“So Little Sis. Are you whipped or can I talk you into having some coffee and catching up for a while?” Tina went over and put her arms around Liz’s shoulders from behind and rested her head affectionately on her right shoulder.

Liz smiled. Tina was her favorite sister. She had missed her terribly when she had moved to LA. “I could stay up for a while. It’s the least that I could do to thank you from saving me from Mom and Dad.

Dana smacked another tennis ball across the court with a grunt, immediately getting into position for the next ball. She sent it sailing over the net taking all of her aggression out on the bright yellow balls that flew at her from the automatic ball feeder. One after the other they flew at her and she didn’t miss a single ball as she ran back and forth over the pavement. But as much concentration as it took to keep herself focused on the ball flying toward her, Dana was so good at the game that unfortunately she still had time to think about how complicated her life had suddenly become. She still had time to think about how hurt and angry she was at Alice. And with herself. Dana knew that this was all her fault. It never would have happened if she hadn’t have given Alice a reason to start doubting that they could be happy together. If she hadn’t been so scared herself, if only she had not seen Lara so early in their relationship then Dana never would have let the fear take over. She never wouldn’t have seen an easy way out. Dana swung fiercely at the ball headed toward her and this time sent her racket flying across the court after the ball. She threw her head back in frustration and tried to settle her head, and in the process forgot that the machine was still flinging balls in her direction. “Ouch!” She cried out loud as one of them came sailing at her and caught her on the side of her head just as she turned away from it. Dana glanced around as if there was someone at this time of night who might have seen her hit herself in the head with the ball and held her hand to her head as she quickly ran off to the side of the court and around the net to turn it off.