My Baby’s Gone, Chapter 18
TC and Eve were in their living room when Whitney
came down
the stairs.
” I’m going to meet Fox at the Book Café. See you later. Bye.”
Once the door closed, TC spoke up.
“ She’s seen Fox Crane almost everyday in the past
couple of
weeks.”
” TC. Fox has been more than respectful. Until the other day, he came
inside
everytime he came to pick up Whitney.”
” I know that.”
” Then what?”
” You know what, Eve. The boy is a CRANE!”
” TC, he can no more help who he is than you can. That is his lot by
birth. Fox
should be judged by the actions he has shown you. And, he’s shown our
daughter
nothing but respect. Our objections to Chad was that he was
someone with
no roots. No family. Well, Fox has a family.”
” The Cranes.”
” Yes, the Cranes. No, he’s NOT who I would have picked for Whitney,
but then
that’s the point. Whitney’s an adult now, and she should be able to
choose her
life. All we can do is be there for her. “
“ You’re right. I guess.”
Simone came into the living room. “ Mom, Dad, I’d
like to
talk to you.”
” Yes, Sugarbear.”
” I’ve decided that I’m going to major in graphic design with a minor
in art.”
” Graphic design? Art?”, Eve asked.
” Sugarbear, they don’t seem to be that solid of choices.”
“ You mean ‘ safe’ don’t you?”
” Well, Simone, we want you to be able to make a living.”, Eve replied.
” And what makes you think that I won’t be able to make a living? Do
you know
how many applications there are professionally for graphic design? How
many
choices?”
“ Ummm”
” This isn’t some fly by night choice. I’ve researched it all. The
possible
career choices. I have to do something that I love. It’s the only way I
can be
passionate enough about it to be a success. I know that you pay my
college
tuition, but I’m warning you –pressuring me to do something safe will
not
ensure success. It’ll only ensure that I die of boredom. How would
either of
you feel if you weren’t doing what you do? Mom, you feel that medicine
was a
calling. I know it because I’ve seen it everyday of my life. And Dad?
Your job
combines what you love most – sports- with an ability to get paid for
it and
help kids. Don’t sit there and tell me that you don’t love what you do.
I KNOW
you do. So why would you want something different for me?”
TC and Eve looked at one another and Eve gave him
the look
of ‘ you know she’s right’.
” Ok Sugarbear. You get this year. We’ll see how your grades are in
this new
field of yours that you love. If you don’t improve your GPA, then we’ll
do
things our way this time next year.”
Simone rushed to hug TC. “ Thank you, Daddy. You
won’t be
disappointed. At all.”
Simone left and Eve kissed TC. “ They’re both
growing up,
and we have to let them.”
Whitney and Fox are sitting on a blanket in a
secluded part
of the park. Fox had the Crane staff prepare a great picnic for them.
Fox’s
head is in Whitney’s lap, and she feeding him some fruit.
“ This is a great spread.”
” I was thinking it was great company. “
Whitney noticed Fox staring at her.” What is it, Fox?”
” I was thinking how beautiful you are.” Whitney leaned down for a
kiss. After
a few moments, Whitney came up for breath. She looked away from Fox and
admonished herself. How could he continue to do this to her? Whitney
liked
being in control, and it scared her how much out of control she was
with Fox.
Everytime his lips touched hers, there was an electric current that ran
through
her body. She liked it; it excited her, but it also scared her. There
was an
intensity in Fox’s eyes that just drew her in.
” What’s wrong?”, Fox asked.
” Nothing. I was ..um…thinking that maybe we’re going too fast. Maybe
this
isn’t right. Maybe I’m on the rebound from Chad.”
Fox felt a little panic, but kept it cool. He sat up, took
Whitney’s hands and looked her straight in the eye.
” I don’t think we’re going too fast. I definitely know it’s right. As
for you
being on the rebound from Chad,
I don’t think so either. Think about it, Whitney. I think our
relationship is
about as far away from you and Chad
as it can get. First of all, I’m not hiding. In the shadows, or behind
some
fake relationship with your sister. There aren’t any lies here. I’ve
been
upfront with you and your family. No sneaking. Next, I respect you,
Whitney.
I’m not here telling you what ‘I’ think you should do with your life.
I’ve
never run down tennis OR your singing. I don’t care what you do with
your life,
as long as it’s legal and it’s what YOU want to do. Meeting you changed
my life
Whitney – for the better. How can I NOT want that to continue? “
” I know, but..”
” And, you trust me way more than you ever did Chad.
Would you be helping me with
alibis if you didn’t trust me? Don’t think that I don’t appreciate it.
I really
do. This ‘project’ is serious, and your help is something I needed. No,
I don’t
think what we’re building is anything like what you had with Chad.
I would
never expect you to uproot your life, and take you
across the country and away from your family
because it’s what ‘ I’ wanted. I KNOW how much your family means to
you. You
knew that, even in Los Angeles.
I could tell. I could tell how much you missed them. I was jealous
then, and
I’m jealous now. Even with your problems, and in therapy, there you
are, with
your family, loving one another. Knowing that you can count on one
another. I
see you with Simone, how much you’ve loved repairing your relationship.
Remember our talks in Los
Angeles?
How many we had about how much leaving things bad between you and
Simone
bothered you?”
” Yes.”
” You couldn’t tell Chad
that, because he was the problem. You handled everything with Chad
in the
wrong way. I can frankly say that now,
because I know you agree with it, Whitney. There’s a reason you hid
your
relationship with Chad
for so long. Now, you might not be ready to accept it, but the reason
wasn’t Simone.
And, it wasn’t that you were afraid of your father and upsetting him
about
tennis. Those were excuses, Whitney. I think, on some level, you KNEW Chad
wasn’t
right for you. But, he was your first real boyfriend, and I know he did
a
number on you. He’s good that way. His WIFE was right about that. Chad’s
a player
and a manipulator. He wanted to grab a better prize- YOU. He subtly
moved into
your life, demeaning tennis. Tearing down everything your father had
worked
for, and of course, your father’s dream wasn’t replaced by YOUR dream.
It was
replaced by HIS dream for you, which ‘coincidentally’, just happened to
place
you under HIS control.”
” Chad
never tried to control me.”
“ Of course, he did, Whitney. He asked you to move
across
the country, away from your family, without a pot to piss in. He had NO
home
for you. He had NOTHING that you would be able to do while he was at
work. He
had NO plan – just get you out to L.A.
Because he knew, if you thought about it. REALLY thought about it,
you’d know
that the plan had more holes than a piece of Swiss.”
“ Are you going to lecture me some more?”, Whitney
said
defensively.
” No. I’m just saying that the point of bad lessons is so that we LEARN
from
them. I’m not going to be punished by you because Chad
is a jerk. You need to leave
that baggage elsewhere Whitney. IF you don’t want a relationship with
me, make
it because I’m Nicholas. Because I’m Fox. Don’t punish me because of Chad.
Don’t
punish me because I’m a Crane. THIS man is standing before YOU woman
because he
wants to be here. You’re not a notch on my belt. You’re not some
plaything.
You’re the best thing that’s EVER happened to me and whatever people
have
called me FOOL is not one of them. Everytime we go out I’m hoping that
we’re
building to something better. Something
solid. Ball’s in your court, Whitney.”