i collapsed on the floor and sobbed like a baby . i do not understand you strange americans . the length sometimes made it hard to deal with . she wo n't be coming with us . are you sure you would not like to change your story ? alright , alright , lets go to the mall . big , powerful hands , the fingers thick , flattened at the tips , one of them crooked from some injury long ago . `` i needed this , '' i told him , catching the tail end of a falling star . 