Before going out to dinner, Arman wanted to stop by his apartment there in Edo to change out of the suit he'd been in all day. He hated suits, but they were sometimes necessary when doing business. He told Litza to have a seat or look around - whatever - while he changed clothes. There on the mantle was a picture of a beautiful young girl with dark red hair and golden brown eyes. Arman had mentioned he had three sisters and the baby was the one 'who got all the beauty in the family'. "Is this your little sister?" Litza asked. "How old is she?" "Yes, that is Saranta. Nineteen - four years younger than you. I told you she was beautiful...and spoiled rotten. Except for the red hair, she looks a lot like my mother when she was young. We all got that Ukrainian red hair from my father except my middle sister - the one well, the not so pretty one. Hers is dark brown like my mothers was. Saranta is the biggest tomboy you ever saw in your life. You cannot get her into a dress if the world was ending. All she wants to do is ride the horses and help around the farm, and go hunting. I'm afraid I...uh...taught her that one. She can outride me on a horse. Saranta can stand on the horse's back and pick off a rabbit on the run with her bow. She's amazing. I worry about her though for when my uncle dies and there is no one there to curb her adventurousness. She makes noises about wanting to go to Moscow, or Kiev or Novgorod. I put my foot down with her on that - absolutely! The Russian Mafia take one look at her and would steal her right off the street." "Why can't she come and live with us when we are married, Arman? She can travel with us...and who knows? Maybe I get her to wear a dress," Litza smiled. Arman's concern was very real, and she knew he loved his sisters and tried to help them out. "Don't worry. We will occupy her and take her places. Doesn't she want to go to school?" "No. She refuses to go any more than she has." "Then maybe we can find her someone as wonderful as her big brother to take care of her?" Arman chuckled and put his arm around her, sighing. "You are too kind. You know my Sugar Plum, this is why I love you. Shall we go?" ***** Thanks to you all for dropping by, your comments and favs, and your inspiring works of art! The weekend is soon here, and I hope you have a fabulous Friday dear friends! Ummm, yeah...about that meeting. I spent a good deal of time adding figures and rendering it and everything looked great except for Katherine. She was almost blown out of the picture by one of the lights and I haven't had the heart to revisit it. But I will get it done one of these days and finish the story. It's not that I don't know what happens...it's just the problems I've had with that image. Cheers! Ray