Learning to Swim

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The rest of my vacation with Liam and the others passed in a blur of happiness. After Liam and I got back from the beach on my birthday we met up with Maggie, Daniel, and Addie and went out to a late dinner. When we were done we just went back to the house and hung out there. It was definitely the best birthday I’ve had, hands down.

The other days that we were there were filled with a bunch of different activities to occupy Addie and the rest of us. We spent some time on the boardwalk, even though a lot of the stores were closed because it is practically winter. I can only imagine what it would be like in the summer and I’m hoping that one day I will get to see it right along with my little sister and the boy of my dreams.

The time we spent there went by remarkably fast and I was disappointed when it came time to leave. As I lost sight of the beach in the rearview mirror I was sad to leave it behind, but then I turned to Liam who gave me a small smile and I knew that we would come back one day. He meant what he told me and if everything worked out I could be living a dream in just a few years. Although, I already feel like I’m living a dream with Liam around.

Since we got back I have returned to my normal schedule. I’ve been spending a lot of time on school and work lately. I was inspired by my conversation with Liam about college and so I’m trying to work towards making it possible. I’ve actually been doing all of my homework, with the help of Liam who occupies Addie for me. I even talked to my school counselor to find out what I needed to do to be able to get into a college, preferably one that is close to Liam’s. She was more than surprised to see that I had changed my mind about college, but she was more than willing to help and I actually feel like I have a chance with her help.

I’ve looked into the financial aid a bit, but I know I’m still going to need money. That’s why I’ve been taking extra shifts at work. Since I’m not paying any rent at the moment and I don’t have a car to buy gas for, the money is already starting to add up. I only buy things that are either absolutely necessary or are for Addie. I’ve also become very good at using coupons to save a little extra, even if it isn’t much. Liam offered to help me out with paying for college, but I refused. If I’m going to do this then I want to do it on my own.

Every spare moment I have, which isn’t that many, is spent with Liam and Addie. Since I haven’t been around all that much and Addie has been with Marie a lot, I was beginning to worry that she would draw away from me. That doesn’t seem to be the case, though. She almost seems to understand why I can’t be there all of the time and she never really mentions it. For only being four she is a lot smarter than you would think. I honestly couldn’t have gotten stuck with a better little sister.

That’s why on Sunday morning I decided that I wanted to do something just Addie and me today. I don’t have to work for once and spending some quality time with her would be nice for both of us. I want to reassure her that I’m not just going to disappear from her life just like our mom did.

I wander into the living room where Liam is seated watching something on the TV. I climb onto the couch beside him and he wraps his arm around my waist without ever taking his eyes off of the screen. I snuggle close to him, loving the feeling of his arms around me. We sit there in a comfortable silence and I turn my attention to what he is watching. It is some horrible low budget film that is so bad it’s actually kind of funny to watch.

“Please tell me you don’t actually like this,” I ask him during a commercial break.

“What’s not to like? This is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in awhile,” he says and I laugh.

“I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be a horror film,” I reply.

“Really? Well in that case it sucks,” he tells me with a wink. “Where’s Addie? Sleeping?”