“I'LL bet Colleen would be thrilled with that," Mom muttered, referring to Cherys' mother. Then she looked up at Danielle.

“And what would that make you? Third wheel?"

“What? No!" Danielle answered.

“Cherys can't be married to two separate people at the same time," Dad warned.

“Attention gets divided and you and David will wind up fighting over your mutual wife." But even as he said it, Dad suddenly sat up straight and looked back and forth between me and Danielle rapidly with an awkward question in the back of his mind.

He suddenly fixed me with a very stern gaze and I could already hear the question in my head: ‘Are you sleeping with your sister?!

I steeled my spine and looked at him confidently, not betraying any emotion or overreading his expression. I'd had practice deflecting Jen's inquisitive stares before. My dad would never ask that question out loud unless he really suspected something, and I didn't give away anything for him to suspect.

But then Danielle was speaking, and Dad's stare melted away.

“What do you want us to do? Get an abortion?"

“No, no," Mom was fussing. She leaned across the coffee table and put her hand on Cherys' knee.

“We're very happy for you, dear. You're carrying my grandchild and for that I couldn't be more pleased.“

Dad nodded his agreement to Cherys, which visibly relaxed her. Then Dad sighed and looked at me.

“What you've done for your sister and Cherys is very special, and I trust that you won't shirk your responsibilities as a father. All I ask is that you think about the consequences of your actions." He looked at all three of us.

Then Mom fixed her attention on Cherys, causing her to start squirming nervously again.

“It may seem a romantic notion to be married with a husband and children and all that, Cherys. But we can't always have everything we want." My mom choked up at the memory of her lost love.

And then Dad's gaze swept over to take in all three of us.

“Before you get married, think about how it will change your lives. And you said it yourselves, we live in a different world. Even if the law won't let Cherys and Danielle be married officially, you know in your hearts what commitment you have together."

He looked over at me.

“And David, take some advice from someone who has been there. No matter how pure your intentions, every moment you have with Cherys is a moment she's not having with Danielle. Don't go too far." ek

That night, the three of us lay in bed together. Cherys was in the middle, Danielle facing her as they caressed softly while lost in their own thoughts. I was doing some thinking myself as I spooned behind Cherys, my hand idly stroking her thigh.

We spoke quietly in the night, promising each other to never be jealous, promising that our mutual love would be eternal. So what if it hadn't worked out for our parents? They were different people, and Mom's ex- girlfriend and Dad didn't have the kind of relationship Danielle and I had. We were different. We could make it work.

We promised we would be together forever.

But things don't always work out the way you plan.

SPRING (April 2006) “This is SO frustrating!" Danielle gave up trying to contort her body into the awkward position.

“Promise me you'll never get this fat unless you're pregnant again. We can't sixty-nine with your belly in the way!"