"Congratulate me," Luis said as he sauntered through the front door. "I got a job!"

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful!" Veronica walked from the bedroom into the den. "Where is it?"

"That new ice cream parlor that just opened up a couple of blocks from here. They want me to paint pictures of cows on the walls inside."

"That's all? And then what?"

Luis shrugged. "Whatever."

Veronica sighed with frustration. "I'm going to the store. We need milk and eggs."

She was standing in the check-out line when she heard it. "Veronica Ganz doesn't wear pants."

"Why, yes I..." Suddenly she remembered and turned around to see him standing there grinning at her. "Peter Wedemeyer!"

"Hey!" He reached to embrace her. "How are you? It's been ages, hasn't it?"

"Forever," Veronica agreed. She and Peter had started out as enemies. After learning that she often bullied other classmates, Peter had tormented her with his teasing, always clever enough to escape her wrathful vengeance, until in the end he and two of his friends had ganged up on her and beat her up. Later he'd felt remorse for his actions and had gone to her and apologized, and she'd forgiven him and they'd become good friends.

That had been in junior high. Once high school had started, they'd slowly drifted apart and gone their separate ways. Peter had gone away to college, and Veronica hadn't seen him since then. After four years, she assumed he'd moved on with his life, never dreaming that she'd one day encounter him again in the neighborhood grocery store.

"So what are you doing now?" asked Peter.

"Dental assistant," Veronica told him. "You?"

"Just got my bachelor's degree in accounting," he replied. "Came back to visit the old neighborhood and see what it's like now before starting my serious job searching."

Their purchases completed, they left the store and began to walk along the sidewalk.

"So do you still live with your mom, or do you have your own place now?" asked Peter.

"My own place," said Veronica.

"Great!" said Peter. "Maybe I could come by sometime."

"Maybe," Veronica said vaguely. She simply couldn't think of a way to bring up the subject of Luis with him.

It had taken Peter a moment to recognize her when he'd first seen her again, but once he had, he'd been overwhelmed by how beautiful she'd become. The once too-tall, awkward adolescent had blossomed into a stunning young woman with curves in all the right places. He wondered whether she was involved with anyone but simply couldn't get up the nerve to ask her.

"So in which direction do you live?" he asked at the corner.

"Up that way." Veronica nodded in the direction of her apartment.

"I'm headed that way." Peter tilted his head in the opposite direction. "Well, it was great to see you again, Veronica. Can I call you sometime?"

"It would be better if I called you," said Veronica. "You see...there's this guy named Luis, and I'm engaged to him."