There Goes My Life
Part 3
Zander stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs for the next suitcase to take out to the car, as he could hear Katie dragging out of her bedroom and to the top of the stairs. "Hey Dad? How much room do I have left in the car?" she shouted from her bedroom. Zander glanced out the door at the car sitting in the drive way, all he could see were boxes smashed against the passenger side windows. "Not alot, sweetheart. Why?" Katie came to the top of the stairs with a very large laundry bag in her arms. "Will this fit?" Zander chuckled. "Uh, no. Not unless you want to tie to the roof." She raised an eyebrow at him and Zander immediately shook his head in disagreement.
Katie began to lug the heavy suitcase down the stairs one step at a time. As she reached the last step, Zander took it from her and carried it out to the car. Emily came from the kitchen with a paper bag in her hand. "Mom." Katie whined with a smile. "Now look, it's a long drive to Stanford, you're going to need nourishment. So I packed some snacks." Katie kissed her mom on the cheek and took the paper bag from her as Zander walked in the front door dragging his feet. "I hope that's the last to go in the car, cause I don't think anything else will fit." he chuckled as Katie approached him. "Yes, Daddy. That's the last bag, I swear." she held up her two forefingers and crossed her heart.
"So, you're going to call when you get there, right?" Zander asked as he pulled his daughter tight against him. "I will." she replied as she buried her face into his chest. "I'm gonna miss you, sweetness." he whispered, barely getting the words out as his emotions overcame him. "I'm gonna miss you too, Dad." Emily came up behind them and caressed the back of Katie's head with her hand. "Now you be careful, drive safely. It's no race to get there. Stanford will be there, so take your time." Katie rolled her eyes at their concern. She knew they loved her, but their worry was overwhelming at times.
Katie grabbed her jacket from the coat rack and held the paper bag in her hand as Emily escorted her out the door and to the car. She gave her one last hug before Katie got in the car. Zander stood in the open doorway watching his daughter back out of the driveway for the last time. She was all grown up, going off to college, something both he and Emily always wanted for her, but his heart was heavy with sadness. He felt his eyes well with tears as the car disappeared from sight. Emily turned and walked back into the house as Zander just stood in the doorway looking out towards the street. He was in deep thought when he heard the phone ring.
He went quickly to answer it and heard a familiar voice on the other end. "I forgot to tell you something before I left." Katie sniffled back the tears as she stopped the car only a few blocks from the house. "Yeah what was that?" Zander asked as a tear trickled down his cheek. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you Daddy." He never got tired of hearing those words and they brought an overwhelming warmth of emotion, he wiped the tears from his eyes with his hand as he replied ..."I love you too, sweetheart." He hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen, he noticed the pictures on the refrigerator door still hung, they've changed over the years, but the feeling he got was the same. Katie grew up, but she'd always be Daddy's little girl.