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inside him already.  Part of him wanted to call off the wedding, if for no other reason that one PE class shouldn’t have been able to twist him around so much, but that made him angry because nothing should have been able to derail something he’d worked so hard to build, something he so believed he wanted.  He didn’t understand.
    Jordan reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the more resilient leaves Nicole had thrown at him.  What a strange thing to keep.  He couldn’t explain it.  He just wanted something physical to remind him of the trip--or at least that's what he told himself about the stupid cactus spines he had in his room.
    He looked over at the water-damaged camera sitting on the table beside his chair.  Granted, Nicole hadn't been particularly attached to the camera, but he thought that perhaps it might be worth fixing up.  Maybe, if he managed that, he could even get it back to her.  He didn't really know because he hadn't had the chance to find out what he'd need to get it fixed.
    His cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket to check the display.  Alyssa’s picture popped up, and he let it ring once more before he flipped it open.
    “Hey, baby,” he said, brushing his fingers across the leaf.  He listened to her babble about her dress fitting and ordering the wedding cake, but deep inside he felt hollow and unsure.  Still, he smiled and said, “That’s great.  I’m glad everything is going well.”
    She mentioned that a few more RSVPs had come in and he pretended to be interested, but he kept thinking back to Nicole and the day before.  Whatever else Alyssa might have said blurred, and he was glad to hang up.
    He heard footsteps from behind and turned to find his dad standing there.  David Carroway was a little shorter than his son, and even though he was only in his mid-fifties, his hair had turned grey, or at least what was left of it.  Nonetheless, time had not diminished the intensity of his blue eyes.
    “You and those sunsets.”  David sank into the other chair.
    Jordan shrugged.  “You know me, Dad.”
    For a moment, the two grew silent.  Then Jordan asked, “What brings you here?”
    “You missed dinner, and your mom was worried.”
    Jordan’s shoulders sank, and he shook his head in frustration.  “I can’t believe I forgot about that.”
    “You do have a few things on your mind,” David said, “what with the wedding and all.  How’s that coming, by the way?”
    Jordan tucked the leaf into his pocket along with his cell.  “Alyssa’s been planning like mad.”  He shook his head, not wanting to even think about the mania that seemed to have lain claim to her once he’d proposed.
    “You don’t sound thrilled,” his father said, peering at his son.  “Any reason for that?”
    Try a million , Jordan thought-- and start with Nicole O’Roarke.   He shrugged and realized he really did want to talk about this with somebody, and even though he and his father hadn’t always seen eye to eye, he knew enough to respect his dad’s opinion.
    “Did you ever worry that when you proposed to Mom you’d made the wrong choice?”
    His dad’s gaze shifted from Jordan to the sunset.  “Sometimes.  I mean, if you take the vows seriously, it’s kind of intimidating making a promise you plan to keep forever.”  David’s hand drifted to his wedding ring.  “You’ve known Alyssa for years, and before now you haven’t seemed to flinch at a future with her.  Is there something going on?”
    Jordan couldn’t find the words, then he realized it wasn’t so much about finding those as it was about admitting to them because his dad was right: it wasn’t Alyssa who had changed.
    “Son?” David prompted.  “Did you meet someone else?”
    Oh, great , Jordan thought, knowing that no matter what he said his father would know if he were lying.  Parents were pretty intuitive that way. “It’s complicated,” he said.  “I mean, no, I haven’t