"You ready?" Billy shot out to no one in particular as we entered the living room. His voice was higher, and the cling of his Midwest accent came soaring through. He was happy, and it rewound the clock twenty years to his younger self. Before anyone answered, he added, "Lil's ready." His hand dropped mine and fell to the small of my back.

"I'm not going," Viv stubbornly announced.

"That's fine, but you have to stay here," Billy conditioned.

"James is on his way over," Tim offered, unprompted.

"Are we waiting for him, or is he coming to hang out with Viv?" Billy absently asked as he held my coat open for me.

"He's coming for me." Viv's voice was still curt.

"Okay, you two have fun. We'll be back in a couple of hours. Remember, your mom is coming for dinner; family dinner, no James," Billy reminded in an extremely parental tone.

"Oh, I remember. Family dinner means no flowers, too," Viv murmured.

"Viv," Billy began, but I raised my hand to his shoulder before he could continue. He met my eyes with anger flaring in them, but it cooled when he gazed at me. "Have fun with James," Billy sighed in defeat.

Tim filled the silence that was trying to push into the car as we drove to the store. Jackson reluctantly volleyed the conversation as Billy's hand slipped to my knee. I watched Duluth pass by my window while my mind clung to Viv. She was stubborn and protective. She would come around with time. I just wasn't sure if Billy's stubbornness and protectiveness would give her the time she needed.

As Tim and Jackson headed inside the store, I hung back by the car. Billy would pause for me.

"You okay?" He asked as he pulled me to him.

"Mmhmm, are you?" Accusation filled my tone.

Billy shook his head as his thoughts swirled.

"Billy, give her time and forgive some of her rudeness. She's young and feels like I'm being forced on her."

"I'm not forcing you on her." His back stiffened beneath my hands.

"Hey, I'm not saying you are, and I'm not saying you aren't. I'm saying that's how she feels and how she feels is just as important as reality."

Billy looked down at me. "You sound a lot like a parent right now."

"I sound like a human being and a former teenage girl."

"How did I survive ten years without you in my ear?"

"You didn't. You thrived; as a dad, as a son, and as a friend; you thrived. You made a wonderful life, Billy Collins, and I'm so thankful you're willing to let me back into it."

"Lil, I built this life for you, for us." His forehead leaned against mine as our hands knotted. "Every day you were away, I knew you'd be back. I wanted to be ready. I just..."

"Forgot about you. You always forget about you." I smiled up at him. "But don't worry, I'm here now. I'll remind you."

"I love you." He kissed the top of my head.

I pulled away from him and added, "I know," as I headed to the store.

"You know," he mumbled to himself, before following behind me. His hand caught the door before it could swing shut on me. "And I'm here for you now," he murmured as he held the door.

Tim had a flutter of people around him, but when Billy entered the record store, the focus of the handful of patrons and employees shifted to him. I slipped away to the back corner where Jackson was flipping through albums.

"Hey," I smiled as I stopped beside him. He gave me a nod back. "Work with me here, Jackson," I prodded.

"Sorry, I'm not much of a talker," he acknowledged. "It's nothing personal."

"Your dad was like that," I noted.

Jackson let a laugh burst from his chest. "My dad?" His eyes flicker to the scene at the front of the store as Billy's throaty laugh rose above the others.

I looked at him, a bit surprised. "Yeah, your dad was so shy when I met him; he could barely make eye contact with me."

"Wait, how long have you known him?"

"Oh, he was about twenty-five when I met him and still playing dive bars. So, and please don't make old jokes; I've known your dad for twenty years."

"But he was playing music in front of people. I couldn't do that. I'm way shyer than he ever was."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Does playing in front of people scare you, or playing in front of your father?"

Jackson sucked in his lower lip, gnawing on it as he mulled over the question.

"Not that it's a competition, but your dad was pretty shy, and still is in many ways," I added. "He has a unique personality for the stage. It's how he protects the things that matter to him." I gave Jackson another nudge. "I made him listen to terrible 90s music until he'd talk to me when we first got to know each other. I don't know if you know this, but your dad is a huge fan of Jump Around."

Jackson let out a laugh. "I know that isn't true."

"No lie. He can't get enough of it. He likes the Spice Girls too."

Jackson shook his head at my transparent lies. "I think he was just pretending to impress you."

"Maybe. I hear that a love of crappy pop music is the way to any girl's heart," I laughed.

"So, what's the thing with you two? The whispers and murmurs, why? I know I could've asked last night, but...."

I knew he was thinking that he didn't want his dad's answer. "Your dad and I have a lot of history we're trying to work out, but he has always been someone I've counted as a good friend."

"But you aren't friends." He paused his search through the albums and lifted his gaze to mine. "He's been different since you showed up," Jackson explained.

"Yeah? Different how?"

"I don't know," he shyly shrugged. "Just different. Not bad different, though. I know you used to date."

"Yes, you said your mom has mentioned me."

"You're a bit like a mythical creature. This person whom I've heard bits and pieces of, but no one talks directly about."

"Ew, that doesn't sound good."

Jackson shrugged again. "At least people talk about you when you aren't around. I'm pretty sure people instantly forget about me."

"I know that isn't true."

"You're right; people remember me as Billy Collins' son or Viv's sister."

I gazed over at Jackson. His shoulders bowed into himself, just like Billy did when he felt unsure of himself; even his eyes slipped to a random spot on the floor. It was uncanny.

"You know, I remember when you were just a toddler. You were the cutest little thing. When you were sleepy, you would tug on my earlobes."

"Well, that's embarrassing." His eyes lifted to mine, but there was a bit of a spark in them.

"Oh, it was adorable. And you'd babbled all the time. You were mimicking the inflection of the surrounding conversation. Oh, how I never wanted to put you down. You were just too sweet."

"But you did. That's how the stories always end; you left."

"I did." I nodded.

"I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"You don't owe me an apology. I owe myself an apology, and you."

"Me?" Jackson's head cocked in a bit of surprise.

"I wanted to be a part of your life back then. But I just wasn't ready. I wasn't good enough for you yet."

"Good enough. I was two. If Dora the Explorer was good enough for me, I'm sure you were."

"Oh, honey, please don't put me in the same category as Dora the Explorer. That bitch comes prepared with that damn backpack. No one can compete."

Jackson let out a laugh.

"I missed out on a lot with your family, and I regret it," I admitted.

"Does my dad know that? Is that why he's been different?"

"I think he knows that." I nodded. "I hope he does."

"You think?" Jackson prodded. "If you aren't sure, you should probably tell him. My dad is pretty dense sometimes."

"You're a smart kid, Jackson."

"That's what I keep trying to tell people." He smiled.

"So, any advice on Viv?"

Jackson just shyly lifted his eyes to me.

"She hates me, doesn't she?"

"I wouldn't say hate, maybe strongly dislike," Jackson winced.

"Yeah, she seems to have inherited the Collins' stubbornness."

"What Collins stubbornness?" Billy asked as he slid a hand to my waist.

"Really?" I gave him a teasing look.

"I'm not stubborn."

"Billy, you're so stubborn, and don't get me started on your mother."

"Dad, do you like 90s pop music?" Jackson asked.

"What did you do?" Billy glared at me.

"I was just reminiscing," I shrugged.

Jackson swiped through his phone until Jump Around blasted.

"No, my ears," Billy groaned as he recoiled from me.

"Someone has a new ringtone," Jackson joked.

"I expected this from Lil, maybe Viv. But Jackson, my favorite son, I didn't even see the betrayal coming," Billy lamented.

"Wow, make that stubborn and dramatic," I teased.

"Yeah, is it possible that he got his dramatics from Viv?" Jackson pondered.

"I'm feeling a little picked on," Billy pouted.

"Oh, if that isn't the most pathetic face I've ever seen," I teased.

"Oh, I'll show you pathetic." Billy pinched my side as he spoke, causing a laugh to erupt from me as I twisted against him.

"No, I hate being tickled!" I fought his grasp.

"What's that? I can't hear you. I'm too busy being pathetic," Billy laughed.

I pushed my whole body into him so he could no longer get at my sides to tickle. "You're the worst."

"Wow, you're just so full of compliments today. You know how to make a guy feel special." As Billy spoke, his lips fell to my head's crown for a kiss.

"You're causing a scene," I scolded.

"Good." Billy's eyes twinkled down at me.

"Ew," Jackson moaned. "I'm fine with this, but don't be all gross around me."

"Affection isn't gross," Billy corrected.

"It is the way you two do it," Tim added as he came up beside Jackson. "I'm hungry; who wants a malt?"

"Egg cream?" Jackson and I said in unison.

"Gah, the adversaries are multiplying," Tim mumbled. "Where did you go so wrong as to raise two kids that prefer egg creams to malts?"

"I don't know. It's something I struggle with every day," Billy lamented. "Let me sign a couple more things, and then we can head out."

"Hey, you have dinner plans?" Tim poked me from the back seat as we headed back to Billy's.

"Yeah, Mary's home cooking." As I spoke, I tried to grab his finger but missed.

"I think Tess and James are joining us," he added.

"Oh, that'll be fun." I smiled.

"Sure will. I think she's making chicken parmigiana." Excitement permeated Tim's voice. "I'm hoping she lets me keep the extra so I can make sandwiches this week."

"Your life revolves around food, doesn't it?" Jackson poked.

"Et Tu, Brute?" Tim nudged Jackson as he spoke.

"Hey." Billy's hand slipped to my knee, and his face dropped close to me as he spoke. "I'll text you when dinner is done, okay?"

"Yep." I smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll see you soon." I gave him a quick kiss as I spoke, knowing that Jackson and, quite possibly, Viv were watching.

Billy pulled himself from the car as Tim made his way to the driver's seat. "I love chicken parm," Tim added as we watched James pop from the front door.

"Hey, Dad; hey, Lily," he greeted as the car door slammed behind him. "Nice ride."

"Your uncle thinks I need a tank to protect myself," I complained.

"Have you even driven it yet?" James asked.

"Nope, and I'm very okay with that. I hate to drive."

James grunted and added, "Viv is going to be like that. I can already tell I'll be driving her around for the rest of my life."

"That's probably better than her driving. I sense she could be one with the road rage," Tim offered.

"Well, considering she gets hall rage at school, for sure," James distractedly spoke as he swiped through his phone.

"You realize people pay money to see me, and yet you prefer to stick your nose in that phone," Tim tossed at him.

"People pay money to see Uncle Billy," James absently muttered.

Timmy stiffened at the blow. I pulled myself to his side to let my head fall on his shoulder.

"He's young and doesn't know what he just said," I whispered.

"He's a little jerk, and I'd have said the same thing at his age."

We both let out a laugh.

"Hey, are you laughing at me?" James grumbled from the backseat.

"If only you had been paying attention, my dear son," Tim shot.

"Don't call me that; it's creepy," as he spoke, James dropped his face back to his phone.

"Who's texting you so much?" Tim complained.

"Viv, she's in a mood. The date didn't go well last night, and..." he let his words drop out.

"Me," I finished for him.

"Not just you. She has to have a family dinner with her mom and dad, which hasn't ever happened, at least not that we can remember."

"That's not true; Sarah has come to a few Sunday dinners," Tim offered. "It's been a few years, but she used to come after Viv's games."

"Yeah, but that was the big family dinners with lots of people. This is just the four of them. She's flipping out," James continued to text as he spoke.

"Why?" I pulled myself from Tim as I asked.

"I think she just likes to flip out," James hypothesized.

"What happened with the date last night?" I prodded, hoping it wouldn't appear like I was prying, even though I was absolutely prying.

"The boy is lame. Nonna would call him a pancake," James laughed. "I think she was more excited to be asked out than about the boy."

"Speaking of excited, the big dance with Christy is next week, right?"

"Yeah," James let out a distracted sigh.

"Wow, I almost crashed the car from your enthusiasm," Tim laughed.

"Whatever," James muttered.

Tim and I exchanged glances as the rocks of Mary's driveway crunched under the car wheels. James quickly popped out and was already at the door when Tim met me at the front of the car.

"You realize he has a thing for Viv, right?" I asked, as I grasped his outstretched hand.

"Of course, I'm not an idiot. The only people that don't see it are James, Viv, and...."

Our eyes met, and in unison, we both added, "Billy."

"How do you think he'll take it?" I curiously asked him.

"How do I think he'll take my son, that's two years older than his precious Little Ghost, being in love with his daughter? Oh, it'll go over great. I've been counting down the days for years."

"He's a good kid," I offered.

"He's a great kid, and Billy loves him like a son, but that doesn't mean he'll want him near his daughter."

"What about you? Any concerns with Viv?"

"Many, but they're good for each other. She keeps him in line."

"Well, you Denning boys certainly need a woman to do that."

"Viv will come around to you and Billy," Tim offered as he paused on the porch. "I see the differences this time. You fit now. It's not like the constant storm before."

I sighed. "There has been zero storming so far...."

Tim cocked his head at me. "I'm going to regret this. When you say 'zero storming,' does that mean?"

"Dry like the Sahara," I nodded.

"But you two... I mean, that was never... what?"

"Yeah, we're taking it slow. It's clear that there aren't any... compatibility issues there," I tentatively added, "but at first, I wanted to go slow, and now Billy wants to build a solid foundation before we...."

"Burn down the building," Tim teased.

"Timmy!"

"Hey, I've spent enough time with you two in the room next door to know that was the nicest way to put it."

"Maybe we should stop talking about sex," I chided.

"Sex? I thought we were having a leisurely discussion about the weather. Lily Turncott, are you trying to spoil my virtue with an unsavory conversation?"

"I'll unsavory conversation you."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try.... wait, that came out..." Tim shook his head in distaste. "Ew."