Four Elements Book 3 - Sacrifice

Part 7

"Okay, now I know something is wrong. Andie?"

Andie jerked her head up. She was sitting with her parents and sister Hannah around the dinner table, but had mostly been picking at her plate with her fork.

"Huh?"

"This is your favorite, and you're barely touching your food," Lauren said.

"Are you sick?" Hannah asked.

"No, no... I'm fine. It's just... complicated."

"Boy problems again?" Hannah inquired.

"Hannah!" Lauren chided.

"Hannah, you've finished, why don't you take your desert in the living room?" Hank offered.

"Ooh, can I?"

"Just this once, so don't get used to it, kiddo," he smiled. "Go on."

Hannah didn't need telling twice. Swiping her desert from the fridge, she quickly trotted into the living room. Moments later, they heard the television.

Hank and Lauren turned to their older daughter.

"Now. What's bothering you?"

"Did you get into a fight with Bane?" Lauren wondered.

"No..." Andie said and heaved a sigh.

"Then what is it?"

"Isabelle asked me a question... and I just wish I knew the answer."

Her parents exchanged a slightly perplexed glance.

"What question was that?"

"She asked what Bane and I would do if we were accepted in different colleges... the problem is I have no idea... I was so focused on everything else I never even... thought about it."

"What exactly is the problem?" Hank asked.

"Well... you know how many teenagers try and fail to maintain their high school relationships through college..." she said. "And... I just don't want to end up another one of those couples..."

"That's understandable," Lauren agreed.

"But at the same time... after everything that's happened these last few months... Bane's coma, the thing with Eric... I can't imagine choosing to stay away from him... you know?"

"Of course not," Hank saod. "So let me make sure I follow: you can't decide whether to risk long distance relationship or staying close with the risk of a break up later."

"But the long distance could also result in a break-up..." Andie completed.

Lauren peered at her with a slight frown.

"Do you think you will break up?" she inquired.

"No! No, I have no reason to, and I can't see him having any... but I don't want to think it's never going to happen and let it hit me in the face if it does."

Hank heaved a sigh and touched his daughter's arm.

"Honey... you're doing it again."

Andie blinked.

"Doing what?"

"Thinking too much." Lauren replied, catching on. "Sweetheart, we understand that it's scary, but Bane and you love each other, and so long as you believe in what you two have, there's no reason for it not to work."

Andie didn't answer at once. She hadn't really thought about it that way, and supposed that was true. She just hoped it could be that simple.