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into place to create a beautiful image, and they formed a complete… soul.
    “I don’t understand, Drew, what are you talking about?” she whined.
    “What part of ‘I’m moving to Chicago’ don’t you get? The statement kind of stands on its own.”
    Jessica blew a raspberry. “I get that! What I don’t get is why. I mean, what, was the male strip-o-gram I sent you for your birthday out of line?”
    Drew sighed and slowly shook his head. “Jessica, your antics just seem to get more and more ridiculous with each passing week.”
    “You just don’t enjoy fun!”
    “I love fun, and some of your gags have been delightful, but doing them at work, in front of our co-workers, has embarrassed me to no end.”
    “As I said, you just don’t like fun.”
    “I like it, I love it, and I love you. So, why do you—”
    “Love is for the weak, power is for the strong,” she snapped.
    “Yes, I know, that’s your guiding creed,” he said, standing up. “Well, I hope someday you learn that power is no soul-mate, it can’t keep you warm at night, and it most definitely is not a life partner. When you’re old and wrinkled, power will be a poor companion.”
    “I know, you want the wife and the kids, and the house with the white picket fence. Drew, that is so old.”
    “No, I don’t, I just want a life partner who has a pulse and a soul. I can’t wait any longer for you to grow up, Jessica. I’m sorry, but I have to move on.”
    Drew turned and left. Jessica saw her younger self grapple with herself for a moment. She wanted to shout, “Stop him, go after him, tell him you love him, you idiot.” She couldn’t. As with A Christmas Carol , she was unable to change what had already happened. She was merely viewing the past, and the past was shut off, locked out, and a world that was set.
    She awoke in a room dimly lit by moonlight, and had to wipe a new tear from her eye before trying to get back to sleep.
     
    * * *
     
    Meanwhile, back in Prague, Kelly was on the phone with Viktor and Misha, getting a full report on Jessica’s first day at the home.
    She grinned. Yes, this will work out perfectly. Maybe by the time I return to the village for the groundbreaking, Jessica will be reformed and ready for redemption.
    Kelly felt deep down in her heart of hearts that Jessica was a good person. More precisely, she thought that Jessica could become a good person. She just needed some direction for her heart and soul. Kelly would think more on that in the morning, and maybe make some suggestions to Viktor and Misha.
    There was someone else who might help Jessica, and his name was Drew. He and Jessica had dated for a time, but he’d requested a transfer to a branch office. At the time, Kelly hadn’t thought anything of it. He wasn’t in her division, and Kelly didn’t pry into the personal affairs of employees. Now, having read Jessica’s journal, she knew it was Jessica’s antics that had caused him to leave. Kelly made up her mind to contact him.
     
    * * *
     
    Jessica was having a great dream. Kelly had come to save her, and overcome with grief at the pains Jessica had suffered, Kelly resigned from the company and named her head of the division. Her first order of business: building a huge Disney-style resort next to the town, right at the foot of the mountain. After that, she built a second one at the nearby lake, and relished the bonus the company gave her for all the money she made them.
    Yeah, a good dream.
    Her final dream wasn’t so good. It was a variation on the classic ‘going to work naked.’ Instead, she went to work in a little girl outfit, something so sickening sweet she looked about ten, and the entire staff laughed at her. That one made her wake up in a cold sweat.

Chapter Four
     
     
    The morning finally came. The sun rose, a rooster crowed, and Misha’s cheery voice echoed down the hall.
    “Morning, girls, time to get up and greet the new day,” she said happily.
    Jessica groaned. “If