Chapter 2

Shane woke in the middle of the night, nature calling to him. He turned over to his back, and noticed something.

He wasn't alone.

He looked at the sleeping form next to him, realizing that the night before hadn't been a dream at all. Natasha was sleeping soundly, snoring very lightly. Her arm was trapping Shane down, so he carefully moved it off, laying it next to her.

After relieving himself, Shane walked downstairs to get something to drink. "Fooling around sure does leave you tired," Shane mused to himself. He sat on the front porch, glad he had put on some boxers and a t-shirt.

He sat, watching the clouds, looking for shapes, signs, anything. It was a favorite pastime of his back when his grandmother had passed away. He would always see something in the clouds that reminded him of her, and it helped him feel at peace.

"Nice night, isn't it?"

Shane jumped off the swing, dropping his Mountain Dew. He looked around, finally settling on a dark form down his driveway. "Who's there? Who... Mrs. Fisher?"

Jen Fisher, Natalie and Janie's mom, was standing in the drive, looking at the sky with him. "Yes, Shane. Don't be alarmed, it's just me."

Shane blushed, thankful she couldn't see it in the dark. "Oh, Mrs. Fisher, I'm sorry. I didn't know who it was. Please, sit down." Shane moved the morning paper off the swing next to him.

"Thank you, Shane. And please, call me Jen."

Shane sat quietly for a second. "Compromise? Mrs. Jen? It's weird just calling you Jen after all these years."

Jen laughed softly. "Alright Shane, that will work."

They sat, looking at the sky, lost in silent thought. Finally, Jen broke the silence. "Are you're parents still visiting your... grandmother, is it?"

"Yes ma'am, they won't be back for three more days. Tomorrow was mema and papa's anniversary, and she gets lonely on those days."

Jen just nodded silently. "And what do you think they would have to say about what's been going on in their house while they were gone?"

She heard the gulp ring out in the still night. That hadn't occurred to Shane. "Um... well. I, uh... Maybe..."

"Shane? I can tell you, they won't be upset."

Shane was curious. "What makes you say that, Mrs. Jen?"

"Because we've been waiting for this since you kids were in elementary school."

Shane was dumbfounded, sitting there silently, mouth agape.

"Let me explain, Shane. Your mother and father, and Mr. Fisher and I, have sat here and watched you two skirt around the truth for a long time. You both are always talking, you hang out when you can. Even though you are in different social circles, you are still very good friends. And I've known about your nickname for Janie since the first time you saw her. I'm their mother, I know how much she looks like Natasha at that age."

Shane sat back, processing everything that had just been thrown at him. They had been planning for this to happen? But... how... why?

"And before you ask, your parents already know about tonight, too."

Shane stared at her in horror. "Oh god, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm..."

Jen put her hand on Shane's arm. "Shane, I told you they wouldn't be upset. They were as happy as Mr. Fisher and I were."

"But, how did they find out?"

"I told them of course. Well, I was excited, and I had to let someone know. Your mother was as happy as I was. And your father was happy too. And, you know Mr. Fisher. If he had a problem with it, you would be back in the hospital at this point."

Shane was having a hard time putting it all together. Finally, he just gave up. "Oh well, I guess things could have gone worse. But, Mrs. Jen, why me? Your daughter could have any guy in the high school, why would you want me for her?"

Jen didn't say a word. She reached down to Shane's shorts, and pulled the leg up just enough to show the metal of his knee brace. "This is a major reason why. And no, I don't mean pity or gratuity. I mean that we always knew what kind of young man you were. The kind of young man who gives up his weekend nights to help his neighbor with homework, to baby-sit her little sister while she's out on a date with another moronic loser. The kind of young man who would jump in front of a speeding truck to save that same little girl. You're one of a kind, Shane. Everyone knows that, and it just took Natasha a little more time to figure it out than the rest of us."

Jen stood up, turning towards the street. "Well, it's late... or early, depending on which way you look at it. I better be heading in." She had just started down the steps when she heard the door open again.

Natasha's head peaked out the door. "Shane? I was wondering where you went to... Oh mom!" Nat walked outside, shutting the door back. "What are you guys doing out here?"

"Just talking, dear. It's nothing major." She was halfway down the driveway, and then turned to look at them once more. "Natasha, I waited almost ten years for you to get your head out of your ass and realize how special he was. Don't mess it up, or I might not let you back in the house." She was smiling as she said this.

Natasha gasped. She wasn't used to her mother speaking so bluntly. Then, she realized what her mother was saying. "I know mom, I won't."

They watched Mrs. Fisher walk back to her house, sitting in the swing, rocking slowly.

"Shane, what time is it?"

Shane hit his indiglo switch, illuminating their faces. "It's almost six a.m. We still going to take Janie to the park today?"

"If we don't you know she'll pout us half to death," Natasha giggled. "Besides, I want to go out and let everyone know I'm with the man I love." With that, she leaned up, giving Shane a peck on the cheek.

Shane stood up, walking inside quickly. He returned a minute later, holding a blanket. "Wanna watch a sunrise?"

Natasha smiled brightly, snuggling under the blanket with him. She had never done anything like this with anyone, and it felt so... perfect.

As the sun crested over the skyline, the neighborhood slowly woke up. And, if you passed the right spot on the right street, you would have been able to see pure, young love at its finest.

Around seven a.m., Mr. Todd Fisher was walking downstairs, putting coffee on and starting some toast. As he stood in front of the sink filling the coffee pot, he looked up, and saw them on the porch. Part of his fatherly instinct told him to go and put the boy back in ICU for daring to touch his little girl, but it was a very minute part. He was happy that those two had found each other, finally.

Jen slid up behind her husband, wrapping her arms around him. "Ah, young love. Give you any ideas?"

Todd cocked his eyebrows back at his wife. "Well, it's kind of early isn't it? And it's Saturday, Janie will be up soon to watch cartoons."

"She never gets up for another hour. Come on, kiss me you fool."

Todd and Jen began kissing lightly, when someone else voiced their opinion.

"OH MAN! Not you guys, too! Everyone is kissing, yech!" Janie walked back out of the kitchen, leaving her parents laughing in shock.

Jen just looked at her husband, then down the hall. "Well, one day she won't find it so gross."

Todd just groaned. "I'm accepting it with Natasha, but Janie is way too young for that kind of talk, don't do that to me."

Jen grabbed his face, pulling him to her. "Oh hush you big baby. If we're gonna get in trouble with her for kissing, at least we should do it."

Shane and Natasha were sitting on a blanket in the park, near the lake. They were watching Janie running around with a kite, trying to get it to fly.

"You know, your mom was saying something to me this morning, and it made a lot of sense." Shane was sitting with his head in Natasha's lap, glancing at her while watching Janie.

"Oh, and what was that?"

"The fact you and I have been pretty stupid. You've been right under my nose for so long, and I just kept letting you slip by me, because I was so afraid of losing you as a friend."

Natasha was stroking his hair, and then popped him on top of his head. "Hey now, watch who you call stupid," she said with a grin.