Page 100 of Academically Yours

She turned her attention back to the road. “Tell me more about Noelle.”

“What do you want to know?” I asked, scratching the light dusting of scruff on my face.

She pretended to think really hard about something. “Do you love her?”

“Tessa…” I gulped. “I’ve known her for a few months, and we’ve barely been seeing each other for a month. I think it’s too soon for either one of us to be saying that.”

Tess shrugged. “I don’t know. Dad always said the moment he met Mom he knew he wanted to marry her. Like, when you know, you know, right?”

“And do you feel like that?” I asked her. “About your boyfriend?”

She laughed. “No. But I’m young and in college. You’re turning 31 this year, Matty. I don’t think you want to be alone forever, do you?”

I grumbled in response as I pulled into the parking lot. “Best behavior,” I glared at her as she hopped out of the truck.

Tess gave me a sly smile. “I’m not a kid anymore, big bro. I promise I won’t interrogate your girlfriend.” She grinned at me as I followed behind her, locking the truck and walking into the restaurant.

Noelle: I’m running a little late! I’ll be there in ten.

Me: Okay. Drive safe.

Tessa and I settled into a booth in the back, and I ordered coffee from the waiter when I finally looked up and saw Noelle rushing in, cheeks red from the morning chill outside, wearing a sundress and a chunky sweater with tights. The outfit was so very her that it made my heart clench a little.

“Sorry I’m late,” Noelle said, sliding into the booth next to me. “My mom called, and I couldn’t get her off the phone.”

“It’s fine.” Tessa brushed her blonde hair behind her shoulder with one hand and then gave Noelle a warm smile.

I kissed Noelle on the cheek, before turning back to Tess. “Noelle, this is my sister, Tessa.” I chose to omit the word little or baby, knowing Tess was likely to kick me in the shin. “And Tess, this is my Noelle.”

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Noelle gushed. “Matthew’s told me all about you, and I’ve heard so much about your time in New York. I lived there for a year after college, so we were probably there at the same time.”

“No way!” Tess laughed. “We could have walked past each other on the street and not even known it.”

Noelle shook her head. “There’s no way—I definitely couldn’t have seen you and not remembered you.” Noelle did have an uncanny memory for faces, this I knew, but also, there was something so memorable about Tess. It might have been her height—both of my parents were tall, and at 5’10, she definitely wasn’t a short little girl anymore, and she also had that face.

“Stop,” my sister smiled. “You’re going to give me a big head.”

“Not that she needs any help with that,” I added, rolling my eyes. Tessa tried to kick me under the table, but I caught her foot before she could. I gave her a smirk, and she grumbled under her breath.

“So, Tessa,” Noelle said, changing the subject before my sister could attempt to kick me again. “Matthew says you’re not sure what you’re doing after graduation yet?”

Tess froze, and then she shook her head. “Ah… No.”

Noelle raised an eye at me, and I looked at my little sister. “We don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to—”

“No.” Tessa insisted. “No, it’s fine. I just don’t know what I want to do yet.” She bit her lip. “What about you, Noelle? You’re almost done with your masters, right? I think that’s what Matthew told me.”

She nodded. “I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to stay on as a Hall Director for one more year or not. But I’m getting a master’s in Student Affairs, and I’m not sure exactly what I want to do with it, but I’m hoping to stay at UP. It’s like home, you know?” She glanced up at me, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

We still hadn’t talked about our futures, what came next after she graduated or what either one of us wanted out of the relationship. I knew we should, but I didn’t want anything to change. And I worried that when we finally had that conversation, it would change everything.

Tessa gave me a sad smile. I was sure she was thinking what I was thinking—home. “Home would be nice.” She almost forced it out, and I could tell she didn’t want to talk about this now. How much we missed having somewhere to call home. How we hadn’t, ever since we had lost our parents. It had just been us, even when she lived with my grandparents before I finished college. And when we lost them, too…

Home wasn’t something we had felt in a long time.

“I hope my brother has been treating you well,” Tessa finally shook off her somber expression and gave Noelle another smile.

“Oh, yeah,” Noelle grinned, leaning against my arm and batting her eyelashes up at me. “He’s the best.”