Unexpected Turns

Stars

"What are you doing back?" I ask walking up the steps of the porch.

"Well I just finished law school. They let me out early because I was ahead of them," he explains.

"But I thought you were going to work in New York?"

"I know I should but I want to be close to home. Close to family," he grins, "close to you. So I'm going to work in a firm, here, in Danville."

"That is absolutely great," I say joyfully and give him a hug.

My head laying on his chest as his arms wrap around my waist and grow tighter. He lifts me up and then puts me back down.

"Hi," Jerry says from behind me.

To turn around to see the two patiently waiting with smiles on their faces.

"Oh, right," I notice, "Jerry and Dick this is my parents other child, Gregory. Gregory this is our neighbors from across the street-"

"Jerry and Richard," he interrupts, "nice to meet you two. It's nice to know that she had a friend while I wasn't around."

"Nice to meet you too, Gregory," Dick says, "You could call me Dick if you like."

"Do you prefer it?"

"I don't know, it depends," he taps his finger on his lips in a thinking position, "do you think we will get to be closer as time goes by?"

"A friend of Mary's is a friend of mine," Greg replies.

"Then I guess I'd prefer to be called Dick from you," he smiles.

Gregory chuckles and shakes his hand, "I like this one."

"Thank you."

"And you," he says, "do you have a nickname too?"

"No, Jerry is all. Or you could call me Jerry Berry, whichever you want," he jokes.

"I think I'll stick with Jerry," he laughs, "nice to meet you too," he shakes his hand as well.

-

When Jerry and Dick headed home, Greg and I went into the house and he was greeted by mom and dad. They talked about where he would work, where he would live, and about his life afterwards.

"Going steady yet?" dad asks.

"No," he replies, "I was too busy."

"Are you thinking of having a steady?" mom asks.

"Well if she has a chain, I've got a school ring," he jokes and my dad begins a roar of laughter, "dad it's not that funny, calm down," he chuckles, "listen mom, I'll find her someday. You don't have to worry about my love life, let me settle first, okay?"

"Okay," mom sighs, "just please get married before I die, huh?"

"Sure thing mom. Mary," he turns to me, "Do you mind helping me unpack? It's a lot easier with two hands than one."

"Yea, no problem," I follow him to his room.

I look around when he turns on the light of the dark room. It's not night yet, but he has dark curtains that make that allusion and stars on his roof that are lit once he turns off the lights.

"Wow," I say at his spacious room.

"You've been in here before, haven't you?"

"No, I keep out. Mom had once told me that you like your privacy."

"Oh, yea. That is true. Look," he points at a bookshelf, "the lower shelf, that's my basketball and baseball trophies, above is pictures taken of my life. The first one was when I was 17 and it was our first family photo, the next one is when I was getting my yearbook photo taken, then my baby photo, and the last one of us two."