> In the News Today: Deep in the Australian outback, rescue workers reached the crash site of the Flat Earth Society’s rocket. There were no survivors.

The sudden knock on his bedroom door startled Jason out of his funk.

“All right, Mr. End of the World,” his mother said. “You’ve sulked in your room long enough. It’s time to get over it.”

Keeping his head down, Jason replied, “It’s not sulking. It’s depression.”

Seconds of silence passed before Mom sighed, then his mattress huffed as she sat. “She’s been away for what, three days. It’s not the end of the world.”

“I did something dumb and screwed it all up.”

“Jason Todd Thomas, did you do something to Stephanie? I swear, if you—”

Alarmed, Jason spun his chair around. He said, “No, mom, I’d never do anything like that.”

Mom crossed her arms. Agitated, her right foot tapped the floor. “Then what?”

“I told her I love her, and…and she told me she didn’t feel the same.” The last half of his sentence came in a rush.

Mom’s expression relaxed. “Jason, you are very much your father’s son. Both of you are clueless when it comes to women.”

“What do you mean?” A faint stirring of hope colored his words. Mom used to be a girl.

“Any dummy could take one look at her and know she’s crazy about you.”

“But—”

“But nothing! She’s sixteen, Jason. How many boyfriends has she had? Being in love isn’t something everyone instantly recognizes. Give the poor girl time.”

“Oh, I, ah, I didn’t think of that.”

“Like I said, you are your father’s son.”

“What should I do?”

“Keep yourself busy. The grass needs cut, and my van needs vacuumed out and washed. If you keep busy, you won’t have time to mope.”

Trust a parent to use chores as problem solvers. “I meant about Stephanie.”

“Be patient.” Mom strode to the door. “Meet me in the kitchen and I’ll find something for you to do.”

Both parents got in on the fun. Dad mentioned the long overdue garage cleaning. Jason cleaned cars, cut grass, trimmed bushes, and painted the ceiling in the guest room. Mom said he’d paint the rest of the room after she picked out the color scheme. The busy work kept him from worrying.

Around two PM on the second day of Jason’s chore-a-thon, Alfred provided a timely interruption. “Master Jason? You have a text message from Miss Stephanie. It is on your tablet.”

Jason sprinted upstairs. In the center of the screen, a small text box had opened. In it a short message. “I’m almost home. Miss you. Steph.”

He read the message three times before he took another breath.

Mom found him sitting on the family room couch, game controller in hand, while the title screen of a go-kart racing game looped on the video display. He didn’t notice her presence until her hand pressed against his forehead.

“Hmm,” Mom said, “you don’t have a fever.”

“What?”

“You’ve been sitting down here for over an hour, with that game music blaring. What’s going on?”

“She’s coming home.”

“Who? Oh,” Mom’s eyes twinkled when she understood. “You’ve heard from Stephanie.”

“Yeah, she’s coming home.”

“Well, of course, she’s coming home. I swear, Jason, she has you wrapped around her little finger.”

***

“Hello, Miss Stephanie.”

Stephanie hadn’t even made it to the Thomas’ deck before Alfred detected her. She’d hoped to surprise Jason and had forgotten about their AI. Maybe there was still a chance? “Alfred, does Jason know I’m here?”

“No, Miss Stephanie.”

“Can you keep it a secret? I want to surprise him.”

“One moment, and I’ll check.” Hardly any time passed before Alfred spoke again. “It’s not a problem. However, Mrs. Thomas wishes a word with you first.”

“Thank you, Alfred.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

The back door swung open, and Jason’s mother stood in the doorway.

They took seats at the kitchen table. Mrs. Thomas frowned and said, “I need to apologize…”

What was it with humans apologizing suddenly? First, Daniel and now, Mrs. Thomas.

“…because I poked my nose into you and Jason’s business.”

“I’m sure it’s fine, Mrs. Thomas.”

“Well, the other day, Jason was upset because he confessed feelings for you that you didn’t return. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Not in the least. You are your own woman and free to make whatever decisions you want.”

Stephanie blinked. “Jason surprised me, and I didn’t handle it very well. The thing is, I do care for him, just as much, and I’ll tell him today.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. No relationship is easy, and I’m thrilled how you two work at it. Now, the other thing I want to ask about is your father. I know he’s a sore spot for you.

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“I need to ask. Does your father abuse you or your mother?”

Stephanie froze; she should have expected this.

Mrs. Thomas noticed Stephanie’s hesitation and reached across the table. “You know Robert is a lawyer. If there’s a problem, he can help.”

Mentioning Jason’s Dad served as all the trigger Stephanie needed. She took a deep halting breath. When she spoke, she looked straight into the older woman’s eyes. “Mrs. Thomas, my father isn’t a nice man. He’s easily angered and disrespects my mother and me. He’s never hit me. The most positive thing I can say about him is that he’s often not home. All that said, neither Mom nor I need Mr. Thomas’s assistance.” The best way to lie was to tell the truth. That she could trust Mrs. Thomas was a certainty. But Mr. Thomas was another thing. One phone call from that self-righteous man could ruin everything. No matter how tempting it was to accept help from Mrs. Thomas, it was better to stay with the plan.

***

On the afternoon of his eighth day without Stephanie, Jason found another AI-related subject, Distributed Processing. Instead of using a single, local CPU, an AI might use additional external CPU cores. Latency across a LAN was the limiting factor, but what if he could reduce the lag? Ideas flew through his head. He typed each into his notepad app.

Engrossed in his studies, Jason never noticed the shadow on the floor outside his room. Nor did he hear the stealthy footsteps creeping up behind him. He almost dropped his tablet in surprise when its screen changed to a collage of images featuring Stephanie. One of the pictures featured them holding game controllers and sitting side-by-side on the family room couch. He recognized the scene, but there hadn’t been anyone else in the room. Who took these pictures, and why did they show up on his tablet now?

Warm hands pressed against his shoulders, and Stephanie said, “Surprise!” a moment before she kissed his cheek. From the corner of his eye, he followed her gaze to his tablet. “Wow,” she said, “you missed me a lot.”

“I did.” Jason glanced up towards Alfred’s camera. The little blue LED blinked off, then on, almost as if it winked.

“I think the best boyfriend in the world deserves a reward.”

A reward? He stood, eager for a hug, but she took his hand and pulled him towards the bed. The reward potential skyrocketed.

Stephanie pushed him down then crawled on top, one knee between his. From the hall outside his door, came the stomp of parental footsteps.

By the time Mom made it to his open bedroom door, Jason had managed to sit up with both of his feet on the floor. In the same amount of time, Stephanie sat swiveling back and forth on his desk chair.

“Hey, you two,” Mom said, glancing around the room. If she noticed either teen's breathless condition, she didn’t mention it. “Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but it’s a beautiful day. I’m going to change and get in the pool.” She smiled and turned away. Several seconds later, Mom’s bedroom door clicked shut.

Jason and Stephanie stared at each other, neither daring to comment on his mother’s announcement. Jason smiled. “I missed you a lot.”

“Me too, you,” They both grinned at her use of their little shortcut. Then she bit her lip and glanced to the side. “We, ah, we need to talk.”

“Uh, oh,” he had a bad feeling about this. “What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean, ‘What’s wrong?’”

“Everyone knows a relationship’s in trouble when the girl say’s ‘We need to talk.’”

Scowling, Stephanie shook her head. “Where do you get these crazy rules?” He started to answer, but she waved him off. “Never mind, we aren’t having problems.” She gave him a sneaky grin. “I decided to reinterpret my promise to Mom.”

Whoa, this was big news. The possibilities made his heart pound. For a brief fraction of a second, Jason’s sense of responsibility almost made him ask if she was sure. His long-suffering, self-interest stomped all over that idea.

Not noticing Jason’s distraction, she’d continued speaking. “…and that’s what we need to talk about.”

“You know me, sweetheart, I’m always eager to support your decisions.”

“That’s you, Mr. Eager,” Stephanie’s grin grew wide.

A footstep from down the hallway signaled his mother’s return, so he changed the subject. “Where did you guys go?”

Of course, Steph understood why he changed the subject and went along with it. “My father took us on a business trip.” Sighing, she added, “It wasn’t fun.”

Once, for “Take your kid to work day,” Dad took Jason to his office. It must have been as boring for Steph.

A cough interrupted them. Mom stood in the doorway. She wore a robe over a stylish two-piece swimming suit. “I’ll be in the pool. Jason, remember the talk you had with your father.”

After his mother started down the stairs, Stephanie whispered, “What talk?”

Jason grinned, what else could he do? Nodding towards his dresser, he whispered back, “Top drawer.”

Curious, Stephanie hopped up and opened the drawer, and froze. The box of condoms, still unopened, sat right in the front.

“Dad bought them for me a few weeks back. He and Mom think you’re a saint, and I’m a dirty-minded horndog.”

Stephanie lifted out the package and spoke while reading the label. “You are a dirty-minded horndog.”

“Says the girl with that little red skirt.”

“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“No way.” He held up his thumb and index finger, a fraction of an inch apart. “We were that close to doing it.”

“I wish we had,” she mused.

“Says the girl holding the condoms.”

Stephanie turned and smiled. The intensity of her green eyes made Jason gulp. With that single glance, the temperature in the room skyrocketed. He said, “Uh oh.”

Her expression didn’t change, but she strode towards him. The pleats of her cute skirt swayed with each step. Once she reached his bed, her stare softened. “Seriously, Jay, you don’t act like a guy who’s about to have a wish come true.”

“Which wish?” he kept a hint of wariness in his voice. “I have a bunch.”

“Horndog,” she accused, tossing the box up and then flubbing the catch. The box hit the bed, rolling once before stopping.

You could cut the tension with a knife. Maybe I’m not the only horndog? Jason held up a finger, and Steph cocked her head. “Alfred?” he spoke in the direction of the room’s pickup.

“Yes, Master Jason?”

“Privacy mode, please.”

“As you wish.” Alfred’s blue presence LED shut off.

Stephanie said, “That’s handy. I’d wondered how you managed to…” those bright green eyes flicked down, then up, “treat your insomnia.”

Jason snickered. “It only works in bedrooms and bathrooms, unless you’re an adult or a guest.” He scooted back to the center of his bed. “Come here,” he patted the spot between his thighs, “let’s “talk” about your new plan.” All he expected was for her to call him a horndog again.

But Stephanie surprised him. She pursed her lips as if considering his offer, then glanced down to his hands—or was it to the front of his shorts? A hint of color spread across her cheeks, and scant seconds later, she scooted into his arms and leaned against his chest.

Careful to keep his hands in the approved safe zones, he said, “Tell me what changed your mind, and don’t say, “It’s complicated.”

“It’s not complicated.”

“Says the girl with complicated issues.”

“Do you want to hear this or not?”

“Says the girl—” Stephanie turned and glowered. He got the message and apologized. “Sorry.”

“Gene and Mom used to leave me home when they went on business trips. This time I had to go with them.”

Thinking back to the other week, a memory that still helped him “treat his insomnia,” he had an idea. “I’m not surprised. Your mom probably thought you’d sneak one of her outfits and come looking for me.”

Stephanie froze for a second, then nodded. “Oh, that’s it! Not the skirt exactly, but I bet you’re right. Mom said she didn’t know why Gene scheduled the trip when he did. I’ll tell her later.”

Once again, Stephanie managed to confuse him. “I’m, ah, glad I helped.”

“Well, the deal went bad for Gene. Mom and I had to help. The whole thing still stresses me out.” Steph slumped. “All I want is for you to hold me…and tell me you love me.”

“Whoa, sure.” The last time the “L” word came up, it hadn’t ended the way he’d hoped. Having Steph bring it up first gave him a jolt. Don’t get too excited, horndog. Holding her was easy; all he did was tighten his arms a bit. Her shoulders were right there, so he kissed both sides of her neck. Careful to not hurt her ears, he kept his voice low. “I love you, Stephanie.”

Stephanie twisted around and kissed him back. “I-I love you too.” Her words held a touch of wonder.

“Hey, wow, where did that come from?”

“On the trip I had lots of time to think. The longer we were gone, the more I missed you. This morning, Mom helped me sort. Then I saw those pictures and realized how bad you missed me, I knew I had to tell you.”

What should one do when an AI did you a favor? “This is wonderful.”

“Then there’s my promise to Mom. All she wanted was to keep us from getting too involved, because it might hurt me later. But I don’t care about that anymore. All I care about is you and me.”

“What are the new rules?”

“It’s more like wiggle room. We’ll do more and see how it works out.”

There had been one memorable wiggle, the first time they went swimming. More wiggles could only be good. “Wiggle room,” Jason said, “I like how that sounds.” He shifted his hands down and jiggled her hips.

She didn’t put up with more than two jiggles before completely spinning around to face him. With him sitting and her kneeling, he had to look up to watch her smirk.

“Horndog,” she said, just before pushing him onto his back. That dangerous look in her eyes was back. “Show it to me,” she commanded.

Hands trembling from excitement and not a little nervousness, Jason pushed the front of his shorts down.

Stephanie grinned when it popped into view. “Whew,” she said, relief plain in her voice, “from the way that thing’s been poking me, I thought it’d be huge.”

“Hey,” he said, trying and failing to sound unbothered. “Aren’t you supposed to say, ‘It’s bigger than you thought?’”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Her hand paused mid-reach. “That was your dream, boyfriend, not mine.”

“Well, it’s not small, it’s a lot closer to average. I looked it up.”

“It’s fine, Jay.”

“And I’m not done growing yet. I checked on that too.”

“Jay, believe me, I wouldn’t want it any bigger.”

“You sure?”

“Cross my heart,” she crossed her heart, then reached out. One exceedingly warm finger touched him. It had never felt so stiff before. A second finger joined the first. Then her hand wrapped around him and squeezed.

“Ahh….”

Her eyes flicked up to his. “You’re not complaining, are you?” Jason just shook his head; he didn’t dare move too much. “Good,” She nodded and bent at the waist.

The natural consequences of her degree or two higher body temperature became immediately apparent. Jason’s concerns went from size to endurance.

Minutes later, Stephanie sat back; one finger swiped a dribble from her chin then pushed it into her mouth. “Mmmm,” she muttered, “Mom wasn’t kidding, that stuff’s not bad.”

“What?” Had he dozed off and misheard her?

“I said, ‘Ask your mom to feed you more citrus.’”

“Oh, okay,” heck, right now he’d chew stones for her. If this were what Steph meant by wiggle room, he’d take it. He had another thought: if she could do it to him, he could do the same to her. Another of his many, many fantasies was going to come true. He sat up and grinned.

“Jay,” Stephanie said, “why are you looking at me like that?”

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was pretty hot, literally. Stephanie’s mouth was warmer than usual, go figure. There was something else, though, an unpleasant, bitter flavor. Realization kicked in, Oh, ick!

Jason resisted the urge to scrub his tongue against the blanket. If she could deal with it, so could he. “Lie back, sweetheart.”

“Um,” she said, sounding uncertain, but she didn’t fuss.

They kissed again; ready for it, he ignored the “ick” flavor. Despite Stephanie’s “wiggle room,” he doubted she’d go all the way. Still, there were a few things she might be interested in trying. Another of Dad's favorite quotes came to mind. “It’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.” Without asking, he flipped Stephanie’s skirt up to her waist.

Two things happened. Steph's knees rose and clamped together. At the same time, her hands pushed her skirt back down.

“Hey,” he said, “that’s cheating.”

“We can't go all the way,” she said.

“I figured as much. Besides, I need a minute to recharge.”

This caused her to chuckle. “Oooh, I guess so. What do you want to do?”

“Sweetheart, I’m a hungry guy, and you're on the menu.”

If anything, her cheeks grew redder—she knew exactly what he meant to do. “You don’t have to do that, it’s not necessary, and anyway, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

What is it with girls and complicated rules? “You’re not saying no, are you?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“No, but—”

“But nothing.” It took a supreme effort to stay cool when his fingers hooked under the waistband of her bikini style underpants. Sliding them down, then up over her bent knees. He took a chance and lifted her ankles, folding her legs back before slipping those panties off. Stephanie’s cheeks flared crimson with the exposure. There was no doubt his girlfriend was a natural redhead.

“What’s wrong?” she said, interrupting his reverie.

Embarrassed to be caught staring, he tore his eyes away. “Nothing. It's just—” unable to think of the right words, he shrugged.

“You better not say it’s bigger than you expected.”

“Oh, heck,” he snorted. The outrageousness took over, and his laughter bubbled out. Steph joined him a second later.

“Sweetheart, you’re too much.” Reaching out, he touched her and marveled at the softness. Her gasp punctuated the intensity of the moment. If he thought her hands were warm, down here, she was on fire. “This is perfect. You’re perfect.”

“I’m not perfect.”

He settled into position while mentally reviewing the tutorials. If you wanted a girl to come back for seconds, you needed to get this part right. “You’re perfect for me, and that’s enough.”

It felt better knowing he wasn’t the only person with a short fuse. Stephanie’s enthusiastic response took him by surprise. Everything he’d read said that girls took a lot longer than boys. Well, a real man satisfied his woman, and he’d succeeded. Steph lay as if he’d knocked her out. How gratifying was that? Sitting up, he pulled his shirt over his head and used it to wipe his face. Mental note: do laundry before Mom gets to it.

Bare-chested, he shifted up to lay alongside his girlfriend. Without opening her eyes, Steph snuggled into his arms.

“You good, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Mmm, hmm,” she murmured and wiggled closer. Over at the edge of the bed, the unopened box taunted him. It lay within easy reach. Something told him, if he insisted, she wouldn’t say no. But he’d promised. Instead of reaching for the box, Jason hugged Stephanie tight. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I think it’s what made me love you back.” She paused then spoke again. “I’m sorry I tricked you.”

What? “When did you trick me?”

“When we first met. I cheated and made you like me.”

The ego boosts kept rolling in. If anything, hearing the prettiest girl in the world admit she wanted him to like her, well, it nearly equaled the last thirty minutes. “Great trick,” he whispered back. “It worked. I mean, look at us now.”

“Yes, but you tricked me too. The biggest trick, though, is what we just did. It means you’ll always be in my heart.”

“Me too, you.”

“Silly Jay, it doesn’t work that way.”

A few minutes later, Stephanie stretched. Her pale green eyes fluttered open. “Did I fall asleep?” she asked.

“Maybe after we talked.” Jason’s stomach growled. After cleaning up, they went to the kitchen for a snack.

By the time Mom found them, they were downstairs playing with his game console.

Later, after Dad arrived home, he took Mom out for dinner. “You and Stephanie can fend for yourselves.” Jason didn’t miss the extra stern stare.

Jason kept it simple and ordered a Chinese food delivery. He and Stephanie shared spicy Szechwan Chicken and crispy pork egg rolls. She’d never eaten anything like it. They took turns using the chopsticks to feed each other and ended up making a mess on the kitchen counter. After the cleanup, they snuck back upstairs.

***

Several late-summer lightning bugs flitted about the Timms’ back yard, each searching for a mate. Jason and Stephanie sat at the top of her porch steps, his back against a column. The girl he considered to be his life mate leaned against his chest. At this moment, life was exceptionally good.

“Did I really do okay?” he asked. Stephanie already said as much, several times. Each time she’d answered, he felt ten feet tall—another life accomplishment in the bag.

“I think you like talking about it more than doing it.”

“Not exactly, but I loved making you happy. It felt so right. You’re the girl for me.”

“Well, you were wonderful.”

Across the yard, Jason’s deck light came on; his parents notice to return home.

“Are you sure I can’t come up and tuck you in?” he asked. The flat of his right palm slipped across Stephanie’s tummy.

“I wouldn’t mind, but mom would have kittens.”

“Yeah, my parents too.” Jason sighed. “If we were older and I had my own place, would you move in with me?”

“That’s a big if, but if I could, I’d move in and stay with you forever.”

Without speaking, because they both knew the drill, Jason walked Stephanie to the door and kissed her good night.

They stayed up late, sending silly text messages back and forth. Around midnight, Stephanie signed off. Her last message was a short video, a selfie of her lying in bed, barely wearing his Slayer T-shirt, and blowing him a kiss. Jason copied the image to his private cloud storage.

In the morning, bleary-eyed and dealing with an unusually sore tongue, Jason found his way to the kitchen for breakfast. He and Stephanie planned on swimming this afternoon. His mind was already replaying images of Steph in her green string bikini.

Across the table, His father read the morning news on his tablet. They nodded to each other. Dad set his display down and said, “Have you started on the garage yet?”

Surprised, Jason failed to think of a reasonable excuse. He said, “Sorry, I was busy yesterday.”

“Busy with your girlfriend, weren’t you? Son, I understand, but you need to be more responsible. Today is Tuesday, have it finished by Friday or there will be repercussions.”

“I am so screwed,” Jason said.

He stood at the open garage door, staring inside. Stacks of cardboard boxes, trash bags, and neoplas moving crates competed for space with the odd bit of unused furniture. From a parent’s point of view, telling your teenaged son to “Go forth and clean,” probably seemed like a reasonable idea. The reality for the teen was anything but reasonable. The enormity of the task threatened to overwhelm him. To compound his problem, Dad threatened repercussions if he failed to finish this by Friday.

He’d never experienced what his dad called repercussions. Knowing his father, they would be bad.

Consumed by indecision, Jason didn’t notice Stephanie until she pinched his butt.

“H-Hey!” Jason spun in place. Stephanie, her eyes full of mischief stood waiting for a kiss. He puckered up and kissed her. “How come you can pinch me, but I can’t pinch you?”

“I never said you couldn’t pinch me. Just make sure you can handle the consequences.”

“Can we negotiate the consequences? I’m already under the gun here.” He explained Dad’s ultimatum.

“Lucky for you, I can help.”

They got busy. Starting at the door, Stephanie surveyed the contents of each container. She’d then point to a spot, and like a well-trained pack mule, Jason moved the stuff. Order began to arise from the chaos.

Despite Stephanie’s seriousness, she found plenty of opportunities to pat, prod, or pinch him. A few times, he managed to do the same with her. Most of the time, she’d catch him reaching and dodge aside, redirecting him to another pile of “stuff.” It worked out that each box or bag moved earned him another chance. After the first thirty minutes or so, he detected a pattern. A successful pinch earned him several consecutive misses, while she rewarded each nice touch with an easy follow-up.

“I feel like one of Pavlov’s dogs,” he said and woofed. Stephanie waggled her eyebrows.

While his girlfriend stood several feet inside the garage, Jason deposited another neoplas crate outside. The back door to his house opened. Purse in hand, Mom stepped outside. She moved with a purposeful, “I’m going shopping” stride. Of course, he expected she’d stop at the garage to check their progress. Jason timed her approach, then turned and walked back into the garage, passing close to his playful girlfriend. As he expected, Stephanie took the bait.

As Stephanie’s hand pressed against his butt, Jason heard his mother speak “I’m going shop—”

The pressure from her hand vanished so fast it might never have existed. Stephanie squeaked, “Good morning, Mrs. Thomas.” Jason turned around in time to see Stephanie facing his mother.

“Good morning, Stephanie,” his mother said, her eyes twinkling, “it’s nice to see you give Jason a hand.”

Jason couldn’t help it and burst out laughing. Both his mother and Stephanie glanced at him.

Mom said, “I'm going to the store, is there anything you need, Jason?"

"I don't think so."

"Jason needs body wash and toothpaste," said Stephanie.

Amused, Shirley asked, "Any particular type of body wash?"

"Something light, he doesn’t need anything strong."

"I don't know how Jason managed to survive without you, Stephanie. I'll take care of it."

After Mom drove away, Stephanie shifted to the full Displeased Girlfriend Glare. “You rat, what if she sent me home?”

“Ha, Mom likes you. Heck, I think she likes you more than she likes me. She and Dad are all concerned about the terrible things I might do to you.”

“What do you mean, ‘might do?’” Anyone else might fall for her “hands-on-hips, offended girl” act. He, however, knew that pose was a sham.

“Well, I ‘might do’ it again, if you ask nicely,” he said.

“Like I should have to ask?”

Jason stepped closer. “No, you don’t have to ask. While Mom’s gone, let’s take a break and get started on that long list of terrible things.” Instead of waiting for her reply, he took her hand and walked towards the old loveseat stashed against the wall. Without a word, she followed.

***

Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, Shirley Thomas sang along with another of her favorite oldies. “…Come on to me, come on to me now…” The autopilot beeped to signal arrival, and she took control, steering the minivan into her driveway. Ahead, inside the garage, Jason carried a cardboard box and placed it where Stephanie directed. Shirley chuckled. Nothing wrong with the balance of power in their relationship.

After parking and popping the hatch on her minivan, Shirley strolled into the garage to survey the progress. The teen’s rumpled clothes and red faces painted a picture of diligent, hard work. "It looks like you two have been busy, you're both red-faced. Maybe you should take a break?"

***

Why can’t Dad go digital? The unwieldy carton, filled with back issues of the Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine, slipped out of his grasp for the second time. Squatting to pick it up again, he glanced across the garage just in time to spy Stephanie bend over an open cardboard box. His eyes followed her legs until they disappeared under her skirt. She had to know he’d look. The angle was perfect. Lots of leg showing and the goods were neatly hidden in shadow. Ever since she pushed their boundaries out, seeing those shadowed goods became a priority.

The box was heavy. Jason should have used the two-wheeler. He took another peek, this time catching Stephanie checking to see if he’d seen her. The color on her cheeks him told all he needed to know. With a renewed vigor, he hoisted the carton up and carried it out to the pile.

"What's this, Jay?" she called.

“One second, sweetheart.” The box joined a stack of similar boxes filling the center of his father’s usual parking spot.

“Let me see,” he leaned over the box, the knuckles of his right-hand brushing across the back of Stephanie’s thigh. Was it his imagination, or did she shiver? “Oh, that’s dad's tent. He bought it for camping, but we never went."

Her fingers slipped over his and squeezed, raising goosebumps on his arm. Stephanie said, "I've never been inside a tent. Can we set it up?”

Jason helped himself to a second portion of Mom’s key lime chicken. Across the table, his parents discussed having another after-dark, adult swim session. Anything involving his parents and darkness usually resulted in a happy mom in the morning, and waffles for breakfast. If he could leverage his parent’s happy thoughts into permission for the tent, then he’d make Stephanie happy. While a happy Stephanie didn’t result in waffles, it did have other fringe benefits.

Plans for their late date complete, his parents resumed eating. Now would be a good time. “Excuse me, Dad,” Jason said, “can Stephanie and I set up your tent?”

"When will you finish the garage?" Dad had that cagey lawyer look in his eyes.

"Everything’s sorted. There's a pile of your stuff left. Once you go through it, we'll put the rest away."

"I bet Stephanie helped." Dad held up a hand to prevent Jason from answering. "Son, if you ever manage to marry her, you're going to have a wonderful life." Jason's father, demonstrating wisdom, reached over and took Mom’s hand. "Just like me."

Dad turned to Mom. “What do you think?”

“Jason can dig out the flower beds for me. Then install the frames. I want to get the bulbs in before too long.”

“Is that suitable, Jason? Build your mother’s flower beds, and you can set up the tent.”

Jason nodded.

Satisfied, Dad nodded and changed the subject. "School starts up soon. What if you find a different girl, or if she finds another boyfriend?"

"Steph is homeschooled. As for me, I can't imagine finding a better girl."

Dad shrugged. "I can't either. It's too bad her parents are always working. I’d like to meet them."

"Me too," Mom said, "They've raised an exceptional daughter."

Unleashed on their tent project, they had it assembled in short order. Then Stephanie read the instructions. Under her guidance, they took it apart and reassembled the tent properly.

The tent provided fresh air, cool shade, and a certain delicious measure of privacy. Stephanie lay on her stomach with her shirt pulled up to her shoulders. Jason sat next to her and ran his fingertips up and down her back.

Sometimes, his fingers found their way under the waistband of her skirt. He never lingered too long or went too far, and Steph never seemed to notice. The flush on her neck, however, told him everything.

"Mmmm...” she groaned. “Your fingers make me squirmy."

"I love touching you," Jason replied. He thought about reaching down and running a hand up the back of her legs.

Stephanie noticed the rough edge to his voice. "What are you thinking?" her voice had a familiar playful lilt.

Surprised by the question, he told her the truth. "I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

Without any warning, Stephanie rolled onto her back and pulled Jason down to her. This far away from Alfred’s pickups, they enjoyed a completely uninterrupted make-out session.

Breathless, Stephanie asked, “Do you think your parents would let us sleep out here tonight?”

“Just us, alone? No way. Dad gives me the “you’re old enough to make bad decisions” talk every couple of days.”

“What about the condoms?” She glared past him, towards his house. “Not that we’re going to use them, but why buy them for you, if you don’t have a chance to use them?”

“It’s Mom and Dad's insurance policy. In case I manage to trick Saint Stephanie into something naughty. Seriously though, Mom likes you, she’d probably say, ‘yes’ if you ask.”

“Never mind, my mom wouldn’t go for it anyway. Hmm, I have an idea: what if you ask about sleeping out without mentioning me?”

“Mom, Dad, do you think I can camp outside in the tent tonight?”

“I don’t see why not. If you need anything, Alfred can let you in.”

On his way out to the tent, Jason grabbed his tablet. He found a few other online tutorials to read.

***

Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie kept an eye on her daughter. The girl had something on her mind. It had to be Romeo related. After all, according to Stephanie, the sun rose just to make him happy. Of late, unless Yevgeny was home, most conversations revolved around the young, Mr. Wonderful. In a way, her daughter’s honest affection for the boy gave Natalie an odd feeling. She never had an opportunity to fall in love. If not for the ancient romantic comedies—Pretty Woman hit especially close to home—she wouldn’t even know romantic love existed. After numerous, impossible to ignore sighs, Stephanie finally worked up the nerve to ask a question.

“Mom, can I visit Jason tonight?”

Natalie glanced at the digital clock. “Tonight? It’s almost ten o clock. He’s probably in bed.”

“He’s sleeping out in his tent tonight. I thought I could go and see him.” Anyone else, looking upon Stephanie, would see a proper young woman, a picture of innocent intent.

Natalie knew her daughter as well as she knew herself. The thought of Stephanie alone in a tent with her equally smitten boyfriend sounded like a recipe for disaster. Natalie rolled her eyes, careful not to allow Stephanie to see. “Absolutely not, little miss. We’ve talked all about that.” Of course, they both understood the nature of “that.”

“Mom,” (It still amazed Natalie how much anguish Stephanie could pack into a short, single-syllable word.) “We just want to talk.”

“No way. I’m sorry, sweetie. If things get out of hand, our plans are ruined.”

Natalie had to give the girl credit. She didn’t scream or put up a fuss. Instead, she replied with a calm voice.

“Okay, Mom, I guess I’ll go to bed instead. Good night.”

Natalie waited a bit before climbing the stairs herself and getting ready for bed. She might have made more noise than usual. After shutting off the master bedroom light, she crept downstairs to wait in the kitchen.

She didn’t have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later, Stephanie, barefoot and wearing a short cotton nightshirt, slipped into the kitchen and opened the security system panel. It hadn’t occurred to Natalie that her daughter also knew how to hack the cameras.

When Stephanie stepped to the back door, Natalie spoke, “You’re still going to meet Jason? Even though you know you shouldn’t?”

Stephanie stopped with one hand on the door handle. “I love him, Momma.”

Natalie sighed and stood. Even though this was a terrible idea, she knew her daughter believed her affections were real. “I know you do. Tell me, daughter, what’s it like loving Jason?”

“It’s the best thing in the world. Jason makes my heart smile.”

Natalie stepped close and hugged her youngest daughter. “I’m so happy for you.” She pulled back and met her daughter’s eyes. “I suppose after Kansas, you understand the risk.”

“I do.”

Stephanie stepped back as Natalie opened the outside door. Without looking back, her daughter vanished into Jason’s yard.

***

As they had arranged, Jason left the tent's door unzipped. Steph slipped under the flap and, after fumbling around, zipped it shut. She felt Jason stir next to her. With the door zipped shut, she sat and flicked on their battery-powered lantern.

He said, "I didn't think you'd come."

"Mom didn't want me to. She thinks we'll do something we shouldn't."

In the dim light, Stephanie saw Jason's grin. "Will we?" he asked.

"Maybe. You know how I feel about you."

"I feel the same about you, sweetheart."

Stephanie dimmed the lantern and slid into Jason's open sleeping bag. She caught one of his hands. "Kiss me, Jason."

It was the cardinals that saved them.

Jason woke from a deep sleep. Echoes of a dream lingered, although the details faded as he tried to pin them down. All that remained was a jumbled recollection of he and Steph making out, and…and a warm body stirred next to him.

Opening his eyes, a mass of dark red hair shared his pillow. He reached out, and less than an inch of space separated them. His hand found Stephanie’s waist and bunched up nightshirt, lower down her bare hip.

He and Stephanie had a plan. She’d slip back into her house before morning. But things got intense, and certain boundaries became fuzzier. Not that anything too serious happened, he’d remember if it had. If that happened, he’d better remember.

Last night’s fuzzy boundaries and Stephanie’s warmth tempted him to freshen his memories. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled their bodies together, big spoon to little spoon. She stirred again and shifted a hand to cover his. He marveled at how well they fit together.

From the tree above the tent, the bright, two-part trill of a cardinal announced a new day.

“Jason,” said Stephanie, “did we fall asleep?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Let me up. I need to go home.”

Before letting go, he hugged her. “I love you, sweetheart.”

Stephanie rolled over to face him, one of her legs nudged its way between his. The implicit intimacy reflected the new fuzzier boundaries. “I love you too, Jay.” Stretching, she kissed his cheek. Her eyes sparkled, “I’d kiss you, but morning breath.”

Considering the new “things” they’d both learned to deal with, morning breath came in third or fourth place. “It won’t bother me.”

“I meant yours, boyfriend.”

“Oh, that’s low.”

Her lips pressed against his then opened in a kiss as deep as any from the previous night. Except for the beat of his heart, everything else slowed.

The happy cardinal trilled again. Regretfully, Jason and Stephanie pulled away from each other. He said, “Now I know why sleeping together is so dangerous. It’s the waking up part. I’m going to take a long, cold shower.”

“Me too,” she said.

Slowly, because neither of them wanted this moment to end, they sat up. Jason unzipped the door and checked outside. Except for the porch light, all the lights in his house remained off. “It’s clear,” he said, then crawled out and held the flap. Stephanie followed and stood, straightening her nightshirt.

“I’ll walk you to the gate.” Hand in hand, they walked through the dew-wet grass.

***

Shirley Thomas opened the bedroom curtains. From the bathroom, Alfred recited the morning news brief while Robert shaved. This new house, with its state-of-the-art amenities, had grown on her. She loved the house and the yard. If the above ground pool continued to see use, they might upgrade to an in-ground pool. Her eyes tracked over to the tent and the pair of footprints leading away through the grass.

Uh, oh, “Robbie, you may want to see this.”

Alfred’s news brief cut off, and Robert called back. “That implies I may not want to see whatever it is.”

“Your son had company last night.”

“You’re right. I don’t want to see it.”

“Get over here, ‘Dad.’”

“Hmm, oh,” his head turned as he followed the tracks. “They almost got away with it. What do you want to do?”

“We’ll talk to Jason and make sure he’s acting responsibly. I may talk to Stephanie’s mother. It’s past time we met.”