A love reborn?

It's spring, love and possibility abound and Hope's boyfriend -- or a reasonable facsimile thereof -- has come wooing.

As some recall, Hope endured the whirlwind with teddy bear beefcake Daisuke Matsuzaka. Attraction begat infatuation, intoxication and finally shame at being so young and falling so hard, so fast. Like many classic romances, it ended in tragedy.

Lulu ate the doll. Scorning a love she could never understand, she lashed out like Iago or some other Shakespearean scallywag. Or perhaps she was hungry.

Either way, we were crestfallen. Hope's first love was gone. Failures as parents, we scoured the Internet for a replacement. My sister, Beth, answered the call. Another doll was in the mail in two days.

But young love is elastic, especially when it involves broken hearts. And can ooga cha-cha, hubba hubba burning love simply be cloned?

So Dice-K is back. But Hope persevered. Holding plastic rings makes her squeal. Her hands fascinate. There's more to life than hunky dolls. She has moved on.

But oh what a specimen. She tries to resist. But it's Dice-K. She looks askance. She sneaks a peak. He's still got it. Oh my.

Can she trust her heart again? We wait. We wonder, while Lulu lurks.