I grunt in response, slumping into a chair.
“Bagel?” she offers.
I nod, too tired to answer properly. She grabs another from the bag and tosses it into the toaster.
“You look like shit,” she says casually.
“Thanks,” I mutter, rubbing my hands over my face.
She watches me for a moment longer, unspoken words passing between us, before she finally says, “You okay?”
No. But I nod anyway.
She doesn't press, and I’m grateful. She just slides the toasted bagel onto a plate and pushes it toward me, her version of a peace offering.
We eat in silence, and I let the numbness settle over me like a second skin. When we’ve both finished, she digs through the pile of unopened mail and pulls out an envelope, waving it at me. “This came for you yesterday.”
I reach for it… then I freeze.
The return address says SCAD. Savannah College of Art and Design. My heart jumps into my throat.
Fumbling, I tear it open, my hands shaking so hard I almostrip the paper inside. My eyes blur, and for a second I can't make out the words. Then I see it.
Congratulations.
I blink hard, sure I’m imagining it. But no. There it is, clear as day.
I got in. I actually got in!
A laugh bubbles up my throat, sharp and giddy, and I clutch the letter to my chest. Happy tears sting my eyes, different from the night before.
I jump up and throw my arms around Bells, hugging her so hard she yelps. This is exactly what I needed today.
She hugs me back, laughing. “Damn, Soph. I'm proud of you!”
I grin through the tears. “Thank you! Thank you. I can't believe it.”
She beams at me, her face full of real, uncomplicated love, and for a few precious moments, the hole inside me doesn’t feel so wide. Hope flickers to life inside my chest.
It’s small, and it’s fragile. But it’s there. And right now, it’s enough.
“How are you going to tell mom and dad?” Her voice comes out soft, tentative.
I cringe. “No idea, but for now, I’ll let it be.”
My mind jumps to Theo before I can stop it, the impulse to grab my phone, to call and share the news, crashing through me like a tidal wave.
For half a second, it’s easy to picture his reaction. His voice lighting up with pride, the way he’d pull me into his arms, tell me he always knew I could do it. The two of us, together in the city, chasing dreams, building a life full of color and love and possibility.
It would’ve been perfect. It should have been perfect.
But you know what they say about dreams. They’re just stories we tell ourselves until reality wakes us up. And sometimes, reality breaks your heart wide open and leaves you bleeding on the floor.
I press my lips together, shove the acceptance letter back into the envelope, and force myself to move. Because dreams don’t save you. Only you can do that.
31
THEO
