"What's that mean?" I asked. grimacing.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I got it in a fortune cookie." He held his expression for a moment and then he burst out laughing, The expression of surprise on my face made him laugh harder.

Finally. I started to laugh myself. I was laughing through tears and it was like sunshine on a rainy day.

"Do me a favor,' he said when we docked the rowboat. "What?"

"Show me that doll. I'm curious about it and how Echo described it."

I looked at him suspiciously.

"I just want to see how a doll could upset her so much and understand how you and your uncle used it in the show. If makes you uncomfortable to do it. I understand."

"No, it's all right," I said. "I shouldn't have left Destiny like that anyway."

"Destiny? The doll has a name?"

"Yes. That was her real name."

"Real name? I don't get it."

"She was a real person. I'll show you pictures of her in the motor home."

"So a doll was made of a real person. Why?"

"You'll understand when you see it and the other things," I said.

"Everything all right?" Trevor called to us from the small vineyard as we walked toward the motor home. I knew he was really calling only to me.

"Yes, thank you. Trevor," I shouted back.

Tyler waved to him but said nothing, and Trevor didn't wave back. He barely nodded.

"As Mrs. Westington would say, the jury's still out as far as his opinion of me," he said as we continued. "That's all right. It's good that he's so protective of them." He glanced at me. "Looks like he's getting to be just as protective of you."

"Believe me, I don't mind." I said. "I haven't had anyone protective of me for a long, long time."

"I guess not," he said, and then paused when we reached the motor home. "There's a car. too."

"Yes, that was my car. Uncle Palaver hitched it on after I found him."

He studied me and the way I was looking at the vehicle. "It's hard for you to go in there, I bet."

"Yes."

"We don't have to do it. It's really not that important"

"No. I've got to do something with Destiny.

Now is as good a time as any. C'mon," I said, and led him to the door. "Have you ever been in one of these before?"

"No," he replied. After we went up the steps, opened the door, and entered, he said. "Pretty neat."

"Yes. This part can be expanded after the motor home is parked."

I led him down to Uncle Palaver's bedroom. He stood gaping at the Destiny doll, I hurried to the dresser that contained her clothes and began to dress the doll.

"There's a picture of them together, the real Destiny and my uncle." I said, nodding at the framed picture on the wall to his right. He looked at it and then back at the doll.

It was embarra.s.sing for me to put on her panties and her bra with him watching, but it was how Uncle Palaver had dressed her. I worked as quickly as I could.

"That is one lifelike doll. Can I touch it?" he asked. I nodded and watched him touch Destiny's arm.

"Feels just like real skin. And those b.r.e.a.s.t.s and nipples. Who made it, a plastic surgeon?"

"I don't know."

"There are even fingernails and hairs. No wonder the kid was so confused. Why did your uncle have this made?"

"My uncle was very much in love with Destiny and it was so painful for him to lose her. He found someone who would do all this detail,"

"Even pubic hair. You didn't need that much detail for the show, did you?"

"No, but it didn't hurt that she looked this real."

I turned the doll over and undid the cabinet that held the batteries. "These have to be replaced," I said, taking the dead ones out.

"What can you make it do?"

"Using the transmitter. we. I mean I. can move her arms and legs, hands and fingers. Her head and even her eyes shift. But the most important thing is her mouth. We, my uncle mainly, could do an exciting ventriloquist act with her making her mouth move.

Her comments related to the tricks and he had tricks he could do that often would involve the doll holding something. There are other things, too, things he used in his act."

"This must have been very expensive to create."

"I don't know," I said, completing the dressing of Destiny by zipping up the skirt and b.u.t.toning the blouse. "He never told me how much she cost to make. I don't think the money mattered to him."

"Well, at least now I can understand why Echo still believes it's a real person lying there."

"After she saw this, she ran out. I followed her into the house and spent time with her, writing out an explanation as best I could."

"She just told me about the doll and how she had discovered it. Her description made it all sound quite kinky and strange."

"I'm sure it did."

"We'll have to show it to her again and explain."

"Mrs. Westington might not like it," I said.

"She didn't want me to show it to her. I'm sure she wanted me to leave all that out"

"So she doesn't know she's seen it?"

"I didn't tell her when I should have," I confessed.

"Hmm, well, maybe that's for the best right now. I'll speak to her about it later. when I think it's okay. I'll make sure she knows you didn't mean anything bad.."

"Thank you," I said.

He nodded, still unable to keep his eyes off Destiny. Finally, he realized it.

"Let's go get your exam papers. I've got to be heading home. I'm already a good half hour late and my mother gets very upset."

"What do you do for her?"

"It's for us, our business. I oversee the manufacturing of our chocolate wine sauce and manage the retail outlet. I mean, we have enough help, but we like to keep control over everything. I'll bring some around for you to taste," he offered.

"I'd like that."

After I dressed Destiny. I carried her out and put her in Uncle Palaver's chair. Then I went back and closed the bedroom door.

"What are you going to do with all this?"

"I'm just waiting for our attorney to let me know. I imagine we'll sell the motor home quickly. I won't sell the car, of course. That's mine. I need to discuss it all with my sister. too."

"Where is she right now?"

"She's still in Europe. She should be calling me soon."

"That's good," he said. He glanced back at Destiny and shook his head. "Man. . .that does look real. Even the teeth look like real teeth."

"Yes," I said. "I admit she does look alive." I still had trouble calling Destiny "it."

We left the motor home and returned to the house. Trevor had finished his harvesting in the vineyard for the day and was not around, "For now," Tyler said before we entered the house. "I wouldn't say anything to Echo about what you've learned and all concerning the rock, et cetera."

"I won't. She'll be too embarra.s.sed. But what are you going to do about it, about her crush on you?"

"As I said, hopefully convince Mrs. Westington to register her in the school soon. Once she meets other people, other teachers, she'll be fine. I can't tutor her too much longer anyway. My mother needs me more at the plant and store. She's not well herself and she has been trying to get me to stop doing this."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't mention it to Mrs. Westington yet. I don't want to upset or frighten her about it."

"I won't." I told him.

We went inside and he retrieved my exam papers, glancing quickly at them.

"Urn, not so bad. We'll see. I'll be back tomorrow, same time," he said.

"Thank you. I'm sorry about before,' I said.

"Accusing you of things and all that."

"No, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault or at least any of our faults. If Echo had a decent mother, this might have all turned out differently for her and for Mrs. Westington."

"Someone once told me you have to deal with the hand you're given," I said.

He smiled. "Sounds to me like an old Chinese proverb."

My laughter followed him out. For a moment I just stood there in the foyer. Then I heard Mrs.

Westington tap her cane. I turned and saw her peering at me from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Well now, this is the latest that boy's stayed here. He's going to catch h.e.l.l and walk the plank when he gets home." She smiled. "I guess you're getting along then."

"We'll see. Mrs. Westington. I did the best I can on the tests."

"That's all anyone can do, the best she can.

Come on in here and let me show you the right way to prepare a meat loaf. One of these days, you'll be winning a man through his stomach," she added, and disappeared into the kitchen, Would I? I wondered. Would I ever have any semblance of a normal life? Any real relationships?

Working beside Mrs. Westington in her kitchen recalled the many times I worked beside my mother.

Just as Mama had told me about her life as a child.

Mrs. Westington told me about working in the kitchen beside her own mother. The affection and the love between her and her mother was as palpable to me as the affection and love I had shared with mine. I enjoyed hearing her stories, but when she talked about happier times with her family, she reminded me of my own and that brought tears to my eyes and a heaviness to my heart. When would nice things, happy things, stand on their own for me and not resurrect memories that only brought back pain? Would it be like this for me forever and ever?

I hid my sadness from Mrs. Westington and together we prepared the dinner. She let me set the table and then I went to freshen up.

If Echo was still upset about confronting the Destiny doll, she didn't show it at dinner. nor had she mentioned it to Mrs. Westington, Trevor Washington, on the other hand, looked suspicious and troubled to me whenever he glanced my way. When he invited me to look at the wine-processing equipment and storage facility after dinner. I quickly accepted.

"Can't you think of a better way to waste her time?" Mrs. Westington quipped.

"No. Ma'am." he said, and winked at me.

Echo wanted to go along as well. With an impish smile on his face. Trevor invited Mrs.

Westington to join us.

"Might jolt your memory a bit. Mrs.

Westington," he added.

"If I ever want my memory jolted. I'll put my hand in an electric socket," she told him, and he laughed.

Although she complained about it. I could see her look of satisfaction when Echo and I followed Trevor out to the plant.

"As I told you. Echo knows a lot more about the wine-making process than Mrs. Westington thinks," Trevor told me. "She's too full of curiosity to be ignored,"