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She was right. She always was. “What about finances? I can’t afford Duke. Not even the satellite campus that’s why I applied to Brexton. The only way for me to get into Duke is through the research program.”

She nodded to the tree. “You haven’t opened your present yet. The one from me.”

My eyes moved to the tree where an envelope with my name on it sat on a branch. “Gran?” I gently plucked it from the prickly pine needled branches. Inside was a personal note in her crisp script with a check for ten thousand dollars.

“It’s not much. I found some money stuffed into an old shoe box in the basement after I sold the house. Your grandfather had squirreled it away without a word to me.”

“No, Gran. I can’t…”

She waved me off. “What am I going to do with it? Go on a singles cruise? I want you to use it well. To get to the place you always should have been. Your mother won’t ask her new husband for college money and your father is useless. Pops would want you to have it.”

I stared at the check. This might be enough to pay for housing and food for almost a year if I found a place with other roommates. I could live on peanut butter and jelly. My classes well, student loans and scholarships might do the trick.

“Oh... there’s one more gift.” She moved from her seat to give me the last unopened gift from under the tree. My head was still spinning from her check when I opened a box with a sailor’s cap that read “Captain.” On a necklace was a small silver key. A picture of my grandfather’s Mako fishing boat was tucked underneath. They had both moved to the Outer Banks from Jersey when Pops retired. It’s a shame he didn’t get to enjoy as many years as he deserved doing nothing but fishing.

“GRAN?!” Tears threatened at what this could mean.

“He’d turn over in his grave if I just sold it. I kept it garaged. I had a nice young man restore it and put a new engine on. The Mako and a new life is yours, Ryan. Go chase after it! I’m moving to Durham. Found a nice fifty-five plus condo community. I’ll miss the shore but it’s too much for me now.”

I gently fingered the key to his beloved boat, put the cap on my head, and launched myself at her. “Best Christmas ever! It’s just too much!”

“Well, it’s time for me to let go. He’s been gone five years.”

“I’ll cherish his boat.”

“I know you will.”

“I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

“There’s nothing I cherish more than you, Ryan. Remember that. You have nothing ahead of you except open waters. Make a big wave.”

“Okay!” I laugh. “Enough already with the symbolic phrases. I get what you’re saying.”

“Good. Let’s finish our wine and watch Lifetime Christmas movies.”

“There’s nothing I’d rather do and no one else I’d rather spend Christmas night with.” And that was the truth. Forget Wade and his average bedroom moves. Truthfully, he snuggled better than he put them on me anyway. A decent pillow and a B.O.B. might be an upgrade. Next year will be my year. I just know it. No more rich, good looking jerks on my horizon. Thanks to Gran, I have all I’ll ever need—family and hope.

Four

“Look at them. It’s so obvious she daggered you.” Ignoring Kendra’s comment, I murmured something incoherent while continuing to pick at my salad. A hundred pairs of eyes were on me as Wade strolled to the hot buffet line with his new girl. I yawned, pretending to be bored. Everyone said college would be different from high school. Well, it wasn’t when you went to a small satellite campus. Everyone knows everyone’s business.

Disgusted with how juvenile this whole scene was I picked up my tray. “I need to finish my essay. It’s due by the end of the week. See you all later.” I found my puffer coat and hat by the door, hastily putting them on. The early February air was chilly but nothing like the winters in Jersey.

“Look at her. She can’t handle seeing the two of them, so she runs.” My face heated as I overheard comments. I’d been holding my head so high the center of my back between my shoulder blades ached. Gran was right. I am above this. Better than this. College shouldn’t be a repeat of high school. It’s not my problem if the people here want to stay stuck. During times like this I missed my best friend Kell something fierce. She was a junior when I was a freshman. She took me under her wing when I tried out for the volleyball team in a last-ditch effort to make friends because unless you were either rich or Greek, you were a persona non grata here. I was a decent player in high school and made the small team. Kell is a teacher in Charlotte now dating some banker. Speaking of Kells I reached for my phone. She was Face Timing.

“Kells? Thank God. I need to get out of here. The drama is just too much.”

“Did you finish your application for the research program?”

“Not yet. I just need to finish the essay.”

“Drop everything and do it. Get out of Brexton. Not just because of Wade but because you never should have been there.”

“I wouldn’t have met you…”

“True. Listen, I have some news… I-I’m engaged.”

“What?! No. No way! I haven’t even met him.”