Worth the Wait

Part 1 - New Beginnings

Part 1 - New Beginnings

Rose’s POV 

        This was it. 19 years had all led up to this. I sighed as I packed the rest of my few possessions in the back of my used and ancient mustang. It was the color of a cloudy day, mixed with spots of rust. The seats were worn and faded, the heating/AC unit already replaced twice since I bought it. It was a pile of junk, but it was mine.  

        I bought it about a year and a half ago, during my freshman year at the local junior college. Tired of using my friends for rides or getting the occasional chance to use the family’s minivan, I started to save up for my own set of wheels. A few summers’ worth of babysitting, umpiring local softball games, and working a part time job at the local bakery finally paid off in the form of a rust bucket I call my freedom.

Now, with two years of college and an associate’s degree in fine arts under my belt, I was finally going to make my dream a reality. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to go to North Carolina. There was something mysterious about the East Coast, and whatever it was, it appealed to me. I grew up on country music, thanks to my mom and aunts, but that only had a small impact on my decision. The easy-going nature, and of course the saying “southern hospitality” was something I had always wanted to see and experience  for myself. I worked extra jobs here and there, saved every penny I could, and now I was getting my chance to really find myself.

        I’ve lived at home my entire life. I was born in the city of Chicago, and then moved to the suburbs when my younger brother came around a year later. I’m close with both of my parents, and all of my siblings. Some days I want to strangle the little rug-rats, but in the end, I still love them. I have only a few close friends, but none of their pleas and begging could keep me from leaving. I’ll miss them, but I’ll only be a long drive away. There’s only one person who, if they asked me to stay, I would in a heartbeat. No questions asked.

        His name is Steven, and I’ve known him almost my entire life. He and his family have lived next door to us since we moved to this neighborhood 18 years ago. He’s the same age as me and has one younger sister, Christine, who is practically my sister.  

        Growing up, Steven and I were always just friends. The familiar face across the room, or the next door neighbor that was always there. He was always a rock, a steady constant.  I don’t have a single memory growing up that didn’t include him. We never got to be that cliche best friends thing. We, well to be honest, we were nothing more than just close acquaintances.

        He never knew abut my feelings, due to the fact that I was too scared to tell him.  I was afraid of the rejection that could come with it. So, the past few years, I’ve been sitting here, daydreaming about the time that he would come to me, and tell me he felt the same way. But, there’s a reason dreams are in your head, they don’t always come true. I just had to accept that this was one of those dreams.  

        My parents supported my decision to leave. They weren’t too keen on it, but wanted me to be happy. I couldn’t be happier. I was finally going to be on my own for once. No more depending on my mom for laundry. No more depending on my dad for money. No more depending on my siblings to cheer me up. No more living in Illinois.  Even when my brother told me I’d never make it and would be back before 3 months’ time, I knew he was dead wrong. Something just felt right about this decision, minus the ache in my heart.

        I clutched the letter I had written the night before in my hands. A lone tear fell down my cheek as I looked over at the house that stood next to mine for the last 18 years. Christine, seeing my gaze, pulled me into a hug. She was one of the only people who knew. And surprisingly, she supported it, saying that we would be a perfect fit. I sighed into her hair and pulled away. Handing her the note, I asked her in a whisper, “Could you please give it to him?”