Just One

Chapters 41 and 42

Chapter – 41 LEEO: "What did you just say?"

I'm the kind of person who usually handles stressful and anxious situations well. I practice meditation, which helps me a lot in controlling my anxiety, in addition to playing football, baseball, and volleyball and going to the gym almost every day. However, the discomfort of waiting for several things to happen at the same time leaves me frustrated because my future depends on the decisions of others.

I contact Norris to get updates on the photoshoot. Her assistant, Camila, informed me that the photos were already ready. But Norris is attending an event abroad and will be back next week.

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Today, I met Fred at the gym. He told me that he had received his acceptance letter from the university and had been accepted at the University of Miami. He will probably have to move there next semester. Fred is determined to take Kate with him, but she's undecided because she has just been promoted at work.

I always try to get news about Anna through Fred, who speculates about Kate with more details. He also told me that Nick had been accepted to the University of Miami, and Anna was planning to go with him. This news has ruined my day, and it's not even noon yet.

I asked Fred: "Dude, explain it to me properly. Are they going to live together?"

Fred replied: "Bro, I don't know for sure, because even Kate doesn't know. She just told me that Nick got into UM, the same one I got into, and that Anna is going to Miami with him. But she didn't say if Anna got in too."

This anxiety over waiting for news and results is destabilizing my inner peace. Being torn between opposing paths brings me deep bitterness. This feeling impairs my concentration and undermines some of the trust I have in the laws of the Universe that have guided me over the last few years. I can't lose my focus because it's the reason for my achievements. My journey depends on which doors will open in front of me.

If I get hired by the modeling agency, or if selected for that campaign that will bring me immediate financial return, I'll choose to stay. I don't want to be totally away from Anna like what happened in middle school. Back then, I didn't have a choice, but now I do, and I want to be close to her. I feel like I'll have her in my arms again.

On the other hand, if the agency doesn't hire me and I get accepted into Stanford University, I'll have no choice but to move to California.

With a heavy heart, I'll have to move away once again, temporarily, from the woman of my life, even though I know that at some point in my existence, she'll come back to me.

Ultimately, suppose I don't get into Stanford or pursue a modeling career. In that case, I'll finish my degree in Orlando, and I'll definitely put all my energy into showing Anna that I'm the man of her life.

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When I get home, after a warm and relaxing 20-minute shower to purify my body and soul, I go into the kitchen to prepare my lunch. I decide to make a bacon omelet with diced seedless tomatoes, small pieces of ham, a pinch of salt, and grated mozzarella. To go with it, I grill two medium-sized sirloin steaks as well as a green salad. While savoring my own modestly delicious food, I check my emails on my laptop. As I go through my junk mail and unexpectedly come across the long-awaited email, the food seems to get stuck in my throat, and my appetite is reduced to half or almost nothing.

I watch the screen, take a deep breath, and prepare myself to face the message that is about to change my life, or at least it was supposed to. With a single click, the email opens, revealing a title that makes my heart race even more: 'Admission Notification.' The answer I've been waiting for is right in front of me, but the once apparent certainty no longer seems to be. However, it's time to find out if my efforts have paid off.