Author's Note: I need some help from all of the people who have been so
helpful with this story. This chapter really needs advice on if it is the
right way to go. Thanks.
-Julie
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"Uhn." Sydney woke and slowly opened her eyes. But before it registered where she was, she remembered what had happened last night. "Oh no." Sydney's head dropped into her hands. "What did I do?"
"Well, you certainly had an eventful night." Sydney jerked up to see Charlotte walking in the room with a glass of water. She sat down on the edge of the bed and hand Sydney the water.
"Vaughn brought me home?"
"He's worried about you Sydney. And frankly, so am I." Charlotte smiled. "Why don't you tell me what's going on. Woman to woman."
Sydney took a deep breath. "Lately I've been having thoughts. Bad thoughts. Like the kind about me and Vaughn as in what will happen to us?"
"What do you mean?" Charlotte looked worried.
"He'll be going away to College next year and I'll still be in high school. Long distance relationships never work." Tears had started to flow down Sydney's face. "And I don't want to lose him."
"Oh, sweetie." Charlotte reached over and brushed Sydney's tears away. "No, no, no. Michael loves you too much to let distance get between you. He drove to DC to see you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, but..."
"Sydney." Charlotte helped a sniffling Sydney to sit beside her as she put her arm over her. "I know your father wasn't really there for you when you were younger, but Michael is different. That I can assure you of.
"Oh Sydney, he is so much like his father. In fact he has been afraid he was going to lose you all this time."
"Really?" Sydney dried her tears and looked surprised.
"Yes. All he has done is mop around the house wondering what he did wrong and brooding that he lost you forever."
"Oh."
"My advice." Charlotte brushed a lock of Sydney's hair away from her face. "Talk to him, listen to what each other has to say, and everything will work out the way it is supposed to." She kissed Sydney's forehead and squeezing her hand left the room.
*****
Sydney had ventured downstairs after her talk with Charlotte and found Vaughn sitting out in the gazebo. She slid her hands in her pockets and walked over to him. As she sat down across from him, Vaughn looked up and a lazy smile appeared on his face.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah I am." Sydney smiled. "I had a talk with your mother."
"Not sure that sounds so good."
"No, it helped."
"How?"
"What?"
"How did it help?" Vaughn looked almost desperate now.
"It helped me see that I was wrong to push you away. I'm sorry Vaughn." Sydney sighed and moved to sit beside him. "I know I'm not the most accommodating person. I was using my problems with my dad as a cover to what was going on with us."
"What is going on with us?" Worry lines creased Vaughn's forehead.
"I'm scared." Sydney's voice came out as a low whisper.
"Of me?" Vaughn looked pained.
"What?" Sydney looked up in shock. "No, of course not. Just of what will happen next year." She looked into his eyes. "I don't want to lose you Vaughn."
"And I don't want to lose you." Relief had flooded into his voice. "Besides." He wrapped his arms around Sydney and whispered in her ear. "I'll be where ever you are."
TBC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Uhn." Sydney woke and slowly opened her eyes. But before it registered where she was, she remembered what had happened last night. "Oh no." Sydney's head dropped into her hands. "What did I do?"
"Well, you certainly had an eventful night." Sydney jerked up to see Charlotte walking in the room with a glass of water. She sat down on the edge of the bed and hand Sydney the water.
"Vaughn brought me home?"
"He's worried about you Sydney. And frankly, so am I." Charlotte smiled. "Why don't you tell me what's going on. Woman to woman."
Sydney took a deep breath. "Lately I've been having thoughts. Bad thoughts. Like the kind about me and Vaughn as in what will happen to us?"
"What do you mean?" Charlotte looked worried.
"He'll be going away to College next year and I'll still be in high school. Long distance relationships never work." Tears had started to flow down Sydney's face. "And I don't want to lose him."
"Oh, sweetie." Charlotte reached over and brushed Sydney's tears away. "No, no, no. Michael loves you too much to let distance get between you. He drove to DC to see you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, but..."
"Sydney." Charlotte helped a sniffling Sydney to sit beside her as she put her arm over her. "I know your father wasn't really there for you when you were younger, but Michael is different. That I can assure you of.
"Oh Sydney, he is so much like his father. In fact he has been afraid he was going to lose you all this time."
"Really?" Sydney dried her tears and looked surprised.
"Yes. All he has done is mop around the house wondering what he did wrong and brooding that he lost you forever."
"Oh."
"My advice." Charlotte brushed a lock of Sydney's hair away from her face. "Talk to him, listen to what each other has to say, and everything will work out the way it is supposed to." She kissed Sydney's forehead and squeezing her hand left the room.
*****
Sydney had ventured downstairs after her talk with Charlotte and found Vaughn sitting out in the gazebo. She slid her hands in her pockets and walked over to him. As she sat down across from him, Vaughn looked up and a lazy smile appeared on his face.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah I am." Sydney smiled. "I had a talk with your mother."
"Not sure that sounds so good."
"No, it helped."
"How?"
"What?"
"How did it help?" Vaughn looked almost desperate now.
"It helped me see that I was wrong to push you away. I'm sorry Vaughn." Sydney sighed and moved to sit beside him. "I know I'm not the most accommodating person. I was using my problems with my dad as a cover to what was going on with us."
"What is going on with us?" Worry lines creased Vaughn's forehead.
"I'm scared." Sydney's voice came out as a low whisper.
"Of me?" Vaughn looked pained.
"What?" Sydney looked up in shock. "No, of course not. Just of what will happen next year." She looked into his eyes. "I don't want to lose you Vaughn."
"And I don't want to lose you." Relief had flooded into his voice. "Besides." He wrapped his arms around Sydney and whispered in her ear. "I'll be where ever you are."
TBC