Brandon parked his car at the curb in front of their apartment house. Rose stepped onto the sidewalk and waited. Circling the car, he grabbed her hand and walked toward the porch. Laughing, they approached the front door.

Brandon's easy laughter came to an abrupt halt. In the shadows, a figure stood up from the wooden swing. Releasing Rose's hand, he faced his mother.

"Mom," he started.

"Don't 'mom' me," Liz Tremaine snapped, advancing on her eldest son. "Where have you been?"

"We went..."

"We went away for the weekend if you must know," Rose rudely interrupted.

"I didn't ask you." Turning her shoulder, Liz placed herself between Brandon and Rose.

"We went to West Virginia for the weekend," Brandon meekly stated.

"I arrived to visit my son for the weekend," his mother ominously remarked. "I expected to see you, to find out if what Simon told me was true."

"Well, you could have let us know, Mrs. Tremaine," Rose briskly inserted. "We would have planned accordingly. As it was..."

"I still didn't ask you," Brandon's mother coolly replied. Her icy blue eyes turned toward her son's companion, then dismissed her.

"Hmmph," Rose snorted.

Linking her arm with her son, Elizabeth Tremaine walked Brandon away from the porch. When she reached the sidewalk, she turned to glare at him. He shrunk from her penetrating gaze. Beratingly, she used every word in her vocabulary to insult Rose. Submissively, the young man hung his head.

Why did he always cower when he faced his mother? Brandon wondered. In his mind, he stood up to her obnoxious behavior.

"Where'd she come from?" Liz Tremaine barked, indicating toward Rose with her forefinger.

"New Jersey, near the shore. She grew up on..." Brandon began.

"I didn't ask for her history," his mother cut him off. "I want to know why she's here. Who permitted you to shack up with some unknown person?"

"I...I..." Deflated, Brandon glanced back at Rose, who remained on the porch. Then, in a rush, he continued, "I love her, mom. I never loved anyone until I met Rose."

"Your grandfather will cut you off, Brandon, if you continue this relationship," Liz Tremaine snarled harshly. "You can live in the dorms."

"I..." Again, he threw a glance back toward Rose.

Liz dragged Brandon further along the sidewalk, noticing her son's furtive look. When she felt Rose was out of sight, she faced her son.

"Get rid of her," she demanded, poising before his line of sight. "Concentrate on your studies and move on. She's no good for you. She'll drag you down."

In a huff, Elizabeth Tremaine strode toward her Mercedes. Without saying goodbye, she entered the car and drove away. Brandon remained on the sidewalk, watching her departure. When Rose stepped beside him, he allowed her to escort him into his apartment.

Silently, Rose poured a shot of bourbon and handed it to Brandon. She prompted him to drink it. Perching on the couch beside him, she cursed his mother's appearance. It was not the introduction she anticipated.

"Let's get some rest and talk about it in the morning," she eventually suggested.

Brandon turned red-rimmed eyes onto his companion. His heart sank as he anticipated telling Rose she had to leave. He knew he could not live without her. His mother always found a way to deflate his happiness.

"I'm not going anywhere, Brand," Rose remarked as though reading his thoughts. "Your mother cannot chase me away."

"Grandfather is going to make me move into the dorms," Brandon explained, his mood deteriorating.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Rose abruptly decided.

"Mom usually gets her way, Roe."

"And I usually get mine," she flippantly responded.

******

Weeks of trepidation caused Brandon Tremaine to lose sleep. Despite Rose's attempts to comfort him, he tossed and turned beneath the blankets. Finally, the landlady appeared at the door with an eviction notice.

"I hate to do this to you, young man," Mrs. Maggio sorrowfully stated. Fond of young people, the older woman hated bringing bad news.

Silently, Brandon stood in his apartment doorway. The words on the notice blurred beneath his eyes. He wished Rose were with him. However, she attended her poli-sci class.

"Thank you, Mrs. Maggio," he finally replied. Swinging the door closed, he sank onto the bed. He remained there until Rose appeared.

"It's over, Roe," Brandon pronounced as she hovered above him.

"No, it's not!" Rose responded, grinning from ear to ear.

"Aw, don't tease," he glumly answered.

Rose plunked onto the couch and continued to smirk.

"I'm not teasing, darling," she finally answered after prolonging the moment. "Daddy took over the lease. It's my apartment now. And I've decided I want you to live here. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

Brandon remained on the couch, oblivious of Rose's statement. Caught up in his sorrow, he completely missed her remarks.

"Didn't you hear me?" she shouted, shaking his arm.

"Huh?"

"My apartment, Brand," Rose asserted her grin widening. "We're not going anywhere! Get it?"

At last, Brandon realized Rose's jubilant announcement. Smiling widely, he bent to kiss her cheek. He understood why he loved her.