Page 94 of Feels Like Home

We’re getting back to the basics and having a family nightin.

Playing games, watching a movie, vegging out, eating all thefood.

Bri and the boys are at the store together grabbing a few snacks then they’ll order pizza and I’m on my way to pick up Christine. I don’t even want her worrying about driving at thispoint.

I pull into her driveway and climb out, heading up the porch steps. After we got more serious, we gave each other an open-door policy, exchanged keys. Hopefully, eventually we won’t need separate keys. But that’s for anotherday.

“Christine?” I yell out when I don’t see her immediately but I don’t get a response. I make my way to her bedroom and find her sitting at the foot of her bed, hunched over a little bit as she slides her feet into a pair ofsandals.

“Babe?”

She looks up at me, tears flooding hereyes.

Ah,shit.

“Oh, sweetheart,” I say, my voice softening as I move closer to her, sitting on the bed and wrapping her up in myarms.

Her head falls to my shoulder, and she sniffles before breaking downcompletely.

“I d-don’t want her to l-leave. We didn’t get enough t-t-time,” she cries. At least, I think that’s what shesays.

“She’s not leaving for good,” Itryto remindher.

“Yes, she is. She’s leaving and never comingback.”

I chuckle then quickly stop when her eyes dart to me,glaring.

I can’t help it, though. She’s so irrational rightnow.

Not that I wouldeversaythatout loud. I’m a quick learner, and she’s obviously not in the jokingmood.

“You really think that Bri is going to go to college and never come back home? Never check in withyou?”

“Well, I don’t know. It sure seems like she’s just itching to get out of here. She doesn’t leave for three days. Three days, Andy! And she already has her bags all packed! Who doesthat?”

Normalpeople?

I don’t dare explain that she’s probably ready to leave because her mom has lost her damn mind the last few days. Or the fact that she and Grady are going to the same school, and she’s more than likelyveryready to have that newfound freedom that comes withcollege.

Or the simple fact that Bri is a healthy, active eighteen-year-old young woman, who is ready for the next stage of herlife.

Instead…

“She loves you, and she’s going to miss you so bad that she’s probably going to want to come home rightaway.”

“Why would you say that?” she cries and hits me on theshoulder.

Did I mention she’s irrationallately?

“Umm. How about…” I hug her tightly, look to the ceiling for answers that obviously aren’t there, and mentally whisper a prayer for the rightwords.

“I loveyou?”

“Andy! You’re not a help atall.”

“Gotta be honest here, babe. I have no idea what you want me tosay.”

She sniffles and stands up, points at me. “Just wait. One day the boys are going to leave us, and you’ll be crying, and I won’t have an ounce of sympathy foryou.”

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