"Dear, would you like something else to read? You haven't turned a page in an hour."

Damn, I knew I shouldn't have sat next to Mother on the flight home, but they were assigned seats. And it's not as if swapping seats with someone else in the family would've made things much easier.

I look down at The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, rather than at Mother. "Oh, I was just thinking."

"About what, Dear?"

"About what a nice vacation this was," I say slowly, even though I know I'm going to regret it. I know her little cat-and-mouse games.

"Yes, I had a wonderful time."

Whew, that was clo—

Then the trap snaps: "What was your favorite moment, Dear?'

"Oh, gee, there were so many."

"Was it almost drowning topless or showing Tony your underwear?"
"Mother!" I'm very glad that Jonathan, who's in the aisle seat, is sleeping. I'm also glad that Mother at least doesn't seem to know what happened on the bench after the talent show.

It was supposed to be a family vacation as well as a business trip. And, yes, I initially thought of inviting Anthony & Ingrid, but I knew it wasn't going to be like their usual anniversaries. Tony couldn't just sneak away with me to Jamaica.

But then I got so caught up in having fun, even if it was fun conducted for research. And, OK, yes, I went swimming without my bikini top and almost drowned. And guess which part Tony was more upset about? We argued about it, in front of the entire resort. And then we tried to outdo each other, competitive fun.

It culminated in our dance-off. And, OK, yes, I showed Tony my underwear. Well, I showed everyone when I spun and my skirt flew up. But Tony's table was the only one where I rested my foot. And you should've seen the look on his face as he watched me, this expression of sheer terror, like God, no, it's her! It's Ingrid!

When it was Tony's turn, he seemed to be telling me See, this is how people are supposed to dance in public, as he did a soft-shoe on the sand, to the tune of "Singin' in the Rain."

He ended with the splits and I was the only one who could tell he hurt himself. I know him too well, including his knees.

On a bench in a quieter area, I asked Tony if I went too far with my dance and he said, "Well, you kept your clothes on." And he knows that that's saying something for Ingrid.

I told him that I couldn't have cut loose like that in front of a crowd five years ago. And it was his influence. Yes, Anthony had much to do with that, but so did the everyday Tony.

When he told me that it bothered him that I was having so much fun without him this weekend, I sincerely told him, "But, Tony, the best times of my life are with you." And it was true. Yes, I had fun without him, but it wasn't as much fun. And it's not just fun with Tony. It's so many types of good times.

We looked at each other, and then suddenly I saw his eyes shift into Ingrid's Anthony's eyes. He lunged quickly for me and my arms went around him, his back and his soft hair, while one of his arms went for my back and the other around my neck. And we kissed like we were drowning! But I can't say if we were drowning in each other, or trying to rescue each other. Maybe both.

He pulled away like he wanted to say something, and I looked at him like my whole life was about to change. But then we hungrily plunged back into each other's faces and arms.

Then he pulled away again and said, "Oh, no!" I thought I'd hurt his knee, but he said, "I think we both know where this is leading to."

"Yeah?" I asked breathlessly. "What's your point?" Because I didn't know where it was leading. Yes, to sex, but with whom? Would we be Ingrid & Anthony? Was that even possible on a "family vacation"? Or would we at last make love as ourselves?

"Well, I mean, call me old-fashioned, but, uh, I don't think we can do this until we're married."

That did not mean what it would've meant if Anthony & Ingrid hadn't come back into our lives four summers ago. Obviously, Tony has had premarital sex. But I wasn't sure what he meant by this. Maybe that we can't incorporate Ingrid & Anthony into our everyday lives until we're married.

"Until?"

He laughed awkwardly and said he meant "unless." He reluctantly admitted that he's thought about us getting married. "But I'm not ready to propose."

"Good. 'Cause I'm not ready to accept." I'm not. Yes, I've thought about marrying Tony. I love him! But marriage is such a big scary step. And I'd want it to be forever this time, but forever scares me.

He told me that when he thinks about his future, I'm in it. But he doesn't know in what role. And he hasn't worked out his own future yet. He doesn't even have a major!

I told him I wouldn't care if he mowed lawns in Central Park. I'm past the doubts that I had years ago, before I knew that I love him. The problem is, he'd care.

"Look, Angela, I don't know about us, until I know about me." But I understood, and I love him more than ever.

After our talk, we snuggled on the little bench, watching the night sky, and the shooting star of Mother as a human cannonball.

"Excuse me, Mother," I now say, "I have to use the restroom."

"Good idea, Dear. It's the point in the flight where it's more likely to be empty."

"Yes, I thought—"

"Just remember the Federal Aviation Regulations."
I should know better by now, but I ask, "What regulations?"

"Make sure you don't light up a cigarette afterwards."

"Thank you, Mother," I say through gritted teeth,

"You're welcome, Dear," she says as she goes back to looking at the scenery out the window.

I leave my book in my seat and squeeze past Jonathan's sprawling body. I make my way a few rows back to where Tony and Sam are sitting, with an obese, snoring businessman between them. Nonetheless, Tony is showing Sam his vacation photos.

"Look, at the sunset in this one, Sam! I don't think I quite captured the colors, these vivid reds and oranges, but if you'd seen it—"

"I did see it, Dad. I was on the same vacation you were."

"Well, yeah, but it's like my Philosophy 101 professor said: no one steps in the same ocean."

"Dad, millions of people step in the Atlantic, every day."

"But it's a different experience for each of them, because no one has the same feet. In fact, we've each got two feet, so really—"

"Angela! Save me!"

I smile at Sam. "Actually, I came back here to talk to your father."

"Thank you."

Tony glances at me and then at Sam. "Well, don't go anywhere, Sweetheart, I'll be right back."

She looks from the window on one side of her to the unconscious bulk on the other side. "Where would I go?"

He joins me in the aisle and looks around, like he's wondering where we can talk. I'm not sure either, but maybe we can find some empty seats where we can sit and whisper.

Unfortunately, the plane seems to be full everywhere. Except.

He gestures at the "vacant" sign on the restroom door. I hesitate, because I hope he's not thinking of what Mother was implying.

"Just to talk, Tony."

"You kiddin' me, Angela? It's not the best spot for a rendezvous. And, no, don't ask me how I know."

I blush but go into the restroom when he holds the door open for me. Then he quickly follows and shuts the door behind him.

"So what couldn't wait till we get home?"

I realize we haven't been alone in a tight space since the backpackers' hostel in Boston. But I remind myself that we're here to talk.

"Well, Mother is getting suspicious."

"Suspicious?"

"She thinks something is going on."

"With me and you? Or with Anthony and Ingrid?"

"Well, I think us, but I'm not sure."

"Well, if it's us, she's been suspicious since before we even met."

"True."

"But you see now why I couldn't let us get carried away that night."

"Yes."

"I think we need to just get Anthony and Ingrid together as soon as possible."

I look around.

"Not this soon."

"No, of course not."

"But we've got to plan something for them soon. Or we're both gonna go crazy."

I nod fervently. "When?"

"I don't know. I'll have a pretty busy schedule this Fall."

"And I've got a lot of big campaigns coming up."

"Winter?"

"We can't leave the family at Christmas!"

"Well, I meant after vacation. But I might have a heavy courseload then, too."

"Spring Break?"

"Yeah, that'd work. I can just say I'm going to Florida or something. And you can have your business trip to wherever."

"Perfect!"

"Well, perfect except that that's like seven months away."

"I know." I pout.

He leans forward and catches my lower lip between his two lips and next thing I know we're necking in the restroom!

Until someone knocks. We freeze, both hoping it's not Mother or one of the kids.

"Excuse me, will you be much longer? I really have to go."

It's not a voice I recognize. It's some man.

Tony makes a face like Well, we might as well face the music. I'm just glad we didn't remove any clothing.

He exits first and says, "Oh, hi." I follow and see it's his seatmate.

The man's eyebrows go up but he has to go so badly that he's not going to ask questions. Tony and I make our way back to Tony's seat.

"Sam's gone!" he hisses.

"Well, at least she wasn't in line for the bathroom."

"But where could she have gone?"

"Why are you panicking? She didn't fall out the window."

"No, but she may've fallen into Mona's sphere. You know those two when they put their heads together."

"Oh, I hope they don't wake up Jonathan!"

"Angela, you've got to get back to your seat, right away!"

"OK, OK!" So I do, but on the way, I see Sam talking to some cute college-age guy. She silently pleads with me to not tell her father. I silently remind her of our sisterhood and make my way back to my seat. Mother is talking to a cute college-age guy. He's taken my seat, having squeezed past Jonathan, who's still sleeping.

I sigh and say, "May I have my book?"

The guy hands me the book and goes back to chatting up Mother. I return to Tony.

"What's going on?" Tony asks, getting out of his seat.

"It's fine. I'm just going to sit here and read."

"Here? Next to me?"

"Well—" Before I can decide between the middle seat and the window seat, the fat businessman returns and it just seems easiest to give him the window seat, which he appreciates. I expect him to say something about catching us in the restroom together, but he just falls asleep.

"What a waste," Tony says, meaning the view out the window, I think. But I didn't want to be trapped.

So I sit next to Tony and do my best to read. We don't touch each other, although I'm very aware of his fragile right knee and sensitive foot next to mine. But we don't even hold hands.

And the only reference we make to our restroom conversation is when Tony asks, "So when are we flyin' down to Florida?"

I just shrug. We'll discuss that later.