“It’s not like it used to be… you can’t mess around anymore.” Grace lightly chastised.

“I know, I know. I’ll go see my teacher tomorrow during my break.” Em smiled back up at her.

She was always good about listening to Grace, and she also knew what needed to be done. Her grade in her physics class had dropped, so she needed to go in to get it fixed. Simple as that. Simple as it always is.

“How’s everything been going for you?” Em asked while popping a strawberry into her mouth. She was kicked back on her dorm bed, while Grace sat at the desk working over her psychology stats.

“It’s been fine. None of my classes seem to have kicked into full drive yet so I’ve got a little bit before they consume me.” She smiled up at her, signaling that it wasn’t something she was seriously worried about.

Em hopped down from the bed, wrapped her arms around Grace’s shoulders while placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

“I’m sure you’ll do great.”

Another oncoming situation easily discussed.

Not every situation has gone this way. There have been many difficult conversations, but none that weren’t able to be worked through. They’re both challenged people, having their obstacles that tend to hold them back. In the beginning they let these challenges consume them, but now they help each other through it. I guess that’s a part of growing up Grace never expected.

She never expected to go to college with her partner, and debating transferring the next year to Hawaii or Tampa. Hell, she never expected to be able to feel this way about someone. Going from a high school freshman that assumed she was stunted because of her inability to feel romantic emotions towards the attractive guy that was interested in her, to someone that could love and be loved, it felt almost unreal for her to think about. She hadn’t been able to feel peace in her own body because she felt as though something must be wrong for her to need to turn down someone.

She never saw herself as desirable or worth someone’s time, especially when she slipped into an era where there was no life coming from her. There was nothing for anyone to hold onto when they thought of her. But for some reason, Em stayed. She saw something in Grace that no one else had been able to see before.

That’s another part of growing up; opening your eyes. Seeing others as you never have been able to before.

While Grace sat at the desk, holding onto the arm wrapped around her, she finally felt the peace she had always craved.