Carter stopped and looked across the yard to the house’s darkened front porch.There, in silhouette, he saw the figure of a young woman stand and come to the side railing.

“Hey, who’s that?” he called back amiably. “There’s no way it could be Sheila Mahoney. She’s been gone for years and years.”

Carter dropped his bag and walked across the grass to the side of the porch just as the young woman leaned out into the pale glow cast by the streetlight on the corner. He was right, of course, it was Sheila—but looking up at her as he drew close to the porch, he realized that this was not the same Sheila he had once known. Thinking back, the last time he could recall talking to her for any length of time was a million years ago, in high school, and even then it was only in passing. In those days, Sheila was still just a shy, awkward, skinny girl with short stringy hair, glasses, and a mouthful of dental work. The two of them had grown up next door to each other, gone to the same grammar school, attended the same church. After eighth grade, though, Sheila’s parents sent her to a Catholic high school, while Carter went on to North Providence High.

A typical boy growing up, Carter had through the years assiduously ignored the meek little girl next door who had an unnerving way of gazing at him with affectionate eyes whenever they crossed paths. Now, though, the contrast between the image in his mind of the girl he once knew and that of the barefoot young woman standing before him on the porch could not have been more striking. Gone were the eyeglasses, and the once stringy hair, now dark and silky, fell long and luscious about her shoulders. Her cut-off jeans and tank top clothed the gentle curves of a woman’s torso, and her arms and legs, no longer skinny, were now simply slender and graceful. It might have taken twenty-two years, but Sheila Mahoney had finally blossomed.

“Hi, Carter,” she said, revealing with her smile a set of perfect teeth easy to see even in that dim light. She leaned over and rested her elbows on the porch railing. “Long time no see,” she said. “How have you been?”

“I’m doing great,” said Carter, returning her smile. “But wow, look at you.You’re all grown up!”

“Oh, so you noticed,” she said with a hint of playful sarcasm, pushing her hair back away from her face. “How nice.”

“Hey, I’m sure a lot of guys have noticed,” he told her. “So, when did you get back from school—Wheaton, right?”

“Right. A few days ago. How about you?”

“Last week.”

“Heard you made All-America in football.”

“Ha!” Carter laughed. “You must have heard that from my mother. It was second team, All-Conference. There’s a big difference.”

“Not to her.”