“We’re almost there,” his mother exclaimed.

Slowly, the campus came into view. A mixture of excitement and fear filled Adrian. His dream had finally come true—he would be attending Yale. Still, nervousness about how he would be received crept into his mind.

He didn’t have many possessions: a laptop, a mini fridge, and a few basic necessities.

He had devoted countless hours to studying, community service, and other painstaking sacrifices to get here. Entering this elite world was a dream come true, but in some ways, it also felt like a nightmare. The thought of contending with generations of old money seemed almost impossible.

His family consisted of him and his mother, who had spent most of his life struggling to make ends meet. Adrian viewed himself as a poor young man searching for a place in an aristocratic world.

It had always been his passion to study law. Although the legal system had failed to punish his father for what he had done and had unfairly targeted his best friend, Adrian refused to let either experience completely distort his perception of it. More than anything, he wanted to make a positive impact on the system himself.

His mother helped him carry his meager possessions to his dorm. As they climbed the staircase, Adrian had the uncomfortable feeling that everyone’s eyes were on him. His mother seemed oblivious to it—or, if she noticed, she managed to conceal it.

As they rounded the corner and headed down the hall, Adrian prepared himself for his first encounter with his roommate.

Numerous possibilities ran through his mind. He only hoped the guy wasn’t overly eccentric or obnoxious.

Adrian had always struggled to connect with people his age. Most of them didn’t share his worldview, which made forming meaningful relationships difficult.

When they approached the room, the door was slightly ajar.

Inside, a nonchalant-looking guy sat at a small rectangular black desk, scrolling through Instagram on his MacBook Pro. The dorm wasn’t spacious, but it seemed manageable. Posters of indie rock bands covered the wall beside his bed.

The guy looked up and smiled.

“Hey, bro. I’m Mario Vitali. You must be Adrian Luz.”

He stood and extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” Adrian forced a tired smile, still dazed from the long drive.

“So, where are you from?” Mario asked.

“Phoenix.”

Adrian attempted another smile but abandoned it. He needed sleep.

“You must be his mother.” Mario turned toward Catalina and shook her hand. “I thought you were his sister for a second. No joke.”

Mario chuckled.

“Well, I’m flattered, and it’s very nice to meet you, Mario.” Catalina smiled.

“So, Mario, where are you from?” Adrian asked.

“I’m originally from Chicago, but after my parents separated four years ago, my mother sent me to Greenwich to live with my father. It’s not too far from here.”

“I bet that was quite a change,” Adrian said, a little more engaged.

“I still miss Chicago sometimes, but it’s not bad here either.”

“I’m already out of my element.” Adrian sighed.

“You’ll adjust. There’s plenty to do out here. Did you get a chance to tour New Haven yet?”

“I haven’t had much time. We just got here.”

A slight grin spread across Mario’s face.

“There’s still plenty of time.”

Catalina glanced between the two boys.

“Mario, if you don’t mind, I need to have a word with Adrian before I leave.”

“Sure thing. I was about to duck out anyway.” Mario headed toward the door. “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Luz. Adrian, catch you later.”

He waved before closing the door behind him.

“Bye,” Catalina and Adrian replied in unison.

Catalina turned her attention to her son, nostalgia filling her eyes.

“I remember when you were a baby. I used to cradle you in my arms, and now you’re all grown up and leaving home. Where has the time gone?”

She cupped his face between her hands.

“Mom, stop.”

Adrian pulled away, and Catalina laughed. It never took much to embarrass him.

“It really is amazing how fast time goes.”

“I guess.” He rolled his eyes.

Her expression softened.

“Before I leave, I want you to know that if you ever need anything, you can call me. I’m going to miss you so much, and I wish you the best in all the years to come. And I expect you to come visit me whenever you can.”

“I will.”

“With all that said…” She reached into her beige tote bag. “I have something for you.”

Catalina pulled out a medium-sized rectangular box.

“I want you to open it after I leave.”

Adrian placed the box on his bed before embracing his mother. Catalina fought back tears.

“I’m going to miss you too. Don’t worry. I’ll stay in touch.”

He held her tighter.

“I won’t let you down,” he whispered.

He felt her tense in his arms.

“There isn’t a day that could go by where you could ever disappoint me.”

Catalina gripped his shoulders and looked at him.

Adrian lowered his gaze toward the floor and shook his head.

Deep down, he knew he already had.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too.”

They finally pulled apart.

“Goodbye, Adrian.”

“Bye, Mom.”

Catalina stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

An emptiness settled over him almost immediately.

For years, he had talked about escaping Arizona and moving to the Northeast so often that his best friend used to tease him about it.

Now that he was finally here, the room suddenly seemed much quieter than he had imagined.

His attention shifted toward the black box sitting on his bed.

Before Mario returned, he decided he might as well open it.

The box wasn’t particularly light or heavy, which only made him more curious. He shook it once, trying to guess what was inside.

After digging through a mass of tissue paper, his hand finally reached the object beneath it.

He should have known.

A King James Bible.

Oh, great. Another one of Mom’s attempts to convert me.

Still, because he loved her, he wouldn’t throw it away.

As he started to close the box, he noticed a piece of paper sticking out from underneath the Bible.

He lifted it and unfolded the note.

Dear Adrian,

My one and only son, I love you so very much. I am deeply sorry for the lack of childhood you experienced because you were forced to grow up so fast.

I feel like I never truly told you how proud of you I have always been. You overcame obstacles no one should ever have to face. I pray with every passing day that you excel in everything you do.

Love,
Mom

Adrian stared at the note for a moment before noticing something underneath it.

Money.

Instant guilt washed over him.

She shouldn’t have given him anything extra. He already had a full scholarship, and he knew she needed the money more than he did.

The door suddenly swung open.

Adrian flinched.

“Hey, Adrian, what’s up?”

Mario entered carrying two large paper bags of Chinese takeout.

“I figured you’d be hungry after the drive, so I grabbed dinner for both of us.”

“Thanks.”

Adrian tried to sound more grateful than he felt capable of sounding.

Mario dropped onto his side of the room and immediately opened one of the containers.

“So, what are you majoring in?” he asked between bites.

Adrian hesitated.

“Law.”

“Oh, great. I’ll be sharing a room with a future attorney.”

Mario chuckled.

When Adrian didn’t laugh, Mario stopped.

“I’m joking. It’s a good field. My family has been in law for generations, actually. I decided to break the cycle and major in marketing. My father wasn’t happy about it at first, but eventually he agreed to support me.”

Oh, great. Another one of the good old boys.

Adrian glanced around Mario’s side of the room.

He couldn’t help wondering how someone so casual could come from generations of wealth and professional prestige.

“Do you have friends who go here?” Adrian asked, hoping he didn’t sound as anxious as he felt.

“Most of my friends are in a fraternity. My father banned me from joining this year because of my behavior at boarding school, but that won’t stop me from going to their parties.”

Mario ran his fingers through his light brown hair.

“That reminds me. You’ve got to come to some of them.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“One of the houses is throwing a party tomorrow night. We should go. You can start acquainting yourself with some of your…”

Mario paused and gestured knowingly.

“…peers.”

Adrian understood immediately that the peers Mario had in mind were girls.

Mario nudged him.

For the first time since arriving at Yale, Adrian genuinely laughed.