Author's Note: Written for OQ Prompt Party 2021: Anonymous verse - Flashforward of Olivia getting married/graduating/anything!


Stanford University was the last college Olivia Locksley ever thought she'd consider during her last year of high school. Her mother and grandmother hoped for Juilliard, while her dad hoped for anything in the city.

But then she went with her best friend Paige to stay with her grandma for a week in San Mateo while she checked out the school. At first, Olivia hadn't been interested. But then they went on the campus tour, and she curiously checked out the music program. Before she knew it, one thing led to another, and she and Paige had been excitedly talking about how fun it would be if they both got accepted to Stanford.

She hadn't told her parents she applied until after she got accepted.

They sat stunned in the kitchen, gazing back and forth at each other, not knowing what to say but wanting to be supportive.

Her mom took it best. Her dad had been the one to ask her if she was sure at least once a week over the entire summer. And even once again that morning as they were moving her into her dorm.

"Yes, Dad, I'm sure." She gave her mom a look.

"Robin, stop. She's not coming home with us."

"Alright, alright," he replied, setting a box beside her bed.

Olivia turned to her preteen brother. "I'll miss you, squirt."

"I won't miss your playing," Roland said with a roll of his eyes.

Olivia's lips tipped up. Her kid brother was going to be such an emo teenager. If it didn't involve skateboarding, anime, or his vintage Les Paul guitar, he wasn't interested. She walked over to him, reached a hand out to ruffle his long hair before pulling him into a hug. "Yeah, you will."

Maddie came over to her and took her hand. Olivia had pulled her blonde curly hair away from her face into a French braid for her earlier that morning. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Why do you have to be so far away?"

"Aww, little sis." Oliva kneeled and pulled her into a hug. "We'll FaceTime every day."

"No, we won't. Ro said you'll go to parties and forget about us."

Her father frowned at her brother. "Roland."

Olivia shook her head. "Never."

Luckily for Olivia, Charlotte was still too little to know what was going on. She stood back with their mom, holding her hand, shying away from all the noise that filled the hall of incoming freshmen and their parents.

She held out her hands. "Hey, where's my hug?"

Charlotte lifted her arms so Olivia could pick her up. Her head fell on Olivia's shoulder and her arms wrapped around her neck. Olivia swallowed. Her hug tightened around her baby sister. "I'll miss you."

"Miss you," Charlie whispered.

Her dad gave her a sad, knowing smile and reached out for Charlie. "You've got everything? Clothes, cello, Taylor Swift vinyls?"

She smirked at her dad and teased, "I left the vinyls at home for you."

He let out a great, dramatic breath. "Thank God. You know me. Swifty through and through." They smiled at one another a moment before he pulled her into a one-arm hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, Dad."

"Well, we better say goodbye so we don't miss our plane." Her dad looked over at her mom and they shared a knowing look before he clapped her brother on the shoulder.

"Bye, O," Roland waved.

"Bye." Her dad took Maddie's hand. Her chest ached, knowing it would be months before she'd see them again.

"Bye, Ollie," Maddie called, turning to wave.

"Bye, baby sis." She waved back.

Her mom stayed behind. Her arms folded across her chest as she moved around the room. Until then, Olivia had done so well holding back her tears, but now, left with just her mom, they threatened to overwhelm her.

"You'll need to get some curtains," her mom said, turning her head away. Olivia saw her reach up and swipe at her cheek. Olivia did so too before she turned back towards her. "With this east-facing window, it's going to be bright in here in the morning."

Olivia let out a light laugh, stuffing her hands in her back pocket. "We know I'm not a morning person."

Her mom chuckled, too. "Well, you get that from me." She let out a sigh and closed the distance between them. Olivia felt her mom press a kiss to her hair, then her voice in her ear as she told her, "You know you can come home whenever you want."

Olivia laughed. "Did dad tell you to say that?"

"He did." They both drew away. Her mother's dark eyes held hers. "I know you'll be just fine."

"I will be. I am your daughter."

"Damn right. I love you."

"I love you."

"I better get going. Be good, go to classes, and," her mom's eyes narrowed slightly with her playful warning tone, "be smart."

They both knew she wasn't talking about locking her door and carrying pepper spray. That was her dad's lecture. "Mom, oh my God, go."

She leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Bye, baby."

Olivia turned, watching her mom go. "Bye, Mom."

Her mom closed the door behind her. Olivia let out a sigh. She turned to look around the room that would be her home for the next little while. Picking a college so far away from her real home had been hard, but was something she needed to do for herself. Her parents were wonderful and supportive and had she chosen a college closer, would have called her every day to make sure she had everything. Not that they wouldn't still, but they wouldn't be able to show up with food or money. Here she was on her own. It was that independence she'd been craving. Her fingertips slid along the smooth surface of her new desk as she walked over to her bed and sat down.

Olivia gazed out the window. They'd only just left and she already missed her family.

"Hey, roomie," Paige said, coming back from the campus bookstore. "Wanna go check out what's happening on campus?"

Olivia smiled. Her family may be far away, but she had Paige. Together, they'd get each other through this next part of their lives. "Sure."

Spirits lifting, she grabbed her phone (knowing her dad would soon be messaging her to make sure she was really really sure before they got back on the plane to New York) and followed her best friend and roommate out of the dorm.