Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 104

"Maybe starting to date someone new was a mistake. Kent has been gone for nearly a week. During this time, I've been stuck at home, incredibly bored, and worrying all the time.

I'm concerned about the impact on my roommate and the fact that none of my friends know about it yet. I'm anxious about the newness of this relationship and the distance between us.

Every day we're apart, I miss him, and it scares me. I've never felt this way before, and I don't want to appear too needy or clingy. But I always want to talk to him, and it saddens me when we hang up.

How did I end up in this situation? I've been dating my roommate for about a month and a half, even though I thought she despised me. Now that we're together, what does it mean?

I guess nothing about us really makes sense, but it works, and our connection feels unique.

"Hi there," my mom says as she gently knocks on my bedroom door. I'm in the middle of my bed, surrounded by empty Lindor truffle wrappers. She leans against the door, arms crossed, and I sigh.

"Hello."

"You've been spending a lot of time here the past few days," she observes, eyeing my messy room. "And you've been on the phone a lot."

I blush. I've been talking to Kent every night, and most of the time, we're on FaceTime. The one good thing about going from roommates to enemies to friends to boyfriends is that we now know each other very well.

"I guess so," I shrug and sit up.

"Anyone special you've been talking to?" She asks with a knowing smile.

I blush even more. I haven't discussed this with her because I don't want to get my hopes up. I can't let myself get too excited about a messy long-distance relationship. Even if he did call me his girlfriend, I know what being apart for almost two months will do to our relationship.

"Just a friend," I say.

"Oh, a friend, huh?" She teases with raised eyebrows, and my face gets even hotter. She sighs and moves over to my bed to clear the wrappers so she can sit with me. "Honey, what's going on? You can tell me."

"Nothing is going on; I'm just... I don't know," I stammer. "You and I both know I'm talking to a boy, so can we leave it at that?"

"I was just checking in," she says, placing her hand on my shoulder and sighing. She laughs and shakes her head. "I know you're at an age where you might want to date or whatever kids do these days. He must be pretty special if you're this secretive."

"Yeah," I nod, and she does the same.

"It's not Dane, is it?"

"Definitely not, Mom." I shake my head emphatically. "Ew."

"I'm sorry; I was just concerned," she says, rubbing my back quickly. "Well, if you like him this much, he must be something."

"I do," I reply, nodding and resting my head on her shoulder. "Mom, it's Kent," I whisper, and my eyes start to well up.

"Kent?!" She looks surprised. "Oh, Juls, he's wonderful! You two make a great couple." I nod because I'm afraid I'll start crying if I speak. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

"Because I really, really like him," I whisper while wiping away a tear.

"Is he treating you well?"

"Yes, he's amazing," I assure her, and she raises her eyebrows as if to say, "Then what's the problem?" "I don't want this distance to ruin something that's just starting. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I miss him, even though we've only been dating for a short time."

"Honey, you've been friends for months," she points out, sighing and placing a kiss on the top of my head. "You must have liked him for a long time," she says.

"This is really tough. Our roommates are angry, and I don't even want to think about what our friends will say."

"Dating can be tough at times," she sighs. "When I met your dad, he lived in Chicago, and I was in Philly at UPenn. He moved to one of our labs for research, but he had no plans to stay."

"Mom, you've told me this story before, but he did stay, and you fell in love," I say, and she shakes her head as I sigh.

"We did have a break for a while," she says quietly. "I couldn't handle how far apart we were all the time. He told me his life was in Chicago and he couldn't stay while I finished my degree. It broke my heart, but I realized not being with him was worse than having a complicated relationship."

I think about what she said, and I know she's right because that's how I feel about him.

"And now, nearly 30 years later, we're married with two kids," she smiles and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "If Kent is the one, you'll figure things out together. That's it."

"But his family is so different from ours, and we come from completely different places. I don't know if I'll fit in, and I know his relationship with his parents isn't perfect either."

"No one would ever fall in love if they couldn't accept each other's families," she tells me, and I make a noise. "What matters is that he likes you. You'll always be loved by us."

I really like my mom. She always makes me feel better.

"When did you two start going out together?" she asks.

In New York.

"Ah," she smiles. "A romantic place to figure things out, huh?"

"It wasn't bad," I whisper, and she laughs. "I don't know, but he makes me laugh. He lets me be myself because he likes me just the way I am."

"Then you have a good reason to like him," she sighs. "Don't worry; you'll only be apart for a few weeks. You'll see each other before your trip to Northwestern, which, by the way, is fantastic and something you should be proud of."

"I am proud of it," I nod. "I'm just...this timing seems so strange. Why didn't this happen sooner, or-"

"It doesn't work that way," she says, placing her hand on my knee. "Relationships come into your life in various ways, but the most important ones usually come when you least expect them."

"You should send cards to people," I mumble, and she laughs, pulling me close and giving me a tight hug.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You and your friend will be back at school in five days," she reassures me, and I nod, knowing she's right. "Your grandmother leaves at 3," she adds, and I laugh.

Oh, Abuela, having her here is about to drive my mom crazy. I like her as a person, but she can be a lot. She's a great cook, but she does everything her way in the kitchen, just like her mom. But she's a little firecracker, and I love her for it.

"Tired of her taking over your kitchen?"

"No, I'm just...when she's here, I become her child," my mom says quietly. "But that's what I mean. My family is crazy, and your dad still insists on having Abuela and your grandpa over for the holidays every year."

"Colleen!" I hear her high-pitched voice with her sweet accent from the living room.

"Sí?" she answers.

"You can't stay there forever; your pot is overflowing!" she calls, and I laugh while the pots in the kitchen clank around. Mom gives me a kiss on the forehead, and I roll my eyes.

"I love you, and Kent will figure things out. Don't stress about when you'll see him next. Just give it some time," she says calmly. "Starting a new relationship can be challenging, but if he makes you happy, that should make it easier."

She takes my hands and pulls me up. I let out a sigh and follow her into the kitchen. Abuela is in there, juggling a million things at once. She's only five feet three inches tall, but I wouldn't dare get in her way.

"Sweetie, could you finish this? I want to give Juls something," she says, raising my eyebrows. My mom shoots me a look that says, "This was my dinner that I already started, Mom," and then she takes over at the stove.

When Abuela emerges from the kitchen, she takes my hand and guides me back to the couch, where my grandfather and dad are watching football highlights. I cringe as she starts knitting.

I adore her, but the things she knits are incredibly unattractive. And then either I or Jesse have to wear them all the time to make her feel better. She pulls out this hideous rainbow sweater and proudly holds it up.