Because of You, Well, Us

Kate

He had brought me flowers. My favorites too, carnations. I had a dozen carnations from Chase.

I hardly slept that night. The random spurts I had gotten weren't very restful. I dreamt that I married Chase; just a small, simple wedding in the park down the street. Lucy was my maid of honor with Casey. Andy standing with Chase let me know it wasn't real. Apparently Andy had forgiven him. Another indication: Clearly see my mom sitting in the front row next to my dad, her face red from crying. The flowers looked like big, beautiful carnations.

Andy, I didn't even know what I thought with him. I had crazy dreams about living in all of these posh apartments in Manhattan. Andy had always wanted to become some hot-shot book publisher in New York.

Next thing I know, I'm with Chase again. Living in a condo, drink in hand. Probably lemonade or something because I have a hand resting on a bulging stomach. I'm pregnant. With Chase's baby.

That morning, I didn't feel well. Dad must have known I didn't sleep much because when I came downstairs, he marched me right back up to bed.

I didn't fall back asleep. I didn't want anymore haunting dreams about being married or having kids. It just wasn't me.

Somewhere around one, I heated up the soup Chase had gotten me, my favorite, from this diner in the next town over. Praying Aunt Shari had returned from picking Casey up at ballet, I gave her cell a shot. It rang a few times, but she picked it up.

"It's Kate! She's alive!" She giggled. Aunt Shari had always appeared the more down-to-Earth aunt, partly because she was significantly younger than my mom. Now I went to her for everything.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

She laughed again, "How are things with that Andrew guy? Andrew, right?" She had always been terrible with names.

"Uh, that's actually what I called to talk to you about." And I exploded with everything. The break-up, Chase, the minute reconsideration, Chase again. Everything right down to burning the daylights out of my tongue on the soup he had brought me.

"Wait, you had a dream about you marrying Chase, followed by a dream of being married to Andy, then a dream about being pregnant with a baby Underhill? Man, you are my niece." Aunt Shari teased. I knew she wanted to lighten the mood, but I wasn't in the right mindset for joking at the moment

"Well, I don't know if I had married to Andy, I at least lived with him." I hadn't meant to snap, but it came out before I could fully process it.

Aunt Shari didn't even notice and she suddenly gasped. "Oh my. Honey, I just figured it out. You're in love with Chase and just using Andy to make yourself believe otherwise. I am good."

"I don't think so. I'm only in high school. That's a bit young to be 'in love' don't you think?"

Aunt Shari sighed, "You never know Kate Bear."

After hanging up with Aunt Shari, I went back to my bed and had a restless, dream-filled sleep.