Dot sacrificed her hatred for Mr. Loring for her sister's happiness—Bette was crazy about him, for reasons she didn't know why. What was the draw about him? It wasn't that he was a jerk, at least not just that fact. Was it because he had money? Probably. After all, whenever they visited, he presented them with sweets and other gifts. He gave Bette a diamond pendant; Dot was given a sapphire one in the shape of a teardrop. Bette allowed him to put it on her neck, and her twin had no choice but to let him do the same for her neck—he had planted a kiss on the areas where the clasps closed. Bette had giggled and blushed; Dot felt her heart race, but not in a good way. She was just too uncomfortable for words.

He had showered them with more gifts than just jewelry—silk gowns and dresses made from the finest fabrics, taking them to the fanciest restaurants for lunch and dinner, and if they (more like Bette) chose to sleep over in one of their lavish guest rooms on the plantation, they were fed only the finest breakfast foods; Bette loved the caviar. All of their needs were fulfilled—what more could a woman ask for?

"Beluga," Mr. Loring said. "Imported."

"It's so expensive!" Bette exclaimed, her jaw dropping at the sight of black roe set on a silver platter in front of her and her sister; a spoon made of mother-of-pearl was set in it, and on the side was small bowl filled with sour cream topped with minced chives.

"Try some. You'll love it," he said.

He took the mother-of-pearl spoon and collected a small amount of the black beluga eggs, dipping the contents in a sliver of sour cream before taking it up to Bette's mouth. She seemed to hesitate at first, but when she accepted what he was feeding her, she savored the taste and nodded with approval. She swallowed it, looking back into his narrow blue eyes with a smile across her ever-cheerful face.

"It's delicious, Mr. Loring!" she squealed.

"Dot? You like some?" he asked, looking at the other head on their conjoined body. Dot looked stern, and it concerned him. Sure, he had forgiven him for blatantly insulting their family, but only did so for her sister's sake—she was so happy with the older, rich, privileged gentleman. He spoiled them so much, giving them the finest things and opening his home to their company.

"No. I'd just like some pancakes, thank you," she replied.

"Pancakes!" Mr. Loring called out as a maid passed by the open guest room door. "Tell the cook that we want some pancakes in here."

"Yes, Mr. Loring," the maid said, rushing down the hallway.

Later that morning, the conjoined twins were sitting in the parlor; they were wearing a dress that was given as a gift by Mr. Loring. It was made of cotton, and it was definitely comfortable considering it was specifically tailored for them. It was pink and frilly with a long maxi-style skirt and three quarter sleeves with frills at the end of them. Bette wore the headband that matched their outfit, while Dot wore a simple black one that camouflaged in her dark, slightly graying hair. Mr. Loring was reading the newspaper, and once he found something that caught his attention, he folded the newspaper.

"Ladies?"

"Yes, Mr. Loring?" Bette asked, smiling at him.

"I found a very interestin' article in the paper," he said. "Twins Conjoined At The Head Separated: Survival Is A Medical Miracle. The headline says it all."

Dot gasped, looking over at the newspaper headline he had held up for them to look at. She smiled slightly, looking at the black and white before and after images of the babies, who were conjoined at the head, carried in their smiling parents' arms. All her life, she wanted to be a separate entity from her sister; a separation surgery would have been the cure to the insanity she suffered on a daily basis with her sickeningly happy sister. She wanted to be free; Mr. Loring had money. She found a new reason to like him like her sister had—he can afford the surgery, she thought happily.

Suddenly, Mr. Loring's son, David, entered the room. His light brown hair was darkened by the water of the shower he had taken. He was wearing pants and shoes, but no shirt—Bette gasped at the teenager's chiseled body, his six-pack abs, and his extremely toned upper arms as he walked in the room with a blue towel hung over one of his muscular shoulders. Mr. Loring shook his head, standing up from his seat and pointing at him.

"David! Put some clothes on! Don't you got any decency! We got guests in our home!" he lectured.

"Dad, relax," his son said—the blue towel turned out to be a shirt. It looked like a towel from a distance. "I got one here."

He slipped on his shirt and gazed at the twins, his blue eyes looking at both of them as he took a seat in the lounge chair across from his father. He leaned back, sitting nonchalantly in a slouch as he ruffled his wet hair and looked at his dad, who was reading the rest of the paper while smoking a cigar.

"Dad, can I have some money?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Well, 'cause I'm gon' meet that girl and her friend today," David explained. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving—Dot and Bette had previously been there the morning of the holiday before going back home to the Darlings to have turkey, pie, and socialize with everyone. People were either out and about or at rest in their homes to prepare for the coming week.

"Son," Mr. Loring said, closing his newspaper and sitting upright to look at his son. He put his cigar in the glass ashtray on the side table with the lamp. "Mr. Darling don't you around his daughter. I don't know why, but do yo'self a favor and don't meet up with her."

"But dad," he said, rolling his eyes. "I really like Elina. Yeah, she's younger'n me but she's….beautiful. Very beautiful."

"Remember this, son. Romans 13:14," his father began.

"Oh, c'mon, dad. Stop with the preachin'," David scoffed, shaking his head and slouching a bit with an anguished look on his handsome face.

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires," Mr. Loring said, a stern look on his face. Bette looked over and smiled at the man, but then David shook his head, leaning down to his father and speaking to him.

"Dad, I ain't plannin' on sleepin' with the lil' broad," he replied matter-of-factly. "I just wanna spend time with her. I like her."

"The Lord sees everythin'. Even what's in your mind right now," he told his son.

"Dad, church is tomorrow. It ain't today," David contradicted. "Stop."

"It don't matter the day! Jesus' watchin' you," he told him.

"Whatever," David said, leaving the room. "Still goin' out!"

"Yeah, yeah," Mr. Loring muttered under his breath as he sat back in his chair. "You do that, son."

Jimmy had allowed Elina to go hang out in town with Lily, but even the girl was under false pretenses—Lily had called up David with the phonebook next to her and told him that she was going into town with Elina, and that's how he knew. The snowy-haired beauty was easy to spot, and David was walking out of the coffeehouse after grabbing some breakfast of a simple English muffin, lightly buttered and toasted. Mousey-haired Lily, with her crimpy hair held back with the usual headband and her eyes framed with large glasses, was walking alongside Elina as they walked down the street talking with each other. Once they stopped, David made his move and walked over to the two girls.

"Oh, heya!" Lily called out. "David! How ya doin'?"

"I'm doin' good. Just out n' about," he replied.

He looked at Elina, who long, white-gold hair was loose but held back at the crown with braids of medium thickness. Her beautiful face, with its defined cheekbones, fair complexion, and heart-shape, enchanted him once again as her hazel-green eyes burned intensely up at him. She was wearing a navy blue dress with a blouse-styled top and a tan dress with accents on the buttons and shoulders. The fabric was not too thin, but it accentuated the curve of her breasts and her wasp waist very well. It wasn't like he could prevent himself from noticing that part of her body, but it was right there in front of his face. His tone sounded like a soft whisper as if to woo the girl.

"Hello, Elina," he said.

"Hello," she replied politely.

"You look…great," he said.

"Thanks," she said shyly.

"Where you guys headed to?"

"Nowhere in specific, but we's gonna probably go to my place," Lily cut in. David looked at her and smirked, shaking his head.

"Yeah," he said. "Wish I could tag along, but my dad's bein' a slime."

"Are Bette and Dot with your dad?" Elina asked.

"They were this mornin'," he replied, gazing down into her fiery eyes. "Dad's was feedin' them caviar and pancakes and sour cream. He's been showerin' them!"

"I saw the necklaces they got," Elina said. "I loved Dot's."

"Saphhires?" David asked.

"Yeah."

"They're a beautiful piece for…any girl to own," he said, dropping a hint. If only he could have given her something to show how much he liked her.

"I'm not allowed a lot of jewelry," she replied. "Just…simple stuff."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm not allowed to wear pants either," Elina said. "My mamma disapproves of it. I don't get it because the girls from ABBA wear pants."

"ABBA," Lily said. "Love 'em!" David chuckled, but it turned to laugh within seconds.

"Your mamma Swedish, too? I know ABBA is. She must be old-fashioned," he asked.

"Yeah," Elina said.

"Can you speak any?" he asked.

"I grew up with it, so what do you think?" Elina asked in a sassy manner. David raised his hands in the air as if he had done something wrong, and his eyes widened with a shrug in his shoulders.

"Hey, no need for sass," he said. "I only asked a question. Can you maybe say something in Swedish to me?"

"She sings in Swedish, too," Lily said.

"Hey!" Elina did not want to be put in a position to sing in front of anyone, especially in public.

"You sing?" David asked.

"Well…in the shower," Elina said.

"The shower, huh?" he asked, moving closer to the girl. Elina looked up and felt extremely uncomfortable with him as close as he was, so she moved her hand, palm facing the young man as she worked him out of her personal space.

"You're in my bubble," she said defensively.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know you had a problem."

"Don't be a jerk," Elina said, her eyes narrowing sharply up at him, moving a step back.

"I'm not bein' a jerk, sweetie," David said.

"Uh…" Lily started to say something but trailed off.

"Look, David," Elina looked up at him, and then to Lily. "Stop. I'm serious. In fact, I'm not even supposed to seen around you."

"And if you are?"

"Don't get me started," the girl with snowy-blonde hair retorted coldly.

"It don't matter, really," he said.

"It does!" Elina said forcefully, nearly a shriek.

"Calm down," Lily said. "Wanna get us somethin' to eat?"

"No."

"To hell wit' it," she answered casually. They both looked up at David, who stared back at them apologetically; Elina was not swayed by him and his actions, and if she were nay less of a person, she would've made him burn to death right then and there.

"I'm sorry," David said. "Forgive me?" The girl looked up at him and took a sigh, breathing in the cool autumn air. She bit her lower lip and shook her head with a smirk.

"Fine," Elina said.

"See you around?"

"Sure."

As David walked away, Lily looked into Elina's eyes, and her gaze burned so much it hurt; she had known her for a long time, and she knew when the girl was angry or upset. For now, she was just plain upset, but she did a really good job hiding it in her actual facial expression.

"What's your problem?" Lily asked.

"Problem?Really, Lily? We've been over this!" Elina shouted. Luckily, passersby didn't notice the mini spectacle.

"He's good for you," the girl with mousey hair replied.

"You may think that, but my dad's gonna kill me if he finds out," Elina said, looking at her friend and shaking her head.

"He ain't gon' hurt his little girl," Lily said, trying to be cute.

"He just…" She took a seat on the bench nearby, looking as a few cars passed by them. Lily joined her and listened to what she had to say. "He don't want me seeing boys."

"My parents don't, either," her friend said. "They don't want me datin' 'til I'm sixteen."

"You don't get it," Elina said, adjusting her hair before continuing. "My dad thinks it's his way of protecting me by not allowing me to see boys. Now, as much as I'm thankful for that, he doesn't have a minimum limit for me. He just says 'no boys'. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He treats me like a baby, and I'm tired of it."

"Aw," Lily said, trying to get what she was saying. "He don't seem that way with your other sister."

"Oh," Elina said—she remembered how awkward it was when Annika told her that she was to undergo sexual reassignment surgery in the coming months. She knew Lily for a long time and trusted her. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah," Lily said. Elina leaned in and spoke softly so people wouldn't hear her, and she looked into her friend's small eyes through the big, thick-rimmed glasses she always wore.

"My sister isn't really my sister. She's my brother," Elina said.

"I knew it!" Lily exclaimed excitedly; then the statement just sounded weird to her. "Wait, how?"

"She wasn't born with parts," Elina said. "So they're gonna do a surgery to fix her up so she's a male. That's all I'm gonna tell you."

"Oh, wow. That's weird," Lily said. Strangely, there wasn't an adverse reaction to what Elina was telling her friend. She seemed to accept the idea.

"Our mamma had a hey-day with it, trying to convince her that it's against 'God's will' or whatever," Elina said. "In fact, Annika gave me a book about meditation. I've been doing it for a bit, and it's really soothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come to my house sometime, and I'll show you. Annika will be there," she said.

"Cool."

Elina came home early that afternoon to Dot and Bette sitting outside on the porch swing, and when she glanced over upon stepping up on the porch, both women looked solemn. It wasn't like Bette to be so sad—what was going on?

"Hey," the girl said. They didn't answer, but she joined them on the porch swing. "What's wrong?" Dot looked over at the girl and sighed softly, her voice sounding somewhat somber.

"Dell died."