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Chapter 3 - CHAPTER THREE

Days turned into weeks after the explosive confrontation with her mother about attending the Charleston Art Institute. The tension in the Mitchell household was palpable, and Eleanor's heart ached with the unresolved conflict.

She might be mad at her mother right now but she still misses her and the way their relationship used to be, She feels as if their relationship has morphed into something ugly.

One sunny afternoon, Eleanor sat in her room, her sketchbook open before her. Her hand moved absentmindedly, the pencil dancing across the paper, but her mind was elsewhere. She had been wrestling with a choice that felt like an impossible puzzle with pieces that didn't quite fit.

As she stared at the half-finished sketch of a vibrant cityscape, her phone chimed with a new message. It was an email notification from Brown University. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened it.

"Dear Eleanor Mitchell,

We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into Brown University for the upcoming academic year."

Eleanor's mind swirled with a whirlwind of emotions. Brown University was a prestigious institution, a place of academic excellence that promised a secure and promising future. She had applied just to please her mother, never expecting to get in.

But now, it was a choice that loomed before her like a crossroads. A choice between following her passion for art or pursuing the secure path of a traditional education. The weight of the decision pressed upon her, and she knew that whatever she chose would have far-reaching consequences.

Eleanor couldn't keep this news from her mother. She found Margaret in the living room, her expression drawn with worry as she watched the news on television.

"Mom," Eleanor began hesitantly, "I need to talk to you."

Margaret turned, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "What is it, Eleanor?"

Eleanor took a deep breath and handed her phone to her mother, displaying the email from Brown University. "I got accepted into Brown."

Margaret's eyes widened as she read the email. Her initial shock gave way to a glimmer of hope, a spark of pride for her daughter's achievement.

"Eleanor, this is wonderful news," Margaret said, her voice filled with a mixture of joy and relief. "Brown is a prestigious university. It's an opportunity for a bright future."

Eleanor nodded, her heart heavy. "I know, Mom. But I also got accepted into the Charleston Art Institute, and that's where my heart truly lies."

The room fell into a heavy silence. Eleanor could see the struggle in her mother's eyes, torn between her daughter's happiness and her desire for her to choose the safer path.

Margaret spoke softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "Eleanor, I want what's best for you. I want you to have a secure future, free from the hardships that pursuing art might bring. Brown University can give you that."

Tears welled up in Eleanor's eyes as she replied, "I know, Mom. But I can't ignore my passion. Art is who I am. It's the air I breathe, the colors of my soul. If I don't pursue it now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Margaret's gaze hardened, and she withdrew her hand from Eleanor's. "Eleanor, if you choose that path, don't expect me to support it. I won't pay for your art education, you would be throwing away everything...everything we've worked for, and I can't promise that things will remain the same between us."

Eleanor's heart sank at her mother's words, and the room seemed to close in around her. Margaret's threat hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the unyielding divide between her daughter's dreams and her mother's expectations.

As the argument continued late into the night, with the both of them refusing to acknowledge the other during dinner, Eleanor's heart felt heavy with the weight of her decision. She knew that choosing the Charleston Art Institute meant a difficult road ahead, one filled with financial struggles and the possibility of estrangement from the person she loved most in the world.

But as she lay in her bed after dinner, staring up at the ceiling, Eleanor knew that her passion for art was a fire that couldn't be extinguished. She had made her choice, and it was a choice that would define the course of her life.

The canvas of her future was a vast, uncertain landscape, and Eleanor was determined to paint it with the colors of her dreams, even if it meant facing the storm of her mother's disapproval and the threat of being disowned.

AUTHORS NOTE: What do you think Eleanor's choice would be?🤔... I'm interactive let me know what you think about my book❤️❤️