“‘Got in’?”
Rett shoved the letter toward him, and Calum sat up as he took it from her.
Dear Loretta Cox,
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Fashion Merchandising program at the Columbus Institute of Art and Design.
Calum stopped reading, glanced up at Rett, then reread the opening sentence once more. She’d been accepted into college? He hadn’t even known she applied anywhere. They’d never talked about college, not really. Not in depth. He knew she wanted to explore the world, get out of the town long enough to get a higher education, but…
He hadn’t realized it was so soon.
He thought they’d have more time together.
“Rett… This is—It’s amazing!” Calum forced a smile, thanking all the gods ever believed in that she didn’t see the brittle edge to it. “Congratulations, babe.”
“Thank you. Oh, my God, I’m so excited. I—I didn’t think I’d get in, because they took so long to respond and my portfolio wasn’t exactly the greatest.”
“They must have loved it.”
“Cal… I’m doin’ it.” She beamed and took the letter back. “I’m gonna go to college.”
“I’m proud of you.”
And he was. He couldn’t be selfish and beg her to stay. She’d clearly worked so hard to get to that point. It was what she wanted. He had to support her. So he swallowed down his displeasure and focused on giving her the love and support she deserved.
“What’s all this racket?”
“Georgie, I got in!”
Rett bounded the three steps to the door and pushed the letter into Calum’s aunt’s hand. Georgie didn’t even look at the paperbefore embracing Rett tightly. The older woman had apparently known about Rett’s plans for college. Calum couldn’t help but wonder whyhehadn’t known. After all, he was her husband now. They were meant to share things.
Thankfully, neither his aunt nor Rett seemed to mind his silence. They headed toward the living room, still chatting about the acceptance letter, and Calum pressed his palms to his closed eyelids. There were so many questions that were left unsaid, so many answers that he was afraid to get.
Calum hated the awkwardness that came during the walk to the bus stop. Rett pressed in against his side once they reached the other students waiting. He absentmindedly wrapped his arm around her waist, kissed her hair, and stared down the road, ostensibly to keep an eye out for the bus. In all reality, he couldn’t stand the thought of looking at Rett and her seeing none of the happiness he’d feigned since she woke him up with the news.
Rett had a babysitting job after school, which left Calum to his own devices. He found himself perched in their tree over the river, smoking and hating the fact that his wife was leaving him for however long. He would be forced to go months without her touch, without her kiss or her smiles or her laugh. Calum didn’t want that, but it seemed he had no choice.
He slipped into the trailer an hour later, staring at the work they’d already done. It was meant to be their home, and now he’d be living in it alone until Rett came back. Sighing, he dragged a sheet of plywood away from the living room wall, dropped it into place over the crossbeams of the kitchen floor, and reached for the nail gun. He might as well get some work done.
“Thought I’d find you here.”
Calum sat back on his heels, swiping an arm over his sweat-soaked forehead, and glanced back over his shoulder. Rett stoodin the doorway with her arms over her chest and a soft smile on her face. The sun lit her dark hair on fire, painted her skin a golden tan, and her glasses glinted in the light. Her silver eyes flicked around the room, taking in all the work he’d done in the last two hours.
“Georgie said you didn’t come home after school.”
“Wanted to get some stuff finished.”
“I can see that,” she laughed. “It looks good. But it’s time to go on home. Take a shower. We’re goin’ out to dinner with my parents.”
“We are?”
“Yeah, Mama and Daddy wanna celebrate, and I don’t wanna do that without my husband.”
My husband. The words settled just right in Calum’s bones, and for the first time all day, he felt like everything was going to be alright.
The drive to the next city was quiet, filled only with soft country music from the 90s. Rett held his hand while they sat in the backseat of her parents’ SUV. She held his hand as they entered the restaurant—a serve-yourself buffet-style place. The only time she let him go was while they ate. He did so quietly, though Eliza and Matthew crowed over her accomplishment. She talked about her goals for college—she wanted to run her own fashion line at some point, or, at the very least, work with the world’s best designers.
Calum’s heart sank in his chest. If she pursued those goals, she might never come home. She would get swept up in the glamor of it all, and he would be left behind waiting fruitlessly. No, never fruitlessly. Rett wouldn’t let him wait too long. She loved him more than that.
