The rest of the school year flew by in a flash; at least, that's how it felt to Lexi. Assignments, quizzes, and tests became her primary focus due in large part to a sudden increase in workload for all of her classes. She didn't socialize much, even going so far as to not speaking for Isaac for over a week more than once. He didn't give her a hard time for this, as he found himself facing a similar situation. His workload had practically doubled, leaving him with little time to focus on anything other than school. The couple managed to get by with text conversations when they weren't on dates or hanging out with friends. It was still better than nothing. The fact that Cassie had ignored them since Isaac had yelled at her was only the icing on the cake.
By the time final exams came and went in mid-April, the couple was more than done dealing with the craziness of school. With everything having finally finished the semester, Lexi was looking forward to heading home to California. She knew she was going to miss seeing Isaac regularly, but the idea of spending time in the sun and heat that San Diego had to offer was too nice to pass up. She couldn't help but grin every time she thought about seeing her parents again.
"You look super excited to head home."
Lexi snapped out of her thoughts with a now dim smile. "Yeah, I am."
"There's nothing wrong with that, babe," Isaac insisted. "Considering how horrible winter was, I don't blame you for wanting to run back to Cali. I only wish I could join you just to escape it myself!"
At this, Lexi giggled before finding a seat on Isaac's bed. He was already sitting there with a content grin etched on his face. With Felipe and DeShawn having already moved out yesterday, he now had the entire house all to himself. So, he invited Lexi to hang out before his parents were to arrive in a few hours so that he could move out. Once Lexi sat beside him, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"When do you head home?" he asked.
"My parents are coming in tomorrow morning, and we'll all pack up the moving van that day. Then we'll stay the night in a hotel before flying to San Diego."
"Sounds like fun."
"It will be," Lexi revealed. "I've missed my parents a lot, so I'm really excited to see them."
"Good," Isaac remarked. "But you'll be alone for a bit, won't you? I know Nikita moved out yesterday."
"Yeah, but it's okay. It's only for a day or so," Lexi said. "Oh, I almost forgot! Speaking of Nikita, she and I are living together again next year."
"That's awesome! Same place?"
Lexi nodded. "Are you living with Felipe and DeShawn next year?"
"Yeah, we signed a lease for an apartment that starts in September," Isaac revealed. "It's gonna be a lot of fun."
"Are you gonna miss this place?" Lexi asked.
Isaac mused the question for a moment. "Yeah, actually. It's wasn't too shabby of a place to live in. It was big enough for us, and that's all mattered. Plus, Felipe and DeShawn make awesome roommates, so that's an added bonus."
"Good."
The couple exchanged smiles before beginning to kiss. Lexi slowly reclined on the bed, allowing Isaac to get on top fairly quickly. One hand went to her cheek, while the other rested on her hip bone. Lexi's hands were clumsy as they moved up towards Isaac's face. She held it as the couple continued to make out. The only sounds that filled the room were kissing, the bed creaking ever so slightly, and the rare moan or sigh that escaped them once in a while.
But before things could go any further, a knock on the front door of the house cut things short. Isaac jumped off Lexi, who also sat up with furrowed eyebrows.
"My parents are here," Isaac said. "That's got to be them."
Lexi's confused faded as fast as her smile had. She sat up and raked her hands through her hair.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Lexi remarked. "I should at least introduce myself to them."
Isaac helped her off the bed, and the pair quickly headed for the door.
"I'm right here," he muttered before answering.
Lexi's smile was more genuine than she'd anticipated as she saw Isaac's parents in the flesh for the first time. Their smiles disappeared upon seeing Lexi, with Isaac's mother even going so far as to look her up and down. Despite this, Lexi didn't lose her cheery demeanour.
Everything's going to be okay, she thought.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad!" Isaac greeted.
"Hello, Isaac," his father said.
"Why is Lexi here?" his mother piped up.
"My roommate moved out of our apartment yesterday, and my parents don't get into town until tomorrow. So, we were just chatting about next year, and whatnot" Lexi explained. She could hear her voice shake ever so slightly as she spoke.
"I see," Isaac's mother replied dryly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lana, and this is my husband, James."
Isaac ushered his parents inside, where Lexi shook both of their hands. Each handshake felt hard and stiff, but she still didn't give an inch.
"Would you like some help with packing everything up?" she suddenly offered. "I mean...if you don't, that's fine. I'll just be on my way then."
"I think we could use all the help we can get," Isaac said. He gave his parents a calm look. "Don't you agree?"
"Sure," his father replied.
His mother gawked at the suggestion but seemed to decide against fighting the idea. "Fine."
It was soon decided that Isaac and his father would tackle his room and the bathroom while Lexi and Isaac's mother focused their efforts on the living room and kitchen. They worked through the first room quickly, as not a whole lot of Isaac's belongings were there. They soon began packing up everything that was inside the latter room.
Having not said anything since the packing had begun, Lexi decided to take a chance and break the ice. "It's so nice to meet you in-person."
Isaac's mother looked up as she continued wrapping up some glassware in paper towels. "Same to you, Lexi. So, tell me...what brought you to NYU?"
"The Literature and Creative Writing program, to be honest. It's much better than anything offered in San Diego, or anywhere else in California."
"You really want to be an author, huh?"
"Absolutely. It's been my dream since I was a kid. I've worked really hard to try and make it a reality since high school. It's not something I can achieve overnight, or even in a year or two— it's going to take a lot of time and effort. But I've known that from the start, and I'm more than happy to put in the necessary work."
The mini monologue left Isaac's mother shocked; and yet, she still seemed unimpressed. "At least you get it."
"I do," Lexi said, "and I've told my parents the same thing. My Dad's a surgeon and my Mom's a prosecutor, so I felt super pressured to pursue something like that. But it didn't appeal to me. I mean, I obviously respect those that want such a career— and I respect my parents a lot, too. I just know that I'm meant to be an author. I don't want to do something I hate; I want to do what I love, no matter the risk."
"It's admirable, that's for sure" Isaac's mother admitted. "Are your parents supportive?"
Lexi hesitated at answering but decided to do so anyway. "They're worried— I mean, they want me to be happy, but they also want to be successful. I know they're concerned that all my hard work will pan out to nothing, and that I'll have to figure something else out. But I know I'll find success one way or another. And I do have other career paths- such as working for a publisher or becoming a teacher. Or I could go the self-publishing route, rather than becoming an author through traditional publishing."
"At least you have some sort of back-up plan. But honestly, I'm more interested in your relationship with my son."
I knew it, Lexi thought. But she was able to keep that to herself. "What do you wanna know?"
"What kind of relationship did you have last year? Back when you two weren't dating, I mean," Isaac's mother clarified.
"We were friends the entire time. I first met him through Nikita, 'cause she was my roommate last year, and she wanted me to meet all of her friends from high school. We also had a class together called Intro to Academic Writing, so we talked a lot during study sessions and lecture breaks. The idea of dating Isaac never even crossed my mind until he asked me out this year."
"So, you never had any feelings for him when he and Cassie were together?"
Lexi bit her lip upon hearing her enemy's name spoken by her boyfriend's mother. But once again, she kept her composure intact while taping up a couple of large boxes shut. "Correct. We were just friends at the time. To be honest, neither of us was looking for a relationship when we began dating. I think we were just seeing whether or not we cared about each other as more than friends, so to speak. But it happened, and I'm glad it did. I won't speak for Isaac, but I hope that he feels the same way about me."
Isaac's mother raised her eyebrows, causing Lexi to tense up. But the older woman managed a small grin a moment later.
"If what he's told me is any indication," she said, "then I think it's safe to say that he does feel the same way."
"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Lexi remarked. And I'm glad to hear that from you, of all people, she added silently. "He's honestly a really sweet guy."
By this point, the kitchen was all packed up. Isaac's mother had quite the smile on her face, which made Lexi grin in return.
"Looks like we're done."
"You're right about that," Isaac's mother said. "You were incredibly helpful. Thank you for giving us a hand."
Lexi's grin widened into a smile. "You're welcome. And it was really nice that we were able to chat."
"You know, I'm gonna have to agree with that," Isaac's mother replied.
"Should we see if Isaac and his dad need some help?" Lexi suggested.
"Yeah, let's do that. The sooner we're all packed up, the sooner we can head home to Buffalo."
The two women made their way upstairs to find Isaac packing up his clothing and toiletries, while his father was scribbling out labels on each box with a sharpie.
"Need some help?" Isaac's mother asked.
"Yeah, totally," Isaac answered. "We still have that one shelf to empty and disassemble."
"We'll take care of that," Lexi said.
Isaac's father didn't say anything but noticed her happily jumping in to assist them. He grinned while continuing the task at hand.
***
A few hours later, Isaac's belongings had been packed in boxes and inside his father's SUV. Lexi stood on the front porch with a slight lump in her throat. She knew that Isaac would be leaving soon, which had been coming for a while now. But that didn't make it any better. She twirled a lock of hair with her finger as her gaze settled on the jam-packed SUV parked in the driveway of the now-vacant house.
"So, you're heading home in a few days?"
The sudden question startled Lexi out of her thoughts. She looked over to her right to see Isaac's father standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, that's right," she replied. "I love New York City, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing my parents again."
"I don't blame you," Isaac's father remarked. "Thanks for helping, by the way. You didn't have to do that."
"I know, but I wanted to," Lexi insisted. "It would've been rude to have just left without offering, right? Besides, I enjoyed it."
Isaac's father frowned as if he didn't believe her. But rather than backpedal, Lexi smiled. "I hope that's okay," she added.
"Yeah, I appreciate it," Isaac's father said, finally relenting. His eyes showed signs of defeat like he was conceding to Lexi's story.
Just then, Isaac and his mother appeared behind him.
"Ready to go?"
Isaac's father grinned at his wife. "I am— you?"
"Yep."
Isaac hesitated. "Would you mind giving Lexi and me a minute? Please?"
His parents agreed before leaving for their vehicle. Lexi followed her boyfriend back into his place, where they stood in the entryway.
"So...this is it," Isaac said. "Until September, that is."
Lexi laughed a little. "Yeah. You know you're welcome to text or call me anytime?"
"Oh, I will. I'm gonna miss seeing your face in-person, though."
"I'm gonna miss you, too."
The couple shared a tender kiss.
"I'd offer to drive you back to your apartment, but I don't think there's any room in our car," Isaac admitted.
"That's okay," Lexi said, "it's not that far from here. Besides, the weather's nice enough that a walk is just fine."
Isaac smiled before kissing her lips again in a tender manner. He held her waist carefully, while Lexi stood on her tiptoes so she could drape her arms on his shoulders. Once they broke apart, she got back on her footing.
"Have a safe trip."
"Thank you, Lexi. Could you...message me when you get to San Diego? Please?"
"Yeah, sure. I promise I'll do that."
After sharing one more kiss, the couple exited the house. Isaac locked it up before hightailing it to his parents' car. As they drove off, Lexi waved until the vehicle was out of sight.
Yeah, we're gonna be alright, she thought before beginning the short walk back to her apartment. Despite having to now be apart for a few months, Lexi knew that this separation was merely temporary. But she was already looking forward to seeing Isaac in-person once again.