The 22nd Secret (76 page)

He
le
f
t
t
he
ki
t
c
h
e
n
with
t
he
bowl of
sc
r
a
mb
l
e
d
e
g
g
s.

P
a
ula h
a
d se
r
v
e
d h
e
r
s
e
lf
h
a
m and some h
a
sh br
ow
ns a
n
d w
a
s butte
r
i
n
g
a
b
i
s
c
uit
wh
e
n
he
a
r
r
ived.
H
e
sat do
w
n
a
nd
s
e
rv
e
d
e
ac
h pla
t
e
with a
h
ea
pi
n
g
spoonful of
e
g
g
s
.
P
a
ula
wa
s hu
n
g
ri
e
r than she
r
e
a
l
iz
e
d
a
nd w
a
s
ea
t
i
ng
a
s f
a
st as s
h
e
c
ou
l
d
b
y
the ti
m
e
J
im
h
a
d
finished s
e
rvi
n
g
his plat
e
.

“
P
a
ula, th
e
re’s som
e
th
i
ng I
n
ee
d to
t
a
lk
t
o
y
ou
a
b
out.”
P
a
ula
f
roze
a
t h
i
s s
t
e
rn ton
e
,
a
nd sw
a
l
l
ow
e
d h
e
r
e
g
g
s.

“
W
h
a
t
i
s i
t
,
J
i
m
?
”

“
W
e
l
l
, don
’
t
g
e
t
m
e
w
r
o
n
g
,
y
ou
’
re
v
e
r
y
b
e
a
ut
i
ful
a
nd
a
pp
e
a
l
i
n
g
, but…
I
m
ea
n i
t
’s not that
I
do
n
’t w
a
nt
y
o
u–”

“
Don
’
t
t
e
ll
me,
y
ou’
r
e
g
a
y
.
”

“No. H
e
ll
no. Th
a
t’s not
i
t
.”

“
Th
a
nk God.
I
a
l
m
ost
t
hou
g
ht
t
he
man of
m
y
d
re
a
ms w
a
s
g
a
y
.”
Th
e
y
both
lau
g
h
e
d.

“
Th
a
t’s i
t
.
I
’m the
man
o
f
y
o
u
r d
r
e
a
ms?
Thin
g
s l
i
ke
th
i
s ju
s
t don’t h
a
pp
e
n.
I
’m just
not that luc
k
y
.
I
m
ea
n
y
o
u
;
a
n
y
man
w
ould d
i
e
to
h
a
v
e
y
ou
for
just
one
n
i
g
h
t
.
B
ut
y
o
u d
r
op out of the s
k
y
y
e
s
t
e
rd
a
y
a
ft
e
rn
o
on
a
nd th
i
s morning
y
ou
’
re
tell
i
ng
me
I
’m the
man
of
y
o
u
r
d
r
e
a
m
s
.”

“
J
i
m
,
y
ou shouldn’t und
e
r
e
st
i
mate
y
ours
e
lf. You
d
on’t und
e
rst
a
nd, but
t
rust me, th
e
r
e
’s
e
v
e
r
y
r
ea
son in the
w
o
rld
f
or
me to
f
e
e
l
t
h
e
w
a
y I
do.
I
’m just
a
s f
r
i
g
hten
e
d
a
nd ins
ec
u
r
e
a
s
y
ou
a
r
e
, pro
b
a
b
l
y
mor
e
.
B
ut
t
i
m
e
will
c
h
a
nge
that.”
Pa
m could
f
ix
th
i
s probl
e
m
in J
i
m’s m
i
nd in an ins
t
a
nt but
she
wa
nted
J
i
m’s
fee
l
i
n
g
s tow
a
rd
h
e
r
t
o be
rea
l
. T
h
e
y
a
te qu
i
e
t
l
y
f
o
r a
f
e
w moment
s
.

“
M
a
y
be
if
I
to
l
d
y
ou a
l
i
t
t
l
e
a
bo
u
t
m
y
s
e
lf
y
o
u
’d
u
nd
e
rst
a
nd.
I
g
r
e
w up on
m
y
p
a
r
e
n
t
s’ f
a
rm in
I
d
a
ho.
I
w
a
s
a
n
o
n
l
y
c
hi
l
d
a
nd didn’t h
a
v
e
a
lot
of
f
ri
e
nd
s
.”
S
he
p
a
used,
th
i
nking
th
i
s m
i
g
ht be the
on
l
y
true
p
a
rt of
h
e
r sto
r
y
.
“
I
t w
a
s p
r
e
t
t
y
lone
l
y
.
M
y
p
a
r
e
nts
a
nd
I
w
e
r
e
n
’
t r
e
a
l
c
lose.”

P
a
ula stopp
e
d
ea
t
i
n
g
a
nd
sta
re
d
a
t h
e
r
f
ood
a
s s
h
e
spok
e
.
J
im
stopp
e
d too
a
nd looked
a
t h
e
r
w
i
t
h
e
mpat
h
y
.

“
A
n
y
w
a
y
,
a
ft
e
r h
i
g
h
s
c
h
ool,
m
y
p
a
r
e
nts d
i
dn’t
e
n
c
oura
g
e
m
e
to
g
o to
c
ol
le
g
e. T
h
e
y didn’t w
a
nt
t
o p
a
y
for
i
t
.”
P
a
ula pun
c
tuat
e
d th
i
s with a
sa
r
c
a
st
i
c
c
hu
c
kle.
“
I
g
ot a job
a
t
t
he
f
r
ont d
e
sk of the
Holid
a
y
I
nn.
Th
a
t’s wh
e
r
e
I
m
e
e
t Tin
o
. He
w
a
s
a
g
u
e
s
t
.
I
don
’
t
know
w
h
y
h
e
w
a
s the
re
. You l
e
a
rn that if
y
ou w
a
nt
t
o
survive
in
t
his
l
ine of
wo
r
k
y
ou don
’
t
a
sk qu
e
st
i
ons. A
n
y
w
a
y
, Tino liked
m
y
looks so he
of
f
e
r
e
d me
a
job
a
s his pe
r
sonal
a
ss
i
stant.
I
g
u
e
s
s
I
w
a
s pr
e
t
t
y
n
a
i
v
e
.
M
y
p
a
r
e
nts d
i
dn’t
c
a
re
w
h
a
t
I
did so
I
w
e
nt
t
o
S
a
n
F
r
a
n
c
isco
to
l
ive with h
i
m.”