Waterfalls by Robin Jones Gunn

scribbled out the sunflower she had been doodling. “How sad. He thinks I’m ‘original.’ ”
    “Meri, you’re so funny when it comes to men. I never have understood you. You have all these guys clamoring to go out with you, but you never act interested in them.”
    “So?”
    “So now here’s one you’re interested in, and you won’t admit it.”
    Meredith felt frustrated with her perceptive sister. This was not Shelly’s usual role, which made the situation even more uncomfortable. Shelly had never pushed her to a higher opinion of a guy before, except when they were in high school and Dennis Trammel asked her out to a Christmas banquet at his church. Meri turned him down because she thought he was a loser. Shelly had scolded her and told her it wasn’t nice to write him off so quickly. She had told Meri she should be willing to date a few guys she wasn’t entirely interested in because, if nothing else, she could practice her dating manners. Then, when Prince Charming came along, she would be all practiced up.
    Meri went to the Christmas banquet, had a terrible time, and then Dennis tried to kiss her when he walked her to the front door. She pushed him away, slammed the door in his face, and marched upstairs to her room, where she announced to Shelly that she would never again “practice her dating manners.”
    The sad part was, during the years that followed, very few potential Prince Charmings came along, but a long line of guysto practice manners on did. Meredith used to joke that she was a “jerk magnet.” Every walking jerk in Seattle seemed to be drawn to her.
    “Okay, so I’m interested in Jacob Wilde. There, I admitted it. Now I can get in line with half the women in America. We’ll form a line of ‘original’ women interested in Jake. Does that make you happy?”
    “What’s with you? You sure are snippy today,” Shelly stated.
    “Sorry. It’s just that I’m not used to taking direction from you, of all people, on my love life. I thought you weren’t going to do this.”
    “I changed my mind. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to help Cupid fling a few arrows in your direction?” Shelly asked. “You sure went all out when it came to Jonathan and me getting back together. Can I help it if I think you and Jake would be good for each other?”
    “No, you can’t help it. That’s your sisterly opinion, and I’ll take it graciously. Thank you. Now let it go. It’s not enough for you to think we’re good for each other. Jake has to think that, too. If he didn’t feel compelled to contact me within a week of our first meeting, then there’s no interest on his part. That’s the law of relationship development.”
    “Oh, really?” Shelly said. “You have this law written down somewhere?”
    “Not yet,” Meredith said, lightening up. “I’m thinking of writing a book on the subject, and then it will be written down.”
    Shelly laughed. “I want a copy when that book comes out because I’d love to be able to quote back to you all the sage advice you poured out to me not so long ago.”
    “I have another call,” Meredith said when the call-waiting tone sounded in her ear. “I do love you; you know that, don’t you?”
    “Yes, I know that. And I love you, too. Talk to you later.”
    Meredith pushed the button on the phone and took the next call. “Hello, this is Meredith.” One of the art designers from her publishing house needed to discuss the layout for a picture book they had been working on.
    Fifteen minutes later, Meredith hung up and checked the clock. 3:27. Time for a break. She hadn’t had any lunch yet and was hungry, but she didn’t know what she was hungry for. Trekking downstairs to the kitchen in her quiet cottage, Meredith rummaged through the refrigerator looking for something interesting. She settled on a carton of boysenberry yogurt and went out onto the front porch to eat it.
    The spring afternoon was alive with the colors, scents, and sounds of the living