Chapter Thirteen

Kristy stayed in Stoneybrook for another week. Both Mary Anne and Stacey, who were missing classes, returned to New York but Kristy wanted to spend more time with her family. Over the next few days, she took Karen, Sarah, and Emily Michelle out to places, like the park and the lake. They walked downtown and sampled candy from the candy store and then played in the playground. Kristy hadn't felt so happy in a long time.

The day before she was going to go back to New York, Sunday, Karen asked for permission to baby-sit Sarah one last time.

"It won't be the last time," Kristy assured her. She was standing over her bed, packing the last of her things into her duffel bag. Sarah's stuff was already packed up in her pink suitcase. "Sarah and I will be back. I promise. We'll keep in touch. You can visit me in New York and I'll come back here at Christmas."

Karen nodded. "I know. But it'll be the last time for awhile," she replied. "I just want to take her for ice-cream again. Then we'll come back and I'll even put her to bed for you. Please?"

"Please?" echoed Sarah, who was sitting on her bed on top of her suitcase. "I'll miss Karen," she added.

Kristy tried to look stern, but a smile slipped out anyway. "Okay, okay," she said. She gave Karen some money and then waved her hand. "Go on, get out of here."

After they left, Kristy finished packing her things and then sat on the bed, looking around. The house was very quiet. She knew Watson was in the den watching a movie. Her mother had gone to visit Nannie, Emily Michelle was at a friends' house and David Michael was playing football. She decided to get some work in on her book. She took her laptop downstairs to the living room, where she could hear the shouts outside from David Michael's football game. It made her think of baby-sitting and she smiled as she began to type, referring occasionally to the BSC notebook.

She was so absorbed in her work that an hour passed before she looked up again. The doorbell was ringing. Why doesn't someone answer it? Kristy asked herself, irritated. But nobody was around. With a sigh, Kristy got to her feet and stretched, then rubbed her eyes. I needed a break anyway, she decided as she headed towards the door. She straightened her shirt and then pulled the door open, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

But the minute she pulled open the door, her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened. Standing there on the doorstep, looking both determined and apologetic at the same time, was Clive Brighton.

Kristy opened her mouth to speak, but she was so surprised that no sound came out. Clive took that as initiative to speak first.

"I'm sorry I came out here when I didn't even know if you wanted to see me," he began. "But I had to see you."

Kristy blinked and then somehow managed to find her voice. "Uh, come in," she said awkwardly, holding the door open so that he could step inside. When he did, she closed the door and then turned to face him, raising her eyebrows.

"I'll say what I need to say," he went on, "and then you can decide from there."

"Okay," she managed to reply. "Um, why don't you have a seat?"

They sat down on the couch and Kristy set her laptop and the notebook aside. Then she turned to Clive expectantly.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Clive turned more towards her and cleared his throat. "I don't expect anything from you," he began. "I understand that you have a daughter and you have a life that you need to have as your main priority. All I'm asking from you is that you consider me in the equation. I keep thinking of our last conversation, and I can't shake the feeling that I'm going to be a bloody moron if I just let you walk away without so much as an attempt to keep you in my life." He looked up, looking her in the eye. "I've never felt about anyone quite the way I feel about you, Kristy. And I can't stop thinking about you. So I can't let you move on without trying to keep you in my life. I just can't do it."

He paused, as if to catch his breath. Kristy felt dizzy. She could hardly believe that this man was sitting in front of her, wanting her--her! He was spilling his heart for her, and what was she saying? Nothing.

"What I'm trying to say is," Clive finished, "is that I hope you can consider not giving up just yet."

Kristy bit her lip. Suddenly, Mary Anne's words came back to her from the night they'd had it out. Being a mother doesn't mean you need to forget about your friends. Did the same rule apply to boyfriends? Was there a way?

Kristy looked up at Clive, and as she took in his features, a small smile slid shyly across her face. "Okay," she said aloud.

Clive looked surprised. Kristy began to suspect he'd had much more planned to say and he wasn't expecting her to give in so easily. "Okay?" he repeated blankly.

"Okay," Kristy said again, smiling more widely this time.

Clive blinked a couple of times, looking genuinely dumbfounded. "Well . . .okay," he said finally. Kristy began to giggle, and finally Clive smiled, too. Then he reached out and took her hand.

She knew it was going to be okay.

They decided to take a drive. Kristy left a note for Karen to please put Sarah to bed and that she'd be back later. Then she grabbed her sweatshirt and headed outside with Clive.

"Who's car?" Kristy asked, eyeing the dark blue Sedan in the driveway. She knew Clive didn't have a car. You didn't really need one in New York.

"It's a rental," Clive explained. Kristy hopped in the front seat. The car smelled brand new. Clive slid into the driver's seat and started up the ignition.

"How did you know where to find me?" Kristy asked once they were on the road. She flipped on the radio, turning the volume low, and flipped through a few stations while she waited for his answer.

"Your friend, Stacey," Clive answered with a small smile. "I called your apartment, on the off chance that you would be home, and she was there checking on things for you. She answered the phone, gave me the information I needed, and here I am." He turned slightly towards her and grinned.

"That's Stacey for you," Kristy said with a laugh, shaking her head. Stacey always loved to play matchmaker.

They ended up driving out towards Stoneybrook's beach. Stoneybrook was actually a coastal town, though the beach wasn't anything special. The ocean sometimes seemed more like a lake, with its lack of waves, and the sand was hard and rocky, not anyone's idea of paradise. Most people in Stoneybrook preferred the Jersey shore in the summer. But for now, the beach was ideal. It was turning to dusk and the sun was setting, giving the beach a warm, orange glow. The parking lot was deserted.

"Not exactly the night hot spot," Kristy commented as she pulled on a pair of gloves. It was pretty cold.

"All the better," Clive said with a shrug. They walked past a small boardwalk and headed out onto the beach. Kristy, suddenly feeling a burst of energy, skipped ahead of Clive. Normally the waves weren't anything to speak of, but that day they swelled and crashed up against the rocky shore, just enough to make it seem like a real beach at sunset. Kristy hurried towards the water's edge, dashed back before the waves splashed over her feet, and then jumped back down to scoop up some seashells. She felt ridiculously free and light, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was back in touch with her family, she was back with Clive. She couldn't remember ever feeling so happy, so free. Careless. Giggling with abandon, she jumped right into the water like a little kid. Her sneakers and the ankles of her jeans were instantly soaked, but she didn't care. "Come on in," she called to Clive. "The water's great!" That wasn't true. She felt like she had blocks of ice on her feet. But she ignored the chill. She just splashed again.

Clive, standing a few feet back, safely away from the water, just shook his head, but he was laughing. "You're crazy," he said fondly.

"All geniuses are," Kristy retorted, leaving the water's edge and going to stand next to him.

"Genius, huh?"

"Genius," Kristy insisted. Feeling goofy and giddy, she posed--pursed her lips into a serious expression, narrowed her eyes slightly, and rested her chin on her fist.

Clive studied her. "Crazy," he declared finally. He reached forward, grabbed her around the waist, and began to tickle her. Kristy shrieked and darted away from him, running down the beach, with Clive trailing not too far behind.

They ended up under one of the lifeguard towers before Kristy stopped running. She let out her breath and dropped to the sand, sitting down hard on a particularly sharp rock. "Ow," she muttered.

After they'd gotten comfortable, Clive pulled Kristy into his arms and she leaned against him. The sun was completely gone now and a pale, dusty blue twilight was beginning to settle over the beach. "We should go soon," Kristy commented.

"Yeah," Clive agreed.

Kristy stared out at the ocean, which looked more black than anything else now. Finally, her life had fallen into place. She and Mary Anne were friends again. They, along with Stacey, were going to see a play together once Kristy was back in New York. And she'd had a long talk with her parents a few nights before. She explained her reasons for wanting to return to New York City. And they had understood. Watson had even gone a few steps further. He offered that if she wanted to move to a smaller apartment once her lease was up, one that was more affordable, he would pay her rent for her. He would also pay for Sarah to be put into a better daycare program, which would enhance her intelligence. It would be more like an advanced preschool. Sarah had to much potential that it would be a shame to see it go to waste. Kristy's part of the bargain was that she would find another job or reduce her hours significantly at Willow Books---in order to go to college full-time. According to Stacey and Mary Anne, New York University was an excellent college. With Kristy's high school qualifications and grades, she was sure to be accepted. She could start the following spring. Both of her parents insisted that she pursue her college education. "A degree would guarantee that you'd go far," Watson had explained.

Which went on to the next part of the bargain---the matter of the money Kristy had taken from Watson. Kristy had apologized, over and over, to her mother and also to Watson when he'd come home from the hospital. And Watson had told her that he understood and that he didn't harbor any bitter feelings about it. "Money is no object, just as long as you're taken care of," he'd said, and Kristy had nearly cried. But they'd discussed it and agreed that when Kristy graduated from NYU with her degree, and once she got a well-paying job, then she could begin paying him back what she had taken. He said he didn't care how long it took and that her first obligation would be Sarah. It was mostly Kristy's insistence that he be paid back at all.

Yes, Kristy decided as she stared out at the water. Things were finally looking up. Things were going to be better. Different, but better.

Sometimes, change was a good thing.

By the time Christmas rolled around, Kristy was heading for Stoneybrook again. But this time was different. This time, she felt no fear--only excitement. And she was proud of herself. She had accomplished a lot in the past few weeks.

After returning to New York, she'd wasted no time in transferring Sarah to her new daycare. Then she gave Clive her two weeks' notice. Clive was disappointed that she was leaving him professionally, but their romance was back on track and he really didn't have too much room to complain. By the end of her last week, Kristy was already training a new receptionist. For awhile, she had worried that a new receptionist would steal Clive's heart from her. But the woman Clive had chosen to hire was a grandmother-type woman in her sixties with a long history of reception experience. Kristy knew she had nothing to worry about.

And in her free time, she'd finally managed to finish the rough draft of the BSC book. She had changed the title by the time she was finished, and once she was no longer employed by Willow Books, she submitted a query letter to Clive Brighton's office, safe of accusations that it would be a conflict of interest. And it worked. Clive did manage to pull a few strings for her, but the company higher-ups were very impressed by Kristy's book, "Memoirs of a Teenage Entrepreneur." She was awarded a large advance check and an offer for her book to be published the following winter, pending editing and rewriting.

Now, as Kristy sat in the passenger seat of Clive's rental car, heading towards Stoneybrook, she couldn't stop smiling. In her purse she held a single, small envelope--Watson and her mother's Christmas gift. She could hardly wait until they opened it.

Stoneybrook was decked out for Christmas. Through town, glittering holly and decorations hung from streetlamps and decorations sat in the window of Polly's Fine Candy---gingerbread houses and chocolate Christmas trees and Santa cookies. A Salvation Army Santa rang his bell on the street corner.

"I'm so excited," Kristy said, gripping Clive's hand as he pulled into Watson's driveway. Clive grinned back at her and from the backseat, Sarah let out an excited squeal.

That night, Watson and Mrs. Brewer held a large Christmas dinner with the entire family. Sam and Charlie were home, and Stacey and Mary Anne had taken the train in. Stacey's mother was also there, along with Mary Anne's father and stepmother. Sarah and Karen were giggling together while Nannie served turkey for Emily Michelle.

Kristy waited until everyone had been served. Then she rose from her seat and tapped her fork against her glass of red wine. "I'd like to propose a toast," she said when the room quieted down. "To my family, the best family that anyone could ask for." She slowly looked around, meeting eyes with each person, including her friends and Clive as her family. Finally, her gaze settled on Watson. "And to Watson and Mom, the best parents in the world. Merry early Christmas."

With that, Kristy handed Watson the envelope. Mrs. Brewer raised her eyes curiously. A quiet fell over the room while Watson opened the envelope and took out the contents. His own eyes widened.

"Kristy---this is unnecessary," he said finally. Mrs. Brewer peered over his shoulder, and her mouth dropped.

"Kristin Amanda, where in the world did this come from?" she gasped.

Kristy grinned. "I'm getting a book published," she announced. "I already received an advance check. And so I'm repaying you."

The envelope had contained a check for the amount that she'd stolen from Watson three years ago, plus interest. Even from paying all that money, she still had some left over from her advance.

"Kristy, you didn't have to do this," Watson went on at the same time Mrs. Brewer repeated, "A book?"

"I think we should finish the toast," Kristy said firmly. A little stunned, everyone in the room mechanically raised their glasses and repeated, "To family."

Once Kristy had taken her seat, she explained her book and what it was about. "And I insist on paying you back what I owe you," she said when it looked like her parents were going to protest again. Finally, her parents gave in and everyone dug into their meals. For a few minutes, Kristy just sat back and watched as everyone ate and joked and laughed together. She hadn't been around such a warm, homey environment in years.

She felt a hand touch her arm and she glanced over. "Are you all right?" Clive asked, ever concerned.

Kristy nodded slowly. She glanced around the room again and smiled slowly, turning back towards Clive. Warmly, she gave him a kiss on the lips. "I'm all right," she answered. "I'm all right."

After all, she had finally come full circle.

Kristy Thomas was home.

THE END

Author's Notes: Wow! I didn't expect this story to grow into something so big! Over 100 reviews, all of them good, and each and every one appreciated. I love getting feedback and I love to think that people are responding well to something that I've written. I want to thank all of you for reviewing my story. Each review I got put a smile on my face and boosted my esteem. I'm glad to know that you've enjoyed my story. I deeply appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

Wasted21