June 10
Two months had passed since Stan's collapse, his recovery coming along in leaps and bounds. The combination of seeing cardiologists, physical therapy, psychological therapy and a good support system helped him return to some sense of normality.
Today was another big day: he and Kyle's joint graduation party. Stan laid in bed, the sun peeking through his window. The doctors didn't want him to use an alarm clock for the time being - being startled awake could be harmful. So Stan slept with the window open to wake up naturally. If he had somewhere to be, his mom would wake him gently.
Stan scrunched his face and his eyes slowly opened. He knew he was supposed to take it easy and the party wasn't until afternoon but he wanted to take a detour since something had been bothering him.
An hour later, after bidding his mom goodbye, Stan left the house and walked around his neighborhood. Although walking was good exercise, his mom still worried, but he assured her he would be fine. He made his way through the neighborhood, his stomach grumbling. It sucked he couldn't drive anymore; he was a risk until six months from his collapse.
He was busy, between all his doctors appointments and end of year planning. But he wanted to do something that he had been putting off, he felt nervous but he had to do it. Stan found himself in front of Wendy's house, quite a walk from his house but he went to her doorstep to knock on the door.
The door opened up to Wendy's father, Sean, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Hey there, sport. How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay. Is Wendy around?" Stan asked, hand touching the back of his neck.
"I think she might still be sleeping. But we can get her up. Debbie? Can you wake Wendy up?" Sean called back to his wife as he opened the door wider to let Stan in.
Stan thanked him as he entered the house. Wendy's house was always tastefully decorated and even this early in the morning both her parents looked nice and put together. Wendy was the spitting image of her mother but she had her father's green eyes, similar combo as his family.
Deborah knocked on her daughter's door and Wendy groaned and threw the covers over her head. She hadn't been sleeping well, her nights filled with bad dreams and stress. She knew she had to put on her happy face for today. It was Stan's graduation party for godsakes and he almost died. She felt terrible for dreading it. "Mom, give me another hour." Wendy said from under her blankets.
"But Stan came to see you sweetie." Deborah told her, "want me to tell him to come back?"
Yes. Wendy almost said but she sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "No mom, it's okay. Send him in."
Stan entered Wendy's room, giving her a wide smile. He could see a stack of boxes already in the corner. "Packing already?"
"Hi Stan. Yeah, I want to get it over with already." Wendy looks down at her hands folded in her lap. "I didn't mean it that way."
"No, it's okay. I didn't take offense." Stan looks at Wendy in her lacy white sleep shirt and purple pajama pants, no makeup and hair disheveled but she was so beautiful no matter what. He got that overwhelming feeling again to just hold her. He crossed the bedroom and sat down next to her on her bed. "I'll miss you." Stan says again.
"I know, it's going to be hard." Wendy can't help but tear up, she hated being scared of Stan.
He leaned in to kiss her but she drew back. "Sorry, sorry. I want to…brush my teeth first. Then we can spend some time together, don't you have to get ready for your party anyway?"
"I don't really care, it'll be embarrassing being the center of attention. It only matters if you're there." Stan says as he scoots over to make himself more comfortable.
You're horrible. The little voice creeped in on Wendy. Stan almost died and now you're afraid of him. Selfish bitch. "Go ahead and relax, I'm going to get ready." Wendy told him as she gets up to grab some clothes and walk down the hall to the bathroom.
"Okay sure. I'm not intruding am I? I know it's a bit early." Stan's cheeks redden now as he kicks off his shoes and lays down on Wendy's bed.
"Don't worry, maybe we can get breakfast after." Wendy smiles as she carefully closes her bedroom door.
Stan lays glumly on Wendy's bed, she was mad at him and he had no idea why. He looked around her room and took in the scent of lavender and lemongrass of her pillow. This is not how he wanted it to go and he was starting to get worried over Wendy's aloof attitude with him.
Wendy appeared in the door half an hour later, she wore a short lavender sundress with shorts, and her white flowered bathing suit under. She saw Stan had fallen asleep once again on her bed and she shuddered. She hated her fear of him, watching him sleep reminded her too much of his coma. But he needed sleep if they had a big day ahead of them.
She pushed back her fear, trying to get back to that girl who was crazy about Stan and loved him unconditionally. She got in bed next to him and put her arms around him, gently of course and soon fell asleep herself. One arm protectively over Stan, the other tucked against her chest, crossing her heart.
Hours later Stan woke up to his phone going off. He looked over to find a barrage of calls and texts from his mom and Kyle. He called his mom back immediately.
"Stanley? Are you okay?" Sharon's voice was a mixture of fear and anger.
Stan sat up and rubbed his eyes, sadly moving Wendy's hand off from around him. "Yeah mom, just fell asleep at Wendy's house."
"I just thought, when you didn't show up for your party." Sharon continued.
"Mom I'm fine, sorry I messed up. Wendy and I are going now. Please, stop freaking out." Stan insists as Wendy sits up now, looking alarmed.
"What's wrong?" Wendy asks, looking upset.
"Nothing, we overslept and will be late to the party. It's fine mom." Stan says again shortly to the phone before hanging up. "I feel horrible making my mom worry but fuck, I almost want to ditch the party and spend the day alone with you." Stan's eyes meet hers as Wendy's hand trembles.
"Come on, we can't do that, let's get going to the party." Wendy got up to grab her keys and head out to the park.
It was a warm June day, partly cloudy with a slightly cool mountain breeze. Los Cajones Park was busy on this summer day as families and kids came from all over to spend their time having fun with all the park's amenities. There was a playground, pool, batting cages, and large grass fields to play in. Kyle and Stan had picked it for one last taste of childish fun before they were forced into the adult world.
Kyle stood by a picnic table set out with food as his father, Stan's father and Dr Aaron Steels stood around a grill swapped techniques and critiques on how to barbecue the food they had brought for the party.
Sophie approached Kyle, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, enjoy yourself." She said.
Kyle looked her up and down, she was dressed in a simple pair of cutoff jean shorts and a vintage looking Star Wars T-shirt, a bag at her side. "Stan's late, how can he be late to his own party? Even Kenny showed up on time with Bebe."
"Stan's going to be okay, maybe we should take a dip in the pool while we wait? Or try out the slip and slide that's being set up." Sophie points as Kenny chases Bebe around trying to get her dress wet so she can change into her bathing suit already.
Kyle just rolled his eyes at the sight. "I can't until I know Stan got here in one piece. I'm sorry, go find something else to do."
"Fine." Sophie took a sharp intake of breath, trying not to get too angry at Kyle. He had been like this even before Stan got sick, but she felt at the end of her rope with him. "Kyle, we should talk."
"Are we not talking now?" Kyle says dismissively.
Sophie glared at him as she stomped off to the batting cages.
"Come on, I wanna see." Kenny said as he splashed a little more water at Bebe from the hose in his hand.
"Stop it!" Bebe squealed in delight as water splattered over her black sundress. "You can see my new bikini later. I want to enjoy my hair and makeup for now."
"Aww Bebe, I wanna see it now." Kenny fake whined as he rolled out the slip and slide down a rolling hill in the park.
"Here." Bebe said mischievously pulling a little scrap of red fabric out of her bag, snagging her sunglasses as well. "There you saw it."
"Nuh uh, I'd like to see you in it." Kenny grinned as he squirted the hose again in her direction. "Take a ride on the slip and slide later."
"Well I'll be sure to ride you later on, don't you worry." Bebe winked at him as she set the slip and slide to be more straight on the hill.
Kenny yelled "woohoo," as he splashed more water at Bebe.
Wendy pulled the car off the mountain road as they drove their way through the suburb of Middle Park. Stan fiddled with his phone as heavy metal blasted through the speakers. Wendy couldn't help but smile that it was a sign Stan was back to normal. "Enjoying this?"
Stan looked up from doing air guitar. "I know I have to show up to my stupid party, it's going to be embarrassing. But my family and Kyle's family wanted to send us off." Stan's hands drop to his lap.
"What's wrong? Do you need a minute?" Wendy glanced over at him as she stopped at an intersection.
"I hate that Kyle gets to go to college in Boulder, you're off to Chicago, Kenny to Cambridge and Bebe to Los Angeles. I'm going to be left behind taking pity classes at the local community college. It fucking sucks." Stan lets out a big sigh and puts a hand to his chest.
"Stan…" Wendy bit her lip as she continued driving to the park. "What matters is your health and that you need to be okay with all that's happened before you get stressed out in college."
"I can still visit right? I've already made plans with Kyle to visit Boulder when he goes to his dorm but I know Chicago is further away." Stan says hopefully.
"I mean, sure we need to plan it of course. I'll be in a dorm as well with a full load of classes and will have to find a job." Wendy's voice wavered. Alone with Stan in Chicago, what if he got sick, what if he got overwhelmed with the large city, what if she got overwhelmed with him, how could she be so cold and horrible that she wanted a fresh start? She couldn't break up with him, he couldn't handle another broken heart.
"You okay, Wendy?" Stan asks as car horns blare behind them.
"Yeah of course, only a few blocks away. Happy graduation." Wendy smiles again as she makes her way through the parking lot finally at rest, her own heart hammering in her chest.
Stan reaches over for a hug or kiss and Wendy freezes. His fingertips brush past her neck and through her hair and Wendy reaches a hand up to stop him before she unclicks her seatbelt. "Come on. They're waiting for you." She offers sheepishly.
"Let them wait." Stan said cheekily.
Wendy shook her head and killed the engine, getting out of the car and smoothing down her skirt to meet up with the partygoers for Stan and Kyle's celebration. She couldn't break up with him on a day like this. How heartless could she be?
Sophie felt her eyes burn as she stepped into the batting cages. She had gotten together with Kyle in middle school and things were fine until senior year. They were both geeky enough and smart, clicked well on humor and shared the experience of having type one diabetes. But he had grown so distant since Stan had gotten sick that she felt ignored.
She got a helmet from the worker and bat and found a cage. She stepped up to the plate as the pitch machine started lugging balls at her. She swings the bat, missing the first ball.
Kyle, he was a fine boyfriend on the surface. But he had been ignoring her and her needs lately.
Swing. Miss.
Stan, who had been neglecting his health and ended up almost dying and in the ICU.
Swing. Miss.
Wendy, who managed the entire mess with grace and dignity that she even thought to check on Sophie on prom night, asking her if she was thinking of breaking up with Kyle.
The bat made contact with the ball, sending it flying.
Prom. When Sophie decided it was a waste of her first time having sex with Kyle. He has been her boyfriend for ages, but they had been putting it off. Her first time should've been…more special than what it was.
Sophie swung again, hitting the ball once more, getting into the flow of the batting cages.
Kyle's mind had been elsewhere even before Stan got sick but Sophie had to admit, maybe hers had been too. Who even stays with a highschool boyfriend if you're moving to separate states for college?
Sophie swung the bat and missed again. She looked up to hear giggling and shouting as Bebe and Kenny chased each other around the grass field, Kenny squirting a hose at her as Bebe grabbed ice from a cooler to throw at him and defend herself. She hopped up behind Kenny's back to throw ice down his shirt where he grabbed her around the waist to embrace her and sneak a kiss.
That's how she and Kyle should be. Even Stan and Wendy seemed to be having a good time and they had been together the longest. Kenny and Bebe were making the most of their tryst and just enjoying the time they had together. They had already made a mutual agreement to break up at the end of the summer seeing as they were headed to different coasts. If only Sophie could be that mature, she tried to give Kyle space or let him work it out on his own, now that Stan was going to get better.
The light turned on for the last pitch of the round as Sophie held her stance ready to swing. The ball flew forward and her bat made contact with a sharp crack as it flew high. Home run. No one to celebrate with.
That was it. She was going to have to be blunt with Kyle. It would hurt both of them, but had to be done. Now. Today. It being his graduation picnic had nothing to do with it, the breakup had been a long time coming.
Stan sat in a lawn chair with a bottle of water in his hand. He watched Kenny and Bebe's shenanigans while the smell of hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken wafted through the air as the dad's drank and had a friendly competition. Stan's own mother sat at the picnic table, fussing with the salads, fruit, and appetizers set out. She was still her weird quiet far away self but felt more normal once someone would talk to her or she was given a task. His mom always thrived in the chaos of their home life, caused by his father mostly but also by him he guessed. Stan sipped his drink and stood up to help his mom.
"Hey mom, go relax and enjoy yourself." Stan said.
"Oh Stanley, I don't have the time-I, are you okay sweetie?" Sharon said, concern and fear creeping into her tone again.
"Mom, I'm fine. Please you have to stop this, makes me worry you're going to get sick as well." Stan goes to grab a strawberry from the fruit plate as he watches his dad absolutely ruin a rack of ribs by putting some weird homemade spicy barbecue sauce on it. "Dad's the same and Shelly is living her life with sports and that new boyfriend of hers. I want to see you move on as well."
"Stanley, baby. I feel like this is all my fault. Like I should've been a better mother where you wouldn't get sick all the time. I need to be better." Sharon says firmly as she sets and resets a platter of deviled eggs.
"No, mom. You're doing fine the way you were. You saved my life. When I was in that coma…it was a dark pit with no escape in sight. Until you called me out and I found my way. Mom, you have to give yourself credit….you saved my life." Stan looks at his mom now, not as unsteady as when he thanked the school nurse at his graduation. He opened his arms up into a hug, "thank you for being my mom."
"Oh Stan. I'm glad you're here to hug me." Sharon said as she moved in to embrace her son.
Kyle sipped a Diet Coke as he watched Kenny and Bebe chase each other around the grassy field. They had games and relay races as well as a pool and batting cages for entertainment but everyone seemed content to watch the unintentional show Kenny and Bebe were putting on with just enjoying dating each other. Kyle himself watched the attendees meander around the park, Stan with his mom, his mom watching Ike and his friends play in the pool, Wendy sitting at a bench sunning herself and looking at her phone. Kyle blinked looking around, someone was missing. Someone important and it bothered him that he and Sophie were fighting.
Kyle took a stroll along the path that cut through the large park, looking around for Sophie. He wanted to apologize and finally get to spend some time with her. He walked past the playground, the grass field with people starting up a game of frisbee, the pool, the picnic area. No Sophie to be found. Kyle felt a familiar and creeping feeling in his stomach, he went against his best wishes as he started to panic while looking for his girlfriend.
"Sophie? Sophie!" Kyle called out as he circled the park.
Sophie finished off her round of baseballs and took a deep breath, hearing her name called in the distance. Now Kyle wanted her? She let out a sigh and went to the chain link fence. "Over here Kyle, we need to talk."
We need to talk. That was never good. Kyle plastered a smile on his face as he made his way to the batting cages. "Hey Sophie, enjoying yourself? Want to play a round against each other?"
Sophie shrugged but said nothing as Kyle went to the little stand to grab himself a bat and helmet. Sophie went over to the pitching machine to fill it back up with balls. This would be the last couples activity she would do with her highschool boyfriend. Kyle, who she once admired and still found handsome and smart. It felt crazy that he wanted to play a final game until their ultimate breakup.
Sophie looked up at him, her pretty blue eyes meeting his. "Kyle, I don't think this is going to work."
"Maybe we can switch up the machines so you can play." Kyle called back.
"No, I mean." Sophie leaned against the wall and sunk down, her hand dropping the bat. "We need to talk about our relationship. Our future."
Kyle froze as the machine threw the first pitch at him. He quickly ran up to shut off the machine before he approached Sophie. "What do you mean? You're my first serious girlfriend, we just had sex a month ago."
"I know, just that with me leaving for New York and you going to Boulder it seems we should part ways." Sophie played with a baseball near her feet, rolling it around in her hands.
"Sophie…you want to break up?" Kyle sank down next to her and tried to hold her hand but she refused.
"I think it's for the best. I still care about you, I don't know if you feel the same way." Sophie doesn't look at him as she keeps spinning the baseball on the ground.
"I love you. You've been my girlfriend for years now." Kyle sat in shock.
"I haven't felt like your girlfriend for a very long time." Sophie says.
"If this is about Stan I swear Sophie." Kyle starts.
"Ugh no it's not. I feel we haven't been as close as we were for months now. Please don't make me feel worse about Stan than I already am." Sophie says, her voice thick with tears.
"When I couldn't find you earlier, my mind went to the worst possible. I mean I already went through the worst with my best friend, I can't imagine losing you as well." Kyle looks up at the clear sky. "Guess I am losing you, I don't want to."
"It's for the best, I don't want a long distance relationship. It's felt long distance anyway." Sophie's says gently.
Kyle feels sick, a million pins and needles right in his heart. All that time with Sophie now coming to an end. "I'll always love you, you'll always mean a lot to me."
"Likewise, but we have to grow up. Go live our lives as college students. We can still keep in touch. I love you too but this is for the best." Sophie touches a gentle hand to Kyle's cheek. "I'm sorry I chose your graduation party to break up, but it's been hard to get some time with you."
Kyle looks down, "I admit it's a shock and I'll be sad to lose you. But maybe we have one more good day together. We can enjoy the party together, have the time we've missed out on and then breakup on good terms."
Kyle holds out a hand and now Sophie takes it, interlacing her fingers with his. "You're a great guy, Kyle. Thank you for being so understanding. Now that it's over, let's see who can hit the most balls." Sophie nods towards the baseball pitching machines.
"Anything you want." Kyle gets up and helps her up. "Thank you for everything." He wants to kiss her goodbye but feels the sting of her gently dumping him. He goes to turn on the machine to give her one last day of just the two of them.
Sophie gets up and turns her back. "Sorry I chose today as the day we break up. I know you want today to be fun and stress free."
"It still can, we can have one last good day together and be officially broken up." Kyle starts the baseball pitcher up again and hands her a bat. "Let me challenge you. And I can't go easy on you since you're not my girlfriend anymore." He felt a sinking feeling in his chest at the end of his relationship, but moved on as normal. Enjoy his day still.
Wendy sat at the edge of the playground, kids ran around in front of her as she looked down at her phone trying to get her anxiety under control. She knew she was being weird and probably selfish acting like this at Stan's party. She didn't want to socialize, but she also didn't want to be alone, she laid out in the sun half wishing it would melt her into the sidewalk so she wouldn't feel anymore.
"Wake up." A creeping memory in her head. "Wake up please."
Wendy felt herself going back to when she was six years old, dropped off at her grandparents house while her parents went out for the day. Her sitting at the kitchen table reading as her grandma Mabel cooked breakfast for her and her grandfather. The smell of eggs and bacon floated through her grandparents house with Wendy's grandfather, Henry entering and kissing Mabel on the cheek. He pat his little granddaughter on the head.
"You going to eat breakfast with us?" Wendy asked innocently.
"In a minute sweet pea, going to go shovel the driveway. It'll just be a minute and then your grandma and I can take you to the park after breakfast." Grandpa Henry told her as he kissed her on the forehead. Wendy's grandfather headed out the door as Wendy's grandmother set a plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes in front of her.
"Eat up, sugarplum."
Wendy smiled up at her beloved grandmother. She always admired and loved her grandmother, happy to spend the day with her. Mabel turned back to the stove as Wendy grabbed a fork to take a mouthful pancake. Everything was calm and peaceful as Mabel hummed as she cooked. Then she looked out the window and let out a gasp.
Mabel dropped the spatchula, her eyes looking wide. "Wendy, stay right here."
Wendy sat in shock at the kitchen table dropping her fork. She heard her grandmother scream for help and footsteps outside. She got up to see what was going on, slipping her snow boots on and going out the door.
"Go back, Wendy! I don't want you to see this!" Her grandmother's voice rang out.
Wendy wanted to ask, both alarmed and curious but obeyed and went back into the house. The food Mabel was cooking started to burn on the stove as the fire alarm went off. Wendy didn't know what to do. Sobbing, she hid under the dining room table and covered her ears from the ring of alarms and her grandmother yelling and crying outside for her grandfather to wake up.
"You okay, dear?" Wendy jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Stan's grandma Mara on the bench next to her.
"No, I'm not." Wendy said truthfully, wiping at a tear burning her eye.
"I'm not either. Honestly it was hard to be here today. I want to support Stanley and his miraculous recovery, but this whole day is tinged in sadness." Mara said, leaning over on her cane. "I guess the good thing about being old is I can leave early."
"Can I leave with you?" Wendy said, prompting a chuckle from Mara. "Sorry, that's not nice to say."
"It's quite alright dear. I know it must not be easy for you either, almost losing Stanley." Mara patted her on the hand.
"I just, I'm afraid to get too close again. We always go through phases of being close and he goes distant. I'm used to it but how could he had gone that long being sick until it made him..." Wendy lets out a little sob as Mara goes to hug her.
"It's okay, you're safe with me." Mara told her as she smoothed Wendy's hair as she cried on her shoulder.
"I remember when we were ten, I told Stan about when my grandfather died. It was through a text but I felt he understood me then. My grandfather had a heart attack while shoveling snow and my grandmother found him." Wendy starts to sob now as Mara starts to rub her back.
"I'm sorry that happened, your poor grandmother!" Mara said soothingly.
"She was never the same, she watched him die and then she ended up diagnosed with breast cancer by spring. She died when I was eight." Wendy didn't want to say she had been there when her grandfather died too. That she had been found hiding under the table by a neighbor. That she didn't want anyone and not the help of a stranger. That she never wanted to feel that vulnerable again.
Until she watched her own love die in front of her. It was a childhood romance, she knew she would never marry Stan or be cliche in any way. But seeing him come back to her and lay in the limbo of a coma for a week. She didn't want her grandmother's fate. Her grandma Mabel died of breast cancer when Wendy was eight. The news of her Grandmother's death happened during her first bad fight with Stan. She took her grief and turned into anger, and onto poor Miss Ellen. She hated what she had become.
Maybe, sitting here with Stan's grandma and crying on her shoulder, she would finally find some peace with the whole situation. Her grandmother lost her love, Wendy got hers back. She'd take that in stride.
Hours passed as Stan and Kyle's combined graduation party came to a close. They had eaten a Barbeque feast and had a good time playing games around the park. It was hot in the afternoon so the girls and Kenny decided to take a dip in the pool.
Stan sat off to the side, dipping his feet in the water, he still couldn't be fully submerged until his surgery scar was fully healed. He resigned himself to look at his friends splashing and having a good time. Sophie swimming laps and pausing to chat with Wendy who was sunning herself on a pool floatie, Bebe and Kenny flirtatiously splashing at each other, his own sister Shelly laying on a pool chair with her boyfriend Mark, his mom had left but his dad was still around drinking at the grill. He was roasting pineapple and marshmallows on skewers but even then Stan was too full for dessert. Stan let out a big sigh as he felt someone sit down next to him. "Hey, Kyle dude glad this party is finally winding down. Can't wait to go home. This whole thing has been embarrassing."
Kyle removed his shoes so he could also dip his feet in the water. "Yeah this party kinda sucked. I mean it was fun for now but can't wait to end it as well."
"Yeah, well we each made a bundle of money and got gifts and nothing catastrophic happened at least. This was a good day but I can't wait for it to be over." Stan put his hands behind his head as he laid back on his beach towel.
"Well, uh Sophie broke up with me." Kyle said quietly.
"What? What happened? Are you okay, dude?" Stan raised his head to look at Kyle.
"I mean…it's a shock but I feel. It was going to happen and I feel okay with it. Maybe I'm still numb, don't want to be angry later. Maybe just heartbroken. No pun intended." Kyle looks back at Stan sadly.
"Ha, don't worry about me. Now I get a chance to worry about you." Stan taps his chest gently but remains lying down.
Kyle continues. "She was my first serious girlfriend, it's over now. She offered to leave the party but I said I wanted her to stay and enjoy herself. We went through so much together, to have it end now, it sucks but it's fitting."
"How so?" Stan asks.
"Well we're going separate ways for college. Neither of us wanted a long distance relationship. Another big thing." Kyle looks down. "No, never mind."
"What? You can tell me. You know you can tell me anything, dude." Stan says again now fully sitting up.
Kyle bit his lip. "Okay I'll be truthful, she felt ignored when I was by your side trying to get you to recover from the coma. That I spent all my time with you as you recovered. I've been a good friend, but a terrible boyfriend to Sophie. She deserves better."
"Oh god, Kyle I'm so sorry I ruined-" Stan started.
"Stop, that's not it at all. I'll miss her but it was time. I won't be like you, moping over a girl like when we were kids. It hurt to break up but I'll deal. I've already dealt with almost losing my best friend." Kyle looks at Stan pointedly.
"I should at least apologize to Sophie." Stan insists.
"I swear to god, no don't Stan. It'll just make things more awkward between us." Kyle cheeks redden. "But it makes me think…I've learned something today…"
"Oh god, not that now?" Stan fully sits up to look at Kyle.
"You only get so much life, and it can be taken so quickly. You have to do what's best for you no matter the consequences. When you look back on death, you'll want to have a life lived on your terms." Kyle says as he kicks a little bit of water at Stan.
"Ha, I woke up with a robot, but yeah you're right. And right now I want to kiss my girlfriend and tell her how much I love her." Stan slips himself into the pool, staying upright but walks over to Wendy in the shallow water to give her a hug and kiss. Wendy hesitates but eventually returns the kiss. Happy for now, with one last summer together before their lives would be changed forever once again.