<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">While she ate her soup, Marisol listened to each of the men and what they were sharing of themselves. She had been right in the sense that these were men who were confident and were strong. Their speech about themselves only served to further cement her feeling that this was right between all of them. That...whoever had set this up, had done a fantastic job at analyzing their lives. And realizing that all of them had the eagerness and willingness to make something like a poly-lifestyle work.<br/><br/>When Vince began speaking, Mari had set her spoon down and had turned to look at him. His words were simple - and she was coming to find out that Vince was a man who did not have much to say, but when he did...it had depth. Meaning. She liked that. Once he was done, she saw the slight look of embarrassment in his eyes and her instincts kicked in. Before she realized what she was doing, she reached under the table and squeezed his knee gently. She flashed him a soft smile, simply mouthing the sentence, "Thank you for sharing." before she let go.<br/><br/>She didn't know if she should have done that or not but...why should someone feel embarrassed for being open about themselves? That was something Mari never wanted anyone in her presence to feel.<br/><br/>She turned her head and listened to Bo speak. A Navy man. A man who had seen too much and had experienced too many negative emotions to come out of it untouched. Was it presumptuous of her to think that Nicci, Mila and her could change those negative emotions and add a few happy moments with him? Her cheeks tinted slightly as her eyes continued to watch him and it wasn't until he was done speaking, that she picked up her spoon and continued to eat the remainder of her soup.<br/><br/>There was a moment of silence after everyone was done - as if each of them were in their own thoughts. And Mari was. Earlier before the men had spoken and she had finished speaking, Mila had spoken of a family home that had Mari's heart going out for the young, misunderstood woman. Who could ever treat someone as kind and beautiful as Mila in such a way? But it explained a lot...explained why Mila was shy. And it also explained why Mari felt an automatic sense of protectiveness towards her. And Nicci...even though she did not verbalize the pain of her childhood, it was there in her eyes. Her heart went out to her and also a sense of...admiration. To have become the bread winner at the age of 13 and not let it affect ones childhood...it was something to respect.<br/><br/>"Thank you," Mari found herself saying, looking from the men to the women in the table. "For allowing me a glimpse into your lives." A smile of pleasure lit her face, making her dark eyes sparkle. It was exciting knowing that the people around her were now just as much a part of her as she was to them.</span>