Meche, as the only one in the room immune to the raging teenage hormones that were practically rebounding off the walls all of a sudden, was quickly starting to feel like the fifth wheel here. Nothing like young love to make a girl feel old.

"Well, I could use all the help I can get," she said honestly. Then, trying to be tactful, she added, "But you know, we've already gotten a good start for tonight, so I could always head back to my room and work on my stance some more. You must both be tired after last night." Tired probably didn't have a lot to do with it, but Meche was remembering pulling the shades down on a train ride last week and feeling a little empathetic. Anyway, the children here had to grow up so fast. For all that she felt like their mom sometimes, it wasn't her place to stick her nose into the ways they supported each other.

Had that really been only last week?