Like I'm Gonna Lose You

Lucy’s POV- August 2014
I sat down on the couch and let out a deep breath closing my eyes. I was beyond sweaty and exhausted. I had just helped my old college roommate unpack. I was the only one free and I didn’t mind. She kept me from doing a lot of stupid things during my 4 years at UCLA. She was the youngest and the most mature of us. It was 3 of us in a college dorm freshman year. I was thankful for getting two roommates who I lived with for all my 4 years at UCLA and kept contact with them after college.

“Luce, do you want some water?”

“Yes please” I called out from the spot on the couch.

I opened my eyes and sat up. I looked around the one bedroom apartment and stood up. Stella was the baby of the group, and she had worked her butt off to get here. Where were we? Columbus, Ohio. She would be starting school in about 2 weeks. After undergrad she got accepted to UC San Diego into the Psychobiology Master’s program. She had just graduated in June, and she got a full scholarship to Ohio State for her doctorate program.

“Here you go”

I turned around and took the glass of water from her.

“Thanks” I said.

She smiled and nodded.

“Do you think I’m making a good decision?”

I looked at her and smiled. She was incredibly brave, sure I moved across state to Nashville when I graduated from UCLA but I wasn’t ever alone. Uncle Nick is always there for me, and she had just lost her mom. Her mom was a single mom who did everything for her daughter’s benefit. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after we graduated from UCLA. The chemo worked, but she was rediagnosed again and this time she didn’t survive it. She passed away in April, a month before Stella would be done with her Master’s program.

“Your mom would be really proud of you Toots” I told her.

She smiled and nodded.

“I’m always a phonecall away” I told her.

“I know”

I nodded and rubbed her back.

“How long are you here for?”

“I have not bought my ticket yet” I told her.

She smiled.

“Are you nervous to start working in your field?”

I smiled and nodded.

“Of course I am, but my boss is honestly the best at what he does. I know I’m going to be trained to do everything correctly, and right” I said.

She nodded and smiled.

“It’s crazy how you’ll be a legit professional once you get your license”

I smiled.

“Time passed really fast” I told her.

“That it did”

Her stomach growled and I patted her back.

“Let’s shower, and go out for lunch” I said.

She looked at me.

“Lunch is on me” I added.

She began shaking her head.

“None of that Stella, it’s fine. We will also go job hunting. I want to leave Columbus knowing you’ll be ok” I told her.

She smiled.

“What did I do to deserve you and Maddy?”

I smiled.

“Honestly Stella, what did we do to deserve you” I said patting her butt.

I pulled away from her.

“You shower first” I told her.

She nodded.

“Yea, google some food places”

I nodded and gave her two thumbs up. She walked into the hallway and I made my way to the couch. I sat down on the couch and pulled out my phone. I had a text from Maddy asking how packing was going. She really wanted to come help Stella unpack, but she was swamped with work. I pressed call and put the phone against my ear. The three of us were well off in our careers. Maddy worked for the LA Dodgers in their Media Relations department. She had met the players, and she was in charge of the promotional schedule as well as community engagement.

“Hello”

“Hey Mads” I said.

“Hey girl, how’s unpacking?”

“We just got done actually. We’re going to shower and head out for lunch” I said.

“That’s good. When are you heading back to Nashville?”

“Don’t have an exact date right now” I said.

She laughed lightly.

“Good, you don’t think she will change her mind?”

“Nah, she’s set her mind on this” I said.

“Good, that’s great to hear. Our little Stella is growing up”

I laughed.

“She is, I have to let you go. I have a meeting”

“Good luck with that” I told her.

“Bye”

“Be safe” I said.

“Always”

I laughed and I ended the call. I stood up and made my way to the window. Uncle Nick had found her this apartment at the budget she gave herself. It was an affordable one-bedroom apartment near the university. She had a great view of the city, and I glanced up when I heard the shower start running. I knew she was going to be ok here because she was here for school. I didn’t notice I had been standing in front of the window during Stella’s whole shower time.

“Were you standing there the whole time?”

I turned around and laughed.

“No, I actually got a call from Maddy” I said.

She nodded as she dried up her hair.

“Checking in?”

I nodded and she hummed.

“Yea, wanted to know how unpacking was going” I said.

She nodded.

“I told her we were going out for lunch. She had a meeting soon so it ended quick” I said.

She smiled.

“Yea, it’s the Ellis bobble head night next Sunday”

I hummed and she signaled to the hallway with her head.

“Go shower, I’m starving. What are you in the mood for?”

“I eat anything” I told her heading down the hallway.

“Snails and cheese it is”

I rolled my eyes and walked into her room. I grabbed some clothes and made my way to the bathroom. We went to a diner, where Stella managed to charm the owner into giving her a job. It was then that I realized that she would fit right in to the community.