April 27, 1996

“Seriously?” Joey’s eyes widened as they made their way into the theater, following Brian down the center aisle until they found a section of seats large enough for all of them to sit together. “She went from not wanting to be in front of people at all to this?”

“Guess so. Maggie’s a miracle worker.”

“And why are we here so early?” Justin spoke up, stepping into a row close to the stage. “It doesn’t start for another hour.”

“Every show sold out, J.” JC sighed as he took the seat next to him. “It’s closing night. If Jen hadn’t reserved tickets for us, we wouldn’t have been able to make it in. Personally, I wanted a seat where I could actually see her.”

“If you’ll look around, dearest, you’ll see that we just beat the crowd coming in.” Lynn leaned forward from the row behind them, thumping her son on the back of the head before gesturing to the streams of people entering the doors. “Pay attention.”

“Hey, Jace. I thought she said it wasn’t a major role.” Chris glanced up from where he was flipping through the program. “She’s got, like, sixth billing. Cast photo and everything.”

“You’re kidding.” He turned to the section holding the cast listing and smiled when he found her on the second page, just below Maggie. “Well, look at that. Good for you, Boof.”

“Why do you call her that, anyway?” A dark brow arched in his direction. “Boof? It’s not exactly a common nickname.”

JC simply looked at him, a deadpan expression on his face.

“Not today, huh?” Chris laughed, tapping the program against his knee. “Okay, so how about the teddy bear? You could’ve gotten a bear from anywhere, but you literally found one in the gift shop out front. Really? Roses probably would’ve been nice, you know.”

Yeah, but her Mr. Right will come bearing stuffed animals. And God, I’m hoping she knows that I’m her Mr. Right. He kept his thoughts to himself and shook his head, grinning down at the fluffy brown bear in his lap with a quiet laugh. “Not today, Chris.”

Trying to ignore the usual banter from the friends surrounding him, JC let his gaze travel over the theater, a feeling of awe settling in as he took in the impressive auditorium. He could only estimate that there were enough seats for about two thousand people. If every show had sold out … a smile began to form as he studied the balcony, pride blooming in his chest at how far she’d come in the last few months. According to Maggie, Jen’s performances had garnered the best crowd response, earning more than one standing ovation during curtain call.

Knock ’em dead, Jenny.

Before he knew it, the seats were full and the orchestra had completed its warmup, the house lights dimming to darkness as the stage lights came up and the curtain rose to reveal the detailed set pieces. The music drew him in and he completely forgot who was sitting next to him until he felt an elbow in his side.

“Dude, is that Maggie?” Justin leaned over to whisper in his ear. “She’s totally different as a brunette.”

Cutting a glance toward his friend, he nodded, then turned his attention back to the stage. A little while later, he was chuckling under his breath as she did, in fact, manage to present a fabulous death. There was a sniffle and a shifting in the row behind him, and he looked back to see Lance passing tissues between Diane and Lynn. Lance’s expression held an ounce of humor as his eyes met JC’s and he simply shrugged with a grin before focusing back on the actors.

Not too much longer and there she was, notably smaller than the others around her, dressed in worn greyish-brown pants and a stained white sleeveless blouse, her hair pulled up and covered by an old-fashioned men’s hat. Even as she was obviously part of the group of characters, their placement on the stage had her clearly apart from the crowd, her shoulders tilted confidently, her chin raised with a rakish grin as she flirted with Adam, who was playing her friend and love interest. JC wasn’t prepared for the streak of jealousy that passed through him as she gazed at Adam with a look of pure adoration and he could feel his grip tightening on the bear he’d bought her.

Cool it, man. It’s just a play. Not real. He swallowed thickly, trying to relax his fingers on the soft fur. If it was real, she would’ve told you.

Adam’s character sent Jen off stage, presumably to search for the blonde girl who’d crossed the stage earlier with the male lead, and Chris leaned close to his ear. “She’s a convincing little actress, isn’t she?” Blue eyes turned to him just in time to see his glance drop to where JC was still clutching the bear. “But it’s just a show, Jace. I’ve seen her giving you that look more often than you probably realize. She wasn’t playing a part with you.” Chris’ brow lifted questioningly. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” With a deep breath, JC relaxed into his seat, eased by the reassurance. “I’m fine.”

She returned to the stage to participate in one of the most popular group numbers, the audience reacting to its familiarity. Then she grabbed Adam’s hand and led him off stage, the set pieces turning so that she could deliver him to the girl she’d located. A little music and suddenly she was standing apart again, participating in the scenes, but something of an observer, chiming in with her thoughts though no one else acknowledged that she was there. Her voice rang out between the others, rich with sadness and heartbreak as the couple came together, leaving her in the cold to protect them from the gang of thieves that dragged her off stage as she let out a scream that shot straight to his spine and made both Justin and Chris jump in their seats.

The next time she was visible, her arms and face had been dusted with just enough stage makeup to give the impression that she’d endured a beating, a tattered trench coat gripped in her hands as she joined in with the Act One closer. The cast held the last harmonies, allowing the orchestra to take them to the end of the piece, then froze in place, the heavy stage curtain slowly descending as the audience applauded their efforts during the first half of the program.

“Jace …” As the lights came up for the intermission, Lance leaned forward and placed a hand on JC’s shoulder. “She’s fantastic. The people behind us were already talking about her when she first came on stage. They’ve been here every weekend and keep saying that she’s better every time.”

“Did anybody else know she could scream like that?” Justin’s eyes widened. “Dear God, she’s got a set of pipes hidden in that little body.”

“Oh, just you wait.” Brian stood at the end of the row, reaching up to stretch out his shoulders as he smiled at JC. “She hasn’t hit her stride yet.”

“Excuse me.” An older woman sitting in the row ahead of them turned around, her gaze bouncing between the guys. “Are you boys here for the little brunette?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Chris sent her a friendly smile. “She’s a very good friend of ours. We’ve been out of town, so this is the first chance we’ve had to see the show.”

“Oh, goodness, we just love her.” A happy grin lit her features. “Jenny is our granddaughter’s piano teacher over at the Community Center in the University area. Chelsea is simply besotted with her. She was so excited when we brought her last weekend for the Sunday matinee.” Her elbow nudged the man sitting next to her. “We enjoyed it so much, we came back for a date night. An absolute star, our Jen.” The lights flickered in warning that the intermission was ending. “That girl does so much for the children at the Center, and she doesn’t even realize what a gift she is. If you talk to her later, please tell her that the McKameys said hello.”

“We definitely will.” JC took his seat as the house lights began to dim, looking around as an enthusiastic twitter began to stir through the auditorium. “Something exciting about to happen?”

“Wait for it.” Mrs. McKamey noticed the bear in his lap and winked with a knowing smile, reaching over her seat to pat his knee before turning around. “You haven’t seen anything yet, son. Your girl’s just getting started.”

The heavy curtain lifted to show Adam and a few other men in front of a wall of debris, talking among themselves until Jen moved across the stage, now wearing the trench coat. A brief conversation ensued, with the men telling the stupid girl to get out of there, she’d be shot. In a quick decision, Adam reached in his pocket and handed her a note, asking her to deliver it to the blonde – an attempt to both get his friend out of danger and let his love know what was happening.

The set moved to the side – cast and all – as a painted curtain descended between Jen and the men, giving the stage a backdrop of a city bridge and streetlights. The orchestra transitioned into her lead-in, and she began to sing the opening phrases, glancing down at the note in her hand before slipping it into her coat pocket and walking slowly toward center stage, making it to the middle of the curtain as the introduction ended. The music brightened, a smile gracing her lips as she stepped lightly in front of the bridge. Closing her eyes, she hugged herself as she let her imagination take control.

On my own, pretending he’s beside me
All alone I walk with him till morning
Without him I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way
I close my eyes and he has found me

Twinkle lights embedded in the curtain began to sparkle delicately, and she looked upward, stretching out a hand toward the stars flickering in her description.

In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me, forever and forever

And suddenly, the orchestration became heavy, the smile leaving her face as her hands slid into her pockets. The stars lost their twinkle, going dark as reality came rushing to her.

And I know it’s only in my mind
That I’m talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there’s a way for us

I love him, but when the night is over
He is gone, the river’s just a river
Without him, the world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers

Her hand lifted from her pocket, pulling out the square of paper that she’d been sent to deliver, even more despair entering her voice as she stared at the note. After a moment, her gaze turned out to the audience, and she clasped the paper to her chest as her tone became rough with the emotion of the crescendo.

I love him, but every day I’m learning
All my life I’ve only been pretending
Without me, his world will go on turning
A world that’s full of happiness
That I have never known

There was a beat of silence as she let the last line cry through the darkness, seeming to take all the oxygen out of the room with her shaky breath as she softened her voice for the last tags. A sad smile settled across her features as she let her fingers caress the letter, her eyes coming down to focus on the paper. Her last lines were a powerful confession, tender as a whisper as they floated out from the stage.

I love him
I love him
I love him
But only on my own

As the last words died away, the audience came to their feet and erupted in applause, whistles and cheers, the ruckus echoing around him as he grinned, glancing to the side when he heard both Chris and Joey adding shrill whistles to the fray. Never breaking character, she looked out into the noisy, dark room, her fingers tucking the note back into her pocket before reaching up to remove the hat from her head, holding it over her heart for just a moment. Two beats of a pause as the curtain rose, then she whipped the hat back into place and turned to quickly cross the stage, approaching the blonde’s father and delivering the note before disappearing into the wings.

It took a few minutes to get the crowd under control, but once the roar had subsided and seats had been taken, the orchestra picked up as if there had been no interruption, returning the action back to Adam and the men at the barricade. There was some conversation, some scuffling and then yelling as the men climbed up on the wall and fired their weapons, the sound of the block-barreled guns echoing sharply around the theater.

The firing stopped, and a little boy crouched below the top of the wall looked behind it, calling out that someone was climbing up. One of the older men leaned across, reaching to pull Jen up and over, and held her until the others could get in position to help her down. She carried on a brief, halting exchange with Adam as the men passed her along the barricade, her hat falling off her head to show the streaks of red liquid trickling from her hairline, and when he grasped her waist to lower her to the floor, her coat came open, revealing the dark, bloody stains on her blouse.

Adam tried to set her down, but her red-tinged fingers grasped his shirt as she collapsed, taking him with her to land in a heap on the stage. As the strings began a delicate tune, he sat up and pulled her into his lap, cradling her to his chest as she pressed her hands to her abdomen and chest and began to sing. She blinked drowsily and tried to focus on his face, her voice tender as it weakened, reflecting what bit of joy could be found at finally being held in his arms, even if it was as she was dying.

Where Maggie had delivered a loud, dramatic death in the first act, Jen knew that her character’s passing should be gentle – no matter that it was the result of violence – and she managed to present it perfectly, her voice blending smoothly with Adam’s during the last lines she would deliver.

And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
And rain will make the flowers ...

She raised trembling fingers to his face, smearing 'blood' against his cheek as she struggled to breathe, her words fading to silence as she let the life drain from her body. Going limp, her head fell back against his arm, her hand dropping away from him as he finished out the song alone.

There were sniffles and sobs carrying around the auditorium as Adam leaned down to kiss Jen’s forehead, then clasped her lifeless form in his arms and began to rock back and forth, grieving the friend he’d tried to protect. The scene was filled with anguish, the stage lights glinting off the tears streaming down not only Adam’s face, but the faces of everyone on stage. The little boy had climbed down the barricade, clutching the pant leg of a young man standing to the side, both of them openly sobbing as the leader of the group held Adam back so that others could lift Jen away from him, carrying her over to lay her in the back of a wooden wagon next to the set.

JC swallowed around the hard lump in his throat, then heard a sniffle next to him and glanced over to see Justin accepting a tissue from his mother. His young friend rolled his eyes at himself and wiped his nose, shaking his head with a quiet sigh. Leaning over, he whispered in Justin’s ear. “You all right?”

“Yeah.” With a shrug, he laughed under his breath. “She just …”

“I know.” Nudging him playfully with his elbow, JC sent him a smile. “Tears your heart out, doesn’t she?” At Justin’s nod, he chuckled quietly. “She’s had me in knots since we were kids. It gets easier, I promise.”

Settling back in his seat, JC took a deep breath and returned his attention to what was happening on stage. The cast handled themselves wonderfully, delivering the right amount of emotion in each scene to convey the despair behind each death – the little boy’s demise earning an appropriate reaction from the audience. Even the inspector’s suicide seemed to beg for sympathy, despite the hatred the character had inspired since the beginning.

Finally, a dimly lit set showed the lead character in a rocking chair in front of a darkened curtain, writing something in a book on his lap. Adam and the blonde came rushing in, crossing the stage to him, going back and forth as the older gentleman tried to prepare them for his death. Maggie entered and made her way toward him, white robe flowing around her as she came to a stop beside his chair, smiling at the blonde playing her now adult daughter. Then Jen appeared wearing a similar robe and crossed the same way, sending her own smile in Adam’s direction, her voice a perfect harmony to Maggie’s as the gentleman rose from the chair and took their hands, allowing them to lead him to center stage.

Lights slowly lit behind the curtain, illuminating the full cast as they began to sing the closing number quietly at first, then building power as the leads began to join in. Adam and the blonde came to stand beside Jen, the inspector and the little boy coming in from the side to join Maggie as the orchestra swelled into the final choruses. All the voices came together, holding the last harmonies until the maestro cut to finish, and the audience rose to its feet, cheering as the cast all ran into the wings until time for their final bows.

JC tucked the teddy bear under his arm as he clapped, smiling as the racket swelled for the ladies’, men’s and children’s choruses. Brian let out a whistle as Maggie came out for her bow and she grinned, waving in their general direction before stepping to the side and waiting as Jen came out to join her. The room went wild as she took a bow and waved, some of the people in the balcony stomping their feet to add to the ruckus as the girls clasped hands for another deep bow, then moved to the side for the next pair.

The noise swelled again as the lead actor took his bow and the house lights came up, allowing him to indicate the orchestra, the maestro turning to take a bow. The older man reached out to either side, taking Jen and Adam’s hands as the lead cast all raised joined hands for one last bow. Then the maestro motioned toward them, the orchestra launching into the music for Jen’s solo, sending the crowd into cheers and whistles again.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at the man holding her hand, who just smiled with a nod and pushed her back to center stage, the rest of the cast encouraging her into an encore. Taking a deep breath, she smiled quickly then glanced toward the orchestra, returning the maestro’s nod as he skipped the intro and went directly into the main portion of the song. She began to sing, looking around at all the people in the audience before her, then turning to the cast behind her, grabbing first Maggie’s hand, then Adam’s, silently asking them to join her. By the second verse, the entire cast was singing with her and she motioned toward the audience, encouraging them to join in as well. By the third verse, she was leading the entire building through her encore.

As the final notes rang through the room, Jen looked between Maggie and Adam, then started an acapella round of the final chorus of the show, the entire cast finishing out with them before taking one last bow, waving to the audience as they began to exit the stage.

“Hey, Jace!” Brian’s voice carried to him from the main aisle, where he was dodging the rush of people headed for the exit. “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”

“Great.” He looked around at the rest of the crew. “Are you guys gonna meet us somewhere, or do you want to wait here?”

“We’ll wait.” Joey grinned and stretched. “Just don’t keep her back there all night.”

“Right.” Rolling his eyes, JC stepped around Chris and followed Brian toward a door at the side of the stage. His eyes widened when he saw the chaos in the hallways. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to be back here?”

“Are you kidding?” Brian laughed, turning down a hallway to the right. “She’d kill me if I left you out there. I have strict instructions to deliver you to her dressing room ASAP.”

They made another turn and JC came to a sudden halt when he saw a grinning Adam knocking on a door, teddy bear in hand. “Uh, maybe …”

“Stop.” A hand clapped over his shoulder when he began to turn away. “Stay. It’s not what you think.”

The door opened and he heard Jen laughing. “It’s perfect! She’ll love it!” There was a brief exchange and she went on her toes to hug Adam around the neck, the white fabric of her costume billowing around her. “Hang on a sec.” She moved back into the room, reappearing a minute later with three roses in hand. “Here. I have no idea who sent these, so I guess they can’t be mad if I decide to pass them on.” Adam took the flowers, his shoulders raising in a deep breath as her hands straightened his stage jacket. “You’ve got this. Now, what are you gonna do?”

“Use my words.” The deeper voice carried down the hallway.

“Why?”

“Because she can’t read my mind.” He smiled down at the bear and flowers. “And the bear can’t talk for me.”

“Exactly.”

“Thanks, Jenny.” Adam bent down to kiss her cheek. “You’re the best.”

“Whatever.” She laughed, then pushed him down the hallway. “Lila awaits. Go get her.” As she watched him walk away, a door opened across the hall. Jen smiled when the older man who’d played the lead stepped out, still in half of his costume. “Great job, Jim. You brought the house down.”

“I’m thinking you’ve been the star of this show, young lady.” Jim came toward her, pulling her into a hug. “I hope we get to work with you again. I’d love to have a chance to sing with you.”

“I never thought I’d be a theater person, but I’ve had a blast. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the next show is. If it fits in my schedule, maybe …”

“Lila?” As the new conversation carried on in front of Jen’s door, JC arched a brow questioningly. “Who’s Lila?”

“The blonde.” Brian chuckled under his breath. “Now that the show’s over, Adam needs an excuse to keep seeing her. Jen thought dating her might be good enough.”

“Of course she did.” A grin lit his features. “So she’s trying to go three for three?”

“More like five for five.” Shaking his head, Brian leaned against the wall. “Your girl’s something else, man. She got Sam and Jake together sometime around Valentine’s Day. A few weeks after that, she found the perfect match for Nick – one of Maggie’s drama group girls.” His eyes landed on Jen’s face and he knew the second she noticed them standing there. “Jace, I’m absolutely positive that Maggie loves me, but sometimes I wonder what I’d have to do to get her to look at me the way Jen looks at you.”

“Try being gone for months at a time. That should do it.”

“It’s not that.” Brian sent him a glance. “Whether you’ve been out of the country or you’ve just come up from the studio and you’re crossing paths in the kitchen, she looks at you as if you hung the moon.”

“Both you and Chris have mentioned it tonight.” JC sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I guess I’m not paying attention, because I’ve never noticed it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We’ve been in each other’s lives for so long, we kind of mastered the whole avoidance thing. I think we’re trying to get past that, but maybe she still isn’t letting me see it?”

“Could be.” Brian shrugged. “She’s told me a little bit about how you rescued her when she was six.”

“That’s not quite the whole story.” JC’s fingers played with the teddy bear’s fur. “She rescued me, too. I was adopted about halfway through kindergarten, so my parents had to enroll me in the class late. I was shy, I didn’t talk much and I wasn’t very good at being social. The kids in first grade knew me about as well as they knew her.” A smile tilted his lips. “When I saw her sitting on that swing, looking so lonely, I thought there wasn’t a much sadder picture than that, so I asked if she needed a push. She reeled me in with a smile and I guess the rest is history.”

“Do we have to talk about how pathetic I was as a little kid?” Her voice was light with humor as she came to stand next to him, Jim at her side. “Jim, you know Brian.”

“Great job tonight, Jim.” Reaching up to pat him on the shoulder, Brian began moving down the hallway. “I’d better get to Maggie before she sends out a search party. Later, guys.”

“Josh, this is Jim Meadows. He played Jean Valjean.” She glanced over to Jim. “This is my … uh …” For a second, she looked stumped, her brow furrowing quickly before she recovered with a smile. “JC. This is JC.”

“Ah, your young man.”

“Well, not really.” Her eyes cut to JC, her cheeks turning slightly pink beneath the stage makeup. “I mean … we’re not …”

“Yes, sir.” He smiled down at her, wrapping an arm around her to pull her into his side, where she immediately relaxed. “Whatever I am, I’m definitely hers.”

“That’s what I thought. Smart boy.” Jim bit back a laugh as he reached out for JC’s hand. “We’ve heard a lot about you, son. I hope Sweden is treating you well.”

“Sweden is wonderful, but it’s not home.” Passing her the teddy bear, he shook the older man’s hand. “I really enjoyed the show tonight. Everyone did an awesome job.” A quick glance her direction let him see her cuddling the bear to her chest with a happy smile, and he couldn’t help a grin as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “You were fantastic, Boof. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Josh. He’s adorable.” She leaned in as if to hug him, then remembered the makeup still caking her face and pulled away. A strange look crossed his features and she let out a laugh, gesturing toward her face. “You look really nice and I don’t want to get this junk all over your shirt. I need to go get cleaned up before I can hug you.”

“It was nice to meet you, JC.” Jim sent him a wink as he turned back to his dressing room. “I hope you’ll join us for the cast party next Friday night.”

“Nice to meet you, too. You just might see me there.” Following her down the hall and into her dressing room, he let the door close behind him. “Is that okay?”

“Is what okay?” Her eyes met his in the mirror, where she was already wiping at her face with a towelette, grimacing at the amount of grime left on the cloth. “Ugh, I hate this stuff.”

“My coming to the cast party.” He came over and propped his hip against the vanity, facing her. “You didn’t mention it.”

“I’d love for you to come with me.” She sent him a grin. “I just didn’t know for sure how long you’d be home, and I didn’t want you to feel bad if you couldn’t stay.” Pulling her hair back into a quick ponytail, she reached for a fresh wipe and began working over her forehead and mouth. “It’ll be a double celebration for me, anyway. Finals are next week, and my term is over as of Thursday.” Giving herself a quick once-over to make sure all the makeup was gone, she wrinkled her nose and showed him the stained cloth. “That’s why I don’t wear lipstick much. Stains everything.”

“Okay.” When he saw her reaching into her bag for her lip gloss, a teasing smile formed as he tried to read what flavor it was. “Yeah, I like the lip gloss better, too.”

Her hand froze in mid-swipe, the tube of gloss against her bottom lip, and she let her gaze meet his, a laugh escaping when she saw the expression on his face. “Prefers lip gloss. I think I can remember that.” She finished with the gloss and dropped the tube back into her bag, then stood and turned her back to him. “Can you help me with the zipper?” He hesitated, and she looked over her shoulder with a smile. “Don’t panic. I’m dressed underneath.” Turning around, she reached back to pull her hair out of the way. “Just be careful of my necklace, okay?”

“Uh huh.” The zipper moved easily, revealing the white tank top and khaki capris she’d been wearing since her costume change. As the back of the gown came open, he noticed the silver chain hanging low and lifted it higher around her neck so it wouldn’t tangle in her hair. “Is that far enough?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” She let her hair fall and shrugged out of the sleeves, careful that her slip-on tennis shoes didn’t leave prints on the long fabric as she stepped out of it and moved to hang it on the rack in the corner. “I hope they put on a kids’ program or something so they can reuse this.” With a grin, she came back toward him. “Okay, now I can hug you without making a mess of your clothes.”

“I wouldn’t have cared.” He breathed deeply when she stepped into him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she let her cheek rest against his chest. Hugging her tightly, he leaned down until he could kiss the top of her head again, his lips moving against her hair. “And I really am so proud of you. You were amazing, Jenny.” Beginning to sway back and forth, he let his gaze travel over the small collection of gifts on the table in the corner. “Looks like you already have fans, huh?”

“Just a few.” A soft laugh was muffled by his shirt. “Mom brought the music vase and some flowers on opening night. The Fatones were here last weekend and brought the cute little giraffe – ironically, his name is Short Stuff. Big Joe and Steve were full of themselves for finding him.” Moving closer to him, she leaned herself more snugly into his embrace. “The baby owl is from Sophie and her parents, and Matt, Amber and Chloe brought the Tigger.” She tilted her head back so she could see him. “And now I’ve got my theater bear from you. I’ve almost got a zoo to take home.”

He couldn’t hold back a smile at the happiness in her eyes and raised one hand to the side of her face. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” Her head turned, pressing her cheek into his palm. “More than I thought I would.”

“It’s not been easy, huh? I’m sorry.” His thumb brushed over her skin, his gaze dropping down to her lips. “I haven’t really kissed you since I got home.”

“I noticed.” Shrugging, she gave him a little smile. “It’s okay. You were leaving and that put us in a different place. We haven’t seen each other in months, so I just figured things had probably changed.”

“They haven’t.” Clearing his throat, he closed his eyes and let his forehead rest against hers. “Not for me, anyway. I know you’ve been expanding your circles since I left – trying new things, meeting all kinds of new people – and I’m scared to ask.” Swallowing hard, blue eyes blinked open to meet hers. “Has anything changed for you?”

“Nope.” Her smile grew as she looked at him. “I’m still waiting on you.” Tilting her head, she went on her toes, her arms tightening around his waist as her lips caught his. A little thrill went through her when she heard him sigh, then felt him hug her closer and respond, moving his mouth against hers in a series of kisses even better than the ones she’d been dreaming about since January. His hold changed, the hand on her face moving down until he could lift her up against him, straightening until her feet left the floor and her fingers slid into his hair.

A few kisses more, and he pulled back with a grin. “Yeah, that’s better than I remember it.”

“I know, right?” She laughed, burying her face against his shoulder and hugging him around the neck. “You really don’t have anything to worry about, Josh. Nobody else measures up.”

“Same to you, Boof.” His hand came to the back of her head, holding her to him as he pressed his lips to her hair. “We’re in a weird situation, and I know it’s frustrating. If I wasn’t headed back overseas in two weeks, I’d be taking the next steps right about now, but I still think that would be unfair to you.”

“It’s okay. Really.” Her eyes met his as he lowered her to stand. “I understand more than you know. You’re finally getting into the serious work of making a go of the group. I want to support you, and I will – without being a distraction.”

“And I don’t want to be a distraction for you, either. You’ve got great things happening here, and I won’t be something that could possibly hold you back from becoming something even more amazing.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “Just be patient with me, okay? At least until you graduate. If nothing changes, I think we could really be something worth waiting for.”

“I’m kind of liking this whole 'more than friends' thing we’ve got going on, too.” Smiling up at him, she took his hands in hers. “If waiting is what works, then that’s what we’ll do. And if your Meant to Be hasn’t come looking for you by the time I graduate – and you don’t move fast enough – then I’m coming after you, no matter where you are.” A sheepish expression crossed her face. “I was trying to figure out how to double up on classes somewhere so that I might finish even sooner …”

“Jenny.” His eyes glinted in warning. “Don’t even think about it. You promised, remember?”

“Yeah.” She sighed, leaning back into his chest. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. There are two classes that I absolutely can’t get into any earlier, so I’ll just have to ride it out.”

“Take your time.” He released her hands so he could wrap his arms around her again. “You only get the college experience once, Jen. Please don’t wish it away because of me. Enjoy every minute of it.”

“I am. Between my work in the labs with Brian and the extra-curriculars, I’m having a blast.” Excitement brightened her features when she lifted her head to look at him. “I’ve got a whole new set of final mixes for you to take back with you. Some of my best work so far, I think. I got to play piano for the jazz ensemble this semester – the youngest accompanist they’ve ever had. That was awesome. In the fall term, I’ll try for Women’s Choir. And I think I’ve decided I want to learn drums as an elective instrument.”

“Drums?” An image of her sitting behind a giant drum kit flashed before him and he laughed. “Seriously? Do they make a kit in your size?”

“Shut up.” Reaching up to tap him playfully on the shoulder, she tried to hold back her own laughter. Stepping out of his arms, she moved to the wardrobe rack, taking the blue flannel shirt off a hanger and putting it on. “I’ve got great rhythm. And using the percussion pad with my composition software is almost my favorite part of the process.” Her fingers rolled the sleeves up to just below her elbows, combed her hair out from underneath her collar, then pulled on her necklace until the heart pendant was freed from her tank top. “Plus, it’s probably a great stress reliever.”

“I’m sure it is.” His grin grew at the sight of her in his old shirt, the fabric hanging almost to her knees and swallowing her whole, her necklace settled over her chest. “You look cute.”

“Cute, huh? Great. That’s exactly what I was going for.” With a shake of her head, she laughed, pausing on her way back across the room to go on her toes and pull him down, kissing his cheek. “Most of the animals will fit in my bag, but could you carry the vase?”

“I think I can handle that.”

“Thanks.” Her thumb moved over his skin, rubbing away the shine her lip gloss had left behind. “You’re a little shiny.”

“Good.” Leaning down, he pressed his mouth against hers once more, then pulled away with a sigh. A playful spark flashed in his eyes as he licked his lips, then chuckled under his breath. “Chocolate cake? I think that’s probably my favorite so far.”

She laughed again, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she stepped away and started loading her little zoo into her duffel, the giraffe’s head poking out the top of the front of the bag and the bear waiting to be carried in her arms. “Every time I find a new flavor, I buy it. The ladies at the pharmacy must think I’ve bought stock in the company or something.”

“That’s my girl. Keep me guessing.”

“Whatever you say, Romeo.” A smile lit her eyes as she pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and hugged the bear to her chest. “We should clear out. Are the guys waiting?”

“Yep. Make sure to give a little extra attention to the kid. You kinda got to him.” He cradled the vase in his arm and reached to open the door for her. “After you, superstar.”

---------------------------------------

July 27, 1996

“Jen! Mail’s here.” Lisa flipped quickly through the envelopes, tossing out the obvious junk mail before settling on what appeared to be a statement from a local bank. Her brow furrowing, she glanced toward the office door, still closed as her daughter continued to work on whatever it was she was working on. With a shrug, she slid her finger under the flap and pulled out the papers, not paying a lot of attention until her focus landed on the numbers at the bottom of the last page. “Jenny!”

The office door came open, Jen stepping out with a sheepish shrug. “Sorry. I couldn’t hear you.” Walking across the room, she suddenly became aware of the look on her mother’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you transfer your 'whatever' fund down here?”

“No. I can’t. Both our names are on it, so we both have to be present to sign and finalize the paperwork.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. “We should probably do that while you’re here, since you’re spending more time with me. Is that okay? Or do you think I should leave it in Bowie?”

“You really haven’t touched it?”

“Mom, I swear. Between my paycheck, the money for lessons from the kids at the Center, Maggie’s rent and what Lou was sending me for letting the guys use the studio, I haven’t needed to use it. Once I finished getting stuff for the house, I decided to leave it alone unless it was absolutely necessary. And even then, if I did need funds, I’d still need you to handle the transfers and stuff.” Her brow bunched questioningly. “I opened a local account so I could deposit my paychecks and the rent checks. Why?”

“Jenny, what is this?” Lisa passed the pages to her and Jen read over it quickly. “Is this a mistake?”

“Oh my God. This is …” Jen flipped to the front of the statement, taking a quick glance at the account number and assigned name. “Mom, this is my portfolio account.”

“Your what?”

“My portfolio account.” Shaking her head, Jen looked over the numbers again. “When Professor Summers advised me to sign the contract with Mac, he suggested I open a separate account for any royalties generated by my portfolio so I wouldn’t have to worry about him having access to my daily account. It sounded like a great idea, so I did.” Tapping her fingers on the counter, she blinked in confusion. “I literally used a hundred bucks to open it, gave him the depositing information and left it alone. I knew the song with Mariah and Boyz II Men was a hit, but …”

“Jenny, sweetheart, there are six digits on that page. And the first one is definitely not a one.”

“I can see that, Mom. I just don’t know …”

“Haven’t you been getting statements before now?”

“Well, yes, but I really wasn’t expecting for there to be enough activity to worry about.” Jen let her eyes meet Lisa’s. “I swear, I was collecting the envelopes and wasn’t going to do anything with them until tax time. I didn’t even open them, just put them all in the filing cabinet in my office. I didn’t think there would be enough to have to report, but I guess …”

“I’m guessing you were wrong.”

“Yeah.”

“It looks like there were only a few deposits made. All this year.” Lisa was quiet for a moment, staring into space as she tried to gather her thoughts. “Could all this really be from that one song?”

“Well, I think so.” Jen shook her head again. “I was shocked to hear that I actually had a song recorded, let alone released as a single by two of the biggest artists on the planet. It topped the charts in December last year and stayed there until sometime in March. Sixteen weeks at number one. And I’m pretty sure that’s just single sales and radio play. That doesn’t include album sales. I think the album was number one for three or four weeks.” Her eyes widened. “And international play is a totally different thing, too.”

“How could you not know that it was being recorded?” Lisa blinked at her. “Don’t they have to sign agreements and contracts for the rights to record your work?”

“That’s what Mac is doing. He handles all the legal stuff for me, collects the royalties, and represents my portfolio. If it wasn’t for him, my songs wouldn’t be getting out there at all.” Brown eyes closed as she sighed. “When I signed my contract with him, I specifically told him that I had no expectations and wanted to concentrate on my classes and building my portfolio. He agreed to do all the heavy lifting and I was happy with that.”

“Jen, you still need to be on top of what’s happening. Don’t you want to know when a popular artist is interested in your work? Don’t you want to be able to celebrate those successes?”

“I’m beginning to figure that out.” Jen walked over and picked up the phone, ready to dial until she realized it was Saturday and laid it back down. “Okay, so first thing on Monday, I’m going to call and see if we can’t get together with him next week. I’d like to see what’s going on, and I think you probably need to meet him.”