Approximately one month later:

When I had gotten home from that camping trip, Dad was indeed gone. Mom said nothing about his absence, and I wasn't about to start up the conversation either. It was probably better that way. He'd be back soon enough. Unfortunately, there would still be that hole inside of me that I couldn't fill with anything until he was back.

Charlie and Case eventually came around to see Mom. They were both disappointed to see that Dad was gone, but talking with Mom sure helped to ease the pain of Tinga's death. Mom said that when Dad was back, she'd let him know that they had stopped by.

Case moved out of Charlie's apartment that they shared and went to live with Max. After all, they had been dating for a couple years, so there was nothing wrong with living together they figured.

Syl and Krit bought a home together in the same building as Logan's penthouse. So, whenever Mom went to see Logan for their romantic getaways, I'd go over to talk to Syl. For an adult at least twice my age, she understood me rather well. We would talk about James and Krit, trying to give each other advice, and laugh over hot chocolate and juice while discussing the world in general. Manticore was all in the past.

Mom and Logan had grown much closer, reforming the love that had been broken nearly twenty years ago. Mom even confided in me that they were thinking about engagement, but she wasn't sure about such a big step as marriage. It was going to be different, I agreed. But, nonetheless, she and Logan were as content as they could be.

Original Cindy moved into her new girlfriend's house after two dates. After all, she said to us with packed bags, "'dat was 'de good thing 'bout bein' a lesbian". Mom and I just laughed, wishing her good-luck. She knew where we were if she needed us.

So, Mom and I had the apartment to ourselves for a couple days when I ran into Brin downtown. Her disease was getting worse and it was becoming harder for her to even walk into town to get food for herself. Without a moment's hesitation, I took her to the apartment. Mom was more than happy to see Brin once again and our home was full again.

Mom and I finally got jobs that would help support the apartment payment-since Brin was unable to work. Mom went to work with Original Cindy at the department store. I, meanwhile, found an indoor pool where I could play lifeguard. Believe me, when a little kid's drowning, you thank the gods that you can dive off the end of your stand and make it down to the other side of the pool before an adult has time to finish a scream at seeing their kid bobbing in the pool.

So, when a month later finally came around, Dad was back in the apartment, (missing Mom's heat cycles this time-fortunately), Max and Case were living together, Jace had moved up to Seattle with her husband, Victor, because she didn't like being so far away from Max, Mom and Logan were growing closer than I could've imagined, and James and I were celebrating our one month anniversary.

I wore the best dress that I could find because James had insisted that we dine at the finest restaurant he could afford. Naturally, he insisted on paying for it. He said that his job had gotten better, which gave him a raise. Besides, he wanted to make this special for me.

The dress was something that I had bought at the store where Original Cindy and now Mom worked. It was a deep red color-almost blood red-with an overcast of black sparkles. Coming down to my ankles, with a fairly high slit up both sides and with thin spaghetti straps that I knew wouldn't keep me warm enough, I decided to borrow a black shawl from Mom.

For the date, I wore the dress with my hair pinned up and two tiny roses inserted in my brown knot of hair. Original Cindy let me borrow some of her jewelry along with a neat little purse. Mom bought me the dress as an early birthday present and all she could say was, "I hope it works out for you".

Mom dropped me off at the restaurant because she was on her way to see Logan anyhow and told me to have a good time. I smiled, and said that I would. She had yet to meet James face to face, but had heard enough about him to form her own opinion.

I found James inside, wearing an immaculate suit as he talked to the greeter about getting a table for two.

"James?" I said to him.

He turned around in shock, and I saw his face fall at the sight of me. Trying to speak, his words came out jumbled, and he had to clear his throat before he could simply say, "Alanza."
I grinned sheepishly and rested my hand on his arm. "You look great," I whispered to him.

"That'd be an understatement for you. You're absolutely gorgeous."

A greeter came out of the hustle of the serving area and led us to our table. I followed behind James, clutching his warm hand in between mine tightly. He gave me a reassuring squeeze before we sat down in a very comfortable booth.

I was surprised restaurants in Seattle could be so utterly chic and fancy. Individual booths lined the walls of the square room while tables swam in the middle. Each booth or table had a candle in the middle with a fern and carnation wrapped around it. The lighting was dim to give a romantic feeling with just the candlelight dinner.

James and I were looking at the large, laminated menus that the greeter had given us when our waiter arrived. He leaned over our booth to set down silverware and napkins. Then, straightening back, he pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Now, are you ready to order? Or would you like some more time?"

I glanced over at James and shrugged. "I'm ready."
He set his menu down and looked up at the waiter. "I'm ready, too."

"Very good," the man said. He had an odd accent that wasn't really French, but sounded more like a cross between that and Irish. Rather weird. "Now, what would you like, sir?" the man asked James.

"I'll have flame-broiled chicken-"

"And what would you like for a side dish?"

"What is there?"
"Coleslaw, cottage cheese, a fruit cocktail, or a salad."
"I'll have the fruit cocktail," James replied.

"You also get a roll with your meal, too."

"I know that."
"Will that be all? Something to drink?"

"Milk will be just fine."
"Milk it is then." The waiter turned to me. "And you, ma'am?"
"I'll take the Spring Pasta Mixture with a side of coleslaw and apple juice as a drink. And," I said before I could be interrupted. "I know that I receive a roll."

The waiter smiled underneath his bushy little mustache. "Is there anything else I can get you then?"
James and I both shook our heads. The waiter, seeing that we were finished for that moment, hurried away to get our drinks.

James settled back into the comfortable booth and sighed contently. "Nice seats," he remarked.

"In a place such as this, I'd certainly hope so. Are you sure you don't want me to chip in for the meal?"
"No, I'll get it. It was my idea to come here, after all."
We paused the conversation as the waiter brought us our drinks. I sipped gingerly at mine. It was very good apple juice. I don't think that I'd ever had better.

"James?"
"Yeah, Alanza?"
"Thank you. Thanks for," I shrugged. "Staying in this relationship and taking me out to this lovely place."
He smiled warmly. "Why wouldn't I stay in this relationship? Alanza, I know this is going to sound sudden, but I love you."

The three little words. Those three words that people in a relationship should say to each other, but my parents never did. They never said those words and now someone was saying them to me. My arm twitched and I figured it was just nervousness so I held it down tightly.

I smiled right back at him. "I love you too, James." We leaned in to kiss when out of nowhere, my hand shot up, smacking James hard in the nose.

"Alan-" he began as blood dribbled down the front of his good suit, but when I fell out of the booth madly shaking, he knew that I couldn't have done it on purpose.

It was seizure season.