the day after

Eric had had a blast with Syd.

They'd talked all night the first night. About everything. Almost. Everything but Amanda and the baby. He just didn't want to spoil it. He knew it was wrong. But it just wasn't on his mind. Actually. They'd gotten along so well.

Of course, Belle was Syd's baby. She played with her every chance.

"I'll probably be the old cat lady some day." Syd told Eric. "Don't be surprised to find me with a house full of cats."

"I don't think you're that crazy." Eric laughed.

"I'm afraid I am." She teased him. But he didn't think so. He knew about her drug problem About how she'd taken speed just to keep her grades up, being a double major in government and French. "As if I could be an Ambassador, anywhere." Now she wasn't so sure she wanted to go back to school for anything academically. "Maybe I could go in to the medical field. I mean, not with drugs or anything. But you know, some sort of technician."

Eric did his best not to question her too much even if his mother kept annoying him about it, and the fact that he had to tell her about Amanda. He certainly felt she wanted to ruin his Christmas, except his Dad was there and she was different with him around. All giggly and kind of silly.

Then at her place he had Ian and Cami to put up with. She was pleasant enough, and naturally all she could talk about was Ian going to school here. Honestly, he envied Ian. It was all so sweet and kind of aggravating. He wanted to tell his brother not to spoil it with sex, of course, he couldn't even follow his own advice.

By the second day, it had already happen. The sex.

He wasn't banking on it happening, yet he wanted it to happen. Possibly, a way to keep her here, he supposed. Which he felt awful about, but he didn't want to see her go. So then after Christmas, it was as if they couldn't get enough of each other. And he was so glad it snowed. Unfortunately, they never got around to sledding, and he never got around to telling Syd about Amanda. As it was, all he had was the brown sweater she'd knitted him and their memories of her being here.

"Are you crazy!" Kyle said first thing when he confided in him the night she left. "Did you even use protection?"

"Of course," Eric winced, even though, he wasn't completely sure. Every-time. He was at home on his cell with Kyle.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Kyle said.

"Of course, I know what I'm doing." Eric sighed knowing he might be older than Kyle, but that didn't make him any wiser. "So how was your Christmas?"

"Good. Really, good, I spent it with Heath's family." Kyle told him.

"Heath was there?"

"No, I've been seeing Heath's sister, Amber."

"Heath has a sister? How did you meet her?"

"Nick, OK. We're just friends. That's all we are. Friends." Kyle assured him.

"Nice. Glad you've got a friend." Eric told him, wishing he could possibly be just that with Syd, but he wanted more. He couldn't wait to see her again. Just then Syd beeped in. He had to let Kyle go. He closed his eyes, hoping the time he'd spent with Syd wasn't a mistake.