Bernie waits till Joyce is gone.

Gary held onto Bernie under the gentle shower spray as she shifted uncomfortably. Joyce's loud, tinkling stream of urine continued, making Bernie want to pee herself.

"It's okay, go," Gary told Bernie. "Please?"

Bernie pressed her lips together, her face tightening. "No," she said. "Mom, just finish, okay?" she said.

Joyce shook her head and sighed. "Darling, why do you make things so hard on yourself?" she said. Bernie's mother finished urinating and patted herself with a moist flushable wipe. She washed her hands. "See you outside in a minute," she said.

"Close the door!" Bernie said.

"Naomi, darling," Joyce protested. "It's just us."

"Please!" Bernie said.

"Very well," Joyce said. She closed the door as she left the downstairs bathroom.

"Aghhh, mom," Bernie said. "Sometimes she's my best friend, and sometimes she won't give me any space at all."

"You still need to pee?" Gary asked.

"I can hold it now," Bernie said. "Do you want me to?"

"Yeah, sure," Gary said.

"Yeah, sure, what?" Bernie said.

Gary cupped a hand under Bernie's pussy. "Pee," he said.

Bernie opened her eyes wide and gazed into Gary's, her chin tilted a little up. "Okay," she said. "I love you, Gary."

Gary felt his girlfriend's warm stream flowing through his fingers. He smiled at her. "I love you too," he said. He bent forward and put his lips to hers. Bernie's lips trembled against his as she relieved herself in the shower. When her stream dribbled to a halt, Gary hugged her again under the warm shower spray. "Thanks," he said. He had a little flash of Sharon, who had loved to show off peeing for him outdoors or in the shower. Gary pulled his head back so he could look into Bernie's deep brown eyes again and look at Bernie's dark curly hair, sodden with water, using Bernie's image to banish Sharon's memory. "I love you," Gary said.

"So much," Bernie said.

"So much," Gary echoed.

"Let's go somewhere," Bernie said.

"Where?" Gary asked.

"Anywhere, just out of the house for a while, together," Bernie said. "You've got the van, we could go to the beach, or just park it somewhere."

"Hella hot out there," Gary said.

"I don't care, just take me away," Bernie said.

Ten minutes later, Bernie was dressed in her oldest, holey-est pair of short overalls, a T-shirt with no bra, and sandals. "Mom, I'm going out for a drive with Gary!" she called into the back yard.

"Naomi, wait...!" Joyce said.

But Bernie was already dragging Gary out through the front door.