Dinner with the family was more subdued tonight. Dad kept trying to engage us in conversation but Mom and I were not in the mood. Mom seemed a bit emotionally drained from our conversation earlier and I worried over Brynn. Dad looked at both of us concerned but I think he realized he would get to the truth of the matter when him and Mom talked later.

I was relieved to be in my room, alone. I thought I could handle anything life threw my way. Well, truthfully I still feel that way. I just wasn't expecting all of this...craziness. Mom's conversation kept echoing in my head. I just couldn't imagine dealing with so much being as young as Brynn was. It just felt insane. In my world that's what adults were for, to take care of the big stuff while you figured out the rest, but she had no one. She had to be her own parent and she hadn't even reached high school yet.

After finishing my homework, I take out Brynn's letter again. I am more determined than ever to get her to see she deserves so much more. If we do get our date night I want it to be something spectacular, although not too over the top. Wouldn't want to freak her out or anything.

I decide to write her back.

Dear Brave Little Ninja,

I've spoken with the wise old owl and she has a plan.

I am hoping her plan will work and you can stay.

I don't want you to go away.

You make me happy,

You make me smile

I hope you can stay awhile.

I know it's strange

Who knew I'd fall

For the girl who makes decisions

With a Magic 8 Ball

But here you are

And here I am

Hoping and praying

I can be your man.

Okay, I know I'm no The Indoctrination but I hope you liked my little poem.

Now I have to go to sleep, here's hoping I dream of you.

Your Sly Fox,

Finn

Suddenly my phone rings and it's a number I don't recognize. "Hello?"

"Hi," came the quiet voice on the other line.

"Brynn. Everything okay?"

"Yeah for now. My Gran is sleeping and so I just wanted to call you. I wanted to apologize for today."

"You don't have anything to apologize for," I say with a smile.

"I just didn't want you to think...well I know I sort of threw myself at you and..."

"Brynn, it's fine," and I hear her exhale on the other end of the phone. "Besides you can throw yourself at me any time you have the slights inclination." And then I hear the most wonderful sound in the world, her laugh.

"Thanks, I needed that," Brynn said and I can hear the smile in her voice.

"You're most welcome. So, all that nonsense aside, how are you?"

"Confused?" Brynn said and I knew the smile was gone.

"About?" I prompted.

"Everything?"

"Am I included in that everything?" I asked worrying about the answer.

"Yes."

Damn. "Well I don't know what the rest of everything is but I may be able to help you with the part about me. If you want talk about it?"

She sighs. "I don't know."

"I'm a great listener." And I wait as there is a minute or so of silence on the other end. I just listened to her breathe.

"Finn, I'm not sure what I'm doing? I mean I did before you. I just don't know now."

Another cryptic message "Is that bad?"

"I don't know yet? Things haven't really been easy for me," she says and now knowing her story I felt that was a gross understatement of the facts.

"How so?" I prodded gently, I knew the story now but I wanted her to tell me, if she trusted me enough.

"It's complicated but let's just say I've had to grow up a lot sooner than most kids and deal with things that kids really shouldn't have to deal with. It's made me... wary. I have issues." She laughs sardonically after her last statement.

"We all have issues, Brynn. I for example am a bit of a control freak. I panic if I don't plan every moment of my life. Not knowing the next step terrifies me."

She's quiet on the other end of the line.

"Then how do you deal with the idea of ...us?"

I laugh. "That's an easy one. I know what I want when it comes to us so I plan on doing everything in my power to make that happen."

"But you don't know," Brynn countered.

I was confused. I was pretty sure I knew. I knew I liked her. I knew I wanted to get to know her more. I knew that if she let me I could make her happy as happy as she makes me. What more was there to know?

"Sorry," she said and I had no idea what she was apologizing for.

"What don't I know?" I asked curious to the answer.

"You don't know how this will work out. If it will. If we even have a chance. And even if we did, there's no guarantee you'd continue to want what you want or care if it continued. And even if that were all true and you did get exactly what you wanted there is still no guarantee that it would last."

I knew where this was coming from but how to reassure her without giving that information away.

"I know what I want Brynn. I know that I want you in my life. However, how long that may be, that's for you to decide. I'm not going anywhere. If you feel you can't deal then I'll have to be okay with that. I won't be, but it won't be the first time I've had to deal that before. I didn't like it but survived it."

"You lost someone?" Brynn asked.

"She was a girl I fell head over heels for sophomore year. We dated the entire year and we were sort of inseparable. That summer her dad's company was downsizing and they moved the location of his office to about a 2 hours drive from where they use to live. He tried to commute but was in danger of losing his position if he wasn't willing to move. So, they moved. All summer long my parents took me on lengthy trips back and forth to see her. Then the school year started and the time wasn't there to visit, the phone calls and emails became less and the last text I got from her said she was sorry but she found someone else."

"Damn."

I laughed hearing that coming out of Brynn. "It's okay, as you can see I'm still here. It was a rough couple of months but I understood."

"What did you understand?"

"Nothing can last forever. We just have to do the best with time have. It was nobody's fault. Things happen in life we have no control over but that doesn't mean we just give up. If we did, we'd lose our only chance at being happy."

"Huh."

She was quiet again this time was longer than the rest. I started to worry I said too much or perhaps something bad. I just wasn't sure.

"Finn?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"I don't know if I can be that brave," she says or actually whispers into the phone.

"I think you're under the misapprehension you have a choice in this matter," I say bravely, and my heart explodes when I hear her laugh.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to regret meeting me?"

"As it stands, I couldn't be happier that keychain of yours told you to blow me off."

"You're weird," she says, " in a good way." And I hear that smile again. I can hear it in her voice and can't help smiling back.

"Right back at you."

She laughs again. "I won't be at the bus stop tomorrow. My grandmother is coming to the school to talk with your Mom."

My smile grew. Mom must have called after dinner. Way to go, Mom!

"I'll miss you but maybe we can sneak away during homeroom? Pickup where we left off?" I know I'm shameless but a boy has to try.

She's quiet again but I know this time it's because she's embarrassed at my shameless reminder of our makeout session.

"Goodnight, Finn."

"Sweet dreams my brave little ninja."

She chuckles. "Sweet dreams."

She hangs up and I sigh. I know I'll have no trouble dreaming about her tonight.