~* Mending Fences, Building Bridges *~ “The first thing you need to learn is how to make a proper snowball,” Jennifer began immediately. She bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, and I watched as she gently packed it. “The trick is not to pack it too tightly for maximum spread on the splat.” Nicole giggled. “Plus if you hit ‘em just right, it goes right down their back that way.” Allison, as if on cue, scooped up a handful of loose snow, grabbed the hood of Nicole’s jacket, and dumped it down her sweater. Nicole shrieked, spinning around to glare at Allison, who by now had high-tailed it for the other side of Margie’s car, taking up a defensive position. “Oh you are SO dead!” she shouted with a laugh, grabbing a handful of snow. Jennifer and I looked at each other and grinned, and as I grabbed myself the makings of a proper snowball, she bolted past Nicole to bolster Allison’s position.

---

I remembered, when I finally rolled out of bed Saturday morning, that I’d woken up once before during the night. Everything seemed so bright outside my window, but not like daylight. It was different, as though everything cast its own mild glow in the moonlight. I had been so exhausted from Kenpo practice and the cancer walk though, that I just rolled over and went right back to sleep. Now though, even with my curtains pulled shut, I’d had time to mentally process it. Something wasn’t right.

I slowly eased the covers back, only my bare feet not protected by my floor length white night gown. I slowly padded across the room, and pulling the curtains open, peeked outside. Everywhere a fresh blanket of snow completely obscured our once green cul-de-sac. The street looked like it had been swept clear, but we must have had a foot of snow on our driveway. I squealed and giggled like a little girl as I raced out of my bedroom and down the stairs, Mom and Margie practically barreling in from the kitchen to see what was wrong.

“It snowed!” I laughed as I flung open the front door. That … lasted all of about three seconds. “Yikes!” I squeaked as I closed the door again. I hadn’t anticipated the difference in our nicely central-heated home and the frigid wind outside! Margie laughed.

“I guess I’ve just gotten used to it. If you’re in the mood to go have a look though you’re welcome to go clear the driveway; Joe and Carol have a shovel you can borrow.”

“Sure!” I responded without a second thought, turning to start back up the stairs. About halfway up I heard Mom calling after me.

“Do you want some breakfast first? I was just about to cook some sausage and eggs for your sister and myself.”

“That sounds great; oh, and a glass of orange juice, please!” I called back from the top of the stairs just before stepping into my room. I’d no sooner reached my closet when my cell phone’s generic, classical musical ringtone started to sound off. I jumped slightly and grabbed the offending device from my makeup table even as I stepped into my closet.

“Robin’s phone, Robin speaking.”

Nicole’s cheerful voice answered, “Morning cutie. Have you looked outside yet?”

“Yes! It’s so gorgeous out there. I’m just about to get dressed then go clear the driveway.”

“Jeeze, don’t sound so excited!” she laughed. “Anyway, are we still on for lunch?”

“Totally! Sensei’s taking Mom out and Margie’s going to be busy getting the latest Aria Blade finished, and of course Ally and Kelly have their sister bonding thing-”

“You mean shopping, right?”

“Is there any other kind?” I teased, causing her to giggle. As I laid out a dark hunter green turtleneck sweater, she continued.

“I still can’t believe you talked Brit into coming over and hang out.”

“I know, right? I seriously didn’t expect her to say yes. Maybe she’s just tired of not having any real friends, kinda like Andrea.”

“Maybe. Is it me or are you running seriously low on enemies lately?”

“Hey, don’t knock it. We’ve still got to get through the holidays.” I set out a pair of faded jeans and my white v-neck knit sweater then sat down on my bed, stretching out. “God my feet are cold!”

“Poor baby. Want me to come warm you up?”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, vampire. You’ve got your hands full keeping your dad in line don’t you?”

She giggled. “Naw. Mom’s temporarily hired a nutritionist. We’re off the hook.”

“Ooh, well in that case, I guess we’re free to spend the day together?”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Hurry up and clear your driveway so I can come get you!”

I giggled a little. “Alright. Gimme about… Oh, thirty minutes.”

Someone knocked at the bedroom door. I glanced up to see Nicole, bundled up in a heavy winter coat and purple knit headband. She waved a gloved hand at me and giggled. “I guess I’ll just have to come back later. Cute night gown,” she teased.

I turned off my phone and leapt from my bed. Seeing me coming, she shut hers off as well, catching me in a hug. “Well, good morning to you too,” she giggled as she kissed my forehead.

“Sorry. I’m just really excited.” I kissed her cheek then pulled away to gather my clothes.

“I noticed. Ally’s downstairs and Jen’s probably raiding the kitchen by now. We figured since this was your first snow that we’d get up early and introduce you properly.”

“You guys are the best,” I called after her as she turned to step out, giving me some privacy to change. I’d ‘officially’ been a girl for some four months now, and I’d even developed outwardly to the point where, at least from my head to my waist, I looked like any other girl, if a little underdeveloped for my age, but there were some things that would just have to wait until after graduation. Plus even if Nicole and I were more girl friends than ‘girlfriends’, I don’t think either of us was really ready to see the other without clothing just yet. It was complicated.

For her part, Nicole had a troubled past before Bob and Gina. Sometimes I wondered if her declaration of lesbianism wasn’t more a psychological avoidance of the males of our species. I worried from time to time that she might not accept me after completing my transition, but we’d been dating, and going steady, for a few months now. We’d been through hell and high school together, and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else, so I’d force myself to put those thoughts out of my mind completely and not worry about the ‘what if’ that would probably never come.

Even though Mom cooked extra when she learned of our unexpected breakfast guests, we still completely wiped out the stock. Nine eggs, seven pieces of sausage, and a half a gallon of orange juice later — and that was just us girls — I pulled on a pair of gloves, grabbed my heavier white suede-lined coat from the hall closet, and followed the girls outside.

“The first thing you need to learn is how to make a proper snowball,” Jennifer began immediately. She bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, and I watched as she gently packed it. “The trick is not to pack it too tightly for maximum spread on the splat.”

Nicole giggled. “Plus if you hit ‘em just right, it goes right down their back that way.”

Allison, as if on cue, scooped up a handful of loose snow, grabbed the hood of Nicole’s jacket, and dumped it down her sweater.

Nicole shrieked, spinning around to glare at Allison, who by now had high-tailed it for the other side of Margie’s car, taking up a defensive position. “Oh you are SO dead!” she shouted with a laugh, grabbing a handful of snow. Jennifer and I looked at each other and grinned, and as I grabbed myself the makings of a proper snowball, she bolted past Nicole to bolster Allison’s position.

I’d love to say that what followed was the snowball fight to end all snowball fights, but being that this was my first, I didn’t really have any prior knowledge to base it on. I do know that by around nine, when we called a truce and started working on a snowman family, I felt as though I’d been sitting in the school cafeteria’s walk-in freezer for hours.

Allison gave me a very serious look. “Robin, are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked as I glanced over, having just jabbed a carrot-nose into the last snowman’s face.

Jennifer turned me around next. “You’re starting to turn red. Let’s get you inside.”

“Guys, really I’m okay,” I offered, but they would have none of it, ushering me quickly inside.

“Does your face feel hot or tingly?” Allison continued. Now that she mentioned it…

“Yeah, a little. It’s not bad though.”

“Good. You’re not acclimated to the cold so you need to take it slow. Don’t worry though. By the time we get to the big ski trip you’ll be a regular polar bear.”

Nicole giggled. “Just the thought of Robin on skis... Man, that’s gonna be fun.”

I had to laugh. “You just want to see me fall on my butt. I’m really looking forward to it though. When’s the best time to go anyway?”

Jennifer stepped over to our refrigerator to fill the tea kettle from our purified water dispenser as she responded. “Probably sometime in December since it’s after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas. We still need to discuss where, too: not that it matters much to me,” she turned to set the kettle on to heat, stepping back over to us. “Snow is snow, as long as there’s a big enough incline to show off.”

“That she does,” Nicole laughed. “You haven’t seen hot-dogging until you’ve seen Jen on the slopes.”

“Oh hush you!” she laughed. “Just because I can lift an inverted 720 without beefing.” The three of us stared blankly at her, causing her to giggle. “Okay, I’m just making that one up. I just wanted to see the looks on your faces.” She grinned. “Besides, I’m no aerialist. It’s fun to catch some big air, but I’m not out to break my neck either.”

“Yee-ah,” I answered as I walked over to the sink, fishing out our fresh box of hot cocoa mix from the overhead cabinet. “I think I’ll just watch you and stick to hanging out at the lodge and looking cute and innocent.”

She laughed, turning the burner off as the kettle began to whistle, and pouring hot water into four mugs as I passed out spoons and drink packets. “It’s not that hard to learn, really. You just have to master keeping your balance. I guess I’ve got that part knocked out because I’ve been doing this stuff all my life. Surfing, boarding, gymnastics... To me, a board is home, be it a surfboard or a balance board. Just remember what we said the first day of swim practice.”

“Don’t drink the lake water?” Nicole offered with an amused grin.

She cracked up, shaking her head. “The OTHER thing. We won’t let you drown.”

We spent the rest of the morning indoors, sipping cocoa and watching movies, and I’m relieved to report that the mild frostbite I did experience went away as quickly as it was noticed. Although I had joked that morning about having Nicole all to myself all day, I was happy Jennifer accepted our offer to stick around after Allison left to go shopping with her sister Kelly. I received a call from my therapist letting me know that she’d have to postpone our session this week, but we had already been discussing moving to a two week arrangement anyway, though it just meant more bonding time for the three of us.

Later that afternoon as we were walking over to Allison’s house, an older woman driving a turquoise SUV pulled into Allison’s driveway. More importantly though was her passenger, our team co-captain, dressed in a cute long-sleeved top and matched black jacket. She glanced back at the driver with a reassuring smile, though the woman sat and watched as Brittany approached, only pulling away after she and I exchanged a quick hug.

“Hey Brit. Glad you could make it.”

She rolled her shoulders. “I wasn’t going to come at first, but… Well dad promised he’d be home this weekend, but he had an emergency business trip to New York City so… Anyway-” she paused, turning to stare at the snowmen we’d made that morning. She shook her head slowly. “You guys are so… weird.”

“Good weird or bad weird?” Nicole asked with a completely serious expression.

Brittany hesitated to respond, but Nicole didn’t give her a chance to, giggling as she offered her hand. “I’m just messing with you. Come on, let’s go inside before we all freeze.”

Taking the offered hand, she smiled a little. “Thanks.”

“Hey,” Allison spoke up, breaking the mild tension that had developed as we led her inside, “You like tacos? My mom makes like, the best tacos.”

“She does,” I echoed. “They’re sort of a Saturday tradition.”

“Awesome,” she answered quietly. I could tell something was seriously bothering her, but I didn’t want to intrude too far just yet, so I left it alone for now. After a quick tour of the first floor, including a stop off to pick up the aforementioned spicy afternoon eats, we congregated around the wood bar, Nicole and I leaning against it from behind while Allison, Jennifer and Brittany each took a bar stool.

“Sorry guys,” Brittany finally sighed. “I’m ruining your fun. I’ll just call my Mom to come pick me up.”

“Hey, no you don’t,” Jennifer answered as she turned to face her. “You’re not ruining anybody’s fun. But you know if you need to talk about something we’ll listen.”

She stared at Jennifer for a long moment, finally sighing as she set her can of root beer aside. “I’m just kind of pissed off at my Dad right now. He promised — PROMISED he’d be home this weekend, but something came up … Surprise surprise.”

She looked like she was about to start crying, so I slipped around behind Nicole, moving to her side to put an arm around her waist. She shifted her weight, sliding off the barstool to put her head on my shoulder. Jennifer slid down off her stool and stepped closer, putting her hand on Brittany’s shoulder. Brittany let go of me with a sniff, clearing her throat.

“Thanks. I’m just so tired of him never being around. And Mom sticks up for him like it’s no big deal. You guys are great, but I have to be honest with you… I’m kind of jealous. I know you said back during Homecoming that your life wasn’t that easy and all, but we can talk trade anytime. I’d kill for what you guys have.”

I had to laugh a little at that. “No, you wouldn’t, if you know what we’ve been through.”

“What’s the big secret, anyway?” she asked abruptly, but innocently. “The… using the coaches’ office and the secret meetings with the principal and stuff?”

I bit my lip, but Jennifer spoke up before I could answer. “That part’s private, but that’s not what makes us close. Did you hear about that sexual predator who was arrested in our area back in June?”

“Sure. It was all over the news. My mom freaked and wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone for a week because he targeted … two girls…” She trailed off, staring blankly at me.

I slowly nodded. “Allison and I were just out jogging like we always did.”

Allison spoke up next. “I’ve been going to therapy for months to try and deal with the issues and the terrible nightmares from that day. I’m still not ‘better’, but I’m getting there.”

Nicole added a moment later, “And when I was little, my father — my real father, abused me. That’s why we tend to be really close. We’ve all been through shit together or separately. Robin helped me face facts about my sexuality that I wasn’t brave enough to deal with alone, and yes, we’re dating, but we’re still friends.”

Brittany exhaled slowly. “Robin, I’m… really sorry about what happened during Homecoming. I wasn’t lying when I told you I didn’t put that jerk up to harassing you guys. I know it looked bad because I started giving you shit again later, but you have to believe I’d never go that far.”

“I know you wouldn’t. Brit, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“… What?” she looked a little uneasily at me, but I smiled, and hugged her.

“Coach Wilson has on two separate occasions asked me about you. The second time was just before she announced the co-captains. She confided in me that she was riding you pretty hard specifically to see if you could handle the pressure.”

“Are you saying you’re the reason I’m co-captain?” she asked, surprised, but I shook my head.

“No, I’m saying you earned it.”

She smiled, returning my earlier hug. “Thanks Robin. You don’t know how much I needed to hear that, especially today.”

“I know your dad’ll come around eventually. He has to.”

“Maybe. Anyway, can I ask you guys a really big favor?”

Allison rolled her shoulders. “Sure. What is it?”

She glanced toward the pool table with a grin. “Can you guys teach me to play?”

Nicole laughed. “Ohh yeah, but I’ve got to warn you, Robin’s a real pool shark.”

“What? It’s just basic math,” I teased, as Jennifer set up the table.

The next evening brought my first babysitting job, so I made plans accordingly. Mom dropped me off at five, and since I didn’t know yet when the Greers would be back, Margie offered to come give me a ride home later. For the actual evening, Angela mentioned Amanda loved Disney movies, so I wasn’t too worried about finding plenty to keep Amanda busy. Mostly though I was looking forward to spending some quality time with her.

Ever since camp I’d had a bit of an attachment to her anyway, but with everything that was going on I just never had time to come visit, so the babysitting job was the perfect opportunity to earn a little spending money, some bonus points with my would-be coach slash troop leader, and hang out with the coolest little girl I knew. Granted I only knew one, but still!

I couldn’t help feeling a little nervous though as I stood in the snow on their doorstep, waiting for someone to answer the doorbell. I kept my hands buried in my pockets, counted to thirty mentally, and rang a second time. This time, a tall, lanky fellow with just the very first hints of graying sideburns answered. He stared down at me for only a moment before smiling and offering his hand. “You must be the sitter Angela mentioned — Robin, right?”

“Yes sir,” I answered as we shook hands. He laughed, shaking his head as he motioned me inside.

“You don’t have to call me ‘Sir’. Just Steve. Angela’s told me so much about you that I feel as though I already know you though.”

“She has? Err… how much exactly?” He didn’t know about… No, she wouldn’t tell him THAT, would she?

He grinned. “Helping organize that cancer walk for starters, but quite a bit about what a strong, positive role model you’ve been for Amanda. Speaking of which she’s up in her room if you want to go say ‘Hello’. Angela should be ready in a minute to go over ground rules. Oh, first door on the left,” he added. I found my way to the hardwood stairs, and had no sooner reached the top when Amanda’s door flew open, the little bundle of blonde hair and energy racing out to greet me.

“SPIRIT!” she bubbled excitedly. I knelt to wrap her in a hug, kissing her forehead.

“Hey little sis!” I responded. She giggled and threw her arms around me. “Would you like to show me your bedroom while we wait for your Mom to finish getting ready?”

She nodded quickly, turning to point toward her bedroom, grabbing my hand to pull me along. I almost felt as though I’d stepped back in time to when I first arrived in Alpine Springs. A sea of pink awaited me, only this sea of pink included stuffed animals and Barbies all in neat little rows on shelves.

“This is my bed, and this is my stuffed bear, Mogey”

I giggled. “I’ve got a stuffed gorilla named Mister Kensington that never leaves my bed.”

“Really?” she asked with wide-eyed amazement. I had to laugh at her surprised reaction, nodding.

“You’re never too old for stuffed animals. Especially ones given to you by friends.”

“Oh, this is my dollhouse, buuut it’s kind of a mess,” she continued to give me a tour of her room, and admittedly I was so engrossed in what she had to say that I didn’t even hear the three inch heels in the hallway behind me. Angela cleared her throat, causing me to spin to face her. She looked stunning! Her black sequined dress and the aforementioned heels were a far cry from the usual t-shirt and jeans I had grown accustomed to seeing her in, and with her already slim figure, she looked positively gorgeous in that dress.

She giggled under her breath. “Thank you again for agreeing to watch her Robin.”

“Oh, it’s no problem! Wow, you look beautiful! Not that you don’t normally, but… Wow!”

She laughed, offering a sheepish smile. “Between school, scouts, and raising Amanda, Steve and I haven’t really done anything like this for some time now. I posted a list of emergency numbers on the fridge, plus money for pizza if you decide to invite someone over. Our next door neighbors know you’re here if there’s a problem. Amanda needs to be in bed by nine, and no sweets after seven.”

I nodded as I listened, and I couldn’t help smiling a little as these rules sounded all-too-familiar. When she finished, we exchanged a hug, and Amanda and I followed her downstairs. After she and Steve gave their daughter a goodbye hug, and after she promised to be good, they stepped out, leaving us alone.

“Well, where to start? Do you want to watch a movie while I cook you some dinner?”

“Ooh, ooh, can I watch ‘Beauty and the Beast’? Belle is so pretty!” she bubbled. I had to giggle. “Of course. You know it was my favorite when I was your age too. My big sister used to babysit for me all the time, and I was forever bugging her to put it in for me. What do you want for dinner?”

“Umm… Mac and cheese?”

“I can do that,” I answered, and after helping her get her movie started, stepped into the kitchen. I hadn’t been five minutes though, before I caught a glimpse of her peeking around the corner of the kitchen door at me. I giggled a little and motioned for her to come over.

“Everything okay?”

She nodded timidly. “You said Beauty and the Beast was your favorite, so I paused it so you could come watch too.” She smiled sweetly, completely melting my heart.

“Aw, you’re such a sweetheart,” I offered and knelt to hug her, causing her to giggle. A moment later she pulled up a small stepstool, standing up on it to watch me cook.

“That smells really good!” she cheered. I suddenly had an idea.

“Your mommy said no sweets after seven, but I can teach you how to make a sweet treat that’s better than cookies, and you can have it before bed.”

Her eyes lit right up. “Really?! What is it?”

“Well, let’s see what we’ve got to work with.” I turned down the burner just a bit since I wouldn’t be watching it like a hawk, and turned to pull down a small platter from one of the cabinets. I stepped over to the refrigerator, even as Amanda moved her step-stool over to the counter. I returned a few seconds later with a few celery stalks and a box of raisins. Predictably, Amanda wrinkled her nose.

“Eww! I thought you said this was sweet?”

I giggled. “It will be. Trust me!”

“Okay, but I’m watching you!” she laughed, and watched as I retrieved a jar of peanut butter. After carefully slicing the celery into two inch pieces, I spread some peanut butter on a piece, carefully placing a few raisins at even intervals, then offered it for her to try.

She bit down on it, chewed, and slowly smiled. “Wow! That’s really good!”

I laughed. “I told you! It’s called ‘Ants on a log’, and it’s really easy to make. Just make sure you have a grown-up cut the celery for you, okay? I cut up some extra so you can make some after school tomorrow, though.”

She nodded excitedly, continuing to chew her pre-dinner snack. I made a few more, setting the rest of the celery back in the refrigerator before returning to the mac-n-cheese.

After dinner, I sent her off to wash up and get into her pajamas while I cleaned up the kitchen. Angela forgot to mention if I should see to it Amanda got her bath, so I made a mental note to ask her about it when she came home. For now though, I stepped back into the living room, where Amanda sat on the sofa across from the television, dressed in the most adorable little lace nightgown. I had to giggle a little when I saw her sitting there, just waiting for me. I couldn’t help again, remembering all the times Margie sat for me when I was little. Apart from the nightgown and the longer hair, she reminded me a lot of myself at that age.

I moved closer and sat down beside her, wrapping her in a hug as she pulled her Disney Princesses blanket up over her and snuggled into me. “Comfy?” I asked, getting another excited nod, and reaching out to pick up the remote control from a stack of magazines scattered across the coffee table.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I probably cried more than she did during the movie. I’d blame those damn hormones, except that I always cried, and laughed, and sang along… By the end of it, barely seven-thirty, she lay fast asleep with her head in my lap. I gently eased her up enough to stand and gently let her back down again, and perusing the Greers’ DVD collection, quickly found both Beauty and the Beast’s box, and another movie to watch, this time dropping in ‘The Little Mermaid.’

Amanda stirred, yawning as I returned to the sofa. “Mmm… What’cha watchin’ now?” she asked sleepily.

“I just put in The Little Mermaid, unless there’s something else you want to watch?”

She grinned, quickly returning to her place at my side as she shook her head. “Nooo, I love Ariel, almost as much as Belle!” she seemed to be perking up a bit from her brief nap. I giggled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head as the movie began.

I imagined she must have had a busy day playing in the snow, judging by the Amanda-sized snowman by the front porch. That would at least explain why she fell asleep toward the end of the second movie. This time I scooped her up in my arms and carried her up to bed. As I tucked her in, she stirred long enough to mumble, “’Night… Spirit…”

I leaned down to kiss her cheek, whispering, “Sweet dreams,” and quietly creeping back out again. I had only just begun to straighten the living room when I heard a car door shut outside. A quick glance out the window after turning on the front light revealed Angela and Steve, laughing and holding hands as they walked up the front path. I pulled the door open to let them inside.

“Hi Robin,” Angela smiled broadly. “We decided not to have dinner after the show after all … Where’s Amanda?”

I giggled. “Asleep upstairs.”

“Already?” She turned to look at Steve, who glanced at his watch. He gave a surprised chuckle.

“It’s barely nine. Usually it’s a fight to get her to go to bed.”

“I figured she probably wore herself out during the day. She fell asleep twice during the movies, so I finally just carried her up to bed.”

“Thank you so much for taking such good care of her. You can come sit for us anytime,” Angela responded, even as she reached into her purse. Steve caught her hand though, shaking his head as he retrieved his wallet.

“Here, let me,” he added, pulling two crisp twenty dollar bills and offering them to me.

“B-but that’s…”

“More than we promised, I know.” He grinned. “I insist.”

“Well alright, if you’re sure,” I answered hesitantly, accepting his offer. “Oh, I didn’t invite anyone over after all so your pizza money’s still on the fridge. Also, I hope it’s okay that I taught Amanda how to make ‘ants on a log’ — it’s basically peanut butter and raisins on celery. I sliced some up for her to make herself a snack tomorrow, but she might be pestering you guys about it since she seemed to like them so much.”

They both stared, stunned, at each other, Angela finally responding. “You… got Amanda… to eat celery.”

“Err… yes? It’s my sister’s fault, honestly.” I giggled. “I hated vegetables when I was Amanda’s age, but Margie came up with this brilliant idea to make them taste sweet without adding sugar or anything. I still make them once in awhile. Oh, speaking of which, I’d better call her. She’s supposed to come pick me up.”

They both nodded, Angela adding, “I’m going to go check in on Amanda, and I need to get out of these shoes too.”

As she turned to head upstairs, Steve pulled off his jacket and stepped into the kitchen, and I took out my cell phone to call Margie. When I’d finished, I found Steve in the kitchen, sipping a glass of water. He smiled as he raised his glass.

“Thank you again for watching Amanda. When my mother passed away, we just … didn’t know who else to turn to. She had always watched Amanda, and my sister-in-law Meredith just lives too far away to really impose on her like that.”

“It’s no problem, really. Like I told Angela last weekend, if I had a little sister, I’d want her to be just like her. She really is an amazing kid.”

“And she worships the ground you walk on,” he joked. “When she came home from camp you were literally all she could talk about.”

I felt my cheeks burning intensely at that. I slowly stepped closer, glancing down. “Truth be told, I felt really guilty about what happened to her. I know it wasn’t my fault that she fell, and… I found out later that if I hadn’t gotten there when I did it could’ve been a lot worse, but I was the one that convinced her to go in the first place.”

“Hey now, wait a minute. You don’t still blame yourself for that do you?” he asked, gently brushing his finger under my chin enough to get me to look him in the eye. I smiled as I shook my head.

“No, not anymore. I mean, the camp experience was just so overwhelmingly positive for me as a teenager, I can’t begin to imagine how much fun she had even despite what happened.”

“Exactly. I know when I was a boy scout some of my happiest memories were of going to summer camps. They really prepare you for the future in ways you don’t realize at the time.”

Angela poked her head around the corner and smiled at us. “Robin, your sister’s here.”

“Oh, thanks!” I answered, turning to Steve.

He smiled, offering a good-natured wave. “Take care, and thanks again.”

“Anytime!” I answered and turned to step out of the kitchen. I found Margie waiting in her car, and as I sat down, setting my purse down in the floor board, she gave me that same sisterly grin from the other day.

“Well?”

I laughed. “Well what?”

As we pulled out of the driveway, she gave me a playful nudge. “You know perfectly well ‘well what’ young lady. How did it go?”

“Great! It turns out having a great babysitter paid off. Apparently Amanda’s more like me at that age than I realized.” Before she could ask, I grinned. “Ants on a log.”

She started laughing. “Oh my, you still remember those?”

“Remember? I still eat them!” I giggled. “And apparently now Amanda will too. I was going to bake some cookies with her, but then Angela said no sweets after seven, so I figured it’d be a safer bet, never mind being healthier.”

“Yeah, they’re a great alternative. I wondered where my celery kept disappearing to. I just thought Linda was having a craving,” she giggled. “I’m really proud of you, kiddo. You’ve really come a long way, and it sounds like you made an impression on your future coach too.”

“Yeah. It’s going to be an interesting year next year.”

“Oh, when we get home, your mom wants you to come talk to her in the kitchen. She’s brewing some herbal tea for you both.”

Uh oh. Herbal tea meant one of two things, and considering she had a date with Sensei earlier, it meant a serious talk was coming. I frowned.

“What happened?” I asked, assuming the worst.

Margie giggled as she pulled into the drive, turning to face me after shutting off the car’s engine. “I really shouldn’t say anything. It’s not exactly my place, but I promise it’s nothing bad. Come on, Linda’s waiting.”

Nervously, I grabbed my purse and followed Margie inside. She helped me with my coat, but didn’t follow me when I moved to head for the kitchen.

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked, as I looked back. She smiled, but shook her head.

“This is Mother-Daughter time.”

“Oh, bah. You’re technically her step-daughter you know,” I grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. She giggled a little, squeezing my hand.

“Oh, alright. But I already know what she’s going to say.”

As I pulled her into the kitchen, I replied, “Yes, but I don’t, and I want the moral support.”

Mom, sitting in her night gown and bathrobe, had just finished steeping three cups of tea. Like all mothers everywhere, my Mother was a mind reader, and knew precisely how her daughter would react, apparently, and planned ahead accordingly. She grinned at us as she motioned for us to join her.

“I figured you’d make Margie sit in on this. Robin, there’s something I need to discuss with you about the future, yours and mine.”

“Mom? … What’s going on?” I reached an unsteady hand out to pick up my teacup, sipping slowly, letting the hot vapors wash over and renew my chilled body. Meanwhile Mom just sort of smiled a neutral but loving motherly smile.

“Ash, Sensei Rogers has… Well… He’s asked me to marry him.”

I suddenly felt both faint and giddy at the same time. I stared at her for a long silent moment, unsure quite how to respond. She seemed to take my silence as apprehension.

“I told him I’d have to think about it, but that it wasn’t a ‘no’ per se. It’s just… there’s so much that may change. Of course I’d move in with him, but then what would that mean for you? That’s if I’m even ready to marry again. I just don’t know.”

Finally shaking out the cobwebs, I stood and threw my arms around her. “Mom, what are you saying? What is there to think about? If you love him, you should marry him!”

She smiled broadly at that, tears welling up for both of us as she stood and wrapped her arms around me. I gently set my head on her shoulder as she held me close. “I do love him, but I’m scared… I don’t want things to change for you any more than they have to.”

“Mom, I love living here with Margie, but it’s not like Sensei Rogers lives in another city or anything. And Nicole can drive.”

“You know you’d be more than welcome to continue living here too, Robin,” Margie added. “Even if I do ever find ‘Mister Right’ … Or hell, ‘Ms. Right’, if that’s where my destiny lies, you’ll always have a home here.”

I smiled down at my sister at that. I loved her so much. She had always been there for me. I reached out to take her hand, pulling her up into a group hug.

“We’ll figure out the logistics later. Right now we need to talk wedding plans.”

Mom giggled a little at that. “Now wait a minute. I still need to give him an answer first! But you’re right. We need to start planning.”

Margie grinned impishly. “Lucky for you I happen to know a wedding dress designer who caters to the fabulously wealthy on a global scale.”

“And Sensei Rogers already knows where I stand on all this. He’s a good man, Mom. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

She kissed my forehead, squeezing me close. “Thank you… Both of you.”

“I have to go get Nikki, Jen and Ally on conference. There’s no way I can share the good news one-at-a-time or I’ll be up all night giggling,” I responded, and after a quick kiss for both Mom and my sister, raced off to find the cordless phone.

It’s funny how life works like that. One near-fatal accident had completely turned my life upside-down, and despite all the rough patches since then, things had never been better. I could only hope things would continue to improve. I knew one thing for sure though, Kenpo practice would never be the same.