CHAPTER 46
*PAST*
“College”
Maya
Aaron and I packed up our lives and left on a chilly day in late August. The ride there was as smooth as packing up your whole life could be.
I knew in my heart that this was it.
My father had left town. No one knew where; he got sick of the side-eyes and bad reputation. My relationship with Mom got better. I started to let her into my life again. I trusted her, and I was happy to have that relationship back.
“Mom, have you thought of dating again?”
I asked on the phone some months after having started college. She sighed.
“Maya, I’m still a married woman.”
“Only because we don’t know where he is,”
I replied.
“I need to focus on me. I’m not ready to start another relationship. I just…”
She hesitated. “I just want peace.”
I knew that my mom was worried to receive a call someday telling her the worst news. We hung up after a little more conversation. She promised to visit me next month.
Aaron realized that law was not what he wanted, and he changed to social studies. He wanted to improve the future and give opportunities to young kids like I was. He had an idea of how things could be, and his grandpa was more than happy to help with money. I know that he could do great things.
For me, law was my thing. I loved the classes, the fight, and even I couldn’t deny that the system was broken. I wanted to be the one that could help to bring a solution. To change in some way how things worked.
Our relationship grew stronger. The beginning of college was harder than we expected. We rented a house together but spent a good time not seeing each other because of how demanding the classes were. I was working, too, and he found a job teaching some teenagers from the next town. He taught me how to drive, and we almost only saw each other until we ended up falling asleep. Some days we did have a little bit more energy and spent the night losing all the spare energy in each other’s arms, getting to know more about what we liked and what we didn’t.
Months later, things started to get better, and we started to go on some trips and to do some cool things, like chess tournaments or to watch some sports. We went camping and to a karaoke. We ate a lot of Indian food and found some great places to order take-out when the days were longer, or when we wanted an extra treat.
I learnt how it was to live without having to worry every day about money. We learnt how to save and when, and even though it was also a whole learning experience, it made us stronger.
That first summer back, we slept in as much as possible. We enjoyed the quiet, alone moments in a loud house like the Willows’.
One summer night, especially hot, we walked through town, hand in hand.
Sticky ice creams were melting in our hands, the old willow tree in town in front of us.
Aaron laughed next to me.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m so glad I chose to bring that book.”