Lunch first. Bernie nervously says "TMI".

Lil waved a french-fry at Bernie. "The vibe is just weird since my mom and dad got back from the cruise, and not like I'd imagine from having to fly back early. It's almost more like they had a better time than they expected."

Her brother's girlfriend brushed back a stray curly lock from her eyes. She nodded and sipped her cup of iced tea through a straw. "Uh-huh," Bernie said.

"So do you know anything about what's going on?" Lil asked. "I mean, if I noticed, there must be something going on. And like, suddenly Gary is serious about getting ready to move out, when he, well, you know my brother, Gary's Mr. Mañana Man. What gives?"

Bernie coughed on a stray sip of iced tea and blushed deeply.

"Are you all right, Bernie?" Lil asked. She leaned on the table, ready to get up from her seat.

Bernie waved her off. "I'm okay, Lil," she said. "Um."

"No really," Lil said, frowning. "I mean."

The food court at the mall was busy, but no one was sitting right next to Lil and Bernie, who were at a table right under a suspended video ad display.

Lil persisted, "Is there anything wrong with you and Gary?"

Bernie let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, no, we're fine, we had something to work out, we did, we're good, and we are going to be moving in together," she said.

"So what's, you know, what's up with my mom? And why's Gary in a hurry?" Lil asked.

Lil had never see Bernie in so deep a blush.

Bernie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tilted her head and rolled her shoulders, then opened her eyes, looking calmer. "I'm okay. Gary and I are okay. I'm here for you, right?"

"Um, if something's up with my mom, you better tell me," Lil said.

Bernie got that look on her face again. "Um," she said, laughing nervously. "This is kind of in the Too Much Information zone?"

Lil smiled and shrugged. "You still up to go shopping, then?" Lil asked. "And the pedicure at three?"

"Yeah," Bernie said. She took a deep pull on her iced tea through the straw. "Thanks for treating me."

"You've been a champ, Bernie," Lil said. "No one else had anything helpful to say about me and Steve."

Lil and Bernie headed off to shop for new sandals for Lil.

Lil's mind buzzed with curiosity. The Too Much Information zone? That was kind of a whoa from Bernie, who lived in a nudist home with her mother Joyce, author of Lil's favorite high school textbook Free To Masturbate and held hands-on women's sex workshops.

Also a kind of whoa about Mom, since Lil's family wasn't shy about sex. She heard Mom and Dad's bed rocking most mornings and nights, and they spent plenty of time naked together in the sauna or at nude beaches, so there wasn't much hidden about anyone's bodies. Dad and Gary had big uncut dicks. Mom had heavy breasts with big nipples, a broad butt, a full bush and thick pussy lips. So what could it be? Maybe Bernie and Mom had had lesbian sex, and she was shy about making it with her boyfriend's mom. That was fine.

But sandals first, pedicure next, figure things out whenever. There was a lot of summer left, and klunking around in sneakers was what Sally Walker would do, Sally, the mom of Gary's friend Peter.

Hmm, Sally Walker? Sally and Jim Walker had been on the same cruise as Mom and Dad, and so had Peter and his girlfriend. Maybe Lil could ask the Walkers if anything weird had happened, aside from everyone having to come back early. But hopefully Bernie would say something. Or Bernie would tell her to ask Mom or Gary about it. Maybe Gary would just tell her.

In the meantime, air conditioning, sweet air conditioning.