Beneath the Surface

A Trip To Boston

It had been a year since Natalie's passing, and the weight of grief lingered heavily on my shoulders. My parents, concerned for my well-being, decided that therapy might help me cope with witnessing my best friend's tragic death. However, opening up about Natalie's loss was something I vehemently resisted. The therapy sessions felt more hurtful than healing, pushing me to confront painful memories. As I walked to the kitchen for water, I overheard my parents discussing their worries.

"I miss our chatterbox," my mom sighed. "I want to hear about her dreams, her plans for the future."

"I know, my love, but she's still healing," Dad reassured her.

My decision to slowly rebuild myself for the sake of my parents and my own future came after overhearing this conversation. It wasn't easy, but I resolved to take one step at a time toward normalcy, even if it meant masking my true emotions.

The morning I woke up determined to change, I greeted my parents at the breakfast table with a smile. The surprise on their faces mirrored the significance of that small gesture.

"Um, good morning, sweetie," my mum replied, getting a plate to dish out for me.

"Good morning, my love," my dad added.

I joined them for breakfast, but everything felt strange; the shows on TV were constant reminders of moments shared with Natalie.

The unexpected visit from Nathan, Natalie's brother, brought a flood of emotions.

"Hey, Nathan, come in, please," I said.

"No thanks, I'm not staying; I just came to drop this box of everything that belonged to Natalie that I thought she'd be happy if you had," he said.

My eyes immediately filled up with tears when he mentioned Natalie; seeing her things made me more emotional.

"Thank you," I said in a low voice.

I got the box from him and quickly ran with it upstairs, shut the door to my room, and sat down to cry.

My parents and Daisy thought I would retreat back into isolation after seeing Natalie's belongings. I didn't want to see what was inside the box, so I put it away in my closet. I spent the entire afternoon in bed.

My mum and dad decided to come up to my room and knock.

"Sam, honey, can we come in?" my mum asked.

"The door's open," I answered.

"Are you okay, my love?"

"Yes, I am."

"Honey, your mum and I were talking, and we think you should now go to university. We reapplied for you at Boston University, and you have been accepted again," my dad said.

"Though we want you to know that if you still need more time, we won't force you," Mum added.

"Like your mum said, it's all up to you," Dad said.

I looked at my mum and dad as I thought about going to university if I was ready or not, but all I said was, "Sure, I'll go."

Hearing that, my mum and dad were happy and smiling as they hugged me and gave me forehead kisses. I didn't know if I was ready for university, but at that moment, I felt good seeing my parents feel happy.

"Class starts next week Monday. When do you want to leave?" my mum said.

"Next week?"

"Is it too early? We can ask for a little time," Dad asked.

"No, I didn't expect it to be this soon," I said, looking down.

"So... how is the day after tomorrow?" my mum asked in a kind of hesitant way. "So you can have more time to settle in," she added.

"Okay, then," I replied.

"So, is it a yes?" they both asked.

"Yes," I answered.

The moment I said yes, my parents were on their way to prepare for my trip to Boston. I fell fast asleep as I was thinking of how Boston University would turn out. This was the only university Natalie and I ever talked about, and going there without her would just be so different.

The next morning, my mum came to my room and drew the curtains.

"Sweetie, get up; we need to get you ready for university," she said.

"I don't want to go anywhere, Mum, please," I replied.

As excited as my mum was, she knew she had to go shopping without me because I wasn't in the least bit interested.

"Okay, okay, Daisy and I will do the shopping for you, but at least get up and have your breakfast," she said.

"Later," I answered as I went back to sleep.

While my mum and Daisy were shopping, I decided to clean up my room and put things in order. I came across the box Nathan bought yesterday.

"Will I take this with me?" I said to myself.

Well, my goal isn't to forget Natalie, is it? While asking myself questions, I decided to go with everything I had that belonged to her, but I'd not open them; I'd just keep them close to me.

"Sam, we are back!" my mum called.

I went downstairs, and oh my God, my mum shopped more than I thought I needed.

"Here, your dad and I decided we'd get you your own credit card," she said, giving the card to me.

"Thank you."

"Let's get packing because your flight is early in the morning."

Later that afternoon, my mum and Daisy helped me pack all my stuff.

"I think we are all done," my mum said.

"And your room application has been approved," she added.

I was kind of nervous leaving my home, going to a place I've never been before. From the time I was little I had only lived in Chicago, so this whole idea of going to Boston was kind of scary. I wasn't sure whether I would like Boston or not. My parents were so happy and seemed to finally be at peace that I couldn't show them how nervous I was, all I did was be hopeful.

As the day of departure approached, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety filled the air. Conversations with my parents shifted from practical details about the journey to subtle reassurances that everything would be okay. I found solace in the mundane tasks of packing, a distraction from the impending adventure that both excited and frightened me. The box of Natalie's belongings became a symbol of my commitment to carry her memory with me, a silent pact to honor our shared dreams. Amidst the hustle of preparations, the unspoken understanding between my parents and me served as a comforting anchor, a shared hope for a new chapter in Boston.