THURSDAY, JUNE 12 SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Phoebe was relaxing in her bedroom when she noticed an email from Mrs. Hopkins, the Director of the Walkerville Animal Shelter. Mrs. Hopkins had always considered Phoebe her best (and most persistent) volunteer, and the two had kept in touch after Phoebe moved away.
Hey Pheebs!
I hope you're doing well. Things are humming along as always here at the shelter. I heard your reunion is next week. Are you going? If so, let me know. There's something I want to discuss with you while you're in town if you can spare the time.
Take care,
Julia
As she replied, Phoebe wondered what Mrs. Hopkins wanted. She made a mental note to meet with her. If nothing else, she wanted to know how the shelter was doing.
FRIDAY, JUNE 13 WALKERVILLE COURT HOUSE WALKERVILLE, OH
Wanda arrived an hour before her designated court time. Luckily, she had earned some money doing odd jobs for neighbors while they were at work, and thus had the $150 to pay her speeding ticket.
At the courthouse, she saw Ralphie in uniform and approached him.
"Testifying against me? What kind of friend are you?"
"Are you fighting it? If so, then yes I am. It's part of my job."
Wanda smiled. "No, I'm not fighting it, and I understand. Just teasing you."
Ralphie tipped his hat. "Good." After a pause, he continued. "You look good, Wanda."
She looked at him funny. "How did you expect me to look? Like a burnout?"
Ralphie stammered, failing to come up with a response. Wanda sighed and touched his arm. "I know what you meant. I've been getting that a lot. Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. Really."
"OK, Wanda. I gotta go. See you next week at the reunion." Ralphie tipped his hat as he left, leaving Wanda to head into the courtroom.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 SAN FRANCISCO GREYHOUND STATION
Phoebe picked a seat and hoped it wasn't sticky. Upon sitting down, she breathed a sigh of relief and attempted to get comfortable for the very long ride ahead. Despite Caitlin's badgering to buy a plane ticket, Phoebe stuck with the bus to save money. In hindsight though, Phoebe was regretting that decision, especially since it meant two extra days away from her cases. For someone who almost never took days off, it felt wrong to be away that long, no matter how much her boss encouraged her to relax and have a good time for once.
Behind her, Phoebe could hear someone praying to the porcelain god in the bathroom at the back of the bus. She let out a world weary sigh and grabbed one of the books she had brought for the trip (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings). As the bus pulled away, she put on headphones, grabbed an energy bar, and opened her book. Looking at the scenery on the cross country trip could come later.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 8:37 AM NEW YORK CITY
A frazzled Dorothy Ann pulled up in front of Tim's apartment building. She had just picked up her phone to text him when he came out with his roommate Annie.
"Have a great time, Tim. Don't do anything too crazy," said Annie as she gave him a light hug.
"Thanks. Don't worry. I'll get you that scrap metal."
"Awesome! You're the best." She turned to DA in the car. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Annie, one of Tim's roommates."
The two shook hands through the driver's side window. "Nice to meet you. I'm Dorothy Ann, aka DA. I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd like to get to Walkerville at a decent hour."
"Oh, no problem. Have a great time."
As Annie went back inside, DA got out of the car and turned to Tim. "You're driving for now. Getting here after entering the city was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life."
Tim laughed and got in on the driver's side. "Welcome to New York, DA."
DA entered on the passenger's side. "Thanks. I'll take over somewhere in Pennsylvania."
With that, the two took off. The first hour was mostly spent in silence as they concentrated on getting out of the city. Eventually, Dorothy Ann spoke up. "It was nice that one of your roommates saw you off."
Tim nodded. "Yeah. Brian had a gig last night, so he earned his sleep, and anytime Jeff wakes up before 10 he's an ogre all day, so it was for the best he wasn't there."
DA looked at him probingly. "Just please tell me you noticed that Annie likes you."
"What?! C'mon DA, don't revert back to high school before we even get to the reunion."
DA put up her hands. "C'mon Tim. She's an artist that got up early for you. I saw her smiles and affection towards you. Is she like that with your other roommates?"
Tim thought about it a moment. "No, she's not," he said flatly.
DA smiled. "I may not do much psychological field research, but it seemed pretty obvious."
Tim sighed and made it clear that the topic was to be dropped, and an exhausted DA soon fell asleep.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 10:23 AM WASHINGTON, DC
As she and Casey finished packing, Keesha went over the trip plan. "Alright, we head to Akron today. We have dinner with your parents and stay overnight. Friday morning we head to Cleveland to pick up Phoebe, then drive down to Walkerville and stay at my mother's place. Saturday night we show everyone how awesome we are at the reunion."
Casey grinned at his fiancée. "Sounds like a plan, boss."
"Your parents should be happy that we have wedding details for them."
"Oh yes. It'll be like pointing a stick at an alligator's mouth to keep it from biting you."
The two climbed into Keesha's Nissan. "Now for the fun part, DC traffic!" she said. Both raised their arms in fake excitement.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 12:48 PM SOMEWHERE IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Tim stopped at a McDonalds and woke up DA. "Hey sleepyhead, figured we could use some grub and a chance to stretch our legs."
DA groggily nodded in the affirmative. The two went inside, ordered, and sat down in an uneasy silence.
Finally, DA spoke up. "Why is this so awkward?"
Tim mulled it over. "We haven't seen each other in a while, so naturally it's going to take a while to get our bearings. Plus, we are two very different people."
Dorothy Ann raised an eyebrow, so Tim continued. "Think about it. We always hung out in the group, but never much together. You were busy with studying and activities and striving for greatness, and I was busy with my art work. Don't get me wrong. I consider you one of my best friends just like I do the others, but there was never a lot of one-on-one time between us, so it makes sense that it would be awkward now that all this time has passed."
DA thought a moment before responding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry, Tim. I certainly didn't mean to ignore you in high school."
"No need to apologize. There were eight of us, each with our own thing going. No way could we all be equally close to one another. Plus, I could have stood to be more outgoing at the time."
DA nodded. "True. You always were hanging back, usually sketching."
Tim smiled. "Well, you guys made great models for sketching with the crap we did."
"Do you regret being so quiet?"
"A little bit. Do you regret being so obsessed with studying and being the best?"
"Yeah, a little bit. I know I missed out on some things because of it."
Tim leaned forward. "Well, look at this way, Doctor. You don't have to study for anything this weekend. So, I prescribe you let loose a little and have some fun."
DA couldn't help but laugh. "OK, but I prescribe that you put away the art tools for the reunion so the rest of us can get to know you a little better."
"Deal," Tim said as they shook hands.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 6:34 PM WALKERVILLE REC CENTER
Crack
Ralphie let out a small smile. That was the kind of contact he used to make with regularity.
Crack
Despite everything that had happened, going to the batting cages was one of his favorite methods of relaxation. He still loved baseball, and for the time being, this was the best he could do to keep playing. Those in town kept begging him to start playing American Legion ball, but Ralphie still wasn't sure his knees could handle it.
Crack
Ralphie's thoughts turned to the reunion, which for him would start tomorrow when Carlos and Martina stopped by for a drink. Ralphie found himself becoming more and more nervous about it. Carlos was his best friend in the group (although Carlos's best friend was DA), but even he didn't know the full extent of Ralphie's mental suffering over the years. He still wasn't sure how much he should share with his friends. He didn't want to bum them out during what should be a happy occasion. In addition, he felt extra pressure as the only one still residing for the long term in Walkerville. It made him the de facto host of the reunion. The gang would meet at his place on Saturday night before heading to the school.
Crack
Ralphie quieted those thoughts and went back to concentrating on the pitches coming from the machine, back to his happy place where he could pretend they were coming from live pitching in a big stadium.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 8:20 PM WALKERVILLE, OH REYNOLDS FAMILY HOME
"Let me get a good at you, son," Mr. Reynolds said to Tim not two minutes after he entered the house. "Not looking too bad. I was afraid you'd look like a skeleton."
"Dad, for the last time, I'm not destitute and I eat regularly."
"Tim, we waited for you to get here before eating," chimed in Mrs. Reynolds. "Please, sit down."
"Thanks Mom."
The family sat down to eat. They talked about how Tim was doing in New York, and how his two sisters (one older and one younger) were living their lives. The older sister, Jane, was five months pregnant with her first child, while the younger, Bianca, had just entered grad school. At one point, Tim mentioned the scrap metal for Annie. His father agreed on the condition that Tim work in the garage the next day. The meal concluded with the Reynolds family having a glass of their one of a kind grain alcohol (for which the only legal use is to strip varnish off speedboats).
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 8:56 PM WALKERVILLE, OH PARKER RESIDENCE
"So, Dorothy Ann, have you given any thought about what your specialty will be?"
DA was far from surprised that her father, the original Dr. Parker, asked that question within the first ten minutes of her arriving. Luckily she knew it was coming and had an answer prepared.
"Well, certainly not gynecology, no matter what the old fossil attendings at my hospital think I should do."
Mrs. Parker nodded emphatically. "Certainly dear. Don't let anyone pigeonhole you, especially those that still wish the only women in a hospital were nurses in short skirts."
Mr. Dr. Parker agreed, "Absolutely, but what will your specialty be?"
DA continued. "I've been leaning towards cardiology. The whole circulatory system is fascinating to me, and I have an in with the department head, so I should be able to get into the program in a few months."
Her father, who was a pulmonologist, gave a look of approval. "It's not quite following my footsteps, but cardiology is good, and they are always in high demand."
"Good. That means I can get out of Hartford at some point."
DA's parents continued to pepper her with questions about work and her life in general. It didn't take long for her to get tired of it and to try and change the subject. "So, how's Evan doing?"
"She's, um, doing OK. Doing her best to make it," Mrs. Parker stumbled. The youngest of the Parker sisters, Evan rebelled from the culture of academic achievement. Instead, she threw herself into dancing, and was currently traveling the Midwest with a troupe she helped start.
Internally, DA sighed. Evan was doing what she loved, and while her parents didn't try to stop it, DA wished they respected it more.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 9:07 AM CLEVELAND GREYHOUND STATION
Casey had an arm around Keesha for two reasons while they waited for Phoebe. One reason was for protection given the sketchy area they were in. The other reason was to try and calm her down while she ranted.
"She is never doing this again! I don't care what the cost of a plane ticket is! We'll figure it out and make it work! This is insane!"
"Keesh, what's done is done," Casey interjected. "Look, I think I see her bus."
As if on cue, Phoebe emerged from the bus, looking very tired and somewhat disheveled. When she saw Keesha, she immediately perked up. The two women ran towards each other and shared a long embrace. They also began speaking at a frenetic pace and at a pitch normally reversed for whistles only dogs can hear.
Casey laughed to himself and grabbed the bags Phoebe had dropped in her haste. The women broke their embrace and Phoebe turned to him. "Hey, Casey."
Casey gave her a hug. "Hello, woman I compete with for Keesha's love."
Phoebe giggled and kissed his cheek. "And don't you forget it."
At that moment, Keesha's phone rang. "Sorry guys, it's an interview subject. I have to take this." She put the phone to her ear. "Keesha Franklin speaking…Hello, Mr. Davis…"
Casey looked at Phoebe. "Her work is never done."
"I know the feeling," Phoebe replied.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 10:42 AM ALEXANDRIA, VA
Arnold and Kathleen walked back to their SUV, having just dropped their son off at Kathleen's parents for the weekend. Both had the forlorn look of new parents leaving their child for the first time, even if it wasn't.
"Why is it we're always so sad to leave Stephen, but he's always so excited?" Kathleen wondered.
"Because he knows his grandparents are going to spoil him rotten the next two days, which will get him off his routine, which we will then have to spend a week trying to undo the damage," Arnold replied. "Don't worry. By Sunday he'll be begging for his Mommy."
"And his Daddy too."
Arnold shrugged. "Eh, could go either way on that."
Kathleen laughed. "Is that the persona you want to show your friends for this reunion? The 'woe-is-me' Arnold?"
"Hey, I've told you before. My self-confidence solely comes from you being crazy enough to fall in love with me."
Kathleen shook her head. "Flatterer."
They merged on I-270 and promptly hit bumper-to-bumper traffic, eliciting a simultaneous "D'oh!"
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 1:27 PM CINCINNATI, OH
"Carlos, get your ass out here already!"
Her boyfriend's slowness was trying Martina's patience. After what felt like an eternity, Carlos came out with the rest of his luggage. As usual, he was grinning like nothing was wrong.
"Hey babe."
"Don't 'hey babe' me, Carlos. I've been sitting out here for 15 minutes. What took you so long?"
"You know, just making sure I had the perfect outfit for tomorrow night."
Martina just glared at him. "I'm the girl in this relationship, right?"
Carlos grinned again. "Of course, but I'm proud of my metrosexual self."
Martina smiled in spite of herself. "I can never seem to stay mad at you, can I?"
"Nope. I'm just that charming and you're just that awesome."
The couple got into their used Honda. "Why can't we have a more kick-ass car again?" Carlos asked.
"Because it doesn't make sense to sink a bunch of money in an asset that depreciates as fast as a vehicle does," Martina playfully lectured.
"I love it when you speak nerdy accountant to me."
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 4:23 PM WALKERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Wanda knew it was insane, but she didn't care. Tomorrow she would seeing the whole Frizzle gang for the first time in years, and it was making her more and more nervous. She didn't want to talk about it with her mother, and certainly not her brother, so the only possible person left was their beloved former teacher. Wanda couldn't be sure if the Friz still remembered her. Hell, she wasn't even sure Ms. Frizzle was still around, but there was only one way to find out.
Wanda reached the school only to find it virtually deserted. Wanda slapped her head. It's summer and there's no school, you idiot! Undeterred completely though, Wanda searched around looking for at least some assurance that Ms. Frizzle was still around somewhere. She went to where the Bus was usually parked back in the day, but there was no sign of it. She peered through the window into their old third grade classroom, but there was no obvious clues that it was still Ms. Frizzle's classroom. Unwilling to break into the school, Wanda sighed and walked away.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 6:12 PM WALKERVILLE CEMETERY
This doesn't get any easier, does it? Keesha thought as her, her mother, and Casey visited the gravestone of her grandmother. Casey didn't know the elder Mrs. Franklin very well, but held Keesha's hand for support as she and her mother talked to the gravestone. Keesha noted that her grandmother had the honor of knowing certain wedding details before anyone else.
At some point, the trio noticed Phoebe and her father down the road visiting Phoebe's mother's grave, their bikes tethered together and leaning on the oak tree near Mrs. Terese's headstone. Keesha couldn't help but laugh as they walked towards the Tereses. Phoebe noticed them and met them halfway. The two best friends shared an understanding hug.
Keesha's mother spoke first. "Did you girls talk about this beforehand?"
Phoebe shook her head, arm still around Keesha. "No ma'am, I fell asleep in the car ride back to Walkerville."
"Well, maybe you mind melded again," Mrs. Franklin continued. "Mark, our daughters do not look ready to separate. Would you and Phoebe like to have dinner with us at our house?"
Mr. Terese smiled. "Not to speak for Phoebe, but we would like that very much, Sheila. Thank you."
Casey fake groaned. "We're not getting any alone time this weekend, are we Keesh?"
"Ha! It's cute that you even thought that," retorted Keesha as she let go of Phoebe and kissed him.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 7:38 PM WALKERVILLE, OH RALPHIE'S HOUSE
Payoff pitch to Santana…got him looking for the first out.
Click. Ralphie sighed as he failed yet again to get through a baseball game on TV. Luckily before he could get too down, the doorbell rang. Waiting on the other side were Carlos and Martina.
"Hey bro, how you doing?" Ralphie said with a huge grin as he and Carlos gave each other the half man-hug.
"Excellent dude. Great to be back in the old stomping grounds, and look, I'm in a cop's house for legitimate purposes! Take that old people who look at me funny on the streets!"
Ralphie just looked at him. "Yep, still the same Carlos." He turned to Martina and they gave each other the European cheek kissing greeting, "How are you, Martina?"
"I'm alright. It's been a pleasant evening, save for when Carlos's mother looked at my left hand, saw nothing, and blurted out 'So I see you two are still in living in sin.' That part was a blast."
Carlos laughed nervously as his face reddened. Ralphie came to his rescue. "Ah, good old Catholic guilt. We didn't ask for it, but it was given to us anyway."
Martina smiled. "You said it. Where is the bathroom? I need to, freshen up, as you anglophiles say."
Ralphie pointed. "Second door to the left down that hall. Want a beer?"
"Whiskey on the rocks please."
"Done and done. Beer, Carlos?"
"Of course."
The two went into the kitchen. Once he heard the bathroom door close, Ralphie smacked Carlos's arm. "You still haven't asked her to marry you yet? What the hell are you waiting for?"
Carlos put up his hands in defense. "Chill man, chill. We've been ring shopping and have one picked out. I just need to pay it off a little more before I get it and officially propose."
"So it's definitely happening?"
"Yes, but you're the only one that knows that."
"You didn't tell your parents?"
"What good will that do? It's not like I need their permission. It's between Martina and me only. They'll find out when it actually happens like everyone else"
Ralphie rubbed his chin. "Won't you need to ask her father's permission?"
Carlos laughed. "You've met Martina, right? She'd flip if I pulled such…let's see, how does she put it…antiquated misogynistic horseshit."
"She does have a way with words," Ralphie said as he handed Carlos a beer and poured Martina's whiskey.
At that moment, Martina reappeared. She immediately peered at Carlos. "You told him about the ring shopping, didn't you?"
"How did you know?"
"The walls in this house aren't that thick. However, for a single guy, I'm impressed by the cleanliness of the place. Good on you, Ralphie."
"Thanks," Ralphie replied as he handed Martina her drink. "So, you're not mad at Carlos for spilling?"
"No. I figured it'd get out sooner or later on this trip. I'm just impressed he kept it from his parents."
"Hey, Ramons can keep secrets sometimes."
Ralphie and Martina immediately convulsed in laughter.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 9:21 PM WALKERVILLE INN
Arnold finished brushing his teeth and walked back to the living area of their hotel room. He found his wife reading a book and stifling a yawn.
"C'mon honey, we finally have some alone time. You can't fall asleep on me now."
Kathleen put down her book. "I chase a toddler around most days, and today I had to deal with your parents trying to poke holes in my life and how I raise my son, so excuse me for being tired."
"I know. I'm sorry. I try to get them to stop, but it's not easy."
Kathleen smiled at her husband. "I know. You defend me, and that's all I can ask. Now, what do you have in mind with this 'alone time'?"
"You're about to find out," Arnold said as he turned out the light, his voice an octave lower than normal.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 10:37 PM PARKER RESIDENCE
Dorothy Ann stood on the balcony of her old room, looking out her old telescope at the night sky. How she missed living in an area with enough darkness to see the stars, and how she missed having the time to do so.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 10:14 AM WALKERVILLE COFFEE SHOP
Phoebe found an open table and sat down. She fidgeted with her hands and coffee, wondering what Mrs. Hopkins wanted. After waiting a few minutes, Phoebe saw a slightly plump woman in her late 50s walking towards her. The woman radiated a certain elegance despite being dressed normally (not too casual, but not too formal) and wearing little makeup. This was Julia Hopkins, long-time Director of the Walkerville Animal Shelter.
"Phoebe! Great to see you," Mrs. Hopkins exclaimed as she went in for a hug.
"You too, Mrs. Hopkins. How's the shelter doing?"
"It's doing wonderful. How's San Francisco? Did you finally get a dog?"
"San Francisco's great. Work and other things keep me plenty busy. No dog yet." Phoebe inherently sighed at that fact. "I couldn't keep a dog cooped up in a tiny apartment all day, so no dog until I get a house. However, my roommate has a cat and she's very cute!"
"Someday, Phoebe. In fact, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about." Phoebe leaned forward in her seat as Mrs. Hopkins continued. "The shelter is looking for a new Associate Director, and we hope that it will lead to succeeding me as Director in a few years. I can't go on forever, and I want to make sure the shelter's in good hands after I retire."
Phoebe was dumbfounded. "Me? You're offering me the job?"
"Unofficially yes. The board knows and they definitely want to at least see your resume and interview you."
"But I don't have administrative experience." Phoebe paused. "And I'm not sure that's what I want to do."
"As for the first concern, nonsense. You have almost twenty years of non-profit experience, and it would be more if I had given in to a certain little girl who begged to volunteer before she was old enough." Mrs. Hopkins smirked as she told the last part. "Also, while you were here, you didn't just clean litter boxes. You were involved with budgeting and fundraising too. If I remember correctly, you're a bit of a budget whiz, right?"
Phoebe blushed, but had to acknowledge the praise. "I live in one of the most expensive cities in the country on a social worker's salary, and you know what it was for me growing up, so I guess so."
"Exactly," Mrs. Hopkins continued. "As for the second concern, that's something you'll have to figure out, and I certainly don't expect a response now. Think about it. You know how slow the wheels of bureaucracy are. It'll still be a few months before we hire, but please, let me know if you're interested as soon as you can."
"I will."
"Good." Mrs. Hopkins stood up. "Unfortunately, I have to go, but it was nice seeing you Phoebe, and believe me, I wouldn't be letting you know about this job if I didn't you could do it *and* do my job someday. I would groom you for it."
Phoebe blushed again. "Um, thanks. I'll think about it."
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 10:36 AM WALKERVILLE SYNAGOGUE
Kathleen mouthed the prayers and phonetically pronounced the Hebrew the best she could. Otherwise, she politely listened to the service. The night before, she and Arnold promised his parents they would attend Temple the next morning. It was essentially what the two negotiated after they stayed at a hotel instead of the Perlstein home.
After the service, the congregation was mulling about. Arnold had gone to the restroom, and his parents predictably chose that moment to approach Kathleen.
Mr. Perlstein spoke first. "I hope things weren't too uncomfortable for you."
Kathleen smiled as sweetly as she could. "Not at all. I always feel welcome here."
"Well, when are you going to start taking Stephen to Temple?" Mrs. Perlstein cut in. "Have you and Arnold even discussed what religion you will raise him?"
"Judith, is this conversation necessary right now?" Mr. Perlstein tried to intervene.
Kathleen put her hand up. "No, it's OK. We haven't really thought about it yet. My family's not very religious, but I'm guessing we'll expose Stephen to different things and let him decide when he's old enough. Honestly, right now my main concern is getting him fully toilet trained."
Before Mrs. Perlstein could rebut, Arnold returned. He noticed yet more tension between his wife and his mother. "So, what are you all talking about?"
"I was just about to convince Kathleen that it's about time to start taking Stephen to Temple," Mrs. Perlstein replied.
"Well Mom, to us he's a little young for that. He's two. We can't get him to sit still for five minutes, much less for a full hour service."
"But you are going to raise him Jewish, right?"
"He will certainly be taught his heritage, but both Kathleen and I feel that he should make his own choice. Whatever he chooses is OK with us."
Mrs. Perlstein sighed, but before she could open her mouth, Arnold opened his. "Mom, I don't know why you feel the need to criticize our parenting decisions, or why you seem to not like Kathleen, but it's gotten beyond old." Arnold put his arm around Kathleen. "This woman is the love of my life and the mother of my child. If you would actually make an effort, I bet you could learn to love her as much as I do, but if you're not going try." Arnold paused to gather strength. "Then there's only so much of us you're going to see, and that includes your grandson. I don't want to do that, but I'm not going to stand here and let you make snide comments towards my wife." He turned to Kathleen. "C'mon, let's go back to the hotel and get ready for the reunion." The two left Arnold's parents looking chastened and a bit stunned.
As Arnold and Kathleen left the synagogue, she turned to him. "There's part of me that should hate you having to defend me like that, but I'm damn glad you did."
Arnold hugged her. "Anytime."
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 1:34 PM TERESE HOUSE
Phoebe spent the late morning and early afternoon riding her bike around town, trying to get her thoughts together. On the surface, the job offer was a dream come true. Phoebe was passionate about many things, but helping animals was forever her biggest passion of all. She couldn't discount the allure of coming back home either. All of her best friends would be no worse than a day trip away, and her father would be right there. Phoebe knew he could take of himself, and asked for help from neighbors and his older brother when necessary, but she still worried about him. She knew one day it would be up to her to take care of him.
At the same time though, she had built a life in San Francisco. It was fresh and exciting. New things happened. She felt that she was making a difference in peoples' lives at both her paid and volunteer work. She was helping hundreds of people improve their lives, and the thought of abandoning them made Phoebe's skin crawl.
She returned to the tiny house that her family lived at ever since her mother's death forced them to downsize. She entered the house to find her father sipping tea in the living room.
"Hey sweetheart," Mr. Terese greeted. "You were out longer than I expected. How was the meeting with Mrs. Hopkins?"
"Hi Daddy. It was…eventful," Phoebe replied in a careful tone.
"You sound like you have something on your mind. Want to talk about it?"
"Yes, thank you." Phoebe sat down next to Mr. Terese on the couch. "Mrs. Hopkins all but offered me a job as Associate Director of the animal shelter, with the expectation that I would become Director when she retires in a few years."
"Wow! That sounds like a great opportunity."
"Well," Phoebe twirled her fingers in nervousness. "I'm not sure I should take it. I love what I do in San Francisco, and I would feel rotten leave my cases like that."
Mr. Terese nodded. "I understand. It can't be an easy decision."
"What do you think I should do?"
"Selfishly, I would love you to be home again. Seeing you once or twice a year isn't ideal, but I can't make this decision for you, and you know that."
"This is home, isn't it?" Phoebe said softly, almost to herself.
"Phoebe, I taught you to follow your heart, right?"
"Right."
"Well, your heart took you out West six years ago. Maybe that's where your heart wants to stay, and maybe it wants to come back here. You'll have to look inside and see. You have my support no matter what you decide. Just decide based on what's best for you, not anyone else."
Phoebe wrapped her arms around her father, put her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. "I will, Daddy. Thanks for listening."
"Anytime sweetheart." After a pause, "Hey, don't you have a reunion to get ready for?"
Phoebe's eyes snapped open. The job offer had so consumed her thoughts that she had forgotten the reason she was in Walkerville in the first place. She gave her dad a quick kiss on the check before running to her room. Mr. Terese just laughed.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 1:55 PM RAMON HOUSE
Carlos, his parents, and Martina were all glued to the television as the final moments of the Argentina-Iran World Cup match played out. As the match moved into second half stoppage time, Lionel Messi received the ball on the right wing and fired with his left foot into the corner for the game winning goal.
The Ramons stood up and cheered wildly. Martina folded her arms and cursed in clipped Spanish, much less impressed.
"C'mon Martina!" Carlos exclaimed. "Can't you appreciate the greatness of Messi?"
"I can appreciate it just fine when he's playing for club. But for country? Fuck Argentina, and any South American with pride would say the same."
"Messi's no James Rodriguez right, Martina?" Mr. Ramon piped up with a sly grin, referring to the Colombian breakout star of the World Cup.
"Oh James," replied Martina, exaggeratedly swooning onto the couch.
"You would leave me for Rodriguez, wouldn't you?" asked Carlos.
"Of course," said Martina in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
"Anyway, what's the next match?" Mrs. Ramon asked, trying to change the subject.
"Germany-Ghana," replied her husband.
Carlos turned to Martina. "I think we can afford to watch the first half before getting ready for the reunion."
"That works. I need to check and make sure Germany's still on track to win me our bet." The couple had bet a week's worth of chores on who they though would win the Cup. Martina picked Germany. Carlos picked Brazil.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 4:40 PM REYNOLDS FAMILY HOME
A tired but content Tim was putting the finishing touches on his drawing. It had been a long day and a half working at his father's garage, but hard work never bothered him. After being released by his father at lunch, he immediately headed home to get ready for the reunion. He spent a good part of the afternoon on the phone with Ralphie planning…something for after the official reunion concluded.
For now though, Tim was rushing (well, as much as he could stand rushing artwork) to finish this piece. He had every intention of keeping his promise with Dorothy Ann, so it was imperative he finished before he left.
Finally, Tim made the final stroke of his pencil. He stepped back and took a look, breaking into a satisfied smile. They are going to freak when they see this.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 5:18 PM FRANKLIN CONDO
Casey sat on Keesha's old bed, waiting for her to emerge from the bathroom. Admittedly this wasn't his favored way of spending the weekend with his fiancee, but Keesha tagged along to his reunion the year before, so it was his turn to be the eye candy, as she put it.
Ever since they had met seven years ago, there had been something about Keesha that had intrigued Casey. The way she carried herself was unlike anyone he had seen: the confidence, the determination to know the facts without being a busybody, the focus on how she wanted to live her life. Casey had to do some convincing to get Keesha to let him in. Once she did though, the two found they complimented each other well. Keesha's determination and intensity contrasted with Casey's more easygoing style, and they each kept the other from going too far to one extreme. The years of being in a long distance relationship were hard on the couple, and Casey suspected that was part of the reason wedding plans had been going so slow. Both wanted to enjoy each other a little more before taking the ultimate step, even if both were fully committed to doing so.
Casey's thoughts were interrupted by Keesha entering the bedroom. His eyes couldn't help but grow wide at how gorgeous she looked. Keesha was wearing a green dress that stopped right above the knee. It hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was up with not a strand out of place, and her makeup was applied so well it looked almost natural.
After a few moments of staring, Keesha took control of the situation. "Like what you see, big boy?" Casey could only nod. "Good."
"You certainly went all out for tonight," Casey said, having finally regained his ability to speak.
"I want to look my best for my friends. It's been too long." Keesha's voice betrayed her nerves.
Casey noticed. "Are you alright, Keesh? I'm sure everything will go fine. We survived my reunion last year, and I'm not nearly as close to my high school friends as you are to yours."
"That's the thing. Because we are so close, there's more pressure. What if the time and distance drifted us apart for good?"
"That didn't seem to be a problem with you and Phoebe, and she's been thousands of miles away. Last night at dinner you two didn't shut up."
"Phoebe and I are different," Keesha replied. "We've been so close for so long that nothing can tear us apart. I don't think anyone in the rest of the group is as close as Phoebe and I are."
Casey nodded. "OK, fair enough, but if you've all made it this far, I don't think you have that much to worry about."
Keesha put her head on his shoulder. "I hope you're right."
Casey put his arm around her. "If I'm not, at least you've got me," he said with a grin.
"At least I've got you," Keesha grinned back.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 5:26 PM LI HOUSEHOLD
Wanda looked at herself in the mirror. She was a wearing a glittery sliver dress initially bought in high school that somehow both still fit and didn't look tacky. Well, this is it. I don't know if I'm ready for this. The more Wanda stared at herself, the more nervous she got. She wasn't sure if she could hold it together and quell the dark thoughts for the entire reunion. She didn't want to ruin the night for her friends if she couldn't.
Her thoughts were interrupted by William entering the room. "You look good, Wanda," he said with surprising sincerity.
"Get out of-" Wanda started to yell before realizing what he had said. "Thanks, bro."
William used that as courage to continue. "Hey sis, I know we spent most of our childhood fighting, but I just want you to know I'm really glad you're home, and I hope you can forget all the bad stuff you saw and have a great time tonight. You deserve it."
"Aw, thanks little bro. I'm glad to be here too, and to see you. You may be a little shit, but you're my little shit." Wanda wrapped her arms around William.
At that moment, Mrs. Li walked in. She immediately grabbed her phone and started taking pictures. "An actual heartwarming family moment! Hallelujah!"
MOM!
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 5:57 PM RALPHIE'S HOUSE
Ralphie paced around his living room, trying to calm his nerves. The plan was for the gang to arrive at his house around six before heading to the reunion at seven, so he expected people at any moment. Ralphie was dressed in a brown suit which, while not tailored specifically to his body, fit just fine. As he paced, he pondered whether something was missing.
Ah, what the hell, he thought as he put on his old red ball cap. Now we're ready. One minute later, his doorbell rang.
A/N: Like Milhouse wanting Itchy and Scratchy to get to the fireworks factory, you're all probably more than ready for the reunion to start. It will next chapter. Thanks for reading to this point.