Somewhere Under Heaven

A Christmas Revelation

Author's Note: I broke the last chapter in half so this one is another Muti-POV chapter

Music for this chapter: Please Come Home For Christmas by Bon Jovi

Casey's POV

It's been two days since Rob got on that train to New York to eventually fly back home for Christmas. I keep thinking about him all the time and as usual he sends me the sweetest texts which make me smile. 

There was the photo of us from when we went to the light show at Macy's in Center City and then the one of us and Shane at Christmas Village but today, he sends me a photo of a Christmas tree in Penn Station with a message reading, "My only wish for this Christmas is that you would be happy. I know it hurts but please, Case, find a way to smile."

It was the first time he would call me "Case." Usually if he didn't call me Casey, he would call me "love" which I knew was an English thing, so I never thought much about it. Could it be though? Could this be the sign that he's thinking of me more as a friend?

I revisited his message once more. What he's unaware of is that seeing him would likely bring a bigger smile to my face. Why did I urge him to return to London for Christmas? Ah, it's because I told him one evening about the importance of family time, as life's unpredictability spares no one.

An email notification informs me that my final grades at Rider University are now official. As a transfer student, they accepted numerous credits from both Rowan College and Moore, allowing me to earn a BA in Communication with a 4.0 GPA. Now, as I approach my last semester for my master's in business communication, I've managed to maintain that perfect 4.0 GPA.

Apart from my father and Shane, only Rob knows about my academic journey. Initially, he teased me for being an overachiever, yet I'm aware of his admiration and support for my ambitions. I fondly recall studying for finals when he arrived at my doorstep with coffee, playfully reminding me, "You need to stay awake."

I take a photo of the screen and send it to him with a message that reads, "I'm getting close to that master's degree. Dare I get a doctorate next?" 

He replies back with a thinking Memoji and a message that says, "Carpe Diem, Casey!"

I smile at his reply and go to see if I can find something for dinner. I would eat dinner and watch The Grinch thinking about the time that Rob and I watched it with my cousin Rory, and we all got a kick out of how Jim Carey really nailed the role. 

I lie in bed that night, unable to sleep. I start looking at photos on my iPad of my mom and sister as well as other photos from my life when I come across this photo of Mom and Cheyanne that Rob must have taken because he's in the photo with them. It was from a cookout I had at my house. It was Labor Day weekend, and he was in New York with no plans, so I invited him to join us because he said he was going to be in New York and I reminded him that I only live 90 minutes from NYC.

We had so much fun that weekend. I still remember how Shane pushed Rob in the pool, and he got back at Shane by dumping a cooler full of melted ice on him.  As I look at this photo, I keep thinking about how Mom kept telling me that my new friend was such a sweetheart and that I should dump my boyfriend and go out with him. Maybe I should have taken her advice because we all know what happened with Jaden. 

I then remember how Cheyanne was around him and that she was always telling him that he needs to date me. We would get so silly and goofy around each other to where she swore, we had this unique chemistry and one night I remember her saying, "You know what? I should really leave you two alone so you can screw each other's brains out." Did I mention my sister had no shame?