Back to You (Sequel to Take Me Away From Here)

Chapter 22 (Two Years Later)

Tim POV: 

The alarm rings at 6 AM sharp, forcing me up. Like I'm sleepwalking, I stand up, slip on some jeans and a t-shirt, before brushing my teeth. I walk into the hall, knocking on the girls' doors to get them up, before looking at the door down the hall. I take a deep breath, and stagger over, knocking lightly. I open the door slowly, wondering who I'm going to get today. 

She lies in bed, seeming to already have been awake, staring toward the window. She holds a balled up blanket tightly to her chest, so still, she could be mistaken for paralyzed. 

"Time to get up, honey." I let out gently. She shuts her eyes, letting out a sigh, before starting to sit up. I leave the room, and start toward the kitchen to make everyone breakfast. I dig out some eggs from the fridge, and start warming the pan. The girls slowly filter down, Audrey trying to get away with wearing Maggie's shirt, and failing. 

"Audrey, really?" Maggie remarks, rolling her eyes a little bit. Audrey begins to try and justify herself, before Maggie puts her hands. "It's fine. Just ask next time." She says, making me smile a bit. They've really come together over these last couple years, since I don't really have time to be a full-time parent to them, while working a full-time job and being Faith's full-time caregiver. It's been a hard adjustment for everyone, but they've been taking it surprisingly well. 

Faith staggers down the stairs, in leggings and a large sweatshirt, clearly not planning on doing anything today... again. I take a deep breath, praying she'll be in a good mood today. She sits down at the breakfast bar, staring down at her nails she's been nervously picking at nonstop. She really doesn't attempt to talk to the girls anymore, which really kills me. I've never seen her damn near ignore them, and it's something I really wish I could omit from my memory. It's like she wants nothing to do with them... 

"Gracie got her letter from NYU yesterday." Maggie says, making me stop in place. Gracie looks down at the counter, like it wasn't a good turnout. Maggie looks over at her, and nudges her a bit. 

"Did you open it?" I ask eagerly, as she looks up, nodding slightly. "So?" I push, wanting to hear. She bites her lip, looking down at the counter again. 

"She got in." Audrey spits out, before taking a sip of orange juice. Gracie glares over at her, like she didn't want to say whether or not she got in. 

"Gracie, that's amazing!" I let out, as she nods, a slight frown still on her. "What's wrong?" I ask, before she shrugs. 

"I just... I don't think I'm going to go." She admits, making me unintentionally laugh. NYU has been her dream school since her freshman year. 

"What?" Maggie chirps, sounding upset. Gracie shrugs once more. 

"It's just really far, and expensive, and I could do something in-state for cheaper." She tries to convince herself, making me laugh again. 

"Gracie, we can afford it. That's not an issue." I say, as Maggie clears her throat. I glance her way, to see her point at the skillet, revealing my burnt eggs. I quickly stir them before they're beyond repair. "Now if you're worried about being far away, I can understand that. But you can't give up a dream of yours just because you're scared of being homesick. Eventually, we all have to take that step." I reassure her, pouring the eggs onto a plate. "You know how cool it'd be to say I have a kid at NYU?" I joke, watching her crack a smile. 

"And we could come visit! That'd be fun to go around New York!" Maggie tries to convince her, making her smile grow. I serve everyone up a plate, before grabbing bagels for them. The girls all begin chowing down, while Faith simply stares at her plate. She crosses her arms while looking off into the distance, completely disconnected.