Subject: Excellence in Mentoring Fellowship Update
Dear Violet,
Congratulations! You have been selected as a recipient for the Edgar R. Johnson’s Excellence in Mentorship Fellowship. Recipients of this award were nominated by their primary supervisor and have displayed excellence in mentoring undergraduate research assistants throughout their time as a graduate student. This fellowship will include two years of financial support. We hope that support from this fellowship will allow you to continue your research and mentorship efforts. Please continue to check your email for further updates on accepting your offer.
Best,
Westchester University Psychology Fellowship Program
“Holy shit.” This can’t be real.
“Everything okay?” Mason places a hand on my thigh.
“Bethany nominated me for a fellowship! For all the work I’ve been doing mentoring my research assistants, and I got it. It’s going to cover me for the next two years so I can focus on my research.”
“I am so fucking proud of you, Violet. No one deserves this more than you.”
“I was planning on scouring through the financial aid website tomorrow to see if there were any fellowships I could still apply to, but it looks like I don’t need to anymore. I didn’t even know Bethany had nominated me.”
“She did tell you everything would work itself out. Looks like she was right.” He places a kiss to the back of my hand. “Now we have two big things to celebrate today.”
After the win last night Mikey insisted we all come over to his family’s restaurant. Along with promises of champagne, Mikey also wanted to run some new menu items by us, for the grand reopening once he officially takes over for his parents. Despite my late morning, we beat everyone there, with the exception of Monroe. Neither she nor Mikey even noticed that we arrived as they engage in a heated conversation.
“Not happening Monroe. Over my dead body am I going to let you turn my family's legacy into some kind of circus,” Mikey states, as he cleans glasses behind the bar.
“Don’t be so dramatic! Think of how much publicity this place will get.”
“I am thinking. I’m thinking about how none of the locals will want to step foot in this place if there’s a whole camera crew hanging around.”
“What are you two yelling about?” Mason cuts in, taking a seat at the bar.
“Your best friend is impossible,” Monroe groans throwing her hands up in defeat.
“And your sister won’t take no for an answer.”
“What are you plotting, ‘Roe?” I wrap my arm around her shoulder.
“One of my clients is starting a new reality dating show,Love in a Small Town.It’s going to be based in Castle Harbor and we need a place to shoot our date scenes. This place would be perfect, but Mikey refuses to listen. Even though my company is willing to compensate himgenerously.”
“I don’t want your dirty Hollywood money.”
“We’re based in New York!”
“That’s even worse.”
“Alright, why don’t you two agree to table this conversation for now, so we can enjoy this afternoon?” I offer, getting a grunt from both. Good enough for me.
My mom and Melissa shuffle in not too long later, Joe trailing behind them. Mason and his dad had spoken on the phone regularly since Christmas, and while there were moments of lingering tension, overall they’ve managed to focus on the positive.
“I appreciate you all coming out today. Go ahead and get seated and I’ll bring lunch out in a second.” Mikey gestures to the table closest to the window that overlooks the harbor. He joins us, placing a large pan of lasagna and a plate of pasta Carbonara in the center of the table. “Dig in.”
We do. I can’t even stop myself from letting out a moan as all the flavors hit my tongue.
Mason leans over and presses his lips to my ear. “Make another noise like that Angel, and I’ll have to take you back to our car and handle our unfinished business from this morning.”
I do my best to maintain composure, but Monroe can read all my tells. “Gross Mason, I’m eating. Can you try to keep your bedroom eyes to yourself when I’m around?”
He throws a wink at me, and I look down at my plate as my mom and Melissa shoot knowing looks at each other. If either one of them mentioned grandchildren today I might just crawl under the table and hide there forever.
