In Another Life

A Note:

Bre - Breana - Daughter of Lynn and Matt
Alex - Alexandrea - Daugher of Stephania and Tony
Ellie and Ben - Elizabeth and Benjamin - Children of Ricky and Arthur
A Knowledge of the French Language may be useful.

--

“Ever wonder how our parents met?” Ben asked Ellie, Alex, and Bre.

“How my parents met your parents?” Alex asked.  “Well–”

“No,” Ben said.  “How my dads met Alex’s mom and dad and Bre’s parents.”

“Oh that’s easy,” Ellie said.

-

Once upon a time, Stephania was on one of her drives through scenic rural Maine, when she stopped at a local coffee shop.  She didn’t know why, but she felt compelled to go inside.  She seated herself quietly, not really intending to buy anything (she didn’t drink coffee), then the man at the counter caught her eye.  It was love at first sight.  He came over and introduced himself.  It was Tony, and from that moment, she knew he was the One.

-

Alex suppressed a giggle.

“That’s not how it happened at all!” Bre complained.  “It happened at a bus station.”

-

Stephania sat in a chair, waiting for the buses to unload.  Her best friend, Morgan, was on one of them.  Suddenly, one of the disembarking passengers caught her eye.  He saw her too and it was love at first sight.  He made his way over to introduce himself, and had almost gotten out “hello” when Morgan caught him up.  She introduced him as her boyfriend.  Both Stephania and Tony knew that arrangement had to be fixed.  Tony called his old friend to hook up with Morgan, and Stephania and Tony lived happily ever after.

-

“Okay, fine, but what about my dads?” Ellie asked.

“That’s a good question,” Bre said.  They turned to look at Ben in unison.

-

“Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!” 8-year-old Ricky yelled up the stairs at his best friend.  “Soccer doesn’t wait!”  11-year-old Arthur trotted downstairs, slicking his hair back.  “You’re not gonna find any babes at soccer practice.”

“You don’t know that,” Arthur retorted.  “We might get a cheerleading squad this year.”  Ricky rolled his eyes.  After practice, sure enough, Arthur had procured a 12-year-old cheerleader.

“How do you do that?” Ricky demanded as Ricky’s mom drove them home.

“Practice.  I’ll teach you someday,” Arthur replied.

“Teach me now,” Ricky whined.

“Yeah, sure.  Are you even into girls yet?”  Ricky didn’t dignify that with a response.  It was a few weeks later when they got the bad news – they were moving – far away from each other and all their childhood memories:  Arthur to California, Ricky to Texas.  They were both very broken up.  After the move, they promised to call each other all the time, but the long distance calls got too expensive, and email wasn’t invented yet.  They lost touch for a few years, until the pursuit of a woman brought them back together.

-

“Please don’t say my mom,” Bre said.

-

Rosalynn was very beautiful according to both Ricky and Arthur.  Ricky first laid eyes on her across a park.  She was sitting with another boy – but no matter.  If only he knew how to woo her.  His cell phone rang at that exact moment.

“Sup?” he answered it.

“Hey bro.  Guess who?”

“Artie!” Ricky exclaimed.

“Guess where I am,” Arthur continued.

“Uh…” Ricky began, still partially transfixed by the girl across the park.

“Right next to you,” Arthur said, poking his best friend.  “What are you gawking at?”  Ricky raised his arm to point at the girl.  “Oh wow.”

“Yeah,” Ricky said.  He tore his eyes from her.  “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting my best friend,” Arthur said.  “What are you doing?  Besides gawking at that chick.”

“Uh…I don’t remember.  How’d you get my number?” Ricky asked.

“Your mom told me when I called.  Sorry about losing touch, man, my dad, you know,” Arthur said.

“Yeah, my mom, too,” Ricky said.  “Teach me how to woo that girl.”

“ ‘Woo’?  Damn, you really need me around here,” Arthur said.  “Rule #1 of ‘wooing’:  don’t ever say the word ‘woo’.”  Ricky harrumphed.  “Rule #2:  don’t mess with taken chicks.  That one’s got a boyfriend.”  As he said these words, Arthur slicked his hair back with one hand and stuffed his phone in his pocket with his other hand.  Ricky raised an eyebrow at him.  Arthur started walking across the park, then turned back.  “Well, are you coming or not?”  Ricky hurried after him.

“You said Rule #2–” Reece began.  Arthur silenced him with a hand. 

“Hi, I’m Arthur Smith, this is my friend Ricky, and I was wondering what you were up to tonight,” Arthur said to the girl.  She laughed.

“Excusez-moi,” the girl said in her French accent to the boy she was with.  “Excuse me a moment.”  She stood up and walked a few paces away with Arthur, thinking it was probably rude to make dinner arrangements in front of a male accompany.  Ricky looked at the boy sitting at the picnic table.

“Sup Matt,” Ricky said, realizing he knew the boy.

“Not much,” Matt said.  “Pretty slick friend you got there.  What is he, like, 21?”

“19,” Ricky laughed.  “My best friend from way back, before I moved here.  What’s her story?”

“She’s my friend.  Visiting me from Canada,” Matt said.

“Ohh, French-Canadian,” Ricky said.  “Nice.  You know French?”

“Not much,” Matt said.  “She’s teaching me.”  Arthur and his new girl sat back down at the table.

“Ricky, this is Lynn.  She’s French-Canadian,” Arthur said.

“Yeah, I heard,” Ricky said.

“Nice to meet you,” Lynn said, shaking Ricky’s hand.  Arthur waved at her and began to walk back towards his car.  Lynn blew him a kiss.  Ricky smoldered on the inside and hurried after Arthur.

“Dude,” Ricky said, smacking Arthur as they walked back to the car.

“Turns out he’s not her boyfriend,” Arthur said.  “She’s quite easily wooed too, as it turns out.  French chicks are hopeless romantics.”

“Rule #3 of wooing:  Don’t steal your best friend’s girl,” Ricky said.

“You never talked to her in your life,” Arthur said.  “I was teaching.  This is educational.”

“Yeah, sure, educational,” Ricky said.  “Sure.  Yeah, right.”  He got in the passenger seat of Arthur’s car, still staring after Lynn.

“Oh, I’ll let you have her when I’m finished,” Arthur said.

“Let me have her?” Ricky asked, incredulously.  “Like I couldn’t get her if you didn’t ‘let’ me?”

“Well, no,” Arthur said, “but yeah.”

“And what do you mean when you’re ‘finished’?” Ricky asked, his voice getting all high and squeaky.  “She’s 16!”

“So?” Arthur asked.  “So are you.”

“She’s jailbait for you,” Ricky pointed out.

“She’s Canadian for me,” Arthur retorted.  “And who’s gonna tell?”  Ricky harrumphed.  “Besides she’s probably already banging that guy she was with.”

“That’s Matt, he goes to my school,” Ricky said.  Arthur shrugged.  “Some things never change, do they?”

“Nope, some things don’t,” Arthur said.  He shot a sideways look at Ricky, wondering when and how he was ever going to tell him…what he’d come to tell him.  Maybe he just wouldn’t.  Not now.  “If you’re so worried, pick up a chick and come with us.  We’re going out to dinner tonight.”

“Yeah, because I can pick up a chick,” Ricky said, glaring out the window.  “I couldn’t even pick up your sister.”

“Well, she lost like 40 pounds since August, so maybe you could,” Arthur said, grinning.

“Shaddup,” Ricky said.  “I’ll figure it out.”  A girl was sitting on Ricky’s porch when they got back to his house.  “Hey Diana.”

“Hi Richie,” Diana said.  Ricky saw Arthur’s mouth form the word “Richie” soundlessly and smacked him in the back of the head.  “I’ve been waiting for you to come home for ages.  Your mom said you’d be back an hour ago.”

“Unexpected circumstances,” Ricky said.  “My old pal showed up.  Di, this is Artie.  Artie, Di.  She’s my neighbor.  Over there.”  Ricky pointed towards her house.

“Like the dead princess?” Arthur asked.  Diana nodded and giggled.  “Sexy.”  Ricky rolled his eyes.

“Some things never change,” he muttered under his breath, walking into his house.

“She’s cute,” Arthur said, catching up to Ricky in his room.  Ricky said nothing.  “She likes you.”  Ricky said nothing.  “A lot.”

“Whatever,” Ricky mumbled.

“Take her to dinner tonight,” Arthur said.

“She’s my friend,” Ricky said.  “I practically grew up with her.”

“You grew up with me,” Arthur said.

“And I wouldn’t take you out to dinner either,” Ricky said.  Arthur laughed.

-

“Uh, and then what?” Ellie asked, indignantly.

“Oh, you want the whole story?” Ben said.  “I thought you were asking how they met.”

“Go on,” Alex said, suppressing a grin.  “What happened then?”

-

“Artie, I’m going to murder you,” Ricky said, storming up to his bedroom, where Arthur was found sleeping peacefully on Ricky’s bed.

“Why?” Arthur mumbled, rolling over in bed to look at Ricky.  “Did you not have a good time?  Did you finally do it?”

“Well, yes, but that’s not the point,” Ricky said.  “That was supposed to be for someone special.”

“You’re a guy.  If your special someone sees you last about ten seconds, she’s going to dump your ass.  Fast,” Arthur advised.  “Good to get the practice out on other people.”

“Please tell me you didn’t have sex with that 15 year old,” Ricky said.

“Who?  Liz?  Lexie?  What the hell is her name?” Arthur asked.

“Lynn,” Ricky said.

“I dropped her off at your friend’s door like a perfect gentleman.  Let him do with her what he wishes,” Arthur said.

“Oh, he will,” Ricky muttered under his breath.  “Move over, I’m tired.”

“There’s a couch in the living room,” Arthur pointed out.

“Good, you can have that,” Ricky said, pulling on the blankets so that Arthur rolled out of the bed onto the floor.

“Ouch, I need that for soccer,” Arthur complained.  His cell phone rang just then.  He fumbled for it.  “Yo.”  “Jemal!  Man, how you doin?”  “Dude, I can’t today!”  “Cuz I’m in Texas.”  “Yes.”  “No!”  “No.”  “Shut up.”  “I’ll call you back later.”  Arthur hung up.  “Jemal,” he said as explanation.  “My business associate.”  Arthur got up and stretched.  Then checked the time.  “And I bet he hasn’t gone to bed yet from last night.”  Ricky jumped into his sweet, sweet bed and rolled his way into the covers.  “You always were a weird kid.”  Arthur left for the couch.  Ricky tried to sleep, but couldn’t.  Arthur was somehow more mature now than he’d been 8 years previously when they’d last really hung out.  The Arthur that Ricky knew would have brought Lynn home just to flaunt that he got her instead of Ricky.  And he, Ricky, had been the one logging hours at a girl’s house.  Granted, a lot of it was talking to Caroline, Diana’s sister, and Rocky, their cat, but spending time in a girl’s house at night, nonetheless.  And Arthur was wrong, it had been substantially longer than 10 seconds.  More like 20.  Or 25.

-

“Quit making up details,” Bre interjected.  “You never asked your dad how long he lasted his first time around the block.”

“That’s what you doubt?” Ben asked.

“Well, I doubt that Dad ever had a ‘business associate’ named Jemal, but whatever, man,” Ellie said.  She made her voice all high with a Southern accent like her other dad.  “Beverly Leslie, and this is my ‘business associate’ Benji.  Wow!  My first time in a gay bar, and I see my first gay bar fight!”

“Didn’t he ring the triangle?” Alex asked.

“He did,” Bre said.  “Go on.”

-

Diana latched onto Ricky like a giant squid, never relinquishing her prey.  Ricky desperately wanted to see Lynn instead, and he could tell that was what Lynn wanted too, but unfortunately that was not to happen.  Ricky continued seeing Diana, and Arthur continued seeing Lynn for the next two weeks straight; every night the same:  Ricky would spend the first part of the night at Diana’s, then kick Arthur out of his bed around 4am; Arthur would escort Lynn to her friend’s house where she was staying.  Without passing judgment on Arthur, Ricky did find this behavior peculiar when his best friend still hadn’t laid the girl by the 15th day of their meeting.

“Are you staying the whole summer?” Ricky asked, annoyed one day.

“I may,” Arthur replied.

“What’s going on with you and Lynn?” Ricky asked.

“I dunno, she has to go back to Canada eventually.  Pretty bummed about that,” Arthur said.

“Yeah, you really look it,” Ricky said.

“You don’t get to talk, Mr. I-Get-Laid-Every-Night-By-My-Neighbor,” Arthur retorted.

“Dude, don’t say that so loud.  My mom will be pissed,” Ricky hissed.

“Like she doesn’t already know?” Arthur asked.

“She doesn’t,” Ricky asserted.  “And you do not want to be the one to tell her.  Trust me.”

“Are you getting better?” Arthur asked, condescendingly.

“Shut up,” Ricky retorted.

“If you really want her, you can have her,” Arthur said quietly.  Ricky looked up at him, confused.

“What?” he asked.

“Lynn.  If you really want her, you can have her.  I’m not interested,” Arthur repeated.  Ricky stared.  His ears must not have been working correctly.

“I don’t understand…” Ricky said, slowly.

“Never mind,” Arthur muttered.

-

“Is he gonna tell him?” Bre asked, excited.

“Well, he might get around to it, if you would quit interrupting me!” Ben said, indignantly.  Bre put up her hands in surrender.

-

“I don’t know what it is about him, Lynn,” Arthur said, staring up at the ceiling of the guest bedroom at Matt’s house where she was staying.

“Je ne sais pas,” Lynn said.  They’d found it was easier to both speak in their native languages, since Lynn understood English very well but wasn’t so good with the application, and Arthur was fluent in Spanish, and therefore understood most of what Lynn was saying.  “Il est très chaud, oui?”

“Oui,” Arthur responded.  “Yeah, I guess so.  I don’t think that’s it, though.  It’s been 8 years, and I didn’t even talk to him that much.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, oui?” Lynn said slowly, as she did whenever she attempted to use an English phrase.

“Yeah,” Arthur said.  “That’s what they say.  I dunno what I’m gonna do.  I can’t keep this up the rest of my life.  And I doubt he’ll take it well if I told him.”

“Dit-il que tu l’aime,” Lynn suggested.  “Tu l’aime, oui?”

“Oui, Je l’aime,” Arthur said.  “That’s not really a thing you say to your best friend in this country.”  Lynn laughed, and he took it to mean “not in my country either”.  “You’re just so helpful.”

“C’est le sarcasm?” Lynn asked, uncertainly.

“Oui, c’est le sarcasm,” Arthur said.

“Je l’ai vu. Il est un…bon ami a toi, oui?” Lynn asked.

“Yeah, a good friend,” Arthur said.  “My best friend.”

“Tu as peur qu’il refuse-tu?” Lynn continued.

“Oui.  Muchos grandes peur,” Arthur said, slipping into Spanish, not knowing the French word for what he wanted to say.

“Qu’est-ce que le pire?” Lynn asked.

“Pire?” Arthur asked.

“What is the worst that could happen?” Lynn rephrased.

“Oh.  He rejects me and never talks to me again,” Arthur said.

“Et tu as peur?” Lynn asked.

“Oui!  Je l’aime.  Yo no soy live without him!  Comprende?” Arthur said.

“Tu mourras qu’il te refuse?” Lynn asked.

“Didn’t we go over this yesterday?” Arthur asked, sighing.

“Répondre a la question,” Lynn said, indignantly.

“Yes, I would die,” Arthur said.  “I don’t see why you need ask such repetitive things.”

“Je suis méticuleuse,” Lynn said.  “Comment dit-on…thorough?”

“Meticulous?  You’re not being thorough, you’re being annoying,” Arthur said.  “Très ennuyeuse.”

“Et tu es sur qu’il refuse-tu?” Lynn asked.

“Sure enough,” Arthur said.  “I’m so stupid!  I shouldn’t have set him up with Diana.”

“Ce n’est pas de ta faute,” Lynn said.  “Tu n’est pas devin.”

“Well, I should be,” Arthur said.  “Maybe not.”

“Non,” Lynn said simply.

“Should I just tell him?” Arthur asked.

“Oui,” Lynn replied.

“I’m scared,” Arthur said.

“C’est naturel,” Lynn said.  “J’ai peur aussi.”

“Of what?” Arthur asked.

“Mattieu,” Lynn replied.

“Matt?  Oh, like that.  At least you’re a girl who’s into guys trying to pick up a guy who’s into girls,” Arthur said.  There was a pause as Lynn tried to follow this.

“Oui, mais il est comme mon frère,” Lynn said.  “Charlie est comme mon père.”  Arthur laughed.

“And you think Ricky’s not like my brother?” Arthur said.  “We grew up together, side by side.  He was like my little bro, and I was his mentor.”

“Mentor?” Lynn asked.

“He learned stuff from me.  Taking down you was, convenient as it’s been, mostly a lesson in the art of wooing,” Arthur said.

“Wooing?” Lynn asked.

“Uh…seduction?” Arthur guessed, trying to match it to a word she might identify with.

“Tu séduise-moi?” Lynn asked, laughing.  “Je ne pense pas.”

“Well, I got you out to dinner, didn’t I?” Arthur said.

“Ton ami est attirant, mais, je ne sais pas,” Lynn said.

“Not for you.  You like Matt.  Tu aime Mattieu,” he said, very slowly, as if trying to make her understand.

“Oh, oui, oui, je sais,” Lynn said.  “Il est ton homme, je sais.”

“Oui,” Arthur said, both defensively and protectively.

“Tu…oh…comment dit-on….you  have to tell him,” Lynn said, struggling for the English words in order to make a point.

“But it would just be so…como se dice…awkward,” Arthur protested.

“Oui,” Lynn said, simply.

“But is it too early?  I don’t think I could deal with losing him again,” Arthur said.

“Tu as onze ans quand tu–” Lynn began.

“I know I was 11!  I’m not saying it was instantaneous,” Arthur said, cutting her off.  “Um, ‘instantaneous’ is–”

“Je comprend!” Lynn said, indignantly.  “J’ai quinze ans, et je ne sais pas.  Tu es sur?”

“Very sure,” Arthur said.  “I’m blowing off Jemal for him.”

“Qui est-ce Jemal?” Lynn asked.

“The soccer buddy I got after I moved to California,” Arthur said.  “He’s my new best friend.”  There was a silence.  “What if he doesn’t talk to me ever again?”  Lynn laughed.

“Time heals all wounds, oui?” she asked.  Arthur was surprised at her knowledge of American idioms.

“Yeah, that’s what they say,” Arthur replied.  “I think it’s a bunch of hooey.”

“Hooey?” Lynn asked.

“Hooey,” Arthur confirmed.  “It’s like…you guys have bullshit up there in Canada?”

“Oui, les animaux fera ça,” Lynn said.  “Oh…comme le B.S.?”

“Yes!  BS,” Arthur said.  “All those old sayings are BS, in my opinion.”

“Les expressions idiomatique – uh…idioms,” Lynn said.

“Yeah, idioms,” Arthur said.  There was a long silence.

“Diana et Ricky ont croqué la pomme?” Lynn asked.

“Uhm…gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the answer is yes,” Arthur said.

“Croquer la pomme…comment dit-on…ah…” Lynn struggled finding the words she needed.

“Crunched the apple?” Arthur asked.

“Je pense le mot est … sex?” Lynn guessed.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you meant,” Arthur said.  “Yes, yes, they did.  They do.  As we speak, most likely.”

“C’est…” Lynn began, searching for the right word.

“Disgusting,” Arthur supplied.

“Oui!  Dégoutant,” Lynn said.

“Really, really, really, gross,” Arthur said.

“Tu n’as jamais…?” Lynn asked.

“I have,” Arthur said.  “Heck I’m good at…what was that expression?  Something to do with an apple.”

“Oui, croquer la pomme,” Lynn said.

“What a strange expression,” Arthur said.  “I’m good at ‘crunching the apple’.”

“Avec les femmes?” Lynn asked.  “Ou les hommes?”

“Girls.  Chicks.  Women,” Arthur said.

“Tu n’as jamais avec un homme?” Lynn asked, surprised.

“Do I come off that gay to you?” Arthur asked.

“Non, non,” Lynn said quickly.  “Pas homosexuel.  Je suis étonnée, c’est tous.”

“And you’re surprised because I don’t come of all gay on you?” Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows.

“L’aime que tu as pour Ricky, c’est si grande, je suis étonnée, c’est tous!” Lynn said very quickly, so quickly Arthur could barely translate.

“Well, yeah, I like Ricky, but I never really … not other guys.  Not even Jemal,” Arthur said.

“Jemal aime les femmes or les hommes?” Lynn asked.

“Girls, definitely.  Seulement les femmes,” Arthur said.  “I don’t really wanna talk about this right now.  Are we on for tomorrow night?”

“Nous allons dansant,” Lynn said.

“Yeah, we’re going to a dance,” Arthur said.  “You and me, Ricky and Diana, Matt and Caroline are going, not necessarily together, some people from their school.  It’ll be fun.”

“Oui, l’amusement,” Lynn agreed.

-

“How is all this helpful?” Ellie interjected.  “We’re supposed to be planning Alex’s parents’ 25th anniversary, not wading through French idioms.”

“Crunching the apple?  Is that what that means?” Bre asked.  “Wow, can’t believe Mom never spilled on that one.”

“At least you speak English,” Ellie corrected.  Bre laughed.

“Mom speaks English just fine.  I think she was yanking your dad’s chain,” she said.  “She’s, like, trilingual.”

“Well, she was only 15,” Ben said.

“Are you gonna get to the part were they get together?” Ellie asked, indignantly.

-

“L’amusement,” Lynn reminded Arthur.

“Right,” Arthur said.  “This was supposed to be fun.  For a guy who didn’t want to be set up with his neighbor, he’s sure into her.”

“It won’t last,” interjected Caroline.  “Every guy is infatuated with his first.”

“You’re jealous it wasn’t you,” Arthur said, sighing.

“Et tu?” Lynn said quietly, so Caroline wouldn’t hear.

“Yeah, me too,” Arthur muttered.

“Tous le monde fait les choses mal,” Lynn reassured him.

“I’m too tired to think, can’t you just talk English?” Arthur asked.

“I could, but that would take the fun out of it,” Lynn said, quietly, her French accent very thick.

“Tell the truth, this hasn’t been that fun,” Arthur said.  “They’ve been out there since we got here.”

“Di’s a dancer,” Caroline said.

“J’aimerais danser,” Lynn said.

“Oh, dance with her,” Caroline said to Arthur, pouting and batting her eyelashes.  Arthur sighed and offered his hand to Lynn as a slow song came on.  Arthur was quite the dancer himself, though he would never admit it to anyone.

“He just…ugh,” Arthur tried to articulate.

“Shh,” Lynn said.  “Just dance.”  She put her head on his shoulder, and he put his head on hers, while they danced in small circles around and around.  Ricky stared at them across the room.  He wasn’t quite sure if it was Diana or Lynn he wanted; something felt off.  Caroline looked carefully from Lynn and Arthur, to Diana and Ricky, to Matt sitting at the table, staring into a cup of fruit punch; she put two and two together faster than most people.  Matt was supposed to be with Lynn, but they were just friends, so Lynn had agreed to go out with Arthur, who was really just teaching Ricky a lesson, because he wanted him for himself, but he’d set up Ricky with Diana as a joke, and now everything was really messed up.

“Do you want to dance, Matt?” Caroline asked.  She was a year ahead of Ricky, Matt, and Diana in school.

“Sure,” Matt said.  They went to dance.  Ricky and Diana returned to the table after the song.  The other four stayed out; both Lynn and Arthur had their eyes closed peacefully.

“What’s wrong?” Diana asked.  Ricky shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he said.  “Something’s off.”

“Those two look pretty cozy,” Diana said, gesturing at Lynn and Arthur.

“That’s what’s off,” Ricky said.  “If they were really that cozy, he’d’ve laid her by now.”

“And he hasn’t?” Diana asked.  Ricky shook his head.  “And here I was thinking he was quite the ladies man.”  There was silence between them.  Ricky stared over at Lynn and Arthur.  “If you want her, that’s fine.”

“No,” Ricky said automatically.  “No.  I have you.”  He smiled at her, and she grinned back.  “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Diana replied.

-

“Ew,” Ellie said.  Bre made retching noises.  “Who the hell is this ‘Diana’ and why doesn’t Dad ever talk about her?”

“I’m getting to that part,” Ben said.  Bre made more retching noises.  “What, Bre?”

“My mom and your dad?  No, thank you,” she said.  “I wouldn’t be caught dead sharing genetic material with you.”

“Same here,” Ben said.

-

It was Lynn’s last day in town.  Arthur was still her boyfriend, for reasons passing understanding.  The night of the dance, Arthur had taken her home, and Lynn, also for reasons passing understanding, had initiated a romantic side of their relationship.  Since Arthur had decided to wait on Ricky until he was finished with Diana, that had been okay with him.  That it was okay with her was what he thought was strange.  She was supposed to like Matt, but Matt was being a good sport about it.  Arthur, always the gentleman, had taken out a room in a local hotel so that he and Lynn wouldn’t be imposing on either Ricky or Matt, as their relationship had gotten not just romantic, but physical…to a point.

“Scary as it sounds, I’m gonna miss you,” Arthur said to Lynn as they waited at the airport.  Matt was sitting a little ways off, looking uncomfortable; Ricky and Diana had gone to get drinks.

“I’ll miss you too,” Lynn said.  “Call me?”

“Of course,” Arthur said.

“I want to stay,” Lynn said.  There were tears forming in her eyes.  “Mais…je dois retourner…”

“I know, hun, I know,” Arthur said, hugging her.  “I had the best time.”

“Moi aussi,” Lynn said, hugging back.  She kissed his cheek, he smiled at the sensation and turned his head so she could get his lips the next time.

“Maybe I can make Canada on my way home, when I leave,” Arthur said.

“I’d like that,” Lynn said.  “I’d like that a lot.”

“Sorry about last night,” Arthur said, “but, in this country…I could go to jail for doing that.”

“Je comprend,” Lynn said.  “C’est cool.”

“Okay,” Arthur murmured.  “I didn’t want you to think I don’t like you.”

“Je sais,” Lynn said.  “Je sais, c’est cool.”

“Okay,” Arthur said.  The two broke apart.  Lynn’s eyes kept sending tears streaming down her face.  Arthur kept kissing them away.

“They’re boarding your plane,” Matt said, trying not to interrupt them, but trying to inform them, nonetheless.

“Merci, Mattieu,” Lynn said.  She got up and began picking up all her luggage to take on the plane.  Arthur walked her to the door.  “Je te manquerai.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Arthur replied.  They kissed, and then she disappeared through the door, onto the plane, and she was gone.  Arthur made his way back over to Matt, who was now standing, ready to leave, with Ricky and Diana.  The four of them piled in Arthur’s car, Arthur driving, Matt in the front, and Ricky and Diana in the back.  “Hey, Matt, about this last month…”

“What?” Matt asked, confused.

“I didn’t mean to steal Lynn like that,” Arthur said.  “It just kinda happened.”

“She comes to see me every June and December since we were kids,” Matt said, still confused.

“Oh,” Arthur said, finally getting it:  Matt wasn’t interested in Lynn.

“Rosie’s the long-lost sister I never had,” Matt said.  “I mean, I love her to death, but she’s a little much to handle by myself.  I appreciate having you around.”

“Well, I wish she could stay,” Arthur said.  “She’s the best girl I’ve ever met.”

“She’s a real piece of work,” Matt said.  “You should come over sometime, I’ll tell you some great stories.”

“Sure,” Arthur said.  “Man, I’ll miss her.”

“You’ll see her again,” Matt said.  “I doubt she’ll ever forget you.”

-

“Aww,” Ellie said, sniffing.  “That’s so sad.  She had to leave.”

“Ew,” Bre said.  “My mom and your dad, like, did it.  That’s so gross.”

“Actually they didn’t,” Alex interjected.  “Right, Ben?”

“Well, not just then,” Ben said.  “But, I mean, honestly, our dads have a stunning lack of ovaries, so who do you think our birth parents really are?”  Ellie stared at him.  Then she began digging in her purse for a mirror.

“What in God’s name are you doing?” Bre asked.

“Trying to figure out which one of my dads is my birth dad,” Ellie said, examining herself in her mirror.  Alex rolled her eyes – she knew but she wasn’t supposed to tell, even now, when the concerned parties were 24 years old.  Ben rolled his eyes too – he didn’t care – and went on with the story.

-

“Rickyyy,” Arthur complained, “you’ve been in the bathroom for an hour.  Get out, I need to go!”

“Shaddup,” Ricky retorted.  “I have to look good.  It’s me and Di’s anniversary.”

“Anniversary of what?” Arthur asked.

“Anniversary!  Duh,” Ricky replied.  “2 months.  I’m so happy.  I really should thank you for setting us up.”

“Well, I did always have great taste in matchmaking,” Arthur said, sarcastically, but Ricky didn’t pick up on it.

“She’s just so fun,” Ricky said.  “Like last week, we went to the mall, and just sat around eating Taco Bell and trashing the skanks for like 3 hours.”

“Sounds hilarious,” Arthur said, now scowling at the door.  It had been almost 2 weeks since Lynn had gone back to Canada.  He missed her a lot, but he still hadn’t forgotten the real reason he’d come to Texas.  The problem was, talking to Lynn on the phone every night just wasn’t cutting it for him.  He needed a real person to have and to hold, to hug and kiss, someone to pull him close, someone to excite him, someone to get his blood pumping…well, Ricky did that.  But he couldn’t let it show, and it bothered him.  He’d been with Lynn for a month – 6 weeks if you count the first 15 days they’d known each other.  He’d never intended to fall for her, but there he was, stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Why couldn’t he just have his cake and eat it too?  The door opened just then, and Ricky walked out.  Arthur had to admit, he cleaned up good.  “Uhmmm…” Arthur began.  “Bye.”  He pushed his way into the bathroom and slammed the door.  Ricky laughed and proceeded downstairs to the front door.  Arthur breathed heavily, his back against the door of the bathroom.  This had to stop.  It either had to stop, or he’d need to leave.  He had to tell him.

-

“Tell him, tell him, tell him,” Ellie chanted.

“Shush, Ellie,” Bre said.  “Go on, Ben.”

-

It was 2 weeks later by the time Arthur had really worked up the courage.  He still called Lynn every night, but he rarely gave in to her romantic side.  He preferred they just talk about their days, what they had for lunch, the newest flavor of gum, how Arthur was ever going to tell Ricky what he’d meant to 10 weeks previously, simple stuff like that.

“I’m going to do it…tomorrow,” Arthur said, definitively.

“Tu la dis hier,” Lynn said.  Arthur found it more difficult to translate what she said when they were on the phone, but he did his best.

“Well, I mean it this time,” Arthur said.  “I’m going to do it…tomorrow.”

“Pourquoi pas maintenant?” Lynn asked.

“Well, he’s at Diana’s at the moment,” Arthur said.  “And doing it when he got back would be so…”

“Awkward,” they both said at the same time.

“Oui, mais tu–” Lynn began.

“Yes, yes, I know, I have to tell him,” Arthur said.  “You do realize that when I do it’ll be the end of you and me?”

“Oui, yes, I do, but–” Lynn began.

“I know I have to tell him,” Arthur said.

“Non, I was going to say that it will be the end of our relationship as it is currently, but you and Ricky will have something a lot more special,” Lynn said.  Arthur was astonished; it was the longest sentence he’d ever heard her use in English.

“That’s…profound,” Arthur said.  “Makes me love you even more.”

“Babe…this is the end…don’t say things like that,” Lynn said.  “It makes it harder to let go.”

“It’s true, though,” Arthur said.  “I’m not yanking you.  I love you.”

“I know you do,” Lynn said.  “But some loves are more important than others.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Arthur conceded.

“Et je t’aime aussi,” Lynn added.  Arthur smiled.  Just hearing those words made him feel a hundred times better.

“First thing in the morning,” Arthur said.

“Téléphone-moi après,” Lynn said.  “I want to wish you congratulations.”

“Don’t you think that’s pushing it a little?” Arthur said.

“Non,” Lynn said, simply.

“Okay, I’ll call you first thing after I do it, now go to bed, you’re 2 hours ahead over there,” Arthur said.

“A demain,” Lynn said.  “Fais des beaux rêves.”

“You too,” Arthur said.

-

“This brings us to the end of audiotape side A.  If you’d like to continue with the story, eject the tape, flip it over, and press play.  If you’d like to hear this part of the story from the beginning, just rewind the tape and start it over,” Ben said, imitating a cassette player.  The three girls stared at him.  “Oh, come on, I’m tired, give me a break.”

“Well, he’s obviously related to your mom,” Bre said to Alex.  Alex laughed.

-

“Ricky…” Arthur began.  Ricky turned to look at him and yawned.  “I have to tell you something.”

“What?” Ricky asked, anxiously, sensing his tone.  “Are you dying?  Is that why you came here?”

“Uh…no,” Arthur said.  “I’m not dying.  But I do have to tell you why I really came here.”  There was a long pause.

“And that is?” Ricky asked.  Arthur sighed.  “You’re sure you’re not dying?”

“Yes, I’m sure I’m not dying,” Arthur said.  “Look, about Diana – you really love her?”

“Uh…” Ricky said.

“I won’t tell her,” Arthur said.  “I just wanna know.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Ricky said.

“Maybe?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know,” Ricky said.

“And Lynn, what about her?” Arthur asked.

“You know she’s your girl,” Ricky replied.

“Just answer the question,” Arthur said.

“No, I’m not into Lynn, she’s yours,” Ricky said.

“Just suppose,” Arthur insisted.

“No,” Ricky said.  “I wouldn’t be.”

“Okay then,” Arthur said.

“Are you sure you’re not dying?” Ricky asked, concerned.

“I’m not dying,” Arthur said.  “God.”

“Then…?” Ricky asked.

“I…uh…came here to tell you…” Arthur said.  He wasn’t going to chicken out.  He has confidence in himself (and sunshine, but that’s a different story).  He took a deep breath.  “You’remybestfriend,iloveyou,icantlivewithoutyou,that’salli’llgetoutofyourlifenowbye.”  Ricky stared.

“Excuse me?” he said, having not heard a word of that blue.

“You’re my best friend,” Arthur said.

“And you’re mine,” Ricky countered.

“I love you and I can’t live without you,” Arthur said.

“Uh…same here, bro?  No homo,” Ricky said, rolling his eyes, patting Arthur on the back, and leaving his bedroom for the bathroom.  About halfway through his shower, he realized what Arthur really meant, and immediately got out of the shower to continue their conversation which was obviously not over.  Arthur, his car, and all his stuff was gone, like he’d never been there.

-

“Oh no!” Ellie said.  “They have to get together, they just have to!”

“Of course they do, they’re your parents,” Alex said, rolling her eyes.  “Now stop interrupting Ben.”

-

On Ricky’s bed, was a single piece of paper with a bunch of numbers written on it, resembling a phone number.  He dialed them.

“Allo?” a French voice answered.

“Lynn?” Ricky asked, confused.

“Oui, et tu?” Lynn asked.

“Uhm, Ricky…” Ricky said.  “From Texas.”

“Oh!” Lynn said, immediately switching from French to English.  “Bonjour, Ricky.  How are you?”

“Uh, I’m not sure,” Ricky said.  “Artie’s gone without a trace, except for this phone number.”

“He told you then?” Lynn asked.

“Yea, he told me,” Ricky said, “but I didn’t get what he was saying to me.  Then he ran.”

“Aww,” Lynn said.  “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah,” Ricky said, sighing and jumping on his bed.

“What would you have said if you’d understood?” Lynn asked.  Ricky paused.

“No idea,” he said.  “I have…no idea.  I still don’t – Artie’s gay?”

“No,” Lynn said, carefully.  “Not totally.”

“You knew all this?” Ricky asked.

“Yes, he and I shared many secrets during my stay in Texas,” Lynn said.  “You should find him, go to him, he’s probably hurt – he needs you.”

“I…I don’t know if I feel the same way,” Ricky said.

-

“Oh cammon,” Ellie said.  “He loves him!”

“Well, I know that,” Ben said.  “But Dad didn’t.”

-