"How does it feel to be ugly?"

Susan glared at the little girl. "Where is your mother?"

"Does it feel sad? I bet it feels sad."

The preschooler balanced her head delicately against Susan's knee and stared at Susan with such sympathetic eyes that Susan had the overwhelming urge to beat her. Flashing a tight-lipped smile, she lowered her head and whispered quietly into the child's ear. "Do you want to know a secret?"

The youngster grinned shyly. She wrapped tiny pink digits around Susan's gnarled hands. "Yeah."

"Ugliness is contagious. And my ugliness is growing deep inside you." Susan tapped callused fingertips against pliant flesh. "Right. Now."

As the child ran off, Susan exploded with peals of stunning melodic laughter.