"Have fun." It's the last thing Dad says as he waves and drives off down the long driveway away from my grandparents' house.

Grandma Carolyn opens the front door and she's still in her nightgown. Which is weird because she's always dressed. Her hair and makeup are always perfect. She's the kind of woman who, ninety per cent of the time, looks like she's going somewhere even if she isn't.

"What got you out of bed so early on a Saturday morning?" she says, smiling like I'm her long lost friend.

"Your stupid son," is what I want to say but I don't. Instead I pretend to sniff the air and grin. "I thought maybe I could talk you into fixing bacon and eggs."

Grandma Carolyn pretends to be put out but she motions for me to come inside, and gives me a little squeeze as I maneuver past her.

"The house is a mess," she says, then starts to go straight back to the kitchen. "Your granddad is upstairs. Go check on him, will you?" She makes a kind of U-turn and cuts me off before I can get to the stairs. She steps up on the bottom step and hollers up. "Marshall, Rory's here."

She seems really hyper today. And on a Saturday morning hyper isn't exactly what I want to deal with. I think this and I understand why my dad gets so annoyed being around her. Of course, then I remember the hole in my wall, and how he made me come over here to deal with it while he chicken shitted his way out by doing errands.

"How's school?" she asks, even though I'm about to head upstairs.

"It's good."

"You got a girlfriend yet?" I answer, then give up and go sit at the table in the kitchen.

I wince. This isn't the type of conversation I want to get into with her. "No, not yet."

She reaches into the refrigerator and pulls out a carton of eggs. After she sets it on the counter she starts going through the fridge again. "Well, I'll be darned," she says, then stands up and puts her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, Rory, but we must be out of bacon."

She stands there with the door to the refrigerator open and turns slightly to look at me. Her lips are quivering and she looks about to cry.

"Hey, eggs are fine."

She really seems upset about the stupid bacon.

"I swear I thought we had some."

Thankfully, Granddad comes into the kitchen. He looks from me to Grandma Carolyn and frowns.

"What's going on?" he says.

"We're out of bacon," she blurts and her voice is all high pitched and nearing hysteria.

Now, I'm starting to suspect that something else is going on. Maybe it would be nice for someone to let me in on it.

"Grandma Carolyn, it's okay. Really." I look at Granddad and he looks back at me.

Grandma Carolyn lets go a little squeaky cry and high tails it out of the room. I look at Granddad again. "What was that about?"

"Women and their hormones," he says shrugging. "Let's go get something from Hardees and we'll bring it back. She's been acting all loony for a week now."

"Should we leave her alone?"

He rolls his eyes. "Most definitely."




We eat in the car instead of going home.

"Granddad, how'd you know Grandma Carolyn was the one?" I ask as casually as I can.

He chokes and stares at me. "I knew because I had been through a slew of girls. Each one was the love of my life- for about a month or two then I was looking for any excuse to break up with them. I take it you think you're in love?"

"No!" I answer quickly. I can tell by the smirk on his face that he ain't buying it. "I mean, it's just this girl, Cassie, is the most incredibly beautiful girl I've ever seen. I feel all weird when I see her," I say. Never in a million years could I ever say this to my dad. He'd tell me some stupid story and give me some lame advice, but Granddad will understand. He has someone special, my dad doesn't.

"She like you?"

That's a harder one to answer. Sometimes it seems like she's all about me, then it's like we're just good friends.

"It's complicated."

He nods his head as if he understands. "Well, girls are like that," he says, just before taking a sip of his steaming black coffee. "They never change either."

I finish my first sausage and egg biscuit and start to unwrap my second. "Don't tell Dad or Grandma Carolyn, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it. But, um, Ror?"

I look up at him.

"Take things slow. Both your daddy and I had to deal with things we weren't ready for, and neither of us was much older than you are now."

I know what he's talking about. But in reality, all I want is a simple date with her. I haven't dared go any further in my day dreaming about her.

Granddad talks about some weird fish he caught the other day and says it looks like something from a horror movie. He said it looked like it had teeth that could shear the flesh off of you. I had a vision of Kathleen, that vicious look on her face.

"I went to see Kathleen last week."

Granddad pauses, then cautiously looks over at me. "How'd that go?"

Without warning my throat tightens and my eyes fill up. All I can manage before I break down is two words.

"Not well."