." Oh, please." She laughs softly. "Ever since you started that internship, we've been growing apart. When's the last time we even had fun together?" ...That's easy. It's..." My mind draws a blank. I've been so preoccupied with dating and college that my relationship with my parents had started to deteriorate..."We went on that cruise last summer..." That was two years ago." We pulled that shit on Dad last year." Emphasis on last year. You see?" ...I guess. So how do you wanna do this?" I'll go. Believe me I would much prefer a fork!"She laughed and said, "Close your eyes baby girl." I expected to feel acup of water or something, but instead felt the removable showerheadbeing used instead. She sprayed my hair for several minutes beforeadding shampoo, and then conditioner. I just sat still with my eyesclosed the whole time enjoying the sensation of her playing with myhair. It was soothing and relaxing to me and I pouted when she was done."Okay, hair's done, let's get the rest of her!". That was the last thing I remembered until I woke up lying beside him, one leg thrown across him, my head resting in the crook of his neck and one hand resting on his chest.Instinctively, I whispered, “I love you.”“I love you too,” he replied.I had never before expressed such a deep feeling for another man outside of John. I was afraid and happy, at the very same time. I was afraid I was losing my life-long love for my soul mate while happy that I had found someone who was both passionate and. Travelling down the winding path to the field made me think about my life and where I was going. Fitting in at this high school was probably going to be difficult at best, especially after what had happened that day.On the other hand, all the newness of California was wonderful. Walking along, sipping on the dry sweet smell of pine trees, looking up through a thousand shades of green seemed to breathe life back into me. There was an energy here that I hadn't experienced before.And yet there was.