Breathe (h.s.)

One

Leah

I sit at the table with my mother, my boyfriend's mother, and my boyfriend of two years, Tyler, who also happens to be my lifetime best friend and next door neighbor. It's around five-thirty on a Sunday night, the air outside still warm despite autumn quickly approaching, and we're eating homemade lasagne and sipping white wine.

Tyler is dressed handsomely in khakis, a dark red blazer over a cream button-up shirt, and loafers. I'm dressed equally well in a dark purple three quarter sleeve dress and low black high heels, my hair pinned up into a nice bun. My mother is wearing a black sleeveless dress with four inch black high heels, makeup clouding her face and her hair in a fancy updo. Tyler's mother is wearing a full sleeve navy blue dress with two inch silver high heels, her blonde hair simply curled and pinned away from her face. The only makeup she wore was a bit of eyeliner around her chocolate brown eyes.

The room buzzes with excitement as we talk over our meal about the next day and what it will bring.

What's so good about tomorrow? I'll tell you: tomorrow is when Tyler and I officially leave for college.

"You must be proud," Ms. Falls remarks to my mother. "I hear Claremont is a very good school."

"Not as good as Stanford would have been," My mother replies. "It would have been closer as well."

"That's alright, it's only an hour more than Stanford," Tyler interjects. "In the opposite direction, but still."

"I'm sure Leah will still have plentiful opportunities coming to her once she graduates as well," Ms. Falls says kindly. "Claremont McKenna is a very prestigious school as well."

"I suppose it's good enough," My mother replies, but I know she's not satisfied, and is disappointed that I couldn't get into Stanford.

"We could always try again for Spring semester?" I try to cheer her up. I take a bite of my lasagne and follow it with a sip of wine. I don't often drink, nor does my mother, but on special occasions like this she likes to have her special wine to celebrate.

"Yes, I had already planned on having you do just that," My mother says, dismissing my comment. I look back down at my food, the sting of her rejection an all too familiar feeling. I glance up at Tyler and he looks at me sympathetically, placing his hand over mine and offering me a small smile, which I return.

We continue to eat and discuss the day ahead, everything already planned out. It's been planned out for months, since the day we first got our acceptance letters.

That day was harsh for me; to say my mother was upset would be an understatement. She was convinced that there had to be some sort of mistake, and even called Stanford's administrations office. They confirmed that I had not been accepted but I did had a very good resume, and suggested I try again in the Spring.

"How could you let me down like this, Leah?" She said after she got off the phone. "I thought you wanted to make me proud!"

"Claremont McKenna is a good school, too," I tried to say in my defense, knowing it was no use.

"You could have done so much better and you know it," She continued. "I'm so disappointed in you." She turned to look at me with ice in her eyes. "Now you'll never get the best opportunities and it's your own fault."

"I tried, mother," I reply, and I really did. I maintained a 4.0 GPA all year, never missed a day unless I was flu sick, was on time to every class, and turned in all of my assignments a week in advance.

But apparently it hadn't been enough.

"You didn't try hard enough," She had said, dismissing me with a wave of her hand and a glare on her face. I had heard those words often, too often, but it never hurt any less each time she said them.

I'm brought out of the past when my mother speaks to me. "Leah, I asked if you'd like dessert."

"Oh, yes please," I reply. I hand her my plate and she washes it before placing a slice of raspberry apple cheesecake on it, a favourite of mine and Tyler's since we were kids.

Conversation dies down as we finish, and it's almost seven when Ms. Falls and Tyler get ready to go.

"Supper was delicious Linda," Ms. Falls says to my mother. "Thank you for having us."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all," My mother replies. "We'll see you tomorrow then."

"Of course," Ms. Falls says, walking away. My mother walks back inside, leaving Tyler and I standing alone on the porch.

I look up into his brown eyes, just like his mother's, and lean into his chest, wrapping my arms around him. "I'm going to miss you all the way out in Claremont," I say.

He chuckles softly, stroking my hair with one hand, the other resting on my back. "You say that like Claremont is in an entirely different state."

"It might as well be," I moan. "I'm so used to being able to see you every day, it's going to be strange being so far away."

"Yeah, but we'll see each other every holiday plus over the summer, and we can always Skype every day after classes," He says.

"True," I sigh. He puts his finger underneath my chin and lifts my head to face him, looking in my eyes as he leans down and presses my lips to his.

I stand on my tiptoes and deepen the kiss, reveling in the last chance we have to be this close before we leave tomorrow. We won't have time to be alone tomorrow, since we'll all be so busy with last-minute preparations and packing, so I want to have this while I still can.

After a few minutes that feel like mere seconds, Tyler pulls away, his hands cupping my cheeks. "I want to give you something," He says.

"What is it?" I ask, looking at him.

He reaches his hand into his pocket, holding a small black box. "It's a promise," He says, opening the box to reveal a beautiful silver ring with a thin band and a small diamond on it.

"Tyler," I say, my breath hitching. "It's beautiful, I love it!"

"I promise that no matter what I will be there for you, that I will love and support you, and that everything I am is completely for you." He looks in my eyes. "And I promise that this distance won't change anything between us."

"Oh my God, I love you!" I hold my left hand out, and he slides the thin ring on my finger. As soon as it's in place I throw my arms around him, burying my face in his neck.

"I love you, too," He says, resting his cheek on my head. I turn my head back up to face him and he kisses me on the lips, once again cupping my face in his hands.

The kiss is over all too soon, and it's time for Tyler to go home. I look at him and sigh.

"Good night, Tyler," I say. "Thank you so much for the ring."

"You're welcome," He replies. "Good night, Leah."

After one more hug, he leaves.