Through My Window

Original Edition: 53. The Support

I press my lips together, confused, Ares has never been interested in that university, he always told me he would like to study in one of the Ivy League. Curious, I pull out the paper inside because the envelope has already been opened and my heart stops.

Thank you for your interest in our Management program for the semester, we will be reviewing your information and qualifications and will notify you our decision.

What the fuck...?

Management? University of North Carolina?

At that moment Ares comes out of the bathroom, with a towel around his waist while with the other one he is drying his hair.

"You can go in now, I..." he stops when he sees me with the paper in my hand.

"UNC? Management?" I show him the paper.

"I was going to tell you..."

"Did you apply to UNC? Management? What did I miss?"

"Raquel..."

"What happened to Medicine? Princeton? Yale? Harvard? What happened?" I don't know why I'm so upset. Ares twists his lips, looking away. I'm upset that he's giving up.

"I have to be realistic, Raquel."

"Realistic?"

He throws the towel aside and runs his hand over his face.

"Management or law, that's what my family needs"

I can't believe I'm hearing him say that.

"What about what you need?"

He ignores my question.

"It's the same college you applied to. Aren't you glad to know we'll be together?"

"Don't try to make this about me, this is about you, about what you want for your life."

"This is what I want for my life, to be someone useful for my family and to be by your side, that's all I want."

"No."

Ares raises an eyebrow.

"No?"

"You're just taking the comfortable path, you're giving up without even trying and taking refuge in the thought that at least we'll be together."

"At least? I didn't know being together was so unimportant to you."

"Again, don't try to make this about me or about us."

"How can it not be about us? If I apply to those other colleges, do you know how far away we'll be? I'm going to have to move to another state, Raquel."

I know...

I've thought about it so many times...

But I can't be selfish...

"I know, but you'll be studying what you want to study, following your dream, that's enough for me."

"Don't give me that shit," he comes closer to me. "You want us to split up?"

"I just want you to do what you want to do."

"This is what I want to do, this is what I'll do, this is my decision."

I run my hands through my hair.

"It's not. Why are you so stubborn?"

I see him hesitate, his eyes are on mine.

"Because I love you," I stop breathing. "And just imagining being away from you tears me apart."

"Me too..."