Page 139 of The October Arrangement

“Dad, you can put that down,” Julian said.

I looked down at the box in my hands.

“I’ve got it, son.”

“I know you have it. I’m just saying you don’t have to carry everything.”

“I don’t mind. I really wish you and your sister would have gotten an apartment instead of staying in the dorms.”

“It’s freshman year.” He laughed. “Let us experience dorm life first. We’ll get an apartment next year.”

Harvard move-in day was chaos. Cars were double-parked, college students swarmed the place, and music was blaring. And somehow, in the middle of it all, I was supposed to calmly move my son and daughter into college. I didn’t give a shit that they were only three and a half hours away. They weren’t coming home with us tonight.

“Simon,” I heard Bella’s voice from behind.

I turned and saw Bella standing on the sidewalk next to Olivia.

“What?”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m taking this box inside,” I said.

“That box is Olivia’s.”

I looked down at the pink packing tape sprawled across the box.

“You handed me the wrong box,” I said to Julian.

“No, I didn’t.” He laughed. “You just grabbed it from my hand. I was moving it out of the way.”

“It’s okay, Daddy. You can take it to my room.” Olivia smiled.

I looked at her and smiled. She looked so much like Bella. She had the same dark hair, the same smile, and the same ability to get whatever the hell she wanted from me with one look. Olivia grabbed the handle of her suitcase.

“You’re not carrying that,” I said.

“I can carry a suitcase, Dad.” She laughed.

“I know you can, princess. But I’m standing right here.”

She glanced at Bella and shook her head.

“Don’t bother,” Bella said. “I’ve been fighting this battle for nineteen years.”

“Eighteen years, Bella,” I corrected her.

“I was including the pregnancy, Simon.”

After we moved Julian into his room, it was Olivia’s turn. Any normal and sane father would kill for their children to go to Harvard, but I was the exception. I wanted them to attend NYU and stay home. After we moved Olivia’s things into the dorm, her roommate showed up, and their room looked like a warehouse, stuffed with clothes, bedding, shoes, makeup, stuffed animals, and electronics.

I picked up one of the bags from the floor and couldn’t believe how heavy it was.

“What the hell is in this?” I asked my daughter.

“Skincare.” Olivia smiled.

“The entire bag?” I asked. “You’re moving to college, not opening a spa.”