The muffled thumping and giggling from down the halls woke me up. I kept my eyes closed until I heard the door to my bedroom open. Slowly I opened my left eye slightly for a peek and shut it again when I saw Aspen. I let out a snore that sent Aspen into a giggling fit as she climbed onto my bed.

After several attempts to wake me, Aspen planted a kiss on my cheeks. I finally opened my eyes and started tickling her. We were laughing and having so much fun; we didn't realize the time.

Mom popped her head into the room. "Hey, you two, it's a school day," she gave us a warning look.

I stopped tickling Aspen and let her go. She immediately hopped off my bed and straightened her dress. Mom nodded her approval seeing that we got the message.

"Mommy, can Troy take me to school?" Aspen asked before our mom left.

"If your brother doesn't mind," Mom answered.

The corners of Aspen's mouth went up into a smile wide enough to show her missing front teeth. She immediately slipped her hand into mine and started pulling me towards the door. "Come on," she grunted out as she yanked my arm.

My arm was a little sore from all her pulling and yanking. I was surprised by her determination and strength—some power for a seven-year-old. I stopped her when she looked like she was about to haul a heavy bag.

The fragrance from dad's pancakes gave me an idea, "Whoa! Aspen, why don't you go ahead and see what kind of pancakes dad made? I'll be right behind you."

Aspen's forehead wrinkled as she narrowed her brow into a straight line. Her nose scrunched up as she puckered her lips. "Promise?"

I nodded, "I promise. I'll be right behind you once I get dressed and take you to school."

"And pick me up," She added with a puppy dog pout.

I pretended to consider for a moment, and she whimpered a little. I seriously had to learn to say no to Aspen one of these days. Something told me that was not going to be so easy.

"And pick you up," I agreed, and she cheered, throwing her arms around me. I kissed her and sent her downstairs.

It didn't take me long to get ready. My mouth started watering when I heard the sizzling of bacon and the smell of dad's pancakes on my way downstairs. My stomach grumbled an approval of the breakfast before I entered the kitchen. Dad finished making the last pancakes as mom fixed me a plate. Mom placed a plate in front of me as I took a seat.

I poured myself a glass of juice. "Thanks, mom."

Mom poured dad a cup of hot coffee and took a sip of her coffee. She noticed Aspen wasn't eating and separated the food on her plate. "Aspen, I want you to finish this last bit of pancake and have one piece of bacon."

Sharon jogged through the back door, covered in sweat, as I started digging in. "Morning," she breathed out through her heavy breath from her early morning run.

"Morning, Sharon," Mom greeted as she started fixing Sharon a plate, "looks like you had a good run. There's plenty left."

"Aspen, you need to hurry and finish up," Dad urged, noticing that Aspen started to stall, "I have a teacher's meeting, so we need to leave early."

Aspen drops her fork back on the plate. "I'm not hungry, and Troy promised he'd take me to school."

"Whether Troy takes you to school or not, you still need to finish what mom showed you," Dad stood his ground. "Or you'll be going to bed early tonight."

Aspen scrunched her face at the pancakes. I was about to step in, but Sharon beat me to it. She got down to Aspen's level before talking to her, "Aspen, when I was your age, I wasn't always hungry at meal times."

"Why?" Aspen asked, a clear interest in her voice.

"I just didn't feel hungry. You want to know what my parents did?" Sharon continued when Aspen nodded, "they told me the story of the Hungry Giant. Have you ever heard of it?"

Sharon proceeded to tell Aspen the story when she shook her head. I couldn't help but feel impressed as I watched Sharon with Aspen. I never knew that Sharon was so great with kids. She wasn't only patient; but also really connected with Aspen and got her to finish her breakfast. I was starting to feel like I didn't know Sharon at all.

I made a note to ask her about it later, "Dad, I can take Aspen to school on my way to visit Gram Gram and Granddad." I offered once Aspen had finished.

Dad shrugged as he grabbed his coat and keys, "that's fine by us."

Sharon ate a couple more bites of pancake and gulped down the last of her juice. She placed her glass in the sink and thanked my mom. "Give me five minutes to shower; I'll come with you," Sharon stated, dashing off before we could say anything.

"She barely ate," Mom noted, watching disappear upstairs.

I sent Aspen to get her book bag, "Mom, Sharon probably isn't a breakfast person. I'll ask her."

Mom shrugged it off and started clearing the table. Less than ten minutes later, Sharon returned with Aspen on her hip.

"Ready?" She asked, seeing I was mostly done.

Catching a glimpse of the clock, I realized we would be late too. I quickly finished my juice and placed my stuff in the sink. "Let's go."

"Aspen, are you sure you have everything?" Mom asked, handing her a lunch box.

"I'm sure," Aspen assured her.

Grabbing the keys off the key ring by the door, I ushered the girls out. I gave my mom a final hug and kiss before rushing out the door after the girls.

Later I dropped Aspen off at school, leaving me with Sharon. I was pulling out of the school drive when I got a call from Gram Gram.

"Hi, Gram Gram," I answered, motioning for Sharon to stay quiet.

"Hey Troy," Gram Gram's voice rang out of the speakers, "I'm calling to see if you're still coming over."

"Sure am," I answered with no hesitation. "I'm coming over now."

I came to a stop at a red light. "Oh, good. You're parents mentioned that your girlfriend came with you from L.A., can you bring her by. Granddad and I would love to meet her."

Sharon's face turned a flushing pink, and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. My great-grandparents would put just as many wrong ideas in Sharon's head as my parents. "Gram Gram, I got to go; we'll be there shortly." I quickly ended the call before Gram Gram could say anything else. The corner of Sharon's lip went up a bit, curving into a small smile.

"Nicely handled," She stated, evident amusement in her voice. "Clearly, you're a veteran in dodging your family?"

I slowed to a stop at a red light. "You've never tried to dodge your family before?" I asked, doubt in my voice.

Sharon laughed as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears. Her laughter sent a tingle of attraction through my body. I haven't felt anything for anyone since Gabriella. Could my family be right? Was there really something between Sharon and me? Would I really like Sharon if I gave her a chance? Could I really let Gabriella go and let someone else in?

I felt Sharon's hand on me. "Troy, green light."

Shaking all the thoughts out of my mind, I reminded myself that there was nothing between us. "Sorry, I kind of spaced before. What did you say before?"

"I was saying that my parents have a sixth sense. It's impossible to dodge them, but it also means we're really close."

I frowned, thinking about my relationship with my parents. "My parents and I used to be that close."

"What changed," Sharon asked.

"A bad breakup," I replied with a frown, "I kind of shut everyone out after."

Sharon's brows narrowed as she shifted in her seat. What made her so nervous? "And now," She prompted.

I shrugged, "now, I'm still struggling to pick up the shattered pieces, and they notice."

"So they worry more and try to help you." She concluded, "and that makes you feel smothered."

I sighed, "something like that."

"It only means they care." Sharon reasoned. "I'm sure you'd feel worse if they didn't care so much."

There was a hint of something in Sharon's voice. It was almost like she knew what it was like to have your family not be there. My family had always been around. I never thought of not having my family around to help me, so I wasn't sure how to respond. For half a second, I thought of asking her if she spoke from experience. That quickly passed, and I reminded myself I couldn't give her the wrong idea.

We continued to talk as we made our way to my great-grandparents. It was like she was playing twenty questions with me. Sharon did most of the asking and avoided questions about herself. I wasn't as great as I'd liked with the whole hiding myself thing around her, so she did get to know more about me with some well-placed questions.

Thirty minutes later, I finally pulled up to my great-grandparent's place. I noticed my Granddad's car was not in the driveway. I made a note to ask Gram Gram as I headed up the steps.

The smell of home-baked goodies hit us the second we entered the house. Gram Gram must have made my favorite cookies, knowing I was coming by. She always had our favorite treats ready when we visited her.

Gram Gram called out, "I'm in the nursery!"

Grandma's vision, I thought to myself as I shut the door behind me. I waved for Sharon to follow me to the yard, where Gram Gram was sitting in the nursery.

She stood immediately, reaching her arms out for a hug. "There you are," She greeted, squeezing me with surprising strength for an eighty-year-old.

"Hi, Gram Gram."

"Oh, it's great to see you here in person," Gram Gram finally let me go, "it's not the same seeing you on TV."

My smile fell a little, "because you can't pretend to not know what a big family disgrace I am."

Gram Gram shook her head and gave me a whack on my arm. "Only you, my amazingly talented, smart, and accomplished grandson, will believe you're a family disgrace."

Sharon failed to hold back her snicker and caught Gram Gram's attention. "Sorry," She apologized.

Gram Gram let go of my arm and gave her attention to Sharon. "So, you're Troy's new girlfriend."

"She's my friend," I corrected, "Sharon, this is my Gram Gram, Michelle Bolton."

Gram Gram shook Sharon's outstretched hands. "You can call me Gram Gram. It's nice to finally meet you; Troy's parents have told me a lot about you."

Sharon smiled with a light blush, "I hope they didn't say anything too bad."

Gram Gram chuckled, "no, my dear. They're all nice things, I promise."

Gram Gram wasted no time putting ideas into Sharon's mind. Sharon and Gram Gram continued to talk as they headed back inside. They were talking like they'd known each other for years, and seeing them so close made my nerve knot with worry. I felt like I would never be getting through to Sharon that we weren't together.

I went in after them and noticed the boxes all around. There were empty boxes and folded cardboard in the corner. Other boxes that were somewhat filled were kind of lying all around the place.

As I moved the boxes aside to clear a path, my curiosity got the better of me. Most of the boxes were filled with kitchen odds and ends-except for one filled with books.

"Gram Gram, what with all the boxes?" I asked, looking at the books that were in the box. "And why do you have all these books packed?"

Gram Gram turned to me, "your Granddad and I thought we'd get a head start on our spring cleaning."

Somehow I wasn't sure that was it. My gut told me there was more to this cleaning. I narrowed my brow a little trying to figure out what secret Gram Gram was hiding. Before I could ask Gram Gram anything else, we heard the front door open and excited barking. Sharon jumped, startled by the sudden barking, and I covered my mouth, attempting to hold back a snicker.

My Golden Retriever bolted into the kitchen at record speed. "Cupid, good boy," I patted my lap, and he jumped on me, licking me. I got him to settle down and led him to the table.

"Cupid is yours?" Sharon asked, seeing how I easily got Cupid to obey my every command. I patted my lap, and Cupid laid his head down. I bobbed my head yes, as I rubbed Cupid's head. Granddad's returned with more folded cardboard boxes in his hands.

He greeted us before trying to sneak one of Gram Gram's cookies from behind her. Gram Gram gave him a stern look, pretending to be angry. Granddad responded with a kiss on my Gram Gram's cheeks and praised her kitchen skills. Gram Gram shook her head in amusement and pushed the plate towards him. A familiar aching in my chest made it harder to breath as I recalled when Gabriella and I were like my great-grandparents.

Inseparable and completely in love.

Granddad sat beside my Gram Gram and slipped his hands into hers. I pushed through my sadness and got Cupid to follow me to the cupboards for a treat.

"So, how long have you had Cupid?" Sharon asked.

I showed Cupid the treat and got him to sit. The next thing to come out of my mouth surprised my great-grandparents. "He was a Valentine's gift from my Gram Gram and Granddad two years ago."

That was a lie.

Gram Gram and Granddad didn't give me Cupid years ago. Gabriella did. Cupid was her last birthday present to me before we broke up. The thought of it did hurt, but I'm glad she did. After my life shattered, Cupid really helped me get back on my feet.

"Troy, why don't you take Cupid when you head back to L.A.?" Gram Gram suggested.

It was a good idea, and I did miss Cupid when I was in L.A. I've always wanted to have Cupid in L.A. with me, but I've never had the means to. It did seem like the perfect time. My life is much less hectic, and my hours are stable now.

Cupid perked up like he understood us. He looked at me with sad eyes and a whimper as if he was saying he wanted to come.

"I'll really consider it," I stated, petting Cupid.

Cupid accepted that answer laying his head on my lap. I continued to catch up with my great-grandparents while trying to keep them from giving Sharon the wrong idea. It was mid-afternoon when we called it a day. Before I left, Gram Gram, of course, made me promise to come back with Sharon soon.

Sharon and I arrived at the dog park the following beautiful spring afternoon. Cupid wasted no time running his energy out. The second he got the OK from me, he raced off after some other dog.

We took a seat on a nearby empty bench. "Cupid is really well-trained," Sharon complimented. "You must have worked really hard with him."

I picked up the stick Cupid brought back and tossed it. Cupid took off after it. "Not really; Cupid had always been a pretty good boy. Smart too."

"Sounds like you really lucked out," Sharon concluded.

I nodded, not taking my eyes off Cupid. "That's what I kept telling myself."

Cupid came racing back and dropped the stick in front of me. Picking up the stick, I handed it to Sharon. She froze, staring at me. Her movement was slow, almost hesitant, as her breathing became labored.

"Are you sure?" She asked me, not daring to move.

"Positive," I nodded as Cupid turned to Sharon and barked. "Cupid doesn't mind."

Sharon took the stick and tossed it. "So, if you didn't mind me asking, why didn't you take Cupid with you to L.A.?"

"I wanted to; even considered it." I started to say but stopped.

"But," Sharon prompted when I didn't say more.

I sighed, petting Cupid before throwing his stick again, "the only place I could rent at the time didn't allow dogs. Then, once I got to L.A. quickly realized that even if I had the place, I didn't have the time. I had training with the team and on my own on top of school. Between all the training, working out, and school work, I barely had time to take of myself. Half the time, I was nodding off while studying or eating half an order of takeout before falling asleep."

There was sympathy in Sharon's eyes, "sounds rough." She continued when I nodded. "But, you got through it, and now that you're on the other side, you could take Cupid with you when you return to L.A."

"That's not a bad idea," Chad chimed in, approaching us with C.J. on his hip.

Zeke and Jason were right behind him. C.J.'s face lit up with a cheeky smile, and he reached out toward me. "Unky Twy"

I took him from Chad as they took a seat and sat him on my lap. C.J. happily settled on my lap, showing me a wide smile. I ruffled his hair before giving him the stick Cupid brought back. "Throw it," I instructed.

C.J. glanced from the stick to me and back again like he was trying to figure out what I said. Taking the stick, he gave it to Chad. We all chuckled a little.

"No, C.J.," Jason explained, taking the stick from Chad. "Like this."

Jason tossed the stick, and Cupid took off after it. C.J. frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "Doggy, bye-bye," C.J. whimpered, waving in Cupid's direction.

C.J.'s lips were puckered out with tears welling in his eyes. I was impressed with how fast Sharon dried his tears. "C.J., it's OK, look."

C.J. looked where Sharon was pointing and gasped. "Doggy," C.J. squealed and clapped in delight.

Sharon picked up the stick that Cupid dropped at our foot and showed it to C.J., "the game is called fetch. You throw something for Cupid to get, and he'll bring it to you. You want to try it?"

C.J. blinked, staring at the stick. He took it and gave it to Cupid. He frowned when Cupid didn't do anything. "Throw it, so he can bring it back," Sharon prompted C.J.

C.J. finally threw it, watching as Cupid chased after it. He squealed like he'd just discovered the best thing in the world, watching Cupid pick it up and bring it back. It quickly became his favorite game.

"Impressive," Chad praised, watching C.J. playing fetching with Cupid. "How could you cheer him up so fast and explain the game? Even I wasn't sure how I'd get him to understand."

"My family used to have a dog," Sharon explained, "it took me a minute to understand fetch too. My dad explained the concept to me the same way."

Her answer convinced Zeke, Chad, and Jason. I wasn't so sure, though. Owning a dog could be part of it, but I felt like that was all. I remember how she was with Aspen and Skylar.

"Are you sure you don't have some magic touch when it comes to children?" I asked, trying to prompt her to talk.

Sharon gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

I reminded her of yesterday morning, and she reminded me of what she said. "And there's really no other reason?"

Sharon shrugged, folding her hands in her lap. "Maybe I do have a way with kids."

I was closer, but there was more, something that she still wasn't telling us. Before I could ask, Jason changed the subject. "So, Zeke, were you able to figure out how to throw a surprise birthday party for Sharpay?"

"If you need, we can lend a hand," Chad offered, causing me to whip my head in his direction.

Chad had to be joking. I wanted to help Zeke, but we knew very little about party planning. I wasn't so sure that three clueless guys would be much help, and I didn't even want to picture the result.

"Uhhh, not to be a downer, but even if Zeke does need help, how can we help him?" I asked, "none of us know anything about party planning."

"Maybe the girls do," Chad suggested, "they could take the lead, and we can help them."

Jason seconded Chad's idea, "that's a good idea. I'm sure Taylor and Kelsi will know what to do."

"And if you still need help, I'd be glad to lend a hand, too," Sharon chimed in.

All eyes fell on her. "You know how to plan parties?" I asked when I found my voice. "How?"

"I'm not an expert, but I've helped plan a few growing up."

I attempted to hide my shocked face. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You never asked, and I never found a reason to talk about it," she answered simply.

"Well, we're asking now," Jason gladly spoke up, "can you lend us your expertise?"

Zeke cleared his throat to grab our attention. "Guys, relax. I have a friend who said she'd see if she can clear her work schedule to help me."

"Are you sure your friend will be able to help you?" Chad asked, skepticism in his voice. "If she can't clear her schedule?"

Zeke shook his head, "No way; I've always been able to count on her."

He tried to sound confident, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Why does everyone have something to hide, I thought to myself.

"Hey, guys, we can't forget Ryan," Jason pointed out. "It's his birthday too."

Sharon's brows narrowed, and asked, "Ryan?"

I decided to explain to her, "Ryan is Sharpay's twin."

Sharon still didn't see what the problem was. "So why not make the party for both of them?"

We all threw our heads back in a laugh. I still had a smile when I stopped laughing long enough to explain. "Sharpay loves being the center of attention; she's what you might call a diva."

"Minus the attitude," Jason put in, "most of the time."

Sharon nodded, finally getting the picture. "So, a party is not something she'd be happy about sharing."

"Definitely not," Zeke answered, "which is why I was thinking we can throw Sharpay a surprise party and for Ryan…a guy's day out."

C.J. started squirming in my lap, so I let him down. "Guys, day out."

Zeke nodded, "yup, we can spend the day with him doing things he'd like. It's more suited for their personality anyway."

"Troy," Aspen shouted.

We turned to see Aspen racing in our direction from the park entrance. She shouted my name again as she waved a piece of paper above her head. Her face was flushed, and her breath heavy when she stopped in front of us.

She showed me the picture, "I made it with Lulu."

"It's beautiful," I praised. I frowned with concern, seeing her flushed face. "Aspen, are you breathing OK?"

She nodded and started talking about everything she did on her play date with Olyvya. I finally got a chance to stop her when she slowed down to catch her breath. "A, who brought you over here?"

Aspen pointed towards a van parked by the entrance. "Lulu's mom."

We exchanged glances and had the same idea. Chad picked C.J. up when he stood, and I got Cupid to follow us toward the van. Olyvya's mom must have noticed us approaching since she stepped out.

I picked Aspen up and sat her on my hip. "Hi, you must be Lulu's mom." I reached my hand out. "I wanted to say thanks for dropping my sister off."

"You must be Troy," She greeted, shaking my hand. "Please call me Maya. Aspen has told us a lot about you."

A spark of familiarity hit me when she shook my hand. That's weird, I thought, staring at her. Where have I seen her before? Did I meet Maya before?

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts out of my mind when Sharon's phone pinged with a text. "Everything OK?" I asked her.

Sharon quickly pocketed her phone, "yeah, just a friend who's also here in San Francisco."

Maya and Sharon shared a look that reminded me of the looks I'd seen my parents give each other when they were having silent conversations. I was almost positive they knew each other. What are they hiding, I thought, glancing from Maya to Sharon. Before I could ask either of them, Maya hurried off, claiming she had other plans. I was sure I saw Sharon nodding ever so slightly to Maya.

What is going on, I thought. Why is everyone either familiar or hiding something? I stared in the direction that Maya was headed. Something was going on. Whatever was going was gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.