During the night Amy woke up to a familiar but unexpected sound. She looked over the sides of her bed and found Desi and Georgianna in their sleeping bags, but Jig's was vacant. Amy turned to her window and sighed. She carefully and quietly got out of bed and slipped on her bathrobe and slippers, and made her way out of her room.
It was cool outside, but the early March breeze made it cold. Amy followed the familiar sounds until she came to the driveway. There she found what she didn't want to find but knew she would. Jig was standing in the driveway wearing her slippers and one of Amy's extra bathrobes. Also, from somewhere, Jig had found one of Bright's basketballs, and was currently throwing it toward the basket, making it more then missing. Every few moments Jig would raise a hand and rub her nose, and Amy wondered if that was because of the cold, or because of something else.
Jig seemed oblivious of Amy as the blonde walked down the steps and to the edge of the driveway, her hands tucked under her arms for warmth. Conveniently Jig missed a shot and the ball came rolling to Amy's feet. Some would call it a sign that the two should talk. Amy took it that way, Jig didn't. Amy picked the ball up and tossed it to Jig with an ability Bright would be surprised to learn of. Jig turned away from her cousin and toward the basket once again.
"Sorry I woke you," Jig said dribbling then shooting from the driveway's equivalent of the foul line. She made it and the ball returned to her on its own.
"Are you alright?" Amy asked her. Jig shot and made it.
"Since when do you care?" Jig asked dribbling the returned ball once again. Amy frowned.
"Jig…" she said sternly. Jig sighed, her eyes still on the ball coming and going from her hands.
"It's not fair," Jig said wiping her nose once again and shooting. She made it, and again the ball returned to her. Amy frowned again, sadly.
"It isn't always fair," Amy told her. Jig held the basketball in her hands, pressing it together on both sides.
"I know that! Don't you think I know that!" Jig yelled looking at her. Amy was silent, noticing the moonlight hitting the tears silently moving down Jig's face and around her clenched teeth. Jig pressed the basketball so hard Amy could see the white of her knuckles even in the dimness. Finally Jig squeezed some more tears out and, with a loud, angry yell, threw the basketball across the street. It landed in a bush, missing the house. Jig collapsed onto the ground crying and Amy ran too her, putting her arms around her.
It was kind of late at night but Delia had her light on and stood at the window, peering out at the darkened house across the street. She sighed, and fingered the skin under her eye a little. It didn't really hurt anymore, but it still felt weird. Kind of numb, kind of, not… She sighed and looked up at the cold stars. This crush thing was really not worth it. What, who, could be worth all of this? Delia didn't have anyone to talk to about it, either. Her dad would only worry, her brother would only worry more, Murasaki didn't understand, Nina had so many other things going on, and the idea of talking to Edna about a crush, was, well, generally not a good idea. If this is what a simple crush is like, falling in love must really bite.
Delia sighed again and looked toward Torres' house. Her already wide eyes widened still when she saw light laying against the neighboring front porch roof, the same way hers did. Suddenly, she saw a head and a pair of shoulders lean out the window, tilted toward the stars. Then, of course as it always goes when spying on someone, he turned to her. They both saw each other instantly and retraced their heads back into their rooms, no doubt thinking the same thing in words their parents wouldn't let them say. Delia sighed, turned off her lights, and went to bed.
Monday Andy was feeling stuffed into his office so he decided to stand in front of it for some fresh air. There wasn't much of a breeze but the sun had been shinning brightly and it warmed his face. He closed his eyes and faced up at the clouds, smiling. This was something he wouldn't be able to do in New York City. Moments like this were one of the reasons he moved to Everwood. He heard a familiar voice so looked across the street and opened his eyes. He smiled seeing Penny walking out of Dr. Abbott's office, buttoning up her jacket as she moved. As she began to walk away she stopped and saw Andy watching her. He waved and jogged across the street to her.
"Feel like a walk?"
"I think I can do that."
"Now originally, the town was called Montañas del Cielos, it was settled by the Mexicans. When the United States won the land they changed it to Everwood, after Ronny," Penny explained as she and Andy walked around town. Andy nodded.
"Mountains of the Heavens?" he asked. This time she nodded.
"Something like that. Now, our current City Hall is built where the original City Hall was. Actually it's funny that we call the original City Hall 'City Hall,' really it was just a shack. Barely a shack, actually it was more like a… are you laughing at me?" Penny asked Andy, who shook his head, laughing.
"No, it's just, do you have a life of your own?" Andy asked her. Penny opened her mouth surprised.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you only seem to talk about books or Everwood. The only I thing I really know about you is that you're divorced and you have scars no one will tell me about…" Andy told her. Penny paused and sighed heavily.
"Do you remember when you asked me why I went to Dr. Abbott's instead of coming to you?" she asked him. He nodded. Penny sighed again.
"I go to Dr. Abbott because when I found out I was pregnant, he was my doctor. When I gave birth, he was my doctor. When my daughter got sick, he was my doctor. And when my daughter died, he was my friend…" Penny said and bit her lower lip. Andy looked away from her to his feet. She scratched the ridge of her nose.
"Martin blamed me for letting her get sick, and I hated him for blaming me, so we got divorced. He lives in Oregon now, with a new wife, three kids, and I'm the town librarian," she explained. Take it fair enough to say, Andy had no idea what to do. Had her husband died, he could help. But her child, that was, impossible….
"What was her name?" he asked. She looked at him and forced a smile.
"Kara. She was three."
"I'm sor-"
"Don't! Don't say you're sorry. You should know it doesn't do any good," she told him. He closed his mouth and nodded.
Ephram walked down Main Street listening to music. He needed a new folder for some odd class and figured he'd pick up one while he was out getting supper from Mama Joy's. Unfortunately, due to the music, he was unaware he was being followed until his follower was upon him. Ephram yelled in surprise when he felt the pair of hands clasp onto his shoulders. He turned around to find Desi smiling at him. He turned his music off and lowered the earphones.
"What are you listening to?" she asked.
"Oh, uh. Cowboy Bebop soundtrack," he said. She nodded.
"Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed, and Ein?" Desi asked making sure. Ephram nodded.
"Très bon!" Ephram said. Desi laughed.
"Merci! You'll be ready to talk to my grandparents soon!"
"Oh don't count on it," he said and they laughed together. Desi then cleared her throat and looked at him, seriously.
"Have you talked to Jig recently?" she asked. Ephram shook his head, sadly.
"Not since Friday night," he admitted. Desi bit her lip and nodded.
"She broke down, Friday night, during the sleep over," Desi told him. Ephram's eyes widened. He took a step away from her but she stopped him.
"She's fine, Amy took care of her," Desi reassured him but it did little good.
"I should have been there for her!" he said. Desi laughed slightly at that, trying to help him lighten up.
"Ephram it was like, one o'clock in the morning!"
"I would have come!"
"I know you would have, and that's why I love you," Desi said placing her hands on Ephram's face and smiling at him. Ephram calmed down and a small smile lifted the sides of his mouth, ever so slightly. Desi's touch always calmed him, even at the bottom of that hill, when she wrapped his arm, he felt calm and safe. He leaned forward and kissed her. He pulled away and smiled at her.
"I love you too."
When Andy got out of his car he noticed Nina sitting on her porch, rocking Meredith in her arms. He walked over to the steps of her porch and smiled at her.
"Where's Carl?" he asked. Nina looked up from the baby, noticing Andy.
"He left this afternoon," she told him. Andy nodded in understanding.
"How'd it go?" he questioned. Nina smiled before responding.
"He loves her as much as I do," she said, still smiling.
"Congratulations."
"I never doubted that he would. Well, I suppose I did a little, but that was just fear. He says she bears his mother's name well."
"I'm glad for you, Nina. And for Meredith, too."
"Thanks, Andy," Nina told him. Andy nodded his head to the two of them, and walked into his house.
