Two years later

Nevaeh, age 19

Aiden, age 28

"It's a beautiful campus, isn't it?" I don't know how many times I've said that. My heart is filled with excitement as I eat my delicious lamb chop.

Actually, I've said that sentence quite a lot during these past few months. No one can change my mind about this, especially after I visited the most beautiful university library I'd ever seen. I know that joining this exchange program is the best decision I've ever made.

Dad, who is sitting across me, stares at me with the same happiness glinting in his eyes. He's happy that I'm happy, although he didn't like the idea of me moving to Washington at first.

He smiles and returns his attention to his food. "You remember the rules, right?"

I sigh. There he goes again.

Mom, who's sitting next to him, shakes her head knowingly. I know that she's on my side, but unfortunately, no one can change Dad's mind about these rules.

"Dad." I let out a sigh again, a long one. "It's just one semester."

Dad scrutinizes me, and I can guess what he's about to say.

"Six months, Nevaeh. That's not a short period." He even sounds offended, and I'm trying my best not to chuckle.

I'm going to be away from home for one semester, but he's acting like I'll be gone for years.

Mom wasn't kidding when she told me that Dad was going to bawl his eyes out for letting me go, but he knew that I'd been dying to join this exchange program.

"I'm sure that during that period, she will gain so much from joining one of the best classes of business technology she's been dying to have." Mom touches Dad's arm reassuringly, reminding him of why he agreed in the first place. She then switches her attention to me. A soft smile forms on her lips.

"Exactly," I point out.

"As far as I remember, we had a mutual agreement on the conditions," Dad reminds me.

"Right." I nod, taking another bite of the steak on my plate. "No drinking."

"No drinking," Dad repeats, crossing his arm over his chest and abandoning his food.

"No clubbing."

"No clubbing." He nods, waiting for me to mention the rest of the rules.

I look up from my plate again. "No walking alone at night."

"That, too." He wags his finger. "And don't talk to strangers on the street."

I drop my dining utensils. "I'm not a toddler." My voice is laced with frustration.

Mom watches us with amusement, resting her chin on her fist and shaking her head in disbelief.

Dad shoots me a firm look. "You are not, but there are criminals out there--"

"Fine. I get it," I cut him off, not wanting to hear his long speech about psychos lurking around.

"Good," Dad says, but then he squints at me.

I know that look. I haven't said the most important rule. I feel defeated when I say, "And no boys. I get it."

"No boys. Absolutely no boys," Dad repeats with implacable authority.

I look down at my plate and pout, stabbing the meat with my fork. "God, my love life is doomed," I mutter under my breath. "I'll never ever meet my soulmate."

"Your soulmate is not in college," Dad corrects, and when I look up at him, he only shrugs before resuming his lunch.

"You're not a psychic," I say.

Dad is against college boys that he doesn't even let me stay in the university dorm that doesn't separate boys and girls.

He said that a stalker could just barge in, so he chose to purchase a new place for me -- one of the best apartments in town with top security.

Isn't that such a waste of money? I'm convinced that my Dad is crazy.

"How would you know that I wouldn't meet my soulmate in college?" I challenge him.

"That's obvious," Dad speaks like it's crystal clear. "I'm not allowing you to date yet, so you'll only meet him years from now."

My jaw drops. "Years? How long? Until I turn 30?" I almost shriek.

Dad nods, while it's Mom's turn to sigh. She knows that this conversation is endless.

A frown touches my lips when I lean back against the chair. "You two met when you're in high school," I say matter-of-factly.

Silence creeps in, and Dad swallows. Gotcha.

"That was complicated--"

"Max is already engaged, and he's only a year older than me," I keep protesting, throwing my hands in the air.

Dad sighs and shifts his gaze to Mom, as though he's asking her to take his side and help him win this argument. Mom only raises her eyebrows at him.

Dad returns his attention to me. "That's a special case. Max is a true gentleman," he speaks as if all the other boys except his nephew do not exist. "Besides, Sienna isn't allowed to date either--"

"Sienna isn't allowed to date until she turns 25," I shout. "You're worse than Uncle Vaughn."

A few people in the restaurant turn their heads toward us because of my loud voice, and I press my forehead on the table shamelessly. Dad's chuckle makes me look up at him.

"You're right." He smirks proudly. "I'm worse than him."

I zip my mouth, too tired to argue. I know that I'm going to lose, anyway. I'll do what he said as long as he doesn't drag my ass back to Texas.

"I'm going to miss you." I hug Mom tightly before we part. I'm going to miss this warmth.

She tightens her hold on me and kisses my forehead. When we pull away, she cups my cheek and stares at me tenderly.

"You're going to have a great time here, honey," she says, as if she can sense my worry. "Loosen up. Have fun. Meet a lot of friends. Don't stress too much," she whispers even though some of her words contradict Dad's statement. She doesn't really care about that. She just wants me happy.

We sigh in unison, and I try my best not to cry. This is indeed the first time for me to live on my own, without them.

Dad is already spreading his arms wide when I turn to him. He engulfs me in a hug that makes me feel like I am five years old.

I can feel that he doesn't want to let me go. Dad always acts tough in front of me, but once he gets into the car with Mom, I know that it's when he'll let out everything. I won't be surprised if Mom says that she has to convince him again during the journey back home.

"Don't worry about me," I say as we pull away. My heart swells as I see the sadness in his eyes.

It still feels surreal that Dad finally lets me live a thousand miles away from them, but it's about time that he cuts me some slack. One semester is definitely shorter than the whole four years.

"You don't forget the most important rule, do you?" Dad asks, and my eyebrows furrow.

The most important one? I thought that it's about boys?

He scrutinizes me, and then it pops up in my head.

"Always pick it up when you call." I grin.

Dad smiles, and we hug each other again.

The most important thing is that I don't lie to them, that I don't hide anything from them. And that's why I shouldn't ignore them when they call, whenever they do, wherever I am. They only need to hear my voice to figure out whether I'm really okay or not.

"Remember." He eyes me with a warning look. "Don't skip your meals."

Again, he talks as if I haven't grown up. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, but at the same time, I know that I'm going to miss this nosy side of him.

Now that I watch Mom and Dad step into the car, there's a battle inside my heart. No matter how eager I am to live on my own, it's hard to be away from them. No matter how great the place I'm in right now, Mom and Dad will always be my safe haven.

Dad rolls the car window down, and I wave at them. My tears almost well up in my eyes.

"Bye," I say cheerfully despite the sadness stirring in my heart.

"We'll see each other again very soon, honey. I love you." Mom smiles, knowing that they will come here again in no time to check on me.

"I love you too." I squeeze her hand and watch as Dad huffs behind the steering wheel.

"I love you, Dad."

He smiles at me and sighs. "I love you more."

After bidding our goodbyes, Dad starts driving, and I watch them go until the car disappears behind the property gate.

I turn around and stare up at the tall building in front of me. My new apartment.

Rays of sun hit my face, and it's so bright that I have to shield my eyes with my hand. The apartment building is one of the most extravagant I've ever seen. It's so tall and grande, definitely a high-class apartment.

I wish Dad didn't have to afford this place for me, but arguing with him was pointless. He would only afford the best for me, especially in terms of safety and security.

I squint as my eyes narrow at the penthouse located at the top of the building. I remember a staff informing me that the owner stays at the top. Whoever they are, they must be hella rich for owning this remarkable property.

With determination, I step back into the apartment and make a promise to myself.

I'm going to make the most of my time in Washington. I'm going to nail this university exchange program.

A voice in my head adds, 'But still following Dad's rules. Of course.'