Page 114 of Right Where We Belong
Well, I did it. I’m an official graduate of Ivernia School and, in case you were curious, ranked twentieth in my class. It was quite a challenge getting there—lots of long study sessions at Chelmsford—but you know what? I can’t complain. I was in the best company.
The picture you painted of graduation isn’t far off from the truth. Madelene changed her dress twice and Momwasstressed. Then Jared wanted to try to smuggle in an air horn to embarrass me, which he quickly realized stressed Mom outmore, and we were a tad late getting there because I was desperate for a coffee on the way to the venue. Madelene sang my order into the drive-thru and Mom couldn’t hide her laughter as she was trying to scold her. So, you know, pure Carmichael chaos.
We missed you. So much.
You should have been there.
Madelene told me writing to you helped her heal, so I thought I might try. Life without you hurts. For months after, I felt this agonizing hollow ache every time I thought of you. That’s gotten better, if only a little. I don’t think it will ever go away. At least, part of me doesn’t want it to. Because you were right. Even through the heartache, I find those glints ofmemories so bright and wonderful it replaces the despair with joy. You raised us well. I’m forever grateful.
What else can I tell you? I got into the University of Michigan. I know you wanted to protect me from the politics and frustration of research science, specifically on the physics side, but I’m going to give it a shot. Dentistry isn’t for me and, unfortunately, you have passed on to your middle child your unquenching desire for knowledge of the universe and the ways it works.
Mom says you’d be proud. I hope you are.
And who knows where life will take me? Maybe I’ll teach someday, like you.
For now, I’m enjoying the present. I have a boyfriend—don’t be too alarmed—though I can hear your voice in my head firing off questions.How did you meet? Does he treat you right? Are you happy?
Funnily enough, you know him. Jared’s best friend, Sumner, and before you ask—yes, Jared’s cool with it. It was, in his words, “pretty inevitable from the way I’d catch him staring at you.” And yes, he treats me as though I’m the center of his universe. He got into MIT, where he’ll go in the fall along with one of my best friends, Inessa.
As for your last question? I am happy in life’s sunshine moments. I have a lot of those, but there are gray days too, and sometimes days where the rain feels never-ending and constant, and some days where the clouds sweep aside to show me a clear view, to remind me of the beauty the world has to offer. I try not to take any of it for granted.
I reread your journal all the time. Is that strange? I hope not. You don’t knowhowuseful it was for me over the course of last year, particularlyyour theories on time anomalies and space forecast trends and the thoughtful wisdom scrawled in the margins. There was one situation I didn’t think we’d navigate ourselves out of…
You know what? I’ll tell you all about it in my next email. It’s a pretty unbelievable story.
All my love, always,
Delaney
