Without any further argument, her grandmother signed the papers beside the noted tabs and handed them back to Avery.
“Good riddance,” she proclaimed as Avery rushed to leave, closing the door behind her and resting against its cool wooden details.
Avery sighed deeply and shut her eyes as triumph and adrenaline coursed through her veins.
A rapid succession of coughs from inside the room jolted her back into reality. Avery turned on her heel, heading down the hall and then up the stairway.
Shoving the papers into a manila envelope that Avery left resting on her bed, she rushed to find Mila and Aria in the cavernous home.
Locating them in the garden, Avery wrapped her arms around Mila excitedly as she rushes to tell her that they need to leave as soon as possible. Mila, the guardian angel that she is, decided that she was joining the sisters in their escape.
Mila was able to find them a small apartment in Savannah, Georgia close to the community college that Avery received a scholarship to attend. The gratefulness poured from Avery in the knowledge that Mila is joining her on this journey - not because she can’t take care of Aria, but because Mila had stowed away her earnings from Avery’s grandmother, thus allowing them a nice financial cushion.
Avery began school immediately, taking summer courses toward her career choice as a medical assistant. Mila and Avery also located jobs as housekeepers for a local motel. Mila opted to work the night shift, allowing Avery to work the early morning shift. This gave her time to get one or two classes in a day.
In the blink of an eye, two years whizzed by. Avery and Mila were celebrating her adorable sister's eighth birthday. Seated at a local pizza place, on the rare occasion that both Mila and Avery were free from work, Aria looked blissful as she blows out the candles on her small pink cake. A smile grew on Avery’s face as she gazed at Aria, whose hands were working happily to remove the wrapping paper from the present Mila handed to her. The package of books under the cheap paper sent joy through Aria and though she didn’t think it was possible, Aria’s smile grew wider as she read through the titles of the newest sorcery novels.
Avery startled when a large hand came to rest on her shoulder.
"Avery, right? I think you
're in my anatomy course."
Shocked, she turned to look into the chocolate brown eyes set on a boyishly handsome face. His eyes remain locked on hers, waiting, and then Avery remembers that he asked her a question.
"Uh, I’m sorry, what?" she replied shyly.
Smirking, he repeated himself with his hand still gently resting on her shoulder, "You're Avery, right? I think we're in anatomy together."
"Um, yes. I think so," she murmured hesitantly.
Unsure what this handsome man's name is, Avery searched her mind for a hint but came up empty. She pays notoriously little attention to people outside her tiny circle.
"Nick," he said, answering her unspoken question and finally removing the hand that had sent small sparks tingling through her shoulder.
"Nick, that’s right. You sit at the lab table across from me. This is Mila and my sister Aria. We're here for her birthday. Would you like to join us?" she inquired while extending pleasantries, noticing the boyish face was actively seeking her attention.
"That's ok, I'm just here to grab a pizza before heading to a study group," Nick replied nervously, shuffling his feet. "Actually, since you're here, do you think you'd like to go out sometime? Maybe dinner?"
Blushing profusely, Avery turned away and glanced toward Mila, who sat with her hand over her heart and a smile on her face, gazing in Avery’s direction. She nodded her head upon seeing the question in Avery’s eyes.
Looking back in Nick's direction, he graced her with a small smile and Avery responded with a tiny grin of her own.
"Sure, that would be nice. What did you have in mind?"
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"I usually work in the early morning, but maybe we could do something earlier in the evening?"
"Why don't you give me your number and we can get together around three?"
"That sounds perfect," Avery answered, a smile still plastered on her face as she repeated her home phone number. "Thank you, Nick."
"No, Avery. Thank you," he delightedly replied. Nodding toward Avery’s sister, he said, "Happy birthday. You all enjoy your night. Bye, Avery."
Waving back as he turned around, she mirrored his expression, "Bye."
As soon as their impromptu visitor had left, Mila gushed about Nick while Aria divulged her appetite on the cake. Both excited and nervous about this pending date, Avery was flooded with emotions. She’s had a boyfriend, been on a date and shared a few kisses with boys she went to high school with, but nothing she would consider meaningful. At this point in her life, she couldn’t help but think that those romances she had read in the fairytales when she was little were just that: fairytales. Avery had no desire to find love, but something meaningful that would fill her heart with joy. And Avery could already tell by the nervous flutters in her stomach that any relationship with Nick would be meaningful.