Rise Up

Talie

I could tell Dad wanted to talk about New York as soon as he walked in.  It had been on my mind a lot lately, as I kept weighing the pros and cons of both.  I'd been born and raised in New York.  While I didn't have any other family there, I had the Mirandas, Naomi, and a school I enjoyed.  Plus, I loved the city.  It was my home.

In London, I had my dad and a new family.  I had a half baby brother or sister on the way.  I had someone who could possibly become my boyfriend, and an awesome future step-sister.  London was different, but in a good way.  I could spend months and months exploring and I'd still find new stuff.

This decision was impossible.  No matter what I decided, I'd be disappointing people, and I'd be without some of the people I loved.  Dad pulled out my desk chair.

"Sweetheart, I know it's hard, but you're gonna have to make a decision about New York," he told me reluctantly.  I sighed and nodded, knowing it was coming.  I couldn't leave everyone hanging.

I'd weighed everything over and over again.  What it had come down to was my new baby brother or sister.  I wanted to be in this kid's life.  I'd always wanted siblings.  I had them in Alice and Giles, but this baby would be blood.  How could I live across an ocean, away from my only blood sibling?

"I think I want to stay here," I told him, beaming.  He broke out into a huge smile.  I'd never seen him smile so big.

"Really?" he asked.  "You want to stay?"

I nodded.  "I really like Carol, Alice and Giles, and I want to be part of the new baby's life," I explained.  "But I'd like to spend all my school breaks in New York."

"Of course," he said, moving to the bed so he could hug me.  Dad wrapped his arms around me and didn't let go for a long time.  "This is such great news.  I'm so glad you decided to stay."

All along, what I'd really wanted was a family.  Back in New York, Dad wasn't giving it to me and the Mirandas had stepped in like angels.  They'd given me support when my dad couldn't.  Now that dad had a fiance, he seems to have gotten his head on straight.  He spent more time at home, and I felt like we were becoming closer.  I loved the Mirandas, and I knew they'd always be there for me, but I needed to be with family.

Dad kissed me all over my face, then went to tell Carol the good news.  She swooped in and hugged me, and soon everyone in the house knew the news.  Alice seemed elated.  I didn't think Giles really cared either way, but he seemed happy.

This was the easy part - telling my dad I wanted to stay.  The hard part would be telling the Mirandas I wasn't coming back for a while.  Especially Sebastian.  I decided to get it over with, like pulling a band-aid.  I FaceTimed Lin and he answered.  I heard Sebastian and Cisco laughing in the background.

"Hi sweetheart," he smiled at me.  Before he could call the boys over, I told him I wanted to talk to him privately.  I saw his face change, and I'm sure he knew what I was referring to.  He walked down the hallway and into his bedroom so we could have some privacy.

"I wanted to talk to you about my plans," I told him hesitantly.  Maybe he could already tell from my tone and the look on my face because he didn't make a big deal of my news.  "I've decided I want to stay in London."

"That's great, sweetheart," he told me.  "I'm glad you're in a good place with your dad.  It's important to be with family."

I don't know what it was, but I started to tear up.  Lin had really gone to bat to me.  Was I betraying him by choosing my dad?

"Talie, don't cry," he told me gently.  "It's okay."

"I just feel bad," I told him.  "You've been so nice to me."

"You shouldn't feel bad about it," he told me.  "You should never feel bad about wanting to be with your family."

That made me feel a bit better.  He seemed to understand.  "I still want to come back to New York during school breaks."

"You're welcome to stay with us," he said immediately without skipping a beat.

"Thanks," I wiped my eyes.  "I don't want to upset Sebastian."

"Well, he'll be disappointed, but he'll be fine," he said.  "Don't worry.  So, are you going to a fancy school over there then?"

I laughed a little.  I'd be joining Alice and Giles, and I'd be getting my own set of uniforms.  I had to admit I was looking forward to that.  I'd felt smarter dressed in a uniform.  Lin and I talked about school and when I'd come back for a visit.  School didn't end until August over here.  I got a little teary again when it was time to say goodbye.  I really missed them.  This was the hardest decision I'd ever had to make.

I finally hung up and then collapsed onto my bed.  I laid there, feeling sad, for several minutes, but then my mind shifted.  I had officially decided to move to London.  This was now my home.  This was my reality.  I felt my lips curl into a smile as I thought about the possibilities.