On Saturday, everyone stayed home, since Nicolas was not well, but doing better. Jack took the family for Chinese food that night, right in Framingham, at an authentic Chinese restaurant, with silver cover dishes, hot tea, and fortune cookies.
They spent the day, playing games like cards, shrades and boggle. Some time was spent raking the yard, from the falling leaves.
Sunday afternoon, Lizzy, Jim and Nicolas dropped Daniel and Bethany off at his apartment in Boston. Daniel and Bethany decided to spend the night together, and she would go back to Keene the next morning, even though it meant missing one class. Daniel did not want her driving at night, saying it was dangerous.
They bundled up and walked to a nearby grocery store, where they bought a six-pack of coke, some smokes, some cheese, crackers and apples. It was not a balanced meal, but neither of them were hungry, knowing they would soon be apart again.
They spent the evening in Daniel's room, to have privacy from his roommates.
"You know, Bethany, it's not the same back home in Vermont. I mean Mom has always had to work a lot. We barely have heat in the winter. Nicolas is sick a lot. Mom has never been able to keep a relationship for long. I know she really likes Jim, but truthfully I think she is waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She had a bad drinking problem, when I was in junior high. She got sober, but it has not been easy for her. For us. I was a handful with the alcohol underage, that my friends and I were into, and the drugs that I don't even think she knew about, except maybe the pot.
It isn't like that for us in Vermont. I just don't want you to think it is like this enchanted life, like at my grandparents. We never even saw them hardly, until one year ago, and Mom wanted to make up with them, and then they sent me to school."
"Daniel, you told me all this back in Durham, that night at Ali and Todd's, the night we met. I'm not a gold digger, Daniel. My parents are pretty well off. My father is a lawyer, and I am sure Mom is going to get her fair share. I love you for you. I love your mom and your brother, all of them. Mostly I just love you. Don't you know that? I could care less about money. I would live with you anywhere, in a tent, a cave, a trailer, whatever. I'm not shallow. I may be a Jewish princess, but - "
Daniel laughed and put his arm around her. "I know. I'm being stupid." They lay down on Daniel's bed and held one another.
"It will work out Daniel. I think it is fate."
"Fate." He repeated it softly, "fate."
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