There were three other people at the table, but for possibly the first time in her life, everything revolved around Amara Baines, who, while barely sixteen, relished the attention. Normally, Amara would be a passive observer while the rest of her family talked about their issues, only chiming in every now and then. But tonight was different.
Amara's half-brother, Morton, walked up to the table, having just arrived from his home and showered.
Thomas, their father, teased, "Your third visit already. You're on track to beat last year. Want some pasta?"
"I'd love some."
It was a hot Florida night in June, and the air was heavy with emotion. The dining room was warmly lit, contrasting with the deep blue twilight outside. The sound of crickets began their nightly chorus, comforting in its repetition.
The scene would have been deeply peaceful had it not been so lively. Morton looked over at the family photo taken two years earlier, mounted on the wall of the dining room. This would be the last time they'd be eating as a family for a while.
Amara's parents shared a look of pride for her, but soon, a silent chill, more of anticipation than anxiety, swept across the room. Her family was very glad for her, but an uncertainty remained, a melancholy in everyone's psyche that she would go away soon.
Viviane, Amara's mother, asked, "So, what do you think it will be like?"
Amara said with a smile on her face, "It's going to be awesome."
"Remind me, what's the purpose of the summer program?"
"It's for people who might be interested in going to Winthrop and want a taste."
"Makes sense," said Viviane.
The light fixtures on the wall flickered, distracting Amara for a moment.
"Yeah," said Amara. "And it'll be different than school here and in Brazil, that's for sure."
Pangs of anxiety had seeped into Amara's chest on a regular basis, wondering how much she'd like it and if she'd miss her parents as much as she thought she would and a thousand other questions. She had heard a few vague stories from her father about what a prep school would be like.
Amara felt both excited and sad. It was not the cross between emotional pain and pleasure one might feel reading a touching book; no, it was not like that at all. There were rather two distinct emotions: a tug of war between the excitement of her journey and the sadness of leaving her family.
She asked her parents, "Do you remember how different things were before Dad took us to America?"
Thomas nodded.
Viviane said, "Yeah. In those days, I spoke very basic English and had to have Dad translate everything for me. Even going to the supermarket, I had to bring someone to help. Now, I have this whole America thing figured out."
"Do you think I can figure out the whole prep school thing," asked Amara.
"Absolutely," said Viviane.
A moment passed, and Amara felt slightly reassured.
"Amara, it's more than an adventure you have ahead of you. It's a journey," said Morton.
"It sure is," said Amara, smiling once more, her eyes twinkling. "Have you heard the story of how I figured out I wanted to go there?"
An exasperated look crossed Morton's face, but he tried to hide it almost immediately.
"Only a hundred times," said Morton. "But tell it again. It's your night."
"Well," said Amara, "late one night last winter, I was doing research and found the program on the website, and I wanted to go there immediately."
"Why," asked Viviane.
"Well, because Dad went there, but it's more than that. I want to go because I feel like I need a more rewarding education than I'm getting here. I looked at the course catalog, and it's so much deeper and more specific than here in public school. I want to learn these things. The problem with public school curriculum is that it's a mile wide and an inch deep, if you get what I mean."
Morton took a sip of his soda.
He asked, "When did Dad ever talk to you about Winthrop?"
"Well, once he told me about his time in their photography club in his sophomore year, and the moments he felt with others and especially the connection they shared. It all seemed amazing."
"So, you talked to Dad and then what happened?"
"He was surprised. I couldn't understand it at all. I would think he'd be my biggest supporter, given his studies there and the school's reputation."
"It's not that I don't support you," said Thomas. "I was simply unaware that you had any interest in where I went to school."
"Why not," asked Morton.
"Well, she told me that she was interested in going to Winthrop because I studied at Winthrop, and that's what led her to do the research on it. But she had never talked to me about her interest in family history."
"Were you pleasantly surprised," asked Morton.
"Yes, and it made me remember something. I had my own interests then, too, that my parents were not aware of. I guess everyone does have youthful curiosities. When I was Amara's age, I had my own life, my own friends, my own romances, even."
Thomas paused, deep in thought. A song from that era which he had heard earlier on the radio played through his head, and nostalgia overcame him. But after a moment, Thomas suddenly looked concerned.
Morton noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"
Thomas took a deep breath and looked around the room, then into Viviane's eyes. She nodded, as if to say, "Go on."
"Well, you know, I want what's best for my children. I've learned a lot from my past, and I have lost a lot in my time alive," he said. "I have a lot of memories from Winthrop – I think we all do from high school – and some regrets. These past experiences have caused me to worry somewhat. However, that may be only my subjective mind."
In that moment, Thomas remembered one of those past experiences.
...
Thomas was nearly sixteen on that day in 1979. He was with his friends Greg Kovich and Joe Marlborough at a diner near Winthrop, having just returned from his summer break.
It was a sun-drenched afternoon, warm in both temperature and the naïve optimism of a new school year.
"What do you hope to achieve this year," asked Joe.
"Let's not go there," said Greg. "I'm still in the summer mindset. Besides, classes don't start until Monday."
"I gotcha," said Thomas. "You go on that road trip with your family you talked about?"
"Nope," Greg said. "We couldn't afford it. Have you seen the price of gas? It's almost too expensive to drive around town. Oil crisis and whatnot."
"Makes sense," said Thomas. "My parents have been complaining about it too."
He missed his parents. Even the memory of his parents' complaints about gas prices made him homesick.
Joe said, "Thomas, you wouldn't happen to be taking American History 2 this term, would you?"
"Took it last spring," Thomas said. "You with Dr. Parsons?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"She's an amazing teacher."
A local girl, whose name was Eliza, soon noticed Thomas and took a long look at him. Thomas looked back at her, smiling.
"Who is that," Greg asked.
"Her name is Eliza. We're close. She's from the town, goes to the public high school. Would you like to meet her?"
They nodded, and he led them over to her table.
"This is Eliza," he said. "Eliza, these are my friends from Winthrop Academy."
"I'm Joe," said Joe.
"Greg," said Greg.
"It's nice to meet you," said Eliza warmly.
"You seem like a real nice person," said Greg.
"Thanks. You're very sweet. Thomas, I've been wanting to speak to you all day. Can we go outside a second?"
"Sure," said Thomas. "Be right back."
In private, Eliza asked, "Do you want to see Breaking Away in the cinema tomorrow night?"
"That sounds amazing," said Thomas. "The best part being that I get to spend time with you."
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't enjoy a good movie."
"I love a good movie. And with the reviews I've seen, I'd love to go. But you're still the best part."
"Thanks," said Eliza. "You're the best."
"No. You're way more amazing than I'll ever be," said Thomas.
Eliza beamed, then the mood got serious.
"I'm not interrupting anything with your buddies?"
"No. Don't worry."
"Good. And I like spending time with you, too," said Eliza. "But of course, I just don't want to be an inconvenience."
"I have enough time with my friends. And even if you were an inconvenience...."
"Yes," said Eliza, eager to hear what was next.
"You'd be the best inconvenience ever!"
Eliza drew Thomas into an affectionate hug, which lasted almost half a minute. This drew raucous applause of Greg and Joe through the window.
"She likes him," said Joe. "Did you see that? She likes him!"
Thomas walked back to the table and sat down to join his friends. He felt, though less strongly every year, a new sense of freedom being away from his parents and being given greater responsibilities.
...
Forty-four years later, Amara's voice pulled him out of his memory. She had been considering what her father had said, and she also had a lot of memories and regrets from her first two years in high school, but she also desired more. She thought she was too smart to do anything she'd regret, but reminded herself that her dad probably felt the same way at sixteen.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have any advice for me," she asked.
Thomas considered those days. He thought of how Amara may get into similar situations, and said, "I want to tell you, you have many choices ahead of you. I care about you, as you know, and I want you to make the best of your short time at Winthrop. When I was there, I made a choice to have a relationship with one of the town girls. It soon became distracting from my academic work, and a whole lot of unforeseen consequences followed that."
Amara said, "All right."
She thought for a moment. "So, does anyone else have any advice for me?"
She suddenly looked a little worried. Morton realized this, and he knew he could influence people in a way that brought normalcy back into their minds. He spoke to reassure her.
"Well, it's been nearly a decade since I was in your shoes but remember this: don't give up. That's what I would say. I was tutoring this kid last spring, and he was hard to deal with. He made my job difficult, and I thought about giving up on tutoring altogether. I realized I would run into a lot of kids like that, and I didn't know if my dream of being a teacher was really for me. But during that time, I read this poem by Edgar Albert Guest, and he said, 'Rest if you must, but don't you quit.' And that inspired me to keep going.
"If you know his story, how he came from England with nothing, then you would know his journey reflects how the journeys of individuals align with the broader American dream. You can say his story exemplifies the American dream, but at its core, it's really about a man fighting for himself. I know his struggle. I have quit too many times for someone as young as me, and that's my biggest regret. I could have come a lot farther. He wrote that poem, 'Don't Quit,' because he knew that they can be fulfilled.
"And you will be faced with the question of whether to quit. I suggest that you always hold the line. Progress always comes at a cost, and any time you want to pursue a dream of yours, there will be challenges. But hold the line, and you'll get there. You've already come a long way, and I'm sure you will go much farther."
"Thank you, Morton," said Amara. "That was inspiring. It means a lot that you want my success. I love you, and you're the best."
"Don't worry," said Amara. "And speaking of what Morton said, this really is a dream of mine. Also, I specifically chose Winthrop to help me understand the past that binds us all together. I have thought about this a lot, listening to others tell their own stories, and I firmly believe that we all have shared stories, and I want to tell my own in the context of ours, no matter how narrow or broad the scope. Whether it's American history at large or telling stories to my future children, it gives me a sense of belonging."
The room was filled with a warm, contemplative silence. Thomas and Viviane almost smiled. Morton looked at Amara, trying to communicate that he was happy for her.
The night continued, and everyone was soon more hopeful than unsure about where Amara was going. They sat around the table long after they had finished, and Amara was thankful, yet again, that she had her family.