“Paid?” she asked.
Of course she asked all the questions that pointed to this being a bad idea. But it wasn’t. I felt it in my soul.
I sighed, adjusting the bag on my shoulder. “No. I’ll use my savings while I’m in residency, and I’m hopeful I’ll get a full-time job in the art field after.” At the lack of response, I added, “I’ll get a part-time job if needed. Maybe I can tutor.”
Did the prospect of leaving a stable job to go do something crazy like an art residency scare me? Yes. But it was even more terrifying to think about one day looking back and realizing I never went after my dreams. It was so easy to push your dreams back with an excuse: bad timing, lack of opportunity, being too busy. If you never made the time for it, it was never going to happen.
“I’m sure it’ll all work itself out.”
I could almost see Dad patting Mom on the knee, the way he always did when she was stressed.
“It will,” I reassured them and myself.
I stopped under a streetlamp, my breath mingling with the soft glow of light bouncing off the snow. It was dark outside. Normally, I wouldn’t walk alone so late, but I had to stay extra hours after work today, admittedly because I got no work done this morning, too busy freaking out over the acceptance.
“Are you happy?” Mom asked.
The answer was easy. “Yeah. I’m very happy.”
After a long pause, Mom’s voice came through again, this time softer than before. “You got in,” she said, almost to herself.
“I got in.” I wondered if she could hear the smile in my voice.
“I wasn’t sure about this at first. You know that. It felt so risky. But you went for it anyway, and now look at you. You proved not just to me but to yourself that you could do it.”
That was as close to approval as I was going to get. From Mom, it meant a lot. I continued my walk home, partly to keep my focus on my moving limbs and less so on the way my bottom lip quivered.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I know how much this means to you,” she said. “My way didn’t turn out the way we anticipated, so…let’s try it your way.”
“That’s the spirit!” Dad said.
I laughed, feeling a weight I didn’t realize I had fall off mychest. “I love you guys. I sent you some Christmas gifts in the mail, so don’t forget to check. And I’ll come to visit for New Year’s.”
They exchanged a few more words before saying goodbye. Slipping my phone into my purse, I glanced up at the darkened streets ahead. I was only a few blocks from Landon’s now, the faint outline of his apartment visible in the distance.
By the time I reached his apartment, excitement had butterflied in my stomach. I fumbled with my keys, finding the spare he’d given me recently:Just in case,he had said when he pressed it into my palm. I let myself in, stepping into the now-familiar scent of his apartment: a mix of freshly brewed coffee and the sandalwood candle I gave him.
“Picasso, is that you?” Landon called out.
I grinned, slipping off my shoes and setting my bag down by the door. “Yes!”
I found him stirring a pot of something that smelled like chili. He looked up and smiled when he saw me, his brown eyes lighting up beneath the messy fringe of his hair.
“How was work?” he asked, wiping his hands on a dish towel.
I walked straight over and hugged him, burying my face in his chest. I felt so secure in this position. I could stay here all day if he’d let me.
“That bad, huh?”
I pulled back, looking up at him. “Actually, no. It was a perfect day.”
Landon raised an eyebrow. “Perfect? At your office?”
“Close your eyes.”
His face grew playful as a smile appeared. “Is this a sex thing? Because I’m not opposed to?—”
