Vada woke up the next morning and went into the bathroom to pick up her toothbrush. When she lifted her hand she saw the silver ring on the third finger of her left hand and she smiled. It wasn't a dream. She truly was going to marry Nick. She brushed her teeth and walked into Matthew's bedroom. Vada picked him up.
"Good morning Matthew. How are you this morning? Good I hope." Vada rubbed his head. She walked down the stairs to see Nick sitting in the kitchen eating some cereal. Vada put Matthew in his high chair and got him some food. After she did that she sat down and ate breakfast herself. Nick kept looking between Vada and Matthew and smiled. Vada finally looked at him and laughed.
"What?" Vada asked.
"I just keep thinking that in about five or six years we could have an infant Matthew's age." Nick said. Vada almost choked on her breakfast.
"Nick, he's two. That would mean three years from now. We're only sixteen. That would mean we would have to get married at eighteen to have a child his age by then." Vada stated.
"Well, what's wrong with that? I mean if we love each other and we plan to get married anyway. Why not let it be as soon as possible?" Nick questioned. Vada nodded.
"Nick, we need to talk. I want to go to school. I want to be something in this world." Vada explained. Nick looked shocked.
"Don't you think I love you?" He asked.
"I know you do. But I want to go to school. Shelly and Dad say that I can go to school and make really good grades. My mother was an actress. I want to do something in this world like she did." Vada replied.
"Oh." Nick looked down at the table and then reached his hand across the table and put his hand on Vada's elbow. "I know you miss your mom Vada. And I think that wanting to do something like she did is a good thing. If you want to wait, that's what we'll do. As you said, we're only sixteen years old. We have some time before we can get married anyway." Nick smiled. Vada put down her spoon and looked at him.
"Where would you want to live?" Vada asked.
"L.A. of course. My mom and Phil are there." Nick replied. Vada looked down at the table, but then back up at Nick. "What's wrong Vada? Don't you want to live out in California with mom and your uncle?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." Vada paused. She dabbed her eye with her napkin and put it down on the table. "But my dad, Shelly and Matthew are here in Pennsylvania." She sighed and then laughed a little. "We can't live in two places at once that's crazy. But I don't want my dad or your mom to feel as if we don't want to live near them." Nick rubbed Vada's arm.
"Vada, we aren't getting married tomorrow. We have plenty of time to decide where we'll live. Maybe by the time you get out of college we won't want to live in L.A. or here in Pennsylvania. That's something we'll talk about later. Right now, let's just deal with the fact that we're two high school kids who have promised to get engaged and married later in our lives." Nick said. Vada sighed and smiled. She looked at him.
"How are you so calm?" Vada asked.
"I've had more time to think about it, remember? You just found out. I've been planning this since you left to come home two summers ago. I loved you then Vada Sultenfuss and I love you today." Nick walked around the table and kissed her.
"Have you told your mom yet?" Vada asked after they kissed. Nick pulled away and looked at the ground. Vada laughed. "Nick, we have to tell her some time. She's going to figure it out when we bring home grandchildren at Christmas." Nick looked up at her.
"I just don't think right now is a good time to tell them. I don't want to get your dad all worked up and everything. I know he and Phil are brothers; they probably tell each other a lot." Nick replied. Vada laughed.
"They're brothers Nick; not girlfriends. Dad hasn't talked to Uncle Phil since I went to see you guys. Mainly because I came back with my ears pierced." Vada smiled. She took Nick's hand in hers. "Besides, I'd like to tell somebody and I think your mom and Uncle Phil will take it better than dad and Shelly."
"Even though it's just a promise? We aren't engaged yet?" Nick asked. Vada nodded.
"Dad freaks out over any little thing that makes me a little less of his little girl. This is definitely a step in that direction and I don't want him coming home from their getaway trip any sooner than they need to." Nick nodded.
"I understand that. Do you wanna be the one to call or do you want me to?" Nick questioned.
"It's your mom. You call her. But I can talk to her after you do." Vada replied. Nick looked at her with a bewildered look.
"I don't know about this Vada."
"How much do you love me?" Vada wondered.
"I love you with everything in my heart, mind and soul." Nick responded.
"If that's true, why can't you call up your mom and tell her?" Vada pointed out.
"Good point." Nick picked up the phone and sat on the chair in the hallway. Vada leaned against the chair and listened to his breathing. Nick dialed the phone. After three rings Rose answered the phone.
"Hey mom." Nick said.
"Well hi Nicholas? Is that you? Where are you calling from?" Rose asked.
"I'm still at Vada's house. I was calling because Vada and I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh? What's wrong? Has something happened? Do Phil and I need to come get you? We can leave on the next plane and get you back home. You better not have done something to hurt Vada." Nick can tell by the way Rose's voice dimmed that she wasn't speaking directly into the phone anymore. "Nick did something to Vada! I told you he shouldn't have gone out there! He's a regular sixteen year old boy."
"Mom! I didn't do anything to Vada." Nick rebutted. Rose paused.
"Well then what's going on?" Nick looked at Vada, squeezed her hand and smiled.
"I gave Vada a promise ring. I asked her to become my fiancé and eventually my wife when we get out of school. I know I have a lot of growing up to do, but I know I can do it and I want Vada there with me during that time." Rose paused and sighed.
"Nicholas, I don't know what's going on with you. Did you say a promise ring? You know that her father is going to have a major fit about this, or did you even think about anybody but yourself when you went out there? Where did you even get the money? What is a promise ring anyway?" Rose shot off a lot of questions.
"Mom, I know that it's a lot to take in at one time. But we wanted you and Phil to be the first to know. Vada and I love you, Phil, her parents; but we also love each other and we want to be married when she graduates from college. We've been talking for a while about what we're going to do." Nick said. Rose was quiet and never came back on the phone. "I guess that's all for right now mom if you insist on not talking back to me about it." Nick politely hung up the phone. "I told you it wouldn't be easy." Vada smiled.
"I know it wasn't. But you have to admit it was the right thing to do. They deserve to know Nick. I'm glad we told them." Vada hugged him.
