Veronika Kent and Laci McMillian are seniors. (Zhou Mi is a seniors)
University of Apple Valley
Esther Dawson-Grey is a freshman
WilTech
none
They were in the final countdown, almost. It was Laci and Veronika's senior year. They had checked off most things from their university bucket list including studying abroad, joining a sorority and discovering their sexuality, or lack there of. The only thing left was to graduate.
Veronika had a few more senior art classes and her senior show, however she knew that she was making all As. She knew this because she asked the TA her grade over a cup of coffee.
It wasn't her fault that he thought she was interested in him. She merely wanted to know her grade, drink the new over priced seasonal flavor and
return to the studio to work on her pieces for her senior show.
Laci was nervous, not about graduation, she was doing well in her classes and had been accepted to veterinary school. She had mostly labs and dissecting specimens.
She did have a big final research paper due at the end of the semester, but if she allocated her time correctly she should be able to finish her labs and her paper with plenty of time for editing.
She was nervous about Zhou. After graduation, Zhou would be leaving for a two year teaching stint in Kimikura. The end result would be most of his student loans paid off and some expert teaching experience and training in the rural areas servicing at risk students.
He assured her that he would be returning, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if he would prefer staying in Kimikura after his teaching stint. They were not engaged-yet, Zhou would remind her-but it was something they both wanted. Zhou wanted to be stable and be able to provide a good foundation for their family.
Laci didn't see the point, she had her trust fund, but she knew that her trust fund was only so much and would go so far. The lottery winnings were not enough to set her family up for generational wealth, but her parents did a great job of insuring that each child would receive a nice trust fund in addition to their educational expenses paid for.
Across town, Esther was trying to make her bare dorm room feel like a home. She stared at the photo of her family, smiling at the camera. It was bittersweet, being on campus. She was supposed to be happy and anxious to learn, but she felt guilty...for not feeling guilty enough.
She and Breckin had a huge fight. He wanted her to stay in Apple Plains and commute to campus. She thought that was a ridiculous plan.
It was so expensive to commute with the trains and ferries and by the time she got back home, Coraline would be sleep and Esther would have to leave before her daughter woke up in order to make it back to campus on time for class.
It made more sense for her to use the full scholarship and stay on campus, but come home on the weekends.
He had said that she was being selfish, that all she wanted to do was to experience the college life, find a college guy maybe.
He said that she was abandoning them. That she was being a part-time mother and a part-time wife. Only around when it was convenient.
"Can't you see that I'm was doing this for us!" She had yelled. "So that we don't have to raise our family on some farm for the rest of our lives! We can do so much better than that!"
She knew that the words were wrong as soon as she saw his eyes.
"What's wrong with being raised on a farm?" he whispered.
"N...Nothing, it's just...I don't...I want...I mean...Coraline..."
"You do know farmers live on farms, right?"
She nodded, but she didn't know what to think. Of course she knew farmers lived on farms, and raised their families on farms...she just didn't make the connection that she was now a farmer's wife. Not dating a guy who's dad owned a farm, but she was married to a man who worked the land alongside his father. Breckin spent his mornings beating the sun to the fields and didn't come inside until sundown. He worked hard, covered in dirt and mud, his skin baked by the sun every day.
That was supposed to be her world now...but... couldn't he see that she was getting this degree so that he didn't have to work long hours in the sun, coming home with dirt under his nails. They could live in the city, or the suburbs and hire farmhands to tend to the crops. Once she graduated and found a job, he could manage the farmer's market, directing customers to their organic offerings and finish before nightfall. They could have a easier life.
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I hope Esther and Breckin can come to a compromise. I can see both their points. So commuting daily would be too expensive and perhaps a time-suck but why can't Esther go home for an overnight in the middle of the week? She might not see Coraline but she isn't seeing her on weekdays as it is. And she is not just a mother but also a wife.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you can see both of their points, I didn't want it to come across as one was right and the other was wrong. Thanks for reading and commenting
DeleteIs that the TS3 uni hood deco in the background in a couple of these pics? It looks awesome and blends in almost seamlessly with your own buildings.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe Laci and Veronika are so close to graduating now! It doesn't seem like that long ago that they were in high school.
Things don't look good for Esther and Breckin. :\ I hope they can work it out but they're so young and their paths could diverge even further as they get older.
Yes, it's TS3 hood deco. I added and expanded my uni when N99 did the Stret Cute Challenge. I wish the deco came in more colors, but it actually worked out that I use that grey brick for my university anyway. Thanks for reading and commenting
DeleteOh Esther and Breckin don't seem to want the same things in life. I really hope they can find a way to make it work. I can understand why he wouldn't want her staying in the dorms, that is a long time to be a part-time parent, and for him to be full-time. I realize he would have some support from family, but it still is an awful lot of responsibility, especially if he wants a farmer's wife. He's pretty much set to farm, and her ambitions don't necessarily fit in his plans... I'll be watching these two and curious how they grow, whether together or apart.
ReplyDeleteThese two are very interesting to me. I think that if they hadn't gotten pregnant (on their very first woohoo) that they may have drifted apart after graduation. They are the cutest and sweetest couple, but their ambitions don't align. Some couples are able to make it work and others are not so lucky. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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