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everywhere. Rob said he couldn’t see an inch in front of himself. My uncle managed to maneuver through the thick blackness and got Rob to the front lawn. Then he went back into the house to save my Aunt Maria. Neither one came out.” Eric’s voice was somber. “Rob stood and waited as tons of firemen broke windows and the whole back-end of the house to get them. The blaze was bad. Most of the rooms at the back of the house were severely damaged by the time the fire department got it under control. My aunt and uncle’s room looked like something out of a horror movie. The authorities suspected arson, but there was no evidence of that. My uncle was a scientist. He developed a lot of helpful things. But he wasn’t a mad scientist. However, he did have a lot of chemicals in the basement where he did his research.”
    Rob walked toward us with a cardboard tray filled with hot dogs and sodas.
    Eric’s sudden halt in the conversation told me he wasn’t supposed to share that much information. “Mandy is a senior,” he said to Rob. His pitch was higher, more upbeat now. “Maybe you’ll be in some of the same classes.”
    “Yeah,” Rob said, “I’ve already asked for help with my homework.” The dimple appeared and my legs shook like Jell-O. “Here, Dillon.” Rob handed him a hot dog.
    Dillon took it, crossed his legs, and lowered himself onto the grass right where he was. Then he shoved it into his mouth.
    “Slowly,” I said, easing Dillon’s hand back. Then I took the spot on the ground next to him. Rob and Eric did the same and sat across from me.
    Rob’s fingers brushed mine as he handed me my hot dog. They were warm and soft. My heart rate increased. “Thanks,” I said. My body tingled. His incredible blue eyes looked into mine; the dimple appeared. The whole park disappeared. I could only see him.
    “Done!” Dillon said, h olding his hands up, as if he was being robbed by ‘Billy the Kid’.
    “Good job, Dill. Here’s a napkin,” I said. He gave a quick swipe across his mouth and handed it back to me.
    “C’mon, Dillon,” Eric said, as he pushed the last of his second hot dog into his mouth. “Let’s play tag.” Eric flashed me a smile and offered a quick wink.
    Dillon jumped up. “It. It.” And then , he ran toward the swings.
    An awkward silence settled over us.
    “So , you’re going to be a senior?” he asked, confirming what he already knew.
    “Yeah . You, too, from what Eric said.”
    “Yeah. Did he tell you why I moved in with him?”
    I nodded. “I’m sorry.” Telling the truth would be better than getting caught in a lie.
    The palm of his hand skimmed the top of the blades of grass in front of him. He wasn’t ready to talk about it, at least not with a stranger. And that’s what I was. “Do you have any other brothers or sisters?” He didn’t look up when he asked.
    “My brother, Bryan, is my triplet. He was born second. He’s the ‘B’; I’m the ‘A’.”
    His focus changed from the grass to me. “And the ‘C’?”
    “Cassandra didn’t live past a week. She had under-developed lungs. My mother was devastated. She went into a full-blown depression when she died. My grandmother had to move in with us for a while to take care of us so that my dad could work.” Rob stared at me. I felt as if I should explain further. “After a few years of therapy, my parents had Dillon. He was diagnosed with autism when he was four. My mom went into another tailspin. I can only imagine how difficult it’s been for her.” Wow, way to keep the mystery, Mandy. Now he knows your whole life story. Why not tell him what size shoes you wear, too? Nice way to scare off the only guy who’s ever shown an interest in you . I needed to shut up. It was my turn to stroke the grass.
    “I’m sorry,” Rob said.
    I looked up at him. “Don’t be. Dillon is great. He may not be like other little brothers, but he’s very smart. You can count on him to make you work hard during a game of