Summer and Forever

The next three weeks consisted of lazing by the pool, splashing around and talking to Kevin's mother. She was a really nice person actually. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't her. She was pretty and funny and she made me laugh with embarrassing stories of Kevins childhood.

"There were times when Kevin would run down the stairs and trip over his own feet. We would get so scared that he would do some permanent brain damage."

"Looks like those fears were confirmed, mum." Nick grinned into his dinner plate as Kevin smacked him on the back of the head.

"Kevin." His mother would scold him.

It was a daily routine. His mum would tell us a story of one of the brother's past experiences and then one of the other bro's would make a smart comment which earned them a smack, kick and occasional punch.

I loved it.

Kevin would give me secret winks and smiles which one of the boys would catch. Then there'd be oooh-ing and teasing galore.

I think Kevin got a bit worried that this was a bit much for me but to tell the truth i couldn't think of a better environment. Families together were so much better then broken families. The squabbling was all good natured and the aura around the family was loving and whole, not broken and empty.

I smiled and held Kevin's hand underneath the table whenever he went red from the stories told about him. I even heard about his first kiss and how he broke the other girls nose because he leaned forward too fast.

We all cried with laughter a that one and for a joke, Joe bought me a cricket helmet. Kevin was less then impressed at that but he had a good sense of humor.

My favorite thing to do with Kevin was go in the pool. He would swim under me and when I wasn't looking he would dunk me under with him. We shared many underwater kisses in that pool.

Joe got another girlfriend after a while and while i was happy for him everytime i looked at her i couldn't help but think of Melina.

I think Joe noticed because he didn't really give her much affection whenever I was around. I decided to talk to him about it because I noticed it was making her unhappy and she was starting to give me the evil eye.

I found him in the kitchen leaning on the countertop. His girlfriend, Lily, had just gone home and life was peaceful but tense between them at the moment.

"Hey Joe."

"Hey Sari."

"Um...can i talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." He sat on the counter top and looked at me. When i didn't say anything for a few seconds he made a face like a fish and i laughed.

"Alright, alright here goes. I don't want you to think that I blame you for breaking up with Melina and I really don't want you to think that you being with Lily makes me angry or anything."

He bit his lip a bit and nodded. "I didn't handle the relationship with Melina very well and I kind of...I sort of led her on a bit."

I nodded and sat next to him. "I didn't really....fell that much about her. I mean she was..."

"A summer fling."

"Yeah."

"Its alright. I'm sure she's doing fine without you."

"She told me she loved me when we broke up." There was silence between us. "She...uh...she believed that i loved her back. I never told her that but...."

"I know." I replied quietly.

We sat side by side for a while before Kevin came into the kitchen looking for me. He saw us sitting there looking serious and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Who died?"

"Your face." I replied with a smile.

"Oh i'm wounded." I got up and grabbed his hand.

"Come on. Make me a milkshake in the upstairs kitchen."

"You coming Joe?"

"Nah man, i'm alright." Kevin nodded and led me up the stairs by the hand. I looked back and Joe smiled at me.

I winked and left him sitting there thinking of his ex, the girl who'd loved him with her all and didn't get anything back.