Affinity

So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, seeking to make one of two, and to heal the state of man.

Aristophanes’s speech from Plato’s Symposium

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Diana stared out the window and let the hum of the highway and the silence from the driver press down upon her like a warm blanket. The hour-long drive back to her dad’s house provided plenty of time to think about everything. Everything that’s about to happen, she thought to herself.

Diana’s mom, Zoe, was never much of a conversationalist unless she was talking to, or about, the beloved horses she bred and trained. One time, Diana decided she wouldn’t initiate conversation during the drive back. As Zoe’s truck pulled up into her dad’s driveway, Diana turned to her mother and said “You didn’t talk to me this entire drive.”

“If you wanted to talk, you could’ve said something!” Zoe retorted, clearly offended by the notion that she did anything wrong.

Diana had sighed and shook her head, not knowing what to say – then or now. So she stared at the passing trees and thought. It wasn’t uncomfortable, the silence, but it was so different from what Diana considered her normal life. With her dad, Bill.

Guess that explains the divorce. Diana sometimes wondered if Zoe really was her mother. They had completely opposite personalities and Zoe didn’t possess much of a maternal side. Zoe was dark-haired, tall, and slim but sturdy. Face blasted by a life lived outside in the elements. She had a perpetual farmer’s tan and a perpetual frown from lines around her eyes and mouth. Diana was blonde, average-height with a bit more athletic meat on her bones, and a sunny disposition, like Bill. Diana’s dad was a PR-guy in Washington, DC. Born and raised in the DC suburb of Bethesda, in the house Diana herself grew up in. Home. Unlike Zoe’s farm. Bill had been a high school quarterback, at the same high school Diana now attended – Whitman – and had gone on to be an All-American college football player. Most-likely-to-succeed type. Big and burly, he was Diana’s Papa Bear, always with a smile on his face.

Diana’s parents didn’t have a great love story like some, and maybe because of that they didn’t have an acrimonious bitter divorce either. They had always been so different, but they respected those differences. They met toward the end of college and there was enough of a spark, enough intrigue, enough compatibility, enough to keep them thinking about one another even after they graduated and should have forgotten and moved on. They were those kinds of couples that enjoyed their time together but also apart, letting each pursue their individual paths without any insecurity because they’d be going to the same home, same bed, at the end of the day.

Until they didn’t. Until one day, Zoe’s individual path veered so far away from Bill’s and she had the opportunity to run her own horse-breeding and competition-training farm and it was just too far and too different for Bill and his DC blood.

Why am I thinking about my parents’ relationship? Diana thought as she stared out the window. But she knew why. She’d been away from her normal life for a whole month. It was a normal part of every summer – her time with Zoe – but it felt like a lifetime this year. The magic of modern technology only made the time away from her friends feel even farther. She was missing everything. Every moment felt necessary now.

And it wasn’t just because she had a boyfriend now. Greg. It was about to be her junior year, she’d be turning sixteen in a couple of weeks. Sixteen. It was THE year. The year you started thinking about the future and everything that lay beyond high school. What you might want to do with your life and what college would be good for that. Where you might want to go in this world. It was the year of independence – she’d get her driver’s license! And, yes, it was the year she could start having alone-dates. It had been hard to get any privacy with Greg on their group dates, but Diana’s dad had promised, and promised again, that she would be allowed to go on alone-dates after her birthday.

Which meant…sex.

Sixteen felt like the right age to have sex. A good number. The age of consent in Maryland. Sweet sixteen. She wasn’t some horny, sex-obsessed teenager, but sex had started to feel like this looming thing. A clear before and after line drawn. And she wanted to be in the after part.

Diana turned her phone over in her hand and opened her horoscope app, checking it again.

Fair Virgo, as Leo comes to a close and your sign rises, so too you shall rise. Listen to your intuition, where your wisdom is strongest, and you will find a world beyond your wildest dreams.

Diana sighed and stared at the setting sun in the side rear-view mirror. It was one of the best horoscopes she’d ever gotten, but it also made her uneasy. She wasn’t even sure what her wildest dreams were. And listening to your intuition as a teenager seemed like a terrible idea, even Diana knew that.

Diana prided herself on not being a typical melodramatic moody teen. She counseled her friends through their dramatic ups and downs. Her best friend Michelle was always causing drama, and her other best friend Jenn felt everything so strongly and earnestly. Most days, Diana was more like her middle-aged father, puttering around the house making food and doing homework. She’d never be caught listening to music and crying as she journaled. She had a good life and parents who loved and respected her and she loved and respected them. Acceptance was the key to any relationship and the best way to avoid hurt feelings. Her parents had shown her that. Had shown her that the breakup of a marriage wasn’t a trauma to carry. For anyone. Maybe it was being an only child, but any self-doubts or worries she’d had growing up were always met with acknowledgment and discussion. Maybe it was the fact that her dad had to deal with most of the girl-stuff during her puberty and faced it with frank pragmatism. Whatever it was, Diana had a strong foundation in how things should be, and her friends’ drama only reinforced what she already knew: that emotions and hormones fueled a temporary insanity and the key was to look beyond that.

Glancing next to her, at her mother driving, Diana realized I guess I am like my mom! Because Bill certainly had a temper. It came out every time he watched football, desperately rooting for the Washington team, urging them to make the right move, get the right call, stop playing like a bunch of LOSERS. He yelled so loud, got so red in the face, jumping from his lazy boy to point at the tv and shout, startling Diana and making her worried he’d have an aneurysm or a heart attack. Or both!

Football. Greg. Greg was the quarterback for the Whitman Vikings. The captain. The golden child of the school. He was going to be a senior this year. Were they going to take the next step and do it? Greg had never pressured Diana, but their relationship was pretty new. They’d gotten together in the off season before school ended, but they’d been circling each other ever since Diana made the cheerleading team at the start of her freshman year. She had been the only freshman to make the team. And now she’d been away for a month and she did not like the flutter that started in her stomach.

Ugh! She and Greg had been hanging out a lot before she left for her mom’s farm in Virginia. Lots of group dates with friends who were very very good about giving them space. They saw every movie that had come out, binged every television show, went to every party, and walked around in the humid-yet-scorching heat of the DC suburbs in summertime. They’d walked the trail up to Great Falls on the Potomac River and down to the National Mall where all the museums were free-of-charge and fascinating. All the rocky hikes off the C&O Canal overlooking the Potomac. There were even some all-ages shows they’d gone to. They’d made out, done a little more under the clothes…but nothing that Diana would really call sex.

It was good. Great. Perfect. So if that wasn’t enough to keep Greg’s attention, then Diana was better off. Deep breath. And if he was still interested? Diana snorted at the thought of herself, the fair Virgo, the maiden, the Virgin, having sex. Would she have to give up her Zodiac sign and read a different horoscope?

Diana never saw herself as someone who would meet the love of her life in high school, or even college. She wasn’t sure she believed in a “love of your life” type romance. She could see herself with a lot of different types of guys and was interested in exploring her sexuality. She didn’t need to be in love to have sex, but she didn’t want it to be meaningless either. And despite all the horror stories she’d heard from friends about how awful the first time was for a girl, she hoped she could find a way to not make it terrible.

Soooooo…..Greg???

The sign for the Maryland border passed and Diana peered out at the Potomac River rushing beyond the Beltway bridge. A clicking sound from Zoe signaling, and they exited onto Cabin John Parkway. As Zoe’s car ate up the remaining few miles, warmth flooded Diana and a growing dread pooled in her stomach.

Listen to your intuition, her horoscope had said. It had promised good things. Right?!

So why was she starting to feel like she go back with Zoe and live among the horses?

The knot of panic that had nestled in Diana’s stomach since she’d returned home tightened with a pinch. Nothing had felt right since she’d crossed the Virginia-Maryland border, and now here she was at a normal teenage party, eager to get back to normal life, excited about the future: junior year! But as she scanned the crowd of teenagers dancing in the basement of a classmate’s house, the world tilted and surged like a tide, threatening to crash on top of her.

Mercury must be in retrograde, Diana thought. She’d forgotten to check her horoscope today. Her father had let her sleep til noon. Thank you, Dad! And after pancakes and conversation and coffee, blessed coffee, her father somehow knowing in that parental way that he only had a small window of time before her friends would pull her away. And sure enough, Michelle had to get her ass over and so she did.

Pulling out her phone from her clutch, Diana opened her app. If Mercury’s in retrograde….I should just go home.

Fair Virgo, your ruling planet Mercury moves directly, clearing the cobwebs and giving you room to see things clearly. Cosmic counterparts Venus and Mars move into your path, making sparks fly! Romance could be on the menu tonight.

Taking a deep inhale, Diana shook off her nerves with a laugh. Maybe she’d had too much coffee earlier. Maybe the egg she’d had with her pancake was too undercooked. That could explain this weirdness. Or maybe she was actually nervous about things with Greg. He’d texted that he’d be here, but they still hadn’t seen each other. The anticipation of whether their newbie relationship could really survive a month apart and getting to the after part of her sexuality could very well explain everything. She just didn’t like feeling like a cliché. Lock it down. Get a grip.

Diana found Michelle whirling and writing in the center of the makeshift dance floor like she owned it. Diana laughed and felt the tension in her stomach release just an inch. Of all the kids at Bethesda’s Whitman High, Michelle was the most dangerous and the most desired. Beautiful, smart, opinionated, aggressive. Michelle took what she wanted and left when she was done. No hard feelings. Diana sighed as she watched Michelle grab Bachelor Number One for a close encounter, wishing she had Michelle’s balls and not this twist in her belly.

Might as well join her. Getting lost in the music would help. For Diana, who had been taking dance lessons all her life, dancing was something primal. Full body. It helped her get out of her head. Let go the reins. The music, the lights, they took over. Diana moved without thought, becoming one with the rhythm around her.

But the tension in her belly pulled against her movements. Reminded her that Greg was out there somewhere. She needed to find him. It was becoming overwhelming. And she just needed to get this over with and face her nerves head on. So where WAS Greg?

Beer. It was the best place to look for Greg and wouldn’t hurt to ease these nerves.

Diana hugged some friends from her cheer squad as she walked up to the keg and grabbed a cup. Everyone was catching up over their summers. School didn’t officially start until Tuesday, but many kids had already been at school these last two weeks for sports practices. This was the first party of the new school year and the final goodbye kiss to summer. Waiting for her turn at the keg, Diana saw Greg’s buddies from the football team, but no Greg.

Large, rough hands slid over Diana’s eyes and she jumped.

“Hey babe!”

Diana shivered. Greg. She lightly touched his hands and brought them around her body, pulling him close behind her. He squeezed her tight and she noticed the ball of tension heating up. Greg leaned down and kissed the base of her neck. Diana nuzzled into him. It had been a long month away.

Turning around to give Greg a proper hello, Diana’s eyes fell on a boy standing just behind Greg. He looked annoyed, like Greg was blocking his path to the keg, but the boy just stood there. Waiting. The knot in Diana’s stomach flared. She was angry for the distraction. Angry about this whole evening so far. Who does this guy think he is?! Diana forgot about the kiss, leaving Greg hanging.

“Babe, this is Caleb!” Greg shouted as he clapped the stranger on the shoulder. “He’s the new running back on the team!”

The boy named Caleb continued to stare at Diana, but then seemed to shake off his whatever had gripped him. He unleashed a brilliant smile, the kind usually seen on Diana’s friends’ politico fathers followed by the trademark handshake invitation.

“Babe?” Caleb chuckled, waiting for Diana to shake hands.

“Diana.” She bristled. She didn’t even know this guy and he was flirty-teasing with her in front of her boyfriend! What a jerk.

Worst of all, the heat in her belly seemed to draw her closer to this boy. This boy that was not her boyfriend. Diana clamped down the inexplicable desire rioting inside her and scrutinized the intruder. Tall, with lean muscles that pushed against his dark shirt, a shock of black hair that stood in stark contrast to his fair skin. Those eyes. Piercing blue cut Diana through. She had to stop looking at him, but his gaze captured her with arrogance. Possession.

Caleb knew he was damn sexy, but Diana had her own hot football player thank-you-very-much so Caleb could just take that smolder somewhere else. She extended what she intended to be a firm, don’t-fuck-with-me, handshake. He stared at her hand. She stared at him. The space between them stretched and time held its breath as Caleb finally reached for her.

His hand felt warm and soft, and his grip wrapped comfortably around her own. She expected a crushing challenge of wills but instead found the tilt of her world righted. Connected to Caleb, she felt settled and whole.

A spark ignited in her palm and traveled up her arm, through her body, and unraveled the hot twist in her stomach. Her head whispered with images of her and Caleb. His voice. His laughter. The pulsing lights and pounding hip-hop surrounding them faded. A soft glow emanated. From the two of them. Caleb’s eyes burned brighter, searing her. What….the….

“Dee! Oh my God!” Jenn’s high-pitched enthusiasm burst through the moment, giving Diana the opportunity to take her hand back. Jenn clearly had had a few too many drinks as she swayed up to where Diana, Greg, and Caleb stood. Jenn’s arm stretched behind her as she pulled her boyfriend, Jimmy, along.

Diana wrapped Jenn in a hug, noticing that Jenn never let go of Jimmy – a clear indication that Jimmy himself was a drink away from being facedown on the floor. His head nodded to the beat of the music and his eyes glazed. Diana looked at Jenn, her other best friend, and saw Jenn’s frenzied look. Things were not going well with her friend and that helped break the spell of whatever that thing was with Caleb.

Diana glanced at Caleb. He seemed similarly shaken. But a glance back at Greg only confused her more. Greg smiled his charming smile and held his hand out to her as if nothing strange had happened at all. No glows. No time standing still. Diana took Greg’s hand and let him pull her back into his arms. Why did this feel so weird?

“I bargained with my dad,” Diana said to Jenn in her most so-excited-to-see-you voice, “Let me go to the party and I’ll go to the preseason game tomorrow.”

“Your dad is so cool,” Jenn sighed. Diana smiled in agreement, feeling every muscle in her face strain. The rightness of the world was tilting again. Everything felt forced.

Jenn nodded hello to Greg and then noticed Caleb.

“I’m Caleb,” he said after clearing his throat. He offered his hand to Jenn but seemed to second-guess himself. “Sorry, habit. I move around a lot.” Jenn shook his hand awkwardly.

“I’m Jenn, this is my boyfriend Jimmy.”

Diana noticed there didn’t seem to be any apparent lingering in the handshake. No locking of eyes. Certainly no glowing. Diana could have sworn Caleb’s eyes met her own as he let go of Jenn’s hand. Like he was checking in. His brow furrowed and then smoothed out as he turned his attention back to Jenn. She was asking him the polite questions.

“Yeah, my family just moved here from Ohio. My dad got a new job, so here we are!”

Normal. See? Everything is totally normal. Diana took a deep breath, clearing her mind. But her mind fought back. Wondering about this new guy and the weird moment she had just had with him. But that’s over now. It didn’t matter that her hand still felt warm from his touch, or that she now felt tethered to Caleb by some cord that swayed when he moved. It meant nothing that she could hear his voice clearly through all the noise or that she could see him better than anyone else, like he still had that glow illuminating him from within. Diana nestled herself into Greg a bit more, reminding herself she had a boyfriend. Hello! But it felt all wrong. Greg’s arms felt like a trap and her breathing quickened.

Greg gripped Caleb on the shoulder, giving Diana the chance to extricate herself. “We’re going to be unstoppable this year with you as my back!”

Beer, wasn’t I getting beer? Diana looked down at her still-empty cup and walked over to the tap as Greg shouted “Go Vikings!” to the echoing hoots of the nearby teammates.

Frothy yellow liquid filled her cup. Deep breaths. Getting some distance from Caleb helped clear her head and calm her nerves. She was just having some kind of pheromone-induced physical reaction to this new guy and it didn’t mean anything. Humans had an extraordinary ability to forget they were animals with base instincts that weren’t always the right things to follow and certainly didn’t mean she had to act on them. She could still be with Greg. Follow through on her plans. With Greg. Be normal.

But. Diana cringed. In that moment when she had held Caleb’s hand, she had felt something stirring within her. Unlocking. There was more meaning in that brief touch that in all the experiences she had had with Greg or any other crush. Not even her fantasies had ever featured anything remotely like the possibilities promised in that one touch. Caleb was uncharted territory. This moment alone was…overwhelming. And the perfect normalcy of Greg was never going to compare. Diana had never seen it as settling before…

But Caleb was also on the football team. With Greg. Her boyfriend.

Diana drained her beer in three big gulps and began pouring another. Maybe she was the one who had been away too long. Maybe she just didn’t like Greg anymore. But Greg is great! protested a part of her mind. He was like a big teddy bear. Sweet. And he’d been so patient about waiting til she felt ready. Besides, she could dance with her friends and just have fun.

But everything felt centered around Caleb. She felt a tug on that tether between them and looked up, meeting his gaze. He had his hands in his pockets and was pretending to listen to whatever Greg was saying, nodding along, but she was certain from his look that he felt the connection between them. She mentally tugged on it and saw him straighten. She could’ve sworn he was smiling. Or smirking. Her whole world was shattering and he acted as if this was perfectly normal. Funny even.

Diana saw Jenn peering over from the group. Even drunk, that best friend spidey-sense was always on, always accurate. It confirmed what Diana already knew: she was acting weird. Diana took a sip of her beer and started to head back when she saw someone sidle up to Caleb. Stephanie Drake! Diana nearly spit out her beer. Diana wasn’t a fan of slut-shaming, but her mind and body revolted at the sight of one of the more experienced girls from her class – a fellow cheerleader – zeroing in on the new meat. Jealous? Diana’s own mind teased. Diana had never been jealous in her life. But the heat in Diana’s belly flared as she stalked back to the group.

“Oh hey, Diana. You ready to cheer our boys this year?” Stephanie cooed. Diana cringed as she watched Stephanie playfully poke Caleb in the chest and smile up at him, leaning her body against his. “I’ll make sure to write a cheer just for you.”

Caleb glanced at Diana and she was thrilled to see conflict in his eyes. Images of her lips against his flickered but seemed flipped. Like looking at a photograph. The pull between them strengthened. Caleb looked at Greg and then back at Diana. She could feel some kind of shift as Caleb looked back at Stephanie.

“Wanna dance?” Caleb murmured to Stephanie. Diana was surprised how well she could hear him, like he was talking to her and not Stephanie. Diana’s body jumped at the question, but Diana rooted her feet down as she watched Stephanie take Caleb’s and lead him away. Jenn had wandered off with Jimmy, leaving Diana alone with Greg. My boyfriend! Diana leaned back into his embrace. At least it was familiar even if it didn’t feel the same anymore.

Diana thought she might be sick as she watched Caleb and Stephanie dance. Caleb was a natural. He flowed. She could feel his skin against hers, his weight, his breath. Their eyes met across the room. Flashes of her body against Caleb’s filled her mind. Without meaning to, Diana’s body swayed to the music, in time with Caleb.

Stephanie wasn’t on the cheerleading team for nothing. And while it felt wrong to watch Stephanie trying to impress Caleb with her body, Diana realized that she didn’t actually feel threatened by Stephanie. Because he’s mine.

“Wanna dance, baby?” Greg asked, breaking her out of her trance. Guilt washed through Diana. Greg was more of a step-together, step-together dancer and not at all what Diana wanted right now. On so many levels.

Diana had to distract herself. She leaned into Greg and stared into his light brown eyes, searching for some kind of connection. Greg pulled her into a kiss, pressing his fingers into the small of her back, against him. Diana didn’t need to look to know that Caleb was watching. She could feel his gaze. And that link between them tugged again. Her mind screamed at the wrongness of the kiss. Of Caleb dancing with Stephanie. Frustrated with herself, and this stupid new guy, Diana displayed a little too much affection for Greg. More than she was feeling at the moment anyway.

Greg laughed, touching the corner of his mouth. He had a dreamy look on his face. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you,” Diana said. It was true. Was.

“Dee!” Michelle leaped up the stairs and pulled Diana into a big sweaty hug. Thank god! Diana thought. She desperately needed an escape route out of this disaster.

“What’s the body count?” Diana teased.

“Too many,” Michelle shot back, and then looked back at the dancefloor, her kingdom. “Who is that hot piece down there with…Stephanie—”

“Drake, yes. That’s the new kid. Caleb.” Saying his name felt strange. Like something Holy she shouldn’t take in vain.

“Yummy, he could do a lot better than her. Oh look, he’s figured it out, smart boy.”

Diana watched with Michelle as Caleb came back toward them. Like a magnet, Diana felt pulled ever closer to him with each step. She rooted her feet down and gritted her teeth. She needed some air, she needed to leave, she needed…something.

Caleb pulled Greg over to the keg, and Diana forced herself to look elsewhere. Jenn and Jimmy were in a nearby corner. Jimmy was looking angry, reaching to pull Jenn closer. Jenn held Jimmy back by his shoulders.

“Michelle,” Diana nudged her friend and they both walked over to Jenn.

“Everything all right?” Diana asked.

“Oh come on, do you have to do everything with these girls?” Jimmy whined. “Do you need their permission? Or do you girls wanna watch?” Jimmy grinned, his eyes merely slits. He swayed while Jenn’s hands held on to his shoulders. Jimmy was well over 6 feet, lanky, and uncoordinated. This wasn’t going to last long.

“Jimmy’s just drunk,” Jenn whispered. Her large eyes glistened with apologies.

“Jimmy’s being a pig,” Diana noted to Jenn. This was a growing problem between Jenn and Jimmy. Jimmy seemed to think he was something after they started dating, like he could get any girl and Jenn was just the lucky one. But anyone looking at him knew it just wasn’t true. Maybe in 20 years he’d outgrow that nerdy lank and put his brain to use, but right now, he was the lucky one.

“A man’s got needs,” Jimmy mumbled as he grabbed his crotch. He turned to Michelle as a grin spread sloppily over his face. “Yo M, teach her how to do it right.” Diana and Michelle sucked in their breaths as tears spilled down Jenn’s face.

“Bastard!” Diana hissed.

Michelle simply took a graceful step forward and threw a punch, hitting Jimmy square in the jaw. He slumped down against the wall as Jenn shrieked and knelt down to check on him. Diana rolled her eyes. Michelle was all action, no talk.

“Need any help?” Greg instantly materialized, Caleb by his side.

“Michelle took care of it,” Diana shrugged.

“Come on,” Michelle coaxed Jenn up. Diana joined Michelle on the other side and helped walk Jenn up the stairs, out of the basement.

Diana looked back toward Greg, wanting to silently convey she’d be back, but he and Caleb were hauling Jimmy to his feet. The only eyes she met were Caleb’s.

Upstairs, it was instantly cooler. Diana and Michelle walked Jenn over to the living room couch. Two-story-tall windows overlooked a slope of trees that ended in a small strip of water, the C&O Canal. The Potomac River running parallel just beyond. It’ll be breathtaking in the morning, Diana thought as she was momentarily distracted by the bright moon sparkling in the water down below.

Michelle filled a glass of water from the kitchen and handed it to Jenn as she walked back and slumped into the leather seat across from her. Jenn held her head in one hand, the glass limply in the other. “You didn’t have to hit him,” Jenn sniffed, not looking up.

“Well, somebody needs to slap some sense into that boy!” Michelle admonished. “’A man’s got needs.’ What kind of bullshit is that?!”

“I just froze up,” Jenn countered.

“Wait, wait, wait, what happened? Start from the beginning,” Diana refereed.

“Jimmy wanted to come upstairs, find a place to fool around.” Jenn started. She looked up this time, and took a sip of the water. “But he’s just so drunk. I didn’t want to do anything. He was just so out of it. I didn’t like it.” Jenn shook her head.

“You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s his problem!” Michelle reminded.

“I’m so embarrassed!” Jenn started to cry again.

“Why?! You did nothing wrong!” Diana swooped in and wrapped her arm around her friend.

“My boyfriend just got knocked out by my best friend!” But even as she said it, Jenn started to laugh. Diana couldn’t help laughing with her.

“Damn, straight!” Michelle started laughing too.

“Jenn, I know you like him, but he really is acting like an asshole.”

“Dee, I love him. I love him.” Jenn’s eyes went wide as she tried to get Diana to see what she saw. Michelle crossed her arms and frowned with a “humph.”

Diana had never been in love. She cared about Greg. She loved her Dad. She loved her friends. But being “in” love? What was that? Her stomach tightened with the thought of Caleb. Those eyes. That wasn’t being in love either. She didn’t know what that was.

“I know, but if he loves you, he has to respect you, right? Which means only you can say when you’re ready for sex, or whatever.” Diana could taste the hypocrisy of her words. She didn’t feel ready or even right about having sex with Greg. It just seemed like the logical next step.

But Diana didn’t admit to all that, and Jenn just nodded her head at Diana’s sentiment that Jimmy should respect her if he loves her.

“And if he doesn’t, you’ll know he doesn’t deserve you.” Michelle added.

“Look,” Diana gasped. The sky outside the windows lit up suddenly and then just as suddenly went dark. Summer lightning. Typical for a summer night in DC. It was surreal and beautiful: lighting without a storm. Diana wondered if it was similar to what seeing the aurora borealis might be like. She opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the deck outside. The girls followed and leaned against the railing next to her.

“My two babies!” Michelle sighed, wrapping her arms around Diana and Jenn. “Can we get back to having fun now?” The three girls laughed, a timeless moment that had existed between them since first grade.

The sky lit up, dancing with lightning. But Diana knew the hot and sticky summer wouldn’t last. Fall was coming. Her favorite season, her birthday season. Diana could feel the change beginning and she couldn’t get it out of her mind that Caleb would be part of it.