Ford was turning twenty-one. The coming of summer, complete opposite for him when he was a kid, was a giant headache. He always managed to find a way to wiggle his way from coming home to Glass Shard Beach. He had just finished his junior year of college and, while he had a place to stay back in New Jersey, he could hardly stand to be home for the holidays, let alone three whole months.

The summer between freshman and sophomore year, Ford had stayed with Fiddleford in Tennessee. The summer between sophomore and junior year, Ford took some summer classes to earn his fifth PhD. None of the classes this summer that Backupsmore was holding would accomplish a PhD that Ford didn't already have, so he was going to be working full-time at the library to keep him in the dorms.

Summer was always bittersweet, seeing how his girlfriend and lifelong friend, Hephzie, always went home to stay with her grandfather and work as a waitress at The Juke Joint. Ford tried to talk Hephzie into staying with him over the summer, but she admitted to him into missing her grandfather and she hated the idea of leaving him alone ever since Grandma had died. Ford respected the kind heart she had for her family, and so every summer they sent letters to each other, small memoirs about their summers, staying busy and productive.

Hephzie delayed going home or a few weeks to enjoy a mini-vacation. Fiddleford and his girlfriend, Maddie, who was also Hephzie's roommate, also waited to go home until after Ford's birthday. He didn't pretend to be oblivious or unaware of their intentions. While Ford usually hated his birthday and wanted nothing more than a pat on the back and maybe a sweet treat, he was the youngest of the little friends group to turn twenty-one and the other three had purposely been waiting to go out drinking.

And so a fun night had been planned on Ford's birthday, also acting as a celebration for making it to their senior year of college and a somewhat late birthday celebration for the other three. Ford agreed to go out, and after visiting a sushi bar in San Francisco, they walked down a couple of blocks and went into an alcohol bar. It wasn't a loud club with blaring disco music or flashing lights, rather a cozy wooden bar with Appalachian music and motorcycle riders. The four college students quickly made themselves comfortable, Fiddleford and Maddie feeling as if they were back in Tennessee over fried chicken tenders and beer and Hephzie beating Ford at darts.

Ford enjoyed whisky, vaguely remembering his father keeping a bottle above the fridge and having stolen a swing with Stan when they were fourteen, but he was fine after one serving and stuck to water if he was thirsty after that, though he knew he could drink a lot before even feeling a little tipsy. Fiddleford and Maddie both drank two bottles of beer, but Hephzie had rubbed one guy the wrong way and, while the other three had been busy listening to an old sailor's stories, had ended up in a competition with the guy to see who could finish the most shots in sixty seconds. Ford only noticed what happened when he heard loud cheering and turned to the bar to see Hephzie cheering with twelve empty glasses in front of her and the guy in front of her only had nine. Ford felt himself turn a shade paler and he kept a careful eye on Hephzie after that.

Hephzie didn't touch another drop of alcohol, knowing she drank way too much, but she snacked on pretzels and water and hoped that she wouldn't get too drunk, but oh Sweet Lord was she done for.

It wasn't even ten o'clock when Hephzie was so slobbering drunk she could hardly stand straight. Ford had to hold his breath not to laugh at her as her inner child came to the surface. Hephzie was always fun, spontaneous, and outgoing, but at least her delivery was more appropriate for her age. Ford had his full of human interaction and all he wanted was to go back to his dorm and read a book before bed, so he told Fiddleford and Maddie to keep partying without them and Ford would take Hephzie back to Backupsmore. The southern couple normally would have gone back with them, but they had just started karaoke and they wanted to stick around for the music.

Ford had to help Hephzie walk. She stripped over her feet and swayed so dangerously that Ford was worried that she would fall and hit her head, but she was too rambunctious to allow Ford to carry her bridal-style, as he would prefer, so he settled for holding her hand tightly and guiding her to the trolley stop.

When they stopped and waited for the trolley, they let an old lady sit on the bench and they stood. Hephzie then looked down at their held hands and then brought up their hold to her glossy, wide eyes.

"F-F-Fordsie, a-are we… um... datin' or somethang?" She slurred.

Ford chuckled into his free fist and decided to be the voice of reason. "Sweetheart, we've been dating for over three years."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat." Hephzie awed quietly and looked up at him with shining eyes, like this was the best thing she had ever heard in her whole life. "R-Really?"

Ford's chuckled grew. "Yes."

"YAY!" Hephzie cheered, threw her hands up in the air, and then hugged Ford around the neck tightly. "I'm the luckiest gal i-in the world! Hooray! I hit the jackpot!"

"Hephzibah, you're choking me." Ford wheezed.

Hephzie let go quickly and covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh my God, I'm so so so so so, Fordsie! I'm sorry I hurt ya!"

Ford didn't know if it made him a bad boyfriend or not to laugh a little at her overreaction. "It's okay, Hephzie." He said.

Hephzie let out a huge breath and held her heart, then started to fall to the side, but Ford quickly caught her by her underarms. "Oh, thank God! My hero!"

Ford laughed a little and saw the red trolley pulling forward. He helped Hephzie stand up straight and he took her hand again. "Alright, Hephzie, you need to keep your voice down."

"Okay!" Hephzie yelled with a toothy grin.

Ford shushed her gently, but she shushed back loudly. He rolled his eyes and wondered if the world was giving him a clue as to what it was like to parent. The trolley pulled forward and Ford showed their passports and they got on. They took a seat in the back while the old lady several rows in front of them and pulled out some knitting from her bag to work on. Ford sat Hephzie between him and the window and she drunkenly looked out at the city.

The trolley started to pull forward and Hephzie awed at the beautiful scenery. Ford chuckled under his breath at her as she stared at San Francisco and the bright lights that made the city come to life when the sun went down. Ford happily watched her, but soon she slowly looked away from the city and looked at him. Ford smiled gently at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, having not let go of her soft hand since getting on the trolley. He hoped that smile he gave her would make her return it, but his drunk girlfriend just gave him this odd look, like she was doing some deep thinking and putting in a lot of effort in order to do so, the alcohol not helping much.

"Fordsie?" Hephzie said quietly, with a hint of nervousness, like a child about to admit that she had done something wrong.

Ford's smile refused to go away. "Yes, darling?"

"I love ya."

Ford wondered if she couldn't remember that she said that at least five times a day and thought that this was her first time saying so. "I love you, too." He chuckled happily.

"No," Hephzie said and looked down at their held hands. "It-it's not funny. I'm not… I'm not jokin'. I love ya, Fordsie. I love ya more than l-l-life itself… cuz without ya... I have no life."

Ford blinked like a confused owl. He firmly reminded himself that Hephzie was drunk and not entirely herself, but even in her drunken state, she was determined to make sure he knew she loved him. Ford smiled admirably at her, but that smile was soon replaced by awestruck wonder when Hephzie gently held his hand with both of her own, held their hold up a little higher, and she kissed each of his bent fingers slowly and gently. It wasn't uncommon for Hephzie to kiss his hand or for Ford to kiss her hand, but this wasn't a kiss on the back of a hand before parting ways, or a kiss on the knuckles to make fun of classy traditions. Hephzie was passionately kissing all six of Ford's fingers, right over his metacarpals, and holding his polydactyl hand so gently. When Hephzie finished kissing him, she looked up at him with round eyes and his smile returned.

"Hephzibah, I love you, too." Ford said quietly and used his free left hand to cup her cheek and graze it with his thumb. "I love you very much, more than I've ever loved anyone else."

"R-Really?" Hephzie asked.

Ford chuckled at her and brought his left arm around her to have her lean on his chest and rest. "Really."

Hephzie was still heavily intoxicated, but her energy was leaving her and she was more like a sleepy child. She held Ford's gold polo tightly with her free hand and refused to let go of his hand. Ford watched the trolley go over the Golden Gate bridge as they started towards Backupsmore. On one stop, outside of a little neighborhood, the old lady got off, but not without throwing the young couple an ugly look and a "hmph" of disapproval. Ford scowled at her and then was shocked when Hephzie straightened up, pointed at the old lady, and slurred,

"Fuck off."

"Hephzibah!" Ford gasped. "Language."

"It's English, F-Fordsie."

Ford sighed. "No, you shouldn't swear like that."

"Disgusting." The old lady sneered at the door just loud enough for it to be heard from the back of the trolley.

Hephzie surprisingly picked it up while drunk and tried to stand up. "Fuck off, ya saggy ass bitch!"

"Hephzibah, no!" Ford scolded and held Hephzie down in her seat. "Calm down."

"Snot-nosed, ashy-skinned, wrinkly ass, shit-eatin', narrow-minded, long titty, no nipple..."

"For Moses' sake, Hephzibah!" Ford gasped, no longer scolding her but now astounded that she was capable of so many swears, drunk or not. "Calm down, shh."

Hephzie shushed him back, crossed her arms, and mumbled more colorful swears under her breath. Ford sighed and rubbed his forehead, anxious to get Hephzie to her dorm for the night.

Hephzie's anger only lasted a few minutes. Ford watched her slowly unravel from her tight seated position, her face relaxing, and she slipped her arms over Ford's chest and hugged him. He smiled down at her and rubbed her back. He knew her well enough to know that Hephize was like a bunny in her sleep: she curled up as much as she could, holding either her knees or a pillow or whoever she had fallen asleep against, brought her legs close to her body, and often half-buried her face into something soft. Ford had seen her do this on the grass of a warm day, in a desk chair, and by his side. Tonight was no exception.

Ford looked down to see if she was going to fall asleep, but Hephzie's eyes were open and she was quiet the rest of the journey, like she was thinking. Ford kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.

When the trolley pulled up to the gates of Backupsmore, Ford took Hephzie's hand and walked her off the ride. She was slower now, but she didn't stumbled as much now. Ford continued to hold her hand and also wrapped his free arm around her arm to keep her close to his side. Hephzie made no resistance and looked down hazily as they walked across campus.

They were halfway to the dorms when Hephzie spoke again. "F-F-Fordsie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"W-W-Would ya... m-marry me?"

Ford's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. He looked at Hephzie and, for a moment, forgot that she was drunk. "Wh-What?"

"Would ya marry me, Fordsie?" Hephzie asked and they stopped walking. She held both of his hands and even got down on one knee. "I love you so much, Fordsie, but I know ya could do so much better than me. I can't, for the life o' me, figure out why ya would want me, but I can't live without ya, Fordsie. I'd… um… I'd rather jump offta bridge than live a day without ya, so I'm askin' if ya would even consider marryin' me."

She was gazing up at him with pleading eyes. He had only seen that look once or twice. He could remember seeing that same fear, that same pleading look in her eyes when she told him she loved him for the first time. He could also remember a similar look on her face when they first kissed at the library back in New Jersey. It was like Hephzie was too stubborn to ask for Ford not to leave her or hate her or judge her, so she asked with one begging facial expression.

Ford was hurt that Hephzie would think for one moment that there was even a possibility that he wouldn't want her, but there were more pressing matters. Hephzie had just asked him to marry her! Wait, no. She asked if he would marry her. There was a difference, but did a drunk Hephzie know that? Not to mention that Ford didn't think it was a good idea to get engaged when one of them was intoxicated, and he had hoped that the roles would have been reversed when the time came.

He decided to take her seriously, because he could tell that this was serious for her. "Of course I would. I love you, Hephzibah." Ford got on his knees to be level with her and said, "I want to marry you. I would even be okay with hopping on another trolley and marrying you tonight. I love you and I want to spend my life with you, so yes. I would marry you."

Hephzie sighed with relief like she was holding her breath and she collapsed back into his chest. Ford held her tightly and tried to think straight. Someone had to. He was serious. If Hephzie really wanted to, Ford would go with her to a local courthouse and have them married on the spot, but he knew her better than that and knew that she wouldn't want that.

"M'kay." Hephzie slurred into his chest. "Le'go."

Ford smiled down at her. "Go where?"

"Go get married." Hephzie said like it was the obvious thing in the world.

Ford chuckled under his breath. "Maybe tomorrow. Let's get you to bed." And he swiftly held her bridal-style and got up and lifted with his knees. Hephzie was a little heavy, but Ford could carry her just fine to the dorms.

"I'm not tired. I wanna marry ya." Hephzie moaned, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his chest.

Ford couldn't control his chuckling. "I want to marry you, too, but you need some sleep. We can get married tomorrow."

"No, I wanna get married now." Hephzie argued in a childish way.

Ford laughed and they entered the girls' dormitories. The building was mostly empty, it being the middle of June, so Ford couldn't rely on anyone to help him by activating the elevator. Luckily he managed to press the button with his elbow and still talk to Hephzie.

"F-F-Fordsie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Would ya have kids wit me?"

"Someday, yes."

"F-F-Fordsie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"C-Can we name our son after ya?"

"No, sweetheart, I don't think so."

"Aw, boo! I wanna Fordsie Jr."

Ford chuckled as they were ascended up to his girlfriend's floor. "Yes, but I would prefer not to give any of our children my name."

"F-F-Fordsie?"

Ford sighed. "Yes, darling?" As cute as her questioning may be, it was a little draining.

"I wanna have twins."

Ford leaned against the wall of the elevator to help keep Hephzie up. It had been awhile since he had worked out, not since his old boxing days. He smiled sadly down at her. "You do?"

"Mm, hm." Hephzie nuzzled her face a little deeper into his clothing and seemed too close to falling asleep for comfort, though if she did Ford guessed it would be the end of the world. "I-I-I m-miss him."

Ford's smile disappeared again. He was mad at his twin for a lot of things, but this was the icing on the cake. Not only had he abandoned Ford, he had abandoned Hephzie. "I know. I'm sorry."

"P-P-Please don't leave m-me." Hephzie begged.

Ford kissed her forehead. "I won't. I promise."

"F-F-Fordsie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"I love ya."

Ford's smile was back. "I love you, too."

The elevator opened to Hephzie's floor and Ford carried her to her dorm. He carefully pulled out Hephzie's keys from her back pocket, a difficult task one-armed and holding her, but he managed to get the keys, holding Hephzie up with a knee, and ford unlocked her dorm. Half of it was decorated with blue ribbons and plants and flowers and had a red quilt over the bed (Maddie's side of the dorm). The other half was decorated with posters from her favorite music groups and artists, and framed photos. Ford smiled at one that was on her small desk of their small friend group under their usual willow tree. One was of Ford, Stan, and Hephzie fishing as children. Another was Hephzie with her grandparents.

Thankfully, Hephzie's bed wasn't a bunk bed, like Ford's, so he pulled down the covers and tried to lie Hephzie in bed, but she wouldn't let go of him.

"Hephzie, let go." Ford chuckled and tried to pull himself free from her grip as she lied in bed.

"No." Hephzie muttered, her eyes closed and she sounded so close to falling asleep. "Ya said ya wouldn't leave."

Ford rolled his eyes and wanted to laugh, but he suppressed it. "I meant I… okay, fine."

He kicked off his shoes and slid into bed with Hephzie. She finally let go when she was sure Ford wasn't leaving and he slipped off his polo, leaving his white undershirt. Hephzie slipped her shoes off and let them fall off the side of the bed and against the wall. She curled up against Ford's chest, again, and he held her close. Pretty soon the room was blessed with the soft sound of her deep breathing and she was asleep. Ford knew he could probably slip away and go sleep in his own dorm, but why on Earth would he want to do that?

Ford woke up early the next morning and left Hephzie to sleep alone quietly. Maddie camped out with Fiddleford last night to give them some space and Ford had to explain to them that, no, they hadn't done anything aside from sleeping, and the other couple pretended not to believe him.

Hephzie didn't wake up until noon. She had a monster hangover that sent her throwing up the minute she woke up and she spent all day with her head under the blankets and the curtains drawn and she tried to sleep away this horrible headache and nausea. Maddie checked on her from time to time, but Hephzie only drank water and requested to be alone.

A soft knock that felt like someone was hammering on Hephzie's head disturbed her around three o'clock. "What?" She moaned and peeked at the door.

Ford opened it and closed it quietly behind him, a grocery bag in his arm. "Hey, Maddie said you weren't feeling well."

"Did she also tell ya I wanna be alone?" Hephzie groaned and hid her head under the blankets again.

"Yes, but then she said you weren't doing anything to treat yourself, so I knew it was my job to do so." Ford pulled her desk chair up to her bed and gently shook her shoulder. "Come on, you can't take your medicine on an empty stomach."

Hephzie groaned and peeked to see what Ford brought. He pulled out a banana and even peeled it for her. Hephzie sat up and took it. "I don't deserve ya."

Ford gave a huff of amusement. "You sound like a broken record after last night."

Hephzie gasped, nearly choking on her bite of banana, and said in a strained voice that might have been yelling if she wasn't sensitive to sound, "Last night? Shit, I… I don't remember. What the hell did I do?"

Ford stared at her. "You… you don't remember?"

Hephzie took another bite from her fruit to try to get her stupid brain to work and said said slowly, "N-No. I… I remember the bar. That asshole challenged me to a drinkin' contest. I kicked his ass. I tried to eat n' drink a lot of water, but… crap. I don't remember anythang after we sat by the window n' watched that stray kitty walk across the street."

Ford didn't know how to feel about this. Well, maybe it was for the best. Hephzie didn't ask him to marry her. She had asked if he would. There was a difference. It didn't change the fact that Ford still wanted to marry her someday.

"What did I do last night?" Hephzie asked and waited for an answer as she ate.

Ford decided to tell the truth, just not the whole truth. "Honestly, it was like you were nine-years-old again. You were just a bundle of joy. You even forgot we were dating for a moment and cheered when I told you we were. Oh, and you cussed out this old lady on the trolley."

"I did?" Hephzie giggled.

"You did." Ford laughed. "You told her she had no nipples."

Hephzie snorted and had to hold the banana away as she laughed, but then regretted the sudden loud noise and rubbed her forehead. Ford laughed quietly at her before pulling out a sports drink and a bottle of aspirin.

"Here, take this. The migraine should be gone soon."

Hephzie took the pills, popped them in her mouth, and then took the drink and swallowed. "What else happened?"

Ford looked to the side, avoiding her eyes, and said, "Well, you became clingy as you fell asleep. I ended up sleeping here with you. You wouldn't let go. And… that's it."

Hephzie smiled mischievously at him. "Did I wake up a virgin?"

"Yes, Hephzibah, we both did." Ford said with a roll of his eyes.

Hephzie snapped her fingers. "Shit, then that's the point of gettin' drunk?"