Summer Before College - A Lift Story
by MBP  mwfan318@aol.com 
Before going away to college, three young men enjoy a summer of lifts.


"Ahh, this is the life," said Robert. The three friends lay soaking up some
rays on a large beach blanket positioned on hot sand. It was a gorgeous early
summer day; nary a cloud in the sky. An entire summer of beach days awaited
the boys. They had recently graduated from the local high school and were to
attend State in the fall. Their parents were also close, and had decided,
unanimously, to allow the 18-year-olds a summer free of responsibility. No
job, no chores and no worries: the young men looked forward to two months of
parties, movies, sports, the beach, and girls.

"Hey, will you look at that?!" Kevin and Roger looked up at the sound of their
friend’s voice. They saw a family in a spot not far away. The father sat in a
beach chair reading. But what was interesting was that one of the family, a
young girl of about 10 or 11, was giving a piggyback ride to her mother!
Another girl, closer to the boys age, maybe 13 or 14, was watching the
spectacle with amusement. The boys also observed, fascinated at the idea of a
little girl carrying a grown woman. They stared as the girl put her mother
down, and they continued to watch in the hope that the older girl would follow
suit. She didn’t, and the boys finally went back to tanning.

Sometime later, the guys were in the ocean swimming and clowning when they
noticed the two girls nearby. Robert continued to take the lead, and said to
the younger girl, "I saw you piggybacking your mother. That’s amazing."

The sisters looked over at the boys, the older one preening a bit at the sight
of the handsome, well-built young men. The younger one smiled and said,
"That’s nothing. I can also carry my Dad."

"Your Dad?" queried Robert, a note of disbelief in his voice. "I don’t think
so."

"I can too," the girl insisted. A mischievous smile crossed her pretty face.
"I bet I can carry you."

"You mean here, in the water?"

"Yeah."

"So what?" said Roger, joining in the fun. "There’s plenty of buoyancy. A
five-year-old could carry me."

"Spread your legs," the little girl commanded, speaking to Robert. He did as
he was told. The girl ducked under the water, came up under Robert, and stood
up. The boy rose off the ocean floor, sitting on the girl’s shoulders. Nearly
his entire torso was out of the water but most of his weight was still buoyed
by the ocean. It was deep water for the girl as her mouth was barely above the
water level. Then the little girl began to wade to a shallower depth. More and
more of her was visible as she continued moving with an increasingly heavy
burden. She finally stopped with the water at her knees. Robert’s toes were
barely submerged; his entire body weight was balanced on the little girl. She
was about 4’8" and 85 pounds; Robert was 5’9 and 155. And yet, he felt totally
at ease as the preteen controlled him easily. A few seconds later, they had
company, as Roger sat securely on the older sister’s shoulders. She was
athletically built and solid, but not much over five feet tall. Roger still
had more than 50 pounds on her. The two girls stood there for some time,
giggling, as onlookers gawked at the remarkable sight. Then the girls said
something quietly to each other, and dumped the boys into the ocean. They ran
out of the water to their parents, laughing all the way.

Kevin joined his friends who were swallowing salt water. He helped them up and
the threesome went back to their blanket. They looked over at the girls, who
were still laughing. The girls posed, flashing small biceps muscles to the
still amazed guys. Then they turned back to their family. The boys spent the
afternoon talking about nothing but what had happened.

"How was your day, Honey?" Kevin’s mother asked him.

"Really weird."

"How so?"

"I was at the beach with Rob and Roger," Kevin continued. "We saw the
strangest thing; a young girl who couldn’t have been more than 11 carrying her
mother. We spoke with her and her sister later and they carried the guys on
their shoulders. I mean, it’s ridiculous. They were kids - girls yet - and it
was pretty easy for them. I can’t understand this."

Kevin’s Mom smiled knowingly. "It’s not crazy. When I was young and your
father and I were dating, I liked to carry him."

"Get out of here," the boy exclaimed.

"No, it’s true. I bet I could still carry you."

Kevin looked at his mother. She was in good shape for 44, around 5’3 and
perhaps 120 pounds. His Dad was over six feet and had put on some pounds, but
he was bigger than Kevin who was 5’10, 165 pounds. After what he saw today...

"Wanna try it?" Kevin asked.

"OK." Miranda kicked off her shoes and pulled off her apron. She had been
making dinner. "How do you want to do this?"

"Any way you want. Your choice."

With that, Miranda bent over and circled her arms around her son’s thighs. She
straightened, and sure enough, Kevin was six inches off the ground. She held
Kevin in that position for about 15 seconds and put him down. Then, in almost
the same motion, Miranda put an arm under Kevin’s thighs and one under his
lower back. Lifting, she cradled him like a baby.

"Wow. I haven’t held you like this since you were 10. You were a lot lighter
then but I can still do it."

Kevin was for the second time that day amazed by the lifting ability of a
female. His mother was stronger than he thought. Actually, all the girls he
had dealt with that day were. His mother carefully put his down. Then, from
the standing position, Miranda ducked under her son and lifted him onto strong
shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Giggling at the thought, she spun around with
Kevin on her back, giving him an airplane spin. Before she put him down, the
door opened and his father walked in. Seeing his grown son across his wife’s
shoulders amused him.

"Hey, remember when you used to do that to me? I really liked it. And I think
Kevin does too."

Miranda put Kevin down to kiss her husband. The boy listed a bit, his head
spinning with the room. He managed to reach the sofa and sat down.

His Mom said, "Go wash and get cleaned for dinner. It will be ready in a
minute."

Kevin, face in his hands waiting for his head to clear, nodded. Miranda smiled
and returned to the kitchen. His father guffawed and followed. He was a bit
excited and would have preferred skipping dinner, but would have to wait.

The boy went to his room and thought about the day. He was pretty turned-on,
not by his mother, of course, but by the act of being carried by a female.
And, seeing his friends lifted by the young girls was even better.

The next day, the guys returned to their spot, but there was no sign of the
girls. Roger cleared his throat, and said, "I have a confession to make. When
I got home yesterday, Jean was there." Jean was his older sister, 22, 5’4" and
115 pounds, and gorgeous. Both Kevin and Robert had serious crushes. She was
home for the summer after graduating college, and, unhappily for the boys,
making wedding plans.

Roger continued, "I told Jean about the beach stuff. She moved into position
for a piggyback ride and I got on her back. For the next 15 minutes, as my
sister moved about the house doing little chores, she carried me with her. If
it was hard for Jean in any way, she didn’t display it. It was unreal."

The thought of the sexy Jean carrying them popped into their minds, and the
two boys got excited thinking about it. After a few moments, Kevin described
the episode with his mother, trying to recall all of the little details. The
boys were very quiet for a few minutes.

A short time later, summoning up his courage, Robert left his friends and
walked past two lifeguard stands until he found Melissa. He knew she was
working as a lifeguard for the summer. She was a year behind him in school,
and a member of the swim team. Melissa had dark hair already streaked lighter
from the summer sun. She was a couple of inches shorter than Robert and a
well-toned 135 pounds. He had met her late in the school year through mutual
friends. Today, he decided to ask out Melissa.

"Hi, Melissa," Robert said squinting up into the strong sun. The girl looked
down.

"What’s up, Robert," she chirped, appearing happy to see him. "How’s your
summer going?"

"It’s been interesting so far," the young man understated. Buoyed by her
reaction to his greeting, Robert asked, "Would you like to go out on Saturday
night?"

The lifeguard smiled, a bit surprised but nevertheless pleased. She had hoped
Robert might get around to it.

"Sure," she said warmly. "What time?"

That was easy, thought Robert as he silently congratulated himself on asking
her. "I’ll pick you up at 7. I know where you live, so don’t bother to give me
your address. There’s a nice restaurant where I’d like to take you."

"Great. I’m looking forward to it.

"Me, too."

"Now get the hell out of here so I can go back to work," Melissa said gruffly,
although Robert could see her eyes twinkling. "I’ll see you Saturday."

The boy floated back to the blanket, and informed his buddies of his good
fortune. Both knew Melissa and thought Robert was a lucky guy. She was pretty
hot, but she was also smart and nice. The guys really enjoyed the rest of the
afternoon.

A couple of nights later, on Friday, Roger and Kevin pulled into Dairy Queen
for a couple of Blizzards. The ice cream place was a local hangout for kids of
all ages. The guys used to often hang out there, but grew out of it. They
feasted on the candy-filled treats and watched the interplay of the mostly
younger crowd. What they saw neither of them had remembered ever seeing. Two
pairs of boy-girls were engaging in a chicken fight. For readers unfamiliar
with that activity, a chicken fight is when a person sits on the shoulders of
another. They are matched against another couple configured the same. The two
on top push against one another, trying to unbalance each other. Winning is
achieved when either the top person, or the one supporting that person, is
dislodged or falls.

Kevin and Roger had engaged in that activity, often as a team. And both had
been the support person with girls on their shoulders. But, one of the couples
entwined in the current chicken fight had a girl underneath. This was new. The
girl was short, slender and sexy, with nice legs and a shapely butt. She had
short, blonde hair and looked about 15. The guy atop her was much bigger but
the blonde kept him well-balanced. They were a much more effective team than
the other one, as the boy on top was much stronger than the girl who sat on
her teammate’s shoulders. It didn’t take long before the boy dislodged the
girl.

"Who’s next?" the triumphant boy said, not even bothering to vacate his spot.
When there was no takers, Roger and Kevin looked at each other, then offered a
challenge to the younger pair. To their surprise, it was readily accepted. It
didn’t matter who was on top, as Kevin and Roger were almost the same size and
strength. So they chose for it and Kevin ended up atop his friend.

The teams faced one another. As Roger was nearly a foot taller than the girl,
Kevin looked down on his opponent. The height advantage seemed to give extra
leverage plus Kevin was stronger than the younger boy. Still, it took some
time before the older guys won. The girl and boy worked well as a team, the
girl continually repositioning herself to give her partner the best support.
Roger was never in trouble and never off-balance, so he was able to closely
watch the sexy teenager. She was amazing. Roger realized that the younger pair
had fought at least one prior match and that the boy had never dismounted,
meaning the small blonde had controlled the boy for several minutes of intense
activity. Even more amazing than Roger had originally thought. Finally, the
inevitable occurred, and Kevin dislodged the weaker boy. It certainly hadn’t
been the girl’s fault. So, Roger considered an alternative.

He said, "Why don’t we try this again in a few minutes, but with different
partners. I’ll take the guy on my back, and my friend Kevin here will sit on
the strong girl." It was an interesting idea so everyone agreed. After a few
minutes rest and an exchange of names, the reconstituted teams assembled for
the match.

Kevin and Tony stood on a bench and mounted their partners, Kevin on Sarah and
Tony on Roger. The two boys had the height advantage, although not as
pronounced as in the other match. Sitting on smooth shoulders, Kevin moved
around, judging how secure he was. The little blonde was having no problem
with his 165 pounds. He relaxed and concentrated on the match. A large crowd
of youngsters had gathered around and were yelling for their favorites. The
crowd seemed split between the two teams, more girls rooting for the team with
the girl, and vice-versa.

The chicken fight started and was close and intense. The leverage for the
boy’s team was mostly negated. Roger, who hardly moved in the first match,
couldn’t keep still in this one. Kevin’s strength advantage over Tony was more
noticeable than Roger’s over Sarah, and more useful. Kevin pulled the younger
boy all over the place, and it was only Roger’s balance and strength that kept
the all-male team standing. Sarah, with a strong partner, more than kept her
end of the deal, authoritatively supporting the 18-year-old. The battle raged
on, but it was apparent the mixed team was going to win. And they did,
dramatically, with Kevin pulling the entire team off-balance, and both boys
tumbling to the ground.

Sarah took Kevin’s hands and leaped off his shoulders in an athletic,
cheerleader-type move. The winners hugged, then Kevin moved into the crowd to
reap the adulation. Roger slunk over to the girl.

"That was pretty impressive," he said to the sexy, strong little blonde.

I’m a cheerleader at Boudreau High," Sarah answered, naming a school a couple
of miles from Roger’s. "I usually handle the carrying, so I’m used to it. Your
friend is heavier than the cheerleaders, but I often carry two at a time."

"What about Tony? Is he your boyfriend?"

Sarah laughed. "No. I’ve known him like a million years. It’s funny. When we
were younger I was a little bigger than him, so I took the bottom position in
the chicken fights. I stopped growing and he didn’t but our team worked so I
stayed there. We’ve won a bit of money from guys who don’t believe a girl can
handle the load."

It was Roger’s turn to laugh. Then he got quiet, and said, uneasily, "Uh,
Sarah, would you like to get together sometime?"

"Maybe. How old are you?"

"I just turned 18."

"I’m only 15 but I think you’re kind of sweet. OK, get a pen and I’ll give you
my number."

Roger scrambled around; Dairy Queen was only too happy to help. The ride home
for the guys was very satisfying.

Robert knocked on the front door at Melissa’s house. He was nattily attired in
dress pants, a button-down shirt, and a neat tie. The girl answered the door
and stopped the boy in his tracks. She wore a short, tight white dress that
wonderfully offset her deep tan. The high heels shaped her beautiful, athletic
legs and matched her to his height. Melissa was breathtaking.

"I hope you don’t mind my saying this," Robert said. "You are stunning."

"I don’t mind at all. You look great too."

"Thanks. Let’s get a move on. I have 7:30 reservations at The Rose Inn."

Melissa smiled delightedly. She loved that place. They arrived presently and
were escorted by the Maitre D to a cozy, corner table. He got a nice tip. The
conversation was easy, the meal excellent, and Melissa was lovely beyond
words. Robert could barely keep his eyes off her amazing legs. They were
planning to catch a movie, but were so wrapped up in conversation that several
hours passed before they left. From the restaurant they walked hand-in-hand
still talking. It was a great date.

As they strolled along the pier, Robert decided to do something for which he
probably should have waited a few more dates. Oh well, nothing ventured,
nothing gained, the boy thought. He steered the conversation to lifeguard
training.

"What do they teach you at lifeguard school?" he asked.

"We learn CPR, how to calm a swimmer who’s in trouble, life-saving techniques,
stuff like that. There’s lots of exercise and running and dragging people out
of the water."

"What would happen if some guy who was, say, 6’5 and 240 pounds? How would you
get him out of the water?"

"Well, it’s not as hard as it sounds. The water helps. Lifeguards learn to
swim sidestroke while keeping the victim’s head out of the water. When we get
near the shore, there is usually help waiting. If not, I can drag pretty much
anyone out of the surf. And in an absolute emergency, I can perform a
fireman’s carry."

"Isn’t that when you duck under someone, position your hands between their
legs, and hoist the person onto your shoulders."

"That’s right."

"And you’d actually be able to handle someone that big?" Robert attempted to
sound surprised, although after the last week he really wasn’t.

"Yeah. Let me tell you something. A few months ago Mrs. Anderson had a
firefighter come to the girl’s gym class." Mrs. Anderson was one of the high
school’s gym teachers, an energetic, wiry woman in her late thirties. "He was
pretty close to the size of the guy you described. The fireman and Mrs.
Anderson showed us the carry; she was easily able to handle him. What was
really interesting was that many of the girls, even the smaller freshmen,
performed the lift."

"Wow. I assume you had no problem."

"No. I’m pretty strong from all the swimming, and from fighting with my older
brothers."

"Then," Robert laughed, a coy, challenging chuckle. "I guess you can carry
me."

"Sure." Melissa smiled; she had seen this coming from a mile away. "Want to
try it?"

"Yes!" the boy said, a little too vehemently. However, the girl was fine with
it. She kicked off her heels, ducked under Robert, and effortlessly pitched
him onto her sexy shoulders. She bent over despite her burden and picked up
her shoes. Melissa then carried Robert all the way back to the car, which was
more than a five minute walk. When they arrived, she carefully put him down.
Robert noticed that the girl was barely winded. It was pretty incredible.
Melissa was probably stronger than he was, which, Robert was surprised to
learn, didn’t really bother him. She donned her heels; they kissed, and
kissed, and kissed...

Kevin tripped and fell over something. Someone reached out a hand and helped
the boy to his feet. It was a girl and she looked somehow familiar.

"Hi, Kevin," she said.

He finally recognized her. "Robin, is that you?"

"Yes." Kevin looked at her more closely. Robin was one of the brains at his
high school. She had the third or fourth highest grade point average in their
class. And she wasn’t simply bright. She belonged to the Honor’s Society,
tutored younger and less fortunate students, and championed animal causes such
as Save The Whales. Kevin wasn’t stupid; he was 12th in their class of 374,
but they traveled in different circles. He admired her passion but was too
cool to hang out with her. Here at the beach, Robin looked different. She was
wearing a one-piece bathing suit and displayed a body at least the equal of
the girls with whom Kevin was friends. She usually wore clothing two sizes too
big; this was a revelation. Her thick, unfashionable glasses were also not
framing her face, which he found to be very pleasant to look at.

Robin broke his reverie. "Where are Roger and Robert?" she asked.

Kevin answered, "Do you know Melissa, from the swim team?" Robin nodded.
"Robert is with her at her lifeguard post. They’ve been dating for a couple of
weeks. And Roger is with a girl from Boudreau who we met at the Dairy Queen.
I’m supposed to see them tomorrow."

"So, you’re flying solo? Would you care to join us?"

Us? Robert finally looked down and saw two kids, a boy and a girl, who looked
remarkably alike. And they looked like Robin, as well.

Robin said, "These brats are my brother Craig and my sister Christy. They are
identical twins, if you couldn’t tell."

"Hi, guys," Kevin said. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"No problem," Craig said, getting up suddenly with Christy in tow. "We were
just going to the water with Robin to play. Want to come?"

"Sure." And with that, the foursome raced to the surf and dove in. The twins
popped out of the water and swam over to their older sister.

"C’mon, Robin," Craig said, "Let’s play dive bomber."

Robin immediately interlocked her hands in front of her. The boy stepped onto
her hands, stepped from there to her shoulders, and dove into the water onto
his sister. She squealed and waded over to Robin to do the same. The twins
took turns as Kevin watched, amused, enjoying the interplay and family
camaraderie . And he was a little impressed. After seeing quite a bit of
lifting the last couple of weeks, the boy noticed that Robin, who was
considered a nerd, was handling her siblings easily. Robin was around 5’4 and
110 pounds; the twins were six inches shorter but only about 20 pounds
lighter.

"Maybe it you ask Kevin nicely, he’ll let you play dive bomber with him,"
Robin said. "He’s taller and stronger and would make an excellent diving
board."

The children looked quizzically at the young man, who nodded. He interlocked
his hands as Robin had done and Christy went first, eventually flying high off
Kevin’s shoulders. This was even better than with their sister. They took
turns until Kevin looked at Robin and motioned for her to try it. She didn’t
hesitate and squealed as she flew through the air. After a few more turns,
Robin interlocked her hands and motioned to Kevin. He did hesitate but the
girl motioned again. With a yell, Kevin jumped on her hands, landed heavily on
her shoulders - Robin didn’t flinch - and dive bombed onto the two kids,
careful not to hit them directly. The kids roared happily. More of this was
followed by the twins swimming between the older couple’s legs and some play
wrestling, with Kevin getting continuously dumped by the other three. He
dumped Robin a few times as well, but was again impressed with her balance and
surprising strength. The water play completed, the foursome returned to their
spot.

Kevin and Robin lay side by side facing one another. It was heaven for Robin,
as she had been interested in Kevin for two years, but he never noticed her.
She liked the way he was looking at her now.

The boy thought about something and cleared his throat.

"I’m sorry", Kevin said.

"Sorry about what?"

"I’m sorry I didn’t notice you, or ignored you, or didn’t treat you well. I’ve
always been impressed with your humanity, but, you know my friends..." Kevin
couldn’t finish.

Robin knew that confession must have been difficult, and was suitably
impressed.

"It’s normal. We were in high school. And that is what happens in high
school."

"Yeah, I guess," Kevin said. "I hope I get to know you a little better this
summer."

"I’d like that."

"You know, it’s been kind of a strange summer."

"How so?"

"Well, this, us, for example. And I’ve seen some stuff I’d never seen before
which continues to surprise me.

"What stuff?" Robin asked.

Kevin told her the story of the young girls, and of his mother, and Sarah, and
what Robert and Roger told him of Melissa and Jean. And then he mentioned
diving off Robin.

Robin giggled, "You want to know something?" Kevin nodded. "I’m in Melissa’s
gym class, and I was one of the girls who carried the fireman."

"Really?" Kevin said, trying unsuccessfully to conceal the interest in his
voice.

"Yes. And if you continue to be nice maybe I’ll carry you... later."

The next night the three couples got together at Roger’s house. Robert met
Sarah for the first time; both boys already knew, sort of, Robin. They were
shocked to see their friend walk in with her, but, after watching the couple,
the boys realized Robin was a good match for Kevin. The first 30 minutes were
filled with introductions and small talk. Roger’s mother had ordered in pizza
and Chinese food before she and her husband went out. Everyone stuffed
themselves, then the group retired to the living room. There was discussion of
watching a movie on cable, or playing a game, but it was decided to just sit
around and talk. Sarah fit right in, but, thinking about it, the situation was
interesting. The boys were friends, but the girls were from three different
groups. Melissa could certainly be a cheerleader, but preferred to be an
athlete, and would have run in different circles from Sarah, even if they
attended the same school. And Robin might as well have been from Mars. Yet
here they were together. The guys were the common thread.

The discussion turned to how Sarah met Roger (and Kevin) which amused the
others. Sarah, who was dressed casually in shorts, a polo shirt and
flip-flops, was the smallest person there. She was just a shade over five feet
and under 100 pounds, and was drop- dead sexy. It was still difficult for all
of the boys, including the ones who had seen her in action, to accept her
lifting prowess. However, Robert had been carried by a 10-year-old, barriers
had been shattered over the past few weeks and the boys’ perception was
different.

"We should have a group chicken fight," Melissa said, reading the minds of the
boys. "I never actually participated in one."

"Fine by me," agreed Sarah. She looked over at Robin. "What about you?"

Kevin glanced over at his new girlfriend. "I’m in," she said.

"Yeah, don’t worry about Robin," Melissa said, as she remembered gym class.
"She can handle it." Robin beamed a silent thank you to her classmate.

"Let’s go into the recreation room," Roger said to the girls. "Follow me."

They entered a large room with a couple of full-size video games, a ping-pong
table, a pool table, exercise equipment, a workout bench, and a mat.
Everything not against a wall was pulled there. The guys got on the bench and
mounted their steeds. Melissa and Sarah handled Robert and Roger easily; it
took Robin a little while to adjust, but soon Kevin sat chilly on her
shoulders. The other boys watched closely as the (former) nerdy girl supported
their friend. It was new to them, and it was exciting to see someone like
Robin, who never displayed a spec of athletic ability, carrying a guy more
than 50 pounds heavier. The girl smiled at their stares; Kevin was quiet but
felt great.

The chicken fight was somewhat anticlimactic. Robin was involved in her
initial chicken fight. Sarah was a veteran, and good at it. But it didn’t
matter. Melissa was a novice but she was much bigger than the other girls and
quite possibly the strongest person in the room. For the other couples it was
akin to fighting two bigger boys. Robin and Kevin tried hard, but went out
first. They watched, impressed that Sarah could hang in so long when she was
apparently outgunned. Melissa and Robert had leverage and power; Sarah had
balance, and knowledge of how to carry someone, and was quite strong for her
size. She and Roger were pushed around so much that they covered the entire
room. They hung in there for quite awhile, but in the end, the battle went to
the strongest, as expected.

Several hours later, with the couples curled on the couch in Roger’s living
room, the young men had time to reminisce. This summer was different:
interesting; surprising; fruitful. Curled up against Melissa, Robert felt, for
lack of a better word, safe. She made him feel as if it were two against the
world; that he was no longer alone. Then he felt a sharp pain in the wrist
that his girlfriend had just now twisted. Melissa was playful and safe at the
same time; a winning combination.

Roger lay with Sarah and wondered what was going to happen at the end of the
summer. He’d be away at school, and Sarah would be the sexiest cheerleader in
the tenth grade. Both would have serious distractions; what would happen when
he came home for his first break? Either way, it was a fantastic summer. He
spent lots of time off the ground, both emotionally from the relationship, and
physically, as Sarah constantly carried him in a variety of positions. Being
lifted was a real turn-on, as was Sarah; if it was to be just a summer
relationship it was a great one.

Kevin’s feelings were the most profound, although his relationship with Robin
was in its infancy. It felt right; really right. Robin, despite getting into a
couple of Ivy League colleges, was also attending State in the fall. Of the
three boys, Kevin was the most sensitive; the most altruistic; the one who
most wanted to help others. In Robin, he had found someone who could lead him
along that path. And, thanks to his interesting summer, he had found that her
other talents made her more complete; not just a brain with a heart. She was
funny, surprisingly athletic and somewhat zany. Robin was further along to
becoming a good adult than the others and Kevin could also sense in her some
strong interest in him. He looked down at Robin, who was lying in his lap,
gently stroking his hands with hers. This could be the one.

As if having ESP, the boys looked up together at each other. It was a very
good moment.