The letter arrived on a Tuesday morning.
It was thick, cream-coloured, and carried the official seal of Evergreen University. My name was printed neatly across the front, and the moment I saw it, my heart began to race.
I already knew what it contained before I opened it.
Still, I sat at the kitchen table for several minutes, staring at the envelope.
Finally, I slid my finger beneath the flap and carefully pulled out the letter.
EVERGREEN UNIVERSITY
FULL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
DURATION: FOUR YEARS
I read the words once.
Then again.
And again.
A full scholarship. Four years. Everything I had dreamed of since I was sixteen.
Everything I had worked towards since Dad died and those final words he left me became the foundation of my determination.
Relieve your mom.
I had carried those
