Katie's Quest Ch. 13

The three weeks that followed Kieran's first passionate night with his wife-to-be were, in a word, magical. The phrase might sound childish, but that's how it seemed to him. Each day was a new adventure. Katie always seemed to have something exciting and fun planned for them to do, and he wondered more than once just how long she'd been planning to seduce him.

The most likely answer was "quite a while." Kieran didn't mind, though. If anything, it was almost flattering just how much thought she'd put into the trip's itinerary. But that was Katie, through and through. She never left anything to chance.

The first week of the trip was spent visiting and then-revisiting each Disney park, starting with the Magic Kingdom and its famous, classic rides and amusements. Kieran quite enjoyed the Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain, though if he had to pick one, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was probably his all-time favorite. He and Katie rode it three times, and when they stopped to use the bathroom afterward, he ducked into a nearby shop and purchased a small necklace in the shape of Cinderella's carriage. It was rather expensive for his tastes, but the moment he saw it, he knew Katie would love it. When she came out of the restroom, he held the small box out to her in the palm of his hand.

"I know it's not a ring," he said, scuffing a foot along the floor shyly. "But I hope it'll do for now."

Katie opened the box and sucked in a breath. Her impossibly blue eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh, Kieran," she breathed. "It's beautiful! I love it!"

She threw her arms around him, pulling his face toward hers for a passionate kiss that made several bystanders stop and stare. "Can you put it on for me?" she asked. "Those clasps are tough to do by yourself."

Kieran nodded and she turned, pushing her hair aside to expose the nape of her slender neck. He draped the necklace around her throat and secured it with a mechanic's deftness.

"I'll never take it off," Katie promised him, kissing him again with tongue this time. "God, I love you. You're just...you're just the best guy ever."

She meant it, too. Katie, true to her word as ever, didn't remove that necklace once during the entire trip. Not when she slept, not when she ate, not when she and Kieran were in the shower. She wore it day and night with unmistakable pride, as if eager to show the world the small token of his affection.

The next day they visited EPCOT. Kieran quite liked the World Showcase, though he enjoyed the Mission to Mars ride even more. Next was the Animal Kingdom, which to Kieran was the best one of the four. The Expedition Everest roller coaster was absolutely thrilling, though he enjoyed seeing the animals on display just as much. He was particularly fascinated with the gorillas. He and Katie spent over an hour just standing there and watching them. The fourth day of the trip was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where Kieran--after considerable prodding from Katie--agreed to go on the Tower of Terror. Katie didn't go with him on account of her newly-pregnant status (she hadn't taken a test yet but was absolutely certain of it) but she cheered him on from the sidelines.

Their to-do list wasn't just limited to Disney, though. They also spent several days thoroughly exploring Universal Studios Orlando, and when they were done with that, Katie had a long list of items on her to-do list. They drove the marvelous Porsche she'd rented out to some of the area's most pristine beaches--Orlando itself didn't have any, but there were some really good ones only an hour or two away--and together they explored tidal pools, waded into the surf, and swam in isolated lagoons. On more than one occasion they swam in nothing but their skin. Katie quickly developed something of a fetish for having sex in the water.

Not that he complained, of course.

There was yet more they shared together on that fateful getaway. Kieran and Katie went snorkeling and parasailing on a chartered boat, browsed boutique shops and stores, and made love like it was going out of a style. Katie filmed videos for her Instagram page, though she assured Kieran she'd only post them once they were officially married. She took other videos, and photographs too, but a good portion of them could never be shared due to their nature and content.

Every night, Katie took him to the finest restaurants to eat. Every morning, she woke him by sucking him off or pleasuring him in some other way. And at every possible opportunity, she went out of her way to show her how much she cared, how much she genuinely and sincerely loved and wanted him. Katie used the phrase "I love you" after almost every sentence, and relished telling everyone she came across, be they waiters, hotel staff, theme park employees, or simply random passersby, that the two of them were engaged. Kieran found all the attention rather embarrassing but didn't tell her to stop.

How could he? The three weeks he spent with her in Florida were...there wasn't even a word for it. He was utterly, deliriously, feverishly happy, happier than he could ever remember being before. Every moment, every second he spent with her was precious beyond measure, and though he'd never imagined himself married at 18, he found he quite liked the idea as the trip wore on. Katie was, quite simply, the most extraordinary woman--the most extraordinary person--he'd ever met.

Twenty-one days. Twenty-one carefree, magical days. Twenty-one days of sun, fun, and the kind of passionate, tender sex only two people in love can share. Kieran wished it would never end.

It did, of course. Exactly three weeks after getting on the plane to Orlando, Kieran and Katie got on the plane to leave it. Kieran felt like an entirely new person, a better person, and for the first time in three bitter, grief-filled years, he had something to look forward to other than his father's business. There was a lightness in his heart, a spring in his step that hadn't been there before.

Katie held his hand and didn't let go of it until the plane landed. Dropping Kieran off at his house once they left the airport in an Uber was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. She didn't want to be apart from him for a single second, but she knew it was only temporary. For now, for just a little longer, they had to keep up appearances. But not for long. Not for long at all. She'd already made an appointment with the local district court for a marriage ceremony. She and Kieran would head over there as soon as school let out to tie the knot, and she was almost beside herself with glee.

"I'll text you as soon as I get home," she promised him as he prepared to get out of the car. Then, without warning, she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and yanked him close for goodbye kiss.

"I love you, Kieran," Katie whispered.

He cupped her cheek. She loved it when he did that.

"I love you too," he said quietly.

When he exited the vehicle, Katie felt like a part of her immediately went missing. He turned, waved, placed a hand over his heart, and pointed back at her. Katie responded by blowing him a kiss.

Her parents were still up when she walked through the front door of her lavish, luxurious house. Katie glanced around her, taking in its familiar details with a touch of melancholy. Soon, she'd move in with Kieran to make a home of their own, and leave all of this behind.

"Hi, sweetie!" her mother said, hurrying over to greet her as soon as she finished dragging her suitcase into the foyer. "We've missed you so much! How was your trip? Tell me all about it!"

"Oh, it was lots of fun," Katie said. She embraced her mother, who returned the gesture with a tight squeeze.

"Who did you wind up going with?" Laura Petersen asked. "I don't think you ever mentioned the name."

"Oh, just a friend from school. I don't think you've met them, but they're really nice," Katie said vaguely.

Some mothers might have questioned such a non-specific response, but not Katie's. To Laura, her little girl had never been anything other than a perfect angel, and so she had no reason to suspect what her daughter had actually been up to. She had no idea of the truth.

Yet.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time," the older woman said. "Your father and I are so glad it went well. Do you have some pictures you could show us?"

Katie bit her lip. She had lots of pictures, but there quite a few on her cell phone that she didn't want her parents viewing. She needed time to upload them into her personal encrypted cloud, where none but she and Kieran could view them.

"Yeah, but is it okay if I show you tomorrow or something? It was a long flight and I'm very tired."

"Of course," said her father, rising from his favorite armchair. Gregory Petersen was a tall, broad-shouldered man, handsome in a classical sort of way, the way a regent's face on an old coin is handsome. He was tall, very tall, and though his days of law enforcement were behind him, he still carried himself with an air of self-assured authority. It was a trait that had served him well since going into politics.

"Get a tan, did you?" he teased. "Lots of time at the beach?"

"Lots," Katie confirmed with a wink. "Among other things."

"Well, you go upstairs and get some rest, and you can tell us all about it tomorrow," Laura assured her. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

"Thank you," Katie said, hugging them both one last time before heading up the stairs. But this isn't my home anymore, she thought. My home is with Kieran, by his side, wherever that might be. I hope you'll understand that.

Her bedroom was just as she'd left it, and after dropping her suitcase onto the carpet, Katie went into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She found the pregnancy test kit she'd hidden under her sink, and opened the box with fingers that shook. She was so sure, so utterly sure, but she needed to see it. She needed to hold the proof of it in her hands.

Three minutes later, she was. The sign on the little stick was unmistakably positive.

Katie's entire world tilted on its axis. She clapped a hand to her mouth, smothering a screech of joy. All the work, all the effort, all the years of careful planning, in that one singular moment, everything she'd done for the past six years was utterly and thoroughly vindicated.

Katie Peterson was pregnant. More, she was pregnant with the child of a man she loved, a man she was going to spend the rest of her days beside. It was all so much, almost too much. Katie's heart soared, her blood pounded in her ears. She wasn't scared, intimidated or having second thoughts in the slightest. She was elated, and she knew Kieran would be too. She couldn't wait to tell him the news!

She reached for her phone, but stopped herself from opening up the messaging up. Simply telling him over text didn't feel right. Such momentous news deserved to be shared face-to-face. Kieran deserved that much, and infinitely more. Katie would never be able to repay him for the precious gift she now carried within her, but she was more than willing to spend her life trying.

Love--for Kieran and for her child--welled up inside her like a river flooding its banks. Katie wept, not from sorrow or anxiety but from the strength of the love she felt for her unborn child and the man who'd made it with her.

It took a long, long time for Katie to get a grip on herself. It was difficult to rein in such raw, powerful emotions. But eventually she got to her feet, carefully disposed of the pregnancy test to ensure it wouldn't be found by anyone, and climbed into bed. Tomorrow she would tell him, and by the time she got home that evening, she would officially be his wife. Hopefully, that would help mollify her parents when she told them.

Even if not, they'll soon come to see Kieran the way I do. He's perfect for me in every way. They'll realize that eventually. Katie's lips firmed into a thin line as she began to drift off.

But if they don't, it won't make a difference, she thought. I'm going to be Kieran's wife, and I'm going to be the mother of his child, and I'm going to do those things with or without their approval. She hoped beyond hope it wouldn't come to that. But she wouldn't back down if it did. This, all of it, has been my choice. I choose to be his wife, and I choose to have his baby. I choose him to be my partner. No one else, not even my parents, has the right to make that decision for me.

And heaven help anyone who tries.