"Ye made this yuirself?" Rahne asked Sam. She had tasted better ice
cream before, but not much better. It was quite enjoyable, though she
was not terribly fond of peaches.

"Yep. Bein' the oldest, Ma showed me how first, then I just kinda kept
on doin' it, whenever we had it. My brothers and sisters used to always
crowd around me and ask if they could help, an' I'd say 'Nothin' doin'!
Y'all'd just mess it up'. I love makin' it. It's the only food I can fix
right!"

"Well it's delicious. And the perfect treat on such a sultry day. Thank
you."

The sun moved just high enough to finally be out of their eyes, and Sam
watched as she delightedly consumed what his own hands had wrought. For
the second time this weekend, he saw something in her face that was not
the same as what he usually saw in her. Something...intriguing.

"I bet Dani and Berto loved it as well," she said. "How'd ye stop Berto
from scarfing it all down?"

She grinned at Sam, and for a moment he was lost. He could see nothing
anymore but the perfection of her smile and the joy in her eyes.
Confusion set in ultimately, but not so strong as to make him look away.
He had always thought of her as someone to protect before, someone more
like a sister than a friend. But now, out on the picnic table by the
pool, he saw a glimpse of something in her that made him curious and
docile.

"He didn't get any. Nobody did. I made it just for you, Rahne."

"Oh, why? Ye shouldn't have!" Rahne insisted. The sweetness of her
concern for her friends made Sam melt away inside. "They should have
some too--is there more?"

Suddenly the confusion took over and drew the curtain over his
fascination. What am ah thinkin'?!? That's Rahne...it's Rahne...just
Rahne...

"Uh, um, I dunno..." he stammered as he rose from the table awkwardly.
"I'll go see..."

She watched with perplexity as her tall friend stumbled away. What on
earth was that all about? I've not seen him act like that before. That's
kind of the way I act when...

When...

Oh.

Oh my Lord.