“After what Victor told me that he did to Mia”—she shook her head—“I couldn’t stay.”
Michael sat up taller, and I started the stove, pouring the pancake mix and ingredients into a bowl, then onto the skillet.
“Are you moving back?” he asked, so much hope in his voice.
“I’m gonna stay with Serena for a bit. She said I could until I found somewhere.”
“Stay here,” I said, looking back at her and setting the mix onto the skillet.
She glanced between us and shook her head. “I know you both want me to, but I … I need to take some time by myself. I want to know that I can do things without Mason or Victor or you, Dad.” Michael went to say something, but Melissa started again. “Once I’m further along in my pregnancy, I’ll think about coming back here. But right now, I need some more time. And you two should spend some time together, too, seeing as you’re engaged now.”
Michael looked at me and smiled, then grasped Melissa’s hand. “Promise me that you’ll come back if you need anything during the pregnancy. Your room is always open.” He ruffled her hair like I remembered him doing when we were younger. “And I’m glad you got yourself out of that mess.”
CHAPTER38
MIA
Monday morning, I sat in class with a huge grin on my face. Undergrad might’ve been shitty, but I was glad it’d be ending in a few weeks. Everything seemed to be coming together slowly but surely.
“Mia,” Dr. Xiao said before class ended. “Please come speak with me after class.”
After she dismissed the class, I closed my laptop and stuffed it into my backpack, lingering behind until everyone left the room. I walked up to her desk and smiled.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“You’re smiling, dear,” she said, eyes lit with happiness. She placed her laptop into her bag and looked over at me. “You haven’t smiled for this long since I met you.”
My heart warmed, and I nodded. “Everything’s finally… good,” I said. “With my mom and Michael.” I held a hand to my heart, fingers digging into my chest lightly. Now, all I had to deal with was school, and I’d be back on track.
Dr. Xiao’s eyes widened, and she took my hand. “Mia, you’re engaged?” she asked.
My cheeks flushed, and she clapped her hands together.
“That’s amazing!” She reached into her bag and pulled out a folder, looking through it. “And I hope to bring you other good news too.”
She handed me a sheet of paper that had a bunch of information about her graduate school office hours and the lab internship she oversaw.
I furrowed my brows down at it. “What’s this?”
“I saw your application for grad school,” she said. “And I saw that you were still looking for a paid internship position. Luckily, someone dropped, and I have space for you in my lab.”
Is she serious?She was really offering me a spot in her lab, which was one of the most difficult to get into in the entire psychology graduate program.
“Are you serious?” I asked breathlessly.
After nodding, she grinned at me. “I’d love it if you joined us. You’re one of the hardest-working students I’ve seen come through the undergrad program. It would be twenty hours a week, and you’ll be paid higher than minimum wage while gaining some quality experience.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, a single one falling down my cheek, and I swept one away. “Thank you,” I whispered.
She wrapped one arm around my shoulders. “Oh, Mia, don’t cry. You should be proud of yourself. I know I’m proud of you, and I bet your mother and Michael are proud of all you’ve done too.”
Overcome with so much happiness, I let another tear fall and nodded. I was proud of everything I’d accomplished. There was so much at this moment that I was grateful for. I’d never thought I’d be here.
“Only a month left to go until graduation,” she said, hanging her bag over her shoulder.
One month. One freaking month, and I would be finished with undergrad, only a semester longer than planned.
“You got this.”
