Page 41 of Fortuity

ChapterSixteen

Faith

Istill hadn’t figuredout what I was going to do two months later. I’d been waiting to see if the option my heart was set on was going to be a possibility or not. Reading through the letter I’d finally received from the school, I hardly believed my eyes as I sat down on my mattress. “Holyshit.”

“Was that a good holy shit or more of an oh-fuck holy shit?” Christine swiveled around on the chair at her desk to stareatme.

“I think it was a littleofboth.”

She rolled across the floor and snatched the paper out of my hands. After scanning the first line, she jumped to her feet and screamed, “Holy shit! You gotaccepted?”

“Idid.”

“Of course you did!” She tugged me to my feet, and we danced around the room. “With your grades and that personal statement you wrote; they would have been insane to turn you down. You’re going to be the best Master’s in Social Work student this school haseverhad.”

I didn’t need an advanced degree to get a job since I could begin working as a social worker with a bachelor’s degree. But earning a master’s degree meant that I’d achieve the highest level of education for a social worker in Florida. I’d also be eligible for any job in my field after I completed three years of fieldexperience.

“Am I crazy for wanting to stay in school for two more years? Shouldn’t I be ready to get a job and enter the realworld?”

“Fuck no, you’re not crazy.” She nudged me towards the bed and sat on the mattress at my side. “It’s not like you’re running off to join thecircus.”

“The circus?” I echoed. “Can people run off to join the circusanymore?”

She threw her hands up in the air and shrugged. “I have no idea. It was the best I could come up with the spur of themoment.”

“Have you ever even been to the circus?” I laughed. “Talk about totallyrandom.”

“What can I say? I’m the queen ofrandom.”

She really was good at blurting out completely random stuff at the oddest times, so the circus reference shouldn’t have surprised me too much. But I still didn’t get her point. “Just because I’m not doing something ridiculous like running off to the circus, doesn’t mean I’m notcrazy.”

“No, but thinking you haven’t spent your whole life in the real world means you might be,” she pointed out. “You and I? We were born into the real world, and we didn’t escape it until we came to college. If you want to spend two more years here, then I say do it. Get your motherfucking master’s degree before you get a job. If anyone’s earned a reprieve from adulting,it’syou.”

“And you.” I wasn’t the only one in the room who’d had ahardlife.

“But this isn’t about me right now. My path is already determined. We’re talking about you and the decision you need to make. Tell me, Faith. What do you wanttodo?”

I didn’t need to think about my answer. I knew what it was. “I want to stay at Southeastern and get my master’sdegree.”

“Then that’s what you’re goingtodo.”

“There you go.” She patted me on the knee. “Decisionmade.”

“Now I just have to tellDillon.”

“Faith?” She dragged my name out to about three syllables. “He knows you applied for grad school,right?”

“Yes, geesh! I’m notthatbad.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me with one browlifted. “But?”

“But I might have mentioned it more in passing. I didn’t make a big deal about it because I was afraid to jinx my application. Like talking about it with him would make it too real orsomething.”

“Fuck being worried about shit like that anymore.” She wrapped her hands around my upper arms and shook me a little. “You’re only a couple of weeks away from graduating with honors. You got your acceptance letter to grad school. And you’ve got an amazing boyfriend who’s crazy in love with you. Live in the moment! Enjoy the amazing life you’re building and stop waiting for the other shoetodrop.”

She was right. My life was pretty damn amazing. I needed to worry less and enjoy it more. “Do you really think Dillonlovesme?”

“Oh my God!” She shook me again. “Have you guys still not told each other yet? You’re killing me here, smalls. Pull up your big girl panties and throw it outthere.”

---