Jeffrey always greeted a new day with a bit of music, but since Skye was still out cold, he didn't just yet. He dressed himself in careful silence; he answered a few emails from bandmates and club managers. A weeklong trip to Glasgow was in the works for the end of August. Jeffrey confirmed his availability, but bowed out of his band's previously set plans to tour Prague. For now, he'd rather stay clear of the Czech Republic.

He scrolled through social media while he waited for Skye to start moving. It was entertaining for a while (he had an interesting follow request from his fourth stepfather's new wife, which he accepted immediately and learned she couldn't be much older than he was), and he tried to ignore the itch he had to play piano. He had wasted a full hour, and an hour was a long time to put off his morning music. He gave Skye another fifteen minutes, and when she (unsurprisingly) slept on, he surrendered to the itch. He played softly, hoping that if he woke her, it wouldn't be too abruptly. Halfway through his first song, she finally came alive.

"You're joking," she grumbled.

Jeffrey looked back, hands still traversing the piano keys. She hadn't opened her eyes.

"Hey." He wasn't apologetic. He had waited a while, after all.

"What time is it?" Skye burrowed under her blankets.

"9:45."

"Dammit." She couldn't complain too much. It wasn't early enough. "I'm still sleeping."

"Sleep on," he encouraged. He continued to play.

"You remember there is a piano downstairs, right?"

Jeffrey laughed, and he shut the lid over the keys. Spinning on the stool to face her, he said, "Do you know you stole my pillow last night? Right out from under my head."

Skye yawned and sat up without enthusiasm. "Sorry. I've been told I'm a stingy sleeper."

"Cuddly sleeper too."

"Can't be." She clambered to her feet and shuffled to the bathroom, her mussed hair sticking out in wild directions.

Jeffrey smirked. When he had awoken, she had still been nestled against him. It was nice to have some version of Skye that wanted to sleep that way, even if it was just the unconscious one.

She looked much more alive when she returned from the bathroom, though she wasn't any cheerier about it.

"Alright, I'm up," she grouched. "Now what?"

"Breakfast?"

Skye nodded and rubbed her eye. "Maybe that will wake me up."

She made for the door, and Jeffrey hopped off the piano stool to catch up with her. He grabbed her elbow and turned her into a kiss. "Good morning."

"You got the morning part right."

In the kitchen, four of the five other Penderwick siblings were at the table with bowls of cereal. Rosalind and Tommy were probably still at the carriage house.

All chatter died when Jeffrey and Skye walked in. Though Batty had spoken with Jeffrey enough not to be entirely flummoxed by the idea of him and Skye together, the same could not be said for the others. Jane, Ben, and Lydia all tracked their path to the cabinets, where Jeffrey pulled out bowls and cereal boxes while Skye found milk in the refrigerator. Jeffrey mixed breakfast for them both, feeling more than one set of eyes on his back.

He turned toward the table, and yes, the Penderwicks were gawking.

"Morning…" he said slowly. Someone speak, please.

Jane waved. Ben drank the milk from his bowl and stared. Lydia's eyebrows were deeply furrowed as she spooned her cereal.

Jeffrey shook his head at them and handed Skye her bowl. Prying eyes followed them as they took the two remaining chairs at the table.

"Batty," said Jeffrey, eager for this silence to end. "How was your night?"

Wesley was noticeably absent from the room.

Batty set her spoon in her bowl and flipped him off with a spiteful smile. "How was yours?"

"Lovely." Jeffrey asked nothing of Wesley. If Batty wasn't sharing him yet, he wouldn't expose the secret. She had kept enough of his.

Skye snickered. She met everyone's stare with her one of own, eating her breakfast undaunted. So focused was she on challenging her nosy siblings that a bit of milk dribbled down her chin. Jeffrey wiped it away for her with his knuckle.

That simple touch pushed Jane over the edge. She loudly announced, "MOPS! I'm calling a MOPS."

"Thank Christ," said Ben. "I was about to."

Jane hopped on the phone to call Rosalind. "Did I wake you?… Oh good. Come to the house right away for a very important MOPS. That is, a MOPS plus Jeffrey— a MOPSPJ… Obviously! So try to hurry, I can't stand this waiting."

Jeffrey and Skye eyed each other. He rubbed his neck, laughing tiredly. He thought the day was a bit too fresh for an interrogation, if someone wanted his opinion – and he knew that no one did.

He had enough time to finish his breakfast and pour himself an overly large cup of coffee before Rosalind arrived, Tommy in tow. He raised the coffee pot to offer them some, and they both accepted gratefully.

Since there were only six chairs at the kitchen table, Rosalind and Tommy sat on the floor. The rest of the group either had finished their breakfast or abandoned it to sit with them. They gathered in a loose circle.

"This can't be an official MOPS," said Skye. "If it is, Tommy will have to go, and that doesn't seem fair."

"Skye, that's ridiculous. Of course it's official," said Rosalind.

"What? Them's the rules."

"He can be our distinguished guest," suggested Jane. "Although, MOPSPJAT does sound somewhat silly."

"You have your traditions. I'll just leave," said Tommy, unbothered.

"No." Rosalind looped her arm through his and held on tight, in case he got any ideas about standing up to actually go. "We're married, and I'm not swearing to keep any secrets from him." She stared down her siblings, daring them to protest. No one did. "That is how it is going to be from now on. Either he comes to our MOPS, or I break my oath— and I would much rather leave the family honor unsullied."

"I vote he stays," said Jane. "All in favor, say aye."

The unanimous verdict was that Tommy should stay. He laughed at their successive ayes.

"Besides," said Skye, casting a cheeky grin at Ben. "We let stepbrothers in, so why not brother-in-laws?"

"Hey, fuck off," said Ben. He was a proud Penderwick through and through.

Skye sent him an air kiss; he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Jane quoted.

Equally versed in Romeo and Juliet, Ben said back, "I do bite my thumb, sir," and he bit his thumb to prove it.

"People," said Rosalind. "Are we going to have a meeting or not?"

"Yes," said many Penderwicks together.

"Then be quiet so I can start," she said. She rubbed Tommy's arm. "Just follow their lead."

"Okay," said Tommy. "Big day. I've always wondered about your famous MOPS."

Rosalind smiled and kissed his shoulder. She unwrapped her arm from his in order to begin. "MOPS come to order."

"Second the motion," said Skye.

"Third it," said Jane.

On they went, until Jeffrey had seventhed the motion and everyone looked to Tommy.

"This is adorable," he said.

"You have to eighth it," Lydia explained helpfully.

"Eighth it," he chuckled.

"All swear to keep secret what is said here, unless you think someone might do something – or did something—" Rosalind shot Skye and Jeffrey a suspicious glare. "Truly bad."

She made her right hand into a fist and held it out. Smiling innocently, Skye put her fist on top of Rosalind's, and Jane put hers on top of Skye's. By the time everyone had added their fists, the stack of eight hands was impressively high.

Rosalind muttered to Tommy what came next, and together they all chanted, "This I swear by the Penderwick Family Honor" and broke their fists apart. Tommy rubbed his mouth, as if trying to wipe the amusement off his lips, but the smile stayed visible as could be.

"Don't laugh," said Rosalind, though she too laughed. "It's the customary ritual."

"No, I'm not. I love it," he promised. He kissed her head. "It's very you. I hope you do it forever."

"Oh, we will," said Jane. She scooted closer to Skye and Jeffrey, folding her hands under her chin expectantly. "You two – spill. Omit no detail."

Jeffrey swooped a hand toward Skye. "The floor is yours. You did this."

"Thanks a lot." She made a face at him. "It's…a long, long story. It started Friday night—"

"It started for Skye on Friday night," Jeffrey clarified. "I was in the dark until the next morning."

"Yes, let's clear that up right now." Skye nodded appreciatively. "There is plenty for me to regret with Dušek, but I never physically cheated on him. I ended our engagement before I did anything about Jeffrey."

"And I didn't talk to Skye," said Jeffrey. "I know that's what a lot of you are thinking, but I didn't tell her I'm still in love with her, or tell her I didn't want her to get married, or that Dušek was jealous—"

"He actually told me I should get married, when I was stressing out about it and he didn't know why," Skye added.

"Yeah, because I wouldn't say anything that might jeopardize what you wanted," said Jeffrey.

"What you thought I wanted," she corrected.

"What you thought you wanted," he reminded her.

She laughed. She told the others, "He was very respectful."

"Okay, but what did happen?" said Jane. "Something must have, because Skye – no offense, you aren't emotionally astute enough to have a big lovey-dovey revelation without help."

"I beg your pardon, I am astute!" said Skye. "And I resent lovey-dovey."

There was a chorus of nay-saying from all MOPS attendees, save for Jeffrey, who didn't dare. He didn't believe it anyhow. Skye had done plenty recently that proved she was more introspective than she was given credit for. Her reputation preceded her, but it didn't do her justice.

Skye only grinned. "No, you're right. I did have help. Now, I'll ask you all to brace yourselves. You'd never guess."

"Cupid," said Jane. "Fairy dust."

"Cold," said Skye.

"Mercury is in retrograde."

"Cold," said Skye. "Mercury is direct until September twenty-seventh, and even if it wasn't, you would still be cold."

"You were struck by lightning," Jane guessed again.

"Hypothermic."

"I've got a guess." Batty leaned onto her knees. "Did Alec say something?"

"Warmer than fairy dust, that's for sure," said Skye. She paused for dramatic effect, and everyone chastised her for it. She gave them all an evil grin, and at last she said, "It actually was Mrs. Tifton."

"Mrs. Tifton?!" The shocked cry came from many mouths. It echoed around the room, soon after replaced by dead silence.

Jane broke the spell. "You let Mrs. Tifton dictate the course of your very future?" She crawled over and felt Skye's forehead for a fever. "Are you sick?"

"What can I say? She got to me."

Jeffrey smiled, shaking his head. Though it no longer angered him, the story remained absurd.

"But Skye—" Poor Lydia was dreadfully lost. "Mrs. Tifton said she would disinherit Jeffrey if he married one of us."

"It's too soon to think about marriage, honey," said Rosalind. "But I agree it doesn't make sense."

"Don't get it twisted," said Skye. "She wasn't trying to be helpful. Not to me— Jeffrey, I guess she was trying to help."

"By doing…" Ben prompted.

"By outing my biggest secret and telling Skye that I love her," said Jeffrey. He gave a sarcastic thumbs up. "Great thinking on her part."

"But she didn't want me to cancel my wedding, just have it somewhere else," said Skye. "She thought that if I got married here it would make it harder for Jeffrey to deal with, since he'd keep coming back—"

"Where he would be horribly haunted by the dreadful memory of your lifelong commitment to another man," said Jane. "I'm following."

"Sure. That," said Skye. "She of course told me that I was a wicked person and phony friend, and she swore she would disinherit Jeffrey if I went through with my wedding at Arundel."

"Ah yes," said Batty dryly. "Her favorite threat."

"She thought he'd be better off if he had to sell the house," said Skye. "That's what she said anyway. I think she actually believed adding that part would make me listen to her."

"And she said she'd disinherit me if you ever talked to me again," said Jeffrey. "Don't forget that."

"Right. The terms were: move your wedding and stop being his friend, or I'll disinherit him."

"Drastic measures," said Batty. "That checks out."

"Yeah, well. It got me thinking," said Skye.

"And that's when you realized you love him back, right?" said Jane.

"Kind of. A lot of stuff played into it – and don't ask me what stuff," said Skye, before Jane could. "It's personal. I will not be telling."

"Fine. Don't," said Jane, resentfully, but she understood. "When did you become a character in this tale, Jeffrey?"

"In the morning," he said. "First thing, almost."

"Oh, that explains everything," Rosalind huffed, though she wasn't really annoyed. She had gotten her wedding. "No wonder you were so late to the carriage house."

"Yeah. I sort of forgot I had to update you," Skye said, hunching her shoulders guiltily. "Sorry. I wasn't going to talk to Jeffrey until after your wedding – I knew the timing was awful – but that plan went to shit when Dušek decided to go full soap opera."

"Soap opera, how?" said Batty.

Skye nudged Jeffrey.

He chuckled uncomfortably. He would have left that part out. "It wasn't that bad. I crossed paths with him not very long after he and Skye talked. I didn't know what happened, so I just tried talking with him a little— it set him off. He threw a punch." Several people started talking at once; Jeffrey waved his hands and they quieted. "It didn't land, and he didn't try again. He didn't explain either, just left."

"Jeffrey, that's awful," said Rosalind.

Jane nodded in agreement. "Even I, a proud soap opera connoisseur, must agree. That has the potential to be vaguely traumatic. Are you vaguely traumatized?"

"I wouldn't call it traumatic – just a surprise," said Jeffrey. "He was upset. It's not a big deal."

"Stressed you out at the time, though," said Skye. "So obviously, he hunted me down to ask about it. I didn't want to tell him, but he barged in on me! What was I supposed to do? Lie? I couldn't. It would have gone smoother if I'd had time to prepare myself, but I guess it worked out okay."

"I think you did great," said Jeffrey.

"I said I think there's a chance I love you, and you looked like you wanted to run all the way to New Jersey. It was not smooth."

Jeffrey laughed. "I loved it."

"What did your mom say when she found out?" Batty asked.

He was about to answer, but Skye beat him to it. "She said I'll have to sign a prenup."

Jeffrey choked on nothing. "What?"

Skye nodded. "I said I would – you know, hypothetically."

"Skye!" said Jane. "What about principle? What about honor?"

"Mutually exclusive, I think," said Skye. "She's jumping the gun. It was useless to argue over something so irrelevant, and let me tell you— the stunned look on her face was well worth my restraint."

"Yeah, but…" Jeffrey grimaced, and he thought, here we go again. "I wouldn't want— she can't demand something like that. It's not up to her."

"Don't start complaining, I'll join you," Skye warned. She proudly straightened where she sat. "I am working on peaceful indifference."

"That'll last," Ben scoffed.

"It might not," Skye agreed. "But for now, I am focusing on the positives. For example, Mrs. Tifton's intentions were good. That's a positive. I'm all about positivity now."

"She's biased against us," said Batty. "That's a negative."

"We're biased back." Skye must have seen the surprise on Jeffrey's face, because she said, "What? I told you I'll try to be civil with her. That starts with trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, doesn't it?"

He smiled. "It's just different is all."

"Different is one way to put it," said Rosalind.

"Frightening is another way," said Jane.

"Relax, it's not like we'll be going on coffee dates," said Skye.

Jeffrey was still stuck on the prenup. "She jumps right to marriage. Always. You'd think by now she'd have figured out rushing that conversation isn't the way to go."

"She's hopeless," said Batty. "Sorry."

Jeffrey laughed. He could only agree. Six marriages down, and his mother still didn't know a damn thing about it.

"Is that the end?" said Ben.

"That about covers it, yes," said Skye.

"And what a great story it was!" Jane beamed at them. "I'm thrilled. Perplexed, but thrilled."

"We all are," said Rosalind.

"So…this means that Jeffrey was actually Skye's destiny?" Lydia had been hooked on destiny ever since Batty had mentioned the word to her.

"Destiny is a sham," said Skye. "Jeffrey was my choice. You make your own destiny, Lyds."

Lydia scrunched her face in thought. "But everyone was so sure Batty—"

"Oh, Lydia, not here!" Rosalind looked suddenly alarmed.

Lydia flushed. She hadn't meant to work through her questions out loud.

"Everyone was so sure Batty what?" said Batty.

"That my "destiny"—" Skye put the word in dramatic air quotes. "Was yours."

Jeffrey chuckled and hung an arm over his knee. "I've been told there was a widespread belief we're fated for great love."

Batty's jaw dropped. "You and me?"

"You and me."

She snorted. "Why would I date my mentore? That's a violation of the contract."

Jeffrey tended to reject that title, now that Batty was a masterful musician in her own right, but he didn't this time. The semantics were unimportant. "My thoughts exactly."

"You laugh, but Lydia is right. We all thought so," said Jane. "Even Wesley mentioned it to me, right before he left."

"Oh, Wesley agreed? That's interesting," said Batty. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, a compulsory imitation of Wesley's inward smile.

"I thought it was endearing," said Jane. "He said that he wants you to be happy, and he knows that you will be."

"Very interesting," said Batty. "While we're sharing news, I have some."

"Oh yeah," said Skye. "She's got a shocker too."

"Really?" Jane was overwhelmed by the growing number of updates.

"Skye's is better," said Batty.

"Obviously," said Skye.

Everyone looked at Batty expectantly. She smiled at them all, with an extra one thrown in just for Jeffrey.

"Jeffrey helped me realize that I made a rash decision, based on social norms and the overall low success rate with long distance boyfriends," Batty explained. "At first I thought he was being too sentimental, but I did some thinking about it, and I decided to call Wesley."

Jane shifted excitedly.

"So, I did that, and we have decided not to break up."

"What?" Lydia bolted straight.

"He's here again, actually. Came back last night."

"Oh, Batty!" Lydia jumped to her feet. This news called for some celebratory dancing. She spun in gleeful circles, crying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I didn't do it for you, silly, but you're welcome."

"Where is he?" asked Ben, not one for dancing, but equally as pleased as Lydia.

"Taking Hitch for a walk," said Batty. "I wanted to tell you guys before bringing him around, so you wouldn't scare him."

Dizzied, Lydia stopped spinning. She wobbled precariously, asking, "Can I look for Hitch now? Please!"

"Yes, go," said Rosalind. Lydia performed a final, ceremonious twirl and bolted for the kitchen door Rosalind called after her, "Stay on the grounds!"

"I will!" She was off like a rocket and could be heard calling for Hitch as, high and low, she searched the gardens.

"Did you think this through, Batty?" said Rosalind. "Wesley is still leaving, isn't he?"

She nodded. "Tomorrow, he thinks. I'm going to go with him."

"To Oregon?" Jane screeched.

"Why not?"

"You have to finish school," said Rosalind. "You were adamant about that."

Batty brushed off the concern. "Just for a little while, I mean. I want to see where he ends up. I'll fly home before the semester starts."

The clarification did not at all comfort Rosalind. "You think you're taking a cross-country road trip on the back of his motorcycle?" She nearly laughed. "No. Absolutely not."

"I already asked Dad. He said it's okay."

"I don't care! He loves Wesley. Obviously, he is not thinking clearly." Rosalind sternly shook her head. "You're staying put, Batty. I mean it."

"We worked it all out. He won't drive for more than a few hours at a time, and Iantha says we have to stay in at least a three-star hotel every night – no pitching a tent in the woods – and we'll stay on the interstate. I'll be texting constantly so no one worries. We'll be perfectly safe, I promise."

"Nothing about this is safe!" said Rosalind. "Dad has lost it – Iantha too. Maybe you can fly out to see him for a few days, but—"

"No, because by the time he gets there, I'll be starting class."

"Then you will have to wait for fall break."

"I'm not waiting for fall break. I just got him back!"

Rosalind crossed her arms. "You want to make this relationship work long distance. You can start now."

"We still have time left, I want to take it!" Batty was starting to get angry. Jeffrey had seen this happen more than once. The further Batty aged, the less she listened to Rosalind. Rosalind was deeply conditioned to mother Batty; nineteen wasn't old enough for her to stop. Thus, the ensuing arguments.

Rosalind coolly said, "He will still be there in October. I promise you'll survive."

"I know that. Don't be condescending," said Batty. She threw up an irritated hand, shaking her head, jaw set. She looked like Skye when she did that. "This whole argument is pointless. It's not up to you."

"She's right, Rosy," Tommy said carefully. "If your dad said she can go, she will."

Rosalind sighed and fixed her eyes on the ceiling, muttering, "Such a stupid idea."

"Let's not fight about it," said Batty.

Rosalind raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, but be extra, extra careful."

"We will." The annoyance ebbed from Batty now that she had won.

"Okay." Rosalind pursed her lips. "I still don't think this is smart, but I guess it's up to you and Dad."

"Thank you."

"Batty, I have a question," said Jane. "If you do successively date each other from across the country, what happens then? It's great if you can make the distance work for you, but it can't last forever."

"I'm not sure yet," Batty admitted. "I still have two years of school left – that's plenty of time for this to blow up in my face. I'm not going to think about that until it's more of a present issue."

"He doesn't want to live here," said Ben. "Are you saying you would move to Oregon with him?"

"I don't know where we'll end up, but I don't have to right now."

"It is something to think about," said Skye.

"Says the person who started dating a European resident," Batty fired back. "Oregon is nothing compared to Germany."

"That's why I know it's something to think about."

"Yeah, what about that?" asked Ben. "Are you coming back, Jeffrey?"

Jeffrey said yes at the precise time Skye said, "I'm leaving California.

Tommy snorted. Batty said, "Safe to say you haven't talked about this."

"We have," said Jeffrey, but he looked to Skye. She hadn't told him she wanted to move from her home.

"I'll get my doctorate first," she said. "But I've been thinking about it, and starting over will be good for me. I could try Europe, if Jeffrey is ready to leave, I thought maybe Boston." She glanced at him, and there was a question in her eyes. "Being near your dad could be nice."

"Yeah, it could." That was one of the first places Jeffrey had started to consider moving to. He wouldn't ask Skye to cross continents for him. He'd be happy to come home by the time she was done with graduate school, if not before then. He expected it would be before.

There was a knock on the back door, and it soon after slid open. Jane squealed when Wesley stepped across the threshold. Ben clapped, and several others followed suit.

"Hi," Wesley laughed.

"We heard the good news," said Rosalind. "I'm happy to see you, Wesley – though I will admit, I am less happy that you are packing my sister for your trip."

Wesley's eyes crinkled at the corners. He only said, "Congrats on the wedding. You too, Tommy."

"Thanks," said Tommy.

Rosalind said, "I'm still waiting on the bit where you promise to be especially careful with Batty on your death machine— no speeding, and take plenty of breaks."

"Of course."

"And watch out for any creeps," Rosalind added.

"I will." Wesley walked over to Batty. She stayed seated on the floor, but reached up to squeeze his hand in greeting.

"I heard you think Jeffrey is my destiny," she said.

"Oh wow – Jane told on me?"

"She did."

He laughed and rubbed his mouth. "I thought, maybe. I don't think that anymore."

"That's good. It would be quite the conflict of interest."

Wesley kissed the top of her head. "Hey Jeffrey, could I borrow an icepack? There was a small accident."

Jeffrey gestured to the freezer, and Wesley headed that way.

"What accident?" Rosalind's worried face was back, full swing.

"Uh…" Wesley reemerged from behind the freezer door, icepack in hand. "Lydia hit her head pretty good, but she's alright."

"What happened?"

He shrugged.

"I'll check on her," Jeffrey offered before Rosalind could stand up. "Finish your coffee, Mrs. Geiger."

Rosalind sighed and she laughed all at the same time. "Come right back with updates."

"Will do." Jeffrey saluted her with two fingers, and he accepted the icepack Wesley held out to him.

Skye followed Jeffrey into the gardens. They found Lydia without much of a search, sitting beside the hedge. Alice was with her, and so was Alice's brother Jack (apparently home early from his trip to Canada). Hitch dutifully stood guard. He woofed at them to please hurry.

"Hey Lyds," said Skye. "We heard you bonked your noggin."

"Jack bonked it," said Alice. "He hit her! With a weapon!"

The weapon in question was the cast encasing Jack's arm. Alice condemned it with a firm point of her finger.

Jack was thoroughly horrified by the accusation. "I didn't hit her, I swear!"

"Look at this bruise!" Alice stroked Lydia's forehead like an army nurse in a war-torn camp.

Jeffrey crouched to inspect Lydia. He saw no bruise.

"I didn't mean to— she ran into me! It was an accident." Poor Jack was wracked with guilt.

"It was an accident, and it was equally my fault." Lydia took the icepack from Jeffrey and gingerly held it to her head. "I was crossing through the hedge tunnel while I was looking for Hitch—"

Hearing his name, Hitch lumbered over to give Lydia a sloppy, affectionate kiss.

"And my stupid brother crashed right into her," Alice finished. "I told him to say hello to her, and instead, he knocked her half-dead."

Jeffrey laughed while he quickly checked Lydia for any noticeable concussion (none that he could test for). "You ran into each other in the hedge tunnel?"

Lydia nodded. "I don't think it was a fatal collision."

"Yeah, you'll be alright." Jeffrey turned an ever-growing smile on Skye. "I know. I have experience with that crash."

"Uh huh." Skye turned in a circle like she was looking for something. "Where's the caution tape? The thing is a safety hazard."

"I told you. It's a weapon," said Alice.

"The tunnel, Alice, not the cast," said Jeffrey.

"Oh. We should still put caution tape on Jack's cast— just to be safe," Alice suggested.

"Maybe." Jack offered Lydia a hand. "Can you stand?"

"I think so." Lydia took his hand and slowly, slowly stood. "Thank you, Jack."

"Sorry I bonked you."

"I wasn't paying attention."

Jack then noticed that he still held Lydia's hand. He dropped it and stuffed his into his pocket, looking jumpy. "Sorry anyway."

Lydia put her hands in her pockets too. "Me too, and I'm sorry your arm is broken."

"Fell out of a tree."

"Climbing in his hockey skates – because he's the dumbest person on the planet – for a film he and Marcel were making that never would have been as good as our alien film."

"You don't know that, Alice," Jack protested. "Our film was going to be really good."

"I guess we'll never know."

"And anyway, it was a good fall. It's all on camera," said Jack. "I can show you, Lydia, if you want."

"I bet you cried like a big baby," said Alice.

"Did not."

"I've never broken a bone," said Lydia, the pacifier. "You are very brave, Jack."

His face lit up at the compliment. "Thanks."

"If you're saying crazy things like that, you must have brain damage," Alice gravely told Lydia. She held up two fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"

"Two. I'm okay, Alice, honest."

"No thanks to my brother."

"Hey— accidents happen," said Skye. "The tunnel has blind spots. I empathize with you, Jack."

"I'm glad someone does," he said, sticking his tongue out at his sister.

The three children left together to get a look at what Alice now called Jack's epic plunge.

"You know what I think?" said Jeffrey, after he had watched them file through the hedge.

"What's that?" Skye bent down to pick up the icepack Lydia had abandoned when she accepted Jack's hand.

Unable to help himself, Jeffrey swatted Skye's ass with the back of his hand. She smirked as she straightened back up. He said, "I think that if I'm evidence of anything, Jack is in for a big ol' crush."

"Yeah, and if Rosalind is evidence of anything, so is Lydia."

"Oh, good point. They're doomed."

"Nah." Skye shook her head. "If you and I are evidence of anything, they'll be okay."

"That," said Jeffrey with a wide smile. "Was dangerously close to sappy, Skye Penderwick."

She grinned back. "I'm trying it on for size. Ready? Catch."

He'd been ready for her to toss the icepack at him. She tossed herself at him instead, hooking her legs around his waist.

"Caught," he grunted, barely maintaining his balance. "Ice on my neck, by the way? Very cold."

"Is it?" Skye dropped the icepack down his spine.

Jeffrey recoiled and dropped her legs, but he swung his arms tight around her back before she fell. She laughed, hanging on by every limb, her face in his neck. Jeffrey turned his head and peppered her cheek with kisses.

"Gross—gross! I protest!"

Jeffrey went in for another; she dodged it and licked his face. He fled from her tongue (a reflex), but by no means had he disliked it. He told her as much with a solid kiss. Skye took a hand from his neck, moving it into his hair. She brought him back in when he started to pull away.

Twice Jeffrey had to hoist her up when she started to slip off his hips. The third time, he gave up on kissing.

"This is very impractical," he said. "The rom-coms don't mention that part."

"Had enough of my sap?" said Skye. "But I'm so new at it!"

"That's not what I said."

Impracticality ignored, Jeffrey kissed her again. He carried her to the marble thunderbolt man – a.k.a Zeus, a.k.a Jupiter, because it was technically a rendition of the Roman god, not the Greek – and he set her at the base of the statue. Skye kept her legs locked around him, and they kissed all over again.

This was a much more practical set up, so they lasted a great deal longer before they separated to breathe – a less interesting, but necessary activity.

"We should probably tell Rosy that Lydia's okay," said Jeffrey, disappointed to be the one to remember.

"Yeah, alright." Skye took her legs back and hopped to her feet.

"First, though—" Jeffrey pulled her in. He hugged her shoulders and put his face in the hair bunching at her neck.

Skye hugged back and, once a minute or more passed without him letting go, asked, "What's this for?"

"No reason," he mumbled. He squeezed her and nuzzled her hair away from her neck so he could settle his mouth in the crook of it. She smelled like his shower products. "There's been a lot of times I've felt like doing this."

Under no further moral obligation to suppress the urge, why should he bother?

She chuckled softly and scratched his back.

Jeffrey kissed beneath her ear, then hung his chin over her shoulder. "I don't think you really know how happy you keep making me."

"Sure I do. It's contagious." Skye craned her head back. "I'm happy when you are. That's how it's always been."

"Is that what you like me for?"

"Mm hmm." She kissed him and grinned proudly. "I'm an Olds and Milner rat – purely motivated by dopamine.

"That sounds vaguely familiar."

They walked the long way back to the house, and Skye took the opportunity to remind him of the 1950s psychological experiment he had probably learned about in college. He smiled at her as she rambled on about rats who pressed levers to receive short pulses of electrical stimulation to the septal area, wherever that was. He would have listened to her all day, talking about science. Olds and Milner had probably gotten something right about the pleasure center of the brain. She was dopamine in human form, and he kept coming back for more.

"I'm absolutely serious about the caution tape." Skye pivoted topics at the sight of the hedge tunnel. "At the very least, a picket sign – Warning: watch for cross traffic."

Jeffrey laughed, taking up her hand for the remainder of their garden trek. He liked that tunnel just as it was – his most favorite symbol of friendship and love and a wide, bright future.

A/N: I know, I know, this one was repetitive and mostly useless. But I'm wrapping it up, and I wanted the nostalgic feel, and Lydia's tunnel thing with Jack from the book, soooo too bad lol

Epilogue coming next week :,)