smooth out. Anyway, put it out of your mind for the time being." He started to lean toward her again. She pulled back.
"You're not listening. Dana's different, and the baby is…"
"What?" He stopped inches from her lips.
She was going to tell him the truth, that the baby wasn't Harlan's and Dana's, that it was adopted, but all she could say was, "He's weird."
"All babies are weird," he said. Before she could reply, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her so demandingly that he pressed any further conversation back into storage. She allowed herself to be turned into him and let his hands find her breasts again.
"Oh, Teddy."
"God," he said, "when that crowd was cheering and I was out there and I looked up at you, I felt so good. You gave me confidence. I don't know what love's supposed to be," he added, "but it can't be more than this."
His words were enough. She surrendered to his advances and made as many demands of him as he made of her. It all served to help her forget those anxious feelings, and because that was something she wanted to do so much, she was willing to make love more passionately and more completely than before. Those images of Dana and the baby evaporated. The sun slipped completely below the horizon, and darkness, tempered by the moonlight, hung around them like so many thin, black gauze curtains.
Afterward they did not speak. Teddy folded up the blanket and put it back in the car. The two of them moved like shadows of themselves. Their lovemaking had taken them to a higher level of communication. They spoke to each other in gestures and in quick glances. In the car, Colleen lowered her head to his shoulder and they drove out of the darkness, rising out of their own quiet thoughts like two people who had been asleep for a thousand years.
By the time they arrived at the Beast Burger, the crowd had swelled to an unmanageable number. Half the high school had learned where the team had gone to celebrate and was there as well. Throngs of high-school students were gathered outside the doorway of the popular hangout, waiting for an empty seat or even some empty space. Even so, the moment they arrived, a place was made for Teddy and Colleen. They were treated like guests of honor at some community affair.
With all the excitement surrounding her, Colleen didn't think about her family until Teddy drove her up to the house. It looked like all the lights were on.
"Are they having a party?" Teddy asked.
"Oh, Harlan's mother-in-law's here," she said, remembering Jillian's arrival. "But I don't know why every light upstairs is on."
"Want me to come in? I should say hello and see the baby."
"Yes," she said quickly. She wanted him to see the baby, hoping he might confirm some of her strange, unexplainable feelings.
"Hey, champ," Harlan said, greeting them at the door. "We heard about the game." He shook Teddy's hand. "Congratulations on a terrific game."
"Thanks, Harlan."
"Colleen!" Jillian stepped out of the living room to greet them. "You get more beautiful every time I visit."
"Thank you, Jillian. This is Teddy Becker," she said. "Teddy, Dana's mother, Jillian Stanley."
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Stanley." He extended his hand.
"Call me Jillian. So you're the hero?"
"Just one of a group of heroes," Teddy said, smiling.
"Where's Dana and the baby?" Colleen asked. She thought Jillian smirked at the question.
"She went up to feed him. Again," she added.
"It's all right," Dana said, looking down from the top of the stairway. Everyone turned. "The feeding's over." She came down the stairs slowly, carrying Nikos in her arms. She was wearing her white-and-blue velvet robe and matching slippers, and she had her hair pinned up. She appeared fresh and vibrant, that pale, peaked look gone. "Hi, Teddy," she said. "Congratulations on the game."
"Thank you, Dana."
Dana turned the baby and held him up.
"Say hello to the town hero, Nikos. Someday you'll be playing football too."
Nikos opened his eyes and
"You're not listening. Dana's different, and the baby is…"
"What?" He stopped inches from her lips.
She was going to tell him the truth, that the baby wasn't Harlan's and Dana's, that it was adopted, but all she could say was, "He's weird."
"All babies are weird," he said. Before she could reply, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her so demandingly that he pressed any further conversation back into storage. She allowed herself to be turned into him and let his hands find her breasts again.
"Oh, Teddy."
"God," he said, "when that crowd was cheering and I was out there and I looked up at you, I felt so good. You gave me confidence. I don't know what love's supposed to be," he added, "but it can't be more than this."
His words were enough. She surrendered to his advances and made as many demands of him as he made of her. It all served to help her forget those anxious feelings, and because that was something she wanted to do so much, she was willing to make love more passionately and more completely than before. Those images of Dana and the baby evaporated. The sun slipped completely below the horizon, and darkness, tempered by the moonlight, hung around them like so many thin, black gauze curtains.
Afterward they did not speak. Teddy folded up the blanket and put it back in the car. The two of them moved like shadows of themselves. Their lovemaking had taken them to a higher level of communication. They spoke to each other in gestures and in quick glances. In the car, Colleen lowered her head to his shoulder and they drove out of the darkness, rising out of their own quiet thoughts like two people who had been asleep for a thousand years.
By the time they arrived at the Beast Burger, the crowd had swelled to an unmanageable number. Half the high school had learned where the team had gone to celebrate and was there as well. Throngs of high-school students were gathered outside the doorway of the popular hangout, waiting for an empty seat or even some empty space. Even so, the moment they arrived, a place was made for Teddy and Colleen. They were treated like guests of honor at some community affair.
With all the excitement surrounding her, Colleen didn't think about her family until Teddy drove her up to the house. It looked like all the lights were on.
"Are they having a party?" Teddy asked.
"Oh, Harlan's mother-in-law's here," she said, remembering Jillian's arrival. "But I don't know why every light upstairs is on."
"Want me to come in? I should say hello and see the baby."
"Yes," she said quickly. She wanted him to see the baby, hoping he might confirm some of her strange, unexplainable feelings.
"Hey, champ," Harlan said, greeting them at the door. "We heard about the game." He shook Teddy's hand. "Congratulations on a terrific game."
"Thanks, Harlan."
"Colleen!" Jillian stepped out of the living room to greet them. "You get more beautiful every time I visit."
"Thank you, Jillian. This is Teddy Becker," she said. "Teddy, Dana's mother, Jillian Stanley."
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Stanley." He extended his hand.
"Call me Jillian. So you're the hero?"
"Just one of a group of heroes," Teddy said, smiling.
"Where's Dana and the baby?" Colleen asked. She thought Jillian smirked at the question.
"She went up to feed him. Again," she added.
"It's all right," Dana said, looking down from the top of the stairway. Everyone turned. "The feeding's over." She came down the stairs slowly, carrying Nikos in her arms. She was wearing her white-and-blue velvet robe and matching slippers, and she had her hair pinned up. She appeared fresh and vibrant, that pale, peaked look gone. "Hi, Teddy," she said. "Congratulations on the game."
"Thank you, Dana."
Dana turned the baby and held him up.
"Say hello to the town hero, Nikos. Someday you'll be playing football too."
Nikos opened his eyes and
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