The Ineffable Ruth Rhodes

41 congratulations

ruth

Ruth lifted up her head, dropping it into her pillow repeatedly.

Fixing his hair.

Drop.

Holding his hand.

Drop.

Bringing his family hot chocolate!

Drop. Drop. Drop.

She was going mad.

And it wasn't helping that her letter from Northwestern was staring at her dauntingly from her night-side table, and she couldn't even muster up the courage to pry it open, and how instead of opening it like she should've been, she was hitting herself on the head over and over and over because she was stupid and should've just told Vincent how she felt instead of fixing his damn hair and now it was too late.

Ruth eyed the time, reading 12:47 a.m.

She sat up, tucking her hair behind her ear as she cracked it open. Her nerves were jittering, and her fingers felt as though they'd been frozen as her eyes scanned the first words.

Dear Ruth,

Her hands were shaking when she read the next words.

Congratulations... you have hereby been accepted to...

She screamed.

Ruth picked up her phone, laughing and crying because she'd never been happier, and although she knew Sumaiya hated sleeping late, she still called her.

"Girl—" Sumaiya's croaky voice started.

"I got into Northwestern!" she yelled into her phone, and pulled away the phone as the screaming continued. They talked and talked for fifteen minutes after, saying goodbye with i love yous and goodnights. Ruth felt like she could fly.

She reached for her phone again, moving to call...

Vincent.

She wondered what he was doing then. Did he get accepted into UofC? Had he even heard back from them? How was he doing?

She missed him. If only...

Wait.

Ruth froze.

If only... what?

What was she doing?

What was keeping her from being with Vincent?

What more did she need to do or figure out or think about?

It was him. She knew it. He brought her happiness, he taught her again that it was okay to be happy. It was okay to love again.

It wasn't because of Vincent that Ruth would love herself.

But it was because of him that she saw the possibility. It was because of him that she would be able to begin down that path she'd go through herself.

Ruth picked up her phone before she could rationalize.

Vincent answered on the third ring, voice groggy.

"Hello?"

"Meet me," she said, her voice sounding so different.

There was a long, dubious pause. When the voice spoke, it sounded more awake. "Ruth?"

She closed her eyes. "I need to see you," she whispered. "Right now. The intersection by Sobeys."

She dropped the line before he could reply.