"We're almost there," Kent insists, turning on his car's signal. I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere, and we've been driving for over an hour. Kent refused to tell me our destination because, as he put it, "I would just g****e where we're going, and then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!" The weather was gradually getting less cold, not warm yet but no longer snowing or freezing. I was on my last spring break, trying to finish my thesis and schoolwork. We recently received information about our upcoming graduation. In about a month and a half, we would be finishing our undergrad degrees. It was still surreal to me, moving from starting a university degree to finishing it. Kent had been discussing plans for the summer, including hiking trips, which I pretended not to dread. I wasn't much of a hiker, but I was willing to do it with him. We signed our lease for next year, securing that cute little apartment on the other side of campus. The thought of moving in with him excite
After 2 years... Kent "Today has to be perfect." I've been super busy preparing for this day for the last few weeks. It has to happen tonight, or she'll suspect something's up. Juls is getting her master's degree today, and I've never been prouder. She's incredibly smart, always reading or researching. That pile of library books in our office never seems to shrink. She's applied to Ph.D. programs all over, but I think she'll stay at Brown. I'm okay with that because I don't want anything to change about our lives. Well, except for one thing that I hope to change today. I finished my MBA a few months ago and started working full-time downtown. I'm in marketing for now but aiming for investment banking and trust. I know my path, and with time and connections, I hope to take care of us. Juls keeps saying she'll stay in school because she doesn't know what else to do, but I think it's the other way around. School and academia bring out her best. Her eyes light up when she learns some
Julianna I wanted to live in a student apartment and be independent like my friends from high school. Most of my high school friends wanted to leave Rhode Island, but I preferred to stay. Why move 100 miles when I got into a great school nearby? I felt sad and alone because it seemed like a bad decision. I was in my room while my friends were at a party. I saved money, but I couldn't afford to live alone, and none of my friends were looking for places. Everyone I knew at school was closer to others, leaving me by myself. When the bus called my stop, I felt better. I got up and waited at the door. I looked around campus. Still calm. Only summer researchers and students were there. Today, I just had a tote bag because I didn't have school or work. I met an old friend for coffee. I wore a tank top and shorts. I didn't look extraordinary, but I took more time to get ready than usual for campus. I walked to "The Grind," the campus coffee shop near the arts center, in a cute building.
"Wait," he says with a peculiar look, pulling out his phone. "I've got an idea that could solve both our problems." "What's on your mind?" I inquire cautiously, fearing Carlo might have come up with something reckless. Between the two of us, I was usually the more level-headed one, often needing him to clarify his ideas. "My buddies, the ones I share a place with," he begins, and I nod along. "Well, I won't be sticking around this year." "Alright?" "They all renewed our lease, but I didn't." "Aren't those guys all from your school?" I'm a bit puzzled, so I ask. "Didn't you graduate high school with them?" "Nah, I wasn't a freshman then. I met them during my second year of dorm life. We used to play basketball together at the gym too," he explains, and I raise an eyebrow. "Are they in their senior year like I am?" I confirm, and he nods. "Yeah, and they've been hunting for someone to take that fourth room since I told them about my job in Jersey," he says, and my thoughts immedi
I stick close to Carlo as he leads the way through the city. I couldn't recall the route to his place very well; I had been there once but only briefly. I'm incredibly nervous, my palms sweating profusely. All I can think about is how awkward I am. To others, this might not seem like a big deal, but for me, it's a huge step. I've always been somewhat socially awkward. While I've improved over the last year or two, I still blurt out silly things from time to time. "It's up there," Carlo points to a white house on the corner and says, "That's it." Like most college houses, it's divided into three smaller apartments. I thought Carlo lived in the basement suite. "I forgot about the basement part," I mutter, and he chuckles. "It's spacious, with high ceilings and everything," he reassures me, and I follow him to the side entrance. As I step inside, I glance around, blinking in surprise. He was right; for a basement, the ceilings were quite high. The living room was right next to me, fe
"Two toilets!" I repeat, and they both nod. "Yes, if someone's showering and you need the bathroom, it's a lifesaver!" Mark chuckles, and I nod in agreement. "The one at the end is just a storage space. That's where we keep our cleaning supplies." He explains as he opens the utility closet. "Kent owns this room, but I shouldn't have opened the door without his permission," he says, touching the door in a respectful manner. I didn't know Kent, and he didn't know me, but it seemed like the polite thing to do. Mark playfully drums on the wall and announces, "And this..." He opens the door to Carlo's room, revealing only an iron bed frame; even the mattress and box spring were gone. "It's spacious," I comment, and they both agree. It was much larger than the room I had at home. It featured beautiful wooden floors and unassuming white walls. "Hey, are you guys giving her the grand tour?" Carlo interrupts as he emerges from the half-bath, and both Mark and Kyle laugh. "What do you think
"Hey," he greets with a friendly tone as he steps out of his room. "That metal bed won't cut it if you're aiming for an Airbnb," he quips, laughing, and I chuckle along, my gaze glued to the floor. "Uh, no, I'm actually friends with Carlo," I reply, working to keep my heart rate steady. Why can't I just stay composed? "I'm Julianna." "Julianna," he repeats, walking with me into the room. I offer a nod and swallow the lump forming in my throat. "I'm Kent," he introduces, extending his hand. Taking a deep breath, I mirror the gesture, carefully shaking his hand, trying my best to control the nerves. "Nice to meet you," I manage, cursing myself for the slight stammer. I withdraw my hand a tad too quickly, wary of sweaty palms. "Why are you in Carlo's room when it's empty?" he queries with a smile, and my stomach twists in knots. "Well, I'm checking it out," I explain. "He mentioned you guys are looking for a fourth roommate." "Ah, got it," he grins, putting me more at ease. Thankful
"Mom, what do you think of Carlo?" I asked as we drove into our neighborhood. "I like him," I replied with a sigh, running my hands over my knees. But I still hadn't told her about what happened this afternoon. I had left in the morning to meet a friend, but when I returned, I had a lease for a spare room in my bag. Living at home made it hard to distinguish between being a child and an adult. My parents were respectful of my age, but they still treated me like a kid, asking where I was going and when I'd be back every time I went out. Whenever I mentioned moving out, they'd bring up the expenses and suggest waiting until I finished my undergrad. I had saved up a good amount of money, and my original plan was to wait until I finished college to get a nice apartment or maybe even buy a car. But now, I was glad I hadn't, because I had more than enough money to make moving out a reality. "He lives in that house on the corner," my mom asked, pointing. I nodded, confirming that Carlo li
After 2 years... Kent "Today has to be perfect." I've been super busy preparing for this day for the last few weeks. It has to happen tonight, or she'll suspect something's up. Juls is getting her master's degree today, and I've never been prouder. She's incredibly smart, always reading or researching. That pile of library books in our office never seems to shrink. She's applied to Ph.D. programs all over, but I think she'll stay at Brown. I'm okay with that because I don't want anything to change about our lives. Well, except for one thing that I hope to change today. I finished my MBA a few months ago and started working full-time downtown. I'm in marketing for now but aiming for investment banking and trust. I know my path, and with time and connections, I hope to take care of us. Juls keeps saying she'll stay in school because she doesn't know what else to do, but I think it's the other way around. School and academia bring out her best. Her eyes light up when she learns some
"We're almost there," Kent insists, turning on his car's signal. I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere, and we've been driving for over an hour. Kent refused to tell me our destination because, as he put it, "I would just g****e where we're going, and then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!" The weather was gradually getting less cold, not warm yet but no longer snowing or freezing. I was on my last spring break, trying to finish my thesis and schoolwork. We recently received information about our upcoming graduation. In about a month and a half, we would be finishing our undergrad degrees. It was still surreal to me, moving from starting a university degree to finishing it. Kent had been discussing plans for the summer, including hiking trips, which I pretended not to dread. I wasn't much of a hiker, but I was willing to do it with him. We signed our lease for next year, securing that cute little apartment on the other side of campus. The thought of moving in with him excite
"I got my email." Even though Doctor Binkley said I have a spot, I'm still nervous to open it. Maybe I should've waited to open it when I'm alone, but I can't wait. I'm opening it on my way out of lecture. I open the email, quickly reading the first few lines. But at the top, there's a big box that says 'congratulations' and 'welcome!' My heart immediately slows down, and I feel relieved, clutching my phone to my chest. It's official; I'm staying at Brown next year. That means I'll be with my family, my school, and, of course, Kent. We can start our life together, still have our friends and continue studying, but we'll be together. I remember how tough that month at Northwestern was, how much I missed him, and how I felt like I had no support. I need to text my parents and tell them the news. They've been anxiously waiting to hear what I'd do about my living situation next year. But I'll do it later. Right now, I just want to go home and be with someone I love. I pull out my phone
"I hate school sometimes." Yes, I like researching and finding answers to questions no one's ever thought of before, and I like my degree, but the coursework sucks. I'm sick of reading pages and pages of scholarly articles and books and writing a new paper every other week. My honors project is draining every ounce of energy from me, and I was starting to worry if it was even worth it anymore. I hadn't heard about Brown's Master's program yet, and that's the whole reason for this extra burden. Today was Tuesday, one of my busier days. I only had class today until noon, and then I usually spent the rest of the day grinding out work. Today I had to meet with Doctor Binkley and discuss my work. It was something we did monthly to make sure I felt like I was always on the right track. Kent had a break after his class at one-thirty, and we were planning to meet up and study together until his next class at four. Then I was planning to go home and take it easy. I take the elevator up to
I wake up in the middle of a large bed with Kent beside me. We were completely tangled in bedsheets, just beside each other in a beautiful room. I sigh, feeling my body ache and my head pound, but it's bearable. I shuffle over slightly, laying my head on his chest and snuggling back into his side. That seems to get his attention. He moves under me and groans slightly, eyelids fluttering. I feel his lips press a simple kiss to my temple, and I smile. "Hey, Juls," he mumbles. "Hi," I whisper back, watching his eyes open slowly. He grins at me easily, running a hand through my hair. "How do you feel?" he asks, and I shrug. "I have a headache and I'm tired, but I'm okay," I sigh, tracing my fingertips down the center of his chest. "I had a lot of fun last night." "Good," he whispers, putting his hand over mine on his chest. "I know how hard you've been working and all the crap we've been dealing with." His voice is thick with sleep, deep and raspy. "It was nice to have a day that wa
"It's been an amazing night and an unbelievable birthday. I'm pleasantly tipsy, happy, aware, and buzzing," I express. It looks like all three of our friends have scored phone numbers tonight, giving Kent and me some alone time. I notice the place clearing out, and I realize it's probably time to head home. The bar is closing in about thirty minutes, and it's close to three in the morning. "Want to go somewhere else?" Abby asks as we wait for our jackets. I sigh and shake my head. I'm ready to devour some greasy food, drink water, and snuggle into bed with Kent. We've teased about getting intimate, but with all our roommates around, it's not a possibility. I've let go of that idea and just want a relaxed and easy night. "I'm good," I sigh, and she nods with a simple shrug. "Thanks a lot for everything; this night was so, so fun!" "I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!" She insists, giving me a hug, and I grin. Kent retrieves our coats, and I sigh, not looking forward to facing the cold a
It was nice to feel noticed by him, nice to know that he always seemed to care about what I was up to. I'd never felt attractive before I started dating Kent. We all round up the last of our coats and shoes while the Uber's on its way. I get my coat on, and I feel Kent slide his hand along the small of my back. I gasp a bit quietly and look up, seeing his cocky grin. "You look nice," he whispers, and I chuckle, feeling his fingertips slide around the edge of my waistband. Soon we're all piling into an Uber, and I hear Abby chatting up the driver in the front seat. I'll always be envious of her confidence and how she talks to people like she's known them forever. We grab a quick dinner at a pizza place around the corner. Everyone pushed that we should go somewhere nicer, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to go out and have fun with my friends. I hadn't gone out in a long time, not really since before Christmas, and I'd spent way too much time feeling lonely, buried in work and ove
"Did you want to stay longer?" Kent asks as we step into his car, and I smile, closing the door and putting my seatbelt on. "No, we've been there for hours," I mumble, safely tucking my birthday card into my coat's inner pocket. "If we stay longer, we're staying for dinner." Time with my family was amazing, it meant the world to me, and I was thankful I had it so close to my birthday. "Your parents are really cool," he admits, turning on the car and shifting it into drive. "No, they really aren't," I snort. "Did you miss the part where mom pulled out my baby album and sang my favorite lullaby? To all of us?" I ask, and he chuckles. "Or my dad talking about his Master's thesis? His theoretical chemistry Master's thesis?" "You know what I mean," he defends. "They're...people. Like real, normal, kind people who care about everyone." "I guess they have that going for them, huh?" I laugh, and he smiles. "I can't believe that check, that's not like them. They don't just hand out money
We head inside, and I take a deep breath, walking into our house. My family's house always makes me feel happy, like I'm somewhere safe and full of love. Mom's burning some cinnamon candle, and I can hear noise from the kitchen. "What's that smell?" Kent asks, and I laugh. "Mom loves scented candles, it's probably some clearance one that she picked up from somewhere," I explain, unsure where the nearly offensive candle was. Kent hated strong scents; he claimed they gave him headaches. "Sorry." "It's okay, just... don't go burning anything like that at our place," he says, and I chuckle, reaching for his hand. "Hello?" I call, bringing Kent to the kitchen, and mom gasps, hopping up from the stove and running over. "Juls," she whispers, squeezing the life out of me. "I'm so glad you could come." "Me too, I missed you," I whisper, and she pulls back, rubbing my arms in that aggressive mom-like way. "And I missed you, oh! You're so beautiful and smart-" "Okay, mom," I mumble, and s