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"No. it's all right. Mommy."

She looked at me hard.

"I don't want any more secrets between us. Summer. Whether I like it or not, you're a young woman now. You've handled this terrible situation very maturely, more maturely than I could have handled it at your age, even living where I was living and seeing the things I saw almost daily. I'm proud of you. honey."

I nodded and looked down. "Summer?"

"Why were you kissing Uncle Roy like that?" I finally asked. "He was holding you so close and when he kissed you, you looked like you were kissing him back."

"I thought that was it," she said nodding. "Uncle Roy has been my big brother so long. I guess I can't stop being a little girl when he comforts or protects me."

"That wasn't a little girl's kiss. Mommy. He wasn't kissing you like a big brother kisses his little sister either."

She stared a moment, her eyes small.

"It's so complicated, honey, and it's late."

"I thought you didn't want any mare secrets between us." She sighed and shook her head.

"You have so much on your head tonight."

"One more thing won't matter." I insisted.

She smiled.

"You are stronger than I was." she concluded. She sat back, closing her eyes and grimacing for a moment as if the thoughts were already bringing her pain.

"After Uncle Roy found out the truth about my birth, he came to me and confessed that he had been hating and punishing himself for years because of the feelings he had for me, feelings he thought were unnatural.

"He was actually happy we weren't really related and he wanted me to feel the same way about him. understand?"

"Yes," I said.

"I couldn't, but he kept trying to get me to change. I loved him so much and hated the thought of his being so unhappy, that I did try. However. I couldn't change and he had to face that fact. He thought Fate had been cruel to him, to us.

"When he met Glenda. I was so happy because I thought that finally he would find happiness and learn to live with what had happened to us. As you know, he and Glenda have had their own share of tragedy. Your aunt Glenda is hard to live with. Roy has come to me often to cry about it.

"Sometimes. he falls back to the old wishes and dreams. I do my best to help him and help him try to make a life for himself and Glenda. Usually. I'm very good at it. Earlier tonight. I stumbled. It won't happen again, but I was weak, frightened for you and I just slipped."

"What did he mean when he talked about what happened in London?" I pursued.

She bit her lower lip and shook her head. Tears were in her eyes.

"Okay, Mommy." I said quickly. "I understand. I'm all right." She smiled and we hugged.

"It's so good having a big girl to talk to. Summer. You're my best friend now."

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; "And you're mine, Mommy."

"Good," she said. "Want to go back to sleep?"

"Yes."

I put everything away and helped her into the elevator chair. She went up, into her chair and back to her bedroom, pausing at the door to smile at me.

"See you in the morning, honey," she said.