Princeton's campus in late August carried a different energy than Ivy's earlier January visit had suggested — the historic buildings now populated with the particular chaotic bustle of move-in day, parents and students navigating dorm hallways loaded with boxes and furniture, the whole atmosphere buzzing with nervous, excited energy that Ivy found herself sharing completely despite months of anticipatory preparation.
"This is really happening," she told her mother, standing in her assigned dorm room's doorway, the space still bare and unfamiliar despite the boxes already accumulating around them. "I can't believe I'm actually here."
"Believe it, dorogaya." Marina set down another box, surveying the small room with obvious emotion beneath her practical focus. "Your father's dream, finally
