Eric took it upon himself to follow up with Scott Graham, Andie's school counselor, before he received another surprise phone call. In the school's main office, he waited, relieved to be receiving less hostility from the women behind the desk. That told him that Andie was doing better, and that brought him great happiness.

It had only been a week since Eric had...disciplined...Andie. He still had a tough time getting himself to admit what had transpired in their living room that afternoon. But he couldn't ignore it, or avoid it, forever. Because the truth was—life had been incredible since then. He and Andie were closer than ever, and he knew he owed it all to the...discipline.

Standing from one one of the chairs in the office, he greeted Scott Graham with a smile and a handshake. Scott invited him back to his office and they made easy chit-chat while crossing the empty hall.

"Well," Scott began with a smile after he had taken his seat behind the desk. "I am pleased to report that Andie is doing much better. In the last week she has improved her scores and produced thorough homework. Her teachers are pleased."

"I am very happy to hear that," Eric breathed.

"I would also like to address her overall mood, which has improved significantly since our last conversation. I have observed her laughing with her friends in the hallway and participating more enthusiastically in class. She looked very much like the original Andie who had nothing to feel sad about."

A sad smile quirked Eric's lips. He imagined that Andie may never be as happy as she once was, but if she was as happy as was possible for a girl who had just lost her parents, then he considered that an achievement that he would work hard to keep.

"Thank you, Mr. Graham," Eric said, standing and shaking hands again. "I appreciate the update."

Back home, Eric finished his studies before Andie got home, and when she entered the front door at a quarter past three, he greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Trouble."

She scrunched her nose at him. "I am not trouble. At least, I don't think so..."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! But someone told me they spotted you in Mr. Grahams office today, so..." Andie trailed off with a pout, sheepishly tugging her sleeves over her hands while she sank into the couch beside her step-brother.

"You didn't do anything," Eric chuckled, playfully mussing her hair with his hand. "I was just checking in on you. Making sure you were doing better since the last time I spoke with your councelor."

"Oh," she murmured. "Am I?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Eric smirked.

"I think so?" Andie answered brightly. "My teachers seem happy with me."

"Well, Mr. Graham said your homework is perfect and that your participation in class is back to its usual enthusiasm." Eric regarded her for a moment before continuing. "You really like school, don't you?"

Andie nodded. "I do. I like learning. And I'm good at it."

"You mean you're smart?"

"Yes."

"Modest too," Eric chuckled, earning him a playful glare.

"Hey, would it be OK if we had dinner with Morgan and John tonight?"

"Were we invited?"

"Well, Morgan invited us..."

"That means nothing if the person hosting us didn't agree to it," Eric sighed.

"Morgan is a part of the house, thus one of the people hosting us."

"But is she cooking the meal? Is she getting home after a long day of work? We have to make sure John is up for it before we waltz into their house."

"Alright, alright," Andie sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket. "I'll call."

"No, I'll call," Eric replied, pulling his phone out and locating John under his contacts.

"Why you?"

"Because he's my friend."

"Jealous I'll steal him away?" Andie teased with her playfully scrunched nose.

Eric frowned at her while lifting the phone to his ear. "Careful. I am this close to—hey, John!"

That was the first time he had mentioned anything about disciplining her, much less threatened to do it again. And even though he didn't get it out, Andie knew what he was going to say, and a red blush painted her cheeks as she slipped from the couch while Eric confirmed dinner with John.

"Yeah," Eric continued into the phone as he watched Andie retreat from the room. "I think our girls tried to arrange a dinner tonight and I've just gotten wind of it. Were you aware?"

"Morgan just mentioned something to me," John replied, his tone tired and accusatory as if he were looking at Morgan while he spoke. "But, I don't have anything prepared. I was honestly thinking about ordering pizza instead of making a mess of the kitchen."

"Well, hey, how about I pick up the pizza? You guys provided dinner last time. Let us do it this time."

"Are you sure? I would appreciate it, but it's totally not necessary."

"Nah, dude, I got it. I'll pick it up on our way over. When is a good time?"

"Now is as good as ever. We'll see you soon."

"OK. See ya." Eric returned the phone to his pocket just as Andie peeped her head from around the corner.

"Well...?"

Eric gave her an exasperated glance, but he couldn't keep his smile away. She just amused him too much.

"Get your shoes on."

With a grin she bounded from the room and retrieved her shoes. Within the hour they were knocking on John's front door, being greeted by an ecstatic Morgan. The girls raced up the stairs, giggling all the way, even as John told them to slow down.

Shaking his head, John lowered himself into a chair at the dining room table with a groan. Eric grimaced in his response.

"Tough day?"

"Tough week," John sighed, accepting the box of pizza Eric slid towards him and opening the lid.

"What's going on?" Eric asked, taking a seat across from his friend and helping himself to a slice. "Everything going OK at home?"

"Home?" John looked up from his pizza. "Oh, yeah. All good at home. It's the current project I've been assigned at work. I'm out in sun and heat all day, and it's wearing on me. Honestly, if it would just cool down a little."

"Hey, give it a few more weeks. The September weather will be upon on soon."

"Here's hoping," John mumbled around a bite.

Eric leaned back in his chair and craned his head towards the stairs. "Andie! Pizza!"

"OK!" Her cry carried down the stairs, and Eric turned his attention back to John.

"How's school, by the way?"

"Exhausting," Eric sighed with a shrug. "But I don't think I can complain as much as you."

"Hey, I remember how exhausting brain-work can be. It's a different kind of strain, but straining nonetheless. At least yours will get you somewhere."

With a frown of sympathy for his friend, Eric nodded in agreement. "I have a lot of respect for everything you're doing for Morgan, man."

With a nod, John got up and headed for the kitchen, reappearing with two cold beers from the fridge. "I know."

Chuckling, Eric's smile dropped when he realized that Andie still hadn't come downstairs. Leaning back in his chair once again, he craned his head towards the stairs.

"Andie! Now!"

"Okay!" She whined, her tone a mixture of annoyance at having been bellowed at, and anxiety at Eric's displeasure. He appreciated the concern in her tone, but the whiney response had him frowning. He would have preferred that she just come down the stairs the first time he asked.

Accepting the sound of her hurrying feet as her compliance, Eric settled back in his seat as Andie appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He eyed her the whole way to the table, taking note of the nervous blush that crept up her neck when she briefly met his gaze. With two paper plates in hand, she piled a couple of slices on each plate, before retreating back up the stairs.

When he turned back towards his own plate, John was eyeing him.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"You're telling Andie what to do? She's listening? What the heck is going on?"

"Well, for the record, Andie was always a pretty good listener."

"Eric."

"Alright," sighing, Eric leaned his elbow into the table. "You know how you got onto Morgan last time we were over?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, after that visit, Andie wasn't doing so good. Her scores were low at school, her participation in class was lousy, and she was lying to me about her assignments."

"Yeah, I remember you said she was keeping some stuff from you."

"She said it was all to get my attention, and when I asked her what the heck I was supposed to do with her, she... Well, she suggested I do to her what you did to Morgan."

John nearly choked on his beer. "She asked you to spank her?"

Eric flinched, still not quite accustomed to the proper wordage that detailed the very thing he did to his little step-sister.

"Uh, yeah..."

"And? Did you?"

"Yes. I did."

Absorbing the information provided, John leaned back in his seat, pursing his lips and nodding his head. "Alright."

"What? Do you think I made a mistake?"

"Not at all. I'm a little surprised, but don't take it the wrong way. If anything it's Andie's request for the spanking that's shocked me a little."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's not exactly enjoyable. Morgan screams her head off everytime I take her across my knee."

"Every time? So you've had to do it again?"

"We're working our way up to a total of five times. That girl hasn't run out of reasons to get her hide tanned."

Eric whistled, crossing his arms over his chest as he observed his friend. "And it's been good for you guys?"

"I think so. But what do you think? Has it been good for you and Andie?"

Pondering the question, Eric idly looked towards the stairs where Andie had disappeared just moments prior. "Yeah, actually... I think it has. I've had a tough time addressing it—even to myself—but... It's been really good for us."

"Are you feeling guilty about it?"

"No, not guilty per-se. Just... I don't know."

"Listen," John leaned forward as if he knew exactly what Eric was struggling to explain. "If Andie is comfortable with it, and if it's helping, and if you're both better because of it, then don't overthink it. Seriously; get out of your head on this one. I think it'll be better for both of you if you just let this one play out the way it's supposed to."

"Yeah, and how is it supposed to play out?" Eric asked bitterly. John leaned back with a wry shrug and a smile.

"I think you know."