Chapter
30
One night
after dinner, Katelyn approached Jackie and Harold.
"Are you
two busy?" she asked. They were watching television.
"No,
honey," said Jackie.
"Can I
talk to you about something?" Katelyn asked.
"Sure,
sweetheart," Jackie replied. "Sit down." She patted a spot next
to her on the sofa. Katelyn sat down and cleared her throat.
"My
eighteenth birthday in on April 12th," she said.
"Really?!
That's less than two weeks away!" Jackie said, delighted.
"What am
I going to do though? When I turn eighteen, you guys no longer have to be my
guardians," Katelyn said.
"Are you
wondering what's going to happen after you turn eighteen? As in, do you have to
leave?" Harold asked.
Katelyn
nodded.
"Oh
honey, of course not!" Jackie said, putting an arm around Katelyn.
"You can stay here as long as you want. You've become like the daughter we
never had. Plus, you're Brian's girlfriend."
Katelyn smiled
and sighed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good," she said. "I figured
you would say that, but I needed to ask, just to make sure."
Jackie smiled
again. "Well, you know you are always welcome here. What do you plan to do
after you graduate?" she asked.
"I don't
know," said Katelyn. "I'm not sure about college. First of all, I
don't have the money, even if I wanted to go. And second, I have no clue what I
want to be."
Jackie and
Harold exchanged glances. "Kate, dear, if you want to go to college, we
would help you pay the tuition. But, if you aren't sure, that's okay. It's your
choice, and you can always go back when you are grown up," Harold said.
"Oh, I
could never let you guys send me to college. That would be too much,"
Katelyn said.
"Honey,
like I said before, you have become like a daughter to us. If money is the
problem, we would be happy to help you out," Jackie said.
"Well,
it's not just the money. Like I said, I really have no idea what I want to do.
Plus, my senior year is almost over, and I haven't sent out any applications. I
would probably never get in now anyway," Katelyn explained. "But
thank you for offering. Maybe someday, I'll go to college. But I don't think
it's what I want to do now."
"Okay,"
Jackie said. "It's your decision."
They left the
conversation at that.
***
Brian was
still in Europe touring on Katelyn's birthday. He felt horrible about not being
there, but he sent her a present and called to wish her a happy birthday.
Jackie and Harold bought Katelyn some gifts too, and she received gifts from
Jennie and a few others from back in Cincinnati, as well as from her new
friends in Lexington.
***
Katelyn
graduated high school at the end of May. The tour ended just in time, so Brian
could be there to see her graduate. It brought back memories for him as he
watched her graduate in her long burgundy robe, and he remembered his own
graduation. He had joined the Backstreet Boys in April of his senior year, but
he managed to stay right with his class and came back to graduate with them.
After the
graduation, they all went out to a fancy dinner to celebrate.
***
