They had another barbecue in the Kelleher’s back yard to celebrate Betsy’s first birthday. All the usual suspects were in attendance.

Kristin had asked to talk to Sophia privately, so they were huddled in a corner of the backyard. Everyone else was gathered in the general vicinity of the picnic table.

"Hey, Warren, you know what?" Jess, sitting next to him, said. "Your little brother is a hunk."

Ryan—who heard her—laughed, as did Warren. "Hey, Jess, if you’re going after my brother, you’d better like sharing. And not just with one, with about ten."

Ryan laughed. "Oh, it hasn’t been that bad."

"You should see it," Warren told Jess. "Every time I step into this house, there’s a new girl on Ryan’s arm."

"Well, of course," Jess grinned. "Like I said, he’s a hunk. Plus, if he’s your brother, Warren—he’s probably a sweetheart and very smart."

"That’s me all over," Ryan grinned.

"So," Jess continued, "if he hasn’t yet found his Sophia, why not play the field?"

"Well, that’s what I had been thinking," Ryan said.

Jess picked up something from the way that he phrased that. "Things have changed, haven’t they?"

"Yeah," Ryan admitted. "Well, maybe."

"Laurel," Warren guessed.

"Good call, big bro," Ryan grinned.

"Clue me in," Jess said.

"Laurel Tingsley," Ryan told her. "She lives out in West Boylston, near Worcester. I met her in March. Georgia Tech held this get-together for everyone from around here that’s going to be attending in September. That’s where we met. We hit it off, and started e-mailing and IMing and that. We’ve seen each other a number of times. That’s tough, West Boylston’s not close, and we’re both working for the summer. But we’ve managed, about every other week. She went to the prom with me—and Warren’s wedding."

"Oh, you mean the stunning redhead I saw you dancing with?" Jess grinned.

"That’s her," Ryan grinned. Then the grin faded. "That night, after Warren’s wedding, we made love for the first time. Jess, I’m not inexperienced, OK? But, with her, it was—amazing."

"And now you guys are going to the same college," Jess grinned.

"Yep. We’re going to date when we get there and see what happens."

"From what I understand, Laurel’s in my league academically," Warren said.

"She sure is," Ryan grinned. "And, despite what you said earlier, Jess, I am not. I hold my own; but with Warren and Kris around I’m the family dummy. And Laurel is going to Tech on a full academic scholarship."

"And she’s not impressed with Mister Basketball Scholarship one little bit," Warren teased.

"Actually, she is. That, plus the fact that I could have gotten into Tech academically, though I wouldn’t have gotten a scholarship. But she’s impressed that a jock like me treats her like a person. She was known as a first class geek at her high school."

"She’s gorgeous, though," Jess pointed out.

"Yeah, and she’s not shy or withdrawn or anything. I don’t know. I guess when you’re at the top of everything academically, you’re a geek by definition. She was surprised that I didn’t think she was a geek," Ryan laughed. "Until, at the wedding, she met Kristin."

"That’ll do it," Warren laughed.

"Oh, yeah?" Jess snorted. "Kristin, my ass. She could’ve met you when I first did and she’d know what a geek is."

"Jess, honey, I’ve got news for you," he grinned at her. "I’m still a geek."

Ryan, who knew the whole story, said, "He is, Jess. And you sleep with him!"

"Oh, no, what have I done?" Jess mock-wailed.

Sophia and Kristin grabbed their food and headed over to a corner of the back yard. They sat on the grass. "So, Kris, what did you want to ask me about?"

"Sophie, what is sex like?"

Sophia almost choked on her hamburger. "What?!?"

"I can’t ask my mother," Kristin said softly. "I don’t have a sister. I have no close girlfriends. You’re the only one. And you are my sister now, actually."

"That’s so sweet," Sophia beamed. Then, she looked right at Kristin. "Kris, you and Tom haven’t….."

"No, just kiss. I mean, if I had, would I have to ask you what it’s like?" she giggled.

"Well, unless you were asking me what it’s supposed to be like. Anyway, why, then, were you asking? Are you thinking about it?"

"Yes. No. I don’t know," Kristin sighed. "Look, I’ve known you and Warren have been having sex since I knew what sex was. When I got to be old enough that Mom didn’t care what you guys were doing in Warren’s room, I noticed that you’d always come downstairs looking very happy. And Ryan? The night of your wedding, he was with Laurel." Kristin explained who Laurel was. "When I saw her the next morning, she looked like she had died and gone to heaven."

"I know what’s going on around me," she continued, "but I never thought of it personally, because guys seemed completely beyond me. Then Tom came along. And, God, Sophie, when he kisses me? Wow!"

Sophie smiled at her sister-in-law. "So, something’s waking up."

"And how."

"Kris, do not rush into anything. Please. Trust me on that one."

"I won’t. Heck, I don’t even know when I’m going to see him again!"

"I know. I’m worried that, when you do see him, you’ll be tempted to rush it, just because you don’t see him that much."

"No. I’m just, you know, wondering."

"OK, then. To answer your original question, it depends, and on a lot of things. The first and most important is the guy."

Kristin blushed bright read. "I, er, heard two girls in my class talking about that."

"About what, exactly?" Sophia asked.

"Well, one was saying how great her new boyfriend was, because he was really, you know." She blushed deeper. "Big."

"Bullshit," Sophia laughed. "That’s someone trying to impress a friend. Listen, Warren’s not small….."

Kristin interrupted, dismayed. "Oh, God, I don’t know if I want to know these things about my brother>"

"Hey, Kris, you asked me what sex was like. Who do I have sex with?" Sophia asked bemused. Kristin looked a little sheepish. "Don’t worry, I’ll try not to go into too much graphic detail. Anyhow, Warren’s not small—but he’s not huge, either. I’ve had bigger. I’ve never had better, and it’s not even close. Size means nothing. Attitude means everything."

"Attitude?"

"My pleasure is as important to Warren as his own is. If not more so."

"Oh."

"That is what I mean when I say the guy makes a difference. A lot of other things make a difference. Your attitude." Kristin looked at her. Sophie smiled. "It’s a whole lot better if you are completely sure you really want it."

"Oh. You mean, like, what happened to you before Warren."

"That’s a lot of it. But it even happens nowadays. Look, Warren and I love each other, we’re together, and we take care of each other. There are days that Warren’s really in the mood, and I’m not, but I’ll give in for his sake." Kristin shot her a look. "Oh, Kris, that goes both ways. In fact, it probably goes the other way more often. I’m generally hornier than Warren is, believe it or not." Kristin giggled at that. "But, what I was saying was, the more I’m in the mood, the better it is. If I can say that about Warren, imagine what it was like going to bed with guys when I was really unsure and hesitating. It’s really not worth it."

"How will I know?" Kris asked her.

"You will," she smiled. "Trust me."

"OK. When it’s the right guy, the right time, I’m really sure, all that—is it really that good?"

"Oh, Kris, you won’t believe it. Trust me. You won’t believe how good it is."

They talked a little longer, then headed back towards the rest of the crowd. It was cake time. A kid’s first birthday isn’t complete without watching her attempting to eat chocolate cake and getting it all over herself!

A week later, and Warren and Sophie were headed back to Wisconsin. Because they’d be living in an apartment and not the dorms, they had a lot of stuff to move. So, they rented a truck. However, they still wanted Warren’s van out there with them—and neither of them wanted to drive alone. So, they worked out a plan. Warren would drive the truck, and Crash would accompany him as far as Chicago. Jessie would ride with Sophie and Betsy in the van until Milwaukee. They bought walkie-talkies so they could communicate on the road.

Sophie was driving along the Mass Pike. Jess was sitting in the passenger’s seat, wearing shorts, her sandals off, and her foot was up against the dashboard. She was painting her toenails.

Sophie looked at her, bemused. "How you can do that in a moving car is completely beyond me."

"I’m good," Jess grinned.

"So what do we have today? Pink? Purple? Black?"

"Fuck-Me Red," Jessie grinned. "My favorite."

"It would be," Sophia grinned back. "So, what’s the deal when we stop tonight? You coming in the hotel room with us, or Crash?"

"You guys."

"I thought you and Crash might, you know….."

"I offered," Jess grinned. "He turned me down. It’s Liz."

"Ah."

"Hey, Jay really is a monogamous guy. The only time he ever cheated on me was right at the end, when it was all falling apart." Jessie grinned. "I think he’s really stuck on Liz. You know that nut flew out to LA last weekend just to see her?"

"Cool," Sophia giggled. "This really doesn’t bother you."

"Nope. I’m happy for him. And I’ve liked Liz since you introduced me to her. She’s very down-to-earth, considering. If those guys work it out, I’ll be happy."

"And what about you?"

"I’m fine, Sophie," Jess grinned. "Yeah, I’m looking, I won’t deny it. But I’ve got you and Warren in the meantime, I know you guys love me, and I love both of you. I’m only 21. No rush, you know?" She gave Sophie a wry little grin. "Not everybody finds their soulmate at 14, Miss Romantic."

"I know," she giggled.

"Mama!" they heard from the back seat.

"Ah, someone’s awake. Hi, Betsy," Sophia said.

"Hi, Betsy," Jess echoed.

"Mama! Ahnshess!" Betsy chirped.

"Was that ‘Aunt Jess’?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah, I do believe it was!" Sophia said.

"Ahnshess!" Betsy repeated.

Sophia cracked up laughing. Jessie just looked at her. "She said Aunt Jess before she said anything even remotely resembling Grammy. Do not tell my mother!"

Jessie joined in Sophia’s laughter. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

"You what?" Warren was asking Crash at just about the same time.

"Flew to LA last weekend. I was supposed to finish the summer job last Friday, but I decided to end Thursday. Called Liz up and asked her what she’d do if I hopped on a plane to come out and spend the weekend with her. She said she’d do a jig, then fuck my brains out," he grinned. "Now, come on, what would you do?"

"Fly to LA," Warren laughed.

"You’re a wise man, Warren," Crash intoned with a chuckle.

"So, what’s up with you and Liz?"

"Long distance romance, pretty much. We talked a lot about it this weekend. We’re pretty crazy about each other. We either instant message or talk on the phone for hours every night. It’s going to be tough, no doubt, but there’s definitely something there."

"Does Jess know?" Warren asked.

"Jess knows everything. I even thanked her," Crash laughed. "For two things. One was breaking up with me when she did—it really was one hell of a wake-up call. The other thing was taking me to bed back in February and showing me what I was doing wrong."

"Not that that would make much of a difference with Liz, unless she’s changed."

"Nope," Crash laughed, "she still cums if you look at her cross-eyed. But it’s good for me, you know. I don’t want to have to rely on her reactions."

"And Jess is OK with everything?"

"Jess is lonely. She’s fine with me and Liz, but she’s lonely." He looked at Warren. "And I’m probably overstepping my bounds in a big way, here, but I don’t think you and Sophie are enough. Not in the long run."

"Crash, we know that. Both of us."

"OK. As long as you know that." Crash sighed. "I now agree with Jess and I breaking up, but I will love her until the day I die. I want her to be happy."

"You know I want the same thing. As does Sophie. I think she is happy now." Crash started to say something, but Warren cut him off. "Not in the long run, yes, I know. But, don’t forget how young we all are."

"True. I just feel older," Crash said ruefully.

"That, pal, is because you’re losing your hair."

"Oh, thanks a lot. I’m not even 21 yet, asshole."

"Sorry, but you have a receding hairline."

"I’ve always had a high forehead, where the hell have you been?"

Finally, Warren and Sophia got to Madison.

There was an apartment complex right on the edge of the campus. It was reserved for Seniors, graduate students—and married students. That’s where Sophia and Warren would be living this year. They had a two-bedroom apartment on the third floor.

Right down the hall were Papa Bear and Cait. They had stayed in Madison all summer, and had done a lot of helping to get Warren and Sophia the apartment. Now they, plus Mike and Alexa—who were up on the fifth floor—were helping the duo get their stuff moved in.

They took a couple of days to get moved in and get themselves together. A few days before classes were to start, they had scheduled some ice time. They had called before they got there and had nailed down their ice time for the semester.

About a half hour before they were supposed to hit the ice, they were getting ready, gathering their stuff up, and also Betsy’s so they could drop her off at the day care. The phone rang. It was Kathy, their coach in Wisconsin.

"Hey, Kath!" Warren answered. "Yeah, we’ve got ice time in a half hour. We figured we’d see you then. What?"

Sophia looked on as Warren’s face fell. By the time he hung up the phone, he looked like he wanted to strangle someone.

"What did she say, Warren?" Sophie asked worriedly. He told her.

Sophie was horrified. "WHAT? Jesus Christ, how could she do that to us?"

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