Chapter 22

• Later that night, Lance spent hours tossing and turning in bed. As far as he knew, his mother was still in the dark about his current standing with Cara. So that was not part of his worries. In fact, he had only two worries. The first and the least pressing was how he'd "stick with" Cara without getting caught. But the second and most pressing was what Cara's last words to him really meant.
• What on Earth did she mean by "I'll love only the man"? Did that mean that she already loved him or did it mean that she was yet to love him and would only do so on the condition that he must first become a man? If he already had her love, then great! That would mean that he was the most fortunate guy on Earth. But if it meant that he had to earn her love, then he was clearly in for some tough work! So which was it? He could call her and ask, but he was afraid that it would sound stupid and immature. Wasn't a real man supposed to be capable of figuring out something like this? That was the question on his mind when sleep finally stole over his exhausted frame.
• Morning came; bright, cheery and promising. With the golden rays of sunlight came something even more beautiful. Lance woke up with a start. An idea had just floated into his head. He rested on his elbows and spent a few seconds fleshing it out. Then he jumped off the bed and rushed off to the bathroom, glancing at the clock as he went. It was Saturday and his mother usually woke up late on weekends. By now, she would have been done bathing. And right enough, as he stepped into the bathroom, he could feel the scent of her favorite soap, but the place was empty alright.