Part 5
Breakfast the next morning was rushed. Nikki had a life to get back to, and her friends were anxious to enjoy the last few hours of their weekend. She hugged her Uncle Nick and extracted a promise for another boat trip in the near future before dragging her dad to the SUV and swiping the keys.
Nick laughed as Becca hung back a bit. "He's really going to let her drive?"
"She's a big girl, Nick, almost grown up," she said wistfully.
"She's a special girl, Bec."
"Yes, I know. We love her, Nick," she said fervently. "And I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."
"Bec, I'm not going to hurt her," he said, amazed that she would even think that way. "Baby, I just need to know," he whispered. "That's all I want. Nothing more."
"Why can't I believe that, Nick?" Becca relied softly, trying hard to keep the hurt out of her eyes.
"We'll talk, Bec. Soon."
Becca never answered, just walked silently to the SUV and slammed the door.
* * * * * * *
"Bec?" Kevin watched his wife fold the laundry, lost in her thoughts. "Becca?"
Becca heard nothing until Kevin took the towel out of her hands, the same towel she'd been folding for the past ten minutes.
"Oh!" She jumped as Kevin's fingers touched hers.
"Becca, you okay?"
"Sure, Kev, I'm sorry. My mind has just been on other things lately, I guess."
"I know, Bec, and I know what you're thinking."
"What?" she looked up at him, a frightened look on her face.
"It's about Nikki, isn't it."
"Kevin-"
"Come on, Bec, you can't it hide it from me anymore."
"Kevin, I can explain-" her eyes filled with tears and she began to tremble.
"Baby, it's okay." He sat beside her on the bed and pulled her close. He'd had no idea it was affecting her like this. "It's only for a couple of months, Becca. She'll be back in plenty of time to get ready for school, and you'll find other things to do while she's gone."
The summer. Dear god, he thought she was worried about Nikki going away for the summer.
She sank into his arms with relief. "Kevin, I'm so sorry."
"It's hard to let go, Bec. I'm going to miss her just as much."
"I know you will, I just …"
"Come on, leave all this stuff till later. How about I take my two favorite girls out for dinner?"
"Sounds great," she smiled weakly. She had to get a grip. No, she had to talk to Nick.
* * * * *
Dinner conversation was light and somewhat normal until dessert arrived.
"And anyway, Joanie says Matt is a jerk and I'm better off without him anyway."
"Matt? Matt who?" Kevin asked, frowning.
"Matt Larson. He's in my English Lit. class."
"And he's a jerk why?" Becca asked, smiling over her sundae.
"Because after he asked me out, Joanie saw him kissing Marybeth Hughes behind the band room."
"Joanie's right," Kevin agreed. "He's a jerk. He doesn't deserve you."
"That's what I told him."
Becca choked. "You what?"
"I tracked him down after school and gave him a piece of my mind. I told him I might be blonde, but I'm not stupid, and he could take his little Marybeth bimbo and a go f-"
"Sarah Nicole!" Kevin roared.
"Daddy, don't be crude. I told him to go fly a kite, not to go f-"
"NIKKI!" Kevin threw his napkin on the table. "Check please," he called.
Becca smothered a giggle behind her hand and walked to the door with Nikki as Kevin paid the bill.
"God, mom, he's such an old-"
"Nikki, never mind," Becca laughed.
They teased Kevin all the way home, and continued their good-natured ribbing as they let themselves in the kitchen door just off the garage.
Nikki was still laughing as they hug their keys on the hook and locked up the doors. "Night guys, I've got a test in the morning. I'm gonna go up and study before bed."
"Wait, baby, there was mail for you today." Kevin shuffled through the stack of bills and junk mail until he found what he was searching for. "Here it is," he said handing the brown envelope to his daughter. "Looks important."
Nikki quickly opened the parcel and squealed. "This is it! This is the final paperwork for the dance academy! It has my schedule, and my room assignment and my list of supplies I need to bring-"
"Baby, slow down!" Kevin laughed as a page fluttered to the floor.
"Nikki, you dropped one," Becca said, stooping to retrieve the paper from underneath the kitchen table.
"What is it?" Kevin watched as his wife's face paled and her hands began to shake.
"Oh, nothing," she said, stalling. "It's just … umm … the required medical forms for the infirmary." Becca's fingers gripped the paper tight as she read the tiny lines of type: name, date of birth, allergies, blood type….