Everything comes back to you -J.MARIANO

[1.38]

ꪻas had never run so fast in his life. He didn't even know that he had the ability to run so fast. The second that his brain comprehended the letter from the mailbox, he was out the door and sprinting to Taryn's. Desperation to tell her the news took over and he simply could not wait. Tas had gotten into Harvard and he wanted her to be the first to know, given that she had helped him through the whole application process. The second he entered the front door to her house, thankfully it was left unlocked, he yelled in the general direction of the stairs. "Taryn!" Tas proceeded to snap out of his initial adrenaline filled forgetfulness and muttered to himself, "Shit what am I even doing."

He sprant up the staircase and quickly reached inside her bedroom door, flickering her light on and off rapidly to catch her attention. Taryn  looked up from her sewing machine at the flashing lights and yelled in the general direction of the door, "Come in!"

"Taryn!" Tas yelled as he suddenly appeared at her side, waving the thick letter around as if it were a flag of a country.

"Is that the big letter?" she gasped whilst climbing out of her chair, suddenly having no care for the skirt she was currently working on. She, without letting her gaze leave the Harvard stamp on the front of the thick envelope, quickly connected her processors. "Shut up Tassilo, that is not the big letter!"

"You are looking at a Harvard bound man," he grinned and she had never seen such a smile on his face.

"Oh. My. God." She paused whilst gently taking the letter from him as he offered it to her for inspection.  She held it in her hands and looked over the important looking lettering on the front. "It's heavy too."

He chuckled to himself, "Well it contains my entire future so I hope so."

"I'm so proud of you Tas."

"Shut up," he rolled his eyes jokingly before she wrapped him in a hug, squeezing tightly as they always did.

"Too bad you can't go huh," she shrugged as the hug broke and the acceptance letter was placed on the cleaner spot of her desk.

His gaze narrowed, confusion furrowing his brow. "And why not?"

She shrugged, sitting back in her desk chair whilst he took the chair at the end of her bed. "Um you have to stay here, Harvard's too far away sorry."

"Taryn ."

"Nope no arguments," she inputted, holding up a hand to further prevent him from speaking. "You have to stay and be my human mannequin."

"I can come back on holidays," Tas wagered though the laughter from his lips quickly rendered the offer void.

She shrugged and pretended to deliberate and way up her options. Eventually she sighed, her smile beginning to break through the wall she had forcefully created, "I guess that's going to have to do."

-

Later that very same day, Tas joined the Lewis family for dinner as they had brought out the bubbly (as her parents called it) to celebrate his success. Tas had not told his mother yet as he wanted to do so when she was a little less stressed from work and could fully appreciate the moment in the way that he knew she wanted to. This celebration with his second family was perfect in every way. Taryn left the table to answer the door part way through dessert, her head feeling fizzy with the bubbly alcohol. From the kitchen, Tas could partially hear Taryn talking to Kirk whilst he delivered a particular letter that was marked urgent. Kirk talked about how it seemed important and he wanted to get it to her straight away, even though it was late at night, after having a certain feeling that this news was one she needed. Which was correct and she wondered how Kirk could have ever figured that out. She, with Tas' news, had started to realize how lonely the next year would be for her. All her friends would be gone, off on their adventures to better their lives whilst she would be stuck at home alone. She could not have been happier for Tas but the thoughts crept in slowly and given the loneliness she felt post break up, Taryn couldn't help but worry.

Taryn, after shutting the door to her house and thanking Kirk profusely, looked at the letter in her hands. A letter with a return address in New York and a logo she recognised from a certain flier that was still within the pages of her magazine. She tore it open and read the contents five times over. Accepted. Welcomed to move onto the next phase. "Tassilo Roth!" Taryn yelled from the entryway, her voice holding a certain harshness to it.

Her Da grimaced, "Uh oh."

"What did you do?"

As Tas shook his head and shrugged, not having a singular idea as to what she would be yelling about. His question found itself instantly answered by Taryn hurrying back into the kitchen, a folded letter with a specific recogniseable stamp within her hand. Tas jumped out of his seat as she grinned and she instantly flung her arms around him, letter still clutched in her hand. "I love you so much right now."

Tas clicked his tongue and sighed, "Ew."