Finding Sophie

Chapter 10

Present

I am sitting with my laptop opened on my emails. Nervously waiting for my mum to return home after her grocery shopping trip. I can see the email right there in front of me but can't open it, or bring myself to calling my mum to rush her along so she can be here when I find out. I apprehensively get out of my chair to make myself a cup of coffee which I hope will stop me from being so anxious.

I don't think my mum could manage to take longer in the shops than she is. I just can't sit still and time is going so infuriatingly slowly. I still don't want to annoy or bother my mum by telling her to hurry up but soon I won't be able to stop myself. 

Thankfully she arrives home within the next five minutes and I'm on her as soon as she parks the car. Picking up as many bags as shopping as I can I rush into our house and place them down on the counter. "Come on mum I need to tell you something," I nag, "it's important." 

"Okay honey, I'm just locking the car give me a second." She calls back through the wide-open door. As she comes in she asks me, "What is so important that you need to hurry and shout at me?"

"I have got an email. It's THE email that might be the thing to tell me what is happening for the next few years of my life. Just you have no idea what I'm on about it's an email from Cambridge." I add for good measure. 

"I suspected that was what it would be, so you were waiting for me to get home then I suppose?" She questions, I reply with a small nod.

"Can you please sit down so I can open it, it's been impossible waiting for you," I say. My mum walks over to my laptop on the counter and sits down looking at me as I slowly take the last few steps towards her. I sit down and bring up my emails on my computer. Taking a sharp breath in I open the email from Cambridge and start reading. 

I see the part which is the offer. I can't quite believe it, it's an actual offer from Cambridge. I am ecstatic, overjoyed. Both my mum and I share this amazing moment. Saying that I was jumping up and down would just be a massive understatement. "I got in," I exclaimed to my mum. 

"I know and I am so proud of you." She replies.

"I need to go and tell Will, he made me promise I would let him know as soon as I got any sort of news," I say. I go to my room and pick up my phone to text him.

I text Will, *I have some news which is probably better if I tell you in person. You free?* I sent it and it took ages for him to even read it, by that point I was almost going to just tell him without meeting up. Luckily I waited for his reply.

*Yeah. I hope this is good news. Come to mine?*

*I'll be there in around 10 minutes depending on traffic*

"Mum, I'm heading over to Will's. I'll be back for dinner," I call. I hop into the car and start driving, the traffic is crazy today and I'm pretty sure there has been an accident resulting in the diversion of vehicles to this road. 

I arrive at Will's quite a lot later than I expected. We talked all about me getting into Cambridge and what an amazing experience it will be from parties to studying. True to my words I headed home for dinner with my mum and we enjoyed a lovely dinner together whilst talking all about my future.

Four months later

Today is the day, I'm leaving the place which has been my home for the past eighteen years. I'm also leaving the only constant in my life, my mum. She's always been there - in the background - for my every step. I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to her. I expect there to be a large number of tears, but they are all going to be at home instead of when we arrive on campus.

I step in the shower for the last time. I seem to be thinking of this as if I will never return, it certainly feels that way. The shower washes away some of my nerves as I slowly bring myself to the last bits. I'm fully packed and completely ready for everything, I'm always prepared, except having to say goodbye. I don't think I will be able to do this. I still need to carry on getting ready whatever way I am feeling, I will do this for mum as she needs me too. I will miss her but I am sure whatever life throws at me I can handle, in fact, I am certain of it. 

I might as well get my mum to pick out my outfit as she won't be able to for a long time. I walk over to her room with my towel wrapped around me and my long brown hair dripping down over my shoulders which are noticeably thinner in the last couple of months. "Mum, can you help me choosing an outfit today?" I ask while knocking on her door.

"Of course, I would love to. I think today is a day for leggings definitely and then any top with a crewneck sweater over it," she says, adding, "it won't be long until you have university brand clothing." 

After a long chat and a very long emotional hug we get on the road on the way to Cambridge. Thankfully today the traffic doesn't affect our drive in any way. So  wearrive there within two hours and  I can't stop the nerves coursing through me. I sit fidgeting in the car biting my nails as we get closer and closer. By the time we arrive to my dorms I have bitten my nails all the way down to the stubs and they are stinging.

We get to my room after a long walk trying to figure out where on earth it is. I have already med my roommate so it isn't one of those awkward first meetings. Although, I don't know much about her. I know she is doing a psychology degree and her name is Emilia but other than that I will have to find out as I get to know her better. 

The room is pretty large for a dorm, it has two beds pressed up against each wall and each bed has its own beside drawer/table. A single, long desk is positioned under the window with two chairs. A bookcase stands by the door. Lastly, there are two built in wardrobes which are fairly spacious for a dorm. All in  all I am extremely happy with the room.

After I have finally said my last goodbyes to my mum I start sorting all my clothes and placing out my favourite picture, one of me an Sophie about nine years ago on a beach holiday. I arrived slightly after Emilia so we are both in the room together unpacking, even though most of the stuff we had already brought in early in the upcoming weeks. We both start chatting all about our courses and she asks the question that I was dreading, "What made you pick law then?"

I haven't had chance to come up with a reply other than the truth as that is something I do not want to share with someone I  don't even know yet. I rack my brains for all the things I  could say and the I remember, it was my dad's job, I could say that he inspired me over the years. "Well I first thought about it because of my dad who was a very successful lawyer," I say, "What about you, why did you choose psychology."

She replies with, "Well there are two reasons. I like to help people and also I have a past. I won't talk about that now though."