The high school football team had gotten into the big game, and since it was being held in Everwood, there was no excuse to miss it. Seeing as how Bright was in the game, the Abbotts had a seat of honor. Harold and Rose took these seats, but Amy sat elsewhere in the crowd. Not for any particular reason, she just didn't feel like watching the game with her parents. Her father was not a fan of the game, but he was a fan of his son. Jig and Orrie sat next to her. The game was just about to start and the three were searching the crowd for, well, anything. Orrie tapped Jig and pointed to a spot in the crowd. Jig looked and tapped Amy and did the same.

"Looks like he finally got over you," Jig told her. She was pointing to Ephram and Desi sitting next to each other. Amy turned to her.

"I don't know what you're taking about," Amy told her.

"Yeah, right…" Jig said with a grin.

Everwood won and the people rejoiced. When the guys got out of the locker room family and friends gathered around them, congratulating them and patting them on the back. Bright was no different. His parents and little sister, as well as a few admiring female fans, crowded around him. The absence of his grandparents and second cousin didn't seem to affect him. Edna, Irv, and Jig stood out in the parking lot with Ephram, Desi, and Orrie. Dr. Brown was with Delia, who was waiting to congratulate Bright. An idea was beginning to form itself in Ephram's mind, but he decided to ignore it. Currently Ephram's major concern was the raccoon that was leashed and sitting on Jig's shoulder, watching everyone who walked by.

"I don't believe you adopted the animal," Ephram told her.

"Oh his name is Ein, and he's cute," Desi said petting him. Ephram sighed.

"Isn't he dirty and filled with diseases?" Ephram asked them.

"Nope. He's healthy and clean," Irv reassured him.

"You're just mad because he jumped on you," Orrie told him.

"Yea, and dumped snow on me, and followed me around…"

"He wasn't following you Ephram, he was following me," Jig said giving Ein a slice of apple. Ephram frowned anyway.

Nina unlocked her front door and let Sam into the warmness of the house. She flipped through a few pieces of mail. Christmas card, Christmas card, Christmas card. One from Sarah. There better be a picture in it. Nina turned around to see Dr. Brown pulling up and getting out of his car, alone.

"No kids?" she called out to him. He turned and looked at her.

"They have friends!" he replied. She smiled and walked back inside. Sam was already sitting and watching TV. Nina smiled and walked into the kitchen. Chocolate Chip cookies help heal lonely wounds. Even a doctor would prescribe that.

Desi stood in front of the mirror in her room. She applied her lip-gloss and a little eyeliner. In her hair she placed a pink butterfly barrette to draw a few curly strands out of her face. She took a step back from the mirror and straightened her light pink dress. She knew she looked nice, but she was so nervous every flaw appeared to her. It had been exactly one week since Ephram kissed her, and, now, she was having dinner with his family. She could feel her stomach churning and she knew she'd never be able to eat anything. Though from what Ephram has said, that was a benefit. Now Desi has already met Dr. Brown on Halloween, that meeting could have been better, but Desi has yet to meet Ephram's little sister. She's heard plenty on her, of course. Desi still has her ties in the information underworld. Dinner with his family. She was so nervous. She has met hundreds of people throughout her life, but now she was nervous. Ephram's family… His mixed up, difficult, heart wrenching family. And his father's cooking. She was so nervous.

"I don't want to wear this dress…" Delia said as Ephram zippered up the back for her. He turned her around and kneeled down to face her. Ephram was nicely dressed with a navy blue dress shirt and black tie.

"Come on, please? I really like her," Ephram asked her. Delia frowned and sighed.

"Okay, I'll wear the dress. But I'm keeping the hat…" Delia told him. Ephram nodded with a smile.

"Okay how is everyone doing?" Dr. Brown asked walking over to the two. Dr. Brown was dressed up as well.

"Fine, we're fine," Ephram said standing up and turning to the mirror. He started to adjust his tie, which had already been perfectly set. Dr. Brown chuckled slightly and clasped his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Relax Ephram. If you like her we'll like her," Dr. Brown reassured him. Ephram nodded and turned to him.

"I know. And you will! She's great! You'll love her! We're ordering out right?" Ephram asked him. Dr. Brown chuckled and nodded as the doorbell rang.

Desi rubbed her bare legs together a little for warmth. Well, for warmth and to get the circulation moving again. Whenever she was nervous her feet would fall asleep. It was some weird, freaky, odd sort of thing but it never failed. The door finally opened and thankfully Ephram answered. He smiled at her improved beauty and took the bottle of carbonated grape juice from her hands. He ushered her inside where he removed her coat and hung it up. Dr. Brown walked over to her and shook her one hand with both of his with a smile. As Ephram left to place the bottle in the refrigerator, Desi wish she hadn't brought it. Delia walked out of the living room and over to her. Delia was dressed in a soft looking gray blue dress with an Everwood Cast baseball cap, complete with Bright's signature. How Dr. Abbott had been able to talk the school into naming the football team "Cast" she never knew. Sure, once you knew what it meant it was cool, but if you were a rival team it was just stupid. A cast is what you call a group of hawks. The Everwood Hawks would have been fine! That sounds great! But no! It had to be the Everwood Cast!

Delia stood still in complete awe of Desi. She was so beautiful. As much as Delia liked looking at her, an idea had given itself life. What would a beautiful, powerful girl like her want with Delia's brother? Sure he was a nice guy and could always make Delia feel better, but what would a girl want with him? A boyfriend? Ephram wasn't a boyfriend. He was a big brother.

"Okay Desi! I was threatened not to cook tonight, so what do you want from Gino's?" Dr. Brown asked her. Desi laughed slightly.

"Um, Pepperoni Chow Mein," Desi told him. Ephram walked back into the room and collectively the three stared at her. Desi laughed.

"Tell the guy it's for me, he'll understand," she said with a wink. Dr. Brown smiled and nodded.

"Okay, I'll do that," he said and walked into the kitchen to make the call. Ephram walked over to Desi and took a hold of her hand.

"Come on, I want to show you my room," he said leading her upstairs. Delia pouted.

"I wore a dress for this?" Delia asked him. Ephram was a few feet up the stairs but he turned to look back down at her.

"We'll be back down, don't worry," he reassured her and continued leading Desi upstairs.

As Ephram lead Desi through the hallway upstairs, they passed by an open door. In front of it Desi made her first resistance to being lead and Ephram turned around to investigate. Desi released Ephram's grasp and walked into the open room. Ephram curiously followed her. It was Delia's room and adorned with horse posters, a few stuffed animals, a returned yo-yo, and of course the Wall of Caps. Desi was already into the room when Ephram flipped the light switch on. Desi gazed around with a smile on her face. Ephram remained at the doorway.

"Oh my god!" she said.

"This isn't my room, it's Delia's," he told her just to make sure. She turned to him.

"Well, yea… But, it's creepy…"

"Yea I know, she has like, a hundred caps."

"No, it's not that. It's, well, this room reminds me so much of how my room looked when I was nine," Desi said, stilling looking around in awe.

"You had baseball caps?" Ephram asked her surprised. Desi seemed now, especially in that dress, to be the type who had always been feminine. Like she had rehearsal tea parties when she was young, in preparation for when her stuffed guests would actually arrive. But, contrary to all appearances, Desi nodded.

"One, at least. New York Rangers. Christopher got it for me. He was a hockey nut," Desi said with a fond smile for some happy memory Ephram wouldn't mind hearing about some day.

"He should have gone to Buffalo then. It's a way of life there. No, seriously. They wear shirts that say that…" Ephram said and Desi started off laughing but ended with a sigh. "He should have…" How many of those did she run through her mind six years ago?

"You know I have a horse…" Desi told him, noticing the poster on the wall. Ephram leaned off of the doorframe he had been leaning on in surprise.

"She would love you…" Ephram told her, taking a few big steps ahead in the conversation. Desi laughed.

"She's welcome any time…" Desi reassured him. Ephram nodded and turned off the lights.

"Come on, there's still my room. Unless you'd like to check out my dad's first?"

"Oh shut up."

Orrie walked out of his darkroom with a tray holding his newly printed eight by ten photograph. He took off the extra water and held the picture in his hands. It was off Ephram, Desi, and Jig all smiling into the camera, Ephram sitting between the two girls. Ephram's and Desi's smiles were perfectly normal, nice looking smiles. But Jig's made Orrie grin. She was giving him the biggest, corniest grin she could muster. Orrie sighed as a somewhat melancholy thought entered his mind. Jig was always smiling. She was always happy. Most of the time he believed it, but some of the time, he knew the smile was for show, like this one. He knew nothing of her life outside of Everwood. He knew she had a friend named Isaac once, but besides that, there was nothing. Nothing about her parents, brothers or sisters. Not her house, or pets, or her school. He didn't want to pressure her into telling him anything. If she wanted to, she would. Besides, he kind of had a feeling it wouldn't come out good, and then they wouldn't be able to have as much fun as they've been having together. What they had, it was fun. He didn't expect anything long run to come from it, and he was pretty sure she expected the same. But it was still nice to have someone to hold you, even if it's just for the sake of being held.