Chapter 1

December 17, 2012

"Kate, your cousin's here," Mom said as she opened the front door.

I looked up from my spot at the end of the couch and smiled. He was cuter than I remembered. I got up and crossed the living room to give him a quick hug.

I hated the forced front I had to put on around distant relatives, but I was the dutiful daughter and played my part. Mom loved her sister Susan, but their family wasn't around much growing up.

"John, it's good to see you again," I said.

"Thanks, I really appreciate you guys putting up with me for Christmas."

Mom mussed his hair. "You're welcome to stay here anytime you want. I've been hoping you'd come for a visit ever since you started at Old Dominion."

"Mom's been talking about coming out to see you for years, but I think I torpedoed her plans when I picked an expensive school on the other side of the country."

"Considering the way she brags about how well you're doing, it's been worth it."

John sat his duffel and backpack down near the couch and stretched out his back. "Do you mind if I freshen up and get settled?"

"Of course not! Kate, can you show him to your bathroom? Be sure to get him a towel and washcloth. I'm sorry we don't have a spare room for you. I've converted our third bedroom into a hobby room and office, but the couch is comfortable, I promise."

"That'll be fine. I'm just glad to have someone near school to spend Christmas break with."

"Follow me." I led him to my bathroom and dug out a clean towel from the linen closet. "I've cleaned off some space for your stuff next to the sink. You can hang your towel on the back of the shower, here," I said, and pulled back the curtain to point to the towel rack.

"Thanks, Kate," he replied, then closed the toilet and sat his duffel on the lid.

I considered lingering for a bit, but he didn't seem like he wanted any company. Instead, I left him to go back into the kitchen where Mom was preparing dinner. She stirred the pan with the chicken breasts and mushrooms one last time and turned down the heat.

I'd just grabbed a bowl to mix a simple salad of greens and cucumbers when she turned to me and said, "I need you to be nice to John."

I frowned at her. "Of course I will. Why would you even say that?"

"Susan told me John's been out of sorts all year for some reason. His grades are fine, but he just hasn't been the same. I was hoping you might get him out of the house and introduce him around to your friends. Cheer him up."

I tucked my hair behind my ear and returned to slicing cucumbers. "I wish BF was in town." BF was my best friend, Jules. She had invited me to spend the holidays skiing with her family in Vermont, but Mom hadn't thought it was a good idea and refused to loan me the money to go. I might be an adult, but there was no way I could afford the clothes and rentals without a little help.

"God, that's all I need. Jules isn't what I had in mind. She'd just drag him to that bar she works at and I'd never hear the end of it from Susan. I was thinking you might take him to the mall or maybe the movies."

"I'll ask him, but my classes aren't over until Friday."

"Just do what you can."

John came in just then wearing shorts and a t-shirt, his damp hair hung over his forehead, and his shirt clung to his chest in a way that I found very distracting. I had to force myself to focus on cutting the cucumbers before I cut my fingers.

"John, would you please set the table?" Mom asked, nodding to the cabinet where the plates and glasses were kept.

"Sure thing, Aunt Lisa," he said, before going to do just that.

Mom and I weren't normally talkative people and most tried to fill any silence with small talk. Not John--he seemed content with the quiet while we brought out the food. When we finally sat to eat, it was Mom who led our mealtime discussion, while I found myself unable to keep from glancing in his direction.

"So, how are your classes this term?"

"Hard. The math is getting insane. I mean, I knew structural engineering would be heavy, but between materials science and physics, I'm getting hammered. I hear it gets worse next year, but I can't imagine how."

"What are you planning to do with your degree?" she asked.

"Design and build industrial structures, like bridges." He took a bite of the chicken. "This is really good chicken Marsala, Aunt Lisa."

"Thank you. It's one of our favorites. Do you cook?"

"Yeah, Mom and Dad taught us to cook growing up. We all had to take turns cooking for the family. In the last couple of years, I haven't as much as I used to, though. I'd love the chance to cook for you guys while I'm here, if you'd let me."

I chuckled and sang, "Feed me, Seymour!"

Mom looked at me with a puzzled expression, while John laughed. "Little Shop of Horrors, I love that musical. We did it my last year in high school."

Mom nodded and smiled. "Susan always bragged about you being a musician."

"It's just a hobby. Nothing but a lot of boring recitals, and you can't make a living at it."

That bit piqued my curiosity. "Did you ever play in a band?"

"We had a talent show back in high school, and some friends and I worked up three songs for it. We didn't win, but it was fun. I was busy doing so many other things that I never really had the time for it."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Just normal stuff," he said with a shrug. "I camped out a lot with the Scouts, had a job sacking groceries and one delivering pizza. I also took some advanced classes, which took up a lot of my free time."

I nodded, pretending to be interested. He sounded too much like the squeaky-clean guys Mom always tried to fix me up with. Guys like that were usually great until we were alone and I had to dodge their clumsy advances.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I sang in choir, but nothing serious. I mostly hung out with friends and worked at the mall, which I liked," I replied. It annoyed me that I wished I could impress him.

"What are you studying?"

"General business, but I'll have to transfer after this year if I decide to continue with it. Pellissippi only has programs for associate's degrees."

We ate quietly for a moment until Mom tried to restart the conversation. "So, John, are you seeing anyone special?"

He'd been looking down when she'd asked, but I'd noticed the deep breath he stole. "No, Ma'am."

Sensing his discomfort, I shrugged. "Don't worry, me neither."

He looked up with a surprised expression and exclaimed, "Why not?" His face instantly turned red and Mom chuckled at his outburst.

That earned him a genuine smile. "Mom says it's because my standards are too high. I just want to find someone with a pulse, a little personal ambition, and a good attitude. Doesn't seem that high to me."

Mom looked at me over her glasses. "Let's see, what was wrong with the recent ones?" she said, tapping a finger on her chin. "Oh that's right, the last one had an annoying laugh, the one before him was too clingy, and the other guy took too long to call you back. But then there was Chris, now I liked him."

It was my turn to have a red face. "Chris played video games more hours a week than I work."

"Well, he was nice to me."

"So, I should date guys that you like, instead of guys I like?"

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

Mom gave me a skeptical look, but didn't say anything else. John seemed relieved she wasn't directing questions or comments his way. I decided to steer things back to safer waters. "John, tell me about your friends."

"I hang with Mike mostly. I got stuck rooming with him freshman year, and we've been friends ever since. He's kinda an adventure junkie, so he keeps things interesting. We met a group of friends a couple summers back while I worked at a movie theater. We hang out at some of the bars around campus, but we try to camp out on the beach whenever we can. Once a month we do these big potlucks."