Differences

part fourteen - the next step

Graduation came and went, and Tessa was in her zone. She was in her prime now, freshly out of high school and wanting to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. Life was there for her to grab and she was prepared to wrangle it to the ground.

Max was there too, he was always there, whether she knew it or not. But this time, she knew it. They kept talking ever since he left after his break was over, and she cherished every moment, every text message sent back and forth. She never regretted sleeping during the late afternoons and texting him during the early hours of the mornings. It was all worth it in the end. Max was always worth it, she just hoped he knew it.

But during those five months she hadn't seen him, she planned, and planned, and planned for the day she'd be 18 and be able to leave officially. Where she was legally allowed to live on her own, except, she wasn't going to live on her own. She was planning something different, she was gonna live with Max. 

She was ready to leave the state, say good bye to her family, and be with someone she believed was her future. And of course, she never forgot about her education. She always stayed on top of things, and was planning on doing online courses to earn her associates first in Criminal Justice. Within her whole being, she was prepared to start her life with the man she loved. 

From the first day she met him, she slowly changed. Some say for the better, others say for the worst. But she thinks she changed because she had to. Tessa was naive, ignorant, and just a child before Max came along. After meeting him, she slowly matured, kept her head on her shoulders and was smart with her decisions. It's this fact that she's become even more clear minded that she knew her decision to be with Max wasn't a mistake. It was a next step into the adventure that they started from the moment she looked into his eyes and smiled.

How could she ever forget that first day? His eyes so bright behind his glasses, she observed him then. Not missing a fleck of gold that shown in his vivid turquoise eyes, she was captivated from the start. She had strayed a few times, they both had, from each other. But they always came back, and she always found the highest level of comfort with being within his strong arms. 

He was never difficult to get along, he was actually somewhat of a challenge. One that was more fun rather than frustrating, but that's what you get when you fall in love with someone who's even more stubborn than a four year old girl throwing a fit. Not a very good comparison, but it gets the point across that he's the most stubborn person she has ever encountered. And she loved it. She loved him.

That was why she was taking this next step in her life towards him and away from a different future and a different path. This way, she'll be able to achieve what she always wanted. A family, even if it is with just one man. But it could grow one day if they wanted it to, but she always wanted a relationship where they were dependent on each other and no one else. One where they kept in touch with their own families and visited as frequently as they could. She knew this would be possible. Something like this with someone like him, he was family oriented. 

Being at the airport was strange, the last time she was there, Max was leaving to return to Arizona. Now, she was leaving to be with him. Everyone who wanted to be there was there, mainly just her parents and her siblings. They weren't the crying types, her mother was, but not everyone else she had lived with for the last 18 years. She would be back, or they would visit when they had the chance, she was their oldest. So of course they would want to make sure she was okay. 

The day before and during that last week, she said bye to everyone that mattered to her. Some disapproved, others were very happy for her, but none of them swayed her decision to be with Max. Her decision was hers, and she'd follow down the path that would make her the happiest.

And Max was always the source of her happiness.

This wasn't as difficult as she thought, she always was distant from her family. Never that close, so she wasn't that sad. Not just because of that, but because she knew she'd see them again and that they'd be fine with or without her. 

They loved her just as much as she loved them. And they supported her and Max being together. 

Then like that, Tessa was gone. She had ended one book and started the first chapter in her next.