Valo and Tabitha returned to the house, and in the kitchen, they spotted a bowl of chips and homemade salsa. They each helped themselves to one, and while they crunched happily on their snack, Crystal finally emerged from the living room, followed by her fiancé. She stared at her younger sister and her older step-cousin and scoffed at them and took a sip from the cup she was carrying. The contents, Valo noted, had a very strong alcoholic scent. Wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some spiked punch around here, she thought wryly.

“Do you know how much salt is in that?” Crystal asked incredulously.

Valo was in no mood to be lectured. “Excuse me, Crys,” she replied, helping herself to another chip and encouraging Tabitha to do likewise, “but if you’ll recall our biology class, you will remember that we require a certain amount of salt in our diets. However, I don’t recall alcohol being listed as an essential part of our daily diets.”

“A glass a day is supposed to be good for you,” Joe spoke up.

“That’s of wine. And, knowing Crystal, I don’t think this is her first or last glass of champagne. Am I right?” Valo responded. Receiving no response, Valo shrugged and sauntered into the living room to face the rest of her family.


“I had a great time,” Jade said cheerfully. She hugged Graham, and then lightly kissed his cheek. “Maybe we should get together another time.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Graham agreed. “I’ll call you later.”

“That’s fine. I have some work-related stuff to finish up, but I should be done by eight or so.”

“Eight it is, then. I’ll call around then. Take care of yourself.”

“You, too,” Jade replied. She smiled at him and let herself into the small studio apartment. After she closed the door behind her, she kicked off her shoes and flopped into the nearest chair.

“Seemed like a pretty decent guy after all,” she remarked aloud. Humming to herself, she walked over to her computer and turned it on. As soon as she’d logged in, she heard a loud knock at her door. “What’s that? Who’s bothering me?” she muttered to herself, striding over to the door. She peered through the peephole, and, much to her shock, she saw Mark outside.


“So, Jess, how’s college going for you?” Aunt Lynn asked.

“Good. The way things are going, I think I’m going to get straight A’s this semester,” Valo replied.

“That’s great,” Connie, one of Crystal and Tabitha’s married cousins, said. “But I bet you’re just a little bit jealous that Crystal’s getting married before you. I mean, you guys pretty much grew up together and all.”

Valo shrugged, trying not to say anything. Don’t cause trouble, she thought. Try to be pleasant.

“Like Jess is going to get married,” Crystal spoke up. “She scares guys away. She corrects them when they say something wrong, and she doesn’t really take care of herself.” She shrugged and admired her ring, adding, “Then again, not everyone’s the marrying type.”

“I’m sure there’s some boys who like her,” Aunt Lynn spoke up.

“Well, yeah, the really nerdy wimpy guys. Not the good guys,” Crystal replied, caressing Joe’s shoulder. Joe merely stared at Valo, or rather, in the direction of her chest. Crystal seemed to take no notice, as she continued talking. “That reminds me. Jess, the wedding’s going to be next year. I’m sure that’ll be plenty of time for you to… you know.”

“What do you mean?” Valo asked, some hostility in her voice.

“Make yourself more presentable. Get some contacts, get a haircut, lose a few pounds, get a decent guy. Maybe get some clothes in your wardrobe that are a color besides black or red,” Crystal responded. “I mean, you do want to look nice, don’t you?”

“Don’t I look nice already?” Valo asked, more sharply.

“Well, uh… yeah,” Crystal stammered, averting her eyes. “It’s just… well… don’t you want to look your best for my big day?”

“I think I’m fine the way I am,” Valo replied.

“Of course you are, sweetheart,” Aunt Lynn responded.

“Look, if you want, I’ll introduce you to some nice guys. One of Joe’s friends, maybe. I’m sure you two will hit it off fine. Maybe that’ll give you some motivation to change yourself. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even want to get married to him and have kids,” Crystal continued.

“I don’t want to have kids,” Valo growled.

“You hate kids.”

“Wrong. I just know that I don’t have the patience--”

“You’ll know what to do when you do have kids,” Connie spoke up. “Personally, I think it’s pretty selfish not to have kids.”


Valo couldn’t take much more of this. She rose and snapped, “Is it also selfish not to want to pass along the various health problems that are prevalent in my family? Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems… need I continue? I don’t have the patience to deal with children constantly, and, more importantly, I don’t think it would be right to pass those genes on to a child.” She squared her shoulders. “I’m pretty sick and tired of you people judging me. Not just judging me, but not even bothering to listen to what I have to say. Crystal, you think Joe is such a catch; haven’t you noticed him staring at my chest like he expects my dress to fall off at any second?”

“Maybe if you weren’t dressed like that, he wouldn’t,” Crystal muttered.

“Of course, blame it on me. That’s another thing, you think the only way to get a guy is to be some passive, helpless weakling. You say I scare away guys by being a strong woman. Well, you know what kind of guys I scare away? Guys like the one you’re dating, Crys. The real men, the decent ones, are the ones that accept me for who I am-- long hair, glasses, curves, and pretty serious intelligence. For your information, I have a boyfriend. His name is Grant Veneto, and he is a good man.” Valo narrowed her eyes and smirked. “Tell me, Crystal, how often do you and Joe actually talk? How often do you guys actually just spend time with each other, rather than engaging in clothing-optional activities? I only ask, because when we were roommates, it seemed like the only time you two were in a room together, all you guys were interested in were the horizontal mambo. Let me tell you something, honey. There’s more to life than that. If you want a good solid relationship, you need to communicate, and I don’t mean ‘To the left a bit.’ Grant and I were close friends before we ever got into a relationship, and you know what? Now that we’re in a relationship, we still hang out and spend time together as friends, actually interacting with each other. You think I’m only capable of getting the bottom of the barrel? Well, my dear little cousin, Grant is gainfully employed, with his own home. His income is not affected by the weather, unlike your man. Know what I think?”

“What?” Crystal snapped.

“I think you’re afraid of actually working for anything. You’re used to accepting whatever comes along. Tell me, how much financial aid do you require to attend college? Not very much, if any, I bet. If it hadn’t been for financial aid, Crystal, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for college. Not even the college we go to. You’ve always had your pick of guys, had money coming out the wazoo, had everything come so easily to you. As a result, you don’t have an appreciation for what truly is important. God forbid you actually remain single for longer than a month, while you spend time trying to meet a guy who is actually worth your time. You'd rather just date whatever riff-raff has caught your eye. Meanwhile, I spent most of my time in school working on my grades. I wasn’t popular. I didn’t have money. Guys liked me as a friend, but that was it. But you know what? It’s paid off. I’m accomplishing a lot with my life. I’m actually progressing beyond the foundation my parents set for me. But you… your life has stagnated. You think getting married will improve things? Look at how many young couples get married, Crys. You need a serious reality check.”

Everyone stared silently at her. Tabitha smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Valo began to head to the door. Then, remembering something, she turned back around and said, “Tabitha, you’re a decent person. One of the few this family has to offer, even if they don’t want to admit it. When you get your license and need to get away from the insanity, feel free to come by, no matter where I’m living. Just remember, like everything else, this will also pass.”

With that said, she strode out the door.

“Some people have no manners,” Connie grumbled.

“You really should speak to your daughter,” Crystal said to Valo’s mother.