In The Sun

Ending

College isn’t something I’ve thought about in my last month and a half of summer. Sure, I know it’s happening—it looms—but I try not to dwell. Sitting at Beach Brew with my father, his phone pressed to his ear, college is the topic of conversation.

He puts some creamer in his coffee, stirring it around, saying, “My daughter Katelyn is attending your university in the fall. Please, refresh my memory on what your perks are.”

I sigh heavily, hoping he notices. When he doesn’t, I give up entirely. Suddenly my father is Mr. College Man, wanting to know anything and everything about where I’m spending my next four years. Truth be told, I won’t be far away. So I don’t understand the sudden worry over it all.

Dad is on the phone for another twenty minutes until he finally says, “Thank you, Clarice. I’m sure she’ll be excited to attend.” When he hangs up, he says to me, “So many good things I can tell you.”

“Really.”

“Of course! Their curriculum is top-notch.”

“What about the social scene?”

He raises his eyebrows, taking a sip from his coffee. When he really tastes it, he scowls, swallows it down, and says, “Oh, God. That coffee’s horrendous. Do you like it?”

“Not particularly. Not even creamer can hide the taste, huh?”

“Bitter.” He shakes his head, putting his cup to the side. “The social scene?” he wonders again. He decides to try his banana nut muffin, a better choice. “I’m not following what you’re saying, Katelyn.”

“You know,” I begin, hoping he catches on. “Like, how are the people? What is there to do?”

He sighs, looking directly at me. Obviously discussing the fun part of college wasn’t on the agenda. Noticeably changing the subject, he says, “Aubrey, the kids, and I are leaving in a week or so.”

“Are you? Too bad.”

“I’m sorry to say that Aubrey is already planning to visit you at Eastern ASAP.”

I laugh. “Oh, God.”

“She means well,” he says, but sounds unsure. “You know, she really does love you like one of her own, despite what you think.”

“She’s girly,” I reply. “Pink, frilly. Princess.”

“So? You’re her only daughter.”

“Stepdaughter,” I correct. “And I’m not too cordial with her, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Which is why,” he hesitates, putting his cell phone back in his pocket, “I want you to come to dinner at the house. With your mother and everyone else. Even your boyfriend.”

“Wyatt too?”

He narrows his eyes. “Is that a problem?”

“We aren’t serious,” I reply. “That’s all. He’s a summer thing. A tourist.”

“I still want to meet him.”

At this point, everyone has met Wyatt. Even my mom and Lou, when he came over for dinner one night. He has passed the test with everyone, I assume, except my father, who has yet to meet him.

“You will,” I say. “Tonight.”

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” I can hear the incredulousness in Melanie’s tone, even over the phone. “A family get together? Are you serious? You’re asking for trouble.”

“I need to do this,” I say. “For my peace of mind.”

“You’re crazy,” she replies. “Good luck, though.”

“Yeah, Mel. Thanks.”

“Always here, Kate.”

There’s something about Mel. No matter how simple, she’s always there. The best friend a girl can ever have.

By the time the dinner comes around, we’re a bit nervous. I’m with Wyatt at his beach house, helping him straighten out his dress shirt.

“Serious stuff,” Max says, staring down at his phone.

“It’s not that serious,” I say to Wyatt.

Max scoffs. “Family dinner? Yes, it’s ‘serious.’”

“Don’t stress him out, you idiot,” I warn.

Wyatt grins, suddenly pulling me close and kissing my lips. “Hey,” he breathes. “I’m not stressed.”

I smile against his cheek. “At least you aren’t.”

He looks at me, confused. “Don’t tell me that you are.”

“Trying not to be.”

“Please, Katelyn.” He kisses my cheek. “Calm down.”

“Easier said than done.” When Wyatt leans in again, wanting another kiss—getting us a groan from Max—I peer out the window and see Mom’s silver Honda pull up in Dad’s driveway, Mom, Maggie and Lou gracefully making their exit. Mom’s in a white sundress, her hair in curls. So this is a fancier event than I thought. “We should walk over,” I tell him. “My mom just arrived.”

“Great.” Wyatt sighs. “Here goes nothing.”

To my surprise, the dinner is going off without a hitch. It’s not until Dad raises his wine glass, wanting a toast, that I get nervous. “To Katelyn. Our wonderful daughter.” He looks at Mom, who smiles warmly. “She has come so far, and despite the split between our families,” he looks around now, “we all share a common thought: being proud of Katelyn. We love you, honey.”

With that being said, I finally have the feeling of my families coming together. With my father, Aubrey, Jeremiah, Zachery and Parker on one side of the table, and my mother, Lou, Maggie, myself and Wyatt on the other, it’s not so divided anymore.

Finally, I feel like I have a balance. Things aren’t so uncertain anymore, and for that I’m thankful.

“The sun is setting,” Wyatt says to me later in the evening when things have calmed down and all of the adults have loosened up and drank more wine. (Jere and Zach were given sparkling grape juice privileges.) “Do you want to go outside?”

I nod at him, letting him guide me out to the back deck. He hugs me close, kissing my hair. Standing like this, I have that image again: Wyatt and I, sitting on the beach on that fateful night, the dark surrounding us. In that moment, I felt like, then, that was where I was always supposed to be.

Wyatt lifts my chin, kissing my lips softly. Now, I know for certain that this is where I need to be. With my family coming together. With Wyatt. Things have been a whirlwind, that much I know. But as I look into the house, seeing my mother talk to Aubrey, seeing Maggie—smiling for the first time in awhile—playing with Parker, Jere and Zach, and seeing my father and Lou talking about something as they sip from their wine glasses, I feel like things are okay again.

Seeing the sun grace across our features, I caress Wyatt’s cheek, grinning.

So maybe the dark isn’t always where we need to be, because in the sun, things can be just as real, bright, and beautiful.