The Taurus with the modified seat was the choice of the two cars for them to take on a long trip together, but it was just one of several things strange to Dave about this New York run -- in fact, much was different from the trips they'd taken earlier. Dave came into the house after hauling some luggage out to the car a few hours before they planned to hit the road, when Shae waved him to the phone. "It's Eve," she said.

Since the boys were outside playing with Kayla, Shae turned on the speaker phone as Dave sat down on the couch. "You might as well not come this weekend like we planned," Eve told them. "John and I are going to be in Chicago."

"Another seminar?" Shae asked. Eve gave seminars on transsexual issues from a psychologist's viewpoint all over the country, and while she enjoyed it, the travel could sometimes be irksome.

"Not quite," Eve said. "John has accepted a position as an Associate Professor of Engineering at Northwestern University, and I gave my two weeks' notice at Matthews, Barkley this morning. We've got to go look for a house."

"Wow, that's cool!" Shae said enthusiastically. "Do you have anything lined up for a job?"

"Still up in the air," Eve said. "But there are possibilities, both teaching and in practice. I could set up a private practice on my own, but I want to investigate other things first. I'll tell you though; I'll be happy to not be working with people who think sexual issues are something to be fixed in terms of what someone else thinks is proper. Christ knows how I've been able to stay with them as long as I have."

"Well, Chicago north side and Bradford isn't going to be as convenient as Staten Island and Philly," Shae observed. "But it will beat the hell out of Bradford and Philly."

"That's pretty much my thinking, too," Eve said. "Shae, you remember when we were in high school, I was literally counting the days until I could get out of that town, and you were pretty well doing it, too? When I walked down Main Street presenting as myself, rather than Denis for the first time there, I figured it would also be the last time and I'd never come back. How strange it is that I have a number of friends there and mostly people Denis both hated and feared. And really, how strange it is, that I would be accepted there at all."

"I guess we've grown up," Shae smiled. "All of us. If we're not going to see you this weekend, then when?"

"I'm not sure," Eve said, "Everything is still up in the air. But probably in the next couple weeks. Maybe you'd like to go house hunting with us the weekend after next, if we don't find what we want this weekend."

"Or something," Shae told her friend. "Hey, this is going to work out for you, isn't it? I always had the idea you liked Chicago better than New York, anyway."

"Oh yes, much better," Eve said. "I still have friends in the community there, and you do, too, for that matter."

"Yeah," Shae grinned. "I've been wanting to take Dave over there and introduce him to Carl. I need some new shoes, and it's been too long since I've seen him."

"I'd kind of like to see the guy myself," Eve grinned. "Maybe in a couple weeks."

They talked for a few more minutes about other things, but the meat of the conversation was over. Finally, Shae pushed the off button on the speakerphone and commented, "Well, I'm glad it's happening, but I guess it doesn't surprise me. The handwriting has been on the wall ever since Chad and Cheryl moved to Chicago last year."

"I don't suppose your moving here had anything to do with it," Dave smirked.

"Actually, no," Shae smiled. "I think it just put a cap on a decision already made. Oh, well, I'm glad we decided to add the extra bedrooms to the house; I think somebody we know will be weekend guests pretty regularly. Besides, Chad and Cheryl are neat; I think you'll like them, too. It beats the hell out of making a Philadelphia run as often as I'd want to."

"Well, I'd figured on making New York runs every month or so for the foreseeable future, at least while I'm on salary with Dunlap and Fyre," Dave commented. "I figured we'd jiggle it around so Philadelphia was part of the deal."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Having Eve in Philly was one of the big downsides for me moving here at all, although it was never enough to challenge all the upsides."

The big thing that made this trip strange was they had the boys with them. They'd always wanted to go with Dave to see Aunt Shae when he'd made his visits to her, but Dave had shied away from taking them. It came down to the fact it was a ten-hour car ride one way, and he was really doubtful he could handle the two boys on the trip by himself. After all, when they'd come to Bradford, it had been in Dayna and Sandy's motor home with people and things to divert them, and it had been at night so they'd slept most of the way, anyway. Worse, they'd have to endure the trip twice in only a few days.

All that had changed since Shae had moved in the month before. There still was no need for the boys to go to New York, and they didn't have to. Stan and Deborah had, on several occasions, asked Dave if the boys could visit with them for a few days when he made one of his New York runs, and they were going to leave the boys with them in Hartford. With school out, this was a good time to do it. Since Shae wanted to touch base both at Avalon and at WSN, she decided to go along to help Dave with the boys. After some discussion, they'd decided to make the trip an all-nighter, too, so the boys would be asleep for most of it. They left a little before dark on Monday evening -- since it was the middle of June, it was approaching ten in the evening, and sure enough, the boys were asleep by the time they'd been on the road an hour.

In order to prepare themselves for being up all night, Dave had had Kayla come over to watch the boys in the afternoon so he and Shae could take naps. Shae'd had a pretty good one; when she woke up she found Dave had already gotten up and had found him in a spirited discussion with the teenager. "So what were you and Kayla going on about?" she asked to make conversation.

"Thoreau, again," Dave smiled. "Walden is a tough read for a thirteen year old, and I know it from experience. It was hard for me at that age."

"Yeah, you would have read it while I was out in the driveway throwing a basketball around," she grinned. "Is she getting anything out of it?"

"Oh, yeah," Dave said. "Walden is one of those books where there's something on every level. Actually, when Kayla and I talk about it, I'm usually trying to just put the book into the context of the times. A lot of the stuff Thoreau was ranting about just doesn't obtain today; it has to be looked at with the historical perspective before it makes sense. But it still is a powerful book, and I think it's having an effect on our young babysitter."

"Well, I'm glad you're the one she's talking to about Thoreau," Shae laughed. "It is a book, after all, and it's your field. Let's face it, you went to Columbia while I went to a third-rate state college with a reputation for athletics and partying."

"Maybe so," Dave said. "But you came out of it with more than you anticipated when you went there, didn't you? I mean, I know you and Kayla have been having those discussions on women's rights."

"Right, and she asks some tough ones, too," Shae asked. "I sure would like to be a bug on the wall when she gets Eve into a corner on human rights issues."

"Yeah, or at least have a bug on the wall," Dave grinned. "I wonder what got into the kid? She wasn't like that a few months ago. Must have been something that happened when she turned into a teenager."

"To tell the truth, I think we happened to her," Shae said. "I've talked with Emily about it a little. Emily says Kayla has been making sounds about wanting to go to college, and not just to make use of an athletic scholarship, which she'll probably get if she keeps running like she does. Walden may have had something to do with it, too. Now, you know neither Emily nor Kevin have ever had a day of college, so I think Kayla is turning to us as role models a little."

"Well, if that's the case, I guess I don't mind," Dave said. "She's got a sharp little mind, and she's asked me some questions that really affect my thinking about the book. I keep having to remind myself that Andraen is a kid not much older than Kayla, and not an adult. And, I have to remember Andraen's perspective is even narrower than Kayla's. Andraen doesn't have any idea of what human rights are since she doesn't have any to begin with, while Kayla is really a little nuts on the subject. I remember us talking about burqas and bikinis that time, and it seemed to me like it hit her where she lives."

"Oh, hell," Shae snorted, "It did. Dave, if I tell you something can you keep it between you and me?"

"Really good gossip?" he asked.

"No, potentially hurtful gossip," Shae said. "Sort of like what would have happened if Denis' secret had come out while we were in high school. You remember Emily invited me over to use her pool sometime, to give my back a little rest?"

"Yeah," he said. "You went over and used it the tail end of last week, Thursday or Friday."

"Friday," Shae said. "Well, I got over there, to discover Kayla and Rachel splashing around in the pool, without a stitch on between them."

"Ah, a little skinny dipping," he grinned. "It seems to me you've been there and done that."

"Yeah," she grinned. "In fact, I joined them. Neither of them had ever seen a pregnant woman nude before, and I figured it was a good chance for a little object lesson. Anyway, the three of us spent a long time talking. It turns out both girls consider themselves to be nudists. They go for walks in the woods nude, and swim in a swimming hole out at Rachel's. They both realize it's different and something they can't talk about much."

"And that pushes your it's-all-right-to-be-different button," Dave laughed.

"Absolutely," Shae grinned. "Now, it could just be an early teen phase, but it might not be. They seem more committed to it than I was at that age. But it seems to me they have an it's-all-right to-be-different button of their own. I may have made a mistake, but I told them if they were really serious about protecting human rights they ought to think about becoming lawyers."

"I don't think it was a mistake," Dave grinned. "It's an awful big piece up the road from thirteen, and there's plenty of time to change their minds. But if they did it, there's lots of things they could do with it. Legal or social requirements to force women to wear burqas in this country is an improbability but not an impossibility, so I can see where the discussion would have rattled Kayla's chain. But, I have to ask, does Emily know about her budding nudist?"

"Amazingly enough, yes," Shae grinned. "And she seems to be all right with it. In fact, she was in the pool nude with us when I made the comment to the girls about becoming lawyers. I think she thinks it's just a phase the kids are going through. If she humors them and doesn't make it an issue, it may go away."

"You know," Dave grinned. "I never really considered what Emily would look like in the nude, but now that you've raised the issue you've got me curious."

"You may get your chance," Shae grinned. "It turns out there has been some nude hot tubbing going on at Scott and Sonja's. I know the pool contractor hasn't started on the pool yet; I wonder if it's too late to add a hot tub?"

"No, it's not," Dave shrugged. "It just means more money. I'll call when we get back."

"Good deal," she grinned. "Let's face it, we're going to have a house that's ideal for skinny dipping and nude hot tubbing," she replied. "But to get back to what I was leading up to, Emily and I talked about it later when the kids weren't around. Like I said, she thinks it's a phase the kids are going through, that they really haven't considered the realities. Then, I got to thinking. What happens if maybe next month, I were to invite the girls to come to New York with me to help me pack up at the apartment, and leave you behind?"

"Given a chance, I'd just as soon be with you," he said. "But I can see you've got something on your mind."

"I do," Shae grinned. "What if I were to be nice and give the girls a little touch of the reality Emily wants by taking them to Gunnison Beach for a day?"

"The nude beach over on Sandy Hook?" Dave grinned. "I tried to get Julie there once; I think I told you about it. I wouldn't mind trying it some time."

"We may have some time to kill this trip," Shae snickered, without really teasing him. "But I think with the girls, it would be best if you weren't in on it, at least the first time."

"Well, when you put it that way," Dave sighed. "I guess you're right. Just clear it with Emily and Rachel's mom before you do it, though. As for myself, I guess I'd be up for a run over there with you this trip if everything works out all right."

"You know," she laughed quietly, "I could ask around a little and see if I could find a paparazzi who sells to the tabloids. A nice little spread in some supermarket tabloid of 'Shaella Sunrise nude' would probably end the Avalon question once and for all."

Dave shook his head. "You realize that's a nuclear weapon about the size of the half-million-dollar note Stan doesn't know I know about, don't you?"

"Of course," she snickered. "But the little exhibitionist in me is yelling, 'Do it! Do it!' I mean, it would be like the ultimate Curtis Road overpass flash."

"You mean even though we're living out there, you're not going to go for cheap thrills again sometime?"

"Who knows?" she laughed, keeping it quiet enough to keep from waking the boys. "It might be fun."

"You know," he said thoughtfully. "Why do I think it's going to be interesting being married to you?"

"Because it's going to be," she giggled. "You know me, I like my fun."

Shae was driving when they crossed the Hudson River well north of New York on Interstate 84, only about an hour out from the Albright house. The boys were still sleeping, but obviously near the end. The sun was up by now, but it was still a little early for rush-hour traffic, which only began to pick up in the last few miles into Hartford. By that time both Dave and Shae were getting pretty tired, despite their nap the previous afternoon.

The plan had been to head on in to Shae's apartment and catch up on their sleep there, but Deborah suggested the two go upstairs for a nap, and then have lunch before they headed out into the traffic. It sounded like a good idea to both of them. "Well, just use Julie's bedroom." Deborah suggested. "Dave, you know which one it is."

"Thanks, Deborah," he said. "I think we might as well take you up on it."

In a couple minutes they headed upstairs. Julie's bedroom hadn't changed much from the last time Dave had been there, not quite a year ago; Julie had said it hadn't changed much since she'd moved out after high school. "Well," Dave said softly after he had the door closed and was taking off his shoes. "I guess this proves things have changed big time."

"What makes you say that?" Shae asked.

"You and me together, here, in Julie's bedroom?" Dave asked. "I guess it means they've actually been able to accept what's happened. Maybe even better than I have. I mean, of all places, it really seems strange to be here with you."

"Would a nice little roll in the hay help kill the demon, too?" Shae smiled, but recognizing the seriousness of Dave's thoughts.

"I'm tempted," Dave grinned. "In fact, damn tempted, mostly because you make me very horny. However, I'm also very sleepy and couldn't give you the job you deserve. Maybe another time. This probably won't be the last time we're here, after all."

"Would you be willing to settle for a nice kiss and cuddle while we're falling asleep?" she grinned.

"I'm always ready for a kiss and cuddle with you," he laughed.

As it turned out, it was more than a little nap and went on for several hours. Dave was a little surprised they got much sleep at all, since the bed was a mere double bed, and the two of them added up to more than a bed full. The only way they were able to manage it was by sleeping clothed on top of the covers, with Dave behind Shae, snuggled up to her with his hand on her belly where their child was growing, his face filled with the intoxicating smell of her hair.

By the time they woke up, it was mid-afternoon, going on to late afternoon, and they figured their sleeping schedules were pretty well shot for the evening. After pulling themselves together, they went back downstairs, to find Deborah reading to the boys. Dave was a little surprised to note that she was a good reader in terms of reading aloud -- she wasn't just droning the words like a lot of people would do, she was putting some acting into it. "Well, there you are," she said, breaking into the story. "I was beginning to wonder."

"The nap went on a little longer than we intended," Dave said. "But it felt good. Have the boys been good for you?"

"Yes, they have," Deborah said. "They've been telling me about their school and where they live, and it seems like they like it there."

"I think so," Dave said. "The new house is going to be a little more out in the country so they won't have quite the access to friends that they have now. But Shae and I knew a kid who grew up there and she never had problems being one of the more social people around, so I don't think it'll be too bad."

Deborah smiled. "The boys have been telling me about the house, but I'm not real clear on it. I'm looking forward to seeing it. How soon are you going to be moving in?"

"We don't know yet," Dave said. "We hope it's before the baby comes, but it could be close. But there's a good crew working on the place, and they're not messing around."

"Well, we're just going to have to make it out there more than once," Deborah said. "Anyway, the two of you slept right through lunchtime. I decided to just let you sleep since you both acted like you needed it. Since it's this late, why don't I just get started on dinner? Stan will be home soon and we can eat early."

"Sure," Dave said. "We have places to go in the morning, but we don't have to be anywhere except Shae's apartment tonight, and then not until late with all the sleep we've just had."

"Gramma," Cameron asked. "Would you finish the story first?"

"Oh, of course I will," she said. "Dinner isn't that big of a rush."

After she finished the story Dave took the boys outside to play, while Shae offered to help Deborah in the kitchen. Figuring there was a chance for a little bonding over what still could be an awkward situation, Dave thought it was a good idea but said nothing. He and the boys were playing catch when Stan showed up a little later. Dave briefly explained why they were still there; then Stan went inside, changed clothes, and came back out a few minutes later to join in the play. It wasn't long before Deborah and Shae called them in to dinner.

It was a friendly dinner and lasted a while. Finally, Dave and Shae began to realize they were going to have to get moving if they hoped to get to Staten Island while there was still some daylight.

"Aunt Shae," Cameron asked. "Before you and Daddy go, would you tell us a story?"

"Sure, kids," she smiled. "It'll have to hold you for a few days, though."

They got up from the table to move into the living room, when Stan stopped Dave and said, "While they're doing that, could I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Stan," Dave replied, wondering what was on Stan's mind.

"I'd offer you a drink," his former father in-law said as they headed for the door. "But you're going to be driving, and I've quit drinking."

"You have?" Dave asked, a little surprised. He wouldn't have wanted to have called Stan an alcoholic, but Dave knew there were times he didn't mind having more than a few. "What brought this on?" he said as they got outside and closed the door.

"Mostly your friend Eve," Stan said. "I mean, she never said anything about it, and I never told her anything about it, but, well, she made me realize it was a goddamn childish way to deal with Julie's loss."

"I've had a grand total of one drink to deal with it," Dave smiled. "And Eve had that one so loaded with tranquilizers that I never finished it."

"She's really a marvelous little woman," Stan said. "And by the way, I meant the part about the woman. I got curious and did a little investigation. It's opened my eyes to a few other things. I'm sure we both hate losing Julie about equally, but if I've learned anything, I've learned you can't dwell in the past and have to look toward the future, and that the future doesn't have to be bleak because there are some pieces missing."

"Yeah, I've been forced to learn the same thing, too," Dave nodded. "It hasn't always been easy."

"Me, either," Stan sighed. "Look, Dave," he said. "I don't know how thoroughly you've pawed through Julie's finances, but if you haven't taken a look at them, you should. There are probably things there she didn't tell you about."

"Actually, my accountant and I have gone through them pretty seriously, and I think it safe to say there was a hell of a lot there I didn't know anything about."

"Then you probably know about the half million dollars she loaned me a couple years ago," the older man continued.

"Yeah, I knew about it," Dave said. "I never said anything since I didn't want to add insult to injury. I don't really know what it was all about."

"Mostly it was a tax dodge for her," Stan said. "She ran very fast and loose with the IRS at times, but she seems to have gotten away with it. But to make it look like it really was a loan, we agreed I should put it into the business. I can either get the money back to you, or count it as a share in the business. It's probably about ten percent of the total value."

"Actually, I told my accountant to write it off," Dave said honestly. "He's had his hands full with straightening things out while keeping things halfway square with the Feds. A half-million-dollar write-off was worth just about half a million somewhere else."

"Good," Stan said. "I should have told you a long time ago to get an accountant, but I guess I was too shell-shocked. I knew you were never too interested in the world of finance, and Julie lived to run fast and loose with money. But actually, that half million was Julie's, and I'd like to see that it gets to the boys somehow."

"I'll see my accountant in the morning," Dave said. "But my suggestion is you keep me out of it. Just leave it to the boys in your will, or maybe put it in a trust fund not tied to their education. Or something, I don't know what. The accountant may have a better idea. I know I have no real interest in finance, and my greatest fear before I found him was I was going to have to learn it myself."

"Yeah, it's the downside to doing that sort of thing. For years, I hoped Julie would come to her senses and join me in the business, but she never wanted to. I've thought of staying with it in hopes that maybe the boys might like to get involved, but that's twenty years off, and I don't want to fart around with it for another twenty years, especially when there's no guarantee they'd ever be interested in it, either. Julie taught me that, as well. Anyway, unless you have some interest in moving here and learning to take it over, I'd be willing to put it up for sale while the market is fairly good and get what I can out of it."

"You made me that offer back last fall," Dave said. "I have to admit I never considered it seriously because it's in a field I know nothing about and have no interest in." There were several other good reasons at the time, he thought, but there's no point in raising those issues with Stan now. "So, I'd say if you want to get out of it and can do so to your advantage, it might not be the dumbest idea I ever heard."

"It wants some thinking about," Stan nodded. "I'm not sure I'm ready to retire, because I don't think I'm ready to just sit on my ass. But I might look around and find some little something to keep me occupied without running my blood pressure through the roof. Maybe something out in the Midwest, so we can be a little closer to the grandkids, if you wouldn't mind."

"Fine with me," Dave said. "Hell, you might even like Bradford."

"From what little I know, the thought has crossed my mind. Anyway, when we come out for your wedding, I think I'm going to nose around a little bit. Don't say anything about it to Deborah, though. She likes her summers on the Cape."

"No reason you can't have both," Dave said. "Just as a thought, maybe you can find something teaching in a community college or something, and it would give you the four months of the summer to be out there."

"Hmm, hadn't thought of that one," Stan smiled. "Well, it's not a rush deal and might take a couple years, but if you happen to hear of something I might be interested in, especially something that would be a new challenge where I couldn't do a lot of harm while I'm learning, let me know."

"Sure will," Dave said. There was a light flickering in the back of his mind, but he wanted to talk to Shae about it before he brought it up to Stan. He could lay a little groundwork, though. "Maybe we ought to head back inside," he suggested. "You need to catch a little of Shae telling a story. She's good at it when she's wearing that goofy green Robin Hood outfit on TV, but she's even better in person."

"We've watched her on TV a little, just out of curiosity," Stan nodded. "Yeah, she is good. I'd have stayed in to watch her except for the fact that I needed to have this discussion with you. Most of it, I should have had last fall."

"No, now is fine," Dave said. "Last fall neither of us was ready for it."

"You know," Shae said as she wheeled the Taurus back down I-84 toward the city, "I can hardly believe those are the same two people I met last fall."

"Makes me wonder a little, too," Dave grinned. "Really, they always were pretty decent people, except that their expectations of Julie were different than her own, and it caused some tension. It didn't happen often, but if we could get away from those issues when Julie and I visited before, we could have some good times. Stan and I got several things ironed out while we were out back, and maybe we can finally be friends."

"What kind of things?" Shae asked.

Dave explained the gist of the conversation, including the half million dollars, and the thoughts Stan had of retiring. "I had one idea I wanted to run past you," he said. "You remember a while back, we talked about making some DVDs of you telling stories?"

"It sounds like a neat idea," Shae agreed. "Especially when you tie it in with teaching reading like you suggested. But I've not had time to think about it, mostly because there have been other problems to deal with. Besides, marketing the thing sounds like a tough nut to crack."

"Yeah, it does," Dave nodded. "It never was a nut I wanted to have to take on cracking. I mean, I've got some general ideas about the internet marketing, like we talked about. A lot of what I thought about back last winter about online books applies. But, the thought crossed my mind -- since it wouldn't be anything you'd actually have to do to make a living, maybe the idea has potential. We could hand the marketing to Stan and see if he comes up with any better ideas than what we've had. It's his field, after all -- he's a business and marketing guy, while we're creative sorts."

"You think it would work?" she said, looking at him a little funny.

"Hell, I don't know. Like I just said, I'm creative, I'm not marketing. But I'd love to see what kind of a marketing plan Stan would come up with."

"Like I said, it seemed like it would be an interesting idea but the marketing would be a pain in the ass for me. If it was going to fly, someone else would have to be the pilot. Let's think about it a little, and maybe we can run it by him on the way back."

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