** and then Marisa woke up, removed the leather balaclava, and ** iced the guy up.

"You okay," I asked.

"Yes," she said. "I'm fine. I guess you shouldn't see me like that."

"The old me used to be a bit more self-critical," I said.

"You must be young at heart," she said. "What's been going on in that room since we arrived?"

We talked about that over dinner at the restaurant.

When we started walking back toward my hotel the next morning, I was surprised to find Marisa already driving my car to the airport, taking two of her kids with her. I wasn't expecting that, since she was so much more in control then.

On the ride, I was pleased to see how different I'd become. Her eyes were still dark, but she looked young and lively. She didn't take one look at me, and I was grateful for that. I didn't want her to be ashamed, though. The guilt I'd had was just too big to live with.