I have meant to write more about Devin and Callie since I published In This Moment (which details their first meeting), but never got around to it until I read a book where the girl's name was Calliope, just like Callie's, and it reminded me of her. I came up with a little three-shot about Devin and Callie… this is chapter one of three. Enjoy!

"Is that phone charged?" Mom demanded. "And do you have a charger for it?"

Devin sighed heavily. "Yes and yes, Mom."

"Now listen, you need to call me every day, and-"

"Max." Dad put his hand on her shoulder. "Chill out. They're eighteen; they can handle it."

As his mom gave him one more hug, Devin mouthed 'thank you' to his dad over her shoulder, which was answered with a nod.

Mom released him and moved on to hug Callie, his best friend and companion on this cross-country road trip they were blowing off college for. "You tell me if Devin isn't being a good boyfriend, alright?"

His sister laughed loudly and failed to stop herself when Devin shot her a look. He opened his mouth to say that they were not dating, thank you very much, but Callie smiled and shook her head, telling him to leave it. So he did.

"Bye Dev-y!" yelled his four-year-old sister, Missouri, standing at his feet and reaching for him. He picked her up, and then her twin, Blake, ran into his other arm, and they both wrapped their little arms around his neck.

"Bye, guys," he said. "Miss you."

Eventually, everyone stopped hugging them and let them get on their way- after Devin promised, once again, to call home every day. In the driveway was the run-down car, a 1984 model, the cheapest they could find. All their luggage was already in the trunk, waiting for them to begin their adventure.

Devin slid into the driver's side and Callie in the passenger's. He looked across the console at her and grinned, adjusting his knit cap on his head. "You ready?"

"Not quite." She reached over and plucked the cap off his head, then threw it over her shoulder into the backseat. "There. Now I am."

He chuckled and shook his head, but made no move to recover his hat. If anybody else had done that, he probably wouldn't be in the best of moods, but this was Callie. For some reason, things just seemed to work differently when he was around her.

Callie giggled. "Your hair!"

Devin ran his hands through it, trying to tame the shaggy locks. "Here, I'll mess up yours; we'll be even."

He reached over to ruffle her hair, but she ducked out of his way. "Alright, enough vengeance. Back out of the driveway, Mr. Route 66."

"Does that make you Mrs. Route 66?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Only if I'm married to you."

Blushing, Devin looked away and avoided her gaze as he backed the car out.

0000000000

The plan was to have absolutely none. They were going to get on the highway and hit the gas and just go, and that's exactly what they did. They drove late into the night, stopped at a cheap motel, and took off early the next day. Devin drove most of the time, but sometimes Callie drove while he took a nap. They pulled onto random exits and explored towns and cities, met all kinds of people. It was just as they had envisioned.

At night, in those cheap, not-always-spotless motel rooms that they paid for with the money they'd been saving for this trip for three years, they each lay in one of the single beds, faced each other, and talked. Sometimes about that day's events, sometimes about the meaning of life, and sometimes about themselves. What they wanted. What they dreamed.

One night, around one in the morning, Devin was in his bed, watching Callie sleep in the other one. Her face was turned toward him, and the moonlight shone on her mess of hair.

"Callie," he whispered. She stirred, but just barely, and so he tried again. "Callie."

"Wha' d'ya want?" she mumbled, sitting up on her elbow. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I have to ask you something," he said, watching her face. Callie sighed and lay back on her side, her eyes now wide open.

"Okay, what is it?"

"What do you want?"

Callie narrowed her eyes at him. "I could ask you the same question. What does that even mean, Devin?"

"It means, like…" Devin paused, looking for the right words. "In your life. What's something that you've known you've wanted for a long time?"

"Um." She bit her lip. "You can't laugh."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Callie inched over to the edge of her bed, and Devin did the same on his. All that separated them was air and the thin strip of carpet between the beds. "I want a big family of all adopted kids. American, Chinese, third-world countries. The United Nations of Callie."

He blinked. "Why would I laugh at that?" he asked softly.

She sighed and rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "People say adopting isn't the same as having your own. But I think that if you raise them as your own, then they are. So many kids need homes; I want to take care of the ones who are already here before bringing more into the world, you know?"

Devin nodded, thinking that he was surprised at this confession, but at the same time not really, and that he was angry at the thought of anybody laughing at her dream. "How long have you wanted to do that?"

Callie popped her knuckles; Devin cringed at the sound. She rolled back onto her side and closed her eyes. "Actually, since a while after I met you. I'd always heard about these experiments, like your parents, from my mom, and when I started talking to you I realized that even if they aren't getting their DNA altered, lots of kids are sort of in that situation of not having a home. And from there, I just decided that's what I was going to do."

"Wow." He reached over and pushed her hands down before she could pop her knuckles again. Once they were down, though, he didn't let go; he held one on them, curling his fingers around her palm. He was, truthfully, touched. Touched that she had thought about the trails his parents went through. Touched that she had been inspired by his family to make the world a better place. "Cal, whether your kids are adopted or not, you'll be an amazing mother."

Devin waited for her reply, not sure what to expect in response to his heartfelt comment, but none came. As he leaned forward and listened, he realized that her breathing had evened out, and she was asleep.

He sighed. Maybe he'd tell her again tomorrow; maybe he wouldn't. For now, he just kept her hand in his, their clasped palms swinging slightly between the beds, and joined her in dreamland.

Here is chapter one! I haven't written the next two yet, but they should be up fairly quickly. Please review, whether you liked it or not! Thanks, love you all : )