Half a block.
On my left, a kid on a skateboard glides down a driveway.Please don’t shoot into the road,I mentally beg. Miraculously, he doesn’t.
A giant smile overtakes my face as I turn carefully into our driveway. I shift the truck into park and hit the button to turn it off. I sit there for one stunned, glorious second before turning to Miles.
And then?—
We scream.
Pure, unfiltered joy.
I unbuckle my seat belt at lightning speed, fling open the door, and sprint around the front of the truck just as Miles reaches me. He lifts me easily, spinning me in a dizzy circle of laughter and relief.
“I did it! I did it! Oh my gosh, I did it!”
“You did,” he says, beaming. “I think you’re ready for your test.”
I bury my face in his neck, laughing so hard my ribs ache. “I can’t believe this. This is so stupid. It should not have been this hard!”
He kisses the top of my head, warm and proud. “Doesn’t matter how long it took to get here. The point is you’re here, and that drive was perfect. I don’t have a single critique. You’re ready to get your license.”
I shriek again as he sets me down, bouncing on my toes. “This is a miracle. Like truly, an honest-to-God miracle.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, it kind of feels like one, doesn’t it?”
The girl on the bicycle slows as she approaches our driveway, riding right past the front of the house. I turn to her, unable to stop myself, and shout, “I can drive!” like an absolute lunatic.
Her head jerks back, brows scrunching together in a mix of confusion and mild alarm. She clearly thinks I’m unhinged.
I do not care.
Because I can. Drive.
Still riding, she mumbles something under her breath about me being crazy. I spin back to Miles, breathless and euphoric.
“When should I take my test?”
“Anytime,” he says easily. “We can go to the DMV tomorrow after practice if you want.”
“I think I should. I need to get my license while I’m feeling confident.”
“Agreed.” His smile is warm, proud. “But honestly, I think you’ve got this. It took a while to get here, yeah, but you’re good now. Every time you drive, it’s going to get a little easier.”
“Yay! I’m so excited.” I bounce on my toes. “And now, when you’re gone, I can run errands. I don’t have to call an Uber or ask Anna to send a driver.”
“Exactly.” He taps the tip of my nose. “That’s my point. Aren’t you glad you did this?”
I laugh. “Honestly? I wasn’t at first, not gonna lie. But now? I get it. I get the hype.”
“Good,” he says before pulling me in for a hard, celebratory kiss.
We grab our grocery bags from the back seat and head inside. As we walk up the front steps, I take a moment to let everything hit me. Life just feels… good. So good it almost overwhelms me. I can drive. I love my job. I love my friends. I’ve become part of this whole new community with the Crane hockey team—people who feel like family. I’m in love with my best friend. We live together. We cook together. We laugh together. We have this beautiful home and this messy, wonderful, almost-too-perfect life unfolding around us.
I never thought this would be my reality. Not in a million years. But now that I’m here… I’m just so grateful I made it.
Miles unlocks the front door and swings it open. Extending an arm, he nods for me to walk in first. “After you, Sunshine,” he says. “So what recipe are we trying today?”
“I got it from a TikTok video,” I reply, trying to sound confident.
