The house was quiet when I returned, so I took the opportunity to move my clothes and personal things into the guest bedroom. My old room looked sad and empty without my pictures, posters, trophies, and other things, but I wanted to surprise Erin with more than just a promise. Mom came out of her bedroom right as I finished. She stuck her head into my room and looked around.
“So you’re serious,” she said.
“Yep. We’ve crossed the Rubicon. I guess I’m a real grown-up now.”
“Mmm hmm. And I think Erin will be excited.”
“Me too. That’s the biggest reason I’m doing it.”
“Definitely a grown-up thing to say.”
“Thanks. Ready to open presents in a while?”
“Or whenever,” she said.
“Right. Then I think I’ll shower first.”
She nodded. “It’s nice having older children. Especially on Christmas.”
“Oh? Why?”
“You’ll find out.” She grinned and didn’t elaborate. Instead she headed to the kitchen to start the coffee maker for my dad.
We opened presents about an hour later, after everyone had a chance to wake up and get something to eat. My parents gave me the usual assortment of clothes and personal gifts, plus a really nice drafting stool.
“It was Christy’s idea,” Mom said. “She said you’ve been drawing on an old desk and barstool.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You talked to Christy?”
“That’s what I just said.”
“Behind my back?”
“We couldn’t really call it a ‘surprise’ if we talked in front of you, now could we? Close your mouth, dear. You’ll catch flies.”
I closed it.
“Now… have you given Erin her big present?”
“No, I’ve been saving it.” I pulled the envelope from under my thigh.
“Here you go, Er.”
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
Mom and Dad shared a grin.
Erin opened the envelope, took out the card, and read it. Then she looked in the envelope to see if she’d missed anything.
“I don’t get it,” she said at last.
“Read the card.”
“I have, you dweeb.”
“What’s it say?”
She held it up and read, “One bedroom, slightly used. Merry Christmas.
Love, Paul.” She lowered it. “What’m I s’posed to do with a bedroom?”
“Live in it?”
“I have a bedroom.” (Okay, maybe she could be slow on the uptake sometimes too.)
“Not like mine,” I said patiently.
“What do you mean, not like—?” The penny finally dropped. “Yours.”
“Mmm hmm. Go see.”
She leapt up and went to my old bedroom. Mom had found a big red bow in her Christmas wrapping supplies, and she’d quietly put it on the door after Erin had come out to the living room.
Erin flung open the door and stared at the mostly empty room. My furniture was still there, but the rest was move-in ready.
She whirled to face me. “Let me get this straight, you’re giving me your bedroom?”
“Yeah, pretty much. I should’ve done it when I moved out, but…” I shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t think of it till recently.”
“No, it’s totally cool,” she said. “Thanks. Wow. And… thanks.”
I grinned. “You want me to help you move?”
“Would you?”
“Sure. When?”
“Now?”
“My pleasure.”
So Erin and I spent the rest of the morning moving her things into her new room. She didn’t have any special attachment to her furniture, and mine fit the room better. Besides, her old bed was a full, while mine was a queen.
“Does this mean I can have your old room?” Mom asked her.
“Sure. What’re you going to use it for?”
“Oh, I don’t know. But it’d be nice to have a place of my own for a change.”
“The whole house is yours,” Erin said.
Mom just smiled. “You’ll understand when you have kids.”
After dinner we went to celebrate with the Coulters. I’d talked to Christy earlier in the day, so she knew I’d be seeing Gina. It wasn’t a matter of permission, but more of honesty and trust.
“Of course I don’t mind,” she’d said. “Tell her I’d like to meet her sometime.”
“Will do.”
“And say hi to Leah.”
“Of course.”
We’d talked a while longer and then said goodbye with the promise to talk before I left in the morning.
At the Coulters’, Chris greeted us at the door and invited us inside. Leah gave me a hug and then went off with Erin to talk about whatever. My parents disappeared with Chris and Elizabeth toward the den and the bar there. Gina and I found ourselves alone in the foyer.
“So,” she said hesitantly, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas. Don’t I at least get a hug?”
“I didn’t know if…”
“I told Christy I’d see you.”
She nodded and stepped forward. We hugged, but without a spark. In fact, we were both a bit awkward about it.
“I don’t know why I’m nervous,” she said.
“Me neither. But I am too.”
“Do you want something to drink?” She led me toward the relative privacy of the kitchen. “Coke? Beer? Wine?”
“Whatever you’re having.”
“Perrier.”
“Very chic,” I laughed. “And totally LA.”
“Yeah, I know. I even slip into Valspeak sometimes. Drives me crazy.”
“It suits you,” I said.
“You really think so? But I’m nothing like most Valley Girls.” She handed me a green bottle of mineral water.
“True,” I said. “You’re smarter, for one. Prettier, too.”
“Now you’re just trying to flatter me.”
I opened the bottle as we slid into chairs at the breakfast table.
“How’ve you been?” she asked.
“Good. You?”
“Enjoying the break. Studying for the MCAT. Relaxing when I can. You know. What about you?”
“The same. Well, not the MCAT. I got my grades from last quarter, though. Dean’s list.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks. I’m hoping to be the top of my class.”
“I’m sure you will,” she said.
We talked about school for several minutes, until we exhausted the subject and she brought up what we’d both been thinking.
“Leah says Christy is really nice. She says you’re good together.”
“I think so too, thanks. No idea if she’ll be comfortable with swinging, though.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I mean, I’d be too scared to tell a guy about that part of our lives.”
“Not if he’s the right guy.”
“Maybe you’re right. But I haven’t found him yet. I mean, most guys would be happy with the sex part, but—”
“They couldn’t handle the emotional side.”
She shook her head.
“You and I were lucky to have each other.”
“Were we? We still couldn’t make it work.”
“Most of that was my fault,” I said.
“Not all of it.”
“Enough.”
“Okay, enough,” she agreed. “But you weren’t alone, that’s for sure. I made my share of bad decisions.”
“We were young.”
“We still are, but…”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
She silently agreed.
“I gave my old bedroom to Erin this morning,” I said. “Packed the rest of my stuff and stored it in boxes in the attic.”
“It didn’t seem like your room anyway,” she said. “I mean, not like it was in high school.”
“Nothing is like it was in high school.”
She laughed softly, wistfully. “No kidding.”
“Do you ever wish you could go back? I mean, knowing what you know now?”
“Sometimes.” She laughed. “Like those science fiction books you read?”
“Yeah.”
We fell silent and stared at our hands.
“It feels like it’s really over now,” she said after a moment. “I kinda miss it, but…”
“It’s a bit of a relief, isn’t it?”