“Alex, I hope despite what these barbaric boys have led you to believe you understand that we are civilized enough in the household to not have to sleep on a porch swing.” Melinda’s teasing voice startled me awake.

                I shot up from where I must have fallen asleep in Daniel’s embrace, shielding my eyes from the onslaught of the early morning sun. I turned to see Daniel sleeping, his arm that was once draped across the top of my shoulders now laid across the lower part of my back, his warm hand resting on the exposed skin from where my shirt had risen. His head was thrown back at what appeared to be an uncomfortable angle, partially on the back of the wooden porch swing and partially against the metal chain holding the swing up. I was certain he’d have a painful crick in his neck when he woke.

                Melinda’s chuckle brought my attention to where she stood in front of us. She had a teasing smile on her face, an apron tied around her waist, and her hair tied up into a neat bun atop her head.

                “I went to invite you to breakfast only to find your room untouched. You had me worried for a moment that we may have scared you off last night,” she spoke, her eyes twinkling with amusement, “I see now that it is quite the opposite. It seems you and Daniel still get along well despite all the years that have passed.”

                I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as I stood up, the swing swaying a bit from the action but not seeming to disturb Daniel as he remained asleep and unaware of the uncomfortable situation, we had found ourselves in.

                “I’m sorry. I um- we were- he uh-,” I stumbled over my words too embarrassed to form a coherent sentence. I could imagine what it must seem like for her to find me sleeping next to some guy on my first night here.

                “Alex, honey, it’s fine,” she laughed.

                I didn’t try to hide my surprise at how laid-back Melinda seemed to be acting. Had it been my mother who found me in a similar situation, at the very least, I could have expected some harsh debilitating profanities thrown my way. In fact, she had called me a few choice words simply for going on a date my sophomore year and being 5 minutes past the 9 o’clock curfew she had given me due to the school football game running into overtime.

                “I’m sorry, nothing happened between us. He heard our,” I paused searching for the right word, “conversation, with Candice last night and he followed me out here to check on me. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

                Melinda nodded, her face going taut at the mention of what had happened last night. I imagined she wasn’t happy with the way I handled it. I should have been more respectful to her guest. Had I not fallen asleep before doing so I planned to apologize to Melinda last night.

                “I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, I’m sorry. I guess you could say it’s a sensitive subject for me, not that I’m trying to make excuses,” I apologized looking down at my fumbling hands.

                “I should be the one apologizing,” a gentle hand rested on my shoulder, “Candice is known for overstepping and not respecting boundaries, I should have made her leave well before it got to that point. I guess I didn’t realize how touchy that subject was for you, your father and I were never really given an explanation regarding it. When you’re ready we would love to hear what happened.” Melinda spoke gently, not a hint of anger in her voice. “Besides, Candice has always been my least favorite aunt. I’m just sorry your father slept through you putting her into her place, he has been begging me to allow him to do that for years now.” She grinned taking a step back, grabbing her phone out of her back pocket. “I need to go grab breakfast out of the oven, why don’t you wake Daniel, and both come in and make a plate.”

                I nodded, returning a small smile to her as she turned and walked towards the back door of the house.

                I was sure to make my time at breakfast quick, avoiding the teasing smiles from everyone besides my father who sat directly across the table from Daniel with a soft scowl in his direction. Melinda had been sure to share how she had found the two of us ‘snug as a bug’ on the porch swing this morning. Everyone else seemed to get a few good laughs regarding it and Daniel had begun to make a cocky comment that halted almost immediately as he made eye contact with my father’s intimidating and unamused stare.

                After quickly finishing the slightly too large plate that Melinda had sat in front of me, I was glad to accept Izzy’s enthusiastic offer to show me to my room before she had to leave to go to her dance class. ‘It’s right beside mine!’ she had exclaimed as she dragged me from the kitchen, up the stairs, down the hall to the last door on the left.

                The walls were a freshly painted ivory with the same rustic wood grain flooring that was throughout the rest of the house. A simple yet elegant white full-sized bed frame sat in the middle of the left wall with matching nightstands on either side of the bed and a dresser across from it. The room looked rather large thanks to the beautiful bay window overlooking the backyard, encased with shelving and a plush cushion and pillows on the wide sill. I could picture myself spending many hours there while reading a good book.

                The colors in the room were rather neutral aside from the fluffy pink rug that lay in front of the window and the colorful assortment of pillows on the bed and windowsill. Before she had left for her dance class Izzy had excitedly explained to me that she had picked the rug and pillows out and had matching ones in her room. Melinda had quietly reassured me that we could pick something out that was more my style later in the week, but after seeing the bubbly eight-year-old’s excitement for us to have something in common I told her Melinda it wouldn’t be necessary.

                As I unpacked the couple of boxes and the large suitcase that contained all of my belongings the room felt bare and I couldn’t help but wish that I had been able to bring more of my things.  My mother had been unhappy with my decision to leave and while she couldn’t do anything to legally stop me, she could control what I was allowed to take with me, so she did just that. I had pleaded that she at least allow me to bring my vast collection of books that I had built, some of them being rather impressive antiques that I had luckily found in a garage sale, the owner unaware of the treasure they had. She had carelessly disregarded my pleas and the following day I had returned from work to the shelves in my room that had once been overflowing with books to be bare all but a receipt of sale from the local thrift bookstore in town.

                Once I finished unpacking, I made my way over to the bay window taking a seat on the plush cushion as I gazed into the backyard. I could see Brady and Nathan tossing a football with each other but no sign of Elijah or Daniel. Elijah, I was almost certain, was playing video games while getting high in The Cave. I had been here for less than twenty-four hours, and I had already learned that that was all Elijah did in his free time. I suspected that was why my father had such a negative attitude about the extended gap year Elijah claimed he was on. 

                Daniel, I supposed was with Elijah, I doubted he went home. From what Nathan told me it seemed like Daniel was always here just like when we were kids. ‘He’s had a rough life too,” Melinda’s words from earlier rang in my head as I wondered what she could have meant by that. Perhaps that was why Daniel always seemed to be around. Maybe he was running from something just as I was.