As I Lay Dying

By Katie Miller

Emily Hampton led a perfect life. Perfect family, perfect boyfriend, perfect everything--until the night she graduated high school and everything changed. Now she's left with unanswered questions that she has to bear alone.
When the new guy in town shows up at her front door, she falls head over heels. But when she discovers he's not entirely human, she wonders what his connection is to the recent events in her life. And as the people around her start to die, she faces challenges on who she can trust and who it is that's targeting her next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468575705

Katie Miller

Katie Miller, also known as codemiller, works as an OpenShift Developer Advocate at Red Hat. Katie is a polyglot programmer with a penchant for Haskell. The functional programming enthusiast co-founded the Lambda Ladies online community and co-organizes the Brisbane Functional Programming Group. Katie is a familiar face at an array of Meetup groups spanning a variety of programming language communities, including Java, JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. The former newspaper journalist has presented at conferences and Meetups across Australia and New Zealand and as far afield as Budapest, Hungary. Katie is passionate about coding, open source, software quality, languages of all kinds, and encouraging more girls and women to pursue careers in technology.

Book preview

As I Lay Dying

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Katie Miller

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2012 by Katie Miller. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/04/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-7568-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-7569-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-7570-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012905962

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

For my beautiful daughter and son—

Danica and Drake

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my wonderful husband who put the idea of writing into my head in the first place. This book wouldn’t have even existed if not for him. Thank you Derek for keeping me motivated and reading and rereading my work to make sure it came out just perfect.

I would like to thank my two wonderful children, Danica and Drake. I found many ideas for this book during our playtime.

I would also like to thank my mom, Mary Ellen, for reading the drafts and final edits of this book, giving me insight and help where needed.

And lastly, I want to thank Betty Heisserer for reading my first draft and giving me feedback on the overall book.

Chapter One

It was a warm summer evening at the end of August and Emily was sitting on the edge of the rocks, waiting for sundown. The sun was setting just beyond the water in an array of many beautiful colors. The radiant sky was so breathtaking that it looked as if it had been painted on—bright pink and orange covered the sky and the sunlight bounced off the clouds, giving off a warm glow on everything that it touched. The leaves on the nearby trees were rustling as the gentle breeze blew through them, carrying an overwhelmingly sweet scent of Sweet William. The water crashed up on the rocks below with a cool mist that truly made it feel serene. This place, right on the ocean’s shore, had always been the perfect place for her to get away from everyone and everything.

She had been coming here regularly for the past few months, ever since she lost her. All the events of the last few months that brought her here, to this point, she wished she could do all over again. That was before her life turned upside down—when everything was perfect.

Emily? a voice reached out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see a familiar face. He was tall, every bit of six feet, and handsome, with light blonde hair that complimented his deep skin tone and vivid green eyes that were framed by his dark long eyelashes. He had strong, but gentle, facial features with a smile that no one could resist, and he wore red board shorts with a white cut off tee, exposing his defined arms. The wind picked up slightly and he swept his shaggy, tousled hair out of his eyes. All he needed was a surfboard and he had the look of a California surfer.

She smiled at him, Hey, Alex.

Hands in his pockets, he glanced around the area where she was sitting. He didn’t appear interested in the scenery, considering he’d seen it every day for the entire duration of his life. But he was interested in one thing. He had seen Emily come out here every day, like clockwork—same time, same place; but he’d never asked her why. He had a feeling he knew, considering the routine only started a few months ago, but he wasn’t certain. He stared into her eyes, so blue they reflected the water in the ocean. What are you doing out here? he asked, searching for the answer many people were looking for.

She looked away from Alex and stared back out into the ocean, watching the waves tumble into the sand and rock. Before she answered, she took a moment to think of how she should respond. There was the obvious—tell him the truth, tell him everything. But somehow she was afraid of how he’d react. This was something that neither she nor he had dealt with before and she had no idea what to do. She shook her head slightly, deciding the best answer she could give. I just come out here to think sometimes. I love it out here. It’s just so peaceful and relaxing, she answered after only a moment of delay. The pause was so short that Alex didn’t even catch her hesitation. And as for her response, she was satisfied. She was telling him the truth—just not the whole truth, only part of it.

Would you like some company? he asked, not taking his eyes off hers for a second.

She hesitated once more, because honestly she had wanted to be alone. That was the reason she came out here every evening, no matter what. Nothing was more important than coming here. Nothing. And she saw to it that nothing got in her way either. She took the time to think and figure things out. She came here to think about her.

When he noticed her not so slight hesitation, he quickly changed his mind, I’ll just go. He gave her a half-smile, but she could hear the sadness in his voice.

She reached out and placed her hand on his leg, preventing him from leaving. No, I want you to stay, she assured him. She liked Alex. She couldn’t hurt him and she knew she had been hurting him from being so distant lately. Maybe this was a half-hearted chance to help redeem her actions. The gesture wasn’t much, it barely counted as anything, that she knew. But still, it was a start.

Are you sure? I don’t mind leaving, he said, half-way turned—ready to go in either direction.

I’m positive, she accentuated, pulling her hand away from him only when she knew she had him convinced. She smiled up at him, knowing that her response helped smooth things over between them. He smiled down at her like a kid on Christmas morning and sat down next to her, legs dangling over the cliff’s edge.

She looked over at him and grinned inside. Alex had always been thoughtful, ever since they were kids. They had been together for six years, off and on, but more on than off. He’d been her next door neighbor for twelve years and they have been best friends ever since she could remember. When they were ten years old, even then, he knew how to comfort her.

She noticed Alex sat with his hands folded in his lap, looking out at the ocean in complete silence. He knew this was what she wanted, what she needed. He knew that she preferred to sit and quietly think about things that were going wrong in her life, rather than talk things through. She was a loner in that aspect—very independent, never relying on anyone for advice. However, he knew that when she did have a problem she couldn’t fix on her own, that she would come to him to help her and he never once tried to intervene.

What she liked most about Alex was that he supported her even if he didn’t know the details of the situation. Alex was her rock, her stronghold. He was the one person she could always count on, even if it was the worst of situations. A few months ago, he did what no one else had the power to do—he held her together when she could’ve fallen apart into a hundred pieces.

Emily looked down at the watch Alex had given her last year for her birthday. The diamond-accented hands pointed at seven-thirty. A half-hour had passed in the blink of an eye. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Alex yawn and then quickly shake his head as if he were trying to trick his body into staying awake.

How ’bout we go inside and watch a movie. I’ll even pick this time, he gestured. He knew how much she hated when he was indecisive, therefore she always picked everything—what they ate, where they went, and what they did that day. But tonight it was a relief. Tonight she didn’t have yet another thing on her mind that she had to worry about.

Sure. I’ll be inside in a minute. I just need to gather my thoughts, she said warmly. As much as she appreciated his company, she couldn’t fully focus on her thoughts with him there. As soon as she started getting closer to her feelings that were hidden far below the surface, Alex would shift his body slightly and it would grab her attention, causing her to lose her train of thought. It was like trying to fall asleep and once you were close, the phone would ring, jolting you awake; or when you’re trying to focus on anything in a room full of screaming children. Some people had no problem under these conditions, but not Emily. She functioned far better in complete silence. So when Alex stood up, ready to leave, she felt relieved.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head gently, but sweetly. Take as much time as you need, Em. He had always called her Em and she loved the nickname because only the people closest to her called her that. I’ll see you inside.

Alright.

She watched him as he walked back up the path that led to her house. Well, it was actually her parents’ house. The only thing she owned was her truck, but it was more a gift from her parents since she was only able to pay for half of it. So technically, she felt it wasn’t really hers either.

She had always felt that everything in life should be earned, not handed to you on a silver platter. But that was how she was raised. She wanted to work the minute she turned sixteen. She didn’t even care if she worked at the local fast-food restaurant. She would have worked anywhere because she felt that money was money, and if you could provide for yourself that’s all that mattered. There were things she wanted and she wanted to earn them herself.

That was the biggest thing she learned from her parents. Her dad was a very successful attorney in New York, and her mom quit her job as an attorney—and Dad’s partner—to be a writer. They knew what they wanted to do in life and they went after it. When they moved here to Lakeshore, Emily’s dad commuted back and forth and would sometimes be gone for weeks at a time, so her mom moved her work home so she could stay home with the kids full-time. They instilled in their kids the importance of honesty, values, work ethic, and responsibilities. They were taught to always tell the truth, no matter what the consequences brought. They were given the choice if they wanted to work in high school, but at the same time they knew if they decided not to work, they wouldn’t be getting any handouts. Emily also came home to chores every day because her parents felt that if you wanted to own something, you should take the time yourself to take care of it rather than hiring someone else to do it. Emily grew up respecting her possessions as well as those of others.

Emily looked around aimlessly and noticed that the sun had long set. She knew she had been out here much longer than she had wanted to. She knew Alex was waiting for her inside, so she picked herself up, stretched out her aching legs, and headed for the house. It was quite a long way to the main house, but she never seemed to mind it.

They had worn a path that led straight into the garden in their back yard. A white picket fence edged the garden in a perfect square and there were hundreds of plants and flowers in a variety of colors that sat neatly in front of the fence. There were breathtakingly beautiful rose bushes in the deepest red you could find, dark purple and white gladiolas, salmon-colored tiger lilies, and white Shasta daisies. Beautiful gardenia bushes and weeping cherry trees surrounded the back side of the house. They had more flowers than all the florists in town, yet her mom always felt they needed more.

I swear, sometimes I feel like our garden could challenge the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, she thought.

The path had ended at the gate entering the garden and stepping stones led from the gate to the back door. Emily walked through the garden and opened the French doors leading to the inside of the house.

As she closed the doors, she turned around and almost ran right into her mom. Her mom’s eyes grew wide for a moment from being startled, but then quickly relaxed. Oh Emily, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you! Your father’s on his way home, so you should go upstairs and get dressed. We’re going to The Chandelier for dinner, she informed her in a rather chipper voice.

Her mom, who looked more like Emily’s older sister than a mom, was dressed in a long, elegant, backless black dress with her dark hair swept up and pinned in a French twist. A sophisticated, stunning heart shaped diamond pendant fell right between her collar bones. She was thin, but not too thin, and she could easily pass for her early thirties. She started to walk off, but then stopped and turned to say, Oh, and something came for you this morning. I put it in your closet.

Thanks. I guess I need to find Alex first and tell him I won’t be able to watch a movie with him tonight, she quickly realized, knowing he would understand. Her dad was only home one out of every four weeks since he took on so many cases last month. She and her dad were really close and his commuting back and forth from New York had really shaken up their family. Alex knew that, and he also knew she wanted to spend as much time as she could with him before she left for college.

That’s already taken care of. I sent Alex upstairs to your brother’s room to pick out something to wear so that he could join us. I didn’t think you would mind, she said, giving her a heartwarming smile and a wink.

Thank you, Mom. She took a step toward her, leaned over, and gave her the biggest hug. She appreciated her mom. Her mom had always had a heart of gold and she always put everyone before herself. There wasn’t a single person Emily knew that didn’t like her. She wasn’t one of those fake moms either; she was extremely down to earth.

As soon as Emily let go, her mom turned and headed back down the hallway toward the kitchen. Emily headed down the hall, opposite of the way her mom had gone, and ran as fast as she could. Her parents didn’t believe in being late, if anything they were always at least ten minutes early. They always said that being late was rude, so Emily knew she had limited time to get herself dressed and presentable for dinner.

Emily, no running in the house! she heard her mom yelling at her, even though there were several rooms between them.

How does she always know? Emily thought to herself.

She slowed down and quickly walked the rest of the hallway to the front of the house. She turned and started up the grand marble staircase to the second floor. She walked down the long hallway to the right and turned into her bedroom.

Alex stood in front of the mirror in Emily’s brother’s room, fully checking the suit over. Trish, Emily’s mom, had sent him upstairs to change into something nice for dinner. Having gone with them to dinner plenty in the past six years, he knew the type of attire to wear. They often went to The Chandelier for dinner, which was the type of restaurant that allowed nothing short of black-tie attire.

Luckily, he was the same height and build as Emily’s brother, Chris, so he could always raid his closet in times such as these and find what he needed.

And now he was looking over the suit in its entirety, making sure it wasn’t wrinkled and that it fit. The suit fit him so well it was if it was tailored to him and there wasn’t a single wrinkle in the fabric. He should have known better than to think there would be. Emily’s parents would have made sure everything was cleaned and neatly pressed before it was put up in the closet. They were important people and they always needed such clothes readily accessible for events.

Alex looked good in black, sharp. He chose the white shirt to go under as well as a black tie. As he tied his tie, he remembered Chris teaching him how to do it for the first time. His family never went anywhere fancy and when he was first asked to go with Emily’s family, he panicked. Chris had accidentally walked in the bathroom while he was trying to figure it out and thank God he did. Chris taught him how to tie his tie and he taught him the etiquette of fine dining. Alex had no idea what the difference was between the different utensils, let alone what to do with them. He was used to a fork, knife, and spoon; not four forks and four spoons. He would have been lost without Chris’s help.

Alex slipped on Chris’s leather shoes, tied the laces, and stood up. He shrugged his shoulders and buttoned the coat. He looked like a groom, ready for his bride to walk down the aisle to meet him. He shook his head, clearing his last thought.

He wasn’t ready for that, he thought. Well, maybe he was, but he knew Emily wasn’t. They’d been together for six years and he’d told her he’d loved her for the last five of them, but Emily had yet to say the three words.

For one reason or another, she hadn’t said I love you to Alex, but he didn’t worry. He knew she would say it when she was ready.

He hoped.

Emily’s bedroom, which was more like a suite, was one of the bigger bedrooms in the house. She had a living area that housed her fifty-inch flat-screen and entertainment center on one wall, with a mocha brown sofa and two end tables on the wall directly across from the T.V. She walked through the living room and opened the French doors that connected to her bedroom. The wall was painted a pastel lilac color with ivory trim. Her four poster bed had intricate detail in the metal, which was also painted ivory, and was covered with an ivory bedspread with hand sewn delicate lace and pearls on it. To the right of her bed was a set of French doors that went out on the balcony. It had been her favorite place for years to read, write, and even study. It faced the garden, so the view was always beautiful. On the wall opposite of her bed were two more sets of French doors. One set led to her master bathroom—complete with a double head shower, marble hot tub, and a small, one-person sauna; while the other set led to her one-hundred square foot walk-in closet. In her closet she had all types of designer dresses and clothes on one side, and shoes and accessories on the other. Being that her parents were important people in the community, they were often involved in many charity events, which always meant a new dress for every occasion. The media always went crazy on those who wore the same outfit, even if it was a year or two later.

When she opened the doors to her closet, she immediately saw a beautiful floor length gown that was hanging up in the front. Pinned on the front of the dress, she noticed a handwritten note addressed to her.

Emily-

I saw this dress in the window

and I instantly thought of how beautiful

you would look in it. I hope it’s the right size.

Dad

Emily thought of the many times her dad had bought her outfits for special occasions. Even though he was half a country away, he always managed to get them to her on time. She was sure she owed that thanks to Jane, his secretary. One way or another, shipped overnight or hand delivered, she always had a new dress on time for an event.

She smiled as she pulled the dress off the hanger and slid into it. It couldn’t have been a more perfect fit. It was a light blue, almost silver, strapless dress that was faceted in glitter, sparkling in every direction. It bunched up and tied on the left side and had a slit in the skirt that came up mid thigh. She had never seen a dress so beautiful in her entire life. She strapped on her silver high heels that had small clear and silver crystals sewn on the straps and down the back of the heel.

She walked across her bedroom to look into the mirror. Her dark brown hair came down to the middle of her back, naturally curling on the ends, and her ocean blue eyes stood out against her pale skin and complimented her dress. She knew she only had just a few minutes left before she needed to walk downstairs, but she just couldn’t seem to grasp the image of the stranger in the mirror.

She tore her eyes away from the mirror and glanced at the clock—8:37. She took one last look in the mirror, touched up her hair with hairspray, and put on her lip gloss. She finally turned and walked out of her room.

Alex, Emily, and her mother were patiently waiting in the foyer when they heard Emily’s dad pull up in the driveway. The oversized wooden front door opened just seconds later and a man stepped inside. He was wearing his black Armani suit on top of a white collared shirt with no tie that her mom bought for him last Christmas. He was extremely tall, six foot four inches, with short dark hair against his tanned skin and green eyes. The first thing he did when he walked in the door was he pulled his wife in for a kiss. Most would have been disgusted by the sight of their parents’ kissing, but Emily thought it was incredibly sweet. It was nice to see that they were still showing affection for one another even after thirty years of marriage. She hoped that one day she would have that with someone she loved.

He broke the lingering kiss and looked over at his daughter at last. Oh Emily, that dress is perfect. I knew it would be stunning on you.

I absolutely love the dress, it was such a surprise! Thank you, Dad. Emily was most sincere.

His smile was a very uplifting smile, You’re very welcome. He then turned his attention to Alex, who was standing between his wife and daughter. He reached out and shook his hand. Hello Alex, it’s always a pleasant surprise to see you.

And you, sir. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you to dinner, Alex politely responded. He was always very respectful when it came to her family. He always spoke formally to them and helped around the house while her dad was gone.

Emily’s dad simply smiled and nodded. He respected Alex, he always had. He felt there was no one better suited for his daughter. Shall we go then? We don’t want to be late.

Mrs. Hampton? Alex held out his arm to Trish in a grand gesture.

Emily, you’ve got a gentleman here, she smiled as she took his arm. They walked out the front door to the car.

For an instant, a wave of worry flooded Emily. She remembered seeing Alex escort her mom out the door before something terrible happened. But what? she thought. The image ate at her for several moments before she remembered the dream she had had a week prior, which should have relieved her, but now she couldn’t recall what had happened in the dream after this point—that’s what worried her.

Emily caught herself staring into space.

Is something wrong, sweetheart? her dad asked as he held out his arm.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, No, not at all. When he lowered his head and narrowed his eyes, indicating he didn’t believe her, she added, Just had déjà-vu. That’s all. And then she flashed him her sweetest daddy’s little girl smile and took his arm.

That smile always worked on him and he accepted her answer immediately, not pushing Emily for more, even though he could tell she was really shaken up. It didn’t take a genius to see that, but he let it go, like he had with so much in the recent past.

He gestured outside and they walked out the front door. Emily about fell over when she saw it. There, sitting in the driveway, was a gorgeous black Infiniti G37 Coupe. It was brand-new—the car specs were still taped on the inside of the passenger side window. The windows were tinted as dark as they legally could be and there were eighteen-inch chrome rims.

Do you like it? her dad asked, though he knew he didn’t have to by the expression on her face.

It’s perfect! she exclaimed. She ran over to it and looked the car over up and down. It’s the car she had been saving up to get for the past couple of years. It was beautiful. It had all black leather interior with the dash accented in chrome. It’s a 3.7 liter V6 with 330 horsepower! Mom, Dad, you really shouldn’t have!

She’d been fascinated by cars for several years. Her dad was a classic car collector. He worked on cars in his spare time and she’d help him when she could. She had grown to learn a lot about all kinds of cars.

Suddenly, her excitement bottomed out and doubt filled her head. Why did you buy me a car? she asked straight out. She knew her parents—this was unlike them to do something so grand. They may be rich, but they didn’t give handouts. What’s the catch?

No catch. It’s a part-graduation present. You’re going to need it when you drive yourself to Yale, her dad said. He was so busy working all the time that he couldn’t take the time to drive her himself to Yale, though he also knew her current vehicle wouldn’t get her there either.

Accepting their answer without another thought, she ran over and hugged her mom and dad so hard, she thought she was going to crush them. Thank you!

You earned it, Emily. You really have, her mom added, but don’t you dare drive it too fast! She lectured like she always had. Her mom had been the disciplinary parent ever since they moved to Lakeshore, which she was sure upset her dad—she secretly thought he loved to lecture.

Emily then caught something in their previous response and sensed there was more to it than just being generous. Wait, what did you mean by part-graduation present? she asked, somewhat confused.

Her dad looked over to her mom with eyes that said Go on, you tell her. She looked pretty upset—her eyes had the glossed over look to them, the way they looked right before you cry. I killed your baby, I’m so sorry, she said softly.

My truck? Emily asked, trying to clarify. She had a 1994 Dodge Dakota. It was a really pretty cherry red color with a V8 engine, and it was in great condition when she got it. Her uncle Bobby had it for years, but didn’t need it after he had bought a brand new work truck. So he kept it for her and she bought it from him with the money she earned while babysitting the neighbor’s kids, along with help from her parents. It was a nice vehicle to start out with, plus her parents didn’t think it was a good idea for her to start out with a new vehicle in case she wrecked it. They didn’t think new cars and sixteen year-olds mixed well, and the older she got, the more she agreed with them.

Yep, she forgot to put the parking brake on, so of course, being in neutral, it rolled down the hill and hit a telephone pole, her dad explained.

Is it still drivable? she asked, though she should have known the answer since they bought her a new car.

Her dad shook his head slowly and sadly. She totaled it. So the new car is half your graduation present and half your sorry-we-wrecked-your-truck present. He laughed, I didn’t think you would mind.

Of course she didn’t mind. This was such a surprise. She couldn’t wait to drive it. So are we going to dinner now? Can I drive it there? She was so excited she couldn’t stop fidgeting.

Her dad threw her the keys and he and her mom hopped in their car. Emily opened the driver’s side door and sat inside. She breathed in deeply to take in the new car smell. She loved the smell of a new car, especially the ones with leather seats. There was nothing else like it. She put the key in the ignition and started the car. The engine roared to life.

She looked through the window at Alex. You coming?

You bet! he exclaimed excitedly as he climbed in the passenger seat.

She put it in gear and they took off down the driveway. The restaurant was ten minutes away, but that wasn’t far enough away for her. She wanted to drive this car for hours.

Before they knew it, they were at the restaurant. She found the furthest parking spot away from the restaurant—there was no way she was chancing her new car getting dinged.

Don’t want it dinged? Alex assumed as he got out of the car.

Exactly, she said, smiling. She loved how Alex knew what she was thinking all the time. She grabbed her purse and they walked on in. The hostess took their name and as they walked past her with the waitress to get to their table, the hostess winked at Alex.

Emily looked over at him. Got another girlfriend on the side? she teased him. She loved poking fun at him. When he got embarrassed, his cheeks turned bright red—you couldn’t miss it even a mile away. It was a fun way to pass the time—see how many times a day she could turn him ten shades of red.

And just as she knew he would, he started turning beet red. No, her name is Stacy and she was in my American History class, he said nervously and quickly dropped the subject.

Emily laughed inside. Alex was always nervous when it came to the female population. They would have never even dated if it weren’t for her outgoing nature. It helped that they were friends, so she went for it. She had made the first move and asked him out.

The waitress seated them and said she would be back to take their order shortly. They looked over the menus and had light conversation while waiting.

The waitress came back right as they decided what they wanted to order. Miss, what would you like? she asked as she pointed at Emily.

I would like the Filet Mignon, cooked medium-rare, with a Caesar salad and buttered broccoli. Oh, and a water, no lemon. Thank you, she said and handed her the menu back.

And for you, sir? she asked Alex.

That sounds good. I’ll have what she’s having, he answered, nodding in Emily’s direction.

Make that three, her dad agreed, ordering the same.

And I’ll have the Blackened Chicken salad, her mom replied. And a water with lemon.

I’ll put these in and bring them out as soon as they’re ready, the waitress replied as she gathered all of their menus.

Then Emily’s dad turned to her and said, So, your mom and I have a surprise for you. We have decided to pay for an apartment for you while you attend college.

And the gifts kept coming . . .

Oh, wow. Er . . . thank you, she replied. She was excited, but then again she wasn’t. She didn’t really have the heart to tell them she was thinking about putting off college for a year. She just didn’t know what she wanted to do quite yet. Her parents had always reached the goals they’ve put out there, so she wondered if they would be disappointed if she decided to wait it out.

I’ll talk to them tomorrow, she decided.

Dinner went pretty smoothly, though she wished they would have talked about something other than her going away to college. They all finished dinner, had some dessert, and then called it a night.

Emily drove Alex and herself home.

She loved the car so much, she was willing to go to college just to drive it all the way there. At least that was long enough to test drive it, all the way from Florida to Connecticut—that would be an awesome road trip.

Emily’s parents waved as she and Alex drove off, heading home. They got into their Cadillac and Trish was the first to speak. "Bill, did you get the feeling she was