"Decided to come home for a change," she said, her voice odd, and she had to struggle to keep a tremor out of it.

Robert glanced at his sister. "Anything wrong with that?"

Judy glanced down at the floor, shy. She had not intended to sound bossy. That was the last thing she wanted to sound like at this moment. Rick saw her crestfallen expression.

"Aw, don't get mad, Judy," he said.

"I'm not mad, Rick."

"You look nice," he said.

Judy brightened, lifting her eyes. She clamped her hands behind her and swayed her hips childishly. "Do you really think so?"

"Like the man said… good enough to eat."

With a laugh, she skipped to him, stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She had not kissed her brother in years, and now she was glad she had done it.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You're the best brother in the whole big world!" Judy smiled at him. "I've got the best brother of all!"

For a moment Rick didn't say anything. He just looked at his sister. He was looking at her as if he had never seen her before. "You're different," he said.

"How am I different?" she countered, looking down shyly.

"Well you smell good, for one thing," he said, peering at her. "You look different, too. I don't know how different, but different. Aw, you know what I mean, Judy."

"Do you like me?" she asked in a shy voice, looking at him from lowered lashes.

"Sure, I like you. You're my sister, aren't you?"

"I don't mean that way," she pouted. "Do you like me better than any other girl in the whole world?"

"How am I supposed to like you?"

"Well…" She shuffled one foot on the carpet. "I don't know. I just kinda thought… well, that you liked me better than other girls."

"You're acting funny, Judy," Rick said.

"Is something wrong with you?"

"No," she said, then in a whisper: "Yes, there is something wrong with me."