18.2 Graduation

Winter 1998, West residence

The party had gone for quite a while. Most of the guests were drinking, dancing and just enjoying themselves. Linda rather opted to sit down and relax a bit. She had had to stand for almost the whole day already.

"So what will you do now, with that Doctor title of yours?", Brian asked her, smiling.

"Actually, the university asked me to stay at the research center and continue experimenting on my project", she replied, feeling the warmth of shy pride on her cheeks.

"Oh, that's such a nice offer!", her neighbour Madeleine exclaimed.

It was, just...

"The only downside is that I'll have to give lessons too...", Linda sighed.

There was no job at the university, without at least some teaching involved.

"Well, learning how to teach others might be a very usefull skill for your future!", Brian said.

Only that Linda hated to speak in front of audiences.

She sighed once more. "Maybe you're right...". It never was bad to push one's boundaries, after all.

Behind her she heard her neighbour Jesse approach. "Maddie, why dun' ya dansssss....", he tried to articulate himself.

"Jesse!", Madeleine whispered sharply, "Don't drink so much!"

Almost in the same second she turned to Linda: "Oh, how the time passed! I think we have to leave now, dear. Have a nice party!"

She barely finished and got up already.

"It was nice to have you here!", Linda replied politely, trying not to break out in laughter.

"Linda, darling", Brian also turned to her. "I'll have to prepare for the business trip tomorrow, so I have to go now, too. I'll see you next weekend?"

Linda nodded.

He kissed her goodbye on the cheek.

"Good night, darling!", he said.

"Good night!"

Linda slowly felt how tired she actually was. And just the thought of cleaning up the mess the guests had caused, gave her a head ache.

"You look like you could use another drink!", she heard Frank coming towards her.

"I could use a good night's sleep...", she shot back, without paying too much attention.

"Oh - I didn't mean... ", Linda immediately felt bad for being so impolite. Also she just realized that they had barely talked the whole night. And she felt sorry for it.

"Hey," Frank showed an apologetic smile. "You probably didn't have enough the last few days."

Linda knew he understood the stress of preparing a hearing.

He turned towards the others. "Guys, taco Friday is starting at the Mudhole, let's go!"

The other guests cheered, and started to move towards the door. Most of them were quite drunk.

Linda watched them amused.

Frank turned to her once more. "Good night, Linda," he said. "Tomorrow I'll come help you clean up."

Linda smiled. "Thanks", she replied.

"Hmm, I think we overdid the partying a little?", her sister chuckled, coming to her, while Herbert tried to drag out Mariella, who apparently didn't want to let go of the puppy.

"Did you seriously just invite everyone you know?", Linda said, but she had to laugh. "The house was cramped full!"

"I didn't invite the Brandenburgs!", Mae answered, pulling off the most innocent face she could manage.

Both women had to laugh.

12.1 Baby Party

Spring 1997, Cage residence

Delilah had given birth a week ago, and the Cages had invited everyone over to their new house for a party, when she could return home from the hospital.

"Hey, you two! It's nice that you could make it! We have a few guests already, come in!", Delilah greeted the sisters, brightly smiling, when they arrived. 

She led them directly to the stroller in the living room, where the baby was watching curiously the environmenet.

"Booh booh! You're awake, Mikey?", she made some funny noises to the boy.

"Ohhh, he's adorable!", Mae purred.

Linda found the baby looked the same as any other baby she had seen so far. But she didn't want to be impolite, so she expressed also some delightful phrase.

Delilah was ravishing over him.

"He sure gave me some sleepless nights, though!", she told the sisters.

"I bet it is not easy taking care of a baby!", Linda replied.

"It sure is not! But he is my greatest joy!", Delilah admitted, taking him out of the stroller and rocking him softly.

Linda had heard words like this from every mother she had met so far, but she didn't really understand the logic in that.

But then she guessed it must be similar to how she felt with the alien sprouts in the lab. Those had given her a lot of head aches too, but she loved taking care of them when they finally started to grow.

On the sofa in the living room they met Madeleine and Jesse.

"Good evening! Thank you again for the invite to the party last weekend!", Linda said politely.

"Hello! Glad you enjoyed it!", Madeleine replied cheerfully.

"Sorry I missed it", Mae said. "I bet the home made punch was delicious."

"Oh, Linda told you about it?", Madeleine's face glowed.

Linda didn't.

"Apple cider and pear schnapps was quite a... unique combination", she said to her sister.

She saw Mae make a face of disgust for a second, and had to laugh.

"Oh - " Delilah cried out. "Sorry I didn't even offer you a drink yet!"

She pointed over to the open kitchen. "Leroy made some cocktails, please help yourself!"

In the kitchen were also Frank, and a women Linda thought she saw on the wedding, sitting on a big table.

"Hello Frank!" Linda greeted him, feeling a big smile appearing on her face. "I think you didn't meet my sister Mae yet", she added.

Mae and her had paid a visit to Delilah in the hospital, but they had only met Leroy there.

"Thank god this is better than that yucky combination the Sanfords made you drink last week, Linda!", Mae burst out, after trying Leroy's Margherita.

"Glad you like it, Mae", Leroy laughed.

"What did they do to you?", Frank asked her in playful horror.

"Just some terrible home made punch that offends my gourmet sister", Linda laughed now too.

"You never mix those two!", Mae insisted.

"I think we haven't been introduced yet", the other woman said then.

"I'm Diana!"

She looked really nice, Linda thought.

Diana looked like she wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Delilah, who brought a lot more people with her.

"Hey guys! You're late!", Leroy greeted them.

"Congratulatios to the new father! And happy sleepless nights!", the black haired woman said to him.

Everyone laughed.

This evening promised to be more fun than the one last weekend.

Good times

11.5 Mae West

Spring 1997, West residence

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?", Linda greeted her sister, when Mae entered the sunroom. She had still her reading glasses on, but it looked as if she had finished the science magazine she had subscribed to.

"Sure!", Mae replied cheerfully.

She filled her plate with one of the pancakes Linda had made.

"Say... did you meet someone?", Mae burst out, watching her sister's face carefully.

She noticed Linda was even more absent minded than usually. And she often had that dreamy look.

"Huh?", Linda seemed confused.

"Don't "huh?" me! Tell me about him!", Mae demanded, smiling.

"Uhm...", Linda seemed to think. "Well, I am not sure if it is anything serious yet..."

"Who cares?", Mae became impatient. "Just tell me who it is!"

Linda laughed. "I met a man two weeks ago at work, he was buying our plants. He called me the next day, and we went out for dinner. And then, once more."

"Why you tell me that only now?", Mae couldn't believe it.

"Well, you were gone most of the time!", Linda scolded her, but smiling.

Linda was right. Mae had been quite busy with working at the bar, her own dates, and now even with her boyfriend's daughter. She even hadn't managed to go to their friend's wedding, because all the business had struck her down with a nasty cold.

"But seriously... he's the most handsome guy I've ever seen!", Linda continued then. "Also, he's super nice, charming, and a real gentleman..."

Mae listened amused to her enthusiastic chatter.

Mae then decided to at least try having breakfast together every morning with Linda again. She didn't want to miss out more of her sister's life.

And the delicious pancakes Linda made.

Suddenly the door bell rang.

"I'll get it", Linda said. She had finished breakfast.

Mae heard some voices, and went to the door herself, curious who visited.
She saw an unknown man and woman in their living room.
Linda was trying to excuse herself to be still in a bathrobe.
Mae chuckled. Her sister had only realized it now.


"Hi there", Mae said to them.
"This is my sister Mae", Linda introduced her.

"These are Madeleine and Jesse Sanford, our new neighbours", Linda continued, "they are throwing a party tonight to get to know everyone."

"Of course you're invited too!", Madeleine said with a melodic voice.
They looked boring, the typical middle-class suburbian couple. Probably they would play classic music and serve home made lemonade and punch.
"Sweet!", Mae lied. "But sorry, I have to pass... I have plans already I cannot cancel."
She preferred to go to the cinema with Mariella tonight.