********************************

One Month Later

All was silent in the house; tranquil.  He lay back on the couch, totally at ease.

A thump startled him.  Another thump followed.  He sat bolt upright, craning his neck towards the direction of the sound.  It was coming from upstairs.

His widening eyes followed along as the rhythmic creaking of floorboards traversed the floor above, moving toward the staircase.  “Not already!” he wheezed, in a ragged voice, rising shakily to his feet and staggering backwards, his hands feeling their way past the couch and table, as his eyes didn’t dare to leave the stairs in front of him.  “Why?” he croaked, voice rising in panic.  “Why can’t you just leave me alone??”

Sinister laughter emanated from the staircase, as if in direct response to his despair. A shadow fell over the wall upstairs, as a hulking shape approached.  His wits gave out entirely; he spun and dashed for the front door.  The knob didn’t turn!  He frantically fumbled for the lock, wasting precious moments …

The evil chuckle repeated.  He turned back in horror.  “No, no, no…” he moaned.

The massive four-headed, six-footed monstrosity reared its heads back and bellowed with laughter – then its razor-sharp clawlike arms and tentacly legs tore down the stairs straight for him.

“Nooooo!!!!  Aggghhhh!!!’

The men jumped as blood spattered everywhere on-screen.  “Oh, snap!” Alan yelped.

“Daaammn!!”  Ray punched his buddy on the shoulder, as a head went flying across the screen.  “Did you see that shit!?”  Outlandish screams could still be heard amidst the thrashing of the ridiculous creature’s limbs.

“He’s got no head and he’s still screaming,” Mark groaned, turning to Phil.  “How’d we get dragged into watching this crap?”

Phil shrugged.  “Beats me.  Uh … you wanna get another round of beer?”

“So I don’t have to keep sitting here?  God, yes.”  Mark got up and followed Phil toward the back door.

“Hey, you’re gonna miss the best part!” Ray called out.  “Just wait 30 seconds!”

Mark and Phil rolled their eyes.  “We’re good,” Phil replied, as they kept going.

Ray scoffed and looked at Alan, who shrugged.  “Fine!  We’re coming too.”  They shut the TV off and trailed after them, still discussing the finer points of that god-awful scene.

A warm breeze gently blew Mark’s hair back as he slid the back door open and stepped outside.  He squinted in the bright sunlight and heard the pleasant rustling of leaves in the trees surrounding Alan’s backyard.  He stood there for a few moments, enjoying the weather.

A cold bottle of beer was placed in his hand. "Earth to Mark," Alan said. "Still with us?"

"Huh?  Oh.  Yeah.  I'm here."  Mark looked at his friends and leaned back lightly against the side of the house. 

Ray grinned. "It's been a while since we've seen you smile," he commented. 

Mark blinked. "Was I smiling?  I ... guess I was.  Huh ..."

Alan slapped him on the back. "Feelin' better lately, aren't you?"

Mark hesitated, then allowed another slight smile. "Yeah, I am.  I never thought I would."  His smile weakened slightly as he looked over at the towering women chatting nearby, Camilla among them.  After all this time, he still couldn’t quite get accustomed to how things were now.  He doubted he’d ever completely get used to it.  Camilla never showed even the slightest hesitation anymore, when bossing him around or asserting her dominance.  The other women didn’t, either.  But things had gotten better, so much better, the more his daughter became convinced that he truly wasn't looking to usurp any authority anymore; convinced that he had accepted the new way of things.  The way she'd handled him in those early days still gave him nightmares at times ... but the worst was clearly over now.

Even Chloe hadn’t been nearly as much of a fright for him once Camilla realized her younger sister’s sinister intentions toward him.  Camilla, if you asked her, only did things to him out of necessity; but Chloe tormenting him for the fun of it was utterly unacceptable to her elder sister – especially once Chloe, just a couple weeks later, officially became stronger than him.  Mark winced, remembering the threats Chloe had made … and the few threats she had started to follow through on …

But Camilla had fixed that.  He didn’t know what she had told Chloe, exactly, but Chloe hadn’t given him nearly as much grief ever since.

"I told you it'd get better, didn't I?" Alan quipped, taking another swig from his bottle. 

Mark couldn't help but nod. "You were right," he admitted.

A bout of laughter rose among the women nearby.  Mark watched Camilla tighten her hand into a fist and playfully slug Hana on the arm, in retribution for some joke at her expense.  Hana slugged Camila back, starting a halfhearted shoving match between the two.  But Mark knew that any one of those casual, effortless blows would have sent him flying to the ground, with only a black eye or bruised shoulder if he were lucky.  Four weeks ago, powerful muscles had remained mostly concealed within a relatively normal-looking body; but by now, there was nothing subtle about the way her sculpted biceps flared and her pecs swelled beneath her blouse with even the slightest movement of her arm.  That, along with the extra height she’d gained – what was she now? 6’9”? more?? – she looked like she could take on even the strongest of men and whip them senseless.  And she was still much stronger than she looked, too.

His throat tightened, as if squeezed by some imaginary hand, as his daughter’s gaze happened upon him and she beckoned him toward her with a carefree smile.  It didn’t matter how friendly her mood was – he couldn’t approach her without feeling a constant, low-level sense of dread.

But he was also far beyond the days when he would dare to hesitate at her commands.  He left the group of guys instantly and gave Camilla the courtesy of hurrying toward her, which made her smile even more.

Wearing heels, as she always did, her ever-enlarging breasts were right at eye level, if not slightly above.  She rested a hand lightly on his shoulder, and he flinched as he always did.  Thoughts played out in his mind of the damage she could do to him, just by squeezing those fingers into his flesh and bones … He shuddered, but Camilla didn’t react to it.  She was certainly used to it, by now.

“Hi, sweetie!” his behemoth daughter greeted down at him.

“Hi, Camilla,” he replied up at her respectfully, dutifully.

“Heyyy, Mark,” Alan’s wife Carly said to him, with sort of a strange smile, catching him off-guard.

“Uhh … hey,” he replied nicely.  He didn’t actually know Carly that well … but man, she was gorgeous, though.  More than ever, these days.

Camilla brought his attention back.  “You and the boys are done watching your movie?” she asked.

He nodded quickly.  “Yes, Camilla.”

“How cute!” Camilla replied.  “Well, Hana just had the crazy notion that the four of you were in there conspiring together, or something.  Right, Hana?”

Mark’s mouth dropped open, as Ray’s wife laughed.  “I mean … not reaaallly,” she replied.  “At least, I know my Ray wouldn’t do that.  But I guess I can’t say for sure whether that applies to, well, you know …”

“She doesn’t fully trust you yet, Mark,” Camilla interjected, with an amused grin.

“Yeah, I guess not,” Hana confirmed, with a smile.

Mark absolutely panicked.  Just because they were smiling didn’t mean this wasn’t deadly serious.  He knew by now that allowing even the smallest seed of doubt to linger and grow in their minds could have dire consequences.

“We weren’t conspiring, Hana!” he told his friend’s wife frantically.  She, like the other women, were a bit shorter than Camilla, but still far taller and larger than him.  “I swear to you, we were watching the movie and nothing more!  I swear!!”

“Hmm,” Hana replied, not entirely convinced.  “Maybe he’s telling the truth,” she told Camilla, “but there’s no way to really know for sure, is there?”

His heart pounded wildly as Camilla shifted her stance,  her unavoidable breast brushing against his ear as she considered this.  “You’re right,” she agreed, “there’s no way to know for absolutely sure.”

Mark felt doom closing in on him, as Camilla effortlessly rotated his shoulder to face her more fully.  Her gaze probed his eyes and facial expression, seeking out the truth as she could do so frighteningly well.

“The best we can do is trust them,” his daughter concluded.  “And I trust my little Mark completely.”

She put a second hand on his other shoulder and swung him around rather abruptly to face Hana.  He knew she didn’t mean to be brusque; she just couldn’t really help it, with her strength.

“I vouch for him,” Camilla declared firmly.  “He’s too well behaved to even think about speaking out against me, even in private.  So there’s no chance he would ever do that.”

“Phil, neither,” Lynn chimed in.

“Nor Alan,” said Carly.

Hana smiled and nodded.  “And not Ray.  OK.  I trust you gals, so I’ll trust them.”  She took a sip of her wine.  “What a silly little thought that was, anyway.”

Camilla laughed.  “Yes – so silly!”  She mussed Mark’s hair.  “Would you like to stay and chat some more with us, pumpkin?”

He spun his head around to look up past his daughter’s breasts to her face above.  “A-Absolutely!” he squawked.  “Wh-Whatever you like.”

“Aww… you don’t have to.  You can go be with your buddies if you want.”  The oppressive weight of her hands lifted from his shoulders.

He studied her eyes closely, but there was clearly no wrong answer here.  One good thing about her: she always said what she meant, with no hidden meanings to worry about.

“Yes, Camilla,” he said with perfect politeness.  “Thank you.”  He stepped away from the circle – not too fast, but not slowly either.

That encounter had gone well – they almost always did, nowadays.  In fact, other than the occasional light reprimand, it had been almost two weeks since she’d been anything but happy with him.

He lurched to a halt in mid-stride, remembering that last time she had shown real dissatisfaction with him.  They had had people over for dinner again – some of Camilla’s coworkers – and he had completely forgotten to take the lasagna out of the oven amidst the bustle of other chores.  The lasagna was totally burnt and inedible by the time he realized.  He had had to throw out the whole thing and order carryout instead, delaying the dinner and causing an ‘incredible amount of embarrassment’ for Camilla, who had hoped to impress her boss and other coworkers with a perfect dinner.

She didn’t reprimand him during dinner or drinks afterward, but he saw the cold disappointment in her eyes all evening, and it was no surprise when she told him to go wait in her bedroom once the guests had left.  When she finally entered, she sat beside him and explained how important that evening had been to her, and then asked him, “Do you understand what I have to do next?”

He had fought hard not to cry as he nodded his head.  No matter how great or small the infraction, there seemed to be only one method of punishment she knew.

“I want to know how many you think you deserve,” she told him next.

This was a form of agony he was already familiar with – saying too many or too few could be equally devastating for him.  The best answer was the one she had in her head; but how could he know exactly what that was?

Her eyebrow arched slightly; his time for reflection was running out.  He initially thought to say a lower number, but horrified himself when he began to increase the number in his mind.  Most of him protested violently, but as his time ran out blurted a number much higher than he ever imagined he would.  “F-Five!”

Camilla was taken aback.  “Five?  You do know I won’t hold back any more than I did last time, don’t you?”

He trembled and nodded.

“Why five?  Is that what you think I had in mind?”

He shook his head truthfully, shivering from head to toe.

“What number did you think I would say?” she inquired.

“Two,” he admitted.  “O-Or three.”

Camilla pursed her lips and nodded.  “That’s about right.  So why did you say five?”

This was the part he was most afraid to admit.  “I … I want to show you how sorry I am!!” he exclaimed, in a strangled voice.  “A-And if you punish me more, I might not have to get punished so much after that!!”

Camilla inhaled sharply.  “You think I’ll go easy on you if you ask for more now??” she accused, with a scandalized glare.

“No!!” he said truthfully.  “I know you won’t!”  Her messed-up mind would never let her punish him any less than what she thought was ‘right’.  He shook his head and told her adamantly, “I hope if you punish me really hard, then I’ll … I’ll remember it more, a-and maybe I won’t mess up again!”

His own words scared him – because they were actually true.  He wasn’t just trying to look good; he really did think it might help him be more vigilant in following the rules.  He already thought he was trying as hard as humanly possible … but maybe he could do more.  You never know.  Humans are capable of just about anything, if placed in the right circumstances …

Camilla nodded, her expression unreadable.  “Very well.  Lay across my lap, please.”

The full reality of the situation hit him.  Oh my god … what have I done!?!

He could barely control his limbs as he frightfully draped his torso across his daughter’s broad thighs, his eyes facing the ground.

“It’ll take time for you to recover from this,” Camilla’s voice informed him dispassionately, from above.  “Several days, at least.  We’ll discuss what that means for you and your chores, later today.”

The calm efficiency of her words and movements scared him senseless, as – unlike before – she pulled down his pants to remove what little protection it provided.  He immensely regretted saying what he had.  How could I have been so stupid!?!

He saw the shadow of her arm raising up above him – and then he screamed.

“Aghhh!!!”

Mark’s mind returned to the present, as his friends turned to him with startled looks.  “You OK?” Alan and Phil both asked in unison.

His hands were clenched tight; every muscle in his body was tense.  He forced them to relax and slowed his frantic breaths.  “I-I’m fine.”

“Mark, are you alright?” Camilla called out.

He spun immediately and called back to her, “Yes, Camilla!  I’m sorry for making a scene!”

His daughter appeared to loom even from 20 feet away.  “It’s alright, honey.  No harm done.”

He gulped and ran a hand through his hair.  This wasn’t the first time since then that Camilla, and his friends, had witnessed him freak out suddenly.  They all knew what caused it, of course.

Phil pulled up a deck chair and encouraged Mark to sit, which he gladly did.  “Just give him a minute,” Phil suggested to the other two guys, who nodded understandingly and gave him space.

As Phil started to do the same, though, Mark grabbed his wrist.  “Wait…”

“Yeah, Mark?”  Phil crouched beside him.

“Phil… thank you for helping me,” Mark said, in the most heartfelt way.  “Did I ever tell you that?”

Phil chuckled.  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you did.”

“Well, I mean it.  My life would … It would be so much worse without your advice.”  It may have seemed like a strange statement, given what Mark had endured – but the fact that things had been better since that last incident, and for a while before it too, was truly a godsend.  Life was still hard – plenty of chores, plenty of worry – but at least it was manageable now.  And, for a large portion of each day, he was still allowed to be himself  When he thought of where he could have been right now, versus where he actually was, it … well, it almost brought a tear to his eye.

“Oh, lighten up,” Phil joked gently.  But his nod told Mark that he understood exactly what Mark was feeling and knew how much his words truly meant.

Mark pulled his hand away and set it in his lap, then sat back in the chair – genuinely torn between thankfulness and anguish, feeling more conflicted than ever.

Phil started to leave, then paused.  “Can I ask you something?”

Mark looked up.  “Yeah?”

“Do you still blame her?” Phil asked softly.  “For what she’s done to you?”

Mark winced nervously, eyes flitting to Camilla across the yard.

“It’s OK – I won’t tell,” Phil assured him.

Mark paused for a long time.  He knew he could trust Phil absolutely.  But he still didn’t know how to answer right away.  Her actions were unspeakable … but she couldn’t help it, any more than other women could.

“Yes,” he replied eventually.  “I blame her.  But also … no.  Maybe some of both, I guess.”

Phil nodded thoughtfully.  “I know what you mean.”  He stood up with a sigh.  “Come on.  Alan and Ray look bored.”

Mark chuckled and got up to follow Phil.  He realized he had to go to the bathroom, though, so he told Phil he’d be right there as he went inside the house.

A minute later, on his way back out, he almost ran into Alan’s wife in the hallway.  “Oh!  Um, sorry, Carly.”

“No problem, stud.  Actually, you were just the guy I was looking for.”  She stepped back and very clearly looked down his body then up again, taking her time at it too.  A meaningful sparkle lit up her eyes.

“Uhh … I’m not sure why you were looking for me, but …”

He tried to step around her, but she put a hand on his chest and took his momentum away.  She was strong, too …

She laughed at his surprised reaction and withdrew her hand.  “Aww … you don’t have to be uncomfortable around me.  I’m your friend, Mark!”  Her left eyebrow rose.  “In fact, I’m hoping we can become much more.”

“E-Excuse me??”  He blinked in disbelief.  There was only one way to interpret her very pointed gaze.

“I’ve seen you looking at me,” Carly informed him.

“What?  I—“

“It’s OK!  I’ve had my eye on you too – not sure if you’ve noticed.”

“Uhhh… I guess maybe I noticed a little but … but …”

Alan’s hot wife put a hand to her mouth and smiled.  “Your cheeks are so red!  Ohh, I really need to get to know you better …”

He backed away and shook his hands in the air.  “I’m sorry, this is … I mean, I’m flattered, but … but Alan …”

“Oh, he knows!  Actually, he was quite OK with the idea.”

“What!?!”

“And no, I didn’t force him to say yes, or anything like that.  I’m not really into that kind of thing.  No, I much prefer my husband – and my other lovers – to be totally open and willing.  And, if I may be so bold, I think you might be, Mark.”

She smiled down at him even wider.  He had no doubt his face was still getting redder by the second.  “L-Look, you’re … beautiful,” he admitted.  “Gorgeous.  But—“

“Why, thank you!”  She batted her eyes in highly alluring fashion, inching her tall frame a little closer to him, leaning forward slightly to enhance her already generous cleavage.

“But … but I don’t know.  I’m still not sure Alan is, um…”

“You don’t believe me?  Go ask him!”

He shook his head confusedly.  “OK, but still, I … I mean …”

The gorgeous woman took another step and bent forward, slipping her hand around the back of his neck gently, enticingly.  “I know this is all happening fast,” she said in a sultry whisper, her sparkling eyes just inches from his, “but Alan and I are very open to trying new things, and … well, if you’re hesitant, we can just keep this to you and me – he doesn’t have to join, unless you’re comfortable.  Don’t worry; he’s fine with that too.  He’s had his share of fun with other women, lately.  It’s OK.”

She shot him a wink and brought her head forward to plant a seductive kiss on his cheek, not far from his lips.  “Think about it,” she whispered.  “No pressure.  But I know it could be a lot of fun…”

With that, she stood straight and walked away, her hips sashaying in the most mesmerizing way as she reached the back door and went out, but not before one more sultry glance over her shoulder.

He shuddered.  To be honest, he’d had a thing for Carly for a very long time – even before things began to change.  And now, with her recent physical enhancements and bold new attitude, she was not easy to get out of his head.  Of course, he wouldn’t seriously consider her offer – would he? – unless Alan really was alright with it.

As soon as he composed himself and went out to rejoin the guys, though, Alan looked right at him with a patient, questioning gaze.  Mark saw immediately that Alan knew Carly had just confronted him, and knew what she had said to him too.  “Yeah?” Alan asked, tilting his head.

He did seem totally on-board – as crazy as that seemed.  Mark shrugged and muttered, “Maybe,” and Alan gave a nod then turned back to the others like nothing had happened.

As Mark started to rejoin the conversation, he glanced over and saw Carly grinning at him from the other side of the backyard.  Her tongue played across her upper lip in the most weakening way.

OK, Mark decided, this could be fun.  A hellll of a lot of fun.  He started to look forward to this more than anything in weeks.

He turned back to the conversation and followed along for a few more minutes, sipping his beer cheerfully.  Before very long, he noticed a familiar car pull up and park in front of the house.

“That’ll be Chloe,” Mark mentioned to the others.  “She was supposed to head here after her work.  I’ll go tell her we’re back here.”

He excused himself from the group and pushed open the wooden gate to enter the front yard.  The door swung shut behind him as he crossed toward their car, where his second eldest daughter was getting out.

He slowed, then halted completely.  Chloe thrust open the door, got out, and slammed it shut, while practically screaming into her phone.  “SCREW YOU!!! FINE – I DON’T WANNA SEE YOU AND YOUR BONY ASS ANYMORE EITHER!!!”

She hung up furiously and stormed around the car, jerking her head up in surprise when she saw him standing nearby.

She snarled.  “Shut up!”

Mark was caught off-guard.  After Camilla had set her straight a couple weeks ago, Chloe had never even snapped at him like that since.  “I didn’t say anything,” he pointed out.

This only made her madder.  “Rrrrghhh!!!  I HATE guys!!  You all SUCK!!!”  She stalked past him, toward the backyard.  She was roughly his height now – and sure as hell stronger.  He inched a bit sideways to avoid any chance of collision.

But curiosity got the better of him.  “Boyfriend?” he asked mildly.

She stopped in her tracks and swiveled around.  “What!?  Ugh … yeah, that was him.  So what?!?”

He bit his lip.  He knew Camilla still wanted the two of them to try to form some sort of bond and get along with each other.  Chloe sure hadn’t made any effort on this front; but for Camilla’s sake, he decided to try.  “Just asking.  You know, I have plenty of experience with these things.  If you ever want to talk, just—“

“Huh!??  HELL no!!  Just shut the hell up!!”

She was acting way out of line, compared to normal.  He wouldn’t dream of pulling the paternal authority card on her anymore – that was long in the past – but he knew Camilla wouldn’t like her bursting into the backyard all angry like this.  So, as she started forward again, he called out helpfully, “Maybe you should take a few deep breaths and calm down.  Wouldn’t that be a good idea?”

He realized it was a mistake as soon as she turned around again.  Her fists were suddenly clenched, with veins popping out of her forearms and her sleeves tightening around bulging muscle.  “WHAT did you say to me!?!” she hissed, advancing toward him with unbridled fury in her eyes.

“I … I …”  He began backpedaling immediately, but it was already too late.  His daughter reached him and shoved both hands against his chest, sending him plummeting to the ground behind him with a frightful thud.  Disoriented, he watched Chloe stand over him then reach down.  His upper body lurched off the ground as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted, shaking him like a ragdoll as her other hand waved as a fist in front of his eyes.  “You FUCKING PRICK!!!” she bellowed, her hot spittle peppering his face as she bared her teeth at him.  “How DARE you tell me what to do!!  I—“

“CHLOE JEAN LAWRENCE, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!???”

Chloe only had enough time to turn her head before her body flew off him in a blur and landed on the grass several feet to his left.  Camilla’s arm had done that with one swift, almost effortless motion, as she stepped over him and closed the distance with her sister, who was wincing in pain from her fall.

“Camilla,” Chloe began shakily, “I—“

“Go home,” her enormous elder sister commanded, pointing to the car.  “I’m not about to discuss this here, with guests nearby!”  She toughened her stance even more as Chloe took her time.  Mark heard the stretching and groaning of fabric as his eldest crossed her arms.  “Are you going to make me count to three??”

Chloe, thoroughly cowed now, walked briskly away with a slight limp, only giving on hurried look back as she got in the car and drove off.

Only when Chloe was out of sight did Camilla turn to him, her hard glare melting into compassionate concern.  “Are you alright?  Are you hurt??”  She quickly knelt beside him and reached out a hand to support his back.

Thought it may seem paradoxical, coming from her, Mark knew her concern was genuine.  “I’m fine,” he informed her, sitting up straight and gazing up at her.  He noticed a couple of the guys and gals peering over the fence at them, but quickly withdrawing again – they didn’t want to pry into family matters.

Camilla frowned, looked back in the direction of Chloe’s car – and when she turned back to him, her expression had changed, in the most peculiar way.  He couldn’t explain what was different, exactly … but in that moment, she seemed to be almost an entirely different person again: a person he hadn’t seen in many weeks.

“What are you going to do with her?” she asked, studying his face and listening intently.

He inhaled slowly.  “Umm … what?”

She scoffed lightly.  “I know how you are!  You’re not one to let us kids off easy for that kind of stuff!”

He drew himself back, eyes widening.  “Wha … What are …”  He blinked repeatedly.

“Is something wrong, Dad?” she asked, tilting her head.

He couldn’t even breathe at this point.  He was beyond speechless now.  She hadn’t called him ‘Dad’ in over a month.  Something had completely, inexplicably changed.

In another instant, this long-lost side of his daughter – deferential, unassuming, respectful – was gone again, replaced by the same quiet, confident air of command he’d come to know since.  “What did I just say?” she asked, genuinely confused, as she regathered her wits.

Mark shook his head, still speechless – but he thought he knew what happened, now.  Maybe.

“Huh.  Strange.”  Camilla shook it off.  “Anyway, I don’t think Chloe will give you any more trouble, after I give her a good talking-to tonight.  Whatever happened between you two just now, I’m sure it was her fault, not yours.”  She stood up, her beautiful, strong face smiling down at him from far above.  “In the meantime … if you are feeling alright, let’s head back to the party, eh?”

Mark quietly took her hand and felt himself suddenly lifted to his feet.  Camilla took three steps before noticing he hadn’t budged from his spot.  She turned and gave him another smile.  “No rush – take your time, dear.  And have a seat in that lawn chair again, if you need.”

With a slow nod from him, she went through the gate and he heard her voice rise to call out to her friends, laughing at some game they had gotten themselves into.  Mark’s heart beat heavily in his chest as he replayed those strange few moments in his mind, and remembered what Phil had told him weeks ago: that there was the slightest chance the virus might not be around forever, that women’s bodies might someday manage to fight it all on their own, reversing this nightmarish scenario.

Maybe it wasn’t entirely nightmarish anymore, but … No, it was still unbearable.  He’d give anything to go back to how things were.  He’d long since given up any hope of that; thoughts like that were too dangerous to hold on to.  But now, perhaps that might change.

The warm, gentle breeze returned; he stared again at the rustling leaves, and the blue sky beyond.  Yes, he thought.  Maybe there’s room for hope, once again.

***THE END***