“What’s the matter, matter?
Blue eyes, blue eyes

What’s the matter with you?”

The second Liv opened the door Zam bounded into the warm house skidding across the runner and flying into the kitchen where her mother’s voice could be heard.

“Who wants the turkey heart? Zam wants the turkey heart!” She cooed as if he were and oversized baby, which is basically what he was. Liv unwound her scarf from her head as she listened to her mother speak to her pet as warmly as she spoke to any of her children.

“Oliiiivia!” She shrilled and poked her head out into the hallway. “You’re just in time to help us, though Jeremy is almost finished with the lemon tarts.”

“Did you just call me a tart?” Liv heard Jemmy’s voice from the kitchen and her mother rolled her eyes.

“No, but you certainly are.” She said and disappeared back into the kitchen.

“Well touché.”

Liv smiled and removed her dripping boots, then went down the hallway to where they were busy huddled over boiling pots and other kitchen appliances. “What are you doing?” She asked and let Zam out into the backyard where he danced about the snow. She often thought he pranced a lot like Michael Jackson, well for a dog anyway.

“We’re making dinner.” Jemmy said. “For tonight.”

“That generally is when people have dinner.” Liv said and kissed them both on the cheek before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Jemmy and Belinda shot each other looks. “Did you tell her?” He asked.

Her eyes went wide. “No, I thought you did.”

Concerned, Liv bit her lip. “Told me what?”

Her mother didn’t say anything for a moment. “Well, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in the city?”

Liv shot her a tired look. “You said you wanted me home the weekend before Christmas!”

“Oh right,” Belinda tapped a wooden spoon against her lip. “Oh!” She suddenly exclaimed. “That’s right, I wanted you home because we’re having our in-laws over for dinner.”

A stony expression overcame Liv’s face. “What?”

“It’s about time, don’t you think? Since we haven’t even met this boy, Sean what’s his face.”

“His name is Ben.” Jemmy supplied.

“Yes, Ben. You’re father is starting to think he doesn’t even exist.”

Annoyed Liv dropped her forehead onto the wooden table. “So I drove all the way up here so we could all make sure this Ben isn’t part of Sarah’s strange fantasy?”

“And the rest of his family is going to be here. Oh, what are their names again Jeremy?” Her mother asked while tapping the spoon this time against her head.

Brushing flour off his lovely bright green apron Jemmy made a humming sound. “Um, Meredith…” He paused. “And the brother’s name is, Sam? No, that’s not right. Salmon.”

“Salmon?” Liv asked.

“No, shh, I’m thinking. Ssssoooo… I don’t remember. It’s weird though.”

Liv suppressed a groan and slumped into her chair. What could be worse than spending the evening with perfect Sarah and her perfect fiancé all blissfully in love. Liv was sorry to say she was jealous, the closest thing she had to a romantic relationship were phone calls to a stranger. She was so pathetic. Thinking of strangers she pulled out her phone and sent a text to her O’Malley.

“Dinner with the new in-laws. I need a good excuse to get out of it.”

About a minute later my phone buzzed in my hand.

“Your friend Cindy is having a poetry reading and you promised her you’d go. And if you don’t she might kill herself. You know, she’s poetic like that.”

She smiled and tucked the phone back into her pocket. “Oh,” She said rather lamely. “I just remembered, I have to see Cindy.”

“What?” Belinda cried.

“Cindy, you remember her Jemmy, she has that poetry reading tonight and I promised her we’d go.”

Jemmy didn’t say anything for a minute. “Who the hell is Cindy?”

Not helpful! “You remember her, from high school. I ran into her and she invited me. I have to go, she’s like scary and depressed. I wouldn’t want her to off herself.”

Liv could see Jemmy wasn’t fooled by her lie, but thankfully her mother was. She let out a heavy sigh and began mixing something. “Oh all right, you’ll meet them after Christmas anyway. Ben will be staying here until the wedding.

“Great. I guess I’m going now.” Liv stood up, dreading having to go back out into the cold.

“I’m coming with you.” Jemmy said and untied his apron.

Belinda frowned at them both. “Well, fine. But I’m not saving you any tarts!”

They put on their winter gear all while Jemmy suspiciously looked at Liv. The second they were outside he asked, “Okay, what’s going on?”

“Oh come on,” Live laughed. “like you want to go.”

“I do!” Jemmy said. “It’ll be fun. I was planning on asking this Ben a thousand personal questions.”

Liv huffed and dragged him towards her car. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re such a fabulous best friend and that you would never ditch me for Sarah’s possibly sexy fiancé.”

For a moment Jemmy didn’t say anything, then, “You think he’ll be sexy?”

She punched him in the chest. “Come on, let’s get exceptionally drunk and disorderly.” Flashing him a grin she opened the car door. “And maybe I’ll let you have sex with me.”

Jemmy rolled his eyes. “You wish.”

With his chin on the table, and his arms dangling lifelessly at his side, Solo let out a dying moan. He couldn’t write, not even a word. He wanted to believe it was because of a simply case of writer’s block, but he knew no words would come because he was stressing over the fact that the girl of his dreams was reading his book and judging him.

He let out another moan.

Finally annoyed, he ripped the paper out of his typewriter and replaced it with a new one, as if that would help any. Fingers poised and ready, he waited for a thought; just one thought to get the ball rolling. Suddenly, his cat jumped up and demanded he stroke her fur, completely wiping his head of all literal thoughts.

“I hate you.” He said but pleased her by rubbing his finger under her chin. She purred in response.

Thinking he had been sitting for too long he got up and stretched his long limbs then raked his hands through his dirty blond hair. Actually, it was more dirty than blond. He needed a shower.

His muscles seemed to just melt under the hot spray of water and so did his thoughts. As he was enjoying the feeling of being completely relaxed the phone in his apartment shrilled loudly, making him wince. “I’m not going to answer it.” He mumbled and ducked his head under the water again.

The answering machine picked up. “I’m not here.” The machine said in his voice. “Do what you must.” Beep.

“Um… Solo?”

His heart stopped beating. He’d know that voice anywhere.

“It’s me… Shannon.”

He fumbled to turn off the shower, but only turned the hot water up. Cursing he nearly slipped but managed to get out in one piece.

“Ah… I know you probably don’t want to be hearing this but I um…” She let out a sigh. “I left a box in your closet by accident. It’s got some stuff in it, and um… I’m moving so I… I don’t even know if you kept… Ah, just call me when you get this. Please.” The please was slightly desperate because she figured he wouldn’t bother. Wrapping a towel around his waist he grabbed the old rusty telephone from under a bunch of newspapers.

“Hello?” He asked frantically into the reviver but she’d already hung up.

Solo blew his wet hair out of his face and hung up.

He pictured her face in his mind and the way her hair sometimes flipped over one eye. He shook the thought out of his head and listened to the message again.

“What box?” He asked and headed into his bedroom, which was merely a mattress on the floor surrounded by books and magazines. It was quite disgusting and he remembered that Shannon only tolerated his messiness. He opened his closet and began pulling out various things that one might find in a closet that had been left to accumulate for a while. Then he found it, her box in the back.

He pulled it out and into better light then opened it. Inside were an assortment of things, photo’s, funny mugs, Christmas lights she’d draped over his mantel during the holidays, clothes. Her clothes. He fought the urge to bring a pink sweater to his face and breathe her in. But he didn’t have to, her scent just wafted out of the box, and hit him like a truck. Memories flooded his mind.

Throwing down the sweater something else caught his attention. A bottle of champagne; expensive stuff, half empty.

She’d bought it when his first book got nothing but positive reviews. He remembered her sitting on the mattress with a newspaper in her hand as he came into the room with the bottle and two glasses.

“Listen!” She beamed. “Adam’s debut novel might well be the best I’ve read this year. His gorgeous use of the English language with the help of a superb and mostly disturbing plot as well as a cast of unlikely characters has convinced me that Adams may well be the new Stephen King. This book has crawled it’s way onto my bookshelf and it should do so on yours. Pick up your copy of Deathtrap today, I guarantee this book will make you fear for the things that lurk in the dark all over again.” She’d read it nearly twenty times to him already, but he didn’t mind. “God Solo, he’s like the Simon of book reviews! Why aren’t you as excited as I am!”

“Oh I am.” He said and placed the glasses on a shelf. Then he began to shake the champagne, and watched as her eyes went wide.

“Don’t you dare.”

“I thought we were celebrating.” He said innocently.

“Solo, don’t!”

He popped the cork with a loud bang and pressed his thumb against the opening causing the bubbly liquid to spray all over the room. Shannon let out a horrified scream, which turned into a laugh as he jumped onto her and began kissing at her wet cheeks.

Lying on the wet mattress, wrapped in each other, and both sticky from the champagne, Shannon cupped his face in her hands. “I’m so proud of you.”

His entire chest swelled with pride and love as he bent his head to kiss her again. “Will you marry me?” He asked so quietly that if the room had been filled with people she’d still be the only one to hear him.

Shock passed over her face, then tears welled up in her eyes. “Of course I will.” She whispered just as quietly and hugged him tightly to her.

They’d been engaged for a long time, a little over a year. Of course it ended with him standing alone in front of everyone he knew, completely humiliated, and wanting to destroy something. Instead he simply walked back down the aisle, got into the luxury limo that was supposed to take them off to a future of bliss, and instead had it drop him off at a bar where he proceeded to consume every alcoholic beverage in existence. Then somehow he found himself shagging his agent of her shag rug. How fitting.

This bottle represented everything he hated.

Lifting his arm he prepared to fling it across the room.

With a grumbled he lowered his arm. Might as well finish it. After all it was a nearly three hundred-dollar bottle of champagne.

Not a good idea. It was flat and disgusting, probably moldy too. He spat it out then threw it out.

Just as he was about to throw out everything in the box the phone rang again. Thinking it was Shannon, he drove for the phone and pressed it against the side of his face. “Hello?”

“Put on something nice.” Ben said. “You’re coming to dinner.”

Solo rolled his eyes. “With whom?”

“Me, mom, Sarah… and her parents.”

“No.” Solo said automatically.

“Come on, you have too.”

“For starters having dinner with just you is bad enough. Plus mom, is worse, plus your fiancé who molested me is possibly the last thing I want to do.”

“Please man, If I’ve ever done anything for you-”

“You haven’t.”

“Solo!”

“No. I have to go see Cindy my poet friend.”

“You don’t have any friends. I’m coming to pick you up.” He hung up leaving, Solo to growl at the dial tone.

Ten minutes later and Solo was dressed in his best and sitting in Ben’s car. “I hate you.” He mumbled.

“Why are you being the worst brother in the world?”

“Because…”

“Child.”

“I was in the middle of writing.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “You’ve written three books in the last year already, don’t you think you need a break?”

“No.”

“Maybe you need a girl.”

Solo made a weird sound. “I don’t need anything.”

“Sarah has a sister. Libby or something.”

“No.”

“I haven’t met her, but if she looks half as good as Sarah.”

“No.”

Ben let out a frustrated moan.

“Besides,” Solos said and crossed his arms. “If I need a girl that bad all I have to do if get your bride drunk.”

His brother punched him in the arm. “She’s really sorry about that. It’s not her fault you look exactly like me.”

Solo made a weird face then ran a hand through his hair to mess it up a little so it didn’t look as slicked back as Ben’s. “What are you talking about? We hardly look the same anymore, and if anything you look like me.”

“What are you talking about? We’re identical.”

“Well excuse me,” Solo said and rolled up his sleeve. “Do you have this birthmark right here, hmm, do you?”

Ben scowled. “So what, we have different birthmarks, we have the same hair, the same eyes, the same voice.”

“Mines deeper.”

“Shut up.” Ben growled. “The point is, it’s understandable for Sarah to mistake you for me.”

“Or maybe she’s just hot for me.”

Ben laughed. “You wish.”

The Fraser’s family house looked like one of those adorable cottages you see peeking out beside a mountain. Solo half expected to see a caribou grazing through the snow on their front lawn. “Help me out of the car.” Their mother said and waved her hand out in the cold air, waiting for someone to take it. Solo had wished they hadn’t picked her up along the way.

When the front door opened, Sarah bounded out into the evening wearing a large fluffy jacket. “Ben!” She smiled and hurried over to him, but stopped. “You are Ben, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Solo is right there.” He pointed to his brother who was ducting into the back seat and helping Meredith who, living in the city, wore the complete opposite of what was considered as winter wear.

Solo looked up and barely made eye contact with her. “Hi.”

“Hey,” She said nervously. “Oh Mrs. Adam’s it’s so lovely to finally meet you.”

“Oh!” Meredith cried, surprised by Sarah. “You have red hair.” There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Catching it, Sarah reached up and touched the ends feeling self-conscious. “Ah… yes I do.”

“Hmm…” Meredith mumbled thoughtfully and began walking up the shoveled path with Solo.

Sarah looked at Ben questioningly. He shrugged. “She’s a very opinionated woman, don’t worry about it.”

Sarah made her own mumbled sound and followed her mother in-law to be into the house.

Solo learned that he liked Belinda Fraser the second she opened her mouth. She was one of those people who were born to be a mother. Everything about her was loud, from her red hair to her colorful dress, to her booming voice. The second they came into the door she was there with hot cheese buns for everyone.

Sarah’s father on the other hand, Joe Fraser was one of those men you didn’t want to upset. He was tall, broad everywhere, and had little slits for eyes that made him look at everything suspiciously. Solo could tell he was slightly put off by the fact that he was wearing a sweater with prancing reindeer upon his meaty chest. Something his wife had obviously made him wear.

The Adams looked complete out of place in their house. Everything was colourful and worn with pictures of people Solo didn’t know but soon probably would. It was exactly the opposite of the way he grew up, in a house where everything was clean and neat and cool.

“Come come!” Belinda smiled wildly as she ushered everyone into the living room where there were more pictures of family decorating every surface. When Belinda finally stopped moving long enough to look at the new addition to the family she gasped. “Good lord, you two are twins!”

Solo didn’t get why everyone acted that way, as if twins were an endangered species and were seldom seen in public. “Ah… yes. It’s nice to meet you.” Solo said and stuck out his hand since no one else seemed to take the initiative. Belinda ignored it and crushed him into a loving hug.

“Aren’t you adorable. Are you the one marrying my daughter?”

Sarah blushed deeply. “No, that would be my brother. I’m Solo by the way.”

She stood still a moment. “Did you say Solo?”

He nodded.

“What a unique name.”

“He’s very independent.” Meredith finally spoke up. “Since the moment he was born.”

“Seems unlikely since he’s a twin.” Joe muttered suspiciously.

“You are obviously Meredith!” Belinda cried and hugged his mother in the same manner. Meredith, who was unfamiliar with this kind of behavior, wrinkled her nose. “We have much to talk about.”

“You have red hair.” She said, looking wildly at it.

With the same concern Sarah had, Belinda touched the ends. “I do.”

“Hmm…”

Solo mentally rolled his eyes, his mother was going to be difficult.

When Belinda walked away to get more appetizers and Joe seated himself in his chair, everyone took a place and relaxed a little. Ben and Sarah engaged in a conversation with her father, and Meredith grabbed hold of Solo’s hands so tightly he tried to pry them off.

“These people are red heads, even the father.” She said in a low voice.

“So what?” He sighed.

“You know how I feel about them!”

“You are so obtuse.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He looked down at his hand resting on his knee and caught a glimpse of something shiny. The light from the lamp was bouncing off a picture frame and glaring into his eye. He moved it slightly then saw it was a photo of Sarah and another girl. They were young, maybe twelve, thirteen. Sarah’s hair was pulled into a giant ponytail and the girl’s next to her was in a long dark braid. They were both smiling hugely, showing off their multicolored braces. Solo smiled and picked up the photo.

“That’s our other daughter, Olivia.” Belinda said suddenly appearing out of nowhere and sitting down next to him. “And the boy in the back about to shoot his water gun at them is their friend Jeremy.” Solo studied the three kids then placed the photo back. “Cute kids. She doesn’t look like her sister.”

“Ha, no she doesn’t. Must have been a recessive gene.”

“You’re daughter isn’t here?”

“No, she had other plans, silly girl. I suspect you’ll meet her soon.”

“Looking forward to it.” He said politely.

For dinner Belinda had made a fantastic feast. Everything Solo wanted to eat was right there in front of him. He bit his lip in anticipation.

As they all dug in Belinda asked the typical questions. Where did you two meet? How long have you been dating? How did you propose? Did you cry?

Then she asked one Solo wasn’t sure he was prepared for. “Solo, are you married?”

He was about to reply with a quick no, but his mother suddenly started to laugh, loudly now that the Fraser’s were feeding her wine. “Oh Solo was almost married.”

“Mom.” He said praying she wouldn’t tell the story.

“Sharon was wonderful. One of those beautiful blondes.”

“Mom.”

“They would have had such pretty babies. With big blue eyes, like my sons.”

“Mom.” This time it was Ben who spoke.

“But she changed her mind. Left him standing there in the church all alone.”

“Mom!” Solo shouted and gripped the table cloth in his hands. When he looked up the Fraser’s had a look of sympathy and embarrassment on their faces. He stood up quickly. “Ah, could I use your bathroom.”

Belinda nodded. “Upstairs.”

If he didn’t leave he would surely start swearing at his mother in front of people he didn’t know.

Since he had no idea where he was going, upstairs Solo walked into a closet, another closet and then someone’s bedroom. A girl’s he knew obviously by the violet walls and the lacy curtains. He was about to close the door when a large dog looked up from the single bed. Uninterested, he put his head back down and closed his eyes.

“Not much of a watch dog, huh?” Solo said as he crossed the room to the animal.

He let him sniff his hand for a moment, then when the dog deemed him a friend he nudged Solo’s hand for a scratch. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around. Quickly he dismissed the idea that this was Sarah’s room. This girl had hockey trophies on top of her bookshelf and a lacrosse stick resting against her closet door. Somehow Sarah didn’t seem like the sports kind of girl.

As he sat there he wondered if his mystery girl were anything like this one. He took out his cell to call her.

She answered on the fifth ring and Solo got an earful of loud techno music. “Hello!” She screamed.

“Ah… hi.”

“Shit hold on!”

He waited and then suddenly the noise stopped. “Hello?”

“Hey…”

“Sorry I was playing Dance Dance Revoultion with a friend.” Her tone was light and cheerful and made him smile.

“Are you winning?”

She laughed. “No. You sound a little down.”

“I’m at a family function.”

“Bummer.”

“It’s not that bad, it’s just my mom is a little insane.”

“Whose isn’t?” She asked.

“Good point.”

There was some silence, but it wasn’t awkward. It was just like she was sitting with him in the dark bedroom. “I’ve named you.” He said finally.

“You did?”

“Mhmm, you’re Not Shannon.”

She paused a moment. “I’m not?”

He rubbed under the dogs chin, briefly wondering what his name was. “No you’re definitely not.”

“I hope this is a good thing.”

“It’s an amazing thing.”

“Good.”

He stopped again, choosing his words wisely. “I wish you were here with me.”

She stopped too, surprised by his words. “I wish I were with you too.” She said quietly.

He listened to her breathing for a few minutes, just drinking up the sound. Then they were interrupted by loud music once more.

“Come on,” Someone shouted. “It’s your turn!”

There were some muffled sounds, probably from her placing her hand over the receiver, then, “I have to go, I’m sorry.” She said to him.

“It’s okay.” Solo said.

“’Bye.”

She hung up leaving Solo alone with the dog. “’Bye.” He said into thin air.

11.07.09:

This took longer than I hoped it would. Sorry dudes. But here it is.

I know you're probably all pissed because they still haven't met. But don't you worry, they totally will. Things are just starting to get interesting.

Oh and seriously you guys, I now have over 100 reviews for two chapters. I LOVE you all so much! I wish I could read and review to your stories too, and I would if school wasn't being such a douche. Or maybe I could individually bake you all giant cakes, and just as you blow out the candles a real live *insert favorite male lead from Penny's stories here* jumps out and whisks you off to paradise.

Yeah... wouldn't that be something.... scary.

Anywho, I'm sick and probably have swine flu or something, so I'm going to pass out on my couch watching Say Yes to the Dress.

Cheerio!

-Penny

P.S. Extra love to Caitlin who made me a banner for this story. XOXO