Chloe said fretfully. She was sitting at the vanity in her room; she could feel the bright lights bathing her face, warming her, making her sweat. Carrie, Candy and Casey had stormed in and declared it was time she got out of bed. She had been languishing for well over a week, insisting she was in too much pain to leave her room. At her doctor’s bill of good health the other women had pounced. Protesting, Chloe had been washed, shampooed, manicured, pedicured, and dressed in one of the stunning outfits the women had picked out for her before her arrival. Her makeup had been applied meticulously to cover the vivid bruising at her temple, now that the bandaging had been removed. Her long dark hair had been brushed to a high glossy sheen, settling midway down her slender back, curling at the tips. The other women declared her to be gorgeous. Still, Chloe was apprehensive. She was afraid to leave the safety of her familiar bedroom. “Everything will be fine, Chloe; we are all family,”
