The day after Graduation, I finished packing my bags and had an early lunch with my parents so that they could make their evening flight down to Florida. This would be the last I saw them for a month or so. I would probably visit them at their new home around Independence Day weekend, but nothing was set in stone.

  "Good sandwiches, Mom," I said as I finished.

  "Thank you, dear. I ordered them myself."

  "And I paid," my father cut in.

  "Thank you, too, Dad," I acknowledged.

  "You're welcome," he chuckled.

  "I'm going to miss this," my mother sniffled. She reached across the table and took my hand in hers.

  I squeezed back, but I couldn't quite look her in the eye, hoping to avoid tears. "We'll have to figure out a time for me to come out and visit," I mused in an attempt to change the subject slightly.

  She sniffed again, "Yes, we'll see how long it takes to get everything situated so you can come down."

  "I'll camp out on the kitchen floor if I have to, I don't care," I assured her.

  "See?" my father joked. "We'll keep a sleeping mat for when Robbie visits and we're good." He was trying as hard as I was to avoid the gravity of the day.

  "Are you going to join the Bridge Club or the Shuffleboard Club tomorrow?" I asked.

  "We're retiring, not dying," my father corrected me.

  "Sorry to delay you," I joked. My parents were about a decade older than most of my classmates' parents. It was no secret that my parents had given up on having children when I came along unexpectedly.

  My mother stood up and took a step toward me to grab me by the shoulders and pull me in tight to her chest. Her hold was powerful. "We wouldn't trade you for the world," she said as she rested her chin on top of my head. I had trouble breathing, and not because of her strong grip.

  "I wouldn't, either," I let her know. "I mean, I wouldn't trade you guys for... anything." The tears didn't quite spill over before I blinked them away.

  "We know what you mean," my father said, turning his face away and softly scratching at his jaw-line. He blinked hard a couple times.

  "Hey!" I perked up. "Why don't you let me handle the dishes?" My mother released me from her bear hug and I wadded up our sandwich wrappers and threw them into our last trash bag.

  "Nice shot," my dad said. "Let's get you and your stuff over to your new pad. Maria will be here in an hour to take the keys and drive us to the airport."

  "Oh, that's nice of her," I remarked.

  "Or it's the most expensive airport shuttle in history," my dad observed. "Her commissions were not cheap."

  "Oh, stop it," my mom chided him. "She got the house sold in weeks and over asking. She even got the buyers to wait an extra two weeks to close.""True," he relented. "Let's get your bags." We carried a few suitcases and a couple duffel bags next door.

  "Does Vicky know we're coming?" my mom asked my dad.

  "Yes, I confirmed the time with her twenty minutes ago. And yesterday. And last week."

  "Okay, I'm just asking! I don't want to abandon our boy in the street!"

  My parents tended to get a little fretful in times of stress, especially when my well-being was involved. I guessed there were worse things to be. Taking the initiative, I stepped up to the front and knocked. My parents seemed surprisingly relieved when Victoria answered the door, despite having been assured numerous times that she was expecting us at this time.

  "John! Paula!" Victoria greeted them.

  My parents stepped past me to hug her in unison, "Vicky!"

  "We can't thank you enough!" My mother assured her as they let go.

  "Please, I'm getting a great deal. By the end of the Summer, my house will look as nice as yours!" She was referring to the arrangement they had made a couple months prior over cocktails, whereby I paint her house in exchange for room and board for the Summer. My father and I had painted our house last year and it turned out surprisingly well.

  Her two daughters were standing in the kitchen just beyond the entryway. "Nika!" my mother greeted the oldest, Veronica. "I didn't realize you were back! You just finished your Junior Year, right?"

  "Right!" Nika graced the room with a smile that would melt anybody's heart. She was the classic Girl-Next-Door: Sweet, smart, and beautiful. Also, she happened to live next door.

  "You're looking to go to Pharmacy school, right?" My father asked. "Will you be able to mail my back pills down to Florida?" Always with the dad jokes.

  "I'm not sure," she answered with an uneasy smile, "I'll let you know in a few years."

  "I'm sure Paul can find his own pills," my mom assured her. "Did I hear you're taking your little sister with you next year?"

  "That's right!" she beamed.

  "Staci," my mom asked, "Did you hear us cheering for you last night?"

  "I did, thank you!" Staci responded with a polite smile. As far as any of our parents knew, we had merely drifted apart as friends over the last several years. We both generally kept our animosity hidden from them. I myself had agreed to the arrangement when my attitude toward Staci was one of general irritation, before it boiled over into a seething hatred after the whole Allison Incident.

  "Did I hear you're studying Engineering next year?" my dad asked.

  "Physics," she corrected, politely as ever. "But I hear a lot of people turn that into Engineering."

  "Such bright girls," my mom mused. "You should have tutored Robbie, then you could all go up there together."

  Nika would have been a terrible tutor, through no fault of her own. I simply would have been too distracted by the glowing aura and harp music that played in my head whenever she spoke. Staci would have taken sadistic pleasure in lording over me academically. Actually, a spiteful desire to outperform her might have proven effective, now that I thought about it.

  "I didn't apply to their school, Mom," I corrected her. "If I did, I maybe would have gotten in." That was pure speculation on my part.

  "Oh, right," she responded. "Maybe next Semester."

  "Maybe," I replied. My smile probably looked as fake as it felt.

  "Steve and Monica did tell you that you should have sent out more applications," Staci added with a barely visible smirk.

  "They did," I agreed, my glare less well-hidden than her smirk. "Steve and Monica are very good friends."

  "Nothing to worry about," my mom cut in. "You get to spend the Summer together just like old times."

  I put on my best fake smile and nodded. Staci did the same.

  "Sal!" Victoria called toward the hallway that ran off the kitchen. "Are you up yet? Robbie, John, and Paula are here!"

  Sal, short for Sally, was Victoria's niece that she had taken in eight years ago when she was left orphaned by her parents' fatal car accident. She wouldn't be hiding in her room because she was rebellious or anti-social, which she had been years earlier. She worked as a server at a local bar and grill during the dinner and evening hours, so she often slept late. A door in the hallway opened.

  "Sorry, I'm here!" she stepped out. "I'm picking up the Afternoon shift today, too, so I had to get ready." Her work outfit wasn't technically risqué, but she did wear her polo shirt two sizes too small to accentuate her voluptuous figure and her jeans left very little to the imagination. If Nika had the look of the perfect Girl Next Door, Sal had the look of the girl who would steal her boyfriend at the first hint of trouble. In reality, they all got along pretty well. Sal was a year younger than Nika and had worked full time as server since graduating high school.

  "Sal, would you be able to mail a burger and fries down to Florida if I placed an order?" my father asked her.

  I closed my eyes and softly sighed. My mother did the same. Victoria and Sal laughed. "I could," Sal answered. "But I can't guarantee their freshness."

  Does he have to make embarrassing Dad-jokes around every beautiful woman I see? I wondered to myself. No, I decided. That would make the mailman, the hardware store clerk, and the shop mechanic at the gas station beautiful women, too. I guess he just likes joking with everyone.

  "Earth to Robbie!" Sal called to me.

  I blinked and shook my head and met her eyes. "Oh...Yeah?"

  "I said, 'Hi, Robbie,'" she reminded me. I hadn't realized she had spoken to me.

  "Oh, sorry... Hey, Sal! How ya' doing?" Smooth.

  "Good! I'm doing good!" she grinned.

  "Doing well-" Nika cut in before Sal silenced her by shooting her a menacing smile. "Sorry." They got along like sisters, after all.

  "Sally, you have grown up so pretty," my mother complimented her.

  "Thank you," Sal smiled. "I have really good shorthand, too, so Rudiger’s Bar and Grill just seemed like a calling." She would be great on one of those British shows where you can't tell if the characters are saying something nice or mean.

  "You could always-" my mom started but my dad told her with his eyes to change the subject immediately. "You must have a long day today," she corrected course.

  "I do," Sal smiled almost apologetically. "But the weekends are when we make our money, so it's usually worth it."

  "Robbie," my mother turned to me. "You tip servers well, right? They are out working while you are out sitting around and stuffing your face."

  "What?" I said, caught off guard. "Of course I do. I'm not some jerk."

  She turned back to Sal, "If he comes out to your restaurant, you make sure he tips well."

  "I will, Mrs. Pickering," Sal smirked. "I better head out." She moved toward the front door, stopping to hug both of my parents and wish them well on their move.

  "Make sure Robbie stays out of trouble," my dad told her.

  She looked back at me and grinned before stepping past my parents and out the door. "I will!" I couldn't quite decide if she was more hot or frightening. I guess I had would have time to find out.

  "Let's get all those bags inside and I'll show you to your room," Victoria said. We hauled my belongings to the room down the hallway next to Sal's. It was generally unremarkable, but nice enough. It was furnished with a full bed, a dresser, an end table, and a few cardboard boxes stacked in the corner. "I can move those boxes if you want," Victoria offered, "But the closet and the dresser are both empty for you."

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  "No, don't worry," I told her. "This is more than enough, thank you!"

  "Of course. Let me know if you change your mind. You probably remember the bathroom is across the hall, next to Staci's room. I told the girls to help keep it clean, so make sure you pitch in too."

  "Absolutely," I assured her.

  "Isn't this nice of her, Robbie?" my mom asked.

  "It's great, really, thank you!" I really couldn't thank Victoria enough.

  "It's nothing. You guys have been like family to us," Victoria replied.

  "Don't use up all the hot water, Robbie!" Staci called from the kitchen. Nika chuckled.

  "Same to you, Staci!" I called. Nika chuckled again. She and her mother had bedrooms upstairs, so she could largely avoid any of our drama.

  "You're probably not even on the same schedule," Victoria assured me. "Sal works nights and that one will sleep past Noon if you let her." She glanced at Staci.

  "I'm a growing young woman," Staci informed us. "I need my beauty sleep."

  "And it's been working," my mother complimented her. "Just yesterday you were a kid and now you're a beautiful young woman!"

  Staci blushed and looked at her feet, "Thank you, Mrs. Pickering."

  "Isn't she pretty, Robbie?" my mother tossed me a verbal hot potato.

  "What?" I asked, incredulous. Staci and I were suddenly in a competition for the reddest face.

  "Do you two have time for one last cocktail?" Victoria asked my parents.

  "I guess we won't be driving for another seven hours," my dad contemplated. "Sure, let's have one last round!" The last time they had a round of cocktails, I was traded for a coat of paint.

  Staci and Nika made themselves scarce, but I spent every possible minute with my parents while they shared their old stories with Victoria and talked about their plans. Finally, it was time for them to finish their drinks and gather up their luggage from our house. I helped them with their suitcases and took out the trash for the last time as their realtor, Maria, arrived in her van. Nika and Staci joined Victoria and I in seeing them off.

  I hugged my father before he stepped into the van. My mother held me in a powerful embrace from which I feared I might never escape. "I Love you, Robbie!"

  "I love you, too, Mom."

  "You have fun, but if you need to, just say the word and we'll have you on the next flight!" My mother promised.

  "I'm in good hands with Victoria," I assured her. "But we need to figure out when I'm visiting!"

  "Soon," she agreed. "I love you!" she reminded me.

  "I love you too, Mom." She released me finally and stepped into the van.

  "Don't paint too fast or Vicky will realize how easy it is!" my dad called out the window.

  "I won't!" I promised, sharing a quick, smirking glance with Victoria. "Call me when you get home safe!"

  "I love you!" my mother called as the van pulled away.

  "I love you, too, Mom!" I called out one last time and waived. Victoria took one step forward so that she stood beside me. I watched silently as the van disappeared from sight. Blinking back tears, I sighed and turned toward my new house. Victoria put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Nika asked if I needed anything, and I told her I didn't. Even Staci managed a quick sympathetic nod. I thanked her with a nod of my own.

  "I'll have dinner ready in a couple hours," Victoria told me. "Staci, Nika? You'll be joining us?"

  "Yes," Nika agreed.

  "I'm grabbing pizza with Allison," Staci protested.

  "Allison can wait a few hours. She'll understand," Victoria insisted.

  "Okay, I'll let her know," Staci relented.

  "Thanks, Dear," Victoria turned to me. "Do you have any plans for the night?"

  "I think I'll just unpack and do a little reading," I told her.

  "On your first Summer Saturday?" she asked incredulously.

  "It's been a lot," I told her. She assumed I spoke strictly of my parents' departure, which was fine by me. "I can help with dinner, if you want, though."

  "Look at you!" Victoria beamed. "Hopefully you'll rub off on these two this Summer."

  Nika, Staci, and I shared a collective grimace. "Mom!" Staci shouted. "Think before you speak!"

  Victoria furrowed her brow, "What are you talking about?" She turned to me, "Anyways, I'll see you in the kitchen in an hour?"

  "Sounds good," I told her.

  "Don't rub off on her!" Staci called back as she walked inside.

  "Staci!" Nika scolded her as she followed her through the front door.

  I enjoyed helping Victoria in the kitchen. She taught me a lot as she went. "Pay attention, Robbie," she told me. "Women love a man who cooks."

  "Thanks," I told her. "Hopefully it pays off."

  "Gary wouldn't heat up a can of chili to save his own life," she referred to her ex-husband. "I should have taken that as a sign."

  "I'm sorry," I told her. It was the best I could come up with.

  "Sorry, I shouldn't put that on you," she said as she bent low to put the casserole in the oven.

  "Uh, don't worry about it," I said as I struggled to look away.

  "What did I tell you about rubbing off?" Staci surprised me as she stepped into the kitchen.

  "She's teaching me to cook," as though it were an explanation.

  Victoria turned to Staci after closing the oven. "He's learning fast, too. So maybe I'm rubbing off on him."

  Staci looked horrified. "Puke!" she said.

  "Did you come to help?" Victoria asked her.

  "I just came to ask when you thought we might be done with dinner. Allison wants to know when to pick me up."

  "She lives six minutes away. Can't you just let her know when we're done?"

  "Mom, it's Allison we're talking about."

  "Yeah, I suppose," Victoria agreed. "Tell her an hour forty-five. You might burn your mouth, though."

  "Better than making Allison wait," Staci observed. Based on my project work with Allison, Staci was right. Allison made plans and always knew what she wanted. When we had flirted earlier, it felt great thinking a girl like her was interested in me. I supposed it made sense when she eventually turned me away. No, I thought to myself. The reason she turned me down isn't that she thinks I'm a loser. The reason she turned me down is right here in this kitchen.

  Staci flicked a lock of hair away from her eye with an obnoxious bob of her head as she sent a message on her phone. Her eyes caught mine when she looked up and she gave me her stupid trademark scowl. "What?" she snapped at me.

  I shook my head, "Nothing."

  "Are you going to be spacing out like this all Summer?" she asked.

  "Staci," Victoria scolded her. "He just said goodbye to his parents. You would be 'spacing out' too." She made air quotes with her hands when she said that.

  An hour and forty two minutes later, we finished dinner, and Staci was waiting at the front door for Allison. We all thanked Victoria for dinner. I volunteered to help with the dishes. Nika volunteered to help, too.

  "See?" Victoria said, "Looks like Robbie is rub-"

  "Please don't finish that sentence, Mom!" Staci begged. She was saved from further embarrassment by the appearance of Allison's headlights in the driveway.

  "Should I leave the light on for you tonight?" Victoria asked.

  "Sure, I don't think I'm staying the night."

  "Okay. Be smart!"

  "I always am!" Staci replied as she opened the front door. "Bye, Mom!" as she closed it.

  Nika shrugged her shoulders, "I'm here, too."

  Victoria washed dishes while Nika helped me dry them and showed me where they belonged in the cabinets. Sometimes she would reach up high and I would have to remind myself to watch the dishes and not her. I don't think she noticed, but I told myself that I shouldn't repay Victoria's hospitality by ogling her and her daughter.

  I noticed how alike Nika and Victoria were. Even more than I had noticed in previous years. Victoria was a beautiful woman, nobody would dispute that, but she must have been jaw-droppingly hot when she was Nika's age. I hadn't seen her ex-husband Gary since they split when I was five, but whatever happened, Gary must have been an idiot.

  My phone buzzed. It was a message from Mom. 'We're about to take off. I love you!'

  'Love you too Mom! Fly safe!' I replied.

  "It's hard to say goodbye, isn't it?" Victoria said to me.

  "Even harder than I thought," I agreed. Talking about it only made the tears well up faster.

  "I cried all night after dropping Nika off at school her first year. I even had to pull over at one point and let Sal drive the rest of the way."

  "Really?" Nika asked.

  "Of course! I even told Sal she could never leave. I hope she knows I didn't mean it."

  "I got a little choked up," Nika admitted. "But I was so busy with my new school I didn't get a chance to think about it."

  "That's true. I guess it's harder being the one left at home," Victoria pondered.

  "Does Sal have any plans?" I asked, mostly to change the subject.

  "She's working at the restaurant," Victoria answered. "She bought herself the car last Fall and I think she's saving for an apartment someday. I won't kick her out anytime soon, though. We're the only family she has."

  It was easy to forget that Sal was here because she lost her parents. She had simply been a part of the family for so long. "She's lucky," I said. Victoria's eyes opened a little wider. "Lucky to have you, I mean! " I blurted out. “It’s really sad what happened to her parents.

  Victoria's expression softened into a smile. "I hope she feels that way."

  "I'm sure she does," I assured her.

  We finished up the dishes. Nika told her mother that she was meeting a friend at Sal's restaurant. Apparently they called it Sal’s instead of its proper name, Rudiger’s. I told Victoria I would probably just relax and read in my room tonight.

  "I'll be downstairs for a few hours," she told me. "Let me know if you need anything."

  "Nika showed me where the snacks are," I half-joked, "so I should be good."

  "Just make sure there are some left in the morning," she half-joked as well.

  "Do you want me to chip in for groceries or anything?" I asked. "My parents left me some cash for the Summer, since I'll be working for room and board."

  "No, that's your money, thank you," Victoria assured me. "Just don't go too crazy."

  "I'll try not to."

  I had gone to my room and barely cracked my book open when my phone buzzed again. It was Steve. 'Come on out!' the message read.

  'Just going to take it easy tonight. My parents left town today.'

  'Right. You okay?'

  'Yeah thanks.'

  'Come chill over here!'

  'No thanks. I don't need to drag you into my problems.'

  'What problems? Me and Monica are just gaming over here.' He knew what I meant even if he didn't want to dwell on it.

  'Monica and I.'

  'C? Somwun haz 2 sho us gud gramur.' I snickered at that.

  'I'll just chill out here tonight. Thanks though.'

  'Come on!'

  'You and Monica have fun!'

  'Monica and I'

  'LOL' I didn't feel like saying more.

  I had barely read a page when a message came in from Monica. 'Come on over!'

  'Thanks Monica. I'll just stay in tonight.'

  She replied with a photo of herself frowning. For a girl that wore her clothes, hair, lips, and nails black, she sure was adorably sweet.

  'Hard to say no to that face, but I'm staying in tonight.'

  'Maybe next time?'

  'Maybe.'

  I read my book until almost Midnight. My dad had left me with a stack of mostly nonsensical mysteries and spy thrillers. They were fairly entertaining and usually a great distraction. I managed some fitful sleep that night.

  Victoria was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when I came out of my room at about half past seven. "Do you drink coffee?" she asked.

  "Sometimes, but not much. Only if I'm really tired in the morning," I answered.

  "You're always welcome to it. I'll show you how to use the coffee maker if you need it. How did you sleep, by the way?"

  "Okay," I told her.

  "Just okay? Is the bed alright?"

  "The bed is great," I told her. "Thank you. It's just being in a new place, I guess."

  "I can imagine. You can always let me know if you need anything."

  Nika came down the stairs to the kitchen, still dressed in pyjama pants and a t-shirt. Nothing about her outfit was particularly revealing, but she was still mind-blowingly beautiful. "I want eggs," she declared. "Should I make eggs and toast for everyone?"

  Victoria and I agreed that sounded great. She walked down the hall and knocked on Staci's door. "Sweetie, do you want eggs for breakfast?" All I could hear were some inaudible grunts and groans. "Probably about fifteen minutes." Victoria replied. More groans. "Nika is making them." A few grunts. "Yes, he's here, too." A murmur. "Nothing fancy, just don't come out to eat breakfast in your underwear." A defeated sigh. "Great, we'll see you out here."

  I offered to help Nika make breakfast. She thanked me but told me anybody trying to help would just be in her way. Victoria and I chatted at the table while Nika cooked. Staci emerged from her room wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants. After flicking her mussed-up hair in her usual stupid manner, she gave me a scowl to let me know how badly I had intruded on her life.

  "Good morning, Staci," Victoria greeted her.

  "'Morning, Mom," Staci replied.

  I gave Staci a polite nod in greeting and she replied with a stupid, sarcastic smile of feigned politeness before sitting down.

  "Coffee?" Nika asked her.

  "Please," Staci replied. Nika poured her a cup and set it down in front of her. "Thanks." She flicked her hair out of her face again before taking a sip. She caught my eye and gave me another scowl, "What?" she asked. "If you want some coffee, get your own."

  "Do you want some coffee, Robbie?" Nika asked.

  "No, but thank you!" I replied.

  "Staci, you're awfully chipper," Victoria observed.

  "Sorry," Staci apologized. "Nika stole all of my perfection."

  "Don't drag me into this," Nika said, "or I'll ruin your eggs."

  "Sorry," Staci apologized, sincerely this time.

  After breakfast, Nika excused herself so she could get ready for work. She worked during the Summer at a pharmacy.

  "Should we do the dishes?" Victoria suggested. The correct answer was obviously 'yes.'

  "Yes," I replied.

  Victoria gave Staci an expectant look. "Sure," Staci said. "I'll help, too." I turned to her and tried to hide the smirk on my face. "Don't even think about it," she told me.

  "Think about what?" I asked with feigned innocence.

  "Don't be a pill, Staci," Victoria scolded her.

  Staci stood up and grabbed a towel near the sink, "You may not like me, but you need me." Victoria laughed and hugged Staci with one arm. Staci didn't resist until Victoria gave her a smooch on her temple. "Mom! Puke!"

  Victoria washed the dishes, Staci dried them, and I did my best to put them away correctly in the cupboards. It was not fast enough for Staci, apparently. "Here," she would say as she held a dry dish out in one hand without looking in my direction. "Here!" she would say again if I did not grab it out of her hand fast enough.

  "We could trade jobs if you want," I offered.

  "Nope," she said, "you need to learn." Victoria did her best to stifle a laugh while reminding Staci to be nice.

  After finishing up the dishes, I showered and walked around the exterior of the house to size up the project, taking notes on my phone of supplies I should pick up from the hardware store. After finishing up, I returned to the kitchen for a glass of water. Sal was there, wearing her work outfit.

  "Are you working another afternoon shift?" I asked her.

  She laughed, "No."

  "Oh," I said, taking a sip of water to hide the embarrassment on my face, which did not help because I ended up inhaling some of the water.

  After I had an embarrassingly long coughing fit, Sal asked, "Are you okay, Robbie?"

  "This might be the end," I answered once the coughing at least became manageable.

  She giggled, "Shoot, I was just getting used to the idea of having a man in the house."

  My face went beet red and my eyes went wide, still letting out the occasional soft cough.

  She giggled again, "I'm going to try and nap for a few hours after I shower, so try to keep it down."

  "I will," I stammered. "Sleep well." Real smooth, I thought to myself.

  "Thanks!" she smiled as she stepped into the hallway and then into the bathroom. The shower started running and I let out one last pathetic cough before remembering what I was doing. Victoria had left her car keys and credit card on the counter for me to take to the hardware store.

  At the checkout counter at the hardware store, I handed the clerk Victoria's card. My dad and I had frequented this store last Summer, so I didn't think the clerk would be overly suspicious of me using her card. "You're Victoria Cooper now?" the clerk asked.

  "I'm painting her house," I told him.

  "She mentioned that the neighbor kid would be around here when she bought all that paint last week," he said.

  "Oh, good," I replied.

  "I wish she'd asked ME to paint her house," he smiled.

  "Uh, yeah," was all I could think of.

  "Sorry, don't tell her I said that," the clerk requested.

  "I won't," I assured him.

  Back at the house, I told Victoria what the clerk had said. "Pete?" Victoria said, "He's okay. We went on a couple dates a long time ago."

  "Pete?" I asked, incredulous.

  She shrugged her shoulders, "He's nice. And he's handy."

  Be nice. Be handy. Learn to cook, I reminded myself. I wasn't trying to get with Victoria, but getting a girl like her wouldn't be so bad.