The closer you get to leaving, the harder it becomes to imagine going—and the more necessary it feels.
May arrived with warmer weather and a growing sense of urgency.
Four weeks until the internship.
Then three.
Then two.
Ethan finished his finals with what he thought were decent grades—he wouldn't know for sure until mid-May when professors posted final scores, but he felt good about most of them.
Vanessa breezed through her exams with her usual efficiency, already making plans for the summer.
"I talked to Mrs. Chen at the community center," she said one afternoon as they walked across campus. "She's hiring me to help with the summer program. Part-time, three days a week."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'll be working with the younger kids—art projects, reading, basic tutoring. It's perfect because it's flexible enough that I can still help your mom and Lily when they need me."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know. But I want to. Besides, it'll keep me busy while you're gone." She squeezed his hand. "And it'll make me feel useful instead of just sitting around missing you."
"You're going to be great at it."
"I know." She grinned. "Miguel's already excited. He told Mrs. Chen that I'm 'Ethan's girlfriend so she's basically already family.'"
Ethan laughed. "That kid."
"He's not wrong though."
"No. He's not."
They walked in comfortable silence for a moment.
"Two weeks," Vanessa said quietly. "You leave in two weeks."
"I know."
"Are you ready?"
"I have no idea. I've never done anything like this before."
"That's kind of the point of an internship."
"I know. But what if I'm terrible at it? What if everyone else is way smarter and I can't keep up?"
"Then you work harder and learn faster. But Ethan, you got this position because you earned it. They wouldn't have accepted you if they didn't think you could handle it."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right. You should know this by now."
Mid-May brought final grades.
Ethan logged into the student portal with his heart pounding, expecting the worst but hoping for the best.
Computer Science: A
Databases: A-
Statistics: B+
English Literature: A (thanks to the makeup exam Professor Williams had allowed)
GPA for the semester: 3.85.
Overall GPA: 3.88.
Still well above the 3.5 needed to keep his scholarship.
Still in the running for valedictorian—though that was a year away and a lot could change.
But solid. Respectable. Good enough.
He texted Vanessa immediately.
Ethan: Grades are posted. 3.85 for the semester.
Vanessa: That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!
Ethan: What did you get?
Vanessa: 3.92. But I didn't have a sick mother and a part-time job and an internship to stress about.
Ethan: You're incredible.
Vanessa: I know. Now stop stressing about grades and start packing. You leave in ten days.
Ten days.
The reality was starting to sink in.
One week before departure, Ethan's mother sat him down for a serious conversation.
"I need to talk to you about money," Sarah said.
Ethan's stomach tightened. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. But I know what you're planning to do this summer. And I'm telling you right now—you're not doing it."
"Doing what?"
"Starving yourself to send money home. Skipping meals. Taking the bus instead of the company shuttle. Sacrificing your health and your experience to support us."
Ethan stared at her. "How did you—"
"I'm your mother. I know you. And I know how your mind works." Sarah's voice was firm. "You think if you're careful enough, disciplined enough, you can stretch that stipend to cover your expenses AND send money home. But that's not sustainable, Ethan. You'll burn out."
"I can handle it—"
"No. You can't. And I won't let you try." She pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. "This is for you."
Ethan opened it. Inside was a check for $2,000.
"Mom, what is this?"
"Emergency money. For the summer. I've been saving since you got accepted. It's not much, but it should help cover unexpected expenses, or give you a buffer so you're not living on ramen for three months."
"I can't take this—"
"Yes, you can. And you will." Sarah's tone left no room for argument. "Ethan, you've been supporting this family since you were fourteen years old. You've worked yourself to exhaustion, sacrificed your own needs, put your life on hold for me and Lily. This summer, you get to focus on yourself. On your career. On your future."
"But the medical bills—"
"Are my responsibility. Not yours." She took his hands. "I'm working full-time again. Lily's going to work part-time at the center. We'll manage. We always do. But you—you get to go to Silicon Valley and be a normal intern. Eat real food. Sleep enough. Maybe even have fun occasionally. Can you do that for me?"
Ethan felt tears burning his eyes. "I don't know how."
"Then learn. Because if I find out you're skipping meals or destroying yourself to send money home, I'm calling that company and telling them you quit. Do you understand?"
"You wouldn't—"
"Try me."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Finally, Ethan nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
"Good." Sarah pulled him into a hug. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. More than you know. And I want you to go to California and be brilliant and come back with stories and experiences. Not come back exhausted and malnourished."
"I'll try," Ethan repeated.
But even as he said it, he knew it would be hard.
Taking care of his family was so ingrained in him that not doing it felt wrong.
But for his mother's sake, he'd try.
Three days before departure, Vanessa threw him a small going-away party.
Nothing big—just her, Lily, Sarah, Professor Nguyen, Mrs. Chen, Miguel and a few other kids from the community center, and surprisingly, Sophie.
"I know we haven't been close lately," Sophie said when she arrived. "But I wanted to wish you well. And to say I'm sorry for how I acted last fall. You're good for Vanessa. I should've seen that sooner."
"Thank you. That means a lot."
They gathered in the community center's main room—cake from the grocery store, cheap decorations, genuine warmth.
Professor Nguyen gave a short speech about Ethan's potential and how proud he was. Mrs. Chen presented him with a card signed by every kid in the program. Miguel gave him a drawing of a rocket ship labeled "ETHAN GOING TO CALIFORNIA."
"You have to come back," Miguel said seriously. "Promise."
"I promise. I'll only be gone for the summer. I'll be back in September for senior year."
"Good. Because we need you here."
Vanessa stood beside Ethan the whole time, her hand in his, smiling but with sadness in her eyes.
Later, when it was just the two of them cleaning up, she spoke quietly.
"I'm really going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too."
"Three months feels like forever."
"I know. But it'll go by fast."
"Will it?" She turned to face him. "Ethan, I'm scared. I know that's stupid—it's just three months, and we'll talk every day, and you'll be back before senior year starts. But I'm still scared."
"Of what?"
"That you'll go to California and realize how much bigger the world is than Silverbrook. That you'll meet people who are smarter, more ambitious, less complicated than me. That you'll—" Her voice cracked. "That you'll outgrow me."
Ethan cupped her face gently. "That's not going to happen."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. Because Vanessa, you're not something I'm going to outgrow. You're the person I'm growing with. Everything I'm doing—this internship, school, all of it—I'm doing it with you in mind. With us in mind."
"Promise?"
"I promise." He kissed her softly. "Three months. We can do three months."
"Together."
"Even when we're apart."
The night before he left, Ethan couldn't sleep.
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his suitcase packed by the door. One suitcase. Everything he needed for three months crammed into one bag.
At 2 AM, there was a soft knock on his door.
"Come in."
Lily opened the door and padded into his room in her pajamas.
"Can't sleep either?" Ethan asked.
"No." She sat on the edge of his bed. "You're really leaving tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"For the whole summer."
"Yeah."
"I know Mom and Vanessa keep saying it'll be fine, but—" Lily's voice shook. "I'm going to miss you. A lot."
Ethan sat up and pulled his sister into a hug. "I'm going to miss you too, Lil."
"Who's going to help me with my homework? Who's going to tell me when I'm being dramatic? Who's going to—" She started crying. "You've been here my whole life, Ethan. Every single day. And now you won't be."
"It's just three months—"
"I know. But it feels like everything's changing. Mom was sick, now she's better. You're leaving. Next year you'll graduate and probably move away for a job. And I'll be—" She wiped her eyes. "I'll be alone."
"You're not going to be alone. You'll have Mom. And Vanessa will be around all summer. And I'll call you all the time."
"It's not the same."
"I know. But Lily, this is what growing up looks like. We don't all get to stay in the same place forever."
"I don't want to grow up. I want things to stay the way they are."
"Things are already changing. But that doesn't mean we're not still family. That doesn't mean I won't always be your brother."
Lily nodded, still crying.
They sat together in the dark until she finally fell asleep against his shoulder.
Ethan didn't move, didn't want to wake her.
This was his family. This small apartment, his sister curled against him, his mother sleeping down the hall, recovering from a battle she'd almost lost.
Tomorrow, he'd leave it all behind for three months.
For an opportunity that could change his life.
For a future that felt both terrifying and necessary.
But tonight, he was still here.
Still the person who held everything together.
Still home.
Morning came too quickly.
Vanessa arrived at 8 AM to drive him to the airport. His flight was at noon—he'd arrive in San Francisco around 3 PM Pacific time, check into intern housing, attend orientation the next morning.
Sarah made a big breakfast despite Ethan's protests—pancakes, eggs, bacon, enough food for a week.
"You need to eat," she insisted. "Airport food is terrible and expensive."
They ate together one last time, conversation forced and cheerful, everyone pretending this was no big deal.
At 9:30, it was time to go.
Sarah hugged him tightly. "Be safe. Work hard. Call me every week."
"I will. I promise."
"And Ethan?"
"Yeah?"
"Make me proud."
"I'll try."
"You already do. Every single day."
Lily hugged him next, still red-eyed from crying the night before. "Don't forget about us."
"Never. Not possible."
"And bring me something cool from California."
Despite everything, Ethan laughed. "Deal."
He grabbed his suitcase and followed Vanessa down to her car.
As they drove away, he looked back to see his mother and sister waving from the apartment window.
And then they turned the corner, and his family disappeared from view.
At the airport, Vanessa walked him to security.
"This is it," she said.
"This is it."
"Call me when you land?"
"Of course."
"And every night?"
"Every night."
"And if you meet some brilliant Stanford girl who's perfect and uncomplicated—"
"I'll tell her I'm already in love with someone."
Vanessa smiled through her tears. "Good answer."
"I've been practicing."
She kissed him—long and desperate and full of everything they couldn't say.
When they pulled apart, both of them were crying.
"I love you," Vanessa said.
"I love you too. Three months. We can do this."
"We can do this."
He grabbed his suitcase and got in the security line.
At the last moment before going through the scanner, he turned back.
Vanessa was still standing there, watching him, tears streaming down her face.
He raised his hand in a wave.
She waved back.
And then he walked through security and didn't look back again.
Because if he did, he might not be able to leave.