It was officially summer vacation. Schools were closed, and after two weeks of doing mostly nothing, Aspen had been hit with my parents called the summer fever. She was bouncing off the walls with energy and boredom. My parents were running out of ideas to let her burn her energy out after taking her to the park for the ninth time in two weeks.

Mom had to work on this particular summer afternoon, and something came up with Dad again. Whatever Dad had been so busy with since vacation started was beyond me, and I hadn't gotten a chance to ask yet. So when my parents called on the poor, defenseless neighbor to watch her again, I volunteered to babysit.

"Walk," I reminded Aspen when she came racing through the kitchen.

"I'm bored," She replied as she attempted to climb onto the dining table.

I pulled my attention away from the laptop. "I don't care how bored you are; you are not allowed to turn the house into your personal jungle gym," I warned as I removed her from the table.

She huffed and crossed her arm. "You're no fun," She grumbled, stomping her feet.

"Being in charge isn't always about fun," I told her. Suddenly I remembered something I loved to do during the summer when I was her age. "Why don't you invite one of your school friends over?"

"Because they all have plans," Aspen replied, giving me a 'duh' look. "It's summer."

I narrowed my brows into a straight line, "all of them?"

She threw her hands up, "I can't help it if I'm the lamest, most boring kid in school."

"You're not lame or boring," I assure her," why not invite a friend who doesn't attend your school? Maybe a friend from your extracurricular. Like Lulu."

"She's going to storytime," Aspen grumbled with another stomp and kick.

That was enough to spark my interest. "What's story time?"

Aspen rolled her eyes. "At the library," she offered with clear sass in her voice, "Dad said maybe when I asked him yesterday."

It clicked as soon as she mentioned the library. I loved going to story time at the library as a kid. I'd heard a new story every time I went, and I got to help the librarian turn the pages. The best part was the books I came with every time my parents took me so that I could participate in the summer reading program.

Maybe they still have to summer reading program, I thought, it could be fun for Aspen.

I clapped my hands together. "OK, grab your coat and shoes. We're going to the library."

Aspen's eyes grew twice their size as her jaw dropped. She looked at me like I'd spoken to her in a foreign language. "Seriously, we can go to story time," She asked, picking her jaw off the floor.

I nodded, "Yup, and I can even ask Braydon if he wants to bring Sky."

"Yay," She squealed, throwing her arms around me, "Thank you. Thank you."

She was still squealing as she raced up the stairs. "Walk," I called after her.

I called Braydon while Aspen went to grab her coat, and he thought it was a good idea too. He agreed to meet us at the library.

The library parking lot was pretty packed when we pulled in. Aspen was ready to combust from excitement by the time we found a parking space.

"Let's go," She dragged me toward the door, "we're missing the fun."

I could barely keep up with her as she raced ahead. "A, we need to wait for Braydon and Sky," I warned her before she could enter the building.

She turned with a huff, crossing her arms. "But the fun is in there," she frowned, pointing at the library.

"We'll get there," I promised, "but it will be easier for Braydon and Sky to find us out here."

She stomped her foot, "fine," she mumbled, kicking the dirt.

I watched as Aspen stomped around in anger. She definitely had better control of her temper but was clearly still very angry. Sometimes more than others. If only she would talk about what was making her so upset all the time.

A hand on my shoulder reminded me we were at the library, "everything OK?"

I looked up to see Braydon there with Skylar and Aspen. I stood up, "yeah, let's go."

Aspen raced in ahead of us, clearly tired of waiting. "Lulu," she called out, grabbing the attention of everyone around her.

I stopped her as one of the librarians gave us a warning look, "sorry," I apologized before turning my attention to Aspen. "A, remember library equals inside voice?"

She shrugged my hand off her shoulder, "Whatever, where's Lulu?"

Braydon stepped in, seeing that Aspen was getting really moody with her attitude. "Aspen," Braydon warned, giving her a serious look, "if you carry on with your attitude, we will leave."

"Lulu said she'd be here today," Aspen stated, ignoring Braydon. "Where is she?"

"Maybe she's not here yet," Braydon suggested.

Aspen looked around at all the kids in the children's area, "but storytime will start soon. She's going to miss it."

I pulled out my cell phone, "why don't I try calling her parents," I suggested.

She grabbed my hand and shook it, "hurry, before she misses it."

"OK, I'll call them while you grab a seat with Sky," I instructed as I dialed Maya's number.

Aspen and Olyvya had so many playdates by now our family knew her mom's number by heart. I stepped outside to make the call. Maya and I talked for a couple of minutes before I headed back inside.

Aspen spotted me right away and took off from her seat. "So, where is Lulu?"

I kneeled to her level before explaining, "Sorry, A, but it turns out this library wasn't the one that Lulu's parents take her to."

She frowned, "can we go to the library they go to now?"

I shook my head, "sorry, even if we leave now, we can't make it before storytime is over."

She dropped her head, "so I still don't get to see my friend," she started dragging her feet back to her seat, "so much for a fun afternoon."

The librarian came in with a story in her hand, so Braydon and I ducked out. We talked as we thumbed through some of the books on the shelves.

Braydon pulled a book off the shelf, "Aspen seemed really upset. Maybe we should've asked instead of guessing they live here in San Francisco like us."

I sighed, "None of us ever bothered to ask which part of the Bay area they live in, but she knew exactly which library we were at when I told her Aspen at the library today."

Braydon stopped flipping through the book in his hand, "how could it have slipped all our minds? And how come she knew which library was closest to us?"

I shrugged, "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

"So where do they live," Braydon asked.

"Oakland," I replied simply.

Braydon eyes shut as he dropped his head, "We're stupid."

I nodded my head in agreement, "no arguments here. But I did get Maya to agree to a video chat later. So Aspen and Lulu can see each other and chat about the books they heard. It's better than nothing."

"It's the best we got," Braydon agreed before thumbing through the book in his hand again. He didn't get far before stopping again. "So bro, what's going with you and Sharon?"

I stopped scanning the shelve of books, "nothing is going on."

"Really, because it seems you don't find her that annoying anymore. And clearly, she has a thing for you. Maybe you're both starting to really like each other."

"No way, Sharon and I are only friends. Nothing more," I assured him. I paused for a moment when an idea formed in my mind, "You know, Sharon and I might only be friends, but she is really a great person that any guy would be lucky to date. It's a wonder why she's still single. Maybe you should date her."

Braydon chuckled at the idea as he snapped his book shut, "Funny," He replied as he returned the book to the shelves. "Sky's the only girl I have in my life, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"And how long are you planning to have Sky be the only girl in your life," I joked, "until she's 18."

Braydon had a confused look on his face for a second, "I doubt Mom will let that happen."

We both laughed loud enough to make another librarian give us a warning look. "Sorry," we apologized simultaneously.

We were both still chuckling as quietly as we could when the librarian entered the back room. We still had bright smiles on our faces when we finally stopped chuckling.

"What if I made you a deal," Braydon suggested when we caught our breaths.

My interest peaked, "what deal?"

"I'll get back out there if you get back out there," he replied.

I considered it for a second before reaching out my hand. "Deal," I agreed, shaking his hand. "So, how did my smart little niece do on her end-of-year test?"

I could see the pride in Braydon's eyes at the mention of Skylar. "She did really fantastic. Scored off the charts, actually."

I looked up from the video I had in my hand, "off the charts," I repeated.

I knew Skylar was bright; we all did. All her teachers said she was bright. After all, she picked up new skills quickly and understood stuff we didn't expect her to at her age.

"Yup, off the chart," Braydon confirmed without much enthusiasm in his voice.

Just seconds earlier, he was proud.

I took a seat on the table next to him, "you don't sound excited."

"No, I am," He paused, staring at his hand, "I just need to decide if I want Sky to be the youngest in her class."

I tried to follow, "No, sure, I follow," I stated, giving up.

"The school director wants to put Sky in the Panda class," Braydon spelled out, "that's the kindergarten class. I'm not sure I'm ready for my little girl to be in kindergarten. She's only four."

I sighed, "And you thought you had another year before she was in school full time."

He nodded, "Yeah, maybe even two."

It had to be a parent thing. Since I had no kids, I wasn't sure what to say.

"Uhhh, you still have the entire summer, and no matter if she's in school full-time or not, she's still going to be your little girl," I tried, not knowing what else to say.

Braydon smiled as his spirits lifted. I wanted to do a fist pump in the air. For once, I did something right.

"You're right; she'll always be my little girl," Braydon agreed before changing the subject, "so, did Dad mention why he's busier than when school is in session lately?"

I shook my head with a frown. "Nah, this morning he left earlier than Mom. He just said he had something come up, so I offered to babysit A to give our poor defenseless neighbor a break."

"Speaking of our little sister, is it just me, or is she still moody?"

"She's surprisingly better," I paused for a second and continued, "until today."

Braydon sighed, glancing at the children's area, "I've noticed. She seemed more upset than usual today."

"If only we knew what was bugging her," I stated, watching Aspen shove Skylar over.

I frowned when the librarian stopped reading and focused her attention on Aspen. We couldn't hear what the librarian was saying, but whatever it was, Aspen didn't like it. She huffed out a breath as she balled her hands into a fist. Braydon and I raced into the children's area, noticing Aspen's balled fist.

"This is stupid," Aspen cried, raising her fist.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Do even think about it," I warned her, "or you'll be grounded for the entire week."

She shrugged my hand off, "fine," she grumbled under her breath. "Can we leave now? This place is worse than school."

We saw Skylar nodding off next to Aspen, oblivious to how close Aspen came to punching her. Braydon scooped her up, and I picked Aspen up. We left after apologizing to the librarian.

"So much for a fun afternoon," I commented when we were outside, "Braydon, you want to head back to the house?"

He shrugged, "sure, sounds like a good idea."

Halfway home, Aspen nodded off into dreamland and was still out cold when we arrived home. With both the girls asleep, Braydon and I had some free time. There was only one way we could think of to pass the time.

Basketball.

Surprisingly for the first time since I played with my dad, right after I was ordered to take a vacation, basketball was actually fun again. After over an hour of one-on-one, we were both drenched in sweat and heaving with every breath we took, but neither of us wanted to stop. I didn't feel like a failure on the court, and the score didn't matter. It was only about playing the game and enjoying ourselves on the court.

We finally ended the game after Braydon made another lay-up. "There's a smile we haven't seen too often in the last three years," Braydon noted before sipping his water.

My smile was still wide across my face as we headed back inside, "yeah, I haven't had that much fun on the court in a long time," I admitted between sips of my water.

Braydon started to head back inside, and I was right behind him. "Maybe it's because you're more relaxed today," He suggested while digging in the fridge.

I stopped taking the time to consider what Braydon said. He wasn't wrong about me being relaxed. It felt weird but good not to worry about how well I played—much less who won or lost.

I hopped onto the countertop next to Braydon and snuck a carrot stick. "Point taken. I was really playing just to play today; I wasn't even sure what the score was. And it wasn't because I gave up trying to keep score; I never even started keeping score."

Braydon smiled, stretched from ear to ear. He was happy to hear that I was playing as we used to as kids. "And that's how basketball is meant to be played for fun. After all, basketball is the greatest game ever invented for a reason."

I chuckled a little giving him a playful shove just as my phone went off with a text. Curiosity about who could be looking for me started to build as I reached for my phone. There weren't many people on the list since most of my friends had busy lives of their own this summer. Shockingly the text came from a number I recognized.

I didn't know who it was.

I stared at the unknown number with a frown in confusion. Why would someone I didn't know message me, I thought, tapping on the message so I could read the entire thing. The second I saw the first word, I knew the message was from.

Feelings of uncertainty replaced confusion as I read the message.

Wildcat

There's something I really need to talk with you about. Can we meet and talk?

Firefly

There was only one person who would call me Wildcat. She was the only person I let call me Wildcat. She was also the only person I called Firefly, and I was the only one who could call her Firefly.

Gabriella.

I felt like I was in some twilight zone between heartbreak and depression. I wasn't sure if I could make a decision, much less a rational decision.

Braydon saw my uncertainty when he looked me in the eyes, "Bro, everything OK?"

I ran a hand through my messy hair, unsure of the answer. I decided to let him be the judge and handed him my phone. He had a scared look on his face as he took it. His eyes bugged out in shock when he read the text.

"What do you want to do," he asked me as he handed me my phone.

I shrugged with a shake of my head. "Not sure. For the last three years, all I've wanted was to see Firefly again. So we can maybe talk, and I can know why I failed. But now that I can, it feels like a dream that I'm not so sure I want anymore."

His brows narrowed, "why not," he asked with confusion in his voice.

I stared at my phone with a shrug, "She'd already hurt me once before; what if I see her and all those emotions come flooding back? She could hurt me again. The rational thing would be not seeing her again. Leave the past in the past."

"And is that something you can live with," he asked between snacking on the apple slices and carrot sticks.

I bit my lip, wanting desperately to say yes. "What if I see her and she's happily married now? I'm not sure I'd be OK seeing her with another guy."

"And are you OK with kicking her out of your life for good?"

Now I was the confused one. "What do you mean?"

He sighed and set the bowl of snacks aside. "The reason I still talk to Quinn if she calls is not just because of Sky. However, that is a huge reason. But another reason has always been because of our friendship. Quinn has always been one of my best friends. I didn't want to lose that just because we didn't work out. I still wanted Quinn to be a part of my life, even if she was just a friend."

Silence lingered between us as I took in what Braydon said. My voice was above a whisper when I finally broke the silence, "Isn't it hard, though? Seeing her have the life you wanted with her with someone else."

He nodded, "it was. It still is hard sometimes, but I knew it would be worse if Quinn were out of my life for good. And when she first reached out again, I wasn't sure if I was ready to see her. But if I waited until I was, I might be waiting forever, or she may not want to see me again when I was eventually ready. And I would've kicked Quinn out of my life for good."

I stared at the message from Gabriella. "And if I say no, I might be kicking Gabriella out of my life for good."

"Sometimes, we just have to take a leap and trust that life knows what it's doing for us," Braydon placed a hand on my shoulder, "A lot could've changed in three years, and she may have moved on. Only you can decide if having Gabriella in your life again is worth it. No matter what you decide, we will always be behind you."

Braydon hopped off the counter and snatched another carrot on his way out to check on the girls. My fingers hovered over the keys as I stared at my phone.

What now?