frost stood there with her arms folded , come on , i want to see how it looks on you . it would be the beach vacation i 'd never gotten growing up . at the time , i 'd wondered if growing up with only my mother for company-and then losing her the way i had-had cut my ability to love other people off at the knees . no better present could he give dawn than her sister fire-dancer , for a visit at least . i tried not to soften as he pet the girls . 