So that evening, Andie knocked on the door of the Donavan household.

"Lauren, Hank," said Mrs Donavan. "It's lovely to see you again. And my goodness, is that Adrianna?"

"It's Andie, now," Andie smiled. "Hi, Mrs Donavan."

"Oh, please, call me Ellen," Eric's mother said. "Look at you, you're so grown up! You're gorgeous."

"Thanks," Andie smiled.

"You look more and more like your mother," Ellen's husband Victor said.

"So I'm told," Andie grinned. "And this is Hannah, my sister."

Ellen almost visibly melted at the sight of Hannah.

"Oh, my goodness! You're so big! How old are you?"

"Ten!" Hannah replied proudly.

"Wow, you're practically a lady!" Ellen chuckled. "Come in, come in. Oh, Hank, you shouldn't have, these flowers are beautiful."

They all walked into the house. They still had a couple of cardboard boxes in a corner but most of the furniture and ornaments seemed to be there. After reuniting with Mr. Donavan, Andie looked up and saw Eric coming down. And before she could stop herself, her heart skipped a beat and she stared at him as he descended, his white shirt bringing out his clear eyes. When he saw her, she quickly slapped on a neutral face, scolding herself for letting Eric fluster her. What was she thinking? She forced a smile.

"Hi, Eric,"

"Hey, Andie." he said, grinning at her. "You look great."

"Thanks..." Andie said, flushing slightly. "You look good, too."

"Thank you."

She ran a hand through her hair, grasping for a change of subject.

"Hannah, have you said hi to Eric?"

Hannah skipped over and looked up at him. She was quite small compared to him.

"Hey, Hannah."

"Hello," she smiled.

"Everyone have a seat, dinner'll be ready soon," Ellen said.

So they all sat down in the living room. Andie managed to get Hannah between her and Eric, who didn't seem thrilled but said nothing.

"So, Andie, how is school?"

"Oh, it's fine. I'm still figuring out what I'm going to do when I graduate, but the classes are okay."

"Have you met anyone special?" Ellen asked.

Andie hesitated.

"Uh... yes, I have, actually. I have a boyfriend."

Ellen seemed slightly put out

"Oh. I see. Who is the lucky gentleman?"

"Now, Ellen, don't pester the poor girl." Victor intervened. "How is work coming along, then, Hank? A lot of cases?"

Hank sighed.

"Oh, don't even get me started," he smiled. "But still, it's always gratifying to right wrongs."

And so it continued most of the evening. But when they moved to the dinner table, Andie had no choice but to sit next to Eric, whose mood improved when he realized it. After the meal, Andie offered to take the dishes into the kitchen. She was hoping to get a few minutes of peace, but Eric immediately offered to help. So he followed her to the kitchen where they set about putting the dirty washing in the sink or the dishwasher, which thankfully were on the opposite sides of the room.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," Eric commented.

"You certainly look like you are." she replied coolly.

"Oh, come on, Andie, it can't be that horrible," he teased.

"Shut up, Eric," she said.

"Hey, easy. Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?"

She couldn't tell him the real reason, so she grappled for another. Thankfully, one easily came to mind.

"You kissed me in front of Bane!" she said, turning to look at him.

"Oh, come on, it was on the cheek!"

"That's not the point! I'm with Bane, you can't just do things like that. And he saw you, you know. He didn't show it, but he was upset. So don't do that again. Okay?"

Eric looked at her.

"What does he have?" he asked abruptly. "More than me, I mean?"

"Don't start-" Andie began.

"No, I want to know." Eric insisted. "What does he have that I don't?"

"For one thing, Bane hears me when I say no," she replied coolly. "Clearly, you find it more difficult."

"Love changes," Eric said, taking a step closer. "It does all the time."

"Yes," Andie agreed. "It does. But it's not changing for me. I love Bane."

"Because you know nothing else. Maybe he's not the one you really want."

Then, before she could see it coming, he stepped forwards and touched her cheek. Then, realizing what he was going to do, she jerked back sharply.

"What are you doing?"

He stared at her.

"I think you should try different things, before making a decision."

She stepped back.

"Don't ever do that again." she said firmly. "I care about you Eric, you know that. But I am with Bane. I am not available. And it is not okay for you to kiss my cheek or try and kiss me behind his back. You're my friend. He is the one I love. And I will not let you ruin that."

They looked at each other in tense silence for a moment. Just then, they heard the sounds of chairs and feet as Lauren and Hank got to their feet, followed by Hannah, judging by the voices. Andie seized the chance and marched out without looking at Eric.

"Thanks so much for having us," Lauren said. "It was really nice catching up. You'll have to come over for dinner at our house sometime."

"With pleasure," Ellen said. "And Andie and Eric certainly seemed happy."

Hank's smile felt a little cooler.

"Yes, but I'm sure Eric understands Andie is no longer available."

"Oh, of course he does," Ellen said.

"Everything's fine, then." Hank said.

"Absolutely."

Andie felt like disappearing into a hole and never coming out. She looked at Eric meaningfully, her eyes saying something like "see what happens when you behave like you do?". But she did appreciate her parents standing up for her.

"Excellent, then. Have a good night, and thank again." Lauren said. "We'll keep you posted for dinner at our place."

"Sounds good."

Andie marched towards her family without another look at Eric.