How To Find Your Future

42 - Apply For The L-Word

Olivia

"How was dinner?" Mom asks as we wait for my laptop to boot up.

I shrug. "It was okay. The food was really good."

"And Charlie's mom?"

"She was nice." I type in my password. "The two of them were both really uncomfortable, so I did most of the talk."

"How's Charlie holding up?"

"He says he feels better after meeting her and learning about why she never reached out before. But he's still unsure of whether or not he'll continue to get to know her. Where am I going?" I ask as the browser pops up.

"Do you know where you want to apply to?"

I shake my head. "Not really."

She scoots her chair closer so she can see the screen. "Let's start there then. Search what universities have vet courses, and then we'll go from there."

For most of the night I research different universities and what they have to offer, what I need to get into courses and where I'd want to go to study. I try to pick some schools close or in town since I don't want to go far. Especially with me still working at the bakery and wanting to be close to my friends and family. By the end I have narrowed it down to about five universities.

"You mine as well apply to them all."

"What if they all accept?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Then you just get to pick where you want to go. But it's better to apply to all and hear from few than apply to a few and hear from none."

I nod. "That makes sense."

Mom yawns and stretches her hands above her head. "I think I'm going to go to bed. Do you want to continue this in the morning?"

I look down at my laptop and then at my phone. I wonder if Charlie is still up. "I think I'll get started on some of the applications tonight and maybe get your help in the morning?"

She nods as she stands up. She places her hand on my shoulder. "Sounds good sweetie. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

I nod. "I won't."

Once she's gone I place my laptop in my arm and quickly pocket my phone. Then I make my way upstairs to my bedroom where I plop down on my bed criss-cross applesauce style. While I pull up one of the application forms I dial Charlie. I'm not sure if he'll pick up, but it's worth a shot.

After about the third ring, when I think about hanging up and letting him sleep, a groggy voice speaks. "Olivia?"

"Hi!"

A chuckle. "Why do you sound so awake for-" He pauses. "-Eleven o'clock?"

I shrug, then remember he can't see me. "I guess I'm just a night owl."

Another chuckle. "Why are you calling anyways?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing."

He sighs. "Me and my dad talked when I got back."

"And?"

He's silent for a moment. "I told him I was still angry with her."

"And that's fair." I answer the first question on the form.

"But I told him that I'd be open to letting her back into our life. Slowly."

My hands freeze above the keyboard. "Really? You didn't seem like you were going to when we left."

"Well, I thought about it. Sure, she never reached out when I was a kid and like, she said she wanted to but... I think I'm doing it because I want my kid self to have a mom. I may not be a little kid anymore but I still deserve one. Don't I?"