Laura set the coffee cup on the table and smiled. "Um no. He's my younger brother. I don't have a boyfriend. You?" She did not expect an answer and was surprised when Crystal shook her head. "No boyfriends. Men are pigs."

"Well, not all men, Crystal. Peter and Michael are perfect gentlemen."

"Peter and Michael are queer. They don't count."

"I don't know what's so hard about putting the toilet seat down. One time the boys were over here and I forgot to check and ended up with a wet bottom." She laughed at her own story, hoping to force a smile to the young woman's face. Instead Crystal continued to stare into her coffee, her eyes taking on a faraway look. The writer felt her stomach rumble and remembered that she hadn't eaten yet. "I think I'll make somee.g.and toast for breakfast. Would you like some?"

"Naw." Crystal stood abruptly. "I'm about to head out anyway."

"Going out for the day?" Laura secretly hoped that would be the case. She didn't want the pot smoking, beer drinking stripper around when her mother showed up.

"Yeah, I'm not into family get-togethers. Have fun."

Laura had just sorted out her newspaper and was about to begin reading when she heard the front door slam and a string of expletives fly out of her roommate's mouth. "I can't fucking believe that starter went again!" Crystal angrily tossed the keys across the room. "I don't care what Rick says, that mechanic friend of his doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall." She pressed her hands against the short half-wall separating the kitchen and living room and finally locked eyes with Laura. "I guess I'm not going anywhere after all," she sighed.

"Michael is a mechanic. Maybe he can take a look at it for you."

"Fat lot of good that does me today," the stripper grumbled. She had hoped to get some beer and replenish her dwindling supply of marijuana. "I'll try to stay out of the way."

"You know the cable is hooked up to the TV in your room," Laura said. She was glad Crystal didn't hint about borrowing her Jeep. "Um may I ask a favor of you?" The stripper looked at her warily. "Would you mind not smoking pot while my brother and mother are here?" She raised her hands to forestall the protest she saw forming on the blonde woman's lips. "I know what you do in your room is your business but even with the incense, my eighteen year old brother will know what you're doing behind closed doors."

The words struck an unintended nerve as Crystal's mind flashed back to hearing her sister cry out through the wall separating their bedrooms. "When are people showing up?"

"In about four hours."

Plenty of time to get stoned before they get here. "Fine. Where's the nearest liquor store?"

"Martin's on Fourth. About three, three and a half miles." She realized Crystal's intentions and was secretly pleased that the store was so far away. She still wasn't happy with thei.e.that her family might meet the stripper but she knew it would be even worse if alcohol was added to the mix.

Crystal knocked her knuckles on the countertop. "Of course it is. What's the temp out there now? Eighty, ninety degrees?" Laura was certain it was closer to seventy but she didn't see any point in mentioning it. "I'll be in my room." The stripper went upstairs, fishing her cigarettes out of her pocket in the process.

Good. Stay there, Laura thought to herself as she watched the temperamental woman climb the stairs. She looked at the clock and groaned. Time to get moving.

First came the dusting, then the vacuuming. Polishing and window washing was next and she Laura was just filling up the mop bucket with hot water when the doorbell rang. She opened it to find Jenny standing there, her face hidden by the brightly wrapped box in her arms. "The other parts are in the car," she huffed as she gratefully handed over her burden.

"You do remember that he drives a compact, not a minivan."

"These are the ones the man at the store said were right for Bobby's car," Jenny protested as she retrieved the rest of the stereo parts from her car. "You asked the salesman which ones to buy?" Laura asked incredulously. "Jen, you know better."

"Don't you start," the brown haired woman warned gently. "Not everything I buy has to be approved by Consumer Reports." "But" Whoops, Laura thought when she saw the look in Jenny's eyes. "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Yup," the therapist agreed.

"It's a good thing I have you around to point out all my little neuroses," she said, taking advantage of the empty street to lean down and give Jenny a quick kiss. "By the way, Crystal is here."

"Did you warn her about your mother?"

Laura reached into the car and pulled out the last box, bumping the door with her hip to close it. "No. She was supposed to be gone all day but her car broke down."

"You should before General Patton arrives," Jenny said as they reached the threshold.

"My mother is not that bad."

"Not that bad? Laura, do you remember Thanksgiving four years ago? The one and only time you brought me to your mother's home?" She held the door open as Laura stepped inside.

"I honestly didn't think she'd walk in on us." Laura winced at the memory of her mother walking into the kitchen and finding the two of them locked in a passionate kiss.

"You know she blames me for corrupting you."

"Of course she does," Laura agreed with a playful grin. "After all, I was just an innocent young woman before I met you."

"Somehow that's not quite the way I remember it, Love." Jenny walked over to the cupboard and grabbed two glasses. "How long do we have before she gets here?"

"About two hours." Two hours to get this place cleaned up and ready for inspection, Laura thought to herself as she opened the refrigerator and retrieved the pitcher of ice water. As it did every time her mother came for a visit, Laura's nerves were on edge. Her father and both grandfathers had been career military and her mother was the perfect officer's wife. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was missing something something that her mother would be certain to notice. "Does everything look all right?"

"Laura everything is perfect. The pictures are straight, the dishes are all put away, the tablecloth is pressed. Stop worrying."

"I can't help it," she replied, leaning into Jenny's gentle touch on her shoulders. "I just want everything to go right. Jen, promise me you won't start?" The hands gently massaging her shoulders paused. "Your mother needs to move into the nineties."

Laura turned and slipped her arms around the shorter woman's shoulders. "Jen, you gotta understand. Grandpa Matthews was a staunch Republican and my father was as conservative as they come. Thei.e.of her only daughter in bed with another woman wasn't exactly an easy pill for her to swallow." She gave a small smile. Jenny's parents were the most open-minded people she had ever met and it was hard for her ex-lover to accept intolerance. "Please?"

"Change is good for the soul, you know," Jenny tried one last time. Laura knew she had won and gave the smaller woman a kiss on the forehead. "Spoken like a true therapist. I'll do my best to keep her away from you." A thought occurred to her. "Speaking of therapy " She walked over and shut the sliding glass door, not wanting her voice to carry. "I wanted to talk to you about something that happened last night." "You okay?" Her ex-lover's concern was evident and Laura smiled.

"I'm fine, hon. Crystal had a nightmare last night."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"I tried but she didn't want to talk."

"If she doesn't want to talk about it, you can't push her, Laura."

"I didn't but maybe you" She left the thought unfinished but Jenny had no problem picking up on it.

"You want me to talk to her? Laur, she doesn't even know me."

"But it's what you do, isn't it?"

"I do one on one and group counseling with survivors of sexual abuse. I don't interpret dreams."

"From what I heard, it doesn't take much interpretation." She lowered her voice, as if to speak the words out loud was taboo. "She was crying out for her father to stop it, whatever 'it' was."

"Oh." Now Jenny understood why Laura brought it up. "How did she sound when she talked to you afterwards? Was she scared, angry, numb?" "She didn't say much, just that she was fine." Laura paused, trying to remember more details. "She sounded mad but I think she was really upset."

"It could be a lot of things," Jenny said. "Try talking to her again." She looked around the room, seeing everything perfectly organized as usual. "I see she hasn't been the roommate from hell down here."

"She stays in her room most of the time." She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "It's getting late. I need you to go find something to do while I get this floor mopped." She waited for the usual argument that the floor was clean enough but Jenny simply shrugged and carried her glass of ice water into the living room. "And don't forget to use a coaster," Laura called out before turning on the tap to get add more hot water to the halffull bucket of sudsy water.

Crystal's lungs burned as she inhaled deeply before setting the remains of her joint on the e.g.of the ashtray. It was a beautiful day and she had her glass door open in favor of letting the warm breeze filter through the screen. On top of her dresser, the incense holder released the scent of lavender throughout the room. Seeing no reason to meet her roommate's family, she had decided to stay in her room and get stoned all day. She heard the faint sound of the doorbell followed by the sounds of people trading welcomes and striking up conversation. Oh goodie, John Boy and the rest of the Waltons have shown up. She had meant to stop smoking before Laura's family arrived but with each puff, her resolve faded. She removed a sheet of rolling paper from its package and reached for the sandwich bag and her dwindling supply of marijuana.

"I can't believe these are all for me," Bobby said as he looked at the table of presents." He stepped past his sister to get a hug from Jenny. "How's my favorite sister-in-law?"

"Ex-sister-in-law," she reminded him. "I can't believe how tall you've gotten. I remember when you were only up to here on me." Jenny held her hand level with her shoulder to demonstrate.

"I grow a lot in a year," he replied. Looking up into the boyish face, Jenny had to admit that it was true. More than just height, Bobby had grown in bulk, his muscles showing beneath the pressed white shirt. His respectably short blond hair was offset by his brown eyebrows, making him look much like a young Robert Redford. His face bore little sign of acne although his chin did show a nick from shaving. He was no longer the pimply faced fourteen year old that was more interested in Nintendo than girls.

"That you have, Tag-a-long," Jenny said affectionately. "Come see the cake your sister got for you." Grabbing hold of his elbow, she tugged him into the kitchen, leaving Laura alone with her mother.

"You didn't tell me she'd be here," Mrs. Taylor admonished.

"Jenny and I are still friends, Mom," Laura said. "Just because we're not lovers anymore"

"Well now," her mother interrupted, obviously wanting to change the subject. "You're going to have to come over and help your brother set up that computer."

"I will, Mom. Does he have a phone jack in his room so he can get online?"

"Online?" Mrs. Taylor frowned. "Now you know I don't understand all that computer talk of yours. Yes, he has a phone in his room. With the number of girls that call him, it's a wonder I get to use it at all."

"Hey Mom, come see my cake," Bobby called out excitedly. Laura and her mother entered the kitchen.

"That looks very nice," Mrs. Taylor said. "Did you get it from Henderson's Bakery? Marge Carmichael bought a cake there for her daughter Katherine's coming out party. It was beautiful. Of course that was just before Katherine ran away with Billy McCormick." Laura didn't bother to answer her mother's question, knowing that where the cake was purchased was immaterial. She nodded knowingly. "Uh huh." "I saw her at the VFW two weeks ago and she was very quiet when it came to what her daughter was up to. If you ask me, I think she's pregnant." Mrs. Taylor glanced at Jenny. "But that's what happens when families have loose morals, I suppose."

"Or are driven away by their overbearing mothers," Jenny muttered low enough that only Bobby could hear. The teenager snorted, drawing a dirty look from Jenny and a quizzical one from his mother.

"All you all right?"

"Just swallowed wrong, Mom," he replied, trying very hard to keep the smirk off his face.