ALANA
Nate wasn’t home when we got to Jake’s place, so thankfully, we didn’t have to deal with his endless commentary.
As promised, Jake gave me a tour of his bedroom: a bed pushed against the wall, a wooden dresser that had clearly seen better days, and a lone lamp perched on top like an afterthought. That was it. No clutter. No personality on display.
It was underwhelming, exactly as he’d warned me it would be.
And yet, my chest still lit up the moment we stepped inside.
I breathed in without thinking, a soft, silly smile tugging at my lips. I’d been right—it smelled exactly like him. Clean and familiar. Warm. Like safety.
I trailed my finger along the edge of his dresser, his eyes on me as he leaned against the wall.
“I told you it wasn’t much,” he said.
Ilooked around again before my eyes met his. “I think it's perfect. Lots of room for new beginnings.” He gave me that heartwarming downward grin I loved so much.
He said he was going to grab a couple things, so I moved to the living room to wait on the couch.
The wooden coffee table was covered in mail, envelopes scattered across it. I figured it was Nate’s and Jake’s mixed together, so I started to organize it into piles while I waited—one for each of them.
Most of it looked like junk, which made it feel much less intrusive than it was to sort through personal mail, not that Jake would mind, I’m sure. And Nate was always a tell-all kind of person. I doubted he’d mind either way.
Somewhere in the middle of the stack, though, was a book. It was small and white and oddly familiar. At first, I could only see the bottom half of the cover, which displayed the image of a white front porch. But a second later, I realized what book it was, and my heart squeezed.
I grabbed it with trembling fingers, blinking back the sting in my eyes as I read the title—The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Somewhere between confusion and feeling impossibly loved, I flipped through the pages. Tiny stars dotted the margins, marking passages I knew by heart. I skimmed a few of them, my chest tightening as I recognized every scene, including my favorite ones.
When we watched the movie all that time ago, I’d kept interrupting it, pointing out which moments were better in the book, even though the film itself was perfect. I never imagined he’d listened closely enough to remember, let alone care enough to find those scenes in the actual book to see how the words I loved had been written.
I swallowed hard, setting it aside like it was something fragile. The lump in my throat made it difficult to breathe.All of that attention, all of that quiet effort—it undid me. It was such a small thing, and yet, it felt enormous. Beautiful.
Too beautiful to be meant for someone like me.
I refocused on the two piles, putting all my attention on aligning them into perfect stacks.
That’s when I noticed Professor Stanley’s handwriting across the front of the front of an envelope in Jake’s pile. Just three words were across it: Letter of Recommendation. Behind it, there was a plane ticket. To Seattle, Washington.
I opened the envelope.
To Michael Stratton, CEO of Stratford Financial
and Alysia Howard, CFO of Stratford Financial
It is with the utmost confidence that I recommend my student and personal advisee, Jake Cooper, for the position of junior financial processor, Northwest Division, at Stratford Financial, Seattle.
I understand he was part of the entry-level internship last spring and was unable to complete the program due to unforeseen circumstances. However, I, as well as many others, can confirm this event was entirely situational and would encourage your institution not to hold it against him.
Throughout my time working with Mr. Cooper, I have had the privilege of witnessing his tenacity, resilience in the face of hardship, and unwavering dedication to his work. He consistently demonstrates an exceptional work ethic and a genuine passion, not only for his own assignments, but also for supporting the success of his peers.
Mr. Cooper exemplifies the qualities of a model student, professional and respectful in nature. It has been an honor to work with him, and I am confident he will bring the same level of commitment, integrity, and excellence to Stratford Financial as he has in hisacademic career.
Regards,
Prof. Richard M. Stanley
My hand trembled, the letter nearly crumpling in my hand. My heart began to beat rapidly in my chest, the words on repeat in my head.
“Hey, you ready?” Jake asked as he emerged from his room, an army green backpack hiked on one shoulder.
