A Boy's Last Summer

A loud horn startled them both, and they jumped back.

"David! We're going out for pizza! You coming?" yelled Chris out the driver's side window of his car.

"Yeah...Sure."

"I'll let you go...Good luck," said Roxy blushing, and glad it was too dark for David to see.

"See you at work," he said, regretfully.

Roxy got in her car cranking the engine over and pulling away, leaving David in her rearview mirror.

"What the Hell was that Roxy?" she said to the empty car.

For just a moment she had felt an overwhelming urge to kiss David, and not just for the benefit of some scheme, but because she had wanted too. She shook her head and turned on the radio, trying to drown out the voices in her head that were telling her she should have kissed him anyway.

Mrs. Foster was waiting up for her when she arrived back at her apartment, having taken care of Emily while she had been out.

"She give you any trouble?" asked Roxy as she sat her purse down on the couch.

"Emily was a little angel. She went to bed right on time."

"Thanks for watching her. I appreciate it."

"Certainly, and how did your date go?"

"I told you it wasn't really a date. I was trying to help David get his girl back."

"So you didn't have a good time?" she prodded.

"I didn't say that..."

"I would have been surprised if you hadn't that David seems like a nice young man, and easy on the eyes!"

"Mrs. Foster! You should be ashamed that boy is barely eighteen," said Roxy even as she laughed and winked at the older woman.

"Is age always the measure of a man?" asked Mrs. Foster in a suddenly serious tone.

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Don't you? I've seen the way you look at David, Roxy Doyle, and whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, there's more there than you let on."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," lied Roxy.

"I'm just saying that I've lived a long time and I know when a woman is interested in a man, and you are doing a piss poor job of hiding it."

"David's just a boy. He's way too young for me," she said defensively.

"When does a boy become a man, Roxy? I think it's when he reaches that point in his life when he can see beyond himself. When he learns to value the happiness of those around him more than his own. When he is willing to sacrifice to make their lives better...to care for them. By that measure, David is more of a man now than Todd ever was, you even said that yourself."

"I know what I said..."

"I'm just saying that I've watched you these last few years treating any man who so much as glances in your direction with contempt. I know Todd hurt you plenty, and you've been reluctant to trust any man since, but it's different with David, isn't it? I bet you don't even understand why you just feel it when you're around him."

"He has a trustworthy face..." she said under her breath remembering their conversation by the spring.

"What?"

"Nothing...Look, David is a sweet guy, but I can't imagine he would want to have to deal with all my shit! Life and love are complicated enough without throwing age differences, kids, and ex-spouses into the mix."

"Love is easy, Roxy. It's people who make it complicated."

"I can do without the fortune cookie philosophy. I'm just trying to do what's best for David."

"Doesn't he get to make that decision? You don't have the right to take that from him. All you can do is decide whether or not you trust him enough to offer him a way into your life. Whether he chooses to take it is up to him."

"This is absurd. I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. Thanks for the analysis, Mrs. Foster."

"Any time, Dear. Just think about what I said."

Roxy closed the door behind her neighbor chaining the lock and turning out the light, but in spite of her exhaustion, it was a long time before she fell asleep.

When her phone rang early the next morning, it took her three tries to get her hand on it, and she nearly pushed if off the end table and onto the floor before finally snagging it in her grip.

"This had better be a lawyer telling me I just inherited a million dollars," grumbled Roxy into the receiver.

"Roxy? It's David. Did I call too early?"

"What do you think?" she snapped, sitting up in bed to rub her eyes.

"Sorry...I just wanted to let you know it worked. Heather called me and wants to see me next Tuesday night. She was practically begging me on the phone to go out with her again."

"Oh...Ah...That's good news, David. I'm glad to hear it..."

"You don't sound very excited."

"At this time of the morning, the only thing that would excite me is a big cup of coffee, or for you to hang up so I can sleep four more hours."

"Right...Well, sorry to bother you I...I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Roxy cut off the connection laying back in her bed. Her mind drifted to the conversation of the previous night with Mrs. Foster, and try as she might she couldn't get the thought of how handsome David had looked at the water park out of her head, how comfortable she had been around him, and how perfect his lips had felt on hers.

"This is bullshit...He's just a kid, and I'm an idiot..." she tried to tell herself, but that didn't stop the pain that suddenly flared in her chest or the tears that started to flow down her face.

"Mommy? Why are you crying?" asked Emily appearing at the end of her bed with the same uncanny stealthiness that Roxy herself had displayed on more than once occasion.

"It's nothing, Baby. I just got something in my eye. Hey! You want waffles for breakfast?"

"Oh! I love waffles!" shouted Emily.

Roxy wiped the tears from her eyes and followed her daughter into the kitchen, trying to put the phone call out of her head.

THE MEASURE OF A MAN -

David pulled the comb through his hair again annoyed at the stray hair in back that flatly refused to lay down. He slapped some cologne on his face and grabbed his keys off the bathroom counter.

"Where are you heading out looking so fine?" asked his Mom from the couch where she was reading a novel.

"I got a date with Heather," he said, stopping to tie his shoe.

"I thought you two broke up?"

"We did...but she's having second thoughts."

"Good for you guys! I always thought you made a cute couple."

"Thanks. I'll see you later," he said over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

He found traffic to be a little heavier than usual for the time of night, and he slowed turning the radio on to relieve the boredom as he crawled forward. In the distance, a glowing billboard advertising the latest ride at Wave World dominated the skyline. A memory popped into his head unbidden of Roxy walking toward him in her red bikini, the sunlight falling on her reddish hair, lighting it like a fiery halo. His heartbeat picked up as more images flashed through his mind, Roxy laying with her bare feet in a desert spring, Roxy breathing hard with excitement after their plunge down the slide, Roxy kissing him...

"Shit!" he yelled as he slammed on the brakes nearly hitting the car in front of him that had come to a stop.

"What's a matter with me? This is ridiculous. A couple of kisses that didn't really mean anything and now I can't think straight."

He resolved to put the older woman out of his mind as traffic finally picked up and he exited a short time later pulling into Heather's neighborhood.

The number of times he had pulled up into this same driveway were too numerous to count, and he looked up at the big, white, two-story house recalling all the parties and events he had attended here. He was just about to get out of the car when his cell phone rang, and to his surprise, it was Roxy's number on the display.

"Hello?" he said into the phone wondering what she could want from him now. She knew he was going to be on his date with Heather tonight.

"David? It's Mrs. Foster."

"Mrs. Foster? What are you doing with Roxy's phone?"

"Oh, she would be mad as a hornet if she knew I called you, but I felt like you should know. Emily had an accident today, and she's in the hospital."

"What happened?" said David as a cold chill gripped him.

"She fell on the playground at her day camp. They think it might be a concussion, but they're not sure. We're at the hospital now. Roxy is pretty torn up about it, and she could use a friend. I told her to call you, but she wouldn't do it, so I got her phone out of her purse while she was at the nurse's station. I can't talk long she'll be back any second."

"Which hospital are you in?"

"Park Side General. Oh! I have to go. I can't stay with her tonight, and she could use a shoulder. Todd is nowhere to be found."

"I understand..."

David took another look up at the big house and then put his car in reverse even as he dialed Heather's number with his other hand.

"Heather? I'm sorry I'm going to have to cancel our date tonight."

Roxy sat by her daughter's bedside, holding her tiny hand in hers fighting back the tears that she knew would have only served to frighten the little girl. The doctors had assured her that the concussion was mild, and though they were going to hold her overnight for observation, she should be able to go home in the morning. The fear that had gripped her when the people at the day camp had called hadn't been lessened by that prognosis, however, and she still felt it like a weight sitting on her heart.

"My head hurts, Mommy" whispered her little girl.

"I know, Baby. The nurse is going to be back in a minute to give you something to make it feel better."

The door to the room opened, and Roxy turned expecting the nurse wondering for a moment if the one time she had smoked a joint back in college was coming to haunt her because it appeared that a giant Teddy bear was pushing its way into the room.

"You know they really should let you use the freight elevators when you have a load this big," said David as he carried the stuffed bear in front of him.

"David...Is that for me?" asked Emily her headache forgotten for the moment.

"I thought we could call him, Bonk, after what you did to your noggin," said David grinning.

"I love Bonk!" said Emily pressing her head to the enormous bears stomach after David situated it in the bed.

"Where did you find that monstrosity?" asked Roxy in surprise.

"In the gift shop. He looked lonely, and I thought I knew the perfect home for him."

"I'm going to have to get a bigger apartment," she said in fake irritation as she pulled David aside.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Heather on your big date?"

"Yes, but Mrs. Foster called me and told me what happened. I canceled my date with Heather. We can still do it tomorrow night, no big deal."

"I'm touched David, but you don't have to be here. Emily is going to be alright, and there's no reason for you to miss your date."

"You're here alone," he observed.

"Yeah...I tried to call Todd, but I'm sure he is passed out under a pool table somewhere."

"I'm not going to leave you alone in a big hospital dealing with this by yourself. My date can wait."

"David...You really don't have to be here," she insisted.

He took her hand looking into her eyes, "Roxy, I'm right where I want to be."

David looked so much older all of the sudden like he had matured in front of her eyes, though she suspected a part of her had always seen him this way.

She fought down another urge to cry as she hugged him close whispering, "I'm glad you're here..."

He gave her a tight squeeze drinking in the softness of her cheek on his before he took a step back and smiled at Emily.

"Now!" said David dramatically, "who wants to hear a story about dragons!"

Emily eventually got sleepy from the meds the nurse gave her and dozed off clinging to the soft fluffiness of the over-sized bear in her bed. Roxy sat next to her, stroking her hair.

"You look tired," said David in a low voice.

"It's been a long day," she admitted.

"Why don't you rest in the chair? I can watch over Emily for awhile. I promise I'll wake you if anything happens."

"I would argue, but I'm too tired," she admitted changing places with him.

It wasn't easy to get comfortable in the narrow chair, but she managed to find a position that didn't hurt too badly. As she started to drift off, her last clear image was one of David holding Emily's hand and singing softly to her while she slept.

In the morning, Roxy brought David a steaming cup of coffee, waking him from where he was dozing. They had changed places during the night, and though she had offered to let him go home, David had insisted on seeing things through now that he was here.

"I'm pretty sure my boss will give me the day off," he said yawning before he curled up in the chair.

"Smart-ass..." she whispered.

Emily was looking much perkier, and the doctors kept their word discharging her into her mothers care. David stayed with her while Roxy brought the car around to pick her up at the main entrance, and once she was buckled safely in the back seat, they shared another hug on the sidewalk.

"Thanks again for being here."

"I was happy to do it. I thought after I get some rest I might stop by and check on her later. I could bring a pizza or something. What kind does she like?"

"Don't you have a date to worry about?"

"I can go out with Heather anytime."

"If you wait too long she might lose interest and just stay with Alex," cautioned Roxy.

"If she holds me in no more regard than that, then she wasn't the right girl for me. Now about that pizza?"

"David...I don't want you to throw away all the effort we went too. Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I'm not sure anymore...I've been thinking about someone else lately."

David was looking at her so intently it made her nervous like a girl about to be asked on a first date. She thought about what Mrs. Foster had said to her, but deep down, she wasn't convinced that this was the right thing for him. He was so young and had his whole life ahead of him to meet someone without the kind of baggage she was carrying. Someone closer to his age.

"I...I think you would be better off concentrating on Heather."

"Is that what you want me to do?"

Roxy swallowed hard a part of her wanting to say, "No! I want you to be with me..." but she couldn't get over the feeling that she was being selfish.

"I need to go we're blocking the pickup spot. Enjoy your date tonight, David."

She got into her car before he could say another word and pulled away from the curb. In her rearview mirror she could see him staring forlornly after her until she lost sight of him at the next turn.

David stood on the now empty sidewalk and sighed.

"I guess I was reading too much into this whole thing," he thought, but it had sure seemed to him that she was hesitating, that she wanted to say more. Still, she was right about one thing he couldn't keep Heather waiting indefinitely. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, dialing her number.

"Hi, Heather. I'm sorry about last night. Do you have some time?"

With his phone pressed to his ear, David began walking back to his car.

Grove Glen Park had been the sight of he and Heathers first date after their hook up at Wave World all those years ago, and it seemed like the perfect place to talk. David parked his car in the visitor's lot, and walked down a long, winding paved pathway that ran between a pair of little league fields and into a grove of trees ending at a pond. Heather was sitting on a bench flicking bread to a small crowd of ducks that waddled frantically around her legs.

David stopped a dozen yards away just to watch. She looked so cute dressed in a pair of denim shorts and wearing a loose-fitting white cotton top. Her laughter filled the air reminding him of the picnic they had shared her three years ago. It had been a more innocent time, and he could never have forseen how things would end up for them.

A short distance away was Juniper Hill. There, on a summer night after they had celebrated Heathers eighteenth birthday that had come just one month after his own, they had made love for the first time. It had been a magical moment about as romantic as a young couple could have hoped for with the moonlight shining down on their naked bodies. They had waited until after the park closed, but there was still an element of risk, and he recalled how nervous he had been that they would get caught.

Heather spotted him standing at the edge of the trail, and her face broke into a smile.

"There you are! I was starting to think you were going to stand me up."

She tossed her last piece of bread, and the ducks parted before her like she was royalty as she strode toward him.

"Heather," he said by way of greeting not trying to hug her or even offer his hand, not yet.

"I love this place. A lot of memories here."

"Yeah. We had some good times you and I."

"Maybe...we could have more?"

David didn't answer but started walking over to the edge of the pond with Heather falling in beside him.

"Where did you meet her?" she asked.

"Roxy?"

"Yeah."

"She works at the plant," he replied evasively.

"She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is," David agreed.

"Quite a bit older than you though..."

"I hadn't noticed," he said, making Heather frown.

"I would think a relationship like that would be...challenging?"

"At least I feel like I can trust Roxy. I know she wouldn't run around on me."

"David, I tried to explain what happened between Alex and me."

"I remember. As I recall, it was mostly my fault."

Heather looked away, embarrassed.

"How long had you been seeing each other before graduation?"

"Let's not do this, David. Wouldn't it be better to talk about where things could go instead of dredging up the past?"

"I'll take that to mean it had been a while."

She turned back around, stepping between David and the pond forcing him to look down into her bright, blue eyes.

"I made a mistake. I admit it. Alex was exciting to be around, but he and I have never had what you and I shared. I miss you, David. Don't you miss me?"

"I miss the girl I kissed at Wave World. I miss the girl I laid with on Juniper Hill. Things have changed since then though, haven't they? Neither one of us are those kids anymore."

"Would you rather be with Roxy? What kind of relationship could you have with her in the long run, David? I know she could never love you the way I do."

"How do you love me?"

Heather reached out and took his hand, touching him for the first time. He could feel the softness of her skin.

"With all my heart. It will be dark soon. Lay with me tonight on Juniper Hill just like we did. Let's be that couple again. The one everyone else envied."

The sun was setting behind his shoulder, lighting Heather's face in a warm, yellow glow. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her look before in the three years he had known her, but somehow it was all different now.

"Would you still feel this way if Roxy hadn't come along?"

"I never stopped loving you, David," she replied, but he thought he caught a subtle hesitation in her voice.

"That wasn't an answer," he pointed out.

"I don't want to talk about Roxy or Alex. It's only the two of us that should matter. Do I still matter to you, David?"

The ducks had quieted. The air was still, and David Cross squeezed the hand of the only girl he had ever loved.

"I think we both have a lot to learn."

"Are you comfy enough?" asked Roxy to her daughter, who was currently stuffed into a blanket on the couch.

"Yes...Can we watch T.V.?"

"Sure...What do you want to see? How about a Disney movie?"

"I want to see Captain Marauder!" shouted Emily.

"Oh Boy!" said Roxy with a wince trying to sound excited at the prospect of hours of poor special effects and over the top acting.

She started leafing through the DVD box when a knock came at the door.