"Yes. I thought it would be nice for you to get a chance to meet the boys. Peter is a sweetheart." She spooned a wedge of grapefruit into her mouth. "And Michael will remind you a big teddy bear. He's as gentle as they come but I swear he could bench press a refrigerator." "Sounds like an odd couple."

"They are," Laura laughed. "Well, you've seen Peter. I think he's about five six or so and maybe one fifty on a good day." Crystal nodded in agreement. "Michael is at least six feet and close to three hundred pounds." Another piece of grapefruit disappeared into the writer's mouth. "He's a handyman. He put the shelves in the linen cabinet and in the closet in your room."

"Does he have a brother who's a mechanic?" She pushed the flakes around in the milk. "I can't believe it came to over three hundred dollars to fix it this time. I just put two fifty in less than three months ago."

"I think his brother is a priest."

"Even better. He could give it last rights." She smiled when Laura laughed but inside she was worried. The repairs were becoming more frequent and more expensive. She knew it wouldn't be long before it would be time to look for another car but money only stretched so far and moving took everything she had and then some. Her final bills had arrived for the utilities at the old apartment and there simply was just no money left to put down on another car. She slowly chewed a mouthful of cereal. What am I going to do? It wouldn't be long before Laura would be asking for her half of the current bills. It was going to be a race as it was to make sure the rent money was in on time. Figures payday is two days later.

"So when do you want to go pick up your car?"

"Oh." Laura's question pulled her from her thoughts. "I guess anytime after we eat. Whenever you're ready."

"We can go in about an hour or so. I have to take a shower and get dressed first. I don't think they'd appreciate me walking through the bread isle in my pajamas."

"Someone would like it, I'm sure," she said, using her spoon to chase a berry around in the milk. Catching it, she triumphantly brought it to her mouth. "These are good. You should have some."

"I was thinking of making some homemade muffins for dessert tonight."

"Ooh." Crystal smiled and nodded enthusiastically, her mouth watering at the mere thought. "I love blueberry muffins."

"Then blueberry muffins for dessert it is."

"Great." Pushing her empty bowl away, she reached for her coffee. "So what's for dinner?"

"Lemon chicken with rice pilaf and spinach soufflé."

"Sounds interesting." She looked up to see Laura's hazel eyes smiling back at her.

"Healthy food won't kill you."

"That's what you think. My stomach wouldn't recognize it." She leaned back in her chair, no longer feeling the urge to rush away from the table once the meal was finished. Laura gave her every indication that she was welcome to sit and visit. "Can I ask you something without you thinking I'm stupid?"

"Crystal, you can ask me anything and I don't think you're stupid."

"What's spinach soufflé?"

"Have you ever had spinach?"

"Once in a while at a diner but I never cared for it. It was usually cold by the time I go to it."

"Well when it's soufflé is baked in a way that makes it light and airy. It's really very good." Laura paused. "Michael is bringing it." The one that can bench press a fridge. "Oh. I guess it won't kill me to try it."

"I'll try to put a small amount on your plate."

"Do you want help with dinner?"

"No, I'll handle it. You can keep the boys entertained."

Crystal watched the smirk form on Laura's face and immediately became wary. "Why? What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing. You'll love the boys." The smirk grew wider.

"Laura." She tapped her nails repeatedly on the table for emphasis, secretly enjoying the friendly banter. It reminded her of early mornings with her sister. "Tell me or I'll hide the vacuum cleaner."

"Hide it? You have to find it first. Do you even know where I keep it?"

Whoops, big mistake. Realizing she'd been caught, she gave her roommate a sheepish grin. "I was going to get to it but you keep the place so clean that I didn't see any point."

"Uh huh."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Not a bit," Laura replied with a smile.

"All right. I'm not Susie Homemaker. I just don't think of things like vacuuming or sweeping or stuff like that." No one taught me it and it never seemed to matter. Not like that asshole noticed if the place was clean or not. With memories of her past flooding in, Crystal felt the familiar weight settle upon her shoulders. She looked down at the table. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Laura's voice the first time. "What?"

"I said you're getting better."

"Bullshit. You're right. I have no i.e.where you keep the vacuum or broom or mop or whatever else you need to clean up." Almost two weeks and I haven't even thought about helping her clean the place. "I need a cigarette." Standing up, she quickly crossed the room and opened the door to step onto the deck. Fuck.

The balcony above provided shade from the midday sun as she leaned the back of her head against the wooden clapboards. I can't believe I didn't know where they were. She thought back to her parent's trailer. She knew damn well where the broom was kept in that place. It had been used on her enough times when her mother was in a drunken rage. A firm hand gripped her shoulder and Crystal jumped.

"Sorry," Laura said as she stepped fully onto the deck. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right. I just um" Do I dare tell her more? "It's nothing. Never mind." She tried to turn away but found herself unable to resist the gentle pressure of her new friend's hands.

"Crystal, let's sit down and talk for a minute."

Is this going to be good or bad? she wondered, reluctantly taking her seat. I know I'll need a cigarette for this. She lit one and waited for Laura to start.

"I mean what I said in there. You are doing better about helping keep the place clean."

She looked up at Laura. "How?"

"For one, I don't walk into the bathroom to find the towel on the floor and water all around the sink. You aren't leaving your dishes lying around. I find them either in the sink or in the dishwasher. I'd call that an improvement."

"So where do you keep the vacuum and broom?"

"The broom and ironing board are in the little cabinet near the washing machine. The vacuum is in the closet near the stairs." "Oh."

"Let's make a deal, okay? I have a certain way of doing things. That includes cleaning. Let's be honest here, Crystal. You won't clean the way I do and I'd only end up doing it over." Laura leaned back in her chair. "Just pick up after yourself and I'll take care of the general cleaning."

Great, now she thinks I'm a hopeless slob. "Look, if you showed me how you wanted it done" she began.

"Really, don't worry about it. I'm a bit neurotic about keeping the place clean, I know that. My father was big on everything being neat and orderly." "What happened if it wasn't?" Crystal asked.

Laura leaned forward, resting her forearms against the table. "One time I was in a rush to go to the mall with my friends and did a sloppy job with making my bed before I left."

"What happened?"

"He did just what a drill sargent would do. He flipped my mattress. Unfortunately, when he did that he found something I never wanted him to find." Her face took on a look that Crystal couldn't remember seeing there before shame. Laura took a deep breath and continued. "He found some magazines."

"You had porno mags under your bed?"

"Three. Nothing hardcore. Just the ones you can get at the grocery store." The dark haired woman's face blushed slightly at the admission. "I was curious."

"So that's why you're a neat freak? Because your father found your girlie mags?"

"I would have preferred a better way of coming out to him than having him find those."

"Did he flip?" she asked, knowing her father would have beaten her senseless for something like that.

"Flip is a mild word," Laura said. "He sent Bobby to a friend's house and was waiting with Mom when I got home."

"Oh boy."

"He wasn't pleased. I hadn't even done anything yet. Like I said, I was just curious." Laura's face took on a faraway look. "I had to sit there for almost two hours having a talk about sex with my parents."

"Oh man, that had to be awful."

"Yeah, Mom talking about standing and image while Dad paced around the room asking me over and over if it had anything to do with that incident at West Point." She shook her head. "Apparently he was of the school that all lesbians are that way because they've had bad experiences with men. They convinced themselves that it was just a phase I was going through until I moved in with Lisa."

"Was she your first, um"

"Lover?" Laura offered. "Yes. We lived together for about two months after graduation. After that the romance disappeared and she found me impossible to live with. Of course by then there was no denying it to my parents anymore. I think by then they'd accepted it." She leaned back in her chair. "So maybe that's part of why I'm so careful about everything being neat and orderly. Every once in a while Jenny will pull her therapist act on me and she says that's part of it." She turned her head to look at Crystal's watch. "What time is it?"

"Heading for one thirty."

"We'd better get going if we're going to get to the garage and the store and back before the boys get here."

"Oh. Yeah." Secretly Crystal breathed a sigh of relief that the conversation was over. Laura's recounting triggered memories that she'd rather not have had return. Stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray, she followed Laura inside. To her surprise, the table had been cleared. When did you have time

She then remembered that Laura had not followed her outside immediately. Can't let it go for even a minute, can you? she silently asked as she watched Laura head up the stairs. She walked over to the phone and called the garage to make sure her car was ready before going up to her own room to get her wallet and sneakers. Maybe we can stop at the ice cream place on Wilson.

Crystal leaned her elbow against the counter, resting her chin against her hand. "I would never have the patience for that." Laura glanced up from her task, sprinkling seasoning over the chicken breasts. "It's easy enough to follow the recipe." "Too many steps," she said, shifting so both forearms rested on the counter. "I prefer the open 'em up, toss 'em in the nuker and go kinda dinners."

"So I've seen." Laura placed the pan in the oven. "My freezer never saw a TV dinner before you moved in. Your stomach must be made of cast iron."

"I'm used to it. I grew up with TV dinners and frozen pizza."

Laura paused in her wiping of the counter. "You ate that a lot, huh?"

How did we get back to talking about me again? She shrugged. "I guess. Whenever we weren't having macaroni and cheese from a box, that is." Her eyes fell on the open recipe book. Reaching out, she pulled the book closer. "You know, I've seen these on television and at friend's houses but I don't think my mother ever had one." She flipped the page.

"You never cooked something nice for yourself?"

"It was cheaper to buy the pre-made stuff than to buy all the ingredients and make it from scratch." She was saved from further conversation by the doorbell.

"That'll be the boys," Laura said, folding the dishrag and draping it neatly over the faucet.

"I'll get it." Crystal went to the door and looked out the peephole, seeing only the distorted image of the man who rented her the apartment.

"Miss Sheridan!" the balding redhead exclaimed as the door was opened. Before she could react Crystal found herself caught in an enthusiastic hug. Peter stepped back, his hands gently squeezing her upper arms. "It's so good to see you again."

"Um, hi." Surprised by the greeting, it took all of her willpower not to jerk back out of his grasp. She forced a polite smile to her face and subtly stepped out of reach. She turned toward the open doorway and received another shock when she saw the hulking behemoth of a man standing before her. His bulky chest and bulging biceps strained the neatly pressed white shirt. Short blond hair refused to be tamed, cowlicks spiking up on both the back and sides. His rounded face and cheeks made him appear squinty but even so Crystal could easily see the bright blue of his eyes.

"Miss Sheridan, this is Michael.," Peter said sweetly. He took the covered dish out of his lover's hands and walked off to the kitchen.