Chapter 25

The next day, Thursday, I woke up a little earlier than normal. The night before, Erin had gotten home at the same time I had, even though her curfew was much earlier than mine. She’d grinned sheepishly when I caught her trying to sneak in ahead of me. We talked for a while, but she was too giddy to make much sense. All she could talk about was Drew this, and Drew that.

I merely grinned at her and said I was going to sleep. She didn’t seem to mind, sighing happily as she climbed into the lower bunk. Mom had gotten home even later (which was why Erin escaped punishment, since I promised to keep my mouth shut). I vaguely recalled hearing her close the cabin door, but not much more than that.

When I padded outside to do my morning workout, Mom and Erin were both still sound asleep. Kendall joined me as I was finishing my sit-ups. I blew her a kiss and then started doing my push-ups. She watched silently as I systematically raised and lowered myself, resting briefly between each set of twenty. Then she handed me my jump rope and watched while I continued my workout. I was feeling cocky and did some Rocky moves while I jumped, doing crossovers, double-jumping, and generally showing off. She smiled appreciatively. Gina still hadn’t showed up by the time I was done, so we figured she was sleeping late.

“Do you wanna shower in the clubhouse?” Kendall asked. “At this time of morning, it’s usually almost deserted.” She looked down shyly. “I could shower with you.”

“Yeah, that sounds really cool,” I said, nodding as I panted.

“I’ll go get my towel,” she said excitedly. “Then I’ll meet you at the clubhouse.”

“See you there.”

True to Kendall’s prediction, the clubhouse was fairly deserted. Most of the people who were there were making coffee or reading the morning papers (provided by Gunny Kershaw). No one was anywhere near the shower area, so Kendall and I could have a modicum of privacy. We unabashedly grinned at each other in anticipation.

We had to keep a careful lookout for anyone coming into the building—and we almost got caught once by one of the new couples and their young children—but we really enjoyed ourselves. I particularly enjoyed running my hands over her soapy body, especially her magnificent breasts. She shaved her legs and underarms and then I stood guard while she carefully shaved the sides of her pubic hair. She looked up and grinned as I had to cover my burgeoning erection. When she turned off the water, I held her towel for her. She stepped toward me and I enfolded her in its warmth and comfort.

“Mmmmm,” she murmured. “I like this.”

“Me too,” I said.

A little later, we met Gina as we walked up the hill. She was just coming down from her cabin, and yawned when she saw us.

“Sorry,” she said. “I was up late.”

“That’s cool. You wanna eat breakfast with us?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’m going to go soak in the tub. Leah’s already up, and Mom and Kara are still asleep. Since no one will get mad if I use all the hot water, I just wanna take a long, hot bath.”

“Okay,” I said. “We’ll meet you at the clubhouse later, or down by the lake.”

She nodded sleepily and kissed me on the cheek. Then she smiled at Kendall and turned to go. Kendall and I soon discovered that Mom was still asleep and Erin was nowhere to be found. Even though we were quiet, Mom heard us come in. She stirred and smiled sleepily.

“I’ll be down to fix breakfast in a few minutes,” she said.

“That’s okay, Mom,” I said softly. “I can fix something myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. You hardly ever get to sleep in. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. “Sleeping in sounds wonderful. Thank you, honey.” With that, she smiled, pulled the sheet up to her chin, and rolled over.

“Do you want to eat breakfast with us?” Kendall asked as we left the cabin.

“Sure,” I said cheerfully. “I’d love to.”

Kendall’s mom was more than happy to have me, and simply added a few pieces of bread to the toaster as she reached for several more eggs. Drew was in a good mood too, though we could tell that he was in a hurry to eat and leave. No doubt he was eager to find Erin and Leah. Kendall’s father greeted me warmly and invited me to sit next to him.

Kendall helped her mom finish preparing breakfast and then began setting dishes of food on the table. Kendall set a glass of orange juice in front of me and then slid into the dinette next to me. I quickly bowed my head as they said grace, and then Mr. Payton and Drew started loading their plates. As the dishes of eggs, bacon, toast, and grits were passed my way, I piled my plate with food. Evidently, Kendall’s mom was used to cooking big meals, and adding me to the mix really didn’t change the portions.

I don’t know what I expected from Kendall’s father, but he was actually pretty nice. He even insisted that I call him Adam instead of “sir.”

“It’s good that your parents have taught you respect,” he said, “but you can call me Adam, son.”

Kendall smiled at me affectionately and her mother practically beamed. Drew merely looked at me and shook his head, as if to say, “You lucky dog.”

Not surprisingly, Drew asked to be excused as soon as he’d finished his second helping. His father let him go and he quickly disappeared through the camper door. After breakfast, Adam and I talked while Kendall and her mom washed the dishes. He had been an MP in the Army and asked about my dad’s time in Vietnam. Unfortunately, I had to plead ignorance, since Dad simply didn’t talk about the war very much. Adam nodded thoughtfully, apparently in approval. When I asked him what it was like to be a cop, he talked for a while, telling me about the training and some of the interesting things he’d seen or done.

“Time to stop bending the young man’s ear, dear,” Kendall’s mom said to him. Then she smiled fondly at her daughter.

When Adam stood up, I rose as well. I shook his hand and thanked them for breakfast. Once we were a little ways away from the camper, Kendall threw her arms around my neck and kissed me soundly.

“Not that I’m objecting,” I said with a grin as we started walking again, “but what was that for?”

“Because you’re so charming and handsome,” she said. “And because my dad likes you.”

“How could you tell?” I asked.

“I just know.” She shrugged. “He never talks about his job,” she said, “especially around Mom and me. So I know he likes you if he was willing to actually tell you about what he does.”

“Wow. Cool.”

She linked her arm through mine and nodded happily.

***

Later that morning, Gina, Kendall, and I were lounging on the raft in the middle of the lake. Much to our surprise, Kara and Stacy had driven to town about ten o’clock. According to Gina, they were running an errand for Susan and then going to see a movie.

“Yeah,” Gina said, stifling a yawn. “When I told Kara about our conversation yesterday, you know the one, she said ‘cool,’ but she didn’t know if we’d have time before our family left.”

“Oh,” I said. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Kendall grinned as she read my expression.

I stuck out my tongue and crossed my eyes.

“Oh yeah,” Gina said suddenly, unaware of the look I’d just given Kendall, “Mom got a call from Dad last night. He’s still coming home on Friday, and when your mom—” she nodded to me, “—heard what flight he was on, she told him to ask about your dad. Evidently, he’s on the same flight back. He’s ... um ... on a dead ... um ... a dead...”

“A deadhead?” I suggested helpfully.

“Yeah, a deadhead from Dallas, and then he’s ... um ... jumpseating?” When I nodded, she continued. “Then he’s jumpseating from Atlanta to Columbia. Whew,” she breathed. “How do you remember all that?”

“I just do,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, I live with it, and I hear that stuff all the time.”

“What’s it all mean?” she asked. “He’s on a deadhead and jumpseating?”

“A deadhead is when they send a flight crew back from somewhere, but they’re not flying the plane, they’re just riding, like passengers. And a jump seat is this spare seat in the cockpit where an extra pilot can ride.”

“Oh.”

“So if Dad’s deadheading back from Dallas, he’s with the rest of his crew, but they’re riding in the passenger compartment. When they arrive in Atlanta, he’ll get on the plane to Columbia, where he’ll ride in the cockpit with the crew that’s actually flying the plane.”

“Sorta like a backup pilot?” Kendall asked.

I shrugged. “Yeah, but not really. I mean, it’s not like the movies, where the pilots die from food poisoning, and they might need that extra guy to land the plane. The jump seat is mostly for pilots to fly around without taking up a seat that a paying passenger could occupy.”

“Oh,” Kendall said. “That makes sense.”

Gina nodded as well. “Anyway, my dad and your dad will probably be on the same flight tomorrow. So our moms are going to drive to Columbia together to pick them up.”

“Oh,” I said. “Cool.”

“Mom said that she and your mom are planning to go shopping this afternoon. I think Leah and Erin are going with them. So that means,” she said slowly, “we’ll have some time when most everyone will be gone.”

“And?” I asked with a knowing grin.

“We can see if Susan needs any ... um ... help around the house.”

Kendall gasped in mild surprise.

“You’re not afraid of flying,” Gina said soothingly, hypnotically. “You’re not afraid of flying.” Then she grinned. “Repeat after me, ‘I’m not afraid of flying.’”

Kendall chuckled and repeated the phrase several times. Then she smiled shyly and said, “As long as I don’t have to deadhead or jump seat, though!”

We all laughed, enjoying the release of tension.

“Did you wanna go talk to Susan?” Gina asked me when we grew quiet.

“You want me to?”

Gina and I both looked at Kendall. When she hesitated, Gina reached out and squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Okay?”

She nodded jerkily and then took a deep breath.

“Why don’t I talk to Susan some other time?” I asked Gina. It was half question, half suggestion.

Before Gina could reply, Kendall shook her head. “I’m not afraid of flying,” she said defiantly.

I nodded and smiled to reassure her.

“Hey,” Gina said suddenly. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we see if we can eat lunch with Susan? We can talk to her then. I mean, my mom, your mom, and our sisters are going to town. And Kara and Stacy are already there.”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “We’re kinda at loose ends anyway.” Then I turned to Kendall. “If your parents will let you eat lunch with me and Gina, and Susan, of course, that would be a good excuse for us to be over there.”

“It would be our cover story?” Kendall asked.

“Hold on a second,” I said, realization suddenly dawning. “Kendall, are you more worried about what we do? Or about your parents finding out about it?”

“Both,” she said, grinning ruefully. “But maybe I’m a lot more afraid of my parents finding out. You have no concept of how they’d go through the roof if they found out I was having sex.”

“Then we’ll just have to be extra careful,” I said.

“Yeah,” she said, grinning shyly. “Thanks.”

I nodded solemnly. “Why don’t you girls hang out here,” I said. “I’ll go see if Susan’s up for a little company during lunch.”

When they both nodded, I stood up. With a small wave, I dived into the water and swam for the shore. Once there, I grabbed my towel and dried off as I walked up the hill. At Susan’s house, I knocked on the kitchen door.

“Hello, stranger,” she said with a grin. “Come on inside.”

“Thanks,” I said as she shut the door behind me. “Um ... we were thinking... , “ I started.

She arched an eyebrow and grinned. “Yes?”

Why do I always blush when she looks at me like that? “Um ... Gina, Kendall, and me, that is.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Will you quit,” I said in half-serious exasperation, feeling my cheeks heat further at her wry smile. She knew exactly what I was talking about. Her eyes still glittered mischievously, but her expression grew a little more serious. “Thank you,” I said. “Anyway, we were thinking ... since our families are all going to town, Gina and I are at loose ends for the afternoon. We were wondering if you’d like some company for lunch. Kendall was gonna ask her parents if she could join us too, if that’s okay.”

“You talked to her about us, didn’t you?” She looked at me neutrally, but I caught a hint of a frown. Just a hint, but it was there.

“Mmm hmm. Yesterday, at the quarry.”

“And she took it well?”

I nodded. “Yeah, although she kinda suspected that you and I had had sex.”

“She’s an insightful young woman.”

“I’ll say,” I muttered.

“Did you talk to her about me borrowing you for stud services?” When she saw my expression, she quickly stepped close and put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. I was teasing you, but I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t think of you as stud services.”

“I know.”

“Regardless, I shouldn’t’ve said it. If we never have sex again, I’ll be more than happy to call you my friend.” She paused and looked at me earnestly. “One of my best friends.”

I felt my cheeks heating again, although for a different reason. “Thank you,” I said, my voice suddenly cracking. I cleared my throat and blinked several times. “Thank you very much. You’re one of my best friends too.”

“That means a lot to me, Paul. Thank you.”

I smiled bashfully and suddenly looked down.

She reached up and put her hand against my cheek. “Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that you’re still sixteen. And other times, I love you all the more for it.”

“Um ... thanks, I guess.”

She nodded and smiled warmly, caressing my face. “You’re welcome.” Then she pulled her hand back and smiled again. “Now, where were we?” When I smiled gratefully, she continued. “What did you tell Kendall about you and me?”

I nodded and then recounted the conversation from the previous day.

“She’s read Fear of Flying?” she asked suddenly, interrupting me.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I’m impressed.”

I told her what Kendall had related to Gina and me about the book.

“And she actually understood it,” Susan said. “I’m doubly impressed. You’ve got a very sharp young woman there, Paul. Hold on to her. Although Gina’s hardly average. Hold on to them both.”

I nodded, blushing. When she gestured for me to continue, I related the remainder of the quarry conversation, as well as our talk from earlier in the day.

“Oh,” she said. The hint of a frown reappeared, but only for a moment. It was more a tightening of the eyes than anything else.

“I think she’s more worried about her parents finding out.”

“I seem to recall a certain young man who was worried about his parents finding out he was having sex with a certain woman,” she said cleverly.

“Um ... yeah. I remember that guy.”

“You do?”

I nodded. “He was shorter than me, and maybe a little goofier.”

“He wasn’t goofy,” she said. “He was just ... younger.”

I smiled in thanks for her diplomatic reply.

“But I can understand why she’s worried. And ... well ... I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know if I’m comfortable having her join us.”

I looked up sharply. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t know her parents. With you... , “ she said. Then she paused to gather her thoughts. “With you, I did something a little ... reckless.”

“How?” I asked, not knowing whether to be hurt, offended, or what.

She reached out to soothe me again. “Paul, even though I knew your parents as well as I did, you were still only fifteen when we first had sex.” Before she continued, she gestured toward the kitchen table. “Let’s sit down. Okay?”

I nodded a little hesitantly and pulled out a chair.

“Paul,” she said, reaching to hold my hands, “I wouldn’t change a thing about our relationship. Not one single thing. But you have to realize what an incredible risk it was for me to ever initiate it.”

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“I’ve never regretted it, not once, but it was ... rash. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” I said, trying not to sound sullen.

“If your parents hadn’t been who they were, I could’ve gone to jail.”

“Yeah,” I grudgingly admitted.

“I know Gina’s parents well enough too, and we’ve ... talked about the possibility of me joining you two.”

I nodded, surprised, though I should’ve realized they’d probably talked.

“But I don’t know Kendall’s parents very well. And I’ve been thinking about it some more, her joining us, that is.”

“And?”

“I just don’t think it’d be a good idea. Consequently, it wouldn’t be fair to her if you and Gina invited me to join you, but excluded her.”

For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. For the second time that day, I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

“I hope you can understand,” she said when I didn’t respond.

“Yeah,” I said. “That makes sense.”

“Do you think she’ll understand?”

“I think she’ll be relieved,” I said after a moment’s reflection. “It’s Gina that I’m a little worried about. She gets ... um ... fixated sometimes.”

Susan laughed brightly. “A very politic way to put it. But you’re right. Do you think it’ll be a problem for her?”

“I dunno,” I said with a shrug.

“I can talk to her, if you’d like.”

I quickly nodded. I felt cowardly for doing it, but I didn’t want to be the one to tell Gina no.

“Okay,” she said, smiling warmly. “I’d still like you all to have lunch with me, if you want to.”

“Yeah,” I said. “We’d love to.”

“Okay,” she replied with another smile. “I’ll see you in a little while. I’ll get things started while you round up Gina and Kendall.”

“What should I tell them?” I asked.

“About what?”

“They knew I was coming up here to talk to you about ... you know.”

She nodded and then turned thoughtful. “Just tell them I said we’d have to talk about it.”

I nodded again and headed for the door.

***

Down at the lake, I waved to the girls and they soon joined me on the shore. Once again, I was struck by their beauty—Gina, dark and exotically lovely, Kendall, tall and statuesque. With a distracted headshake, I pushed those thoughts aside.

“What did she say?” Gina predictably asked.

“She said we’d have to talk about it,” I replied, temporizing.

Gina seemed to accept that at face value, but Kendall looked at me funny. I shrugged it off and told them that Susan definitely wanted us to join her for lunch. While we walked up the hill, I suggested that Gina tell our moms about lunch at Susan’s while Kendall and I asked her parents. She readily agreed. With a wide grin, she wrapped her towel around her waist and headed toward our cabins.

“What’s going on?” Kendall asked, as soon as we were alone.

“Um ... what do you mean?”

She stopped, put her hands on her hips, and looked at me expectantly.

I couldn’t stop myself from grinning at her. “You don’t miss much, do you?”

She shook her head.

“Listen,” I said softly, “Don’t tell Gina, but Susan is a little concerned about all of us getting together.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “‘Cause she doesn’t know your parents very well, and you’re still under eighteen.”

Instead of getting angry, like I thought she would, she relaxed visibly. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I was really nervous,” she said. “It’s kinda exciting to think about, but...”

I nodded.

“Gina just got so excited, and I didn’t want to disappoint her. Or you,” she quickly added.

“I wouldn’t be disappointed.” Much.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

“And Susan said she’d talk to Gina about it. I guess I kinda chickened out too, when it came to talking to Gina. But she’ll survive. Now,” I said, with forced enthusiasm, “let’s go talk to your parents.”

***

Kendall’s mother smiled broadly when we made our request. She smiled warmly at me and told us to enjoy ourselves. When we arrived at Susan’s house, she wasn’t there. She’d left a note on the kitchen table to let us know that she’d return shortly, and for us to make ourselves comfortable in the living room. Curiously, the note was addressed to only Kendall and me. With a shrug, we headed into the next room and sat on the couch. Kendall curled her feet beneath her and snuggled against my side.

“I think I like this more than anything else,” she said with a contented sigh.

“Sitting on the couch with me?”

She nodded. “Just holding you.”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” I said, hugging her tight.

About twenty minutes later, the kitchen door opened to admit Susan and Gina. Gina smiled tightly as Kendall and I joined them in the kitchen. I watched Gina carefully, searching for any signs of animosity. Instead of looking upset, she looked resigned.

Soon, however, we started preparing lunch. Susan skimmed off her bikini bottoms, washed her hands, then started directing the girls. She even put me to work washing and pulling apart lettuce for a salad. As we worked, Susan told Kendall and me that Mom and Elizabeth were going into town to buy new dresses. Evidently, Gina’s and my parents were going to have a fancy dinner while they were in Columbia, so our moms wanted something nice to wear. Erin and Leah had gone along as “modern fashion consultants” as well as for the fun of it.

“Exactly,” Kendall said to no one in particular. “Who doesn’t like dress shopping?”

I don’t think she expected an answer. And judging by Gina and Susan’s expressions, it looked like I was the only one who might disagree.

With the four of us working, lunch was quickly ready. Susan even had iced tea for Kendall, though Gina and I stuck to Coke. While we ate, Susan told us a little more about some of the people in camp whom we didn’t know so well (the newly arrived families with younger kids). Toward the end of the meal, however, she paused and looked at us seriously.

“I know you all had a discussion,” she said, looking at each of us in turn, “about Paul’s and my relationship.”

Gina merely nodded, while Kendall looked a little nervous.

“I love Paul very much, and I want him to be happy.”

The girls nodded.

“I also want you two to be happy,” she said to them. “I know you love him as much as I do.”

Another pair of nods.

“Now,” she said, then paused until both girls looked at her, “we can all act like adults. Right?”

Three nods, this time.

“When Paul came to me earlier today,” Susan said, “I’d been doing a lot of thinking. I do miss Paul’s company, and I do miss having sex with him.”

Kendall blushed, but Gina only nodded slightly.

“But what’s most important is his relationship with the two of you.” Then she turned to Kendall. “Almost as important are the facts that I don’t want to put you in a position where you’re uncomfortable, and that I don’t know your parents very well. In addition, you are still seventeen.”

Kendall nodded.

“So we can all act like adults,” Susan continued, “and we treat each other like adults, but you’re still not legally an adult. And while it may seem like sophistry...”

Whatever that means, I thought, although Kendall and Gina seemed to understand her.

“ ... that you’re underage, it’s a fact we have to deal with. I don’t actually know what the age of consent is, but your parents might still ... overreact to any relationship that involved an adult.”

“I’ll say,” Kendall said sourly. “They’d flip.”

“Mmm hmm,” Susan continued. “I know Paul’s and Gina’s parents much better than I know yours.” Then she held Kendall’s hand and looked at her earnestly. “I’m very flattered that you’d let me join you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Especially without your parents’ approval.”

“We can’t ask my parents anything about this,” Kendall said.

“We won’t,” Susan replied simply. “But parents are often smarter than you give them credit for. If they learned you were having sex with Paul...”

“I don’t even want to think about what would happen,” Kendall said.

“I don’t think it’d be as bad as you imagine,” Susan said, “but if they learned that you’d had sex with me...”

Kendall nodded emphatically. “All heck would break loose.”

“Mmm hmm. So you see my point.”

Kendall nodded.

“Gina and I had a discussion about this, before we got back to the house,” Susan said, “and she understands.”

Gina nodded, although a little glumly.

“We also had a talk with her mother and your mother, Paul,” Susan said. “They agree with me that it’s just not a good idea right now.”

Gina smiled thinly and nodded again.

“But I want you all to understand,” Susan said firmly, “that this is my decision.” She looked at each of us in turn and waited for us to nod. “If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me.”

We all quickly shook our heads.

“I thought you wanted to ... um ... be with Paul,” Kendall said tentatively.

“Oh, I do,” Susan replied. “But not if it means jeopardizing all our happiness, and worse, risking serious consequences for you and your family.”

“So this is all my fault,” Kendall said sullenly, almost resentfully.

“Look at me, Kendall,” Susan said, her voice unyielding. When Kendall reluctantly looked up, Susan held her gaze. “This is not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. It’s a difficult decision that we have to make. Sometimes, that’s what being an adult is about. It means you can’t just think about what you want, you have to think about what’s best. Do you understand?”

Even though she was speaking to Kendall, I got the impression that her comments were also directed at Gina, and to a lesser degree, at me.

Kendall nodded solemnly.

Before Susan continued, she paused for a moment and seemed to come to an internal decision. First, she looked at Gina and Kendall. Then, she turned to gaze at me affectionately. “I’ve only had three lovers in my life,” she said.

Although she was looking at me, I knew she was speaking to the girls.

Kendall grew a little uncomfortable, but Gina seemed to perk up.

“I’ve had sex with a number of men,” Susan said, “but only three lovers: my first love, Greg; my husband, Jack, who was the love of my life; and Paul.” She smiled fondly, her eyes twinkling. “Paul is one of the most caring, compassionate, thoughtful men I’ve ever known.”

Now I was growing uncomfortable.

“He’ll never replace Jack, not in my heart, but he filled a large void in my life and made me happy and whole again. He helped reintroduce me to a part of myself that I missed, very much. And because of that, I’ll always love him. Along the way, he’s become a young man I’m very proud to know. And,” she said with a slight smirk, “compared to most of the other men I’ve been with, he’s an exceptional lover. I think you two realize how lucky you are to have a man like him. I definitely know how lucky I am.”

“I’m the lucky one,” I said quickly.

“You are lucky,” she said. “But we are too. And I wanted Gina and Kendall to understand that this hasn’t been an easy decision for me. You’re very ... special to me. You’ll always be my friend, my very good friend. And ... I’ll always love you,” she said quietly.

I started to reply, but quickly choked up. When the girls noticed, a wave of embarrassment washed over me and I hastily looked down, blinking my eyes several times. As I looked up, all three of them were smiling affectionately, their eyes glistening. I started to speak, but my throat tightened up again.

“I know,” Susan said with a nod.

I blinked again and tried to salvage some of my dignity, but the girls didn’t seem to care that I’d become so emotional. Instead, they had empathetic tears in their eyes.

“Why don’t we clean up the dishes, ladies,” Susan said as the silence stretched out.

I swallowed hard and thanked her with my eyes.

She nodded, smiling warmly.

As we were cleaning up the remains of our lunch, Susan suggested that we bring our drinks outside and sit in the courtyard. She sent me out with several paper towels and the Formula 409 to clean the table and chairs. In a few minutes, the girls came out with my towel and drink. I set the cleaning bottle back in the kitchen and then spread my towel on one of the wrought iron chairs.

“I’m glad you all came to lunch,” Susan said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ve mostly gotten used to the boys being gone, but the house is so quiet sometimes.”

We all nodded.

“I’m really looking forward to them being home at the end of the summer, but I wish it could be longer.” She shrugged. “They’re growing up,” she said, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

“When are they coming home?” Gina asked.

“Hmm?” Susan asked absently. “Oh. The end of August. Kirk has to report back to the Academy by the first of September. And Doug’s classes begin the day after Labor Day.”