Chapter 12

As graduation approached, Brad asked her if she was going to the Senior Prom. She told him that she was and he took her to buy a prom dress. The dress was much more adult than he would have picked. It was a strapless gown that fit her like a glove.

A week before the Prom, Amy sat at the table eating breakfast with him. He could tell that something was on her mind. He waited and she fidgeted in her chair but didn't seem to know how to say whatever it was she needed to say.

"Well, are you going to say it or keep it inside the rest of the day."

Amy looked at her plate, "I think that I volunteer you to be a chaperone at the Prom. Will you do it?'

Brad laughed, "Of course I will. It will give me a chance to keep an eye on you. I don't trust boys around you in that dress you're going to wear. By the way, when am I going to meet the guy who's taking you to the prom?"

"Well he's taking his tests for college and he's on the Prom Committee so I told him that you would drive me to the Prom. He'll be busy setting up everything and that would save a lot of hassle."

He was sure that there was more to this story than she was telling him, but she was not giving up any more information. She got up and scraped her plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"You'll need a tux. Do you have one?" she asked with her back to him.

"I have a tux. In fact, I have more than one."

He could see that something else was on her mind, "Are you going to finish what you have to say or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

She sat back down at the table, "I was wondering, after I graduate I have to get a job and eventually see about getting a place to stay."

Brad put his hands over hers, "I guess we'd better talk. I was going to save this for later, but since now seems to be the right time I say it now. First, I am a little hurt that you are thinking about moving out. This is your home now and will always be your home as long as you want it. If you want to move out I'll help you get a place."

Amy shook her head, "I don't want to move. It's just...

She didn't finish because the tears started again.

"Amy, I did something a couple of months ago and I was waiting for the right time to tell you. I guess this is a "right" a time as ever. As you know you are the only family I have. I got in touch with Carl Samples and changed my will. If anything ever happens to me you get this house and everything I have, it's a lot more than you think I have."

She ran around the table and sat on his lap and started to try to talk but only sobs would come out.

Finally Brad spoke, "Get off my lap. I have something else that I have to tell you."

"No. I like sitting on your lap and I love having you hold me. I wish you would hold me more often. I feel so content when you hold me."

She started sobbing again harder than before.

"What's wrong Amy? Did I do something wrong/"

"No dummy, these are happy tears. I seems obscene for someone to be this happy."

Brad finally pushed her off his lap and went to his office. He brought back a large envelope and handed it to her. She opened it and looked at him with a puzzled look.

"What's this?"

"My dear, that is a cruise ship brochure, the cruise ship itinerary and two tickets to a two week cruise around the Mediterranean. We leave a week after you graduate. I've booked a balcony stateroom for us so you can look out over the Mediterranean every day. The only problem is, we're going to have to get you a passport."

"Doesn't it take months to get a passport?"

"No, there are passport and visa services that can do it in a week or less. Do you want to go or do you have other plans?"