Little Girl Don't Grow Up Too Fast

Finally

"Good morning, Carrie," Mike's mom, Karen, smiled as the blonde entered the kitchen alone on her last morning in Canada.

"Good morning," Carrie smiled softly back. "Can I help you with breakfast?"

"If you want to help me pull plates for everyone, that would be great," the older woman instructed. "Are you ready to get back to Nashville? Are you all packed?"

"Yes, but I had such a great time here," the blonde gushed. "I'm really going to miss you and the whole family again."

"We'll miss all of you too," Karen reciprocated the sentiment. "I am so happy that you came and stayed the week. I know Mike mentioned that you were a little nervous coming here but I just want you to know that you have nothing to be nervous about. I see the way you look at my son and my granddaughter and see the love that you have for them. None of us are perfect, but we do love you very much, Carrie, and I hope you know that."

Carrie stood practically shaking at that point as she gently placed the plates on the counter before making her way over to her potential mother-in-law. She basically fell into her arms as she felt a tear trickle out from her eyes. "I love you guys so much too," she spoke before giggling. "Gosh, I'm not sure how I got to be so emotional."

"One cries, we all cry," Karen replied wiping tears from her own eyes as well.

Carrie, Mike, and Charlotte's week long stay in Canada had come to an end and the group of three had landed back in Nashville. Mike was back finishing the hockey season, Charlotte worked on online schooling while Carrie worked on a variety of her projects that were in the making.

Over the course of the next few months, Mike and Charlotte were planning on slowly moving into Carrie's house since it was bigger and Carrie could keep her closet space. Carrie was adamant that she didn't want to live in that house forever. It was in the suburbs of Nashville where she lived in a subdivision and as nice as the house was, she wasn't a subdivision person and nor was Mike. They wanted land and space and they wanted to completely make a space their own. Carrie and Mike also started to look for schools for Charlotte to attend for when she entered high school.

"Mike, I thought we talked about this. I don't want to go looking for another house when we can just build one of our own. And even then, it doesn't have to be right now. We can wait a couple of years," Carrie complained. "It's one of the only days that you and I have had off together in a while. I didn't really want to go out at all."

"I wouldn't show it do you if I knew you wouldn't love it," Mike reasoned. "Please trust me. We can just drive by it. You don't have to see anyone or even get out of the car."

Carrie thought about his deal that he was trying to make and rolled her eyes before letting out a sigh, "Fine."

The blonde spent the rest of her morning squeezing in a workout and taking the dogs for a walk before making lunch for everybody. She spent the afternoon on the back porch writing song ideas in her journal, keeping the house viewing in the back of her mind and how weird she thought it was for Mike to spring that on her.

"Hey momma, are you ready to go?" Charlotte asked as she quietly made her way onto the back porch, not wanting to interrupt her mom's quiet time.

"I guess," Carrie sighed before closing up her book. "I am not thrilled about looking at this but whatever."

"Is that what you are wearing?" Charlotte questioned.

Carrie furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down at her outfit that consisted of a Calia pullover and leggings with white tennis shoes. Charlotte had never made any remarks on her mother's style choices. "We're just driving around, Char. I think I look fine."