Out in the parking lot, the mist had stopped. Shredded clouds raced across the sky. Pa reached for Mrs. Dutchendorph’s hand. He gave it a squeeze and said, “Call me.”

Mrs. Dutchendorph nodded.

Lolly wanted to say something to Munch so badly, but she was afraid if she tried he might rebuff her. Right now, she could not bear his rejection. Munch and his mom climbed into the VW. Pa unlocked the passenger door of the truck and opened it. Lolly climbed in. He went around and got in on his side. His hands were trembling. He leaned over to the glove compartment and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. From his pocket he took his lighter. With unsteady hands, he lit his cigarette. He inhaled slowly and then blew out a stream of smoke. In a low voice he said, “Well, that went well.”

“You think?”

He shook his head. “I had no idea Munch was going to hate on me so bad. We have always gotten along.”

Lolly said, “He has been the center of his mother’s universe for a very long time and he is over protected. Much as I love him, he is also spoiled. I was so surprised Mrs. Dutchendorph just didn’t give in to him. When she didn't I thought she must really likes you.” Though she had thought no such thing at the time, she thought it now.

There was fear and hope in Pa’s voice when he asked, “You think so?”

“Yes. I do.”

Pa took another drag on his cigarette and tamped it out in the ash tray. He started the truck and they pulled out. The lights of the town swished passed as they made their way home. Lolly stared out her window. Inside she felt torn. She wanted Pa to be happy. She also wanted Munch to be okay. Deep down she wished the attraction between Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph had never sparked, but it had.

When they reached the trailer, Pa let out a small groan. “God, I don’t think I can face Mama.”

Now, for the next fun stage of this fun evening.

Pa got out of the truck followed by Lolly. His steps were heavy on the porch. He unlocked the front door and they stepped inside. Grandma Toady was in the recliner working on a baby quilt. The first thought that ran through Lolly’s mind was, Good Lord, she is not already planning Pa’s next kid. This thought stuttered in Lolly’s brain. If things progressed, would Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph make a baby? She hadn’t made a baby with Mr. Dutchendorph.

Grandma Toady said, “By the looks of you two, I’d say it didn’t go so well.”

Pa shook his head.

“Give it time Trace. Give it time.” Grandma Toady gave him a gentle smile. She did not ask for any details.

Pa said, “If you’ll excuse me.” He walked down the hall to the rummage room.

As soon as he closed the door, Grandma Toady, turned her bright eyes on Lolly and asked, “So did poor Munch embarrass himself?"

With a glance down the hall, Lolly replied, “He didn’t but he was scary close.”

Grandma Toady shook her head. “I thought telling you kids in public was a bad idea, your pa agreed me even if he didn’t say so. Estelle may look a bit on the meek and mild side, but she’s got a fire in her and a blind eye when it comes to her son. I don’t envy Trace.”

This confused Lolly. She said, “But I thought you wanted them to date.”

“I do. I want my son to know what it's like to be with a good, smart, steady woman." This statement was a jab at Lolly's mother, but she let it slide. Grandma Toady continued, "He wasdazzled by your mother's personal charisma. She may not have enough to get a big part on TV, but in life she glows and my Trace was sucked in by her charms." Lolly struggled not to roll her eyes. This was Grandma Toady's well worn description of her mother. It was not one she held herself. Yes Mama was flighty and a dreamer, but that was just how she was. It didn't mean she was a bad person. It also didn't mean that she had tricked Pa into marrying her. Lolly knew Pa would not marry someone on a whim. He had loved her mother deeply and continued to be grateful for the time they had shared and the life they had created together. He still had a picture of her mother on their wedding day in his wallet. Pa said, "Sometimes in this life love was not enough." Her parents were too different and wanted very different things. Going to war had changed Pa. It had made him quieter, gentler and more nervous. The war had taken Pa away from Mama. What Mama couldn't see, she couldn't hold onto. At least that is what Pa told Lolly and it was what she believed, regardless of Grandma Toady's ongoing swipes at Mama.

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When Lolly turned her attention back to Grandma Toady, she heard her say, "With Estelle, Trace could have something real for the first time in his life. To do so though, he is going to have to grow a spine."

Lolly said, "Whoa, Pa has a spine. A man without one would not have returned from Vietnam and gotten on with his life."

"Has he? Until tonight, I didn't think so. "Grandma Toady gave her a look, and continued to her point, "I am not saying he's weak. I'm just saying he's gonna have to learn to stand up to Estelle and Munch when its in either or both of their best interests. Those are two tough cookies, because they have had to be. Now, sit down, tell me exactly what happened and do NOT leave out a detail."

Honestly, this was not something Lolly wanted to do. What she wanted to do was to hide in her room and escape into the book she was reading.

Grandma Toady coaxed, "Come on, don't leave me hanging, Might as well get it over with tonight so you won't have to tell me tomorrow." This was true.Lolly kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch. With her ear alert for any sound from Pa, she quietly went blow by blow through the entire evening, except for the part about Trevor and his family. She didn’t dare tell Grandma Toady that his parents had given her the stare. Grandma Toady was fiercely protective and it might make her prejudiced against Trevor.

“Well,” said Grandma Toady, “I am proud of Munch for holding his tongue. It also sounds like there has been a slight improvement in your relationship with him.”

“Gosh, I hope so. He told his mom he wouldn’t listen in on her and Pa’s telephone conversations but I didn’t believe him.”

Grandma just laughed. “Me either.”

Around 10:00 p.m. Grandma Toady went to bed. From the couch, Lolly could see that Pa’s light was still on. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s lyrics to Bad Moon Rising, whispered down the hall. “I see the bad moon rising/There is trouble on the way.” Is that how Pa felt?

She got off the couch and went into the kitchen followed by Fluff. Ever hopeful for a snack, the cat meowed when Lolly opened the fridge. His interest disappeared the moment he saw the jar of sauerkraut. Lolly opened the jar. Stink filled the kitchen. Fluff split. Lolly put two spoon fulls of sauerkraut into a tea cup. She glanced at the clock, it was 11:30. Would the sauerkraut go down with grace or kick up a fuss in her subconscious? She just felt so queasy. Her stomach and her mind were upset. If only life was like The Brady Bunch had been. Why couldn’t she and Munch be thrilled that their parents liked each other? But they weren’t thrilled, in fact Lolly was grossed out by the whole scenario. The thought of Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph making out literally turned her stomach. Would she ever get over that? On The Brady Bunch, Mike and Carol Brady were VERY affectionate and nobody was grossed out in that house. But that was a cancelled TV show, and not real life. Lolly had had about as much real life as she could take for one day.

Slowly, she ate her sauerkraut. She hoped it didn’t give her nightmares. The after taste of sauerkraut was horrific. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she spit, she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a familiar face. At times she thought she looked like an alien. Aliens were often depicted as bald. She shook her finger at her reflection and said, “We are not going there tonight.” The evening had been hard enough without her hating on herself.

Back in her room she crawled into bed with Fluff and picked up her book, Up a Road Slowly. On the cover was a girl with long brown hair. Lolly wondered if her hair would look like that if she still had it. She flipped on the lamp by her bed and began to read. The book was sad. It made her thankful for her family. The story was going along at a good pace until a woman in the story referred to the character Uncle Haskel as, "Such a beautiful and good man." That was not how Lolly saw this character at all. It made her wonder if Trevor was really beautiful, or if that was the just the way she saw him. It was getting really late, she was not going to feel good at all tomorrow if she did not get some sleep. She closed the book and turned off the light. Through her window she could see stars but not the moon. The moon was out there though, only it was a new moon and the new moon did not show its face to the sun. Lolly knew the feeling. Her thoughts drifted to Trevor. When he looked at her, what did he see?

Across the hall, the door to the rummage room opened. Pa's steps crept into the kitchen. The phone let out a single ring and he answered it. Though Lolly could not hear what he was saying, she knew who he was talking to. Was Munch listening on the other phone? Probably. But she hoped not. For a long time she listened to the rise and fall of her father's voice. Not a word or a sentence reached her, but she could hear his mood changing. And then he laughed, the kind of laugh that rumbled from his chest. He sounded happy. Pa deserved to be happy. Could Mrs. Dutchendorph make him happy? Pa deserved a home, a real home, not just a rummage room in his mother’s trailer and a bunk on an oil platform. As the conversation continued, Lolly figured Munch was not listening, surely if he had been, he would have given himself away by now.

Fluff's green eyes glowed in the dark. He nudged her with his nose. It was his way of telling her it was time to go to sleep. Lolly wrapped an arm around him, and closed her eyes. Her stomach felt a little better. In her imagination she traveled back in time. It was the year 1300. She pretended she was a pilgrimage to on the road to Rome. Before her and behind her, medieval pilgrims were traveling with in their gray pilgrim robes...