Until Then (NaNoWrimo 2021)

Chapter 12

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"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are."

Chapter 12

Time healed all wounds, Kaycee could not count the number of times she had heard that statement, and not once did she believe it. But as she woke up this morning with a small smile on her face and determination set in her heart and mind Kaycee for the first time believed that indeed with time things would get better. If not who would have ever thought she'd live to see the day when she looked forward to waking up in the morning.

It was a Saturday and normally she'd spend her time doing house chores before immersing herself in another one of the novels that lined her library walls but instead today she wished to do something else. Sitting up in bed Kaycee grabbed her phone from her nightstand and scrolled through her contacts, she had a lot of names of people she barely even called or texted and it seemed that today she would be making her first call to someone other than Nora.

The phone rang for a while before someone on the other end picked up.

"Hey, sweetheart." Archer's voice came through from the other side and Kaycee's face brightened up with a smile, something she realized she had been doing a lot lately.

"There's something I want to do." Kaycee said excitedly and she heard Archer chuckle over the phone. "Can you come over?" She asked and after Archer agreed she hung up the phone. Before Archer arrived Kaycee decided to take a quick shower and then got changed into simple jeans and a shirt with her sneakers and then waited for him in the living room after grabbing the credit card that her mother left behind for her.

Thirty minutes later there was a knock at the door and Kaycee all but ran all the way to pull the door open only to stare in surprise at what she saw. As expected Archer had come but he wasn't alone and standing beside him was a little girl that Kaycee had never seen before.

"Hey." Kaycee said slowly standing at the entrance as she shifted her gaze from Archer to the little girl.

"Kaycee there's someone I'd like you to meet, this is Amy my little sister." Archer introduced and then looked down at the little girl. "Amy this is Kaycee, she's the special girl I told you about." Archer said and Amy looked up at Kaycee with a wide grin as she waved.

"Hello Kaycee, my name is Amy it's a pleasure to meet you." Amy introduced through a stutter and Kaycee couldn't help but grin as she got on her knees so she was at eye level with Amy.

"Hey Amy, I'm Kaycee your brother's girlfriend, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Kaycee said as she petted Amy's hair and then Archer let out a scoff.

"Girlfriend, I wasn't aware of this." Archer said and Kaycee looked up at him.

"I'm dying I don't have the time to inform you of the status of our relationship, besides I get to cross one thing off my list." Kaycee said lightly and her reminder that she was dying made Archer clench his hands into fists but instead of reacting he played it off just like she did. 

"So you just picked off the first person you know to be your boyfriend, I feel honored." Archer said sarcastically as Kaycee stood to her feet.

"You should." Kaycee said cheekily and then took Amy's small hand in hers. "Come on Amy, we're going to have fun." Kaycee said and then threw her car keys over to Archer who caught it easily before they all walked over to her car. Once they were all settled inside with their seatbelts buckled in Archer turned on the engine and then tilted his head to face Kaycee.

"So, where are we headed?" He asked and Kaycee smiled a wide grin before plugging in the direction in the GPS. A short while later Archer realized that Kaycee had directed him to a hair salon, after killing the engine they all got out of the car and walked into the salon together where they were immediately greeted by an attendee.