Divergent High: College Life

ｆｏｒｔｙ－ｏｎｅ

𖠇 𖠇 Tobias POV 𖠇 𖠇
Tris is gone today, I don't know what she's doing, honestly. She just got up and left a few hours ago. So it's just me in the apartment right now. Mom is coming over in about 20 minutes though. I haven't seen her in a little while, she hasn't seen the apartment yet, and she's in town.

Mom arrives a little bit earlier than I expected, so I quickly shove a piece of bacon that Tris made this morning in my mouth, and I jog over to the door. I open the door, and I'm immediately hugged by Mom.

"Hey Mom," I say.

"Hi Tobs," she replies, ending the hug.

"How are you?" I ask her as we walk to the kitchen. She sits on a chair at the bar ledge and I lean on the counter across from her.

"Good, good. You?"

"I've been okay."

"Okay? Just okay? Are you happy?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm happy. Probably happier than I've ever been."

"That's good sweetie, just wanted to make sure. So what are you and Tris doing for New Years?" Mom questions.

"Well, Tris doesn't know this yet, but we're going to Hawaii for a week," I answer, grinning.

"Ooh, that should be fun."

"Yeah it should."

"Anything special happening while you're there?" She raises her eyebrows and I scratch the back of my neck with a small smile on my face.

"Maybe," I admit.

"I knew it, you're so easy to read," she comments, making me roll my eyes. "No, you are, really. Tris is going to figure this out so easily."

"No, she isn't Mom, I have it all under control. I have it planned out and everything, she won't know a thing."

"I sure hope so." Mom states. "Do you have the ring yet? Can I see it?"

"That's the part where I don't have it under control," I say and scratch my head. "I was at the store the other day, and there were so many that she would like, but I couldn't find anything I knew she'd love."

"I thought you might say that." She digs in her purse on the chair next to her and pulls out and little black box. Mom hands the box to me and I open it. There's a dazzling little oval shaped diamond ring sitting in the box, with a gold band that has little leaf details on each side of the stone.

"Wow, Mom. This is perfect. She'd love it."

"I know, and it's also a family heirloom from your dad's side." I sigh, now a little uncomfortable with that fact that it came from my father's part of the family. "Sweetie, he's and absolute dick, we both know that. But there was a time when he was good. I loved him and he loved me back. But he became twisted somehow. Tobias, I know you resent him, and want nothing to do with him, but you need to know that you're a lot like he was, and that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"The ring is beautiful," I give in. "Thanks Mom." She stands from her chair and I hug her.
𖠇 𖠇 Tris POV 𖠇 𖠇
It's the second weekend of December, and there's about two feet of snow here in Chicago.