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Show All the Variables & Other Love Storiesl38 She stared at me a good instant shocked. She started giggling and that turned to outright laughter. "You promise?" "Cross my heart," I said, and I was glad cause she was back in fine spirits. But being a bishop's wife is a mean job and soon the sorrow was back in her, and there were babies to wake and feed, and laundry to starch, press, and hang, and floors to scrub. And after that dinner had to be started and snacks given and Sister Hearthway would have to freshen up and get lipsticked so she'd be at her ravishing best and gorgeous when the Bishop came home. I had mulch to bag and woodchips to scatter, anyways, and was behind schedule enough that the Bishop arrived before I'd gone home. He shook my hand and reminded me again to watch the fruit trees but don't eat the fruit. But for days I could think of nothing but Sister Hearthway. She was in great pain, and all my bones hurt for her sake. I got the romantic teenaged glands the Bishop had warned against, and I was determined when next we met to heft up all the skill she'd taught me and kiss Sister Hearthway in such a way as to heal her wounds. "That's very good," she said after only the first few kisses, and she looked pleased. "Congratulations, Levi. You're an expert kisser. The best I know, so there's no reason we should continue risking temptation like this. Unless you can think of one?" I felt nauseous. "Does that mean you can't teach me to kiss no more?" "That's right. I've taught you all I know." She ignored how tremblesome that made me, and asked, "Are you in love yet?" "No," I managed. I felt dizzy and wanted to cry. "But you want to fall in love, right? Someday? After you've served a mission, maybe?" |