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“It brings back memories,” Mom confesses, her eyes wandering around the room fondly. “I stayed in this very room.”
“Are you sure? They all look similar.”
“There are some things you never forget,” she tells me with a smile, then points to the room on the left. “By the way, that’s the room where I caught your Aunt Nikki and Uncle Rocky, naked, my first day here.”
I screw up my mouth, folding my arms as if it will shield me from the unwanted memory.
“Thank God I chose the other one. Though I’m sure you have stories you could tell. College years, aren’t they supposed to be the best years of your life?”
Mom takes a seat on the small tan sofa. “Everyone is different. For me, I was learning how to overcome trauma. I used studying as a coping mechanism, so dating and parties were the least of my priorities.”
I sit beside her, leaning my head on her shoulder, something I’ll miss dearly.
“You never did explain what happened back then, aside from you and Dad spending time apart.”
Mom releases a sigh, and perhaps I have pushed her too much, though I often find myself curious about what really happened.
“We were young. Well, I was young. Your dad and I started something when I was in my senior year, and he was married, just out of college. It didn’t end well, and it really broke me.”
“Of course, you loved him, right?”
Mom’s lips curve upward, an endearing smile gracing her entire face whenever she’s asked about her love for her husband. I often wonder if I give the same expression when I speak about Austin.
“I’ve always loved your father, but I was young and foolish with my desires and intentions. What we had, or shall I say did, wasn’t sustainable. We parted ways, and years later, I guess fate chose to bring us back together.”
Fate is something I’ve read about in romance novels, yet I’m not convinced there’s such a thing. If fate is real, why didn’t Austin and I end up in closer schools? What purpose is it to have us hours apart?
“I love Austin,” I admit with a lowered voice. “But I know this will be hard.”
“Love isn’t easy, Amelia. And the stronger and deeper the love, the harder it will test you. How else will you know if that person is worth fighting for unless you put it to the test?”
“Is that what happened with you and Dad?”
“Gosh, kid, your dad and I have been tested in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.”
“Mom…” I whisper, twisting my hands nervously. “I slept with Austin.”
My mom sits silently beside me, only her shallow breaths heard between us. We’ve always been close, and Mom never makes me feel uneasy to the point that I can’t be honest or ask questions whenever I’m unsure.
“I knew it would happen, it was inevitable, and Austin is a good boy.”
“Are you upset with me?”
“Oh, honey.” She places her arm around me, allowing me to rest my face on her chest. “Nothing you do will upset me. I love you unconditionally. You’re an adult now, and having sex is part of being an adult. Just be safe, that’s all I’ll say. I love you, but I’m not exactly ready to be a grandmother.” She chuckles softly.
“I went on the pill a few months ago,” I admit, slightly apprehensive. “I just want to be a lawyer like you. I’m not here to party or sleep with random men. This is the time to focus on studying.”
“Don’t forget to have a little fun. It’s all part of a rounded college experience.”
A noise startles us at the door. We both turn our heads and see a girl with tight auburn curls thrown to the side of her face as she drags in two large pink suitcases.
“Oh, hey.” She smiles, her mouth widening with two evident dimples gracing her face. “You must be my roommate. I’m Liesel.”
I stand up to greet her. “I’m Amelia, and this is my mom, Charlie.”
“Nice to meet you both,” she says, out of breath.
“Do you need help?”
