|*| Ambassador-featured |*| 2022 Bootcamp Mentee |*|
Grace Bellamy knows exactly how her junior year at a prestigious New England liberal arts college will go: good grades, an established social niche, and a clear vision for the future, all to stay...
Sunday came and it was time to drive back to college. Dad and Grampa both stood on the porch as John and I were heaving our bags into his car—or rather, as he was heaving both of our bags into his car, the stubborn idiot. When he threw the back door shut, he turned around to me and sent me his finest toothpaste commercial grin. My stubborn idiot. Touching my coat sleeve with his gloved hand, he signaled to me that he was ready to go.
But I wasn't ready to go yet. I had packed everything and we were about to say our goodbyes, but this spring break had meant more to me than a week off. This spring break had helped me open up. In fact, this whole year had initiated this process. I had realized a lot of things about family, about relationships, and about myself. I had learned who was important to me and I had learned that I wanted those people beside me, through the good and the bad. On top of all that, I realized that I was happy where I was right then and that that was okay. There was no need for me to sabotage anything. I had a feeling John wouldn't have let me even if I had tried. Sometimes, yes, it was that easy to be happy. This year, new and old friends had challenged me to leave my comfort zone, and I was better for it.
As John firmly shook first Grampa's, then Dad's hand, Gabriel jogged down the road and came to a halt in front of our house. John was still exchanging pleasantries with my family, so I descended the two steps and met him at the mailbox.
"I heard you were leaving already and I didn't want to miss you," he said, slightly out of breath, and ran a hand through his dark hair.
"Yeah, we don't want to be back too late, and our way is quite a bit longer than yours. Are you driving back to Boston this afternoon?"
"Yep, back for another six weeks and then I'll be done."
"Well, until law school, that is." My lopsided grin told him how proud he could be of himself.
"Yeah."
We looked at each other briefly.
"It was good to see you again, Grace," he said.
"Yeah, you too," I responded and meant it.
"Hey Gabe, come up here for a second!" called Dad from the porch and we complied. "I wanted to talk to you about that wardrobe again." He placed a hand between Gabriel's shoulder blades to start talking him up.
Grampa cleared his throat. "Peter, you have all the time in the world to do that in about five minutes from now. But let's see Peanut off first, what do you say?"
"Oh, of course! Sorry." Grampa shook his head, but grinned. "Well, we'll see you in a couple of weeks," concluded Dad and smiled. "John, pleasure to have had you here. You're always welcome back and to stay for however long you want."
John beamed. "I appreciate that, Peter."
I hugged both Dad and Grampa goodbye, then Gabriel and I looked at each other a little awkwardly and stumbled into a brief hug after all. John, Grampa, and Dad laughed as they shook hands again—that awkward moment when goodbyes took a lot longer than expected.
Finally, John and Gabe shook hands.
"It was good to meet you, John." His gaze held the intensity that he used to convey to you how truthfully he meant what he was saying.
"Yeah, you too," replied John, smiling.
It had been good for him to meet Gabriel, and vice versa. Or maybe it had been good for me that the two of them had met.
Then we both got into John's car and he slowly backed out of the driveway as I waved goodbye to the two most important people in my life and one person who had once belonged to that group, and left with one who had recently entered the circle. The sun was breaking through the white cloud blanket only timidly, but it promised to be a beautiful spring day nonetheless.
John's hand took a hold of mine on the center consolewhen he pulled out of our street. I wasn't ready to leave. Spring break was thealmost-end of the academic year, and this year had already meant so much to methat I was sad to see it terminate. Saying goodbye to my family, as always, hadbeen bittersweet, but I found myself smiling in spite of it all. In fact, Icouldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. It was so bad my cheeks were startingto ache, and I had the wonderful feeling they would be for a while.
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