Moving Forward

December 2029 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina
Smith family - Zane is 47, Belinda is 47, Dee is 17, Emily is 15

 

“Thanks for helping me pick out a Christmas present for my mom,” Phoebe Gates tells Dee. “She’s so hard to shop for.”

“I can understand that,” Dee says with a laugh. “My sister is almost impossible to shop for.”

They say good-bye and Dee can’t resist pulling her friend into a hug. It creates butterflies all in her stomach. Does Phoebe feel the same way about her that Dee feels? She’s too nervous to say anything right now, but she hopes to work up the courage soon.

Caleb Gates comes over for supper that night and he helps clean up after everyone eats.

“You are so sweet,” Emily tells him. “You don’t have to clean up for me.”

“I want to help out,” Caleb says. He knows it earns him points in the good boyfriend department.

Emily spots her mom coming into the room and she quickly steps back, as if she was just talking and not thinking about making out with Caleb.

“You two are behaving, aren’t you?” Belinda asks with a smirk. She was a teenager once and she remembers what teens might try to do when their parents aren’t looking.

“Of course, Mrs. Smith,” Caleb says. “We’re just talking about chores.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Belinda says, giving Emily a hard stare.

***

Zane enjoys having breakfast with his girls. It’s Saturday morning and so he asks, “You girls got any plans today?”

“A movie with Phoebe this afternoon,” Dee says.

“I’m going to Caleb’s house,” Emily says.

“You don’t want to hang out with your old dad?” Zane asks.

“You’re not old,” Dee tells him.

“Just boring,” Emily says.

Zane pouts toward his daughter. “I’ve always thought I was a fun guy.”

“Maybe you’re fun with other old people, but not fun for today’s world,” Emily tells him with a shrug.

“Are the girls staying out of trouble today?” Belinda asks when breakfast is over.

“We have to trust them,” Zane tells her. “They’re both smart girls.”

“I’m smart too, but that doesn’t mean I stayed clothed whenever I was with you when we were younger,” she says.

He pulls her close. “How about we stop thinking about anything else and get unclothed in our bedroom?”

Zane works as the lead lecturer in the Pine State University education system. Some days he stays home, working from the computer in the living room. 

 

While wearing just a towel after his shower. Ah, the good days relaxing without the higher ups watching you.

 

Zane goes out in town some days while he's working from home. He talks with the locals about things that can be done for the schools if the townspeople want to help them out.

 

Sometimes the people aren't always happy to give the schools extra money.

 

 But with other people, he gets a lot of good replies and promises from the residents to give the school board some financial help they need.

 

Belinda is working on a lot of paintings, especially watercolor right now.

 She stays busy trying to find the inspiration needed.

She’s not sure if they’re really turning out the way she hopes, but at least Chelsea Gates is still letting her put artwork in the local arts center.

***

“This is not a scary movie,” Dee says. She and Phoebe are out for a movie, which makes Dee happy. But she's worried because Phoebe just isn't quite acting like herself.

“Hmm?” Phoebe asks. She seems to be fidgeting a lot and Dee is sure she’s not paying attention to the big screen.

“Are you okay?” Dee asks.

“Yeah,” Phoebe says. “I’m…I mean…I like…”

But she looks nervous, too distracted by her thoughts to say the words she wants. Dee looks back at the screen, hoping that whatever it is in Phoebe’s thoughts aren’t anything against her. She’ll be heartbroken if Phoebe no longer wants to spend time with her like this.

"Here," Dee says after a moment of worried thought. "You look stressed. Let me help you relax."

Phoebe sighs softly as Dee massages her shoulders for a moment. Phoebe is beautiful even when she's stressed out about something, Dee thinks. She gets excited to be holding Phoebe this close.

"You don't have to do that," Phoebe says after a moment.

"I don't mind," Dee tells her, smiling happily.

Phoebe looks at her quietly for a long time and Dee's heart flutters at the thought that Phoebe might say something she wants to hear. But then Phoebe stands up suddenly as if she’s trying to run away.

Dee can't let her best friend get away. She catches Phoebe and pulls her back.

“Phoebe,” Dee says, her heart racing fast. She doesn't want to keep quiet anymore, she can't bear to keep all of this quiet. “I kind of…I mean…”

She stumbles over the words she wants to say. So instead she reaches forward, grabbing Phoebe and pulling her into the kiss she’s been waiting for.

***

“How was the movie you saw?” Belinda asks when Dee gets home.

“It was…special,” Dee says with a wide grin.

“You look really happy about something,” Belinda says.

Dee sits down next to her. “Mom, when you fell in love with Dad, did your heart beat a thousand times a second?”

“So you think you’re in love?” Belinda asks. “Who is he?”

“She,” Dee corrects her. She takes a deep breath. “Phoebe Gates. And I think she loves me. Or likes me at least.”

“If this girl is good to you then I hope she does feel the way you do.”

“I hope so,” Dee says.

Belinda changes her expression to the serious parent. “Just no jumping into bed or hiding in closets with this girl. Got it?”

Emily is waiting in her sister’s room when Dee comes upstairs.

“Hey,” she says. “I, uh, heard you talking to Mom.”

Dee sits down next to her. “And? What do you think?”

“If Phoebe makes you happy then I’m happy for you,” Emily says.

“She does,” Dee tells her. “She’s my best friend.”

Emily pouts. “I thought I was your best friend.”

Dee laughs. “You’re my best sister friend. Phoebe is my best girlfriend friend. Is that okay?”

“Acceptable,” Emily says.

 

 "But if she steals all of your attention I'll have to declare having a talk with her," Emily insists.

***

 Emily and Dee go out to the park with Caleb and Phoebe for a day of playing in the snow.

Emily loves teasing Caleb during their snowball fights whenever he misses her.

Between building snowmen and having snowball fights, it’s a lot of fun, like the snow days they enjoyed as young kids. For a little while they can forget about how close they are to growing into the next stage of life and have fun like they used to.

“Thank you for hanging out with me and Emily,” Dee tells Phoebe. “And I know Caleb must annoy you sometimes since he’s your cousin.”

“He doesn’t annoy me enough to keep me away from you,” Phoebe assures her.

Dee grins as she pulls something from her pocket. She holds up some mistletoe and grins. “Look what I found. I think it means you owe me a kiss.”

Phoebe smiles wide as she leans in toward Dee for that mistletoe kiss.

————

I have to say, I love the way these pictures turned out. I do some editing on a lot of pictures, having to make them brighter or sharper. But I didn’t have to edit these. The snow makes a beautiful background!

I think there's starting to be a baby boom in this neighborhood.

Emily has a lot of work ahead of her if she plans to cook for everyone one day.