man seemed cautious. "Is everything alright?" "Yeah, grandpa. I'm ok. I just wanted to tell you that I spoke to Annie and Quinn is ok. It's kind of a long story, I'll tell you about another time. I'm headed back to my place near campus. I'll talk to you tomorrow." "Rick," Grandpa Bill suddenly sounded old to Ricky, "can you do an old man a favor?" "Sure, grandpa. What?" "Buddy... can you please come here tonight instead of going back to the college?" He sighed at that. He really just wanted to be alone. "Is it important to you, grandpa?" "It is, Buddy. I really need to see you, tonight. To know that you're ok and... Rick... maybe not tonight, but, tomorrow, after you've had some rest... we need to have a long talk." This was not like Grandpa Bill at all. In fact, this tone was freaking Ricky out just a bit. He wasn't sick or something, was he? Ricky couldn't handle Grandpa Bill being sick right now. "Ok, Grandpa. I'll be there in about a half hour." "Thanks, Rick. Drive safely and remember... I love you, pal." "Yeah, grandpa. I love you, too." XXX Officer Tomlinson spoke into the microphone mounted on his left shoulder. "I just finished that safety check on Quinn Collins. She's ok. She's at home with her sister. Just had a rough night. Sounds like a little PTSD due to a bad accident a while ago." "Copy, Officer. Thank you. I will notify the chief." "Thanks," he said, released the microphone and stood straight on the porch. "Well, it was great to get caught up," he smiled at Ann. "I'll meet you at The White Horse Tavern around three tomorrow, then?" Ann smiled. "Around three. See you then." She closed the door as he got back into his car. "Quinny is in bed and seems ok. I think he's pretty tired. He's probably asleep already," Barbara said as she came down the stairs. She smiled at Ann as Ann closed the front door. "Well, look at you, Miss Collins. Dating the boy she tutored all those years ago." "Very funny," Ann smirked, "but I'm just going to have a drink with him. It's not a date." "Oh, dear God," Barbara laughed, "you're as bad as Quinn. Of course it's a date. So, what are you wearing?" Ann shook her head, amused by her friend's enthusiasm. "I don't know, Barbie. It's the last day of school, so the kids have a field day. I was planning on wearing a pair of shorts and a tee shirt to school, so I'll probably wear that. The White Horse is a pretty casual place..." "Oh, like hell you'll be wearing shorts and a tee shirt," Barbara interrupted, with a maternal tone. "Before I leave, I'm picking out a nice dress for you. You can take ten minutes to get changed and fix your hair and makeup before you go to have a drink." Ann shook her head and smirked at her friend. "Ok, I'll wear something nicer, but nothing too fancy. Ok?" "Ok," Barbara relented and followed Ann into the kitchen. "So, Quinn seemed ok when he went to bed?" Ann asked. Barbara nodded. "You know, Annie, when I first put Quinn into a dress last week, I never expected things to go this far." "I know. I've been thinking about Quinn a lot and honestly, I never saw this coming, but... maybe I'm not as surprised as I should be. I mean... Quinn has always been... may not girlish, but... not boyish, if that makes sense." Barbara nodded. "So... have you taken a look at Quinn when he's not wearing a corset, lately?" Ann placed the dirty cups into the sink. "No. Why?" Barbara bit her lip for a moment before speaking. "The corset training... well, you know, he's had been wearing a corset twenty four seven, which is something I never anticipated, but... the corset training is... working." "Meaning what?" "Meaning... his torso is more hour glass shaped than before and... well... those little breasts he gets in one of Louisa's corsets...? well, the corsets he wears MOST of this time, the ones with cups... well, they kind of train the breasts as well as the torso, so..." "He's developing breasts?" Barbara nodded. Ann shrugged, "Well... I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that's a problem or an asset. Quinn and I have a lot to talk about this week." XXX "Morning, Rick," Grandpa Bill greeted Ricky as he came down stairs to the kitchen. Their three decker home had been modified before they moved in, in order to make the house more useful for them. The only kitchen now was on the first floor where Grandpa Bill's bedroom was. There was also a large family room on that level. So, at every mealtime, everyone had to come down to see Grandpa Bill. "Hi, Ricky," Isabella smiled, as she stood up from the table and went to the sink to rinse out her cereal bowl. "Hi, Grandpa," Ricky said, then he kissed the top of his youngest sister's head. "Morning, Bella. Last day of school?" "Yeah," she giggled. "Just six more hours till freedom. Next year I'll be a senior!" Ricky grabbed a glass from the dish strainer next to the sink, then pulled a jug of orange juice from the refrigerator. "And then college! You're nearly an adult." "Yeah, so are you," she teased. She grabbed her backpack and kissed her grandfather's cheek. "Bye grandpa." "Bye, sweetie." "Will you be here when I get home, Ricky?" Her brother smiled and shrugged. "Maybe, Belle. I don't know." She looked at him more closely, then kissed his cheek. "Cheer up, Ricky. You look more handsome when you smile." That made Ricky laugh. "Have a great last day, squirt." When Isabella had exited out the front door, Ricky looked at his grandfather. "So, what's going on, grandpa?' Bill looked at the contents of his coffee cup before answering. "Rick... you really had me worried last night. You sounded a little... unhinged... on the phone. I just wanted you to come here so I knew you were ok." Ricky sipped his orange juice. "Ok. I'm sorry if I made you worry, grandpa, but... that big hug when I got here and then you said we needed to talk... I'm going to ask you this point blank, grandpa... Are you sick or something?" The old man broke a smile and shook his head. "No, Buddy... I'm as healthy as a horse. I want to talk to you about you." "And Quinn," Ricky interjected. "And Quinn," Bill nodded. Ricky sat back and folded his arms. "A special lunch the other day and now a special conversation... Grandpa, Alice is engaged. Cathy and Steve have been dating for years. I don't think that you've ever had a single conversation with them about their relationships. What is it about my relationship with Quinn that concerns you so much?" Bill drained his mug and pushed it aside. "Rick... you're my only grandson. Hell, you're more my son than your dad ever was. I look at you and I see so much promise, so much potential... I just want you to be happy, pal." "So...? At lunch you said you understood my feelings towards Quinn. Now, what? Now, you don't think it's a good idea for me to follow my heart?" A small, sad smile crossed Bill's face. "Rick... Being with Quinn is going to be complicated." "Yeah, just like it was for you and grandma. We've already talked about this." "No, Rick. Not like that at all. Yes, Quinn has been broken and put back together and that is going to be very hard to overcome, but... Rick... last night, when you were so upset, I called an old friend, who also happens to be the Chief of Police over in Portsmouth. I asked him for some help and he sent a car by Ann and Quinn's house and did a wellness check." "You sent the police to Quinn's house? Grandpa, that must have freaked them out!" "I don't think so, Rick. In fact, I spoke to Ann this morning and I offered and apology and she was fine with the whole thing. She knew I'd done it to keep you safe. That's not really the point, though." Ricky shook his head. "I wish you hadn't called him, grandpa." "Then I'm sorry, pal, but there's more." Bill rubbed his face with both hands and considered his words. "Rick... that night, seven years ago... when I saw that poor child being pulled from that wreckage... that was the most horrendous thing I've ever seen in my life. The image of that poor baby has haunted me ever since. I'll be watching TV or doing yard work... just day to day things, you know? And suddenly, I will see the EMTs laying that poor child on that stretcher. Rick... Quinn didn't look hurt. Quinn looked dead. I couldn't believe that any child could survive that kind of injury." Ricky nodded. "I saw a picture of it last night. It was on the Providence Journal site. Actually, that's what upset Quinn. Why she ran out of class." Grandpa Bill nodded. "But you didn't read the article?" "Just a little. It was more than I could take, actually." Bill nodded. "Do you remember that I said that maybe I remembered something's about that night wrong or maybe I read something that might have been incorrect in one of the newspapers?" "Yeah, I do. Why?" Ricky watched his grandfather look around the room before he spoke. "Rick. When I talked to the chief, I checked the facts of that night with him, and..." he just couldn't find the words. "And what, grandpa?" "Rick..." this was the hardest conversation Bill had ever had. "Rick... we love who we love. We can't always control that. We love who we love who we love. That's how we're made. You get that, right?" Ricky stood, started to say something, but couldn't turn his thoughts into words, and so headed to the kitchen door. "Where are you going?" Bill asked. "Grandpa... if you're going to tell me anything that might make me think less of Quinn, then I just don't want to hear it. Ok? I'm sorry, but... no thank you." "Rick, please sit down. You need to hear this." "No, grandpa. Quinn will tell me what she wants me to know when she wants to tell me." "Rick...' "Grandpa, I love you, but..." Ricky looked at the man who'd raised him and who had always treated him better than anyone else in the world and for the first time, his grandfather looked old and worried. "I'm sorry, grandpa, but... I have to go." The silence in the room was uncomfortable to both of them. "You do understand, don't you grandpa?" His grandfather nodded. "I do, Rick. You're a good guy." Bill stood and stretched out his arms. "Give an old man a hug." Ricky complied and even accepted his grandfather's kiss on his temple. Then Bill held the boy by the shoulders and looked at him with nothing but love on his face. "I read a quote this morning, Rick, and it made me think of your Grandma Joanie, and that made me think of you and how you feel about Quinn. I'm not sure who said it, but it goes, 'I saw you were perfect and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and so I loved you even more.' Remember that quote, pal. Ok?" "Ok, grandpa... ok." XXX "Yes, I wear a corset every day," Quinn explained to a fourteen year old girl while he was in his Louisa persona. "It is, after all, the style of my day." He was wearing one of his favorite day dresses - a soft blue dress with a white, lace top. "Is it uncomfortable?" Another young teen girl asked. "Not really," he smiled. "It is constricting, but you get used to it very quickly." "How many dresses so you own?" A different girl asked. Quinn smiled. "It's a little embarrassing, but I actually have about two hundred dresses in my closet. Mother is very adamant that I am never seen in the same dress twice if it can be avoided. That does make it necessary to own a lot of dresses." "Did you ever love anyone other than Langdon?" An older voice asked from the back. Quinn looked to see who was speaking and, for a moment, froze when he saw Ricky's sisters Ellen and Fiona smiling at him. Quinn felt a bit of a chill run down his back. Had Ricky told them what he'd read in the paper? Did they know he was a boy? No. They were smiling too broadly. They didn't know. "No. I never did love anyone other than Langdon, but I did not love him at first. It took a little time to get to know him, but once I did know him... I loved him." "And did he love you as much as you loved him?" Fiona asked. Quinn smiled. "No. No, I think that Langdon actually loved me a lot more than I loved him, and that wasn't easy, because I loved him with all my heart." There was the predictable sound of girls and women sighing after that statement. "I'm afraid we need to leave Miss Louisa, now," the maid/tour guide explained. "Please follow me." The crowd followed the guide and Quinn said goodbye to everyone as they passed. Fiona and Ellen were the last two guests to pass by him. "Thank you, Louisa," Fiona smiled and shook Quinn's hand. "Thank you, Fiona. Please come again," Quinn said, taking the risk of acknowledging that he knew Fiona, which made the young woman smile. He turned to Ellen and offered his hand to her as well. "And thank you for coming as well, Ellen." Ellen smiled at the familiarity Quinn showed and shook his hand, too, but when she released her grip, a note remained behind in Quinn's hand." He waited until the room was empty, knowing he had about four minutes before the next group arrived, before reading the note. 'HI, QUINN. YOU LOOK AMAZING! WE'LL BE AT THE CREAMERY AT SIX AND WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US FOR SUPPER. OUR TREAT. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. LOVE, SISTERS FOUR AND FIVE.' XXX "Have a great summer!" Ann called to a colleague "You too, Annie!" The portly man called back. "See you at the end of August!" Ann was carrying a pretty big load to her car, not just because she was leaving the building for eight weeks, which meant taking a few extra things beyond her briefcase with her laptop, but because Barbara had convinced her to dress well for her 'get-together' with John at The White Horse Tavern. That meant that she had changed into the very pretty green dress she had brought with her and so, now she was carrying her briefcase on her shoulder, a box of classroom things she might need at home, a garment bag containing her shorts and top she'd worn for the kids' field day, her sneakers and a small tote bag that held her curling iron and makeup. "Here. Let me help you with that," voice came from someone who was rushing up beside her to help. "Oh, thank you," Ann laughed as she turned, expecting to see a colleague, but instead seeing a face from her personal life. "Ricky? What are you doing here?" Ricky took nearly everything Ann was carrying into his arms and smiled. "I'm sorry, Annie, but I really need to talk to you and I don't have your number. Can I talk to you for just five minutes, please?" Ann let out a slightly exasperated sigh. She really wanted to get to The White Horse. She hadn't been out with a guy since about three months before the accident and she hadn't had a serious relationship since her senior year of under-grad school. She checked her watch. "Ok, but I only have about five minutes. I'm really sorry, but I have to meet someone soon." She opened the hatchback of her Prius. "Yeah, that's fine." He placed the items he was holding into the rear of the car. "Annie... I just need you to tell Quinn that I'm sorry that I opened that article. When I saw the photo of the crash scene, I was nearly sick. I should have been sensitive enough of Quinn's feelings to have closed it before she saw it." Ann couldn't help but feel bad for this poor kid. "Ricky... I'm sure that Quinn is freaked out by the photo, I mean, God knows I am, but..." "Annie," Ricky interrupted, "how did you get through all that? I mean, my God, I couldn't imagine how terrible it would be to lose anyone so... violently. My mom, my grandpa, my sisters.. anyone. You must be the strongest person I've ever met." Ann raised her eyebrows as she considered that. "See... that's the thing, Ricky. I never got over it and neither did Quinn. To be honest, if I live to be a hundred, I still expect that I will be waking up in the middle of the night because I had another nightmare about the crash." Ricky nodded, sure that he understood why Quinn had run out of the class the previous night. "Ok. Can you just tell her that I'm sorry, then, and ask her to please... please... talk to me. I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm really scared that I'm never going to see her again. And it's all because I left that stupid picture on my iPad." The young man started to walk away, but Ann called him back. She took out a pen, ripped a Post-it Note off of a pad in the box in her car and wrote on it. "Here. This is my number. I don't know if I'll be able to offer any help at all, but... well, at least you don't have to drive all the way up here talk to me." "Thanks," Ricky said, with a small smile as he took the piece of paper. As he walked away, again, Ann called, "Did you read the article, yet?" He turned and shook his head. "No. I don't think I ever will." Goddamnit, why the hell was Quinn making this kid suffer like this? "Ricky... just read the article." He shook his head again. "You know, I am really confused by you and your friend Barbara and even my grandfather. You all seem to know something horrible about Quinn that you seem to think will make me feel differently about her." Ann went a bit pale. "Your grandfather knows?" Ricky shrugged. "I guess so, because he tried to tell me something this morning and acted all weird when I didn't want to hear it." He was going to walk away, but had to say a bit more. "What the heck could be so bad? I mean, she's not a crack dealer or something, right?" "No," Ann rolled her eyes. "Ricky, for six of the past seven years, Quinn has either been in traction recovering from a surgery, or in traction preparing for the next surgery. For the last year... you have no idea how hard Quinn worked to be able to walk again. It was constant PT and exercising for the last twelve or thirteen months. That doesn't leave much time for drug dealing. There are some things you should know, though." He nodded and his lips pressed together. "I'll find all that out when Quinn tells me. Until then... I don't want to know." He opened the door to his car, got in and drove away. XXX "You came!" Fiona nearly bounced off the booth bench at the sight of Quinn. "Here. Sit by me." "Hi," Quinn smiled nervously. He was wearing a yellow dress with a white flower print that he'd bought on his trip to the outlet center with Ricky's sisters. "Umm... this is my friend Barbara. Do you mind if she joins us? I can't drive, so Barbara drove me." "No, no," Barbara tried to be diplomatic. "I'll just sit at the bar and have a little something for dinner." "Don't be silly," Ellen smiled and tapped the open part of the bench next to her. "Join us." Barbara sat, a bit self consciously, not really wanting to be part of Quinn's 'date with the sisters.' "Thanks." "Hey! Quinn! How are you?" Ricky's friend, Joe, waved from the grill. He came over to the side of the table and smiled. "I guess my cooking was so good that you couldn't stay away, right?" Quinn smiled. "Hi, Joe. Good to see you, again." "Girls night out, huh?" He smiled, then realized that he recognized Ellen and Fiona. "Oh, shoot! It's sisters three and four, right?" Ellen pointed at herself and then her sister. "Four and five." Joe made a show of counting on his fingers "A, B, C, Rick is really Dennis, so he's D, so you guys are E and F. Don't tell me, let me get it. Ellen and Fiona, right?" "Hey, not bad," Ellen smiled. "So... what can I get you ladies, this evening?" "How about cheeseburgers with fries and a chocolate shakes for all of us," Barbara said. "My treat." Ellen and Fiona were both about to object, but Barbara held up her hand to stop them. "I remember what being in college was like. I'll cover this. It's my treat." The sisters looked at each other and shrugged, then looked at Quinn who just smiled, knowing that Barbara enjoyed being generous. "Ok," Ellen said to Joe. Joe leaned down and asked in a hushed voice. "Regular shakes or 'Awful Awfuls'?" Quinn looked at the other three who all seemed to know what Joe was talking about. "What's an Awful Awful?" Joe's jaw dropped dramatically. "You've never had an Awful Awful!? It's a Newport Creamery specialty. 'Awful big. Awful good.' It's made with more ice cream than a regular shake, so it's thicker. Want to try one?" "Of course she does," Barbara smiled. "Four burgers with fries and chocolate Awful Awfuls." Joe gave a big thumbs up. "Four Creamery Specials coming up." "God, he's gorgeous," Ellen muttered as Joe walked away. Fiona rolled her eyes at Quinn and Barbara. "She's a little boy-crazy. She falls in love with pretty much every friend Ricky ever brings home." Ellen turned and looked at her sister with narrowed eyes. "That may be true, but that is one fine man, right there." Then her jovial attitude returned. "Quinn, you were just great as Louisa. We go to Golden Bluffs a couple of times every summer and have a nice lunch in the restaurant and you're the best Louisa we ever saw." Before Quinn could thank her, Fiona said, "And you wear Louisa's clothes so naturally. Oh, they are so beautiful!" Quinn giggled at her enthusiasm. "Well, thank you for coming and I'm glad you enjoyed it, but the clothes are entirely Barbara's doing. She makes them all and she made them fit me and taught me how to wear them correctly." "Shut... the... door...." Fiona said dramatically, looking at Barbara with awe. "You made all of Louisa's clothes?" "I did," Barbara smiled, obviously proud of her work's impact on this girl. "Fi sews a little," Ellen explained. "She's getting really good, actually. She made the dress she's wearing today." "I was looking at that," Barbara smiled. "You do good work, Fiona." "Thanks," she beamed. "My mom taught me." "Four Awful Awfuls," Joe interrupted, placing the milkshakes on the table. "And a straw and long spoon for each of you." "These are massive!" Quinn looked at the huge plastic cups. "We're supposed to consume these AND a full meal?" Joe laughed and before walking away teased. "You need to get out more, Quinn. We've been serving these for fifty years." Ellen saw an opportunity to change the subject. "So, Quinn... did you and Ricky have a fight or something? I don't want to pry, or anything..." "Yes, she does," Fiona cut her off. "We both do, in fact, but tell us it's none of our business, if you want to." "I'm NOT trying to be nosy," Ellen insisted, "it's just... well... obviously, we LOVE Ricky and we want him to be happy, but in the short time we've spent with you, we really like you, too and... well, you get it, right? We'd really like for all of us to be one, big, happy family." Quinn, who had been trying to figure out how to get any of his drink to go up his straw without the straw collapsing against the thickness of the milkshake, was taken aback by the question. "Wha... what did Ricky tell you?" "Well, nothing, and that's the problem," Ellen shook her head, frustrated. "He was just really upset last night and this morning, our grandpa made us all wait upstairs until he'd had a talk with Ricky. All except Bell, of course, because she had to get on the school bus. Anyway, we only over heard a little of it..." "There's an old heating exchange in the floor between the first and second floors, so we usually listen there, but grandpa kept his voice down. Probably knew we were eavesdropping." Ellen gave her sister that narrow eyed look again. "Anyway... when Ricky left, he was still upset. He told grandpa that whatever it was that grandpa wanted to tell Ricky, Ricky only wanted to hear it from you." "He only wanted to hear it from me?" Quinn seemed astonished. Soooo.... Did this mean that Ricky DIDN'T know he was a guy? "That's what he said," Fiona confirmed. Quinn felt a wave of heat wash over him. He thought that Ricky knew - how could he not? It was right there in the article! He needed a minute alone to think. "Ummm... I need a minute. I'll be right back." He stood and looked around to find the ladies' room and spotted it at the rear of the restaurant. "I'll come with you..." Barbara offered, but Quinn shook his head. "No. I need a minute by myself. I'll be right back." He hurried away. "Well done, Elle," Fiona shook her head at her sister "I told you it was none of our business." "Shut up, Fi," Ellen spat as she watched Quinn disappear through the ladies' room door. She looked at Barbara and asked, "is she really mad at me, do you think?" Barbara had been watching Quinn's departure as well. "Girls, Quinn's been through a lot, with the accident and all..." Fiona interrupted. "Accident? What accident?" Now it was Barbara's turn to look shocked. "Quinn didn't tell you about the last seven years?" "Just that she was homeschooled through high school because of some health issues." Ellen said, looking to where Quinn had gone. "Why? Was she hurt in an accident or something?" Barbara let out a heavy sigh. "Look, never tell Quinn that I told you this, but without knowing about the accident, you'll never understand why Quinn seems... twitchy." XXX From "The Autobiography of Miss Louisa Harper of New York and Newport" ~ "In many ways, being a tomboy by nature made it easier for me to embrace my developing womanhood. Yes, I missed the freedoms of my 'boyhood,' but I also understood how boys and men reacted to women more clearly than did many of my more 'well brought up' peers. The Vanderbilt girls, for example, had never known a day without whale bone, satin bows and Irish lace. The same was true of the Astor girls. This tended to make my fellow females snobbish and inconsiderate of the feelings of others. I don't know why, but I could never achieve the kind of indifference towards the people around me that most of my class did. My relationships with my parents' friends were always cordial and polite, but my relationships with the household staff was always more friendly and relaxed. As the afternoon turned into evening and Miranda and her newlywed husband departed for their honeymoon on the yacht that my parents had provided as a present, the weather cleared and the sun came out, making the day far more cheery than it had been when we'd been in the presence of 'the happy couple.' "I will wager a dollar to a doughnut that the clouds will follow those two south to the Jersey shore," Aunt Ada teased as we waved from the dock, and I had no reason to argue that point with her. When they'd heaved off, Langdon and I walked along the lawns and cliffs of Golden Bluffs and enjoyed a bit of quiet time, together. Quiet time had been difficult to come by during the recent days at my parents estate and we were grateful. At the far end of the lawn, there was a comfortable bench that overlooked Narragansett Bay and provided a secretive location for the two of us. The sun was just starting to set as we sat and took each other's hands. "May I tell you a secret?" Langdon asked. Any intrigue was fascinating to me, so of course I wanted to hear what he had to say. "Of course." "Throughout today's festivities, I began thinking about you and me. Now, I am aware that our betrothal was something that was thrust upon you, and the more I think about it, the more concerned I am that, perhaps, you may want to rethink your options. If that is the case, Louisa, I would understand, but I do want you to know that, since our first meeting with our parents, I have grown much more than fond of you. I do believe that I have fallen in love, in fact, and that is the reason I am sharing my secret concerns with you." I was in shock at Langdon's words. "I don't understand," I stuttered. "Are you breaking off our engagement... because you love me?" He smiled and squeezed my hand in his. "No, my love." He took a deep breath and looked at the water he seemed to love so well. "I heard Mr Roosevelt and Mr Grant speaking to you before and I heard your replies to their questions about social reforms. Louisa... most women of our sphere spend their lives denying the problems of the world outside of Newport or even a block away from Fifth Avenue, but you are different. You do not deny your intellect and that is something that great men, men like Roosevelt and Grant, can see. That is why they asked your opinion. It would be a crime to stifle that mind of yours in any way, Louisa. Should we marry, I warn you, you shall never be allowed to sully that mind of yours with mere household concerns. No, my love, if you become my wife, then I will expect you to be far more than just the administrator of my household." "I am still confused," I confessed. "What would you have me do instead." "You must change the world for the better, my love. You must use your stature, your wealth and your wiles to make this world a better place for everyone. Is that something you can do?" My eyes must have been wide with wonder at the words of my fianc?e. He was offering me a key to the gilded cage I'd been living in, but with the proviso that once that key is used, I must then enter the world of men and do all I could to make them become rational creatures. This was no mean chore he was suggesting. This was a challenge of epic proportions that far exceeded my half-formed plans for my future. I would be a new Odysseus in a world of modern monsters. I should have found the proposal daunting and considered the consequences of my answer, but as I stated, my childhood was far more of a boyhood than it should have been and it left me longing for challenges and adventures. I smiled and said, "I can, Langdon, and with your help, I shall." He smiled and stood, then kneeled before me. He produced a lovely little opal ring from his pocket, then slide it onto the little finger of my left hand before saying, "In that case... will you, Louisa Harper, do me the honor of not just becoming my wife, but becoming an equal share in the life that we will face together?" I could no longer remain socially proper. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I will, Lanny. With all my heart, I will." At that moment, I heard Mother's voice coming from much closer than I expected. "Louisa!" She shouted. "What is wrong with you? Have some sense of propriety!" I was horrified that my mother had witnessed my break in protocol, but Langdon stood, helped me stand as well, then turned me so that I faced my mother. With his arms around my waist, he quite calmly stated, "Mother Harper, Louisa and I have entered into a pact together and from this point onward, I would appreciate it if you would no longer think of her as a child. She is now my wife-to-be and I ask that you treat her with all the dignity and respect which you have always offered to me." I was uncertain if Mother would remain upright after hearing those words, but my life at Golden Bluffs was drastically altered from that moment on and I was no longer considered 'just a girl' by anyone." XXX Wednesday evening had been awkward for Ricky. Without Quinn in class, he felt as if he was the object of far too much sympathy. It did occur to him, however, that this was just a small taste of the kind of pity that Quinn so wanted to avoid. He stayed for the full class because it would have been impolite to have left, but he'd already decided that he was not returning on Thursday unless Quinn came as well. XXX "I'm going to tell him," Quinn told Ann on Thursday morning before he left for work. It was Ann's first day of summer vacation and she had come downstairs in the silk shorts and tank top she'd worn as pajamas and was sipping a cup of coffee on the back porch. "I think that's a good thing to do, Quinn," she nodded. "I know it won't be easy, but it needs to be done and its best if it comes from you." Quinn nodded. He knew she was right. "I'm going to ask him to meet me at the bakery where we went after class that first time." "When?" "I was thinking about doing it tonight at around six, if that's ok." Ann smirked and thought for a moment. After all these years, she'd finally had the opportunity to have a casual get together with a nice, handsome guy. Everything had gone great at The White Horse Tavern the previous night - so well, in fact that when John had asked her out again the following night, Ann had readily accepted, hoping against hope that the following night might be drama free. But... she should have known. Oh, well... better to have Quinn to mess things up than to not have Quinn at all. Just then, Barbara called from the hallway. "Hey! Where are you guys?" "Out here!" Ann shouted back. "Oh, hi," Barbara smiled. "What's going on here? It looks like a funeral." Ann chuckled. "No. Quinn wants to go meet Ricky tonight to tell him the truth." Barbara patted Quinn's shoulder. "That's good, Quinny. So... why the long faces?" "No big deal," Ann smiled. "It's just... well... John and I kind of hit it off last night and he asked me out to dinner tonight. I'll just reschedule, though." "Why?" Barbara seemed to actually not understand. "I don't have anything to do. I'll drive Quinny." "Barbie," Ann shook her head. "We keep imposing on you. It has to stop. I'll take him." "Like hell you will," Barbara put her arm around Quinn's shoulders. "If you think for one second that I will stand by and let you mess up a nice evening with a drop dead gorgeous guy, you've got another thing coming. Besides... I know that you don't think of me this way, but when I think about my family... that includes you two." Both Quinn and Ann smiled. "So..." Barbara nodded. "I'll take Quinny. You go have fun with Officer John." XXX "All dressed up?" Grandpa Bill asked as Ricky bounded down the stairs. "What's the occasion?" "I'm meeting Quinn. She wants to talk." "Ahh. That explains the emergency load of laundry, huh?" Ricky laughed. "Listen, Buddy... stay calm, ok? You need to be patient with Quinn. If anything goes sideways... remember that we're here for you." XXX "Geez Louise, you look amazing!" John Tomlinson smiled as Ann approached him in the bar at the tavern. "Thanks for coming out again. I know it's a school night..." "No, it's not," Ann smiled. "I am officially on vacation." "Awesome!" The big man smiled. "How about we get some dinner and see what happens from there? Maybe we'll go wild and stay put past nine thirty." Ann laughed. "Sounds good." XXX "Hi," Ricky said sheepishly as Quinn joined him at his table at the bakery. "You... umm... you look nice... as usual." Quinn's worried face broke into a smile for just a moment before realizing that he was there for a serious conversation. "Thanks. You look nice too... as usual." There was an uncomfortable feeling between them that had never existed before and neither of them liked it. Ricky tried to make things less awkward by filling the void with talking. "Quinn... Quinn... I have only dated a few girls and... well... I never meant to mess this up. I can't even explain why I opened that article. I never should have. I wasn't even looking for that. I was actually looking up Annie and this..." "Annie?" Quinn was confused. "Why were you looking up my sister on the Internet?" Ricky shook his head. "Never mind why... it was just something she said. Anyway... all I saw was a few stories about her academic achievements and then this story about your accident came up. Quinn, I... I was just curious and... Quinn... I'm just so sorry that I intruded into that part of your life. I swear - I will never do anything like that again. Can we just move on from here?" Quinn sigh and wanted to cry. He would have loved to have just moved on and put all of this behind them, but... that wasn't possible. There were things that needed to be done. "Ricky..." he took a big breath and mustered what little courage he could find. "... the article was... well, I guess I was surprised and... that picture... it's pretty hard for me to see." "No, I get that..." Ricky began, but Quinn held up his hand in a 'stop' signal. "Ricky... I have a lot to say and I'm not sure how to say it, so..." he looked away and blinked a few tears away. "Ricky, I really, really like you. Like... like I've never liked anyone before, but I haven't been... honest..." Ricky wanted to speak, but since Quinn had asked him not to, he remained quiet and waited. "The very first moment I saw you... when you walked into dance class... my heart actually skipped a beat, Ricky. I mean... you know how things have been for me, right? So, I never even thought about dating or..." He huffed and swallowed some emotion. "Ricky... after that crash... I didn't think I had a future. To me, the future was preparing for the next doctor to come into my room and shake his head - trying to not cry at the pain from the last surgery or the physical therapy - or just trying to take one more step. I had never considered that I'd ever... fall in love... like I did the second I first saw you." "You love me?" Ricky asked, in spite of himself. A tear rolled down Quinn's cheek and he gave a desperate nod. "But I shouldn't, Ricky. I have no right to." "Quinn, I know you've been through hell and back, but everybody has a right to find love." "Not me," Quinn looked at the table top. Finally, he looked up at Ricky. "Can I see your phone?" A bit surprised by the sudden shift in the conversation, it took Ricky a moment to grab his phone, unlock it and hand it across the table. Quinn took it, opened a search engine and typed in 'Collins Accident Rhode Island.' He opened the same article that Ricky had opened on his iPad a few nights earlier, and passed it back to him. Ricky saw the photo on the screen and put the phone aside. "Quinn... I already said I'm sorry..." "Read it," Quinn interrupted, more harshly than he'd intended. Then, more gently, he said, "Please... please read it." Ricky picked up the phone and scrolled quickly past the horrific photograph and began reading. Very quickly, he looked up at Quinn, who looked away. Ricky returned to reading until he finished the article. Then he set the phone aside and looked at Quinn. "They made a mistake, right? I mean... Quinn is a boy?s name as well as a girl?s... they just messed up in the article, right?" Quinn stared at nothing on the floor and shook his head. Ricky could not look away from the woman he loved. This wasn?t possible. Look at her, for crying out loud. She was everything a woman should be. "Quinn... why didn?t you just tell..." "I thought you were gay. I thought that, maybe I was, too, and that..." There was no way to hold back the tears and emotion any more. "I thought that... that... I don?t even know what I thought, Ricky, I just wanted..." Tears were rolling freely down Quinn?s soft cheeks. "Ricky, I am so, so, sorry..." Ricky was numb with shock. This had to be a bad dream. Things like this only happened in movies ? in bad movies. This couldn?t be real. He knew he needed to do something. To say something. To fix something. But he was frozen. In shock. In disbelief. "Quinn..." he muttered, but nothing else came out. Quinn waited for him to say something, to do something ? anything ? but Ricky just stared at him with a look of confusion. Or was it hatred? Quinn couldn?t tell, but his own already broken heart was about to stop beating if he just sat there. So, he mustered what little strength he still had and stood. His tear stained cheeks and flooded eyes and quivering lip drew the attention of several of the other patrons, making the whole ordeal so much worse. He just needed to retreat to the safety of Barbara?s car, now. "Goodbye, Ricky. I?m so, so sorry." He turned and half-walked-half-ran out the door, leaving Ricky still and lost in despair at the table. He picked up the phone and looked at the words in the article. ?Boy,? ?son,? ?brother?... Then he realizes that his own cheeks were as wet as Quinn?s had been. He wiped them and looked around the room at the people who were suddenly looking away from him. He didn?t have the strength to be embarrassed or even care. He was drained and lost. Completely, absolutely, totally, irrevocably... lost.