Bread, Love and Promises (On going)

Chapter 12 Letters

Alexis Rosewood

Tap...tap... tap...

Alexis could not stop for foot from the continuous tapping. The sound was pulling on the last thread her patience was hanging with, but at the same time that simple movement released the tension her nerves were building. Her own body was plotting to drive her crazy.

Between pacing around the kitchen and tapping her feet when she sat down, Alexis heaved a long growl as she sunk her fingers in her hair then dragged her palms down her face. Deep breaths... Deep breaths, she told herself as she sat down again.

"What did it say?" Helen hollered the second she walked through the front door.

"I don't know yet." Alexis yelled back feeling her stomach tied in knots. "I was waiting for you." Slight relief smoothed Alexis' jittery nerves now that her mother was here.

Hearing the edgy pitch in her daughter's voice - Helen rustled off her high heels and unbuttoned her moss-green blazer as she bolted to the kitchen. "I came as soon as I could."

Piling her blazer, keys and handbag in a messy huddle. The widened eyes and pressed lips projected how anxious Alexis was despite the strong front she was displaying. Helen gave her daughter the biggest empowering smile and saw her return it briefly. She rushed to join her behind the laptop and placed comforting hands on Alexis' shoulders.

Alexis could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears. She has been staring at those pages for the past twenty minutes and they stared back at her. There was one in particular that had her shift restlessly in her seat. The need of knowing stood equally with the fear of it and both were torturous. Alexis rubbed her clammy palms on her jeans a couple of times, strangely her fingers were ice-cold when she clicked that button after she hovered the cursor over for the hundredth times with ice-cold fingers.

Ironically, the kitchen was the only place in the house where the internet was at its best, however, her beat up, snail-slow, five years old –which is probably ninety-something in laptop-years- laptop didn't get the memo and took its freakin' sweet time to load.

Alexis felt the Helen's small supportive squeeze on her shoulders while the page started to load and held her breath as she read the words appearing on the screen.

Dear Alexis,

On behalf of... etcetera... etcetera... etcetera... it's my honor and.... yada... yada... yada.... of the success admission. Congratulations!

Alexis' furrowed brow shoot up as her eyes widened. She could no longer hear her heart beating in her ears, she could feel it in her throat as she read on to that specific crucial line that had the power to flip the scale and decide her future.

"I got it!" Alexis whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes as she read the acceptance letter again making sure she did not misread any part of it.

It was all there. It wasn't a mind trick. "I got in!" Alexis squealed and her eyes welled as he bounced in her chair when her legs failed to lift her. "I got accepted into NYU!"

Squeals erupted behind Alexis, then a pair of arms rounded her shoulders in a squishing hug followed by an equally squishing kiss on her cheek.

Helen's voice cracked with tears, "Oh my god, sweetie!" A squishing kiss. "Congratulations!" Kiss. "I am so proud of you." Kiss. "You got accepted into the one you wanted." Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.

Alexis laughed and cried all together. She hugged her mom's arms that were embracing her and giggled when Helen started swinging her side to side without letting go.

There was never a better day to not be able to breathe, and she hasn't told her the surprise yet. "But there is one more thing." Alexis said slowly.

Helen stopped swaying her daughter suddenly and let go looking at her, "What is it?"