Chapter 14

Leaving the Nest

"Light on" – David Cook

Kyle (POV)

"It's so empty in here." Nicole commented, looking around my room.

"Yeah, it is." I chuckled, glancing around.

It was quiet for a moment just the sound of me putting a few more of Brice's things into a box.

I peered up at Nicole and saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"Aw Nicole…" I trailed off, embracing her in a hug. "It's okay we'll be back."

"I know it still won't be the same though all my babies are leaving." She said, wiping away a few tears that hadn't fallen.

"You'll still have Josh," I reminded her.

"I know, but I'm used to a house full of teenagers." She laughed, sitting down on the edge of the desk next to me.

"Just enjoy the quiet." I chuckled.

"You guys, we've got to get these trucks loaded by 3." Stephen harked, poking his head in the room. "Come on lets go!"

"Can't wait to see us go?" I joked, picking up a box.

"Hey I'll be happy when I don't have kids coming in and out of my house at all hours of the night." He replied, picking up another box following me out to the truck.

After going in and out of our house and Amanda's house 278 times mine and Amanda's truck was all loaded up and ready to go.

"Okay Kyle, you've got everything loaded up right?" Stephen double checked, as I yanked the latch of the truck down and locked it.

"Yes,"

"Lori how much more stuff do you have?"

"Just a few more boxes," she said, handing Declan the box she was holding.

"Few," Declan scuffed.

"Shut up," she muttered, as the made another trip back into the house.

"I'm going to go pick up Brice from day care," I hopped, in my car and rolled down the window so I could quickly talk to Amanda.

"Do you mind getting together Brice's things to do on the plane?" I asked. "He picked out some stuff last night I just never got the chance to get it all together."

"Okay no problem." She smiled, leaning forward giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Kyle!" Stephen called "3 o'clock remember, they're towing your car to New Hampshire."

I nodded and continued down the road. I was in a daze thinking about all the things I had to do before we left, print out our boarding passes, get my carry on bag together, and other little things that I didn't realize I was at the day care in minutes.

"Hello Mrs. Austin!" I walked, through the door.

"Hello Kyle," She smiled "I'll go get Brice for you."

I waited for a moment and she came back with a sad looking boy holding her hand.

"Hey Brice, what's the matter buddy?" I asked, knelling down to his level.

"Jared gone." He whispered. He was having a hard time with the fact that we were moving and his best friend couldn't come with him.

"I know buddy, but hey you'll make lots of new friends in New Hampshire!" I reminded him, pulling him into a hug and standing up with him in my arms.

Brice was quiet he just buried his head in my shoulder.

"Well thank you Mrs. Austin, for everything." I said.

"Kyle you're welcome and take care my dear." She smiled, giving me a hug and saying goodbye to Brice.

I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Brice pouting in his car seat looking out the window.

"Brice, you're going to love New Hampshire." I told him.

He didn't say anything.

We arrived at the house and I got him out of his car seat. He borrowed into my arms again.

"What's wrong?" Amanda asked, as I walked into the house, she was referring to Brice he usually only clung to me like this if he was upset.

"J-A-R-E-D" I spelled, afraid if I said his name I would upset Brice even more.

"Oh…" She said, stoking his hair.

Brice played with a few of his old toys that we didn't pack, while we finished up last minute things.

I helped the moving truck man load my car onto the hatch he had (AN: not sure if this is how it works so bear with me.) and that was it we were done everything was packed and ready all we had to do was leave.

I found Brice passed out on the couch and all our bags in a pile in the hallway by the front door.

"So we're really doing this?" I said, wrapping my arms around Amanda, who had just laid a blanket over Brice.

"I guess we are." She whispered, resting her head on my chest. "When does our flight leave?"

"Not till seven." I kissed the top of her head.

"And we have a lay over in Chicago." She sighed.

"Hey we wanted to spend as much time with the family as we could." I chuckled.

"I know," She whispered into my chest.

"Pizza!" Stephen and Josh bellowed, barging through the front door.

Brice stirred awake but luckily didn't cry. I plucked him up in one arm and gently place my hand on the small of Amanda's back leading her to the kitchen.

Everyone loaded their paper plates then congregated around the breakfast table.

"So how long is you're guy's lay over in Chicago?" Lori asked, picking at her slice of pizza.

"Two hours," I grumbled "What about you guys, how long is your lay over?"

We planned it so we would have a lay over in the same city.

"Almost three hours," Declan complained, answering for Lori.

"Why don't you guys go see the city?" Josh chimed in.

"There's no point really because once we get in and out of security you have about an hour it see the city." Amanda pointed out.

"Remember when we went to Chicago last summer." Stephen reminisced.

"Yeah…" Nicole sighed.

"Okay before this conversation becomes awkward." Lori cut them off.

Everyone snickered a little and our last dinner before we left passed.

"Do we have everything?" I asked Amanda, as I helped Brice put his tan sweater on.

"Looks like it," She said, quickly scanning the bags we had collected in the hall.

"Let's get the bags loaded in the car." Stephen announced, patting Declan and I on the shoulder.

I handed Brice over to Amanda and grabbed our bags.

We packed up the car and everyone piled in, it was crammed but we managed.

"Lori, move over!" Josh complained.

"There isn't anymore room!" Lori elbowed him in the ribs.

"You would think now that they are 17 and 18 years old they would be mature enough not to bicker." Stephen commented to Nicole.

We arrived at the airport shortly after and everybody filled out of the car.

Stephen popped open the back latch and at the same time Stephen, Declan, and I said "Luggage cart,"

We loaded the two luggage carts up with our suitcases and carry on bags. Then we checked in the suitcases and it was time to say goodbye.

"So this is it, you're leaving me alone with Mom and Dad." He muttered, when I hugged him.

"I'm sorry, but hey you can come visit any time you want." I told him.

"I'll see you at Thanks Giving!" Stephen smiled.

"Yep," I said giving him a hug.

"Take care,"

"I will, and you too." I laughed.

"Aw Kyle," Nicole sobbed, after she said goodbye to Lori.

I embraced her in a hug and she cried into my shoulder. "We'll be back for Thanks Giving and I'll talk to you on the phone." I kept saying.

She sighed and wiped away a few tears. "You better call mister!"

"Don't worry I will." I chuckled.

I watched as they said goodbye to Brice, then we waved goodbye one last time as we went through security.

We boarded the plane and I sat in between Amanda and Brice. Lori and Declan sat in the row behind us.

The three hour flight went well Brice slept fine and Amanda took a short nap on my shoulder.

"Ah, it feels so good to stand!" Declan stretched.

"I know." I said, grabbing our carry on bags from the over head cabinet.

We got off the plane and found a coffee shop in the food court to spend the next two hours.

"It feels weird," Lori commented, out of no where.

"What do you mean?" Declan chuckled.

"We're finally off on our own." She clarified.

"Yeah it kind of feels like we're just going on a vacation and we'll go back home in a few weeks." I added.

"But for the next four years New York and New Hampshire are our homes." Amanda said, sipping her coffee.

"For you and Lori four years, Kyle and I are in school for forever!" Declan joked.

The two hours went by fast soon we were saying goodbye.

"I'm gonna miss my brother." Lori sighed as she hugged me.

"I'm gonna miss you too." I whispered "But we'll talk"

"Yeah! Of course!" Lori giggled.

"I'll see you in a couple months man." Declan said as we did a man hug.

"Yeah, I'll see you, bye Declan."

"Bye Kyle,"

"Okay I hate to break up this little bromance but I'm afraid if I don't you'll run off together." Lori teased.

Declan and I sighed and hugged one more time, making the girls laugh.

I picked up our bags and Amanda took Brice from Lori. We waved goodbye as we walked to our terminal.

The flight from Chicago to Hanover, New Hampshire went well. This time I slept while Brice and Amanda watched a movie.

"Kyle, Kyle, sweetie we're here." I heard Amanda whisper, and stirred awake.

"Oh." I sat up and stretched then grabbed our bags.

We got off the plane and found a luggage cart then found our luggage and loaded up the cart.

I flagged down a taxi and the driver helped me load up the trunk. I got in the back with Brice and Amanda.

"Where to?" the taxi driver asked.

"The Family apartments on campus." I told him, glancing at Amanda with a smile.

We arrived and I carried our suit cases into the first floor of the apartment building.

"Hi we're here to pick up our keys." I told the lady at the desk.

"Alright and your name is?" she asked, trying to be seductive.

"Kyle Trager, and this is my fiancé Amanda Bloom, and our son Brice." I winked at Amanda.

It was a lie but I wanted to get my point across.

"Well here's your key; room 78 2nd floor." She scuffed, handing me the key.

"Thank you." I said, turning to the elevators.

"76, 77, and 78!" I beamed, unlocking the door and opening it.

It was nice. It was a two bedroom apartment, only one bathroom but that was okay.

"So this is it." I said, setting our bags down in the living room.

"This is it." Amanda said, setting down Brice's diaper bag and keeping him in her arms.

"Home," I said, wrapping my arms around both of them.

"Home," she smiled.

AN: I had a LOT of fun writing this. It was kind of sad that the all went their separate ways but it leaves the story open to so much more! Anyway thank you for reading; I hope you all liked it and pleased comment!