Twenty-two years before...

Nine-year-old Olivia hugged her new friend, Mandy. Two weeks before, she had tearfully clung to her mother when it was time to say goodbye. While Ian spent the summer with his father, Olivia bounced from one day camp to another, except for two weeks at sleep-away camp in New Hampshire. She had never been out of the city before. Even the trees were intimidating when she stood tear streaked waving as her mother's rental car drove away.

Olivia made her way to her cabin dragging a suitcase. The wheels kept getting stuck on the roots and rocks jutting out of the dirty path. Other campers had duffle bags and walked past her while she struggled. Tears clouded her vision as she followed the signs to the chipmunk cabins.

"Let me help?" The soft voice sounded like velvet.

Olivia turned to see a wisp of a girl with hair so blond it almost looked white. "It's. It's heavy."

"I'm stronger than I look." She lifted the bottom by the dirty wheels, forcing Olivia to hold up the front. "Which unit?"

"Chipmunks." She wrinkled her nose. To Olivia, nature was exploring different paths in Central Park.

"Me too!" The weighted burden caused a grunt in her response.

"Where's your bag?"

"I've been here for two weeks. I'm staying for four."

"Four! Just two is awful."

"Not awful. I love it. Swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, archery, soccer. The list is endless."

"I'm not used to so much nature."

"City girl? I should have known. Boston?"

"No, New York."

"Seriously, I live in Greenwich. We're practically neighbors."

"Greenwich Village?"

"No, silly. Here's the chipmunks. Greenwich, Connecticut. My mother works in New York. She's an actress."

"An actress. Wow!"

"Hey Pam! What cabin is my friend in?"

"Who's your friend, Amanda?" A lanky teenager walked towards them.

"It's Mandy."

"Your form says Amanda. Welcome. What's your name?"

"Olivia Browning."

"Hi there, Olivia. You're in cabin three with Amanda."

"Mandy." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Olivia."

Two weeks later, Olivia had learned to swim, sail, hit a bullseye, and that she would never be good at art as Mandy. She had heard ghost stories told in the dark with strange scary sounds like owls, branches cracking, and things Olivia couldn't identify, but were worse than the haunted tales spun by the counselors.

Olivia would have been crying as she waited for her mother, but Mandy assured her she went into the city all the time. The two girls hugged. After having been inseparable, Olivia felt the loss immediately.

She had already hugged her mother fiercely and instantly was reminded how much she had missed her. Life was confusing. Missing one person then another.

Anita scrunched her face in disapproval. "When was your last shower?"

Showers had been mandatory on Sunday nights, but it was Saturday and the girls opted to swim in the lake instead of showers all week. Olivia shrugged too smart to answer the truth.

"Hm. It's not ideal, but there is nothing I can do about it now."

"I want to make plans with Mandy. Tomorrow, please!" She put her hands together although she wasn't praying.

"Not tomorrow. We'll be in Massachusetts."

Olivia skipped as she followed her mother who pulled her suitcase across the gravel parking lot. "We're seeing Ian!" Her brother made up for not seeing Mandy.

Her mother nodded, but Olivia was distracted by her mother's boss. He leaned against the driver's door of a luxury sedan. Her mother's rental car had been a nondescript economy model. The boss had dropped her mother off after work, but he always wore a suit. He stood in shorts and a golf shirt. Why was he at her camp? And why was he smiling at her?

"Hello, Olivia. It looks like you had fun."

She looked from her mother to the boss and felt funny. Her belly felt inside like Sour Patches on her tongue, as he effortlessly lifted her suitcase into the trunk. Her mother held open the door to the backseat for her.

Once both adults were in the car, her mother turned to her. As the car drove forward, it didn't feel bumpy on the dirty and gravel road. "We'll get your brother and go visit Kurt's sister."

"My nephews are close to your age."

"Mom, what about Mandy? We need to call her mother and make plans. She's a star." The last came out as a sigh.

"And I'm an assistant."

"The best assistant ever." Kurt turned to smile at her mother and touched her hand. "How was camp? My sister and I went to a camp in Maine every summer. I loved it."

"Mandy went for four weeks. Can I too?"

"Darling, you cried when I said goodbye."

Kurt said, "I told you she would love it. I think she needs a duffle bag. Suitcases are for novices, right Olivia?"

"Yes! yes! yes!"

"Four weeks is a long time. It's hard enough having Ian gone."

"Why can't I go see daddy?"

"Because he moved far away. I'm sorry, Livvy. I wish things were different."

She tried to remember her father. He wore a suit and stayed home on Sundays. She remembered his scent was better than soap and he kissed her goodnight some nights. She didn't listen to the talking in the front seat until she heard concern in her mother's voice.

"Your sister will think I'm awful when we show up with a filthy child. Maybe we should drive to Boston and get Ian from Andrew's. She could shower there."

"Keep the plan. We'll meet Ian at the Riverside T station. Lois is the mother of two boys. She has seen and smelled everything."

Olivia looked down at her purple shirt with a panda on it to see a splotch of jelly from breakfast. There was a smudge of dirt on her legs and her feet looked permanently dirty. Her nails needed clipping and a long soak in the tub. Thankfully, she was a year or two shy of needing deodorant.

She leaned her head back and enjoyed the comfortable leather seats. Camp had been fun, but not even her bed had been comfortable. The purr of the engine and her mother's voice as she talked in the front seat lulled her to sleep.

"Darling. Livvy, honey."

She opened her eyes to see her mother looking into the backseat. Rubbing the sleep with her fists, Olivia stretched.

"The next exit is the station."

"Ian?"

"Yes. I miss him too. Just like I missed you." She turned to Kurt. "Andrew will think I'm a horrible mother."

"I think Ian's father knows you are an amazing mother. I'm curious to meet him."

"I told you. He never really meant anything,"

Kurt laughed. "He can't be worse than Chip."

Olivia sat up. "My dad."

Anita gritted. "Kurt, little ears."

He cleared his throat. "I was talking about golf. You'll be fine when I golf tomorrow?" Kurt took Anita's hand and kissed it.

"He kissed you! We saw the counselors kissing. Mandy says they are boyfriend and girlfriend. Are you mommy's boyfriend?"

"Counselors kissing! Maybe I shouldn't have sent her..."

Kurt laughed. "It happens. I know. I was a counselor."

The blinker clicked as the car slowed. Olivia's focus switched to her brother. Anita bursted out excitedly. "There. He's there. I'll run over and get him."

"Me too!"

"It's a busy parking lot. Stay with Kurt."

He pushed the button to roll down her window before he got out of the car and stood by her window.

"It was a long drive. I'm just stretching my legs."

"That's Ian's daddy, but he isn't mine."

"I see him. He looks nice."

Mommy waved to Ian's father and walked towards the car with her arm around Ian.

"Mom, why is your boss here?"

"Climb in and we'll explain."

The minute Ian entered the backseat, Olivia threw her arms around him.

"Livvy, you smell burnt and look like Charlie Brown's friend Pig-Pen."

Kurt giggled as Anita pressed her lips together.

"Ian, I missed you, but camp was fun."

The twelve-year-old smiled. "I've missed you too. Where are we going?"

Anita said, "To meet Kurt's sister. She has two sons."

"Why?"

"Because he's mommy's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? Mom?"

"Darlings, I have some news. Kurt asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Married? No offense but I already had a stepfather and don't want another one."

"No offense taken, Ian. Maybe we can just be friends."

Ian frowned. "I don't know."

Olivia never had a stepfather. "I want a stepfather so I can be like Ian."

"Darlings, I promise Kurt only wants you to be happy. It's important for me to meet his family."

Olivia wasn't listening. As she looked out her window, They passed by houses with green lawns. It looked like television and nothing like the city. It was even more foreign than the woods of New Hampshire. The car stopped in front of a large white house. Not like the one the president lived in.

Ian asked, "Are they rich?"

Kurt laughed. "My brother-in-law does alright for himself, but I'll show you wealthy later." He turned to Anita. "Lois mentioned visiting Kenneth. Ready?"

"No." Whoever Kenneth was, Olivia's mother looked impressed until Kurt encouraged her out of the car.

Ian had shut his mouth and took Olivia's hand as they hid behind the adults. Olivia focused on her mother holding Kurt's hand. In the city, she always held theirs, even Ian's bigger one.

Anita turned to look at her before they reached the door. "Do you have any clean clothes?"

She winced. "My dress." She never needed a dress at camp.

"This plan is a mistake."

"Don't worry she can wear her swimsuit while her clothes are in the wash."

Olivia didn't want to say her suits were filthier than her clothes. She couldn't if she wanted to, because a tall woman with a gorgeous tan ushered them in excitedly. Olivia didn't hear her mother's apologies as she looked at the two boys standing to the side. Both were older than her. They looked like they were the same age. One had the most beautiful eyes which twinkled and the other had brown eyes which looked more thoughtful. He was probably thinking who was the smelly girl in his house.

"Don't worry. Come with me, sweetheart." The tall woman ushered Olivia up the stairs. "You'll have plenty of time to meet Max and Zach. I'm sure you want a shower or would you prefer a tub?"

"Shower is, um, fine, Missus."

"Please call me, Aunt Lois. We are going to be a family. I couldn't be happier. The boys are looking forward to having Dwyer cousins."

"I'm Browning and my brother is Gillespie."

"No matter. You'll still be cousins. I'm especially glad to have a niece." She showed her to a bathroom and opened a closet. "Here. Your mother will get your suit. The boys want to spend the afternoon in the pool."

She put a fluffy towel on a hook. Olivia wanted to be clean just to feel the soft towel. She had missed home comforts while in the woods. The nice lady left, and she took off her clothes. When she glanced at herself in the mirror she gasped. No wonder her mother was embarrassed. After a long hot shower, she wrapped the fresh scented, plush towel around her. Never had she appreciated the smell of soap before. It might be her favorite scent.

Her mother knocked on the door before opening in. "Here's your brush and your toothbrush. Did you use it?"

She nodded, although they only brushed at night and at home they always brushed in the morning too. Put this on. It will have to do. I'll take those." She picked up the dirty shorts, shirt, and underwear. "Ian is already in the pool."

She pulled on the tank suit she had lived in and found her way downstairs and heard the cheerful sounds of children swimming.

Ian stayed in the shallow end. Kurt said, "Don't worry. We'll get them swimming lessons."

The boy with the brown eyes was dripping water on the pool deck, heading toward the diving board. Olivia didn't need lessons. She followed him to the diving board and as her mother protested, she dove in and swam across the pool. When she reached her brother, her mother looked stunned, but Kurt just smiled.

The boy who dove after her said, "I thought you couldn't swim."

"Camp. I learned a lot."

As she swam, she had fun with Zach, while Max kept asking her questions. The four kids were in the shallow end when Ian said, "We didn't know anything until today."

Zach said, "I heard my mother tell my father her brother was in love." The last two words mocked.

"We saw my counselor at camp kiss a boy. My friend, Mandy said they are in love. Her mother kisses at work but she's not in love."

Zach said, "I'm never kissing a girl."

Max shook his head. "Someday, I'll kiss the perfect girl and she'll be in love with me."

Zach laughed. "I doubt it."

Ian said, "I'm gonna be a bachelor. My grandmother said that's what my dad is."

"My dad ran away."

The boys looked at her. Max said, "You have different dads?"

Ian puffed up his chest. "I'm a Gillespie."

"Okay, Gillespie. Let's teach you to swim." Max showed Ian how to move his arms and kick. Olivia swam across the pool. It was the first time she could do something Ian couldn't, but she was thankful to Max for showing her brother. She watched TV and knew boys kissed. She wondered if one would kiss her.

Now we know how it all started⭐️