I held the letter in my shaking hands. Sprinting upstairs, passed my mom, and slamming my bedroom door shut, I ripped open the envelope.
I read aloud,
"Dear Clarissa May Young,
The Office of Admittance at New York University is pleased to inform you that you have been accepted..."
I couldn't even finish the letter before my excited squeals erupted out of me. My mom burst through the door, eyes wide.
Jumping up and down, I shoved the letter at her, "I GOT IN!!!!!!!"
She began jumping and screaming in delight with me. Tears of joy gathered in my eyes as I continued to stare at the black print.
"What's going on in here..?" I heard a familiar masculine voice ask.
We both jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, but my mom excused herself and disappeared through the doorway.
Launching into his arms, I hugged him around the neck, before stepping back and handing him the letter. I was too emotional to read it again. I could feel the tightness of my throat.
His eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn't quite make out as realization dawned on him. He looked at me and smiled, before gathering me up and hugging me to his chest.
It wasn't until I felt his tear roll down my forehead that I even realized he was crying. But by the time I could pull away and look at him, he had already gathered himself. He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead, lingering for a second longer than he normally would. "I am so proud of you, Bear," he whispered to me, gently brushing his thumb against the tear tracks on my rosy cheeks.
He turned and left without another word, and it was only a few more moments until I heard a pained howl coming from the woods outside my house.
