Walk in the Sun

Leaving Pittsburgh this last time was by far the hardest it had ever been. I had felt like Sid and I had reached a new height in our relationship. After having Christmas with our families, I could picture myself having a similar Christmas, with the same people, every year.

I had more time to prepare for this goodbye, especially after saying goodbye to Sid’s parents, Taylor, my mom, Derrick and Tab at the airport. Sid and I spent my last days in Pittsburgh alone, other than when he was at the arena, of course. Kaitlyn and I saw each other at the games, of course, and had a girls day with Taylor and Tab before they left. Before I left, there was one last thing I wanted to tell Sid.

“Hey, Sid?” I asked as we were curled up on the couch, watching Miracle.

“Yeah?”

“What would you say if I told you I was going to apply to the University here?”

He looked down at me with wide eyes. “Well, I don’t know. Please, don’t tell me you’re doing it just for me.”

I shook my head. “Well, I looked into it, wanting to move here to be closer to you. But, the more I looked into it, the more I liked the programs, the campus, everything.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I mean, it’s only an application. I man not even get in.”

He lifted my chin to face him. “If it’s what you want, I’m behind you 100%. I would love to have you in Pittsburgh.”

I smiled. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I already filled out the application.”

“Well, if you already filled it out, why did you ask me?” He smirked.

“I just wanted to know your opinion. I love this city. I could see myself living here.”

He smiled and wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulders and placed a soft kiss on the top of my head. “I’m happy you appreciate my opinion so much.”

I smiled and once again, brought my focus to the movie. Happy to finally tell him about my application, a small part of me couldn’t wait to get back home to submit it with my transcripts.

Going to the airport on my last morning, I saw Kaitlyn and Kris standing just a few feet ahead of Sid and I. Luc was standing off to the side, giving the happy couple some time alone. I gave Sid’s hand a light squeeze.

“I’m getting really sick of these goodbyes, you know.”

He smirked. “Well, just think, if you come here for school, there won’t be so many of them.”

I smiled as he pulled me closer to him, resting his hands on my hips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers playing with the ends of his hair.

“That’s true. That’s another perk. But then again, if I go to Halifax, I could make fun of you all the time with Taylor.”

“Hey, now” he said with a mock stern face. “There will be no Sid-bashing with my little sister. She doesn’t need the encouragement.”

I smirked at him before placing my lips against his. Pulling away, I leaned my forehead against his, keeping my eyes closed. I heard the call for my flight and let out a soft sigh.

“Call me when you land.” Sid whispered.

I pulled away and nodded. I placed another soft kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

He repeated those three words back to me before we walked up to Kaitlyn. I gave Kris a hug.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” He nodded.

“Of course. Keep my lady in line, will you?” He smirked.

I looked over at Kaitlyn with a soft smile before looking back at Kris. “I don’t know how well I can do that, but I’ll do my best.” I laughed. That seemed to be okay for him. I walked over to Luc and pulled him in for a small hug.

“It was great meeting you. I hope we can see you again soon.”

He smiled down at me. “Same here. I’ll be sure to try and come down the next time you girls visit.”

My eyes locked with Sid’s one last time before I hooked my arm with Kaitlyn’s and we made our way to the boarding dock. When we found our seats on the plane, I turned to Kaitlyn with a smile.

“Best Christmas ever.”

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Sid's POV

The girls visiting must have been a good luck charm for the team. We went on a win streak and the atmosphere in the locker room was light and happy. Steph kept me informed about her college applications. As happy as I was that she was applying to the university here in Pittsburgh, I was happy that it wasn’t the only school she was applying to. It’s not that I don’t think she’ll get accepted to the school here, but I just didn’t want her to go to the school just because of me. She told me it wasn’t, but a small part of me still thought it was. In the summer, she was all going to the school in Halifax.

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Steph's POV

While waiting for my college letters to arrive, I tried to surround myself with good news and people who wouldn’t make me begin to doubt myself. About a week after I came home, I had invited Tab over to the house. She came over after school one day.

“Hey, what’s this all about?” She asked as she took off her coat and boots.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Nothing in particular, I just wanted to see how you were.”

She followed me up the stairs to my room. When we walked in, I looked over at her.

“So, how’s it going?” She raised her eyebrow at me.

“You mean…..with the baby?” I nodded. “It’s fine. Derrick has been a huge help.”

I smiled, happy that my brother was taking responsibility. Having a baby was not something he was expecting. But I knew he loved Tab and would do anything to make her happy. Telling her to give up the baby or leaving her to raise it on her own, were not options for him.

“That’s good. I’m glad you two are working through this.”

She smiled. “Yeah, we’re going to look for apartments soon. But enough about me and Derrick, how is the college applications coming along?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Good, I guess. I’m still waiting on the letters.”

She gave me a small smile and sat down on my bed. “Where did you apply?”

I sat down beside her, laying back, resting my heads on the pillows with a deep sigh. “Well, Halifax, of course, Brock University, Laurier, University of Waterloo and …” I hesitated, not knowing what her reaction would be, “Pittsburgh.”

Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. “Pittsburgh? Really? Does Sid know?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I told him just before I left. He’s happy with it, as long as it’s what I want.”

“And?” She paused. “Is it?”

I nodded. “I think so. I mean, I went to the school to pick up an application and looked online at the programs they offer. It seems like a good school. I like it.”

“So if you get accepted to both Pittsburgh and Halifax, which on would you choose?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I’ll make that decision when the time comes.”

She smiled. “As long as you do what makes you happy, and what’s best for your education, I’ll be happy for you.”

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Sid’s POV

My phone woke me up before practice. It was Steph.

“Hey!”

“They came! They came!” I heard her scream with joy on the other end. I pulled the phone away from my ear, chuckling.

“Oh yeah? So, what’s the verdict?”

“I’m not opening them until Kaitlyn comes over. We made a deal that we’d open them together.”

“But you didn’t apply to the same schools, did you?”

“Not all. Three of them are the same.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Did she apply to UPitt?”

I heard her sigh. “I don’t remember. I think so.”

“So, in other words, don’t say anything to Kris?”

I heard her chuckle lightly. “You learn well, grasshopper.”

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Steph’s POV

I looked over the letters in my hands while I was on the phone with Sid.

“So, which letters did you get?” I heard him ask.

Looking over the envelopes in my hands, I responded. “I got a letter for each other schools I applied to. I got one from Brock, Laurier, Waterloo, Halifax and Pittsburgh.”

“Ooo, tough choices. Are you leaning towards any of them?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, my heart’s been with Halifax for a while, so that’s definitely in the running. Pittsburgh is too, the campus is beautiful and I like the breakdown of the classes. The schedule wouldn’t be so hectic.”

“Well, you do what’s best for you. I’m behind you, no matter what.”

I smiled into the phone, wondering how I got so lucky to have such a good boyfriend. Sid then told me he had to leave to go to the arena. He had a meeting with Mario before practice. I didn’t keep him any longer, knowing how important Sid’s business relationship with Mario was. Hanging up my phone, I tossed it on my bed and walked downstairs. I heard the back door open and close. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw that my mom had come home from work. She smiled at me when she met me in the kitchen. I had opened the fridge, looking for a can of Coke.

“So, did the mail come yet?” She asked. I nodded to her with a smile.

“Yeah.”

She raised an eyebrow at me with a small smile. “And?”

“I got five.” I stated with a grin.

She came and wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, honey, that’s great.”

I pulled away and gave her a sheepish smile. “Mom, I got five letters. I haven’t opened them yet.”

“Oh, well do you want to sit down and open them with me? Then we can go over the pros and cons of each school you get accepted to.”

I sighed. “Uh.. actually, I made a deal with..”

“Kaitlyn.” She interrupted me. “Say no more. But I do have one question.”

I looked at her, silently telling her to continue.

“What happens if you like a school that Kaitlyn doesn’t?”

I rolled my eyes, thinking that when Kaitlyn got her letters she’d probably get the same speech from her mom.

“Mom, Kaitlyn and I have already discussed it. We know that we may not end up in the same place. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to still be friends or forget about each other. I could be in Pittsburgh and she could be in Halifax, or at Brock. There’s always holidays when we’ll both be home and we’ll call each other all the time. Trust me, it’s covered.”

She smiled at me. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” She turned to walk away, but then stopped. She turned her head and raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m sorry, did I hear you say Pittsburgh? You applied to Pittsburgh?”

I let out a long sigh. “Yes Mom, I applied to the university in Pittsburgh. Before you say anything, no, it’s not just for Sid. I’m not going to lie to you and say that he was not a factor in my choosing to apply there, but he’s not the only reason. Before you went to Pittsburgh, I made a trip to the campus. I picked up an application and gave myself a small tour of the campus and peeked into a few classrooms. The campus is beautiful and I looked online at the course breakdown, and the schedule wouldn’t be very hectic.” I paused to look at her. She was just staring to me, taking it all in. “Please Mom, believe me. If it does happen that I do choose Pittsburgh, please know that I’m not going to piss all my time away. I will focus on school. Yes, I may spend time with Sid, but my schooling would come first.” That brought a small smile to her face.

“I’m glad to hear that.” She sighed. “Stephers, I’m sorry. I just don’t like the idea of you moving so far away just for a boy. But I know you, and I’ve met Sid. You guys seem to have so much control of your relationship. To be honest, I was surprised he didn’t ask you to move to Pittsburgh already.”

I shook my head. “I filled out the application before I even told him. He had no idea, but was very cautious with accepting it, just like you, if it makes you feel any better.”

She smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “You know, some days I wish you would just stop growing up. Be that little 6 year-old blonde, running around with pig-tails, dancing to country music thinking you were Wynonna Judd.”

I smirked and rolled my eyes. “Mom please, I’m still gonna be Wynonna. Nothing will change that.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Well, I guess you’re going to want to call Kaitlyn. Before you ask, yes, she can stay for dinner. Your brother and Tab are coming over, too.”

I smiled and ran up to my room. I grabbed my phone off of my bed and dialed Kaitlyn’s number. She had received her letters too and I demanded that she rush over to my house. I had sat on in my room until I heard a car door shut. I ran down the stairs, and opened the door before Kaitlyn’s knuckles tapped on my door for a second time. Her eyes widened when she saw me. I quickly ushered her up the stairs. When we reached my room she looked at the letters scanned across my bed.

“You got five?” she asked me.

I nodded. She looked down at her hands and put the three envelopes down beside mine. My smile faltered a little bit.

“How many did you apply to?” She held up four fingers. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sent her a small smile. “Let’s open these and check ‘em out.”

She nodded and we both began to open our letters. The emotions ran through us like crazy. We decided not to open the same school letters at the same time. Not only was that a tad bit too corny for us, but seeing as it was possible for only one of us to get into the schools, we didn’t want to have a half-celebration.

I looked over all of the letters that I opened. I had a huge decision to make. I looked over at Kaitlyn. She was on my computer looking up more information on Laurier University. I walked over to see what she was looking at. I didn’t get accepted there, but I wanted to see what it would be like for Kaitlyn, if she decided to go there. I saw her smile while she watched a virtual tour of the campus. I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. As much as everyone kept telling both Kaitlyn and I that we shouldn’t choose the same school just so we can attend together, and Kaitlyn and I may have talked about it. However, seeing her look so happy, looking at a school that I wouldn’t be attending made me sad. In the back of my mind, I always thought we would go to college together. I walked away from the computer and sat on my bed again. I grabbed the letters in my hands. Out of the 5 schools I applied to, Laurier was the only one that didn’t accept me. So I had a choice to make between Brock, Halifax, Waterloo and Pittsburgh. I almost immediately threw away the letters from Brock and Waterloo. I only applied to 5 schools to make my mom happy. That’s not saying that Brock, Waterloo, and Laurier aren’t great schools, but I always knew that it would come down to Pittsburgh or Halifax.

Kaitlyn left the computer and sat beside me. “It’s one of them isn’t it?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I always knew it would be. After hearing all of the stories from Jenn about Halifax, and getting the tour, I loved it. Then there’s Pittsburgh. The campus there is beautiful and the schedule is pretty chill.”

She nodded at me. “Yeah, the UPitt schedule for my course is pretty awesome, too.” She got off the bed and picked up her letters. “Well, I’m gonna head home.”

My eyes widened. “Why? I thought we were going to decide tonight.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t think I didn’t see your face fall when I was looking at Laurier. I think it’ll be best for both of us if we make out final decisions separately. That way we don’t feel influenced to pick the same school.”

I thought about it for a second and she was right. If she chose Halifax or UPitt right in front of me, I would feel somewhat obligated to choose the same one. I looked up at her and nodded.

“Yeah, that seems fair. Text me, okay?”

She nodded and left my room. I heard Kaitlyn say goodbye to my mom and my sisters, followed by the front door shutting. I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. I tried to picture where I could see myself having the perfect college life.

As would be expected, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door.

“Steph,” I heard my mom say through the door. “Dinner’s ready.”

I groaned and rolled off my bed. I walked over to my door and opened it. My mom gave me a small, sad smile.

“Everything okay with Kaitlyn?”

I nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

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Sid’s POV

I was just about to walk out my door to go for a run after practice when my phone rang. I looked down and saw that it was Kris.

“Hey buddy, long time no see.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. So, have you heard from Steph yet?”

“Nope, not yet. You heard from Kaitlyn?”

“Yeah, I just got off the phone with her.”

I put my keys down on the mantel and was intrigued. “And? Did she choose a school?”

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Steph's POV

“I did it!! I decided!” I yelled at no one in particular. My mom ran in my room.

“So, what’s the verdict?”

I smiled at her. Before I could answer her, I heard my phone ring. It was a text message from Kaitlyn. “Sorry, this is Kaitlyn.” I looked down at my phone and my eyes started to tear up. I looked up at my mom. She gave me a small smile as she walked over to sit beside me on my bed.

“Oh honey, just know that no matter where you go, you’ll never be alone.”

I looked back and forth from my phone to my mom. “You’re right.” I showed her my phone. “I won’t be alone.”

She looked at my phone, her eyes widening with surprise. She looked backup at me and I could see tears in her eyes. “Is this…?” She didn’t finish her question. I nodded and looked back down at the one word on my phone’s screen.

Pittsburgh