"Almost show time."
Ryan's phone beeped as she and Brody walked to the club. She checked the screen and touched the icon to see Evan's text message. I had to promise to come to dinner with Mom and Dad next week. You owe...
"Time to get cooking."
At the sound check, Ryan found herself more relaxed than she'd ever been preparing for a gig. It almost made her laugh. Jason's absence was liberating, and added weight to the others' argument that perhaps they shouldn't replace him. She...
"A little bit of stress release"
Ryan laughed to herself as she hung up the phone. She did feel a little guilty about conning Brody into bringing her food, but she reminded herself that they had had plans, and he likely would have made dinner anyway....
"A new Christmas for Luke and Emma"
Her puzzlement grew as they walked closer to her apartment. She'd expected that he might call a cab to go to his place after his words about sitting by a tree. Yet he continued walking down the sidewalk, turning onto...
"Christmas is coming."
As Christmas approached, Emma found herself ever busier at the diner. One of the waitresses slipped and fractured her leg, and Millie couldn't find anyone to cover, so everyone worked extra hours. Luke was deep in his novel when he...
"Ryan's turn to go to a game."
The next night, Ryan was sitting with her guitar, deep into a song when she heard Lara come in. "So, how's it going with the boyfriend?" Ryan looked up to see her friend leaning against the wall, a gleam in...
"Emma and Luke share their stories."
Emma was too busy to reflect on her day with Luke, although she wanted to. Those kisses, she thought, bore particular reflecting. She smiled at herself. What's gotten into you? Even she knew the answer: Luke. The bulk of the...
"Brody's friend questions his motives."
Three days later, on a game-free Tuesday night, Brody whistled as he flipped a zucchini pancake over. Mark eyed the contents of the pan warily. "What is that?" "A zucchini pancake with angel hair pasta and a few other things....
"Emma tells Luke her story."
The next day, Luke arrived early at the stable and began hitching up the horses. He'd done it so often that he was able to let his thoughts wander, and they wandered to Emma. What would she say, he wondered....
"Ryan finally tells someone about Brody."
A week later, Ryan was on the UMD campus. She walked over to the statue of the diamondback terrapin, symbol of the school's teams, and rubbed its head. The week had been hectic, including a tense dinner with her parents,...