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Quinn’s parents exchanged a look, but they were obviously

past trying to break Billy of that habit a long time ago.

Billy’s girlfriend, who Dallas had wanted to ask Quinn

about, sat beside Billy, and she looked at him like she didn’t

mind that garbled talking at all. She was sweet, young looking,

probably early twenties, with chestnut colored hair and dark

eyes. She was rocking a band t-shirt and black skinny jeans,

and Billy loved punk music, so maybe he’d found someone to

share that interest with.

There was a time when Dallas couldn’t imagine someone

having the fortitude to actually date Billy. He could be so

annoying, in that younger brother, attention stealing, I’m going

to be a pest half the time and a beast the rest of the time kind

of way.

No one gave Dallas funny looks during the meal. She felt

perfectly normal sitting next to Quinn. When they brought out

the old lady cake, Danica hooted and protested and laughed

until her eyes watered. Quinn was right. The inside joke was

clearly a hit.

After dinner, Danica opened the gifts she insisted that

everyone shouldn’t have brought, considering she was thirty

and that was getting up there when it came to gifts. Dallas was

going to excuse herself from the loud living room and go into

the kitchen with Quinn to clean up, but Quinn had other ideas

about that. She steered Dallas past the kitchen and out the back

door.

The back yard was different. The deck was new. The

barbeque was new. There were two flower gardens where

there hadn’t been any before. The lawn was lush and green,

but it always had been, since Katrina really loved gardening.