Just stick around and you'll find out

 "You don't have to kiss," Randy said as if it was important for Carmen to know. Of course, she was in the middle of getting the dishes out of the dishwasher when he said it.

"What? What did you just say?" She winced with a smile. Did she hear him correctly? "What are you talking about?"

"You know, you don't have to kiss," he nodded.

"Oh."

After his announcement on the subject, he went to his room with his library books which were all juvenial graphic novels.

Carmen wasn't sure what to say. And Randy didn't wait for an answer. 

Justin was in his room at his laptop. His door was open but she tapped on the door anyway. He seemed to be in deep thought. She hated to bother him.

"Did you hear what Randy said?" Carmen sighed as she hugged herself leaning in his doorway.

"I guess, I didn't."

Justin was still studying his screen. "What is it?" He turned to look at her.

"Randy? What's he going on about?' She looked at him ever so seriously.

"About what?"

"You haven't heard him? Haven't you been listening?" Carmen knew he spent more time with him than she did.

"Um," Justin shrugged as if he didn't really have time to guess.

"You know, It's OK not to Kiss?"

"And..and that's a bad thing?" He was straight-lipped.

"Well, you know," she'd never really thought about it. It wasn't something anyone talked about when she was growing up. "It  just sounds kind of weird." She shrugged back as if she guessed she was making something out of nothing.

"Is it?" He kept staring at her as if he didn't want to talk about it. "Look, he has to know to give people their space. And ...well.."

Carmen nodded. She knew he was right. It was just a phrase she'd never heard of. Was it a trend she needed to know more about?

There's no one to save us

 Rico wasn't sure what to expect, but there Mona was waiting for him at the coffee shop. It felt like a neutral ground. Although, they hadn't had coffee before and she didn't have any now, either.

"Should I get us some drinks?" He offered, but she was even lipped. Rico couldn't sit down empty handed. "Is a black coffee all right or something sweet."

By her expression, he was certain she wouldn't go for a latte. He met her halfway with a Flat White. That was always his favorite coffee.

Once the wait was over, he was waiting as if it were the gallows. 

"I did call, you know," he looked at her brightly. He'd even texted. Nothing. It was her idea to meet up. He wished now she'd said it on the phone and he could have been left alone. 

"It's just-" she left the answer hanging as she sipped the foamy drink. He took a sip of his as if he could wait for her ultimatum. 

"I wanted to see you again," Mona said. Rico looked at her blankly wondering if he was the bad guy or the good guy. Gabe gave him the feeling he was totally bad. Rico didn't want to be. All Rico could do was give her a nod. 

He felt as if she held all the cards. Still, he wanted to say something, but he knew it would be wrong. That was the Mona he knew. Always telling him he was wrong.

"I think-" There she went again. Rico waited for the worst.

"It's just you are younger than me," Mona squinted hard.

"Not that much younger," he told her, but hesitated to say anymore. If only he could say what he felt like saying, but it was always a guessing game with Mona. 

"We..we should just see where this goes. You know, you and me."

"Um." Rico nodded and reminded her he worked weekends at the skating rink. He was taking a full load of classes and he still helped with the chairs and tables during the week in the commons when there were special occasions.

"You sound like I won't see you at all," Mona practically winced tears. "Maybe we should just live together."

"Oh." Rico cleared his throat. Unsure, what his dad might say about that. He sighed and she reached for his hand. Suddenly, he didn't much care what his dad thought.

if everything was plain to see

 "Are you his boyfriend?" The guy next door asked Louie when he brought the rent. Of course, he was very apologetic. At least Naia had gotten on at a company that provided daycare and Chai had found work at a restaurant. 

"Oh, no," Louie blushed at the question. "Chewy lives with me and my girlfriend," Louie told him, he didn't think Chewy was seeing anyone lately. 

"I see," Chai nodded with a toothy grin. Finally, Louie invited him in and got him a bottle of water.

Chai wondered if they were too noisy. The baby Daisy didn't like the move. "She's up a lot during the night." He told him Naia could sleep through anything.

"Oh, is she yours?"

"Just a guardian," he winced. "Sometimes, I feel I'm not doing enough."

"But you've been taking care of her," Louie thought that had to count for something.

"I need to be working," he said he wasn't any more than a noodle cook. "At least, I can learn more at the restaurant," Chai told him it was up and coming. 

"I hope it works out for you," Louie told him Chewy might be between jobs himself soon too. It was that reason why he was renting out his grandmother's home that she'd left him.

"Maybe he could work at the restaurant," Chai said they were in need of waiters.

"Oh, I dunno, if Chewy could stoop that low," Louie smiled, but who knows, "You should let him know."

Louie had a feeling Chewy would say NO if he were to mention the opportunity, but coming from Chai he might react differently.

Drowning in an ocean of grey

 Roxann didn't give much thought to Pan and Wade's wedding. Honestly, she wasn't even thinking about her own wedding. She was just enjoying her emerging baby bump. She was glad Elvis didn't mention the upcoming wedding, either. 

Instead, she and Elvis finally got a chance to go down to Lincoln to see Weezer and Nonnie. It was a surprise visit for the weekend. Just a Saturday to spend the day.

Of course, the boys gave them time to catch up, but of course, she was worried. What had happened to Nonnie?

She was so skinny and with the sniffles. She didn't look like she felt good. How had this happened?

"Do you think I've changed?" Rox wanted to know. Nonnie's domain was the kitchen while Weezer was in the backyard showing Elvis around. They were chilling with snacks and pop while Rox and Nonnie were left with fruit, cheese, and herbal tea.

"Of course, not," Nonnie broke into a laugh. Rox was happy to see Nonnie could smile. She was afraid she was in a bad mood.

"I think you have," Rox finally admitted.

"It's different now," Nonnie admitted. "I feel things that I never imagined."

Rox studied her friend's face. She looked a bit sad. Rox wondered what was going on.

"Is it your job?" Rox was happy with hers. Everyone was so kind and understanding. She loved working at the University and was thankful Elvis was doing well with his job too.

"That might be it," Nonnie said she'd had to put up with morning sickness that led to evening sickness. "I thought I was going to have to live on Dr. Pepper and crackers."

"Oh, I want to eat everything," Rox gritted a smile. Yes, there was a small window that she was sick in the beginning, but not anymore.

"This cold just won't go away," Nonnie pressed her lips tight. "The doctor says everything is fine, but..but what if it isn't? What..what if it's where I work, that..that might be making me sick..and it might make the baby sick too."

"Have you thought about finding a new job?" Rox said out of concern. Here, she was thrilled to wear Elvis's shirts he never wore and his levis rolled at the bottom. She looked at her feet, even though they were spreading. She was actually in his old Chuck Taylors.

Nonnie said she didn't want to lose her insurance. It was a top paying job she never imagined having.

"I just wish Weezer would find a great job..so..so you wouldn't have to work," Rox hugged herself. Here, she'd envied Nonnie with a house and a baby on the way. Now she felt sad for her.

Give me a tear drop, I'll give you an ocean

 "What is wrong with you?" Sammie was still in shock that Gabe would be this way with his mother. "How could you say those things to her?" She hugged herself in doubt about the Gabe she knew. This was so out of character. She thought she knew him all this time, but she didn't speculate too much. She went to the kitchen to start dinner.

"I shouldn't have told you," he said following her and getting ready to chop up the veg she might need for the stirfry.

Sammie pressed her lips tight, wondering if his mom was OK.

"See, I told you long before now that you two needed to talk, why wait right before Pan gets married."

She was certain she was talking to no one, but Gabe was peeling an onion and she noticed the tears dripping from his face.

"I don't know why I did it," he sighed. "Maybe, maybe its because I guess, you know, she knows him best. Not me. And..and why shouldn't it be that way."

"But it's not your fault," she reached out and touched the top of his head. She knew his scent from here. Oh, so many things that still must be a msytery to his mom. "I know it isn't fair. All those years you two spent apart, but now's the time to make up and be together."

"It's hard to talk, OK?" Gabe looked up to her. Sammie wrapped her arms around him, even if she was too close to the onion. They both cried. 

"Just be happy for Pan and Wade," she whispered in his ear and went back to check on the mushrooms sizzling in the skillet.

"You know, I tell you everything," he brought the chopped onions to her as well as the jalapeno he chopped.

"I know," Sammie nodded. That's when she told him about her visit with Rico. "He didn't really want to see me, you know." She felt she wasn't as close to Rico as she used to be. Maybe it was Vada's fault, or was it Mona?

"Not everyone is going to like me," she nodded. She understood. She thought of Caitlin and how annoyed she always was around her. Sammie smiled then. "And there are those that you can do no wrong around." Sammie thought of Caitlin's husband Deano. She could always count on him to be her side.

"But the thing is, I don't want to have just one person on my side in the family," Sammie told him as she tossed the pre-cooked white chunks of chicken from yesterday in with the veg. "Just like you, we need to be there for family." 

Sammie thought they should invite Gabe's mother over more than once a month. 

Gabe gritted a smile as if she was asking for too much.

Finally having that talk with your mother

 

Gabe didn't know why they really needed him. He was beginning to think that his mother loved Pan best. After all, she'd raised him. He hated that bad feeling, but it seemed she wanted Pan's wedding to be special while his and Sammie's wedding was just a backyard affair.

"You really have to have it at a hotel?" Gabe squinted. They'd invited him out to the venue to sample the food.

"Really, it's not anything big," Pan assured him. "But you'll have to wear a suit."

"Oh." Gave tried not to grimace too much. "Sure." Even then he knew he didn't want to. He didn't dress up.

"You know, Wade has done so much for your brother," his mom said later when they were alone after dinner. Of course, Gabe felt he needed Sammie here to be a buffer, but he nodded as if he was OK with everything. He'd do his best to be the best man. Although, it felt kind of odd, just the three of them in the ceremony. 

"Wade's so alone, you know."

"But, but he has a brother." Gabe reminded his mother. It felt so distant being in the heart of the old market in a hollowed-out brick building that had been here since before the thirties. It was just a space now with an indoor garden. Gabe was certain it was still too fancy for his liking.

"Yeah, I know, but..but he is with Pan's ex. And they are expecting." Gabe's mother made him feel that it was quite a downer. They hadn't invited Elvis to this dinner for the wedding arrangements.

"Surely, you guys aren't going to leave Elvis out," Gabe said. "I mean, even..even ..Rox is like family."

He knew he said too much but didn't want to leave them out. He could see his mother didn't want to talk about them.

And I don't know what else to do

 "What is it?" Sammie wouldn't look Rico in the eye when she let him. She was home alone. Actually, Rico had expected to see Gabe.

"I should have called, or texted, you know," he was solemn about all this Mona matter. It was starting to get to him. He didn't mean to second guess himself. He didn't want to be the bad guy either. Why was it everyone was against them?

"Well, he went to do something with his brother," Sammie said it had something to do with Wade and Pan's upcoming wedding.

"Oh." Rico nodded. 

He followed her into the kitchen where she turned on the electric kettle.

"Are you mad at me?" He wanted to know.

"Should I be?" She looked back at him, just as solemn. A part of him felt she was more of a sister than his older sister Caitlin would ever be. It was a shame that the only connection they had was Mario who was her brother, too.

"Well, you know, I wasn't going to ... you know Vada. I didn't want to be another one of her makeovers."

Rico made a face of disgust.

"Makeover?" Now Sammie laughed. She went to get the cups to make tea.

"Well, you know what she had in mind." 

Rico took a seat.

"I guess. I knew you two weren't right from the beginning, but now, you..you're mixed up with Mona." She didn't look at him when she said it as she was pouring the hot water over the Lemon Lift teabag.

"Gabe told you?" Rico practically snapped.

"Don't get so mad, he can't lie about anything," she brought over his tea and found some Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies. He couldn't help but tear one open and eat it whole.

"What do you think?" Rico was serious as if he were waiting to get his fortune told. 

"It doesn't matter, " Sammie said resting her chin on her fist. "If it's what you want."

"I know it is," Rico squinted. "It's just I dunno, she'll back out, or something. I want to be there for her, but..but what if she says no."

"How do you know she will say NO?"

"That's pretty much Mona," Rico knew. "She says NO to everything."

"Well, she said yes, to that night you spent together," Sammie shrugged and took an oatmeal pie too. Of course, Rico had to rip it open for her.

"It's just, I want the real deal. I hate being left hanging like this. I just think she'll forget about me, or I dunno." 

Rico was in a pout as he watched the teabag dance about like a puppet.

"Or she'll be the one in control and there will be no middle ground."

"Yeah, you said it."

"Maybe, she's ready for a change," she said. "Maybe she's figured out whatever she's doing isn't working."

Rico couldn't help but smile. Only, he couldn't see Mona thinking that way.