It was the beginning of the new college year, and Grace Manning was unloading her belongings from the trunk of her mother's car.
"Mom, really. It's fine," she protested as she saw Lily preparing to pick up her largest suitcase. "I can manage, honest."
Lily threw her a mother-ish, withering look. "Gracie, you've got two trunkfuls of stuff here, in your car and mine. I think you're gonna need some help taking it up three floors."
"Yeah, okay." Grace swung a large duffelbag over her shoulder and picked up three huge files that simply hadn't been able to fit into any of the bags.
"You'd think you were moving in forever, with all this stuff," Lily teased as they went inside. "After all, you'll be coming home at Christmas."
"Yeah, but that's three months away, and in the meantime my life is here, and I need all my stuff. Besides, if I hadn't had to move out of my old room for the renovations I could have left half of this stuff here over the summer."
"I know, honey. I'm just kidding. So what's your new room like? Have you seen it?"
"No. But when Ally called last night she said it was great – much bigger and with a great view of the lawns."
They were halfway up the second flight of stairs now, with Lily ahead of her daughter. "I wish – oh, excuse me –" she muttered as a group of students came flying down the stairs and pushed past her – "I wish Rick had been able to come and help you settle in."
"Mom, it's fine. We can manage. I know where I'm going and what I'm doing. I'm not a freshman anymore, you know."
Lily smiled. "I know. My sophomore daughter! I can't believe it." She looked at her eldest daughter fondly, until, seeing Grace's embarrassed look, she turned away and continued upwards. "So you're rooming with Ally Jessop again? I like her. And doesn't she have that good-looking twin brother as well…?" She left the question dangling on purpose. Grace hadn't seemed to have a boyfriend over her freshman year; she had mentioned a couple of boys who sounded nice, but always in the context of friendship. Her roommate Ally's brother had come over for a 4th of July picnic at the Sammler's house, and Lily had been quite struck by his good looks and friendly, open personality. Grace and Ally got along really well, but it seemed there was nothing more than that between Grace and David either. In fact, Grace hadn't mentioned so much as a date, or a boy she liked, since her junior year in high school – not since the whole mess with her English teacher, Mr Dimitri. Lily shook herself. She'd tried hard to forget about that incident, and she hoped Grace had, too. She'd certainly never mentioned it again. But sometimes, Lily wasn't so sure that Grace had forgotten it at all.
"Mom! Forget it, okay? We're just friends." came Grace's voice. It took Lily a minute to realise her daughter was still talking about David Jessop. And not August Dimitri.
Grace's new room was wonderful; nearly twice the size of her previous one, with windows on two of the adjacent walls, large desks with spacious bookshelves, and two beds on opposite sides of the room, far away enough for Grace and Ally not to disturb each other if one was asleep and the other still working or reading. Ally, who had arrived the night before, wasn't there at the moment, but the belongings strewn all over the bed closest to the door and its accompanying desk indicated that she was somewhere in the middle of unpacking. A few photographs, including one of herself, David and Grace laughing with their arms around each other at the same Fourth of July picnic, were already pinned to the big display board above her desk.
"She's not the tidiest," Grace said, almost apologetically, dumping her things on her new bed. Lily smiled knowingly, and nodded.
"I can see that. But this room is great, honey. Really. Now come on, let's go back down to the cars and get the rest of your things."
"Grace! You're here!" A pretty, dark-haired girl came racing through the doorway and flung herself on Grace. Grace hugged her back, her usual reserve fading away as it always did with Ally, who, in some ways, was the polar opposite of reticent Grace. Ally was far more impetuous and free-spirited, and Lily thought she was good for Grace.
"Hi, Mrs Sammler," Ally said as she broke away from Grace.
"Hello, Ally. It's good to see you again. How are you? And your family?"
"Oh, I'm great, they're all great. David's still doing Law here, and the really great thing is my older sister, Gabrielle, has just transferred here to do her masters – so we'll be at the same school again – which is totally cool because that hasn't happened since I was, like, nine," Ally enthused. "She's a couple of years older than me, you see. That's her in that photo over there."
She pointed out the picture above the one at the picnic, which showed a gorgeous, laughing, red-haired girl in a long green evening dress.
"She's really beautiful," Lily said, almost surprised, for she had assumed that the really pretty Ally was the beauty of her family.
"Yeah, well, we don't let it go to her head," Ally laughed. "And I chase away all the men who trail after her – gotta keep some for myself, you know?"
"Well, see if you can find one for Grace this semester," Lily laughed.
"Mom!" Grace said, exasperated and embarrassed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. You know I just want you to be happy. I won't say another word, I promise. Now we'd better go get the rest of your things from the cars."
"Yeah, okay. Are you coming?" Grace said to Ally.
"Sure." Then, as Lily disappeared out the door, she said quietly, "You know, Grace, your Mom's right. I know you're working really hard and all, but it'd be good for you to get out with some guys a bit more. Date a bit. After all, that's what college is for, right?"
Grace forced a smile. "Yeah, I know." But how could she, when she could never get his blue eyes out of her mind?