Southern Summer

        “But, I still love you,” Brooks whispered as the roses fell to the ground. He looked up at her with broken eyes as the rain poured down on the two of them standing alone in the sidewalk outside of her apartment.     “I'm sorry but you should've told me sooner. I thought you didn't want this – or me.”     “I know what I said and if I could I'd take it all back but... I can't. What I can do is stand here and beg you to hear the sincerity in my words. Please, don't go.” he took a finger and put it under her chin and lifted her face up to meet his stare     “You need to get out of the rain,” she said looking back down at the drowning bouquet.     “I'll still be here. You'll realize you're making a mistake. I don't care how long I have to wait, I'll be here when you get back.” he took one last look at the flowers on the ground, then at her before turning and heading back towards the cab that was still waiting on him.     “We’ll see, “ she whispered to herself as she turned around and walked up the three little steps into the doorway and out of the rain. She shut the door behind her and turned the lock. She stared into what was the living of the apartment her and Brooks once shared. She glanced at the ugly green couch that sat covered in boxes and tape and permanent markers. She remembered the day they bought that couch, and how she had hated it, but they didn't have much of an option when they had just enough to get their own place, much less furniture.     She looked across the room at all the boxes taped up and labeled, ‘kitchen,’ living room,’ bedroom.’ she gazed through to the dining room and the little table and two chairs where they used to sit and eat terrible dinners at, as she didn't start out as the best cook. She walked down the hallway and looked to the left into the little bathroom that Brooks and her used to fight over the mirror in. He took forever to perfect his hair, when all she wanted to do was brush her teeth. She walked and turned into the small bedroom at the bed they used to share, now with only one pillow and a plush throw, with an empty nightstand beside it that used to display a picture of them on the cruise to the Bahamas they went on, two years ago and a black digital alarm clock that would make the loudest, most terrible sound at six a.m. every morning.     Who were those happy people? It seemed liked a lifetime ago since she could really say that she was happy with life, or with herself. She walked back out of the bedroom and down the hall back into the kitchen and sat down in one of the two small chairs at the uneven table. It had been almost two months since their fight. She hates to remember that night but its all she ever thinks about. She was sitting in this exact chair with her feet propped up in the other chair and her laptop sitting open on the table, her email account was pulled up. she kept refreshing, hoping to see something new. It finally popped up – the email confirming the appointment that would be changing her stagnant life and testing her relationship.         Although fearful, she was excited and tried to pull Brooks into the celebration. But, the situation had been tense since he didn't approve and instead of being there for her, her grabbed his coat and headed out the door without a word. Cassandra didn't see him until he stumbled in drunk the next morning around 6 a.m.     Why? About three months ago, Cassandra found out she had an great uncle, Russell, living in Valdosta, Georgia. The only reason she just now knew about him: he died. He died leaving his entire estate to the only person who was close to an heir for him. Cassandra lived with her mother, and was very close to her mother's family. Her father, however, didn’t come around too often, which would explain why she never knew of Russell-or any other of his relatives, for that matter. The executor of her uncles estate contacted her mother, who told Cassandra over dinner one late July evening. She can still remember that conversation that rerouted everything.      “You can’t be serious, “ she said, confused.     “Actually, I am,” her mother, Janet, said, “Apparently, he never had any children so you were the closest thing he had. I guess he didn’t want everything to just go to some random buyer at an auction. to keep it in the family. The executor said it was a very beautiful historic estate, very private, but not off in the middle of nowhere.”     “It sounds nice, but what am I supposed to do? Just pick up and leave everything I have here? I’m supposed to be starting college in a couple of months here in the city. I mean, I guess I could transfer, to whatever they have down there. But what about Brooks? I know him, he wouldn’t want to leave the city. He loves it here in Boston.”      “Well, I think its a wonderful opportunity. Of course I hate to see you move so far away, but I can’t say if it were me I wouldn’t go. I’m sure they have colleges near there that are just as great. with your record, it shouldn’t be hard to transfer,” Janet said before taking a deep breath.     “As for Brooks, well, I hope that he will see the opportunity here. But, if you decide to go, I hope that he cares about you enough to either go, or let you go. And to not try to hold you back.”     "So you hope he either goes, or breaks up with me. Thanks Mom," Cassandra says sarcastically, laughing.     "Now, you know what I'm trying to say," she says, placing her hand on Cassandra's. "Just go."     Cassandra sighs, placing her hand over her mother's.     "If I can get everything arranged, I will."