Chapter 1 The Manhattan project

Meryl watched as her mother stuffed food into her bag. "Meryl, don't forget to eat. We can't afford to spend any money on medicines for ulcers," she said. They couldn't afford money for anything, which was why Meryl had woken up, checked her savings account, and bought a flight ticket for the next plane to Manhattan.

"Meryl, it's enough," she said as her mother tried to fit a huge pack of gummies into her cheap travel bag. But her mother didn't listen and asked instead, "Have you called Asa?" Meryl nodded in confirmation.

Asa was her best friend since 4th grade, when the other girls would mock her for having the thickest, longest hair in school and call her "gorilla." So, Asa would help her braid it and pack it into a bun. Asa had asked her to live with her in Manhattan and had already succeeded in getting her a job in her high-end company, where she was an auditor. Meryl was going to work hard in Manhattan; she wanted to make Asa proud.

Her older brother, Steven, barged into the room, making her jump in fright. "Meryl, I have something to give you for luck," he said.

"Okay," Meryl said. Meryl screamed as Steven jumped and rubbed his armpit on her hair.

"You two, cut that out now! Steven, leave your sister alone!" their mother

"Get the heck off me!" Meryl said, pushing Steven off in between laughter and fake sobs.

"Meryl Elena Giovanni!!! You will not use such language here; is that clear?" Meryl replied, shamefacedly, "Yes, Mother."

Steven held his sister's shoulders and whispered into her ears, "I'll miss you, duckface."

"Can you prove that by not squashing my shoulders before I get to Manhattan?" Meryl replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"What do you mean? I have the softest hands in Illinois?" He replied, showing her his rough, calloused palms he got from doing the worst odd jobs he could find so they could make ends meet.

Meryl looked at him and said, "No, you don't." While laughing.

Steven looked at his palms and said, "Oh," making a face that said he just realized something big. "That's because I haven't moisturized yet." Then he spat into his palms, rubbed them together, and put his palms inches away from Meryl's annoyed face.

"How do you like them now, fancy lady?"

"Much better," she replied with a thumbs up.

"Meryl, you've said goodbye to friends?" Mrs. Giovanni asked. "What about your father?"

"Yes, Mother, I said goodbye to Haley and Cecelia already, and I went to the cemetery this afternoon to talk to Daddy."

"Good, I'm done with your luggage."

"Thank you, Mama," Meryl said, rushing towards her mom for a hug.

"Please be careful out there, my Elena," Mrs. Giovanni said tearfully.

Meryl tossed and turned on her bed as she thought of what this new city might bring for her. She was both excited and afraid. What if she just decided to stay here and find a good job? Galena wasn't a bad town; it could be very enchanting, and her boyfriend was here. She giggled as she thought of him.

She remembered the first time she had met Alex. He was in the 6th grade with her, and he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and wouldn't stop staring. But he wasn't sure he had a chance with her, which didn't help that his father was the butcher, so he took to staring at her, making her very uncomfortable, until one day something happened.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Meryl read the note again to Asa with a bewildered look on her face. Asa laughed loudly until Meryl threw her a pillow.

"My mother can hear you, idiot," she said, also laughing.

"Okay, what do you want, Meryl?" Asa asked.

"I mean, he's cute, but kind of awkward; he barely talks," Meryl said despairingly.

"Just go out with him," Asa said, like it was the easiest solution.

"Who the hell still writes these?" Meryl said, flopping the letter on her bed. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Meryl had gone to school the next day and had seen Alex bent over some books in the library; she wondered why she had never tried looking at him before. He was quite good-looking; he had an oval face and very curly hair that complemented his glasses. He was tall and lean with a tan from always being in the sun to help his father with the media; her mother liked him because he was very respectful

Meryl had gone to school the next day and had seen Alex bent over some books in the library. She wondered why she had never tried looking at him before. He was quite good-looking, with an oval face and very curly hair that complemented his glasses. He was tall and lean, with a tan from always being in the sun to help his father with the media.

On their first date, Alex had taken her to one of the more expensive restaurants, and they had talked and talked. She had been surprised at what a good time she had. Alex was very gentle and caring, and he liked to listen to Meryl talk. They became close after a couple of dates, and soon Alex was dropping Meryl off at home on his well-worn Harley Davidson. He would pick her up to go to book sales, and he would stand with his hands in his pocket, waiting until she chose all the books she wanted so he could pay in return for a kiss and a smile that made him feel like he could do anything.

She remembered their last date; they were taking a walk from the diner because his bike was in the repair shop. He was holding her hand very tightly. They passed old lady Maurice, who lived next to the Giovanni family's garden, and Alex let Meryl's hand go so she could run to the tulips. She liked to cut a few and wear them like crowns on her hair, even though Mrs. Maurice greatly disapproved of her flowers being cut.

Meryl watched as he walked slowly towards her and noticed how much he had grown. The moon glistened on his tanned arms, while the night breeze ruffled his curls. She noticed how large his strides were; no matter how slowly he walked, he was always the first to get to a place because he was very tall.

She waited until he was standing directly in front of her, and he began kissing her everywhere but her lips; he was kissing her nose, neck, and face. Then he stopped and took the hand that held the purloined tulips.

"Do you know the term 'tulip mania'?" he asked while twirling her hair.

"No," she replied.

He stared into her green eyes. He loved her eyes and always joked that if he were to die doing anything, it would be looking into her eyes.

"It's a term used to describe a season in the 17th century where a single tulip bulb sold for more than 10 times the actual income of a skilled craftsperson," he told her in his calm, soothing voice.

Meryl, sensing the seriousness of the situation, quickly thought up a joke: "Wow, Mr. Alexander Monroe, I never thought you listened during classes."

"These things...they get in and never leave, whether you want them to or not," he replied with a small smile.

Meryl replied laughingly, "Well, I'm glad I have you to tell me these amazing facts."

"What will you do in Manhattan?" he asked her worriedly, like she hadn't told him just last month about the possibility of her leaving Galena.

"I'll work with Asa in her company as an assistant. The pay is not bad, and I can send something home," she replied.

Alex paused for a while; there was a look of tenderness in his eyes, and then he said, "We're almost at your place; let me give you a ride."

Meryl looked around and crossed her arms on her chest. "I don't see your bike, and I'm certainly not stealing a car."

Alex chuckled. "No, silly, hop on my back."

He bent his knees to make it easier for her to climb onto his back. Meryl raised her red halter dress up and let him use his arms to guide her onto his back. She laughed as he ran ahead like she was weightless and pecked his cheek clumsily. At that moment, she felt like she had stolen all the happiness in the world.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard her door creak, but her heart calmed down when Steven's head poked through the doorway.

"Hi," he said, coming in and looking at Meryl sheepishly. "I see you've been thinking about Alex."

Meryl looked at him. "What! No," she replied, her eyes shifty, but there was laughter in her words.

Steven lay beside Meryl, and they looked at the stars floating on her ceiling. Steven remembered standing on the rickety old chair for days as he helped her hang the stars, with her giving him directions until he had snapped at her, "You know I'm only helping you because Mom asked me to, right?" And Meryl had replied, "You would still have helped me whether Mom asked you to or not."

She was right; he loved helping her. She was his only sibling

She was his only sibling and sister, and he wanted everything to be perfect for her, which was why she told him about "the Manhattan Project," a private joke they had started sharing. He had asked for more overtime shifts at his workshop, where he was a mechanic, so he could save enough for her to start her life again in the city.

Now the three thousand dollars lay on his dresser as he lay on Meryl's bed. She was saying something about visiting the Grand Central Station, and he was thinking about visiting her soon.

"Steven," Meryl nudged his shoulder. "Are you even listening to me?" she asked, looking worried.

"Yes, you were saying something about getting stampeded to death," Steven replied, smirking at her.

"No, I was talking about visiting the Grand Central Station," Meryl said.

"It's the same thing," Steven said.

"Explain, Mr. Smart Guy," Meryl said, annoyed.

"Twenty-one million people visit that place annually, so it's a hazard," he replied.

Meryl face-palmed herself and turned to her brother, laughing. Soon, he joined her, and they morphed from laughter to talking about other things until they fell asleep together.