After the house had been secured as best it could, the four spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around Firefly Park. Sundays were always a busy day for the place and they enjoyed watching the people passing by with Mirna not hesitating to point out any fashion faux pas that strolled by.

The heat of the day was waning even though the sun was still upon them. This was partially due to a small breeze that had developed, and partly because it had not really gotten all that hot during the afternoon to begin with. Both couples held hands as they walked; Billy and Abe’s hold drawing a disparaging remark from a couple of teenage boys that had passed. This was ignored.

Several blankets were scattered about the green, freshly mown lawn with happy couples upon them chatting and kissing; a few with small children in carriers that doubled as car seats. From somewhere came the unmistakable aroma of corndogs, whetting their appetites more than when Wei had earlier suggested his restaurant for dinner following their engagement at the park. Yet, with no food stands visible and nobody around them appearing to be eating, the source of the smells remained a mystery.

A really really good smelling mystery.

“I’m getting hungry. Anybody else getting hungry?” Mirna asked.

“You’re always hungry,” her brother told her.

“I’m not hungry yet, but I’m getting there,” Wei said.

Abe nodded. “That sure smells good. Yeah, I could probably eat something.”

“I’m horny,” Billy suddenly added, drawing looks from every single person present - including a teenage girl walking by who was, unfortunately, within hearing range.

Abe smiled at his husband. “Oh, baby, talk dirty to me.”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Can’t you two control yourselves? We’re in the middle of a public Park, for crying out loud,” Mirna growled.

“I can’t be held responsible for the ‘call of the wild’,” Billy told his sister with a smile, tightening his grip on Abe’s hand.

“Maybe not, but you can be held responsible for not broadcasting it to the entire fucking park.” She glanced back at the teenage girl. All at once her eyes shot down to hers and Wei’s handhold. “Not you too?!" she then told her husband. "What the hell’s going on, there some wild ‘hormone dust’ floating around or something?”

Breaking the ‘hormone dust’ moment was a basketball that came bounding over to them with several boys in hot pursuit. The ball headed straight for Abe so he gave it a swift kick to send it back to the kids - only the thing shot off in the wrong direction and landed in the water. Mirna responded by shooting him one of her famous silent glares.

“Abraham, you’re an embarrassment to your race. You realize that don’t you?” she admonished him.

The three young boys, all in their early teens, then gathered around the edge of the water and watched their ball floating well out of reach while contemplating what the hell to do about it, short of actually wading in to get the damned thing.

“Billy, go get their ball,” Mirna demanded.

“Me? Why me? I didn’t kick the stupid thing.”

“Oh, come on. Do your good deed for the day. Take off your shoes and pants and go get their ball.”

“I don’t wear any underwear.”

“Then roll up the legs. Shit, do I have to think of everything?”

Grumbling, Billy kicked off his shoes, pealed his socks off and rolled up the pant legs before stepping into the water with a wince. “Goddamn. This water’s ice cold.”

Mirna laughed. “Stop acting like a fairy. Be a man, Billy.”

He slowly waded out further, the water inching up his leg which necessitated his having to hike the pants up even higher. Of course, as he neared the ball the waves from his legs sent it farther away from him so he made a quick lunge for it with his hands and grabbed it. Feeling quite the hero Billy then turned and tossed it to the eagerly awaiting owners of the ball, receiving assorted ‘thanks’ before they bounded off with their prize. Mirna, Wei and Abe applauded Billy’s deeds to which he just smirked and shook his head.

The wade back to shore was going well until, halfway back, he felt his foot slip out from under him and down he went with a mighty splash. Billy surfaced again spitting water out of his mouth. It tasted muddy. Making matters worse was the fact that his three companions were now laughing their heads off - and doing so from the safety of their dry, warm bank. Cursing to himself Billy regained his footing and returned to dry land under the continued serenade of the hysterics of the ‘friends’ that he swore he would never talk to again as long as he lived.

“Oh, this is just perfect,” Billy grumbled, tugging a sock onto his wet foot while standing unsteadily on one leg. “You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves while I stand here and… ooooh shit!” Losing his balance the boy started to fall but Abe caught him and pulled him back to a safe position. “Thanks,” he grumbled with a frown.

“Oh come on, Billy,” Mirna told him, wiping the tears out of her eyes. “We’re not laughing at you, we’re… Wait. Yeah, actually we are laughing at you.”

“Bitch,” Billy mumbled with a trace of a smile. He slipped on his shoe, tied it and hopped onto his other foot to begin tugging on the other sock, when, once again he felt the strong sensation of being watched. Still perched on the one leg, Billy glanced up and around, this time finding somebody standing some distance away on top of a small hill. It only took a moment to recognize the figure, and with recognition came a devastating chill. “There he is! That’s him!” he whispered and pointed to draw attention to the man with the red hair from Smith’s gang.

Selected text © 2010 Timothy Lee