Le had fallen asleep in Ong noi’s lap. All around them silence reigned. Whatever had happened with Tina and Grace had for the moment quieted down. Ong noi said, “Would you two please go tell Mr. Phelps, I am ready to go home.”

Munch and Thahn Ho both leapt to their feet. Time alone was within their grasp. Thanh Ho said, “Yes, Ong noi.”

For a long moment the old man looked at them and then he said, “Opportunity will present itself if you are patient. It will be a gift and not something stolen that can be sullied.”

Munch didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, but Thahn Ho bowed to Ong noi and said, “Thank you.”

For what? They walked up the steep bank. Once they crested it, Thahn Ho reached for his hand. Instead of taking her hand, Munch put an arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. Nervousness and the desire to kiss her jangled his brain. This spot was too out in the open, and they were way too close to Ong noi. They made their way up the dirt road. Once they reached the junipers that stood along the fence line, Munch drew Thahn Ho into their shadows. He had no idea who reached for who first all he knew is that she was in his arms and she tasted and felt so very good. He could have kissed her forever, but she pulled away. He looked down at her. Her face was flushed and her eyes were bright. “I think we best get to the house. Ong noi is waiting.” She held out her hand to him and he took it. The interlude had been too brief and he wanted more, but he knew she was right, Ong noi was waiting.

Side by side they walked. Thahn Ho said, “Ong noi is right. If we are patient opportunity will present itself.”

Munch asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“He doesn’t want us sneaking around.” She paused and said, “I don’t want us sneaking around.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

“No. Ong noi is not stupid. He has gifted us with this time. He believes you are an honorable young man. It is a trust you don’t want to break.”

Munch began to protest.

Thahn Ho held up her hand. “Michael, I am not a fool. I know the risk I am taking in my care for you. If what I can offer is not enough, then you should look else where.”

Her words were so abrupt, Munch felt stung. For a moment he just stared at her. Frustration boiled up inside of him. “I just want you, its just not fair.”

She gave him a faint smile and then look away.“No, its not. Life is not fair, ever.” She turned back to him and added, “I think what we have is precious and worth protecting. Do you agree?”

He did, but dammit, his brain was so fixated on her lips and holding her again he was just about torn in two with desire. All he could get out of his mouth was the word, “Yes.”

Softly she said, “This hard. I want the same things you do. I want to hold your hand in public. I want to tell the world I like you.” Thahn Ho rested her head agains his chest. He kissed her hair. She looked up at him and her eyes were full of tears. “We can’t lose us, just because the world doesn’t understand.”

He pressed her close. “No, we can’t.”

She pulled away from him and took his hand. “Ong noi is waiting. We best get Mr. Phelps.” Munch did not want to get that man, he just wanted to stand here with Thahn Ho forever. She tugged on his hand and propelled him forward.

*

It was dark, Munch sat at his drafting table. In front of him was the drawing of Grace he had not had the opportunity of sharing with her, thanks to Max. Not that Max ever made an appearance. Where had the little dumb ass gone? Grace had been in a royal rage when Munch and Thahn Ho had reached the house that afternoon. Tina was crying and muttering about Grace not trusting her. Grace called their daddy and he came and got them.

Munch had never seen their father before. He looked like a military man. He was tall and fit. The girls got their long legs from him. Briefly he had questioned the girls and gained absolutely no information outside of the fact that each sister thought the other was stupid. His voice had been sharp as he told the girls, “We will sort this out at home.” When their navy blue Lincoln Continental had pulled out of the drive, Munch had the feeling that Max was some where watching. Stupid Max.

Munch flipped on the light of his drafting table and set aside the drawing of Grace. On a fresh sheet of watercolor paper he began to lightly sketch of Ao Dai, the traditional dress of Vietnamese women. When he reached for his watercolors to lay down the first faint layer of paint, he couldn’t make up his mind about the colors. What would look good on Thahn Ho? On a scrap of watercolor paper he began to make blurs of different colors. As he worked his mind roamed over the events of the day. Everything he wanted most had happened. He had time alone with Thahn He, he held her hand, he held her in his arms and he kissed her. Still her words haunted him. She had said life was not fair ever, and she was right. If he had been born Vietnamese they could be a public couple, unless of course her parents cared about the status of his birth. Maybe even a Vietnamese Bastard wouldn’t be good enough. He shook his head hard. Thoughts like these were pointless.

Downstairs he could hear the TV. Lolly had invited Trevor over. She was certainly building a wall around herself, first her friends now Trevor. Her pa hadn’t had a single minute of her undivided attention.

The back door opened and closed. Mama came upstairs followed by Fluff. She sat down at her drafting table and flipped on the light. Fluff jumped onto Lolly’s bed and snuggled down into the blankets. Through the window, Munch saw the silhouette of that man. The tip of his cigarette glowed as he took in a long slow draw. Even in the dark, Munch could tell his hand was shaking.

Mama asked, “So do you know what the girls were fighting about? I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”

He lied and said, “No.”

“Seeing the way they went at each other made me really glad I only had brothers.” Mama sighed. “Today didn’t turn out the way I hoped it would.” She sounded tired and down.

This was Munch’s cue to say something encouraging or funny. He was empty.

Mama asked, “How did your day go?”

She was fishing and he hated when she fished for information. “Same.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t respond. He washed out his brush and said, “I’m going for a walk.”

“Okay.” Mama’s voice sounded hurt.

Munch grabbed his hooded sweatshirt and went down the stairs. When he passed by the door to the living room, Trevor and Lolly were on the couch, sucking major face. Abruptly, Munch turned away from them and headed for the door. Outside he was met by the spicy smell of cigarette smoke. That man turned toward him and said, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Munch continued walking away from the house. He passed the chicken coop. The hens were all sleeping. Above, the sky was filled with stars. Star light always soothed whatever was rumbling around inside of him. Right now he just wished, Lolly, that man and Trevor were elsewhere. Unexpectedly tears blurred his vision. Anger and longing merged inside of him. Why couldn’t he be on his own couch with Thahn Ho sucking major face? Did he want to suck face more than he wanted to be Thahn Ho’s boyfriend? No, not unless it was her face, her lips. Plus, he was assuming. As of yet he hadn’t asked her to be his girlfriend. Why hadn’t he asked her? First of all there hadn’t been a time or place to do so. No that wasn’t true. He could have done it today, but he was so thrown by what she said that he didn’t even think about asking her, all he thought about was losing her. He was thinking about it now.

The if only’s hammered in his brain. There were so many of them. His skin wasn’t going to change and neither was hers. Why did this happen? Why? And what if he had never met Thahn Ho? That would have been a tragedy. Instinctively, his feet carried him to the barn. When he opened the door he couldn’t see a damn thing. He flipped on the light. In a pile of hay, Max stretched and opened one eye. Munch asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Max’s eyes grew wide and he looked around him. “What time is it?”

“After seven.”

“SHIT! My dad’s coming to pick me up from Kevin’s at 8:00. I better hurry.”

“Seriously, you are gonna walk all the way to the trailer park by yourself.”

“Sure.”

“No. It’s too dark and too dangerous. You know that.”

Angrily Max stood. “You are such a wuss. I will be fine. King Trevor used to run all the way to the trailer park when we lived there.”

Munch glared at Max. “You aren’t King Trevor and you don’t run as fast as he does. What’s gonna happen if your dad sees you running along the side of the road?”

The anger left Max and was replaced by fear. “I can’t get grounded again.”

“Well maybe if you stopped being such a dumbass.”

“Please help me Munch.”

“How?”

His voice broke when he said, “I don’t know. Kevin and his family aren’t even home. I was just going to wait on the front porch for my dad to pick me up.”

Munch just shook his head. “I will call your dad. It’s better he find out than your mom.”

“True.”

“So, do I call him?”

For a second Max’s eyes rolled back in his head as he thought. “I got a better idea. I will call my dad from our trailer and tell him, we came to hang out with you.”

“That’s a lot of lies.”

Max just grinned at him. The grin turned into a smirk. “I saw somebody kissing somebody under the junipers.”

Munch’s heart froze.

Max laughed and said, “Bro, your secret is safe with me.”

Was it?