Searching for Tomorrow (Tomorrows) by Katie Mac, Kathryn McNeill Crane Page B

… but unfortunately, Mom, Dad, and Liam were still sitting at the table, too.
    “Uhm , guys, would y’all like for us to leave?” Liam’s barely contained laughter was evident in his voice. “You know, Mom made hot chocolate to drink around the bonfire, but really, this is much more entertaining.”
    I heard a chuckle from my dad, and my mom let out a deep sigh and said, “Maybe it’s time for that hot cocoa. Come on. We’ll meet you out back. You’ve got two minutes to finish this up before one of us comes back in to get you. Don’t make me regret it.”
    With that said, I heard chairs scraping back from the table, but the only person I saw was Tripp. He was the center of my focus. His eyes roamed my face. I could feel the heat between the two of us rise to new heights. I was excited and scared at the same time. My family had never left us alone for very long but it seemed that things were changing, some good, and some bad.
    With a groan, Tripp placed one more kiss on my lips. “You’re my everything. You’re the reason I breathe, the reason I live. I can’t imagine my life without you. I’ve loved you forever, and that love will never die.” He released me, stood from the table, and took my hand, gently pulling me to my feet. We headed through the kitchen to the back door and saw my family sitting around the bonfire, waiting on us.
    Our first snow flurries of the season had come this morning, so we sat around a fire we’d built in the backyard watching the snow, talking, and remembering the last ten years that Tripp had been with our family. Mom’s hot chocolate was delicious and it helped keep the cold at bay. With the wind blowing and the temperature dropping, Tripp never let me leave the warmth of his body. He kept me tucked close, keeping me warm and cozy all night. We stayed by the fire until the logs became cinders, and our feet became ice cubes. It was definitely a night that I would never forget.
    The following morning , I woke to a beautiful, sunny, but brisk autumn day. This was the day I was dreading—October 31. I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. I was not looking forward to this day starting. I hoped my mom had plenty of coffee to go with breakfast, because we had all stayed up late last night celebrating Tripp’s birthday. I stretched my arms above my head and yawned loudly. I found myself very torn. On one hand, Tripp was going to sign up today. On the other hand, Tripp and I were going to be spending the whole day together, alone. I felt as if someone had taken all my emotions, thrown them up in the air, and let the pieces fall. I needed to make an extra effort to keep my emotions buried or at least held closer to me. The thought that I was hurting Tripp only served to make me feel worse. Because hurting Tripp meant hurting myself, and I just knew that there would be lots more pain and hurt in my future.
    I could hear the shower from the hall bathroom and knew that either Tripp or Liam was getting ready for the day. Thankfully, Dad had added a bathroom just for me when we hit our teenage years. What girl wants to share a bathroom with two boys? Not this one. I stumbled from the bed and headed towards my bathroom for my own shower to see if it could help wake me up. Afterwards, I headed towards the kitchen and noticed that Mom had breakfast on the stove, bacon already on the table, and two carafes of coffee waiting on the counter. I could always count on Mom to know what I needed.
    I sat down at my place at the table, and as I grabbed a piece of bacon, hands covered my eyes making it impossible for me to see. I didn’t need to see those hands to know who was behind me. They were as familiar to me as my own. “Good morning, baby. Been up long?”
    “ Mmm, I’m not sure what smells better, you or the bacon.” Tripp’s words turned into laughter as he snaked an arm around me, grabbed the bacon from my hand, and ate the piece in one bite. “I know this