Sparkler Snapshots

XIII | Much Love

"He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark." – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Date: May 14th, 2017
(the second Sunday of May in the U.S.)

Occasion: Mother's Day

Country: Worldwide (dates vary)

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XIII | Much Love

Dear Mom,

You're probably wondering why I'm bothering to write a letter, rather than giving you a call. I think I remember you saying that you liked old-fashioned, vintage things, and what's more vintage than mailing letters? I know, you keep saying that my writing looks like chicken scratch, but I've been working on it. Everyone else at college types up their notes on laptops and tablets, while I have the only pen and paper in a sea of technology.

College has been good so far. Well, relatively good, anyway. Stressful, of course, considering my professors dumped seven assignments on me in the first week, and five of those were research reports, so I've spent a fair amount of time holed up in the library. I'm pretty sure the staff think I live here. I may as well move in now. They just need to install a vending machine and I'd be all set.

It's been weird without you, and dad, and Tristan around. Well, Tristan comes to visit every once in a while, but he's so busy with his optometrist work, while you and dad live thousands of miles away. I was so excited to go to an out-of-state university and it's been great meeting so many new, quirky people out here, but you know what? I miss you.

Yeah, I miss you, and I love you, and I don't think I said that enough while I was living at home. You did my laundry and cooked dinner for us, you spent ages helping me with physics questions, and your encouragement was probably the reason why I didn't totally lose study motivation and spend senior year binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

I know you've asked me countless times about what it's like at Columbia, but it's just a school, mom. I mean, sure, it's Ivy League, but everyone here is as exhausted and craving the sweet release of death as anyone else. Nah, I'm kidding. Well, kind of. Everyone here's super nice so far. A couple of postgrad students gave me a tour around the campus and I also made a friend, Kendall, whose parents are actors. Isn't that cool?

So, you probably want to hear about my job, too. It's at an IT firm, remember? So, my first day was kind of disastrous. I bumped into my boss on the first day, and I mean that literally. We physically bumped into each other, and my god, that was one of the most awkward moments of my life.

First of all, his name is Charlie Welles, which sounds pretentious already. Second, only a few years older than me, can you believe it? Yeah, he's a senior at NYU. Third, he's annoyingly attractive. You know that kind of person? Yeah, that's Charlie. I don't know how I can spend an entire year with him. He's insufferably gorgeous.

So, enough about me. Now, onto you. God, I keep doing this, right? I've spent my entire life talking about myself and you've never brought it up as a concern. I need to stop doing that. I want to know how you are, how work's going and everything else that's been going on at home while I've been away. I want to hear all the domestic stories.

It's mother's day soon, and I hope this letter reaches you before then. I have no idea whether the postal service will get this to you, but I'll pay an extra fee for priority delivery if that's what it takes. Now, I'm not great at writing mushy speeches, but here goes.

For the past eighteen years, you've fed me, and clothed me, and given my brother and me a childhood that I'm so grateful for. I feel like I don't appreciate you enough, especially now that we're not living together anymore. It's taken this move, this next stage in life, for me to realise that I've taken you for granted, and I'm sorry about that.

I've been feeling empty and homesick without you around. I miss our daily chats, and being able to talk about anything with you. You always listened and gave the best advice, and it's daunting to figure everything out on my own. Thank you so much for giving me an amazing eighteen years of life, and here's to many more. I'm so thankful for everything that you've done for me. I hope you get to come up to New York and visit soon.

Happy Mother's Day. I love you so much, and I'm not just saying that because Tristan told me to. Well, he came up with the letter idea, but I'm writing it, so I'm taking the credit.

Tristan sends his love too. We miss you, mom. Take care.

Much love,
Hope

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A/N: Helloooooo sorry for not posting this sooner! I'm trying to write three lab reports at the same time and am way too frazzled to even think about updating ;-; this is the medical science student life y'all