3
LAUREL
I remembered being wrapped in a warm blanket and comfortably tucked in one of their laps. I remember a hand stroking over my cheek, over my hair, a kiss on the top of my head. It had felt so good, deep down knowing I was safe. Even now, between these two I felt safe. Still, they would think me forward. "Besides being unseemly, this is quite odd."
"Here at Bridgewater, it is not odd for a woman to be cared for by two men. In fact, it is the norm. We believe in the ways of the East where a woman has several husbands."
Several husbands? "I've never heard of such a thing," I replied.
"As you can tell from our accents, we're British. We were stationed in Mohamir with our regiment. It was the cultural norm. The marriage protects the woman. It keeps her safe and cherished, having mu
