Chapter 38

A week later

"Is this everything?" my dad asked Kristin, after he had taken her 5th bag downstairs.

She smiled at my dad. "Yep, that's all of it."

"I thought you had learned to pack light, since you have to when you're touring," my dad said.

"That's only when I'm touring," Kristin said. "This time though, we're visiting your family and I have to have clothes for every occasion."

My dad smiled. "Baby, you don't have to dress up to look good, because to me you'll always be beautiful."

Then he leaned forward and gave Kristin a kiss.

I cleared my throat, letting them know that I was still in the room. "Nick's waiting. He told me to tell you two to hurry up."

"Go tell your Uncle Nick that we'll get there when we get there," my dad said.

"Okay," I said as I rushed out of the house.

"Are they ready?" Nick asked as I walked towards him, while he put the luggage in the back of his truck.

"Dad said that they'll get here when they get here," I said.

"I guess I'll have to leave without them," Nick said.

"Fine with me," I said. "Dad and Kristin are getting all mushy."

"Eww!" cried Nick.

I laughed at him. "Yeah, that's exactly right."

We walked up to the front of the truck and got in.

"So how are things going between you and Kristin?" my Uncle Nick asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Pretty much the same, but both of us are trying to act a little more civil, but only for my dad's sake."

"Any more fights?" Nick asked.

"No…not yet anyways," I said.

"Lily…are you going to do something to make Kristin mad?" he asked.

"No. I'm just saying that we can only pretend for so long, and then we end up exploding," I said.

"Well, try to be good at the reunion, for your dad," Nick said.

"I will. Plus, I don't want to look like an idiot in front of my dad's entire family. That would be a bad first impression," I said.

Nick smiled. "Very true."

Then we sat there waiting for my dad and Kristin.

"What the heck is your dad doing?" Nick asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Can I honk the horn till he comes out?"

"Sure," Nick said. "Go ahead."

I smiled as I scooted over next to Nick. Then I began to continually press the horn.

Soon my dad and Kristin came out. I stopped and then sat back down, buckling myself in.

"About time," Nick said as my dad and Kristin got in.

"Hello to you too," Kristin said.

"Hey Kris," he said as he turned around and gave her a quick hug.

"All right Nicky, let's get going since you're so anxious to get rid of us," my dad said.

"Yeah, I have a new video game that just came in, and I have to go pick it up," Nick said.

"God forbid if you don't get to your video game soon," my dad said.

Nick just stuck his tongue out as he drove off.

"Real mature Carter," my dad said.

"That's me," Nick said, smiling.

Soon we drove into one of the many parking lots at the airport. We got down and began getting our luggage. Then we made our way to ticketing.

"Okay, here's your tickets and boarding passes. Your gate is C2," the woman said.

"Thank you," my dad said.

Then we picked up our luggage again and headed to gate C2. Once we arrived we saw my Uncle Brian and his wife Leighanne.

He waved at us and smiled. Then he began running towards me. "Lily!"

I stopped as he wrapped his arms around me. "Hey sweetheart!"

"Hi Uncle Brian," I said happily.

"What took you guys so long?" he asked as he let go of me.

All three of us pointed at Kristin.

Leighanne laughed. "Packing everything, Kris?"

"Of course," Kristin said. "I have to make sure I have everything."

"I told you Bri," Leighanne said.

He laughed. "Yep, you were right."

Then my dad took my hand and led me over to Leighanne.

"Leigh, I'd like you to meet my beautiful baby girl, Lily," my dad said.

"Hi Lily. It's nice to finally meet you," she said as she stuck out her hand.

I smiled and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

"I'm sorry that we weren't able to meet sooner, but work has kept me away. But I've been meaning to stop by, especially since Brian over here keeps talking about you," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, he talks about you a lot too," I said. "You seem to make him very happy."

"Why thank you," she said. "He makes me happy."

"Aww!" Brian exclaimed as he gave Leighanne a kiss.

Nick bent down and whispered in my ear, "Do they not realize that we don't want to see them do all that mushy stuff? It's just gross."

I started laughing. "I don't think they understand."

"Understand what?" my dad asked as he looked at Nick and I strangely.

"Oh nothing," replied Nick and I, innocently.

"What are you telling my daughter, Nickolas?" my dad asked.

"Nothing," he replied.

"You better not be," warned my dad. Nick just laughed at my dad.

Then we all sat down, waiting for our flight to be called.

"So is it scary being on a plane?" I asked my Uncle Nick as we watched planes take off.

"You're asking the wrong person Lily," he replied.

"Why? You don't like them?" I asked.

"Not particularly," he replied. "But I'm pretty sure you'll love it. Especially since you're so much like your dad."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. He either wanted to work in the entertainment business or be a pilot in the Air Force," Nick informed me.

"Wow, a pilot," I said, surprised.

"Yeah, so I'm sure you'll be fine," Nick reassured me.

"I want to see what it's like to be up in the clouds," I said.

"Well, now's your chance," Nick said as he and everyone else stood up. "Your flight has been called."

I grabbed my backpack and got up. Then Nick engulfed me into a hug.

"You have a good trip," he said.

"I will," I said.

"And Lily, if you feel like you're going to explode on Kristin or you just need to talk, you call me. Okay?" he asked.

"Okay," I said.

"Now go, your dad is waiting for you," he said. "Bye! Have fun!"

I waved to Nick one last time, and then took my dad's hand and walked though the boarding tunnel.

"Can I sit by the window?" I asked excitedly.

"Sure my girl," my dad said.

I sat down, and then my dad sat next to me, making sure Kristin and I were separated.

The flight attendant came over the intercom, telling us to buckle up. I sat back and buckled up, then I peered out the window, watching as we rolled down the runway. After we had built up enough speed, the plane slowly began to ascend.

"Are you okay?" my dad asked as he placed his hand on top of mine, as I gripped onto the arm of the seat.

"Yeah," I said. "Just never felt that before."

"It's normal," my dad said, smiling at me.

I wrapped my arm around my dad's, rested my head on his shoulder, and stared out the window.

Soon I saw clouds passing by. I quickly sat up and stared out the window.

"Dad, look! We're flying through the clouds," I said, excitedly.

"I know," my dad said.

"They're beautiful," I said as I watched them pass by us.

"So how's everything going?" Leighanne whispered to Kristin.

"Okay," she said. "But I don't know for how much longer."

"Why do you say that?" Leighanne asked.

"Because I don't know how much longer we can act," Kristin said. "Kevin thinks things have gotten better, but both Lily and I know that it really hasn't. I'm just trying to act more civil, for Kevin, and that's it."

"What about at the reunion?" Leighanne asked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, cause I definitely don't want to embarrass myself in front of Kevin's family," Kristin replied.

"You know Kris, you guys really need to work out your differences. It's not good for you two to be constantly at each other's throats, or pretending that you like each other, when you both know that you don't. It's not a healthy environment, for any of you," Leighanne said.

"It's better than not being there at all," Kristin replied.

"I'm just saying that maybe you need to talk to her, just the two of you," Leighanne said. "She seems like a sweet girl, Kris."

Kristin just gave Leighanne an annoyed look. "Yeah, as long as you're not near her Daddy."

Leighanne sighed. "Fine, continue on the way you're going, it doesn't bother me in the least. I was just trying to help, but if you don't want listen, that's fine."

Then Leighanne turned her attention towards Brian.

After about an hour and a half of flying, the plane began its descent.

We grabbed our carry-on-bags and then got off the plane. I held my dad's hand tightly as we made our way through the crowd of people.

"Ann!" cried Kristin.

Then all of a sudden she wrapped her arms around an older woman, who looked to be about my height. She had light brown hair that was cut to just below her chin. She was wearing jeans and a red sweater.

After she had hugged Kristin, she walked towards my dad and I. I hid behind my dad as he hugged her.

"Hi Mom," he said.

"Hi my son," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Mom, there's someone who I want you to meet," my dad said.

Then my dad turned to me and took my hand, pulling me next to him.

"Lily, this is my mom, Ann, your grandma," he said. "Mom, this is Lily, your granddaughter."

"Hi," I said, shyly.

Tears were forming in her eyes as she hugged me. "Hi sweetheart. I've missed you so much. I love you, Lily Anne."

"I love you too Grandma," I said as I also began to cry.

"Welcome home," she said.

"Thank you," I said as she wiped away my tears.

"Are we ready to go?" Kristin asked.

"Yep, let's go home," Kevin said.

I held my grandma's hand along with my dad's as we went to pick up our luggage. All of us gathered our luggage and then told Brian, Leighanne, and his mom goodbye. Afterwards, we got into my grandma's car.

"Kevin, do you mind driving?" my grandma asked. "I'd like to talk to my granddaughter."

"No, that's fine," my dad replied.

Then my dad and Kristin got in the front of the car, while Grandma Ann and I sat in the back.

"I have a present for you," she said.

"For me?" I asked.

"Of course," she said. "I couldn't see my granddaughter for the first time and not have a present. What kind of grandma would I be?"

She then handed a bag to me. I pulled out the tissue paper and then began to dig through the bag. There were all sorts of nail polishes, body sprays, hair clips, and lip-glosses.

"Thank you," I said as I hugged her.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I don't have any of this stuff," I said.

"Okay, good," she said.

Then my grandma and I continued to talk. She asked me many questions, just like everyone else did when they saw me. I didn't mind though, I was enjoying talking to her.

As she talked to me, I continued to study her. She had such a warm friendly face. And her touch felt just like a mother's, caring and loving. Thankfully, she accepted me right away and talked to me as though she had always been around me. I found it amazing that she hadn't known me more than an hour, and yet she was telling me that she loved me and she was so interested to learn about me and where I had been.

We arrived at her house and unloaded our bags. She then led us into the house, telling us which room we could have.

"Lily, you can sleep in your dad's old room," Grandma Ann said.

"Okay," I said as I took my things in there.

"And if you don't mind, you might have a couple other cousins in there with you," she said.

"That's okay," I said.

"Tim's staying here also?" my dad asked.

"Yeah, he comes in tomorrow with the rest of the family," my grandma replied.

"I haven't seen Tim in forever, how is he doing?" Kristin asked.

"Pretty good. He says that work is keeping him busy, along with the kids, since both of them are involved in all sorts of activities," my grandma said.

"That's good," Kristin said as they walked out.

I got settled into my dad's room. After that, I went exploring through the house while my grandma made dinner for us. I looked at all the pictures around the house, along with the different knick-knacks, that my dad had probably gotten her while he was on tour.

"Lily! Food's ready!" my dad called as he walked down the hall. "Where are you my girl?"

"At the end of the hall!" I yelled.

"What are you doing?" my dad asked as he walked into the room.

"Just looking," I replied.

"Oh, well your grandma made supper for us, so let's go eat because I'm starved," he said.

"Dad, who is he?" I asked as I pointed to a picture of my grandma and another man. "Is he my grandpa?"

"Yeah, that's my dad," he replied.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Up in heaven," my dad replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked," I said quietly.

"No, it's okay Lily. You can ask me about him," my dad said. "I'll tell you more about your grandpa, later though. Right now we have to go eat some of your grandma's home cooking, it's to die for."

"You miss it that much?" I asked as we walked out of the room.

"Oh yes," replied my dad, smiling. "So while we're here, I'm going to enjoy every meal."

"She's going to make us fat, huh Dad?" I asked.

"Yeah, probably," he said.

"Okay, I was just wondering," I said, smiling.