Chapter
31
Now that
Katelyn had graduated, she knew it was time to move of the Littrells' house.
However, she didn't have enough money to buy even a small apartment for
herself. She had an after school job working at a local grocery store and had
been saving up all her money from that, but it was not nearly enough.
The good thing
was that the Backstreet Boys' tour was finished, and they had plenty of time
off during the summer. That meant Brian and Katelyn could spend lots of time
together.
***
One afternoon
at the beginning of June, Brian and Katelyn went out to see a movie.
Afterwards, they stopped for ice cream.
"You
know, Kate, I've been thinking," Brian began.
"What?"
she asked, not knowing if he was going to give her good news or bad news.
"Well,
I've been kind of homesick for Florida. For my house there and my own bed and
everything. And since you want to move out of my parents' house, I was
wondering if you wanted to come with me to Orlando and live with me
there," he offered.
She grinned.
"Oh Bri, that would be wonderful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms
around him.
He beamed.
"Great!" he said.
"When
will leave?" she asked.
"As soon
as everything is taken care of here. We have to get your stuff packed, you have
to quit your job, and all that kind of stuff," Brian said.
"That
won't take more than a few days," Katelyn said. "I figure I can be
moved into your house by the end of the week."
After they
finished, they drove home to tell Harold and Jackie. They approved of the idea,
knowing that Brian and Katelyn were both responsible. They knew they would miss
having their son and Katelyn around though.
***
By the
weekend, Katelyn had quit her job at the grocery store. She and Brian had
packed up all their things and bought two plane tickets to Orlando.
Saturday
morning, Jackie and Harold drove them to the airport. Brian and Katelyn checked
their luggage and walked down to their gate to wait for the flight.
When their
flight was finally called, Katelyn stood up slowly. As she turned to hug
Jackie, she felt tears well up in her eyes. Jackie was like her second mother,
and it was hard to leave her. Jackie, too, blinked back tears as she held
Katelyn.
"Don't
cry now," she said. "It's not like you won't see us again. You two
will be back here to visit all the time, I hope. You know you're always welcome
here."
"I
know," Katelyn said. She pulled back from Jackie and hugged Harold. As she
hugged him, she thought of her own father and began to cry fresh tears.
"Thank you so much for everything you've done for me," Katelyn said
to Harold and Jackie, after she had finished hugging them. They said nothing,
just smiled at her.
Brian hugged
them both too, and then they were off. As they started up the ramp, they both
turned to wave at Jackie and Harold. Then, they walked to the plane.
***
The flight
went well, and within a couple hours, they had landed at the airport in
Orlando. Brian led Katelyn off the plane and through the airport to get their
bags. Katelyn could tell he had been here many times. He knew his way around
perfectly.
After they had
gotten their suitcases, Brian hailed a taxi to take them back to his house.
Katelyn gasped
in delight when she saw his big, beautiful house, which was located in the
outskirts of Orlando. She discovered the inside was just as beautiful as the
outside as Brian gave her a tour of the house.
When he got to
his bedroom, which was pale blue and white, he paused. "Hey, Katelyn, um…
what do you think the sleeping arrangements should be? I mean, you are my
girlfriend and all, but I… I…" He let his sentence trail off. Katelyn knew
what he was trying to ask, and she knew he was uncomfortable about it. She was
too.
"I know
what you mean," she said, giggling nervously. "I think we should
start out sleeping separately. I mean, we've only been going out for a few
months."
Brian looked
relieved. "Okay, good. I was hoping you wouldn't take offense at that.
It's just, I don't really feel comfortable sleeping with you yet, and I don't
think my parents would approve."
"I feel
the same way," Katelyn replied, smiling at him. He grinned back and led
her around the rest of the house.
When he showed
her one of the other bedrooms, he said, "This one is your room. It's the
nicest guest room."
Katelyn looked
around. It was very nice. It was decorated in soft yellow, which made the room
sunny and cheerful looking. It had a nice double bed, a walk in closet, and
it's own bathroom. It was perfect.
"I love
this room," Katelyn told him, as she walked around it.
"Great,"
he said, looking pleased. "I was hoping you would."
She grinned
and took his hand, and they headed back downstairs.
***
