Forever Is Fine

Balancing Bentley on his hip, Tanner opened the door to reveal a casually dressed Kat.

It was Saturday morning, and Tanner had been up since seven with his younger sister. At ten thirty, there was a knock on the door - Kat.

“Kat, what are you doing here?” Tanner asked the girl, fully away that he was wearing nothing more than a pair of pyjama pants. Bentley squealed, slapping her hands against her brother’s bare chest. “It’s ten in the morning.”

“I know,” she replied. Taking a step over the threshold, Kat shot a smile at Tanner. “I thought that you and Bentley might like to get out of this house. I hear the park’s really fun.”

“You want to take us to the park?” Tanner asked. Kat brushed her side bang out of her eyes and smiled at her friend.

“Go get dressed,” she told him. “I’ll watch Bentley. Take five minutes. Get dressed.”

Shaking his head at Kat’s promptness, Tanner handed his little sister over to her and headed upstairs. He quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt before heading back downstairs to find Kat sitting on the floor in her denim shorts playing with his little sister.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he said, announcing his return.

“Okay.’ Kat stood up, brushing herself off, before picking up the young girl. “Does she have a stroller or anything?”

“There’s one in the garage. Let me run and get it.”

After digging Bentley’s stroller out of the garage and strapping her in it, Kat and Tanner were on their way to the park.

“It’s a gorgeous day, huh?” Kat asked, as the two walked down the sidewalk.

“Absolutely beautiful,” Tanner agreed. “It’s good for Bentley to get some sunshine.”

“I guess you don’t take her out much.”

Tanner shrugged. “There’s not much I can do about it really. It’s crazy trying to juggle homework with taking care of Bentley. It doesn’t leave much time with the outdoors.”

“Can’t your mom take her out?” Kat asked, fixing Bentley’s hat.

“She, uh… She doesn’t really have much time to herself… with work and everything,” Tanner answered, nervously.

Kat raised an eyebrow, appraising Tanner carefully. “You’re lying to me. But that’s fine. You’ll tell me eventually.”

“Will I really?”

Kat smiled, her dark eyes gleaming, and nodded. “Eventually.”

“Good to know.” Tanner chuckled, shaking his head. This Kat was definitely something.

“It’s just up here,” she said, pointing to the right. “I used to take my younger cousins out here all the time. They loved it.”

“I’m sure Bentley will have a lot of fun then.”

“I hope so.”

Kat was definitely something that Tanner had never experienced before. No one had ever put up such an effort to get to know him - except for Destery, of course. But Destery was different. In a sense, it was almost as though Destery wasn’t real. She was a girl behind letters, but Kat… she was real. She was there. She was truly and physically there. She didn’t even know him, but she wanted to. And maybe Tanner needed to put up the effort to get to know her.

“Do you want to take her on the swings first?” Kat asked, pulling Tanner from his mind.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Sounds good.”

Kat bent down and took Bentley out of the stroller. “Come on, little girl,” she cooed. “Let’s go on the swings.”

Tanner took a seat on a picnic table located near the swings, as Kat sat Bentley in a swing and began to push her. Kat really was a pretty girl. Today, she looked so relaxed and comfortable in a pair of denim shorts and a simple t-shirt. Tanner had never noticed before, but Kat had really nice legs.

“I must be losing my mind,” Tanner whispered to himself. He got up and walked over to Kat, who seemed to truly enjoying playing with his little sister.

“Hey.” She shot him a smile. “I never thought to ask you before but have you heard from Destery yet?”

“I sent the letter last night, Kat.” Tanner let out a laugh. “The mail doesn’t work that quickly.”

“Well, it should,” she replied, stubbornly.

“I guess so.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the sound of Bentley’s laughs filling the awkwardness.

“Did I tell you that Finn Pratt asked me out?” Kat questioned, glancing sideways at Tanner.

“Um, no. No, you didn’t,” Tanner answered. “Congrats.”

Kat shrugged, keeping her eyes on Bentley. “I said no.”

“Why?” Tanner asked, surprising himself.

Kat looked up into Tanner’s light brown eyes. She turned up her lip in a small half-smile. “I don’t know… I guess I just have my mind on someone else.”

Tanner was suddenly aware just how close he and Kat were standing. “Anyone I know?” Tanner asked, somewhat nervously.

She chuckled softly. “Do you really need to ask, Tanner?”

Kat turned her full body to him, taking his hand in hers. She was so close, Tanner could see the light freckles that were dusted over her nose. She was so close, he could see that flecks of gold in her dark eyes that he had never noticed before.

He pushed her blonde side bang from her eyes, letting his hand rest on her cheek. She was even closer now. “I guess not.”

She tilted her face, eyes half closed. Tanner moved himself forward, pressing his lips to hers as Kat pressed her body to his. Their lips moved together, tongues intertwining, in a heated first kiss that was anything but innocent.

Kat fell back on her heels, opening her eyes and smiling up at Tanner. “Wow.”

Tanner ran his hand along Kat’s jaw line to her chin, then back to her cheek. “Wow is right.”