"Does the slight touch of his hand give you butterflies?"
"Yes. And he's always touching me in some way, even if it's just our knees brushing at dinner."
"Where do you see yourself in three years?"
"I've never thought about it," I say, realizing it’s the truth.
She lays her hand on mine.
"Where do you see your siblings in three years?"
A smile creeps across my face. I always think about what their lives will be like.
"Starting families, working towards a career goal, living their lives to the fullest."
"Now, why can'tyouhave those things?"
"I... I don't know."
She cocks her head at me while pulling her hand away then grabbing her crossword book again.
"I think you need to figure out the answer to that question first," she says.
She writes a word into one of the puzzles then glances at me with a small smile.
"And you will figure it out," she says.
I face forward.
"I hope so."
Chapter eighteen
Chrissy
It'sbeenacoupleof months since I had that conversation on the plane, and I am almost just as lost now as I was then. Being home with my family has given me the stability to try and figure out my life.
Troy and I still talk. Usually through texting. Some days we talk until we fall asleep and others not at all, but I always get a good morning and good night text from him. He's never missed a single day.
We have video chatted a couple of times, but honestly, it usually just turns into us watching each other undress and do naughty things. We both agree that long distance never works out, so we aren't together. He is free to see other people, and so am I.
"Can you believe your dad and I will be empty nesters?" my mom asks me and my sisters as we drive to the high school to watch my brother graduate.
"What will you two do with all that free time?" I ask my parents.
"Actually, we are thinking about going on a vacation to Belize for a week."
"I don't mind being a third wheel," my youngest sister, Sophia, says.
"You wish," I say to her.
"We’ve also talked about moving."
"Moving?" all three of us say at once.
"Yes. With your brother going off to the military right away, there's no reason for us to wait."
"Where are you thinking of moving?" I ask.