A/N Hi everyone! Sorry I have been away but life was complicated and time limited. Hopefully I will manage to finish this story. I know I have "The Weekend is Over" to work on as well but I have decided to do them one at a time starting with this one. Anyway reviews are always welcome.

I got back to my apartment in the city about seven pm. Mom and I had dinner together before I left and she was still moody. To make conversation I told her what I found out about her rights to her house and her mental well being. Even if she was being strange she was still my mother and I wanted the best for her which is more than my dad or Jeff did. I wish she would have told me what was going on. Maybe Allison could get it out of her at their next session.

As I walked in my roommate Paul and his girl friend separated from their lips. "Hey Andy, you back?"

"No, I'm a figment of your imagination," I told him plopping my gym bag on the floor and heading for the kitchen. "Hi Shelby," I said to the girl straightening her blouse. I had never noticed it before but she looked a lot like Claire. She blushed and gave me a small smile in greeting. I kind of felt bad for not calling to let Paul know I was on my way but I had other things on my mind.

"You should have checked in you had another two firms call you for interviews. I pretended I was you and accepted them for you. Check the calendar."

I pulled a beer out of the fridge cracked it open, "Thanks mom," then plopped down in the old recliner and threw one leg over the arm. I'd check the calendar later.

"You're welcome. Just remember you owe me. So how was the funeral?"

"It was good I guess as far as funerals go it was nice enough."

"Where is home?" asked Shelby. She was a quiet girl and never said much so when she did you felt obligated to talk to her.

"Shermer."

"Nice town. I'm from Zion but my aunt and uncle live in Shermer."

"Really what is their name?" I asked not expecting to know them.

"Standish. My cousin Claire is the same age as we are. Do you know her?"

So that is why she reminded me so much of Claire appearance wise. "Yeah I do. I saw her yesterday."

"I haven't seen her in ages. Even though we lived near by my family and hers weren't close. Her mom is my mom's sister and they had a falling out of some sort years ago. I was about ten so I don't know the details and never asked. Anyway there were rumors that Claire got herself into trouble with some jock years ago."

Just great, when Claire said that she told everyone the baby was mine I didn't think too much of it other than my dad was pissed but now it sounds like it had made the national news. "Well I can tell you that it isn't true she said she didn't have any children." Technically I wasn't lying; Claire had no children. Shelby didn't look like she believed me though. Often I got the impression that she didn't like me very much.

"So then home was uneventful?"

"More eventful than expected. I ran into some old friends. Claire," I said looking pointedly at Shelby, "and some others that I hadn't seen since graduation. I had some problems with my brother too. If you have some time, Paul we need to talk about that."

"What kind of problems?"

"Some that may need a family lawyer. We can talk about that later."

"You'll have to make an appointment buddy. Shelby and I leave tomorrow to go Lake Geneva for a week of R&R."

"I wish I could have a week just for relaxing. But I have interviews," I glanced at the calendar which hung on the kitchen wall.

"Yeah I imagine losing a parent is stressful enough without your brother giving you grief that requires my legal expertise. But when I get back I promise Paul R Jenkins Attorney-at-law will be at your service."

The door bell rang and Shelby volunteered to get it. As she left Paul started telling me about the Sox game I missed. He was telling me about a triple play that pretty much won the game by the sixth inning I smelled a familiar scent which made me sit up. Jessica was here. "Jessie, I was going to call you."

"Well I can't count on that can I? After all you never thought of giving me a courtesy call to let me know you were going home to your dad's funeral. I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Paul telling me. Now here you are at home and you haven't called either."

"Let's not do this right now," I told her as I rubbed my temples trying to fight off the start of the migraine I felt forming behind my eyes.

"Fine. When do you want to do this then," she asked exasperatedly.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Well I don't know either Andy. Things were going well for us and now? You've hit the breaks and I feel like I kept going…right through the windshield. Do you know how much it hurts to have you ignore me? Do you want to break up?"

"No." I probably should have said something more to her but part of me wasn't sure if I still wanted to be with her.

"No?"

"No," I replied again and for a moment I was back at that Saturday and Vernon was asking Bender if he wanted another detention. The conversation wasn't all the similar but lately everything seemed to go back to that one day years ago.

"Forget it: Just forget it." She said grabbing her purse which she had set down on the table and throwing her coat over her arm. "I'm going. When you are willing to be a man and sit down and discuss our relationship with me you know how to reach me, or at least Paul does so maybe he can explain to you how a telephone works."

She stormed towards the door. By the time I told myself to get up and stop her, "JES…" the door had slammed and she was gone, "sica. Fuck!" I screamed tossing the small blue glass vase on the table by the door at the door. It shattered. Turning I walked back into the living room where Shelby was looking at me with big frightened eyes and Paul was just staring. "What the hell are you two looking at," I snarled.

"Maybe I shouldn't go this week. Andy; are you okay? I mean in all the years we have known each other I've never seen you explode like that," Paul said as I slumped back into the chair.

"I'm sorry." He was right I never exploded like that. I learned from my dad not to just explode but to save up that anger and energy for my opponent. The problem was currently I had no opponent to use it on. The aggression after my wrestling days ended was directed towards whoever I debated in classes or took on in a mock court setting. Now between school and life there was no outlet. "You don't have to stay. I'll be fine I just need some rest."

"Hope you haven't lost Jessica."

"Me too. I should have called her before I left my mom's place. It just slipped my mind."

Paul clapped his hand on my shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it that little ring on your dresser will bring her around."

"The word "ring" brought Shelby back into the conversation. "Oh-My-God you are going to ask Jessica to marry you? That is so exciting." I took another sip of my beer that I forgot about when Jessica showed up, and studied the label.

"Andy, what's wrong man?" Paul asked.

"I don't know if I want to marry her."

"You were sure when you bought the ring less that two weeks ago. What happened?"

I shrugged and sat up. Placing my elbow on my knees I ran my hands through my hair. "Ever get smacked with the past?"

"Andy if you are going to go on a rampage about what a bastard your dad was again…"

"No. No, nothing about him. There is just more to it." I looked up to see Shelby eyeing me carefully. Then she said, "It's another girl isn't it?"

"The one who got away I guess would be a good way to describe her."

Paul draped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and said, "You think you still want her?" I just nodded. "How can you be so sure?"

"I forgot about Jessica didn't I?"

"Well you have had lots of stress with your dad passing away and all."

"I thought about her constantly until I saw Allison again."

"If you thought about her why didn't you call her before you left? Once you got to Shermer? Why was I the one telling her where you were? See Andy, it was the stress. Give it a week and you will see. Things will be back to normal. You don't have to ask Jessica right away but you will. You know you two belong together."

I looked at the picture on the end table. It was a taken the day she taught me to ride a horse only in this shot she was on her stallion and I was on the ground, safe and sound holding the reins. Both of us were smiling. I remember thinking at that moment how life couldn't be any better than it was with Jessica. Then there was Allison and she made me feel … real.

"Whatever you decide will be the right choice but here is a question? If the other one was so great why did you two break up."

"We weren't ever really together." He was right. It dawned on me. If we were never together how could I be so sure it would work out between Allison and me? Was I really going to be willing to gamble my relationship with Jessica away? We were the perfect couple. She was finishing up her internship in pediatrics and she fit in well with the type of people that I would get to know at the law firm, which ever one that may be. I tired to stand up but felt sick and I sat back down. I was still worried about what others thought of me even as an adult. She was the perfect trophy wife to have two point five kids with, a house in the suburbs, and a dog. Was that really what I wanted? What did I want?

"See you weren't together. Then why wonder about it? She is the past and Jessica…you always said she was your future. It's time to stop looking back, Andy. It's time to start looking ahead. But for now you should look ahead to that interview you have tomorrow and Shelb and I should look head to her parents vacation house on the lake."

When I looked up I realized they were gathering their stuff and making their way toward the door. "Now," said Paul putting on his best parental tone, "are you going to be okay by yourself, young man?" I nodded. "Your mother and I expect this mess to be cleaned up by the time we get back." I couldn't help but give a small chuckle and his act. "Really Andy, that gives you a week to clean it and try to not to leave your sweat-socks everywhere." That got a full laugh.

"Im not that bad am I?"

"You haven't been in your room lately."

"And you have?"

"To answer your extension, genius. Trust me if your mom were to see that…"

"Okay okay I get the picture. You two have a great week:"

"We will;" said Paul opening the door and leading Shelby out. She gave me a small wave good-bye and I gave her one in return. Once they were gone I began cleaning the glass and crumpled flowers and wondered at how in high school that seemed like the most complicated thing in the world. How becoming an adult looked so easy. It wasn't. Not really, parents just made it look that way because they had been doing it for so long. It was actually more complicated than high school was.