August 26, 1994

Wearily, she dragged herself through the front door, closing her eyes in the silence of the empty house. Nine hours of looking at the Gap and dealing with its mostly middle school and junior high clientele was enough to make her want to crawl under the covers and hibernate for a week. Especially considering that she had to be up bright and early tomorrow morning to go through it all over again, this time with the Saturday, weekend crowds.

She walked through the kitchen, dropping her keys and wallet on the table before moving to the refrigerator, her gaze darting over to the clock on the microwave.

8:10.

The evening was already nearly halfway gone, and she was worn down, ready to crash on the couch with the remote and whatever leftovers her mother had left for her. Another Friday night spent alone in front of the television.

“So much for partying my way into eighteen.” With a sigh, she reached out and pulled the wrapped plate from the refrigerator shelf, then let the door fall shut behind her.

Not even inspecting what was on the covered plate, she peeled back the cellophane wrap and popped it into the microwave, sinking down into one of the kitchen chairs as she waited for her supper to heat. Her eyes darted over to the stack of textbooks on the counter, a small smile forming as she became thankful for the end of the summer semester. It’d taken a chunk of her savings, her scholarship not taking effect until the fall semester began, but she was glad to have those pre-requisite classes out of the way. The more basics she could cram in this year, the more she could concentrate on her core classes once she transferred.

Of course, her mother had insisted on using her college fund for this one year, but Jen had dug in her heels … just as she had at the offer of a car. The long hours working were horrendous, but the money she’d been able to put away had enabled her to buy her own vehicle – a little blue Tracker that she loved – and she felt better knowing that the fund would be there for whenever she made it to a university.

Scholarships were handy, but not always available, and she knew the more classes she could take each semester, the fewer years she’d have to spend in the classroom, draining whatever funds she had at her disposal. She’d done her research, choosing three universities as possible transfer schools, determining what general classes were potentially transferable credits, counting as courses already taken toward her Bachelor’s degree.

A beep sounded as the microwave cut off, announcing that her dinner was heated to her liking, and she mentally checked off her course list for the upcoming semester as she got up to fetch the food.

At this rate, she figured she could have a good start on her general education requirements, allowing for a lighter course load in semesters to come. With any luck, some of the courses required for her Music Composition concentration would carry over as well, or, in the very least, prepare her for courses that were coming later. If she committed herself to classes during the summer semesters as well, she could be finishing up in four years or so.

That was the plan, anyway.

The hot plate burned her fingers and she hissed, quickly setting it down on the counter to cool and moving to the sink, running cold water over her fingertips until the tingling stopped. Looking over, she saw the smoke rising from the food and shook her head at her tired foolishness.

She reached out and cut off the water, standing still in the silence. Back in February, her mother had taken a second shift clerical job at the hospital where she worked. The hours were longer, but there was less stress and more money, so it’d obviously been the right thing for her to do. While Jen was reaching the final leg of her work day at six or seven in the evening, Lisa was just reaching the halfway point of hers, the hours stretching late into the night.

Usually, it was fine. After being surrounded by the masses all day, Jen loved having the house to herself, enjoyed the freedom of being alone during those evening hours.

But tonight, she’d give anything to have company.

“Spending your birthday alone sucks.”

The words echoed off the kitchen walls as she walked back over to the fridge, pulling out an icy bottle of water to go with her dinner. She reached into the drawer for a fork and the heavenly smell of the food on the plate wafted over to her, pulling her eyes up to finally take inventory of the steaming meal. Lasagna, corn, mashed potatoes and garlic bread … an odd combination, but her favorites, nonetheless.

There hadn’t seemed to be a point behind having a cake laying out when they couldn’t sit down and enjoy it together, so she’d made the logical request for no cake to be made, promising her mother they could go out for dessert one day the following week. Of course, Lisa had protested, insisting on making the traditional chocolate cake, but Jen had assured her that it would be fine.

Now, she regretted the decision, longed for the sweet, sugary dessert that always seemed to be the highlight of the party. But there really wasn’t anything she could do about it, unless she wanted to make the cake herself and that would sort of defeat the purpose. It’d be fun, if she weren’t too tired to deal with the mess. So she’d leave it be. It was just a cake, after all. Nothing major.

Cautiously, her fingers tested the rim of the plate, a small smile forming when it was just the right temperature, and she gathered up her food and drink to make her way to the love-seat sized couch. Sole possession of a television remote was a wonderful thing. The plate was set down on the coffee table, the water taking residence on a coaster as her eyes narrowed on the square of paper covering the controller.

I taped the show for you. Make sure you watch it before nine. Happy birthday, sweetie. Mom.

“Before nine?” She checked the clock on the VCR. “Thirty-five minutes. Just enough time.”

Her finger pressed the buttons on the remote, smiling at the familiar opening scrolling brightly across the screen, and settled back to enjoy her dinner while she watched.

Twenty-five minutes later, her plate had been cleared, her shoes had been kicked off and she was curled up on the sofa, not really seeing what the big deal was. Her eyelids were becoming heavy and she could feel them sliding closed halfway through a skit, but when the announcement for the closing number was made, they flew open wide and she sat straight up on the cushions.

“No way did she just say …”

As the familiar chords floated from the speakers, the camera panning back to show JC and Tony sitting on the stage, the denial died on her lips, unfinished.

Whenever I’m weary
From the battles that rage in my head
You make sense of madness
When my sanity hangs by a thread
I lose my way but still you seem to understand
Now and forever I will be your man

“Oh my God … he did it.” She slipped off the couch, sliding over until she was on her knees in front of the television. “He really did it.” Her fingers came up to the screen and, ignoring that weird fuzzy feeling against her fingertips, traced the areas around him on the picture. His eyes were closed for much of the performance, opening only briefly to view the audience, his hand seeming to move of its own accord as he lost himself in the lyrics. A smile spread across her lips as she let her thumb move over his forehead on the screen. “That’s it, Josh. Perfect.”

The song was over entirely too soon, and she immediately reached up, pressing the rewind button to play it again.

Just as it was ending for the second time, the phone rang, jerking her out of the semi-trance she’d lost herself in. Absently, she paused the tape and, her eyes still glued to the television set, backed away to grab the cordless unit from the side table, turning it on as she brought it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …”

She grinned as the familiar voice sang the child-like song, leaning back until she could rest against the front of the couch. “Hey.”

“Hey, Boof. So, how’d you like it?”

“I can’t believe you did that.” Her head shook back and forth, as if he were there to see it. “It was perfect.”

“No dedication or anything …” His smile was obvious in his tone. “But I thought it’d work.”

“I love it.” She laughed. “I was just getting ready to watch it again.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He cleared his throat, the rough sound carrying softly over the line. “Before you do that, though, go up to your room.”

“My room? What for?”

“You’ll see. Just go.”

“Okay, I’m going.” Her brow furrowed as she pushed herself up from the floor and moved out of the room. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing.” The overplayed innocence in his voice made her grin as she ran up the stairs.

“Yeah, right.” She paused with her hand on the doorknob. “Just tell me if I need to get ready to be scared to death.”

“Nope. It’s all good. Just go in.”

“All right. Here goes.” Turning the knob, she pushed the door open, laughing when the multi-colored balloons littered across her ceiling danced. “What’s this?”

“Part two of your present. Be careful, or they’ll get stuck in your hair.”

“Huh?” Her eyebrow arched in confusion.

A sigh escaped. “Check the balloon strings, Jenny.”

She reached up, catching one of the strings and pulling it closer so that she could get a better look at the small object she could now see dangling from the ribbon. “A piano charm?”

“Yep.” His voice lifted, bringing her an immediate mental image of the grin he undoubtedly wore. “The bracelet should be hanging there somewhere.”

“Josh …” Her fingers tightened around the small silver piano. “Thank you. I’ve always wanted a charm bracelet.”

“I know. I had a blast picking out all the little pieces. Remind me later to explain the charms. Some of them should be obvious but the rest …” He trailed off and she could picture him shrugging. “Look over at your desk.”

Brown eyes turned quickly away from the charm, focusing on a stack of leather-bound notebooks. “More journals?”

“A little birdie told me you were almost out of space in the ones I got you for Christmas.”

“Yeah, I’ve only got a few blank pages in the last one.” She walked over, letting her fingers move over the smooth covers, tracing the J that was burned in script in the upper right-hand corner. Biting her lip, she thought of all the pages she’d filled this past summer, pouring her heart out over that one perfectly horrendous night. “You realize I’ve already got three shelves full of these, right?”

“Well, I’m hoping that one day I’ll turn on the radio and hear some famous person singing your thoughts.”

“You and me both.” Her smile grew as she picked up the book on the top of the stack and flipped it open. “They’re perfect, Josh. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” Soft laughter met her ear. “But I’m not done yet. Part three should be getting there any minute.”

“Are you kidding?” Her eyes widened. “The song was enough for me.”

“I kinda figured you’d think so. But it wasn’t enough for me.” The doorbell rang downstairs. “There it is. Can you handle all those balloons?”

“Yeah, I can get them.”

“Good. Take them with you and answer the door.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted the empty room with a laugh, then gathered up the strings and hurried down the stairs, cradling the phone between her shoulder and ear so that she could pull the door open.

Heather and Tyler stood on the porch, all smiles as they pushed past her, carrying what looked like a cake box. They walked into the kitchen, set the box down and lifted the lid, revealing the iced cake that she’d requested not be made.

“A cake? But I told her not to …”

“She made it over at our house this morning and left it there. Give the kids a hug and tell them thanks from me.”

She obliged, hugging both of them tightly with her free arm, mouthing a quiet thanks before they walked out the door, pulling it closed behind them. “Okay, are you finished now?”

“Not quite. Read the cake.”

“What?” Shaking her head, she read the words aloud. “‘Happy Birthday, Jen. Go open the door.’” The doorbell rang and she blinked quickly. “Again?”

“Yeah. This is the last part, I promise.”

“If it’s a stripper, I’ll love you for life.”

He laughed loudly. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Definitely. I’m absolutely positive I want a stripper for my birthday.”

“Well, open the door and see.”

She jerked the door open once again, focusing first on the sight of Tyler running around the corner and disappearing into the night, what looked like a telephone clenched in his left hand. A quiet cough jerked her attention to the figure standing on the porch, her mouth dropping open in surprise when he stepped forward to lean against the doorjamb, a plastic bag dangling from the same hand that held what appeared to be videos.

The balloons flew freely to the ceiling, the phone fell from her shoulder and he couldn’t hold back his grin. “I’m not exactly the stripping type, Boof, but I can give it a shot if you really want me to.”

Her shock immediately melted into a bright smile. “Maybe later.” The words were barely out before she laughed and practically jumped into his arms. “How’d you get here?”

“On a plane.” He chuckled at her exasperated sigh, then tightened his hold around her, lifting her off the ground as he stood up straight.

“Okay, this is ridiculous.” She clung to him and stretched her toes toward the ground. “You’re officially too tall for me, Josh. I don’t even reach your shoulder anymore. Did you really have to go and grow like that? Your mom must be having a fit.”

“Only a little bit of one. Most of my shirts are still long enough.” With a grin, he leaned forward until her feet could touch down. “All my parts on today’s show were recorded, so I didn’t have to be there for airing. I got on an early flight this morning and Mom picked me up from the airport around noon.” Pulling back just a little, his eyes met hers. “I had to leave before your graduation, and I couldn’t come home for my birthday. There’s no way I’d miss your eighteenth, Jen. That’s a big one.” He checked his watch quickly. “We’ve got about three hours left to party. We’d better make it good.”

“Party?” Her eyebrow arched at him. “Isn’t it a little late for a party?”

“Not if it’s just the two of us. I’ve got ice cream to go with that cake and a few of your favorite movies. We can put your bracelet together and just … talk.” Stepping away, he let a small smile curve his lips. “I miss those nights when we’d stay up until two or three just talking about nothing.” His brow furrowed. “It feels like I haven’t gotten to talk to you at all this summer.”

“Uh huh.” She nodded, turning quickly so he wouldn’t see her flinch, then followed him through the hall and into the kitchen, where he put the bag and videos on the table. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I figured we could just kick back and relax tonight, then we’ll do some major partying tomorrow.” A grin carried on his tone. “I’ve got the whole day planned.”

“I … Josh, I can’t tomorrow.” Her face fell in disappointment. “I’ll be working until seven …”

“I’ve got it covered. Your mom called and told your boss that you had a last-minute family thing going on this weekend and you couldn’t miss it. You’re off the hook until Monday. Or whenever your next day is.” He looked up from where he was working the lid off the ice cream, meeting her unsure expression. “I know I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I just don’t get very many chances to do things like this. I wanted some time with you and I’ve only got until Sunday afternoon to fit it in. Call me selfish if you want.”

“That’s not selfish. That’s sweet. This whole thing is sweet.” She tilted her head, laughing lightly. “I’d even go so far as to say that you’re sweet.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” His cheeks turned pink. “Every guy wants to hear that he’s sweet.”

“Well, you are.” When the corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile, her heart stuttered in her chest. Don’t get caught up in his smile, Jen. You can’t have him. Remember how miserable you’ve been? You’re the worst thing that could’ve happened and you’re still not over it. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she forced out the only question that could put a damper on any lingering thoughts of him. “How’s Andrea been?”

“Andrea?” He shook his head at the lightning-fast change of conversation. “She’s all right, I guess. Nothing different, other than maybe getting a little too clingy. I’m not that crazy about how she tries to hang all over me.” Looking back down at the lid as it finally came free of the container, he brought his thumb up to his mouth, catching the cold smudge of ice cream with his tongue. “Man, that’s good. How about we dig into this stuff before the ice cream gets all gooey?”

“Heaven forbid the ice cream be gooey.” Her grin was mirrored in the kitchen window as she turned to the counter, pulling two plates out of the cabinet and fishing forks from the drawer by the sink before coming back to the table and picking up the spatula from the cake pan. “How big of a piece do you want?”

Forty-five minutes later, they’d polished off nearly a third of the cake and half the ice cream, the dishes had been dropped in the sink and Ghostbusters 2 was playing in the background, the sound turned down, as they worked through the balloon strings, removing the pieces that would make up her bracelet.

“You’re right.” Her eyes moved over the small silver shapes that were scattered over the coffee table. “Some of these are obvious, but the others … I don’t have a clue what they’re supposed to mean.” She picked up the silver chain link bracelet. “Is this all of them?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” He shifted closer to the table, using his fingertip to arrange the charms into a specific order. “Okay, this one goes first.” The little J was passed to her, his eyebrow arching. “If it’s not a no-brainer, then this is gonna take a while.”

“I’m a J. Cool.” She laughed, fixing the tiny letter to the first link in the chain. “What’s next?”

“The piano. Again, it’s obvious.” The charm was passed to her and he moved quickly to the next one, talking as she worked with the bracelet. “This one’s a star. I remember when we used to lay out in our backyards and watch the stars come out. You’d always make a wish …”

“And it always drove you nuts when I wouldn’t tell you what I wished for.” Her eyes lit up with her grin as she fastened it on the next link. “I just kept telling you it wouldn’t come true if I said it out loud. Wow, I’d forgotten all about that.”

“We don’t do that anymore, but don’t stop wishing. With or without stars.”

“I haven’t.”

“Good.” He held up the next charm. “A treble clef. I think it’s awesome that you’re focusing on something you’ve loved for so long. I know you’re going to be one of the best composer-songwriters in the business.”

“That’s the plan, anyway.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I just hope I’m not setting myself up to crash and burn.”

“I don’t think you are. Keep your mind on it and you’ll be amazing.” A short laugh escaped as he moved on, passing the tiny Mickey Mouse head to her.

“Okay …” Her eyebrow arched at him. “My love of Disney movies?”

“No, not really.” His head shook back and forth slowly as he watched her attach the familiar shape to a link. “The Club was because of him. I guess it’s an indirect connection, but he’s kind of the first real hurdle that’s been thrown between us. That day when you were helping me pack, I was terrified that I’d get down there and it’d turn weird and we’d never be the same.”

“But it didn’t.”

His teeth worked on his lip as he continued. “I was so sure that we’d end up growing apart …”

“And we haven’t.” Brown eyes came up to meet his. Not yet, anyway.

“I know. If anything, we’re closer than ever.” A smile formed slowly. “In a way, I guess I should be thanking Mickey for that. To me, that charm represents the fact that nothing’s ever going to come between us. If we’ve made it this far, with the separation and all that, then we’ll make it through anything.”

“Exactly.” She nodded in agreement, tilting her head forward so that he couldn’t see how she was fighting to swallow. “Through thick and thin …”

“Friends to the end.” With a sigh, he looked down, focusing on the next shape briefly before passing it to her wordlessly.

“A feather?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What …”

“For your spirit. Your attitude. Your stubbornness. The smile that’s purely you. Your confidence. Your laugh. Your temper. All the things that make up the person you’ve always been.” His fingers tapped across the tabletop as his gaze moved to meet hers. “Sometimes you get frustrated and ask me why you have to be the way you are. You wish you could change one thing or another, be someone else. You don’t seem to realize that you’re absolutely perfect as is.” He paused just long enough to clear his throat. “I wouldn’t have you any other way, Jenny. Never let anybody make you feel like you need to change. You don’t. And you shouldn’t.”

Without a sound, she simply nodded, acknowledging that she’d heard him loud and clear.

“A guitar.” Knowing that she wouldn’t say anything, he moved on. “Again, no explanation needed.”

“Right.” She grinned, maneuvering the tiny instrument onto the chain and letting her eyes move over the bracelet, counting to herself. “How many more do you have over there?”

“Three. A charm for every link.” He let his finger move over the next piece before he slid it across the table to her. “A heart. Because yours is so strong, even when you let your guard down enough to let people see that you’re a softie way down deep. You try not to show it, but you really care a lot more than you’d probably like to about a lot of things.” As he spoke, her hands trembled and she fumbled with the chain, prompting him to smile. “You’ve got a vice grip on it, won’t let it go for just anyone and you try to put walls up to keep people out. But for some reason, way back when we were only little kids, you let me in.”

“I never tried to keep you out.” Working to swallow around the lump forming in her throat, she waited for him to go on.

“I know. And that’s one of the biggest gifts you could’ve ever given me. Knowing that I’ve got even a little place there …”

“You’ve got more than just a little place, Josh.” She took a deep breath. “You’re special.”

“And you should know that you’re just as special to me.” He reached across the table and wrapped his fingers around hers, seeming to wrestle with what he wanted to say next. Indecision flickered through his eyes and his forehead creased minutely, marred for only a brief second as he quickly made up his mind, visibly switching gears from his original train of thought. “You’ve got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. Even though I know you’re … selective, sometimes I get scared that you might let the wrong person in, and you’ll get hurt when I can’t be here to fight for you.”

You mean like when I decided to give Luke the chance to tear me to shreds? Or when I thought that maybe you might want more from me? Too late, Josh. Biting her lip, she pushed the thoughts away. “You can’t be my hero every time I make a mistake or things get hard. It’s not possible.”

“I’ve finally realized that. We’re both becoming adults and you’re branching out, trying new things and meeting new people. I know I have to let you go, even if it’s only a little bit …”

“No, don’t let me go.” Her gaze came down to where their hands met. “When you left, I didn’t let you go. Just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean that we have to back away. You may not be able to fight my battles for me, but I still need you. I’m always going to need you, Josh. No matter what.”

“Me, too. I mean, you’re my girl. Nothing’s gonna change that.” He squeezed her fingers briefly, then pulled away, leaning back against the couch as his hand skimmed over the table, moving the next shape over to her. “An angel. It’s been almost five years since you lost your dad, but I know you still miss him. It’s in your eyes on special days and sometimes – when you think nobody’s watching – you zone out and concentrate on remembering him.”

“It still hurts.” She blinked, and he could see the tears she was fighting to hold back. “I’ve had such a long time to adjust, but it still kills me when I think of all the stuff he’s missed. He … he didn’t get to see me grow up, graduate high school. He won’t see me graduate college or hear any of the songs I write or walk me down the aisle if I get married. I guess you’ll have to do that, huh?” A tear slid down her cheek as she sniffled. With her gaze on her hands, she missed the stricken look that flashed in his eyes as her words sank in. “There’s so many things I want him to be here for. But he’s gone and he’s never coming back.” The charm twisted between her fingers as she looked up at him, smiling slightly through the moisture clouding her vision. “It helps that I have you, though. You remind me so much of him.”

“I … I do?” His brows lifted in surprise.

“Well, yeah.” She laughed quietly, turning her attention back to the silver angel. “You care about me. You’re protective of me. And you’re always there when I need you. Just like he was.” Her head tilted to the side as she studied the smooth lines etched into the shiny wings, the tears spilling over in earnest when she realized her thumb was moving over her father’s initials. “You give me support in everything I do, no matter how stupid or ridiculous it may be to everybody else. When I think something’s impossible, you know exactly what to say to make me try that much harder. Then, if it turns out that I screw everything up, you do whatever you can to make the fall easier.”

Silence settled as one trembling hand came up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks, then reached out for the bracelet, trying her best to attach the charm onto a link despite her shaking fingers.

After watching her struggle for a moment, he cleared his throat and leaned forward to take the silver pieces from her, quickly working the metal rings together as he spoke softly. “You’re giving me a little too much credit, don’t you think? It’s not like this is one-sided, Boof. You do the exact same things for me.”

“We’re still a little unbalanced, though.” Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, taking a minute to get herself under control. “Because sometimes it feels like he’s able to see everything I’m doing through you. And that just makes me want even more to make you both proud.”

“You always have. There’s no way you could ever disappoint me. Or him.” His finger traced a circle around the last charm slowly before he picked it up, fastening it to the last open link on the chain. Once again, he paused, mulling over his explanation for several minutes. With a sigh, his shoulders lowered slightly as he looked up at her, a smile curving his lips once again. “This last one is another J. I had a hard time picking out what I should finish up with, but I finally decided that no matter how many things about you I could find a shape for, the best part was that it would always begin and end with you.”

“Wow.” She stared at him, astonished and fumbling for words. “Josh, I …”

“When you gave me my necklace, you said it was because you wanted to give me something that represented what you saw in me.” He held out his arm, the silver beads resting just below the base of his hand catching the overhead light. “And you gave me this bracelet so that I’d remember you while I was gone. It’s made all the difference for me, so I wanted to do something like that for you.” Reaching out, he gestured for her to lift her wrist so that he could clasp the chain in place. “These charms represent you, the amazing friend you’ve always been to me and what we’ve had to go through to keep that friendship. And no matter where I go or what I end up doing, I swear that there’ll never be a day that I won’t take time to remember you.”

“Josh.” She shook her head slowly. “You can’t promise me that …”

“Have I ever made you a promise that I didn’t try my absolute best to keep?”

“But …”

He looked up from straightening the bracelet on her wrist, his eyebrow arched sharply. “Have I?”

Her shoulders heaved in a sigh. “No.”

“Well, I’m not about to start now.”

“I wasn’t trying to say that you were.” She chewed on her lip and stared at him. “It’s just … you have no idea where you’re going to be in two months, let alone a year or two down the road.”

“I know exactly where I’ll be. Right here.” He smiled when her eyes narrowed on him. “This is the last season, Jen.”

“What?”

“They’re canceling the show.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped in shock. “Can they do that? I mean, didn’t you guys sign contracts and all that?”

“Our contracts state that we’ll be employed as long as the network sees fit to carry on the show. They didn’t set a specific time span.” His shoulders shrugged in an attempt at indifference, but the effort fell just short. “The ratings aren’t nearly as high as they were two seasons ago, so they’re moving on to different ideas.”

“Wow. That’s rough.” She fell silent, searching for the right thing to say. When the words refused to come, she scooted across the carpet until she was seated beside him, letting her arm slide around his waist, her head tilting until it rested against his shoulder, giving him the best half-hug she could while they were on the floor. “I’m sorry, Josh.”

“Hey, it’s all right. I never thought it’d last forever, you know?” His arm moved, going around her and giving her a squeeze, pulling her closer to him as he returned her embrace. “It’s kind of a win-win situation for me, anyway. On one hand, I love doing the show, but on the other, I’ll get to be back here with my family.”

A smile curved her lips, knowing that he was including her in that statement. “Were the ratings their only reason?”

“It was their main reason, but there were others that factored in. We’re all getting older, the fans are growing up and there are newer things out there to grab the kids’ interest. After what happened to Kids Incorporated last year, I think we all knew it was just a matter of time before they pulled the plug on us, too.”

“Did they give you any kind of time frame? They’re not just going to yank it off the air with no warning, are they?”

“No, they won’t let it just disappear.” He cleared his throat, shifting until they were more comfortable against each other. “We’ll finish up the year as usual, taking a break for the holidays, then they’ll bring us back in January to go ahead and tape all the spring shows. Taping will be finished by February or March and they’ll use re-runs as filler through the season, like they always do. Then they’ll air a special finale show in May or June, on the day the regular season would be ending.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s it. I’ll be home by the end of March at the latest.” His chest rose as he inhaled calmly. “I’ve had a blast with it, and I’ll miss the performing and the people …”

“Even Justin?” She smiled mischievously up at him.

“Yeah, even Justin.” He chuckled under his breath. “He might be a pain sometimes, but he’s really a great kid. Lots of opportunities are gonna open up for him. I know it.”

“You’ll have opportunities, too, Josh. Maybe not right away, but they’ll come along. With the popularity the show had, the CD you guys released and the promo and tour and stuff, they can’t overlook you for too long.” Twisting, she reached until she could wrap her free arm around his neck, bringing him into a more secure hug. “There’s still a lot of amazing things left for you out there. You just have to be patient until the offers start coming in.”

“Thanks, Jen.” His features lifted in a smile as she gradually loosened her hold on him and he watched the overhead lights glitter off the silver around her wrist before shifting his gaze over to the television, where the credits from the movie were crawling over the screen. “Hey, this wasn’t supposed to be a pity party. It’s your birthday. And there’s a copy of Pretty In Pink around here somewhere.” She pulled away from him completely and he stretched his arms over his head, sending her a questioning look. “You up for it?”

“For Pretty In Pink? Do you even have to ask?” Her own bright grin formed, just before she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re the only guy I know who’s willing to sit and watch eighties chick flicks with me.” She snickered, pushing herself up until she could slide onto the comfortable couch cushions, then reached out to ruffle his hair as he moved to stand. “You know that makes you just about perfect, right?”

“Not perfect. Insane.” He shook his head as he pushed the new video into the VCR and hit play. “I wouldn’t watch this with anyone but you, Boof.” On his way back to the couch, he noticed her yawning and reached out to flip the light switch, leaving the room dimly lit by a single corner lamp and the television. “Besides, in some weird, girl-next-door, skinny-redhead kind of way, Molly Ringwald might actually be almost hot.”

Without even looking at her, he knew that her eyes were widening, watching him as he calmly settled down on the cushion next to her and rested his arm over the back of the chair. Just as he expected, it didn’t take more than a minute for her to completely lose it, her hysterical laughter flying through the darkness, drowning out the old previews on the video, until she was reduced to clutching her sides as she tried to catch her breath. Shaking his head with a smile, he let out a quiet laugh and moved his arm down, draping it over her shoulders to pull her until she was against his side.

The happy smile never left her face as she turned her head to look at him. He didn’t meet her gaze, but she knew he could feel her watching him, certain of it when she felt his arm tighten around her as the opening scenes of the movie began to flash across the screen. She automatically relaxed, settling into him as she always did and turned her full attention to the movie.

When he leaned down to kiss her forehead, his fingers beginning to comb through her hair, she simply let her head rest against his chest, neither of them giving it a second thought as the story of Andie and Duckie played out before them.

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

April 18, 1995

“Stop hogging all the popcorn.”

“Then pass over the chips.”

Food was quickly exchanged before they settled back down on the couch.

“I’m going to miss this.” She sighed, relaxing back against the cushions. “You just got to come home and now I’ve got to leave in less than a month.”

“Well, UCF can’t exactly come up here to you, so you’ve got to go to it.”

“But …”

“Jen, it’s the best school you could’ve chosen. You blew them away with your auditions and they gave you a full ride. You’ve worked your tail off for this, and you can’t back out now.”

“I know, but …”

“No buts. Don’t let me be something that makes you doubt yourself.”

“It’s not just you, Josh. I mean … I don’t know anybody down there.” Her teeth worked over her bottom lip. “I’m going to be completely on my own. No family, no friends. Nobody to talk to. And you know how hard it is for me to open up to people.” She sent an insecure glance his way. “It’s going to be just like when I was little, but without Mom. I’ll be totally alone.”

“Okay. I get it.” Chewing on a potato chip to mask the sting of her correction, he let his eyes slide over to meet hers. “You’re going to be fine, Jenny. Get to campus and meet your roommate. There’s no way she won’t love you.” With a brief shrug, he gave her a confident smile. “And if she doesn’t, then just call me and vent. We’ll talk every night if you want. You’ll be home on breaks, your mom and I will visit whenever we can. It’ll be great.”

“I guess.” Her voice was uncertain, but she nodded. “You’d really let me call you every night?”

“If that’s what you need, then absolutely. We’ll set a time and I promise that I’ll be here to answer.” He reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “But the more you think about it, the quicker the time will seem to go. So how about we concentrate on the TV, okay?” He watched her nod again, then picked up the remote to turn up the volume on the television.

“I’d forgotten how much I love this movie.”

“Um, Boof … we’re watching Pocahontas.” Another chip made its way into his mouth. “It’s not exactly cinematic brilliance.”

“Shut up.” She threw a handful of popcorn at him. “Disney movies are the best.”

“Uh huh.” Brushing off the fluffy white kernels, he looked up with a grin. “You nearly lost it when the lion died in the last one.”

“Hey, The Lion King was a tear-jerker. You’re a guy, so you don’t get it.” A laugh escaped when a potato chip bounced off her leg to hit the floor. “Besides, Pocahontas is completely different.”

“Really?” He arched an eyebrow at her. “How?”

“Hellooo. Have you seen John Smith? He can explore my territory any day.” Her head tilted as she looked at the screen, chewing a handful of buttery popcorn, considering the rugged adventurer before finishing her thought. “Well, as long as he has Mel Gibson’s voice.”

“You’re checking out a cartoon character?” Blue eyes narrowed on her, looking for any sign of humor, but finding none. “Jen, you can’t be serious.”

“Hey, you can’t judge me.” She grinned brightly at him. “Remember that little thing you had for Jessica Rabbit?”

“Oh, man. I’d forgotten all about that.” He laughed, shaking his head. “But that was years ago. And Jessica was a fine specimen of animation. Smith is just …” His hand gestured toward the screen as he tried to come up with the right words. “Well, he’s no Jessica.”

“Maybe not, but he’d still be a good catch.”

“You think?”

The loose ponytail at the back of her neck swayed as she nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, I’ve got to hear this.” Turning on the couch to face her, he propped an elbow on the back cushions and rested his head against his fist. “How do you figure?”

“Well, just watch him. He’s an adventurer, so he’s not afraid to try new things. He’s in control and can handle rough situations. He’s a quick thinker.” She pointed at the television. “See? He knew that he’d said something stupid, but he also knew exactly what to say and do to calm her down and get her to stay.”

“It’s scripted. Of course he knew what to say.”

“But it’s still part of his character. He stands up for what he knows is right, even if it’s not the popular thing. He’s not stuck on himself, even though the other sailor guys give him plenty of opportunities to be. The only personal gain he gets from the trip is being able to explore new land.” Her brow knit in thought as she stared at the wall above the television. “He’s loyal, willing to give himself up so the kid who shoots the Indian can go free, then risks his life so her dad doesn’t get killed. His comfort zone is next to nothing, so it’s not a stretch for him to be attracted to her. He’s completely open to anything she throws at him, because he’s fascinated with how she views things. They couldn’t be more different from each other, but he doesn’t really care about that … he just cares about her. And he’s not afraid to admit how she changed his life for the better.”

He just watched her as she went silent, a soft smile lifting the corners of his mouth as a slightly dreamy expression came to her face. Without a second thought, he let out an exaggerated sigh and pitched his voice into a girlish tone. “Can we talk about his voice now?”

She looked over to find him fluttering his eyelashes, the heavy exhalation lifting his shoulders, and couldn’t keep herself from laughing. “Enough chick talk, huh?”

A dark eyebrow arched as he nodded forcefully. “Um, yeah.”

“Hey, you asked.”

“I didn’t know you were going to wax girly with it, or I wouldn’t have.” He sent her an evil grin as she rolled her eyes. “You know, maybe you and Justin could have made it work. He’s got a thing for animation, too.”

“There’s a difference. I don’t do anime.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust before reaching for a handful of chips. “That stuff’s freaky.”

“What’s so freaky about it?”

“All the anime stuff I’ve seen had something to do with weird creatures or bondage-dominatrix-ninja type women whose mouths don’t come anywhere close to matching the dialogue.”

“Bondage-dominatrix-ninja type women?” The look on his face was stunned, bringing her to laughter once again. “What kind of …” His question was cut short, the telephone ringing sharply on the table beside the couch, making them both jump in surprise, then laugh at each other’s shocked expression. After a few more shrill rings, he reached out for the cordless unit, still laughing as he checked the caller ID. “Speak of the devil.”

“Who is it?”

“Justin.”

“Ah.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you want me to pause it?”

“No, that’s okay. Just don’t molest the TV and it’ll be all right.” He grinned and pressed the button to interrupt the shrilling buzz. “Hey, J.” Then he sent her a wink. “We were just talking about you. What’s up?” There was silence for a few seconds. “Wait. You’re positive? What did he say exactly?”

Her eyes followed him as he rose from the couch, dropping the chip bag onto the vacated cushions before walking away and into the kitchen, where his voice was nearly impossible for her to make out. With a shrug, she turned her attention back to the movie, sneaking a handful of the abandoned chips while she was sure he wasn’t looking.

“Okay. Sounds good.” Minutes later, he came back through the doorway, only stopping to lean against the couch. “Yeah. I’ll talk to you later and we’ll work out the details.” Blindly, he reached down, scooping some of the popcorn out of the bowl propped in her lap. “Take it easy, man.” The phone clicked as he cut off the connection. For a moment, he just stood there silently, staring at the floor and munching on the fluffy white kernels, obviously trying to work something out in his mind.

“Josh? Everything okay?”

“What?” His head jerked up, meeting her concerned stare. “Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.” He dropped the phone on the coffee table and grabbed the remote to pause the movie. “You know how you’re going to Florida next month?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded, an eyebrow arched at the odd question. “Why?”

“What if we were down there together?”

“What?” Her jaw dropped, eyes widening as she focused on his serious expression. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nope.” A slow smile lifted his features and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Justin’s been talking to this guy – Chris – who’s gotten together with this other guy and has been working on putting together a group. I went to sing for them before I came home from the finale show.”

“You auditioned?” She grinned, leaning forward until the bowl tilted dangerously toward the floor. “And they want you?”

“They’ve extended an offer. The spot’s mine if I want it.”

“That’s … that’s fantastic!” With no regard to the white kernels scattering across the floor, she jumped up and threw herself at him, giving him only a few seconds to catch her against him. Her arms wound around his waist, his chest muffling her laughter as she began bouncing in excitement. “I told you they’d be crazy not to see what you’ve got!”

“I know you did. I just stopped believing it, I guess.” He laughed against her hair, beginning to bounce a little himself. “This could be it, Jen. This could be my big break.”

“And I get to be there with you. How cool is this?” She pulled away, looking down when she heard the popcorn crunching under her feet. “Oh, man. Your mom’s going to kill me if she finds this stuff all over her floor. Where’s your vacuum?”

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll understand.”

“Yeah, right. Sure she will.” Her gaze came back up to him. “So they want you. What happens now? Do you start working right away or what?”

“We still need to find a bass to round out the parts.” His fingers raked through his hair, the excitement building with every word he said. “I’ll probably head down in about two weeks to get settled and help look for a fifth. Once we find him, we’ll start running with it.” As his thought progressed, he grinned. “I’ll be there to help you move into your dorm.”

With a bright smile, she hugged him tightly once again. “We won’t really have to say goodbye this time.”

“Nope. Just a ‘see you later’.” He laughed. “Orlando’s not going to know what hit it once we’re both there.”

“Well, they’d better duck and cover then, because we’re coming. Whether they like it or not.”