.. and even ‘Uncle’ Travis won’t let him stay up past then. They would wear down about midway through and they get a bit cranky when they’re t...red.”“Like their mom,” I offered. “Tell her their names.”This time it was Sarah that blushed.“Lucas and Brandon,” I said when it became obvious that she was going to remain silent. I hadn’t made the connection until Liz had pointed it out to me. Jill was a lot quicker.“You did not!” she said, her eyes wide with mirth.“They were sure Lucas was going to be. ”“Shhh.” She placed an index finger on my lips. “Let’s just cuddle and allow our minds to catch up, hmm?”I kissed her finger and squeezed her shoulder. “OK”. And we sat there in the softly flickering candlelight and warmth of the blankets as the geometry of our friendship rearranged itself like the shifting patterns in a kaleidoscope, settling into something new, exciting but also a bit scary.“Hello, sleepy heads. I’m glad you’ve been keeping warm.” Mutti Frida’s smiling voice woke us. “I had. She sighed and closed her eyes, took a deep breath as the breeze washed over her. When she opened her eyes she saw a person approaching, hooded and in dark clothing. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed him, knowing that it was man from the confident stride that was carrying him swiftly towards her. As he approached the bench, the park lamp nearby lit up his handsome features. Her lips twitched into a smile that he stole as he caught her gaze. Ashlyn found breathing suddenly difficult and felt. ”That was a possibility that he hadn’t considered. It was more than likely that Kelly would know how to tie it for him. He blushed and said, “Maybe my girlfriend can do that.”The woman looked at him sharply, suspicions aroused. She asked, “Why isn’t she helping you shop?”The pity on Ed’s face was hard to miss. He answered, “She’s watching over a friend of ours that is very upset about the funeral tomorrow. She was very close to John’s girlfriend and is basically inconsolable.”For a second she.