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Things went surprisingly smoothly throughout the beginning of Anne’s last semester of High School. Research papers had been complained about by Robin. Major projects were discussed and worked on. Anne and Derek’s relationship progressed despite the difficulties of communicating while Derek was at the Great Lakes for Navy Boot Camp.
But most importantly, college applications had been filled in and mailed out. Acceptances and rejections were beginning to return.
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Pulling the big envelope out of the mailbox, Anne scanned the return address before giving a little jump of excitement.
This wasn’t like the acceptance letter from one of the local colleges – her backup if Anne was honest.
This huge envelope from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago could only mean one thing. This was a big envelope, not a little envelope.
Robin had gotten a few little envelopes from her wild card schools that were rejections. Not that Robin really cared. She was going to Florida with Nathan. The college applications were a mere formality with her parents. The important acceptance – a school in Florida that they had applied to – had been an acceptance for both Robin and Nathan.
Walking to the front door, Anne slipped her finger under the seal and tore open the top of the envelope. Pulling out the papers, she hesitated, ignoring the wide-open door that Mary had left behind her.
Closing her eyes, Anne delayed the moment of truth. On the one hand, it was a big envelope. On another hand, some of her friends did get acceptances in small envelopes. On yet another hand, she hadn’t heard of anybody getting a rejection in a big envelope, but there was a first time for everything.
“Are you coming in or not?” Beth yelled from inside the house. “As Granny De Luca would say, quit letting the flies in the house!”
“When have you ever quoted Granny De Luca?” Mary asked from her place in the kitchen. “You consider her uncouth!”
Eliza Elliot said nothing as her daughters bickered back and forth between the rooms. She didn’t even care if they were insulting her mother. All she noticed was Anne was standing in the doorway with a big envelope in her hands.
“What’s the verdict?” she softly asked.
“I’m afraid to look,” Anne admitted, still standing there with her eyes closed.
“Just like pulling off a band-aid,” she replied.
“Mary, shut the door!” Beth yelled.
“I’m not the one standing in front of the door!” Mary yelled back.
“Do be quiet, both of you!” Eliza called into the house. “Anne?” she said, softer.
“I’m in!” Anne quietly exclaimed, looking over her acceptance letter. “I got in!” she shouted, loud enough that her sisters stopped bickering back and forth. “I’m in!”
Eliza smiled widely as her middle daughter entered the house, shut the door behind her – effectively ending the argument between Beth and Mary – and gave her a hug. She loved the feel of Anne’s arms circling around her.
“Well,” she whispered into her daughter’s hair. “We’ll just have to make certain that you go.”
Because that was the last thing that she was going to make certain of. Anne was going to have something for herself.
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Derek,
I find it difficult to put pen to paper without drawing on it. Please excuse any doodles in the margins, even though I’m certain you’ll enjoy them.
I know that I can send you an email and it’ll arrive quicker. I’m certain I will at some point.
But today I need to write and draw. It doesn’t help that Beth is hogging my laptop looking up whatever it is she is looking up. Apparently, she spilled coffee on her keyboard and it is currently ‘at the shop’ getting repaired. As long as she doesn’t spill anything on my computer...
I’d like to say I had a choice in letting Beth use my computer, but unfortunately, she complained to Father instead of Mama.
And so you get a letter. And a doodle of a computer.
Mama took me school shopping today, but it ended up wearing her out. She insisted on going ahead and getting everything I might possibly need even though it’s April and there’s still several months before I’ll be going.
I know she’s afraid that something will happen and she won’t be able to be around to help me with these milestones. I heard her make Aunt Cassandra promise that she would take me to campus and make certain I was settled into my dorm room.
The good thing is in addition to countless sketchbooks, art supplies, and things I might need for my dorm room, Mama insisted on buying me a new laptop. When I protested about the price, she pointed out that Beth had received her own new laptop for college.
I can draw on the screen! Mama made certain that this laptop would be perfect for any graphics classes or any other classes I might possibly take over the next four years!
Six weeks!
I wish you could come to Prom with me. Some of my friends still doubt your existence.
I love you to the moon and back.
Anne
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I wish you were stationed closer. I know they can move you somewhere else, somewhere further away, but I really hope that they don’t. I’m just glad that Boot Camp is over so that you can reply quicker.
Counting down the days until Graduation, and the next time I get to see you.
Anne
