Page 45 of Julia.

Karl grins, looking down at the ring. “Oh, yes. She’s a model and getting more famous by the day. Not sure how I managed to get so lucky, but here we are.”

I offer him a congratulatory nod. “Fantastic! That sounds great for you both.”

Deep down, though, I feel a pang of jealousy. Karl, five years my junior, is already married and settled down. I want what he has so badly that it makes it hard to breathe. Imagining marriage to Julia is too much, too tempting, and if I let myself linger on the thought too long then I will never be able to resurface from it. Just like when I think of what she and I had been up to in her bed the last time we saw each other…

“How are your in-laws? Do they treat you right?” I ask him, attempting to sound cordial, but really hoping that he might be someone I can commiserate about Margaret with. Although, I doubt anyone has a potential mother-in-law quite as intimidating as she is.

“They’re great. My wife grew up with just her mom, and we all connected very well. No complaints there,” he responds, a smile playing on his lips. I nod pensively, and then the conversation takes a turn toward my own love life. “And you? Do you have someone in your life?” Karl asks, and I can’t help but feel a knot form in my stomach.

“Well, let’s say the woman I’m in love with has got the most overbearing mother I have ever met,” I confess, feeling a weight lift off my chest just from being able to share that small tidbit of information. Karl might not be familiar with my situation, but he’s proven to be a good person to bounce things off of thus far.

Karl listens intently as I continue, my frustrations pouring out of me like water from a faucet. “I just don’t know how to make it work if her mom hates me so much. Her dad is out of the country, and I have no idea where he is. He and her mom got divorced two years ago.”

“If she really loves you, I think she will choose you over her mom,” Karl offers sagely. “Sometimes our parents might not approve of our choices, but they are ours to make and no one else’s. If she loves her daughter and wants the best for her, she’ll come around eventually. After all, your family would be a wonderful one to marry into I would think.”

His words ring true, and I thank him for the wise advice. “I’m happy to have met you,” I blurt out with a genuine smile, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Karl that I hadn't expected. I guess Dad was right about keeping Karl close and forging a friendship with him. It has been worthwhile so far.

My gaze drifts away from Karl as my mind makes its way once again back to Julia. The thought of her overbearing mother and the complications that come with our relationship makes my chest tighten. How much longer can we continue like this? Despite all the challenges, I know I can’t help how I feel about her, but I’m not made of iron. I can’t wait forever.

I remember the way her eyes light up when she talks about her dreams, and the way her laughter sounds like music to my ears. It’s these little moments that keep me hooked, even when it seems like everything is against us.

As I bring my attention back to Karl, I’m grateful for the kind words of wisdom that the young man has shared. It dawns on me that I need to take a page out of Karl’s book and have more faith in my own choices, even if they go against the expectations of others.

15

Julia

I’m stillin a deep slumber, dreaming of Sebastian, when I’m suddenly jolted awake by the insistent ringtone of my cell phone. I glance at my clock angrily; it reads 10 am. I don’t have class today until noon so I could just ignore the caller and go back to sleep, but I know it’s not going to happen. Taking the phone from my nightstand, I unplug it and feel a pang of disappointment when I see it’s Gabi’s name flashing on the screen. I decide to ignore her for now, turning the sound off. I try to sleep again, turning right and left in bed, but it feels pointless. Getting up reluctantly, I head to the kitchen to make myself some coffee, trying to shake off the sense of dread that is weighing me down.

Just as the coffee starts to brew, I hear the doorbell ring. Once. Twice. Three times. Whoever it is, they’re not giving up. I groan, knowing that I won’t be able to ignore it like I did with my phone, shuffle over to the door and open it, still in my pajamas.

Groggily, I check the peephole to confirm my suspicion that it’s Gabi on the other side, feeling disoriented and sluggish. I haven’t been sleeping as well as usual, and last night my dreams had been plagued by Sebastian in both pleasurable and miserable ways. In one dream, we would be back in my bed, but there would be no interrupting phone call this time around, and in others I watched him walk away from me while my mother tells me that she told me so.

It is indeed Gabi ringing my bell, but even in the fish eye lens of the peephole, I can see that something is off about her. She has her thumbnail in her mouth, and she looks pale. Before she can reach for the doorbell again, I pull the door open to let her inside, my worry burning away some of the tiredness plaguing me.

“Julia, have you heard the news?” she blurts out as soon as I open the door. Her hands fly up to my shoulders, her eyes locked on mine, wide and concerned.

“What news?” I ask, my confusion deepening.

Without another word, Gabi rushes past me and reaches for the remote to turn on the TV in my living room. I follow her as if in a daze, feeling apprehensive. Coffee percolates in the background merrily, the antithesis of whatever is bothering Gabi. It’s freaking me out.

As soon as the news channel comes on, my heart drops to my feet. A reporter is announcing that a bomb has exploded in a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 at the Van den Bosch estate, killing several people. My mind goes white with panic, only abating the smallest amount when they list the deceased, and Sebastian isn’t among them.

But nearly his entire family is: his mother, sister, and younger brother have all perished.

I sink onto the couch, feeling boneless, and my thoughts go blank as I watch the footage on the screen, eyes wide with shock. The scene is chaotic, with flames consuming the car and debris scattered everywhere. It’s like a scene straight out of a horror movie, so violent and all-consuming that it feels surreal.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump, turning around to see Gabi staring at me with a look of concern etched on her face. In truth, I forgot that she was even here.

“Julia, are you okay?” she whispers, her voice laced with worry.

I try to answer her, but my voice catches in my throat. How can I be okay when Sebastian has just lost his entire family in a matter of seconds? His entire world is literally burning to the ground, and there is no way for me to help.

Shakily, I make my way back to my bedroom to get my phone and dial Sebastian's number, praying that he will answer. The agony he must be in is inconceivable, and I don’t even know what I’m going to say to him. All I know is that I need to hear his voice and know that he is safe. The news is still playing, and I can’t fathom what I am hearing; his entire family is gone in an instant.

My heart races as I hear the click of the call connecting, but no speech. I can hear in the background of the call wails of sorrow, and closer, the rabbit-quick breathing of whoever has answered. The weight of the tragedy hits me like a ton of bricks, and tears begin to stream down my face.

“Sebastian?” I ask, my voice trembling with panic. “Sebastian?”

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