At first when she got to her parents on Saturday things were a bit uncomfortable. Arguing was not something they had done much over the years and everyone was on edge a little. After lunch Brianna helped her mom clean up the kitchen. That is when Mrs. Kinadle urged her daughter to go out and talk with her dad. Brianna took her mom’s advise and asked her dad if he’d like to go on a walk around the lake.
Conversation was slow going, but eventually Brianna was able to start talking about how she felt. She explained to her dad that school had been hard this summer and it was stressing her out. That maybe she had been going to a lot of parties but it was her way of escaping from all the pressures. She explained that she just wanted a break to get herself together and collect her thoughts. She told him she had decided on a major, but needed to de-stress before she plunged head-long into the core classes for it. She genuinely apologized for the argument and for yelling at him.
“I love you, Dad. I was just so tired and stressed about exams coming up. I’ve been frustrated over my grades and so much else going on. I know I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, I just lost my temper at the wrong moment. I really am sorry.”
Mr. Kinadle only wanted the best for his daughter. That is all he had ever wanted. But, he began to wonder that maybe in that wanting he had put undue pressure on her to perform at a certain level. “Brianna, I know that college can be hard and stressful, and everyone handles that stress differently. I can’t tell you what is the best way for you to handle it. It’s just that I worry about all this partying and everything you seem to be doing when you go out. Physically it can’t be healthy. I just want you to be happy and successful, that’s all. Maybe my pushing you so hard hasn’t been the best way to help you achieve those things. And I’m sorry for that. But, can you try and take your old man’s advise here and there?”
Brianna agreed to try and heed her dad’s advice occasionally and he agreed to try and back off and not try and control her life so much. After a long hug all was well again between father and daughter.
“So, what do you plan on doing during this break?”
“Well, there is one thing I wanted to do.” She smiled at her dad.
“And why do I get the feeling I’m about to be hit up for something?”
“Dad! It’s just Nick. I haven’t seen him in weeks and weeks. AJ is out of rehab and they are going back on tour. Nick asked me to come see him and the guys. And I haven’t seen any of the other guys since before AJ went into rehab.”
“Maybe some time with him will do you good. Maybe sometime with AJ will do you some good. So when does this young man want you to go, well, where does he want you to go?”
Brianna jumped up and down squealing and gave her dad another big hug. “Thank you Daddy. Thank you so much!”
“Where am I sending you? And when? And for how long? I need to know these things, you know that.” He was trying to be stern, but in fact he was actually smiling. Over the years all it ever took to put a smile on her face was to tell her she was going to see Nick. Plus, he knew that Nick would take care of her and not let her get in trouble. They were all good guys.
“They are gonna be in Dallas next weekend. He wants me to come out then. It’s supposed to be some sort of special show or something. He wouldn’t really tell me much more than that. And he told me I can stay as long as I want. But, things are probably crazy right now and I don’t want to get in the way. So maybe a couple of three days or so?”
“Yeah, I guess we can arrange that. We can call and make arrangements later on today or tomorrow, how’s that sound?” He messed up her hair and they turned to head back towards the house.
The rest of the weekend was spent being lazy around the pool, making plans for her trip, and discussing the upcoming semester. It was after 2 p.m. before Brianna even left her parent’s house on Monday. They had talked her into staying and having lunch before she got on the road.
<~ Chapter 56 or Chapter 58 ~>
In the End
Karina 2003