Chapter Two
Two years Earlier-
Sweat dripped down the crevices of Lilly's neck and with one quick swipe of her towel she wiped herself free of the salty droplets of perspiration. Her chest rose and fell quickly with each heavy breath she took, exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time from her morning jog.
She stopped, putting her hands on her knees and letting her head hang down while she regained composure and waited for her father, who wasn't really her father at all; at least, not in the biological sense. But in every way that counted he was father of the year, hands down.
"I don't know why I bother trying anymore, you beat me every time anyways," Bobby said with a shake of his head, patting her back and pulling her into a hug as he came up beside her. "I'm gonna miss you kiddo," he frowned.
"Dad, I'm only gonna be three hours away. I hate to say it but you can come visit me whenever you want," Lilly smiled happily; college- now that was the biggest and most exciting thing to happen to her in her eighteen years of existence.
"Oh you hate to admit it, do you?" Bobby teased, playfully giving her a 'nooggie.'
"Yeah but seriously, I'm gonna miss you too," Lilly went in for one more big hug from her dad and then pulled apart. "Alright so umm… race ya back to the house!" she takes off running and even though he'll tease her about getting a head start, he gives her a good 15 seconds before he takes off following.
Bobby was panting by the time he reached the back door, sweat soaking his shirt as he fell into the patio chair and caught his breath. Alex walked outside with two giant glasses of fresh ice water; an activity which she'd been accustomed to doing every Saturday morning for the duo. Of course, the two had water bottles but the sun warmed the water in them and it 'just wasn't the same as mom's water,' as Lilly had put it.
Madelyn follows her mother outside. At fourteen she was a girly girl and stayed in the air condition with her mother rather than going out jogging with her father and sister. "So you excited?"
Lilly looks up from a dream like state and nods, "Yeah. A little nervous cause ya know it's my first time living away from home but it'll be cool."
Madelyn nods, "it'll be cool, I'm sure. Are you in like a coed dorm? That'd be awesome. I wonder if any hot guys are in your dorm. Maybe there's one right next door," she babbles without even first getting her answer.
"Sure am. And I've met the guy living next door; kind of cool but not dating material," Lilly chuckles.
This peeked Bobby's and Alex's attention, though, and each looked at their daughter. "Lilly have we had that talk?"
"We've had that talk. Have WE had that talk?" she smirks, looking at her mother's pregnant belly.
"We don't need that talk," Alex quips, her eyes boring into her daughter. As if to get one last glance at her before she took off to space or something. "Lilly, you know the rules, right?"
"Mom…" Lilly heaves a giant sigh and pouts.
"Lilly Belle, I'm serious. I know you're a good kid but I don't wanna send you off into the world without one last lecture. I know you hate it, but what kind of parent would I be if I didn't nail this into you?"
"A cool one?" Lilly shrugs some and sips on her water.
"Cute, Lilly, really cute. Now, seriously, Lilly, there are going to be different kinds of kids at college. And some are going to pressure you into doing things you don't want to. Remember to keep your nose clean and stay away from alcohol. Drugs and alcohol aren't something you want to get into. Don't forget, you're there to learn, not to party."
"So I can't have any fun at all?" Lilly cocks her eyebrows defiantly. She'd always been the fire out of the two.
"I'm not saying you can't have fun. You can have fun, just not with drugs and alcohol involved. Drugs and alcohol lead to more serious things, and Lilly, that's not a path you want to take. Don't forget I've"-
"I know, I know, you've seen too many good kids go bad and end up hurt because of drugs and alcohol. Mom, I get it, I'm gonna be fine. I won't get into anything like that, come on, I'm not dumb."
"I'm not saying you are. But other people are and I just worry about you." Alex insists.
"Your mom's right. We worry about you going so far away but come on! You'll be fine!" Bobby boasted, lightening up the situation between the two as he usually did. There was no sense in mother and daughter saying bon voyage with another take down, blow out argument. After all, it was just college! She was three hours away in case of emergency and she knew right from wrong!
"Dad's right. I'll be fine," Lilly says, kissing her mother's head and her father's cheek as she stands to her two feet. "Now come on, help me get my things to my car."
"We're not driving you?" Alex blinks.
"Only babies have their mommies and daddies drop them off at school. I'm a big girl and I'll see you in a couple weeks."
"Lilly I don't"-
"Come on, Alex, lets just help her get her bags to her car," Bobby whispered in a pleading tone.
Alex sighed, "I don't like the idea of not going. I want to see where she's staying and meet her roommate."
"There's plenty of time for that. It's just the beginning of the year," Bobby whispered back as he headed into the house, grabbing two hands full of luggage to bring to Lilly's Land rover.