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The next morning Justin was skipping rocks across the lake from his perch n the dock. Alex sat down beside him. “So are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?” Her emerald green eyes pierced through to his very soul. He reached his hand around her neck, pulling her close enough that their foreheads touched. She moved back and looked at him inquisitively. He pulled her face towards him and their lips met. Her fingers intertwined as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and gently nudged her mouth open. Alex moaned as he tasted the sweetness of her mouth. Timidly, she pushed her tongue against his, tasting him in return.
“God you guys, get a room!” Shae’s voice broke them apart. “We want to go swimming so cut the mush.”
Alex opened her eyes to look into Justin’s. He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips and softly kissed each fingertip, without breaking eye contact.
“Hellooo, Justin and Alex, this ground control, come in Justin and Alex.” Shae walked to the end of the dock and dipped her toes in the water. “Brrr. Alex you actually enjoy swimming in these arctic conditions?…” Shae kept chattering away to no one in particular as she twisted her brown curls into a pony tail.
Alex’s eyes twinkled as she spoke to Justin. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Well, yes but I didn’t know you were such a voyeur. I thought maybe you’d like a little more privacy than this.”
“Justin!” Alex yelped and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean that.” Meanwhile Shae was still at the end of the dock testing the water and talking to herself. Alex lowered her voice. “I meant the other thing that I’m thinking that you’re thinking.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Justin said, realization setting in. He grinned evilly. “You are so wicked.”
Shae chatted about the frigid water at the end of the dock. She never even saw it coming. She had just enough time to let out a short scream before she hit the water. When she resurfaced, sputtering, she threatened the two standing smugly on the dock. “You guys are sooo dead.” She said, gasping for air. Justin was doubled over, laughing hysterically and pointing at Shae. From beside him he heard Alex yell “Body check!” and he flew into the water.
“Geronimo!” Alex heard a voice from behind her. Lance, JC, Chris and Joey were running down the hill to get in on the action. Alex backed away from them.
“Oh no you don’t!” SPLASH!! In she went, starting off the domino effect. After Lance pushed Alex in, JC slammed into Lance sending him through the air and into the drink. Chris in turn, pushed JC into the water. Joey and Chris wrestled for a minute before Joey finally went in.
Chris stood on the edge of the dock, beating his chest and yelling, “I’m the king of the world!” He didn’t see Shae and Justin scheming behind him.
“Whatever you say your highness.” Shae yelled back just as she and Justin slammed into him. All three landed with an enormous splash. For the next half hour a vicious water war ensued. Sides were taken, alliances betrayed and no one was left dry.

*********************

Late in the afternoon Alex walked down to the dock alone. The water was like glass. The sky had a golden glow above the thick trees across the lake. Alex dropped the sarong from around her waist and dove in, making ripples in the flat surface. She loved this place. It was so serene. It was the only place in the world where she could feel 100% safe. Where she didn't have to look behind her when she walked down the street. Even though Greg was dead, he still haunted her mind and memories. Coming back to the surface for air, she looked back at the cabin. A loon called out from across the lake. There was a quick movement from behind the trees, on the deck. Alex squinted. She thought she might have seen Justin. She shook her head. "Calm down girl," she said to herself. "It's just a squirrel." She turned her shoulder towards the shore across the lake from the cabin, dipped her face in the water and broke into a fast front crawl.

Justin stood above the shoreline, on the deck of the cabin, watching Alex on the dock. He caught his breath when her sarong fell to her feet. She moved gracefully through the water, like a bird through air. Thoughts raced through his mind, not one of them gentlemanly. He watched her strong arms pull her through the water to the other side of the lake.
"Oui, C’est L’amour." Chris said wistfully in his best french accent.
Justin turned around, startled and embarrassed that he had been caught looking at her.
Chris smiled. “Is there a specific reason why you have been avoiding being alone with her?."
Justin sighed and slumped his shoulders. “Is it that obvious?”
“Hmmm, I think the fact that you have been sharing a room with me for the past two nights might have given it away.”
“She confuses the hell outta me.” Justin replied.
“Hmmm, how’s that?”
“I told her I loved her. I said it and I meant it but…”
“She’s never said it back, has she?”
“No.”
“Maybe she’s said it in a different way and you weren’t listening. She’s a complicated women. Hell! They all are! But Alex is most of all. She loves you. If you can’t see that then maybe you should get your eyes checked. I’ve seen the way she looks at you when you aren’t looking. Trust me on this one man. Listen with your heart.”

Chris left Justin on the deck, alone with his thoughts and walked back into the cabin. Justin slowly descended the deck stairs and made his way down to the dock. Sitting on the edge with his legs hanging in the water, he waited for Alex to return from her swim across the lake. Alex noticed he was waiting for her before she got right to the dock. She smiled to herself. She liked the thought of him waiting for her. Once she reached the dock, she stood up in the water and then took her seat beside him. “You wanna go for a skinny dip?” her eyes twinkled as she teased him. When he lifted his head to meet her gaze, her expression turned serious. “Justin? something bothering you?”
“No. Just tired.” He replied.
“Liar.” She sneered, suddenly angry.
Justin leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “Alex, I love you.”
Alex hung her head and spoke. “Justin don’t say that. You know that I can’t say it back.”
“Why? Alex. I’m not him. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll never let anything hurt you again. I love you.”
When she didn’t reply after a few minutes, Justin stood up and left her sitting on the dock alone. He turned and headed up to the cabin. Slamming the door to the bedroom he shared with Chris, he climbed up to the top bunk and flopped back on his pillow.
Alex wiped a tear from her eye, stood up and dove into the lake. She swam out thirty feet to the floating dock. She climbed up the ladder, sat in the middle and began devising a plan.


That night was not as busy at Tiny’s. Kalya got them a table closer to the stage this time and took their orders for drinks. Little Andrea bounded up to Chris and giggled. “I know who you are.” She said.
“Do you? Who am I then?” He asked.
“You’re Chris Kerpatsik form my second favert band.”
Chris laughed at the way she mispronounced his last name. “Who is your most favorite band?”
“Lexington Avenue.” She replied smugly. “Daddy says since it’s special tonight, I can watch the show.”
“What is so special about tonight?”
“That singer lady is only here for one more night. Then she’s going away again.”
“You mean she’s not part of the band?”
“She used to be but now she is only visiting.”
“Don’t you have school tomorrow?” Chris questioned more.
“I gots summer holidays.” She giggled and climbed onto the chair beside him.
Tiny came out on stage and announced the return of Lexington Avenue. The band came out to less cheering this time. The crowd was very small, only the hardcore regulars ever showed up on Sundays. The lead singer adjusted the mic to her height.
Little Andrea smiled at Justin, “Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
“Yes, she’s pretty.” He replied, listlessy. Honestly, he hadn’t been paying attention. His mind was on the fight he had had with Alex that afternoon and what he could have said to make it turn out differently that it had.
“She told me that she likes you too.” Andrea covered her mouth and giggled.
Justin smiled at her again. He was so used to young girls telling him that they loved him that it barely meant anything to him now.
The singer was talking to the audience when Justin turned his attention to her. “I really appreciate the welcome I got when I came out here last night. It made me realize that people that are important to me need to hear how much I care.” She pulled the mic off the stand and walked towards the edge of the stage. “I have been very negligent in telling someone how important he is to me. So I want you to listen to the words of this song. Every word expresses all the things that I’m afraid to tell this person how very special he is to me.” She signaled to the band, who put down there instruments and sat down on the edge of the stage. Then everything went totally black. Little Andrea shrieked and clung to Chris’ sleeve. A lonely spotlight came on and pointed to the stage. Surrounded by the glow was the singer sitting at a grand piano in the centre of the stage. She started to play a soft melody and sing.

Something in your eyes Makes me want to lose myself
Makes me want to lose myself
In your arms
There's something in your voice
Makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts
The rest of my life
If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've felt so low
If you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you've done…

Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back where
I come from…

If you knew how much this moment means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
If you knew how happy you are making me
I've never thought I'd love anyone so much
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

She played the last note of the tune to a completely silent audience. After a moment, she stood up from the piano and walked off the stage, to the table where Justin was. She reached up and pulled off her neon pink wig. Long blond hair tumbled down her back, making everyone at the table gasp. It was Alex. It had been her all along. Little Andrea, now sitting in Chris’ lap giggled. “I knew it was her.” She whispered in his ear.
Justin smiled. She had said it. Not the three words he expected to hear, but many more and this time he had been listening. She stood, heart on her sleeve in front of him. Justin was speechless. He was in awe at what had just taken place.
“Justin, say something.” She whispered, her eyes pleading with him.
He finally took her in his arms and kissed her. It was a kiss to confirm everything they felt for each other and finally they both knew, without a doubt.
Little Andrea was clapping and bouncing up and down on Chris’ lap. “How did you know it was her?” He laughed at her little girl giggles.
“Duh! Where do you think the name Lexington Avenue came from? Daddy calls Lex the founding member, but I don’t know what that means.” She peered up at him. He could learn a lot from this little girl, he thought. He should have asked her about the band sooner.
“You never told me you could sing like that.” Justin said after the kiss.
“You never asked.” Alex smiled and replied.

*********************************

Later at the cabin, everyone had gone to bed. Chris had made Alex promise that she would fill him in on everything about Lexington Avenue and that they would talk about making a demo, on the condition that Alex would be lead vocals. She said she would think about it but wouldn’t promise anything.
Justin and Alex found themselves alone in front of the fireplace. Wordlessly, they sat down with Alex cuddled in Justin’s lap. Leaning against his chest, they watched the flames die down to glowing embers. Alex finally spoke first. “I thought that you had found someone else because you were avoiding me this week.”
“Never.” Justin tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Oh Justin, I have so much to tell you about the last three weeks. I missed you. You are never going to guess what I bought last week!”
They laid in each other’s arms all night talking and watching the sun rise high in the sky. The morning air was cold without the fire going and Alex nuzzled in closer to Justin.
“Alex, do you ever think about your daughter?”
“Everyday, every night and every hour in between. Why do you ask?”
“Do you think you’ll ever try to find her?”
“No”
Justin was surprised at how confident she was in her answer. “Why not?”
“She’s not mine any more. She has a mom, a dad, a family, and a whole world that I will never be a part of. It would only be selfish of me to try to be. Come with me, I’ll show you something.”
Justin followed Alex into her bedroom. She dug around in her suitcase until she found the gift box that she had taken from the house in Toronto.
“I haven’t opened this yet because I was afraid to look. But I want you to see.”
She tore off the paper and folded back a layer of tissue to reveal a picture frame with an ultrasound photo. Alex traced the outline of the tiny body with her finger. "This is my baby.” Alex held out the picture for him to look at. “If I ever came to learn where she is or who she is there would always be the slight chance that Greg’s family could find out about what I have done. All my hard efforts to keep them away from her would be for naught.” He took the frame from her and set it on the dresser by the door. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as Justin pulled her into a hug
Alex was quiet for a moment, reveling in the comfort of the man she loved. She had never thought she would find this kind of happiness. But she had. She had found love and happiness and a best friend. That was all she wanted and it was standing right in front of her, willing to give her anything.
She pulled his head down to reach her lips and kissed him hungrily. “Now, how about that skinny dip?”
“Lex! It’s six a.m.!” Justin laughed.
“I know a secret place.” She pulled him out of the room by the waist of his jean shorts.


“The cabin is locked up. Is everyone ready to go?”
“Alex, you left half of your stuff in there!” Shae exclaimed. “Don’t you want any of it?”
Alex smiled. “I’m going to leave it here for when I come home the next.”
Shae felt a twinge of pain for her friend. She knew how bad she had wanted to have a place to call home. “Alex, it’s a cabin. It’s a renter. It’s not your home.”
Alex laughed at her friend’s concern. “Not anymore. The house sold in Toronto and I bought the cabin last week. I now officially have a home!”
Shae squealed with glee. “Lex! Why didn’t you tell us? That’s terrific! I love this place!”
“And you’re all invited here for a big New Year’s bash this year. I’ll be coming home for Christmas.”
"But wait a minute, you were supposed to come home with me for Christmas this year. Even if you have somewhere to go, you're still going to be alone."
"No she's not." Justin smiled, encircling his arms around Alex's waist. "She'll have company."
“Oh.” Shae mouthed as a smile spread across her lips.
“We should get going.” Chris said from behind the car. “We have a flight to catch.”
JC mumbled from inside the car. “It’s too early to be up. I’m going to sleep the whole way.” He curled up on the backseat, snuggling with a snoring Frankie.
They piled in the car and turned up the drive. Yes, it is early, Alex thought to herself, but it’s going to be a great day. And tomorrow’s going to be a great day. And the next day, and the next….

Finis