Country in the City; Book One

Chapter 2 ~ Long Road Home

I'm sitting on my bed in my apartment, finishing up my paper for psychology. It's ready to be printed, and just before I can hit the button, I here my phone ring. Looking at the screen I see that it's my best friend Syrene.

"What's up? I haven't heard from you in awhile."

"I just got off the phone with Ella. She says you have big news!! She wouldn't tell me though. What is it!?!" She asks demandingly.

"No need to have a panic attack over this. I just am bringing someone home for spring break. Speaking of whi-"

"WHAT! You met someone!? Like a man someone? WHO!?!" Syrene freaks out cutting me off. From this I could tell it was going to be a long conversation so I picked up my laptop heading to the apartment complexes resource room which has an all access printer.

"Yes 'like a man someone'. Anyways we need to set up a time for you to meet him. Thursday is our last day before break, we are driving home Friday, and he is meeting my parents on Staurday. How about Sunday after church?"

I can hear her writing on the other end of the line. "Sounds good to me-oh! When is he going to meet Kayleigh and Kyle? Does he even know yet?"

"Well I was just going to ask you what you thought about it. I already told him the whole story, so when do you think I should introduce them?"

"What does he want?"

I had to think about this one. "To be honest I don't know. I think he really wants to meet them but is nervous; which is understandable. There is a little more to this situation too." I fill her in on the whole "Under the Tree" scenario (leaving out certain parts).

"That was... not what I was expecting." She responds.

"Put yourself in my position. What would you do?"

There is silence in the line as we both ponder this whole idea.

"I guess if I were you I would look at the whole situation and go off of that to decide what's best for you, what's best for the man, whose name you still haven't told me yet, and most importantly, what's best for the twins."

"Okay... I guess." I sigh before I continue on. "Anyways, his name is Michael Jay Ulepp."

"That's it!?! That's all I get to know?"

"That's all you asked for!" I say in mocking defense.

"Religion, hair, eyes, height, build, favorite color, birthday, favorite sport, age, family background, everything!"

"Man it sounds like you want me to stalk him."

"Your going to date him you should know these things."

"True-ish, I don't have to know his family background in order to date him."

"Well it's still a good thing to know."

"You got me there."

"So..."

"Okay! He has dirty blonde hair, bouncing everywhere in its tight curls. It's not super long, but also not very short, at just the right length. His eyes are the best. Like a bright blue-green ocean. Beautiful! They sparkle all the time and change with his emotions just like mine. And there's that sparkle in them. Like they literally sparkle! Just amaz-"

"Okay, we all know how you are with eyes. Why don't you continue, yeah?"

All the while telling Syrene about Michael I am trying to figure out how to reload the toner in the copy machine so that I can print my essay. "He's like six to seven inches taller than me, so probably about six foot two. He has a muscular build and gives the best hugs! His birthday is November twelfth, and he is my age, twenty two. Well almost my age. I'll be twenty two on the last day of spring break. Michael's favorite sport is hunting, big shocker there, I mean he is from Fallon. I don't know much about his family, just that it is big. He has an amazing personality too! Loves children and has always dreamed of being a father! Is really nice, caring, and is a gentleman. Best of all though, he is a Christian. So, is that enough information for you?"

From behind me I hear a voice say "Who are you giving out information about me to?"

I whip around to see a cheesy grin plastered on Michael's face. I quickly tell Syrene I'll have to call her back and then I hang up. I can feel my face heating up as I ask "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear about my eyes sparkling." His grin widens as my faces deepens in red. I know that I am beet red now which only helps his ego even more. This is such an awkward, and not to mention humiliating, run-in.

"When can this be over?" I think to myself.

"Need some help with the printer?" He asks as he takes the toner from my hand and places it into the correct position. This makes the copier start printing my essay.

"At last, it prints!" I remark relieved.

"How long have you been in here? " He asks me, gazing into my eyes.

"My call was twenty two minutes, so about fifteen..." I say with my voice getting quieter and quieter until I trail off at the end.

We just stand there gazing into each other's eyes for a while. I notice something. He has this look to him as if he has something to tell me. I decide not to push on this one. I know that he'll tell me when he's ready.

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Friday morning comes and I'm all ready by 5:20 in the morning. Michael told me the day before that he wants to leave at 5:30. At 5:25 on the dot, Michael shows up. I drag out my suitcase and then run back in to get my phone, house keys, and purse, as well as tell Rileigh and Andrea that I'm leaving for a week.

When I come back out Michael is patiently waiting in his truck with my suitcase already loaded and tied down.

Wasting twelve hours on the road talking about all sorts, Michael has something to tell me. I brace myself thinking 'here it comes'. Not quite knowing exactly what the 'it' is.

"So, I've been thinking a lot of how to tell you this and I figure what better time than now. So, here it goes... well you said yesterday that you didn't know much about my family. I figure that we could share about our families now. I mean that's sorta the whole purpose of this trip, right? To meet the parents and get approval?"

"Yeah?" I respond kind of confused.

"Okay, well, there's my mom Teresa and my dad Hunter," I nod as he continues. "There's me, I'm the oldest at twenty two, my brother Hayden who is twenty two, my other brother Hunter who is twenty two, and my sister who is also twenty two." Now I'm really confused.

"Were they adopted?" I ask trying to process this.

"No. You see, this is what I wanted to tell you. The four of us, we're quadruplets."

"Okay. That makes more sense... and is really rare."

"Yeah. Then I also have more siblings. The next one down is Sarah. She's seventeen. Then Kassie who is thirteen, and Ryder who is nine. After Ryder is Lyla who is five and Johnathan who is one. I sort of have a big family."

I look at him a little shocked for a few moments. "Well that would explain why your so good with little children." I respond once I get my thoughts back in order.

That's nine kids. Huge. Definitely would explain why I got pregnant with triplets though, since he is a quadruplet. Still slightly shocking though. Definitely not what I was expecting.

"Now it's your turn. Tell me a little about your family." Michael said noticing my brain is still catching up with what I was just told.

"Okay, well my oldest sibling is my brother Jayden, he is twenty nine. Jayden is in the military; he's an officer and is in Iraq right now. Then there is my sister Ella who is twenty four, and a beautician. I'm soon to be twenty two. Both my siblings are adopted. I'm the only biological one in my family. I have an average size family of five." I turn to look at him as I finish.

We continued to waste time on our drive chatting about our families and ourselves and many other things since we have nothing better to do than chat for twelve hours.

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"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
~Romans 12:12