Read At First Sight for Free Online

“Crap,” she muttered. “I’m going to miss the train if I don’t get out of here.”
    Just then my dad zoomed in. He zooms everywhere; he has tons of energy, even at the advanced age of forty-four. I guess that’s how he survives his job as a middle school social studies teacher over in the next district. He’s even more hyper than most of his students.
    â€œHas anyone seen those papers I was grading last night?” he asked breathlessly, doing his best to tie his tie while circling the kitchen like some kind of whirling dervish. “I was supposed to be at school five minutes ago, and I can’t find them anywhere!” He paused to cock one eye down at the tie, which looked sort of like a kite tail that had been caught in a windmill. “Dang it! Lauren, why’d I ever let you convince me to start wearing these things?”
    â€œBecause clip-on ties should be banished from polite society.” I stepped over and pushed his hands away. “Here, I’ll do it.”
    Within seconds I had the tie—a super-cool Sovereign Beck I’d given him for his last birthday—properly tied and looking jaunty with the shirt I’d also picked out for him. If only he’d let me talk him into shaving off his messy sideburns, neatening his beetle brows, and touching up his gray, he’d actually be looking pretty swank.
    â€œDid you check on top of the breakfront?” Mom asked him. “I think I remember you sticking them up there to keep them away from the cat.”
    His eyes lit up. “You’re a genius, Liz!” he cried. Pausing just long enough to plant a lip-smacking kiss on her forehead, he zipped out of the room.
    Mom chuckled as she wiped Dad’s drool off her face. For some reason that brought me back to my earlier train of thought.
    â€œHey, Mom,” I said. “I know you and Dad met in college. But how long was it before you knew he was the one?”
    â€œThe one what?” Mom had turned away to pour coffee into a commuter cup. She sounded kind of preoccupied.
    â€œThe One,” I said again. “You know. The one for you. The guy you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.”
    She capped her cup and shot me a surprised look. No wonder. It wasn’t the kind of question I normally asked over breakfast. Or anytime, really.
    â€œOh, I don’t know,” she said with a chuckle. “I guess it was when he got my car running again when it broke down right before an important internship interview.”
    â€œGot them!” Dad raced back in waving a messy sheaf of papers over his head.
    â€œGood.” Mom checked her watch, then grabbed her coffee cup. “I’m out of here. Lauren, maybe your father can give you a more thorough answer to your question.”
    â€œWhat question?” Dad asked as Mom gave him a peck on the cheek and rushed out the back door.
    â€œI was just asking how you two knew you were meant for each other,” I said. “Romantically, I mean. How soon after you met, that kind of thing.”
    â€œI think she fell for me the first time I fixed that beater car of hers.” Dad guffawed at his own joke as I rolled my eyes. However they’d met, the two of them were a matchmade in heaven, that was for sure. At least when it came to their lame sense of humor.
    Soon Dad hurried off to work too, leaving me alone in the kitchen. Well, not quite alone. I turned back to my cereal to find Meow Tse Tung purring blissfully as he lapped the last of the milk out of my bowl.
    When I got to school, Britt was waiting for me at my locker. “I found him!” she shrieked as soon as she saw me coming. She raced toward me, waving BBB over her head. “OMG, I totally found him! I told you I’d do it! It took me a little longer than I thought, but hey, I’m not a miracle worker or anything.”
    I blinked. “Found who? Oh!” My morning fog cleared instantly as