Run Over

He reached over for her hand, and after some hesitation, she gave it to him.

"And I really do like you, Lisa. Very much. So all I'm asking is for the opportunity to see if whatever it is we're feeling is...is real."

"So you don't want me to tell you how old I am?" she asked in a way that made him want to laugh. Somehow, though, he held it in.

"It wouldn't change anything. No matter what you tell me."

"Then will you tell me how old you are?" she asked as fear welled up inside her.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Alex asked back, a smile on his face again.

"No. I'm not sure."

"Would it change anything?"

"I'm...I'm not sure," Lisa said again as her body began trembling even worse than it had before as Alex squeezed her hand and scooted closer.

"Then let's not let that be an issue, okay?"

She tried to say 'okay', but before she could get out more than the 'o' he kissed her again. There was utter silence in the house when the kiss ended, and Lisa was still shaking when they both heard Twiggy bark twice.

It scared Lisa, who was completely lost in a sea of emotion and thought, so badly that she yelped and pulled her hand away as she sat up in the chair.

Alex couldn't help but laugh, and once Lisa realized what happened, she laughed, too.

"So how do we go about...finding out?" she asked the younger man who was now her...boyfriend?

"I haven't done a lot of it the last three years, but I believe it's called dating."

"Dating. That sounds ominous," Lisa replied, a smile now on her pretty face.

"Yeah. Maybe we should use a different word."

"How about...exploring?" Lisa suggested.

"Exploring. Hmmm. You know what? I kind of like that?"

"Yeah?" Lisa asked as she moved toward him.

"Uh-huh. I do."

"That's good," she said with a little laugh before kissing him for the first time.

This kiss lasted several seconds, and when it ended she smiled and said, "I think I like it, too."

Alex sat up then looked around and said, "You know what I just realized?"

"Uh-oh," Lisa said with a small amount of genuine concern thinking maybe he just realized she was a whole lot older than him.

"No. Just listen."

Hearing nothing, Lisa asked what it meant.

"It means Twiggy is a very good dog. She's laid there this whole time without barking or crying. And that means she's probably not in pain, either."

Lisa agreed with him then said, "That reminds me. It's time to feed her again and give her her pain medication."

"I'll get the food ready if you want to grab the Tramadol."

"Sure! Thank you. And I have to say I was really surprised to learn that animals can take Tramadol. I thought it was only for people."

"No, it's a synthetic opioid that's safe and effective for dogs and other animals."

"Once again, you have made me feel...not so smart," Lisa said with a smile as she got up.

"Well, you're obviously very smart," Alex told her as she pointed to where she kept Twiggy's medication.

"Oh? How so?"

He walked over to her, put his arms around her and said, "You like me, so...."

"That's...that's...."

Lisa was going to say 'ridiculous', but it was wasn't. So she thought for a moment then said, "That's...true."

"Yeah? So you do like me?"

"I guess," Lisa teased even as she wondered how this could be happening.

"Good, because I really like you."

She wanted to come up with some witty response, but it had been so long since she felt like this that it didn't seem right to make light of the situation.

"That makes me very happy, Alex," she told him sincerely.

"Me, too," he said before kissing her again then going to get a pill out of the bottle and crush it up to mix in the canned food Lisa bought.

Twiggy wolfed down the medicine-laced meal like it wasn't even there. Once she was done, Alex took her outside without the leash, and Twiggy was able to hobble around then squat down in spite of the cast and do her thing.

When she finished she got up and started wagging her tail. Alex got down on his haunches and the dog came straight over and wanted to be petted and got plenty of it. Lisa was watching and smiling and for the first time in a very long time she felt like she had a family. It wasn't, of course, but the feeling was truly amazing.

"She is such a good girl," Alex said when he brought her back inside.

"I'm very lucky to have her," Lisa said as she petted the happy canine.

Once Twiggy settled back down, Lisa looked at Alex and said, "I'm also very lucky to have you."

Alex smiled, and before he could say he felt the same way, Lisa said, "Not that I...have...you. I just meant that it's really nice to...."

Alex moved closer then put his hands on her shoulders.

"You have me. If you want me, that is."

She put her arms around his neck then smiled.

"I do. I'm not sure what changed or how it even happened, but...it did."

"I'm glad it did, because I' like to have you, too."

Immediately aware of the other meaning he apologized and said, "That wasn't what I meant. I was only trying to say that I...."

Lisa put a finger on his lips then smiled again.

"I know what you meant," she said and wanted to tell him he could also 'have her' if he wanted, but she wasn't about to make the first move.

"You are so beautiful, Lisa," Alex told her. There was no smile on his face this time. There were just words. And yet those words were the sweetest she'd heard since....

When he kissed her she melted into his arms. The kiss was long and slow and oh-so delicious as their tongues touched for the first time.

Were he to make the first move or even hint about making love to her, Lisa would have drug him into her bedroom in an instant. But he didn't. He only looked at her and told her again how beautiful she was. And as much as she wanted him, for now at least, that was more than enough.

"I feel like I'm taking up all of your time," she said as they held one another after the kiss.

"I do need to study in the worst way, but I couldn't even concentrate this morning."

"Then you should go study," she told him without moving her head from where it lay in the crook of his neck.

"I really should. And now that I know you and I are...."

Alex raised his head and waited for Lisa to look up at him.

"What are we now?" he asked.

"Explorers?" Lisa replied with a little smile.

"That works."

"But if you were to call me...your girlfriend, I wouldn't mind that at all."

"That sounds pretty wonderful to me, and I can't think of anything I'd like more than to be your boyfriend."

Lisa didn't care that this sounded like something kids in high school might say. The only thing that mattered was how hearing and saying them made her feel.

"That sounds pretty wonderful to me," Lisa told him as she used his words.

"I really don't want to leave," Alex told her.

"And I don't want you to go. But you just have a few months left, and I can only imagine how much reading and studying you have to do. And as much as I'd like you to stay, I can't let my wants stand in the way of what you need to do."

Alex smiled at her and said, "You are the best girlfriend ever."

Lisa laughed a happy laugh then kissed her boyfriend and told him to go and study.

"I could bring my books back here and study."

"You could, but with the way I'm feeling, you might not get much studying done," she said, surprising herself with this sudden burst of boldness.

"So it isn't just me," Alex said in a way that made her tingle from head to toe.

"Oh, it isn't just you. Trust me."

"In that case, I really should go. Now."

"Can I have one more kiss?" she asked, almost feeling 17 again.

"Yes but just one. Any more than that is way too dangerous."

Were she selfish, Lisa would have seduced him right there, but that wasn't who she was. She really did like Alex and he was going to be a veterinarian by summer, and she not only wasn't going to stand in his way, she wanted to support him as much as she possibly could.

"I'm so glad you come over again," she told him after their final kiss.

"Oh. You have no idea how happy I am that I did."

"I think I might have some little inkling of how you feel," she told him, a smile on her face that made her look like a sweet little girl.

"Okay. That's it. I cannot look at you for one more second," Alex told her.

Lisa walked him to the door where they hugged and gave each other a quick peck before Alex left. As he walked away Lisa stood there watching and said to herself, "What a difference a day makes."

As Alex studied Lisa spent the day basking in the glow of the way she was feeling. She was tempted to start questioning everything beginning with their difference in age, but the feelings were so powerful that she couldn't. But she did leave a small space in the back of her mind just in case something went wrong. It wasn't that she hoped it would or even thought it would. But any relationship this new was tenuous, and things could easily change regardless of the ages of the people involved. Theirs just made it all the more difficult.

So for now she was content to feel happy again and to be able to care for an animal that undoubtedly needed love as much or more than she did.

"We are two very lucky girls, aren't we, Twiggy?" Lisa said as she sat down by her dog.

Miss Twiggy seemed to smile as she again laid her head on Lisa's lap then began swishing her tail when the beautiful woman stayed there and petted her for a very long time.

When Alex got home his dad gave him a funny look.

"What?"

"Oh, nothin'," his dad replied with a smile Alex hadn't seen in a long time.

"Go ahead. Say it."

"She's good for you."

Why Alex didn't get it immediately was hard to explain. But he got it now and smiled.

"Yeah. She's amazing."

His dad gave him another look, and Alex had to work hard to get his dad to say what he was thinking.

"If you uh, if you want to bring her over sometime, for you know, dinner or whatever, I promise I'll be on my best behavior and not say anything disparaging about the fairer sex."

For all his issues with women, Alex wouldn't trade his dad for anything.

"I may just take you up on that one of these days."

His dad nodded then said, "Don't you have some studying to do?"

"It's more than some, Dad, but until I saw Lisa I couldn't concentrate."

His father raised his eyebrows, and this time Alex knew what he was thinking.

"No. That definitely did not happen."

"Oh. Okay," his dad said with a shrug of his shoulders before he disappeared.

Alex buried himself in his books until 8pm, taking only a short break to eat some pasta his dad made around 6 o'clock. He still had more to do, but now that he had almost all of it out of his way, he found it impossible to focus on things like 'the transmission rate and incubation period of rabies in canines' so he took a break.

Within seconds he had his phone in his hands and was texting her.

"Hope I'm not bothering you, but I can't read one more line about Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus."

Lisa's heart skipped a beat when she saw his text then laughed when she read it.

"That sounds like a real page turner! Whatever that means."

"It's right up there with iodine treatment of hyperthyroid cats!"

"Yes! Another perennial favorite!" she wrote back.

"I had a really nice time today, Lisa."

"Me, too," she wrote with several hearts behind it.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you've um...warmed up to me."

Lisa laughed again then replied.

"I'm still not sure how that happened myself, but I do know that I felt happy today, and that hasn't happened much in recent years. And in case you're too tired to connect the dots, you are the reason for that."

"That makes me even more happy!"

She sent some smiles to him then Alex asked how their girl was doing.

"Great. I sat with her for nearly an hour after you left. She was so sweet! She just put her head on my lap and let me pet her."

Alex smiled then wrote, "That is sweet. And I think I'm a little jealous!"

"Do you need someone to pet you?" Lisa wrote then panicked when she realized what she'd said.

Alex noticed that immediately but didn't mention it.

"I wouldn't mind sitting next to and maybe watching a movie."

"I have a Blu-ray DVD player."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Yes, but I have to get up early to go to work, and I believe you're always up early, too."

"What if I promise to leave right after the movie's over?"

"Hmmm. Let me think. I could sit here alone or sit next to this very handsome soon-to-be veterinarian. Wow. That's a tough call!"

"I'll be right over, okay?"

"I'll make some popcorn as soon as you get here," she told him.

They watched "The Ugly Truth" with Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl as the munched on popcorn and laughed all through the movie as the sexy, uptight female producer eventually falls for the crude commentator.

As they watched Alex took Twiggy outside even though it was freezing cold. Back inside, Alex laid the dog on the couch with them, and there was some hand holding and a little bit of snuggling, but both of them seemed to know that if they started kissing the only way it would end was in bed, and neither of them was ready for that just yet. So they settled for less, believing that at this stage, less was really more with a very long kiss goodbye the extent of the physical side of things.

Weekdays proved to be more difficult than either Lisa or Alex had imagined. Between her full-time job and Alex going to class, there was precious little time for them. But it was worse because needed several hours a day to study and a couple more to help out at the clinic.

He apologized several times during the first week, but Lisa assured him there was nothing to apologize for.

"You have to put in the time now to reach your goal," she told him. "And I'll do everything I can to help you get there. So while nothing would make me happier than to spend more time with you, supporting someone means sacrifice, and that seems like a reasonable price to pay."

She'd smiled after saying that then said, "And it just makes what time we have together that much more valuable."

Alex knew he liked Lisa from the first time he saw her, but it was this kind of thing that made him wonder if he might possibly be falling in love with her. Maybe it was subliminal due to being around his father, but he didn't believe in soul mates or love at first sight, either. He believed in long courtships and long engagements, and yet, he'd never actually been in love before. So he had to wonder why he was already obsessed with wanting to be with this beautiful, older women every minute of the day.

But there was precious little time for such musings as the realities of school and final exams loomed in Alex's near term future. So he attended class, studied, helped out at the clinic, and saw Lisa as much as he could in what little spare time remained.

He was there when Twiggy got her cast off, and Dr. Collins let Lisa hang around in the back for a couple of hours knowing that her protege was getting serious with the beautiful, older woman who'd run over the dog.

It was about a month after that that they were finally able (and ready) to sit down with Alex's father for the first time. He not only kept his promise about behaving, but he'd taken the time to shave and wear something decent to meet his son's new girlfriend.

When she stepped inside, he was taken aback because he'd been led to believe she was a lot older than Alex. But the woman he saw looked to be around 32 which was older, but not so much so that it concerned him.

When he shook her hand and mentioned it in a polite way, Lisa thanked him for the compliment and soon felt completely at ease around him.

The issue of age was never raised directly, but after dinner, Mike asked Lisa if they had any plans for Alex's upcoming birthday.

"No. In fact, someone completely forgotten to mention that," she said as she looked at Alex.

"Sorry. It's no big deal to me, and I've so busy it just never occurred to me."

"I do understand. I'm at a point where I try and forget them altogether," Lisa said with a little laugh.

"Alex talks like he's my age, but for someone turning 26, I don't really understand. Seems like it ought to at least be worth mentioning," the elder McDonald quipped.

Mike was smiling until he saw Lisa's mouth open in disbelief.

"Did you say...26?" she asked her eyes now open very wide.

"Well, let's see. If you take 2020 and subtract 1994 from it, I think that's right," Michael said, not sure what was goin on.

"We uh, we haven't told each other our age yet, Dad," Alex said in a way that didn't indicate it was any big deal.

"Oh. Well, even so, I don't see where six or seven years is that big a deal," his dad replied as though he was settling the issue for both of them.

"No. Six or seven years isn't a big deal at all," Lisa said, having done the math in her head.

"Hey. You okay?" Alex asked the woman beside him.

"Um, yes. I'm...fine," she told him as the number 14 got bigger and brighter in her mind.

She would soon be 40, so it was really closer to 15. She'd somehow pushed it out of her mind this entire time, but the thought of her being a sophomore in high school when Alex was born shook her to her core.

"Anyone want some more wine?" Mike asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Yes. Yes, please," Lisa said as he got up to go to the kitchen.

"Something's bothering you," Alex said the moment his dad was gone.

It took her a few seconds to say it, but she told him she had this image of her at 15 changing his diaper.

"Fifteen? So...wait. Are you telling me you're...40 years old?" a shocked Alex asked.

"No. Not until June."

Lisa turned to look at him, and for the first time since their second meeting, she felt like he had to see her as...ancient.

"Is that supposed to bother me?" he asked with a smile.

"I...I don't know," she replied very quietly. "Does it?"

Alex took her hand and looked right at her and said, "Let me make it perfectly clear. That doesn't bother me at all. Not in the least. Okay?"

When she didn't say anything, Alex was the one who got concerned.

"Is that image in your mind going to change how you feel about me?" he asked in the gentlest way possible.

She just sat there staring at him, so Alex said, "I can assure you I don't wear diapers anymore."

It was another couple of seconds, but it was suddenly very clear that it really didn't matter. Alex was a grown man. And a very attractive grown man, at that. He was also kind, loving, hardworking and very driven. And he'd made it clear that he liked her very much. And she also now knew he really didn't care how old she was.

When Alex saw her tearing up, he thought she was on the verge of ending it with him.

"Please don't tell me it's...." he began saying when she put her hand on his face and spoke.

"I...I love you, Alex," she said, barely able to believe she'd said those words. But she had. And she'd said them because they'd roiled up from deep inside her and came out, as it were, by themselves.

His eyes were darting rapidly between hers, and just as he was leaning in to kiss her, his dad said, "Okay. Here we...."

He stopped talking and Alex stopped leaning. Lisa pulled back and sat up then tried to dab her eyes with the cuff of her blouse as Michael said, "I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't do anything to...."

"No. It's okay," Lisa told him as she looked at him and smiled. "In fact...."

She looked at Alex then took his hand and said, "I don't think things have ever been better."

Alex didn't say anything. He just squeezed her hand and smiled at her, and from that moment on, Lisa knew she was in love with him. Their ages, the short time they'd known one another, and the limited time they had to spend together, didn't matter.