said.
“I wish I didn’t have to work tonight,” Lisa said. “I’d rather have a beer. Split shifts. Gotta love ‘em.”
“You won’t have to work at all when we’re married.” Frank covered her hand with his.
“I like working.” She squeezed Frank’s hand then dropped it as she bent down for her iced tea. “I like paying my bills, anyway. I just wish I set my own schedule. But I’ll take you up on that offer next fall while I finish my masters.”
“Are you going to try for a job at the capitol?” Brad said. “Any politician would be lucky to have you on their staff.”
“The capitol?” Frank said. “Commute to downtown Sacramento every day?”
“My major is public policy and administration,” Lisa said. “I could probably try and get on with one of the cities, Roseville or Rocklin. But yeah. Working for the state would be a dream come true. I’d really love to work for the Water Board.”
“Soon wars will be fought over water instead of oil,” Brad said.
“I doubt that,” Frank said. “The world contains more water than anything else.”
I didn’t think for a second they were arguing about water.
Stacey stood up and put a stop to it. “So should I open my presents? I’m dying to know what’s too big for the house.”
“Ours first,” Lisa said. She handed Stacey a small box. “Frank contributed.”
“Yowza!” Stacey held up a Nordstrom’s gift card. “Five hundred bux? No way.”
“You only turn eighteen once,” Frank said. “Knock yourself out. Happy shopping.”
“ Here’s mine.” Nora handed her a card. “Read it aloud.”
“ Happy birthday to my wonderful niece. Let’s go car shopping tomorrow. Love, Aunt Nora. ” Stacey threw her arms around Nora’s neck. “A car! I was just kidding. Really? You’re kidding.”
“You can’t always count on a ride,” Nora said. “Now that you’ll be working and going to Sierra, you need your own car.”
“Sierra?” I said. That wasn’t right. I looked at Brad, but he was going for the bike and his back was to me. I caught Stacey’s eye and gave her a questioning look. She blushed and turned to Nora.
“But you need a new car too, Aunt Nor. Yours is getting too old to find spare parts, and your air conditioning is whack.”
“I’ve come into a little extra cash.” Nora looked sideways at Lisa and back to Stacey. “Maybe we’ll both pick out new cars. New to us, anyway.”
A little extra cash. I’d forgotten about Steve Heron and MolyMo. I held my breath, hoping Nora would say more about it, but I received no joy.
“Now for the big mysterious box.” Stacey picked up the present I’d given her, but she continued to avoid eye contact with me. Why did Nora think she was going to Sierra? The local community college certainly wasn’t what Brad told me.
She opened the box and took out the helmet just as Brad came up the deck steps with the bike.
“Fantastic!” Stacey strapped on the black helmet. It did look pretty slick. She took hold of the bike’s handlebars and looked it over. “This is awesome.”
“You’re almost set for Stanford,” Brad said. “This will take you all over campus.”
Nora’s head snapped up. As I suspected, she had no idea.
“I’m going to Sierra.” Stacey turned red. “Sierra College, here in Rocklin.”
“But you said…” Brad frowned. “You told me you were accepted.”
“You…you applied to Stanford?” Nora looked betrayed. Something weird was going on between the two of them. Something Brad and I knew nothing about.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Aunt Nora,” Stacey said. “I just wanted to see if I could make it. But when I got in, then I really couldn’t tell you.”
“Oh, Stace.” Tears filled Nora’s eyes.
“Well, excuse me,” Brad said, Steve Martin style. “I didn’t think getting into Stanford was the kind of thing you hide in shame.”
“We can’t afford Stanford, Brad,” Stacey said. “I didn’t tell you, Aunt Nor ,
“I wish I didn’t have to work tonight,” Lisa said. “I’d rather have a beer. Split shifts. Gotta love ‘em.”
“You won’t have to work at all when we’re married.” Frank covered her hand with his.
“I like working.” She squeezed Frank’s hand then dropped it as she bent down for her iced tea. “I like paying my bills, anyway. I just wish I set my own schedule. But I’ll take you up on that offer next fall while I finish my masters.”
“Are you going to try for a job at the capitol?” Brad said. “Any politician would be lucky to have you on their staff.”
“The capitol?” Frank said. “Commute to downtown Sacramento every day?”
“My major is public policy and administration,” Lisa said. “I could probably try and get on with one of the cities, Roseville or Rocklin. But yeah. Working for the state would be a dream come true. I’d really love to work for the Water Board.”
“Soon wars will be fought over water instead of oil,” Brad said.
“I doubt that,” Frank said. “The world contains more water than anything else.”
I didn’t think for a second they were arguing about water.
Stacey stood up and put a stop to it. “So should I open my presents? I’m dying to know what’s too big for the house.”
“Ours first,” Lisa said. She handed Stacey a small box. “Frank contributed.”
“Yowza!” Stacey held up a Nordstrom’s gift card. “Five hundred bux? No way.”
“You only turn eighteen once,” Frank said. “Knock yourself out. Happy shopping.”
“ Here’s mine.” Nora handed her a card. “Read it aloud.”
“ Happy birthday to my wonderful niece. Let’s go car shopping tomorrow. Love, Aunt Nora. ” Stacey threw her arms around Nora’s neck. “A car! I was just kidding. Really? You’re kidding.”
“You can’t always count on a ride,” Nora said. “Now that you’ll be working and going to Sierra, you need your own car.”
“Sierra?” I said. That wasn’t right. I looked at Brad, but he was going for the bike and his back was to me. I caught Stacey’s eye and gave her a questioning look. She blushed and turned to Nora.
“But you need a new car too, Aunt Nor. Yours is getting too old to find spare parts, and your air conditioning is whack.”
“I’ve come into a little extra cash.” Nora looked sideways at Lisa and back to Stacey. “Maybe we’ll both pick out new cars. New to us, anyway.”
A little extra cash. I’d forgotten about Steve Heron and MolyMo. I held my breath, hoping Nora would say more about it, but I received no joy.
“Now for the big mysterious box.” Stacey picked up the present I’d given her, but she continued to avoid eye contact with me. Why did Nora think she was going to Sierra? The local community college certainly wasn’t what Brad told me.
She opened the box and took out the helmet just as Brad came up the deck steps with the bike.
“Fantastic!” Stacey strapped on the black helmet. It did look pretty slick. She took hold of the bike’s handlebars and looked it over. “This is awesome.”
“You’re almost set for Stanford,” Brad said. “This will take you all over campus.”
Nora’s head snapped up. As I suspected, she had no idea.
“I’m going to Sierra.” Stacey turned red. “Sierra College, here in Rocklin.”
“But you said…” Brad frowned. “You told me you were accepted.”
“You…you applied to Stanford?” Nora looked betrayed. Something weird was going on between the two of them. Something Brad and I knew nothing about.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Aunt Nora,” Stacey said. “I just wanted to see if I could make it. But when I got in, then I really couldn’t tell you.”
“Oh, Stace.” Tears filled Nora’s eyes.
“Well, excuse me,” Brad said, Steve Martin style. “I didn’t think getting into Stanford was the kind of thing you hide in shame.”
“We can’t afford Stanford, Brad,” Stacey said. “I didn’t tell you, Aunt Nor ,
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