"There Goes My Life" Song by Kenny Chesney! Erika/Bradin

Bradin and Erika have been dating for a while. They were madly in love! The best part was Bradin's family agreed to let them date after a huge fallout! They were really happy with each other and never wanted to let go! He nor she had felt this way about anyone before! Bradin felt so strongly for her, he realized he couldn't do anything without her. He couldn't function! He couldn't get enough of her!

Bradin drove his car to Erika's house. This was about their 15th date! He never got tired of taking her out! He drove up to the house and got out of the car, as he grabbed the flowers. He knocked on the door. As Erika opened the door he realized Erika wasn't ready!

"Erika,"Bradin began,"We have a date! Didn't you remember?"

"Yes, Bradin, I remember, but I am not feeling too well," Erika answered him.

Bradin frowned. Maybe she just didn't want to hang out tonight. Is she getting tired of me? Am I over-crowding her?..All those thoughts stopped when she asked him if he wanted to hang out at her house! Bradin's mouth broke into a smile! She still wanted to hang out with me! he thought..

She smiled faintly back at him, and opened the door for him to come in.

"Erika, I have missed you so much!" Bradin told her.

Erika laughed. Bradin leaned in to kiss her, but she turned away.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Bradin asked worried.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" Erika answered.

Bradin exhaled. He thought something was terribly wrong!

"You want to watch some movies?" Erika asked him.

Bradin smiled. "Yes! I do!"

"OK! You pick out the movie, while I get popcorn?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah! Go ahead, sweetheart!" Bradin replied.

Erika smiled. She loved it when he sweet talked her! He was always so sweet and kind to her. She was truly in love! But the thing that got her was that he loved her just as much!

She took a package of popcorn and put it the microwave. After about two minutes, it finished popping.

She walked back into the main room and sat down on the couch. She felt like she was going to throw up!

Bradin looked at her."Wow! You are a lazy little booger aren't you?"

Erika smiled faintly."What have you picked out?"

"Ummm...Well, I am a sucker for chick flicks, so why don't we watch "A Walk to Remember"?" Bradin asked.

Erika smiled! She was so happy and sick at the same time! He sat down on the couch next to her and she put her arms around him. He snuggled close to her.

Halfway through the movie, Bradin leaned in and kissed her. It turned into a big make-out session! Finally, Bradin reached for her belt buckle and Erika slapped his hand.

Bradin pulled back shocked! "What's wrong?"

Erika just sat there quietly.

"What's wrong, Erika? We have done it three times already! Why not now? What changed?" Bradin asked her.

Erika looked at him in disbelief. Tears started to form in her eyes. She stood up, pushed her clothes down and began to walk away.

Bradin grabbed her arm. Erika turned around and slapped him cold and hard across his face.

"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me!"Erika exclaimed.

"Erika! What's wrong? What is the matter with you? You have never acted like this before!" Bradin told her.

"OK! You want to know? I'm pregnant! Is that what you wanted to hear? Huh?" Erika screamed on the top of her lungs.

Bradin's face looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

"You're pregnant?" Bradin asked her.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Erika spat back.

Bradin nodded his head. He didn't know what to do! He turned around and walked out the door. He got into his car and began to drive to the beach. He looked over to see and big huge cliff and decided to climb it. All kinds of thoughts floated into his mind!

All he could think about was:
"I'm too young for this.
"Got my whole life ahead.
"Hell, I'm just a kid myself:
"How 'm I gonna raise one?"

What's gonna happen to my future?What about Erika's? This is all my fault! All my fault!

All he could see were his dreams,
Going up in smoke.
So much for ditchin' this town,
An' hangin' out on the coast.
Oh well, those plans are long gone.

Bradin sat down and began to cry. What was his Aunt Ava going to think? She finally let him go out with Erika and he got her pregnant! What was she going to think? I blew it! AGAIN!

And he said: "There goes my life.
"There goes my future, my everything.
"Might as well kiss it all good-bye:
"There goes my life."

Bradin heard a car drive up, but he didn't move. He just sat there thinking about Erika. He had left her! He was stupid! All of a sudden, he heard her yell, "BRADIN!"

His head shot up and stood up so he could go and look down. He could tell she had been crying. But she was still beautiful as ever!

He began to climb down.. He finally was able to put his feet on the ground.

"Erika!" He yelled back.

"Bradin! I am so glad I found you! I was so worried!" Erika exclaimed.

"No Erika! It was all my fault! I shouldn't have left you like I did!" Bradin answered.

Erika smiled. Bradin was a man. He had admitted he was wrong.

Bradin walked toward her. He put his arms around her and held her tight.She began to cry with her arms around him."I am so scared, Bradin!"

"Me too, Baby, me too!" Bradin answered."But you know what I think?"

"Erika sniffled."What, Bradin?"

"I believe our love is strong enough, and it makes me believe that we can make it through anything that comes our way!" Bradin answered.

Erika smiled. "Including this?"

Bradin smiled back. "Including this!"He answered.

"How are we going to tell Jay, and everyone?" Erika asked worried.

"How about we tell them together?" Bradin offered.

"Sure! But when?" Erika asked.

"How about tonight?" Bradin suggested.

Erika gulped, but said ok.

Bradin hugged her once more and told her it would be okay.

He walked her to her car, and opened the door for her. She got in and he closed it once she was inside. He bent down to kiss her.

"Meet me at my house at 7:00 sharp!" Bradin told her.

"Yes sir!" Erika said playfully.

Bradin laughed. Even when times got rough, Erika always kept a smile on her face!

"I love you, Bradin!" Erika said sweetly.

Bradin smiled at her." I love you, too, baby"

She drove off and went back to her house. The whole time she was driving away, she looked in her rearview mirror at him. She smiled to herself. This was a beginning to a new life!

HOURS LATER

Erika drove up to Bradin's house and saw him sitting on the patio. He got up and met her down the driveway. She smiled as she got out of the car. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Nikki came bursting out the door happily! "Oh Erika! I have missed you, girl! Where in the world have you been?"

Erika laughed. "I have certainly missed you too!"

Bradin and Nikki led Erika into the house. Aunt Ava was there to welcome her with a smile.

"Hi Erika!" Ava said sounding happy.

"Hi,Mrs.Ava!" Erika answered.

"Oh please! Don't call me 'Mrs'! It makes me sound old!" Ava said jokingly.

Erika laughed. "So Ava, it is!"

Bradin also laughed. He then led Erika to the table where the plates had already been set.

Soon, everyone sat down and was ready to eat! The whole table was chatting.

Bradin looked at Erika and said," I am ready if you are!"

Erika took and deep breath and nodded.

Bradin waited a moment, and then asked for everyone's attention."Hey! Can I have all of your attention, please?" Bradin said loudly.

Soon, the whole room was in complete silence.

Erika stood up, and so did Bradin.

"Well, as all of you know, Erika and I have been dating for over a year now," Bradin began,"Well umm...Erika do you want to finish what I was saying?" Bradin asked her.

Erika looked at him as if he were crazy!" Not exactly!" Erika whispered.

"OK, well..., I guess there's no easy way to say this, but umm... Erika's pregnant!" Bradin said nervously.

Everyone was in complete shock! Everyone was in complete silence until Nikki blurted out,"Oh! That's so cool! I am going to be an aunt!"

"Nikki, please! Now is not the time!" Ava told her sternly.

Bradin noticed Aunt Ava's behavior.

"Aunt Ava?" Bradin began,"Are you mad?"

"Well, Bradin, you totally gave me a shock, and I am very dissappointed in both of you, but I will be there for both of you when you need me!" Ava told him.

Bradin put his head down. He started fumbling around in his pocket.

"Erika, will you marry me? And make me the happiest man in the world?" Bradin asked as everyone was still in shock.

"Bradin, can I talk to you in private?" Erika asked him pulling him by the arm.

"Are you absolutely insane?" Erika exclaimed as they walked outside.

"What do you mean?" Bradin asked her.

"You have a future! The baby just screwed all that up! It's going to make it even more screwed up if you marry me!" Erika yelled.

"My future is with you! Gosh, Erika! Can't you just accept that?"Bradin yelled back.

"Your future is with me?" Are you sure?" Erika asked.

"Yes! More than anything! I love you so much! You're my everything!" Bradin told her.

Erika smiled.

"Marry me?" Bradin asked.

Erika thought for a moment, then said yes by nodding her head.

"You will?" Bradin asked surprised.

"Yes! Yes!" Erika exclaimed.

Bradin took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. He cupped her face into his hands and kissed her long and soft. He took her hand and led her back into the house.

"So?" Ava asked them as they walked back into the kitchen.

"So what?" both of them asked in unison.

"You know what I am talking about!" Ava said smiling.

Erika and Bradin smiled.

"Well we are getting married!" Bradin exclaimed.

Everyone smiled and clapped their hands.

HOURS LATER

Bradin walked Erika to her car and said good-bye.

"I love you, Erika!" Bradin told her as he kissed her.

Erika pulled back and said," I love you, too, Bradin!"

"Do me a favor!" Bradin demanded Erika.

"Well, it depends on what it is!" Erika said joking.

"Let's stay together forever!" Bradin told her.

Erika smiled. "I think I can do that!"

YEARS LATER

A couple years of up all night,
An' a few thousand diapers later.
That mistake he thought he made,
Covers up the refrigerator:
Oh yeah, he loves that little girl.

Bradin sits watching Erika play with their baby girl. She was three years old now. He remembers her birth.

Name: Nevaeh Nicole Westerly

Date: September 18, 2006

Parents: Erika and Bradin

Weight: 8 lbs. 7 oz.

Height: 21 inches

Tears started to form in the corner of his eyes.

Nevaeh came jumping on the couch. "Hey DADA!"

Bradin laughed. "Hey baby!"

"What ya doon?" Nevaeh asked him sputtering.

"Nothing! Uh oh! You know what? I think it's your bedtime!" Bradin told her.

"No! Dada, do I have to?" Nevaeh asked him not wanting to go to bed.

"Yes, Nevaeh! Now go follow your mother!" Bradin told her sternly but sweetly.

"Come on, Nevaeh! Time to go night-night!" Erika told her.

An' Momma's waiting to tuck her in,
As she fumbles up those stairs.
She smiles back at him,
Dragging that teddy bear:
"Sleep tight." Blue eyes and bouncing curls.

15 YEARS LATER

Nevaeh was eighteen years old now. She had her highschool diploma and was headed off to go to college in San Fransisco! After college, she planned on becoming a forensic scientist.

She had that Honda loaded down,
With Abercrombie clothes,
An' and fifteen pairs of shoes,
An' his American Express.
He checked the oil and slammed the hood,
Said: "You're good to go."
She hugged them both,
An'd headed off to the west coast

"Baby, beofre you hit the highway, you better stop for gas!" Erika told her.

"And here's my American Express if you need anything!" Bradin told Nevaeh.

"Thank you! For everything!" Nevaeh told them as she got into the car.

"Goodbye for now! I'll call! I promise!" Nevaeh told them.

She cranked up her car and began to drive out of the drive way.

An' he cried: "There goes my life.
"There goes my future, my everything.
"I love you, baby, good-bye.
"There goes my life.
"There goes my life.
"Baby, good-bye."

Bradin came up behind Erika and slid his arms around her waist.

"You wanna know a secret?" Bradin asked her.

"Sure, I'd love to!" Erika answered.

"Before Nevaeh was born, I thought she was a mistake. But the day she was born, I took one look at her and totally changed my mind!" Bradin told her.

Erika smiled. "Same here! But I love her so much! Now, she's gone!"

"Yeah she's gone!" Bradin repeated.

They walked into the house together and closed the door.

"There goes my life.
"Baby, good-bye."

THE END