As Lily stood up to leave the canteen, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at the screen—Mom calling. A smile spread across her face as she answered, balancing her tray on one hand while navigating through the bustling space.
"Hi, Mom," she said, her voice light with relief.
"Lily! How's everything going? Are you settling in okay?" Margaret's familiar voice was like a warm hug from miles away.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just had lunch, actually. The food here is amazing," Lily replied, weaving through the tables and heading toward the exit.
"I bet it is! Italian food, huh? Don't get too spoiled, or you'll never want my cooking again," Margaret joked, a laugh in her voice.
"Never!" Lily said with mock indignation. "Nothing beats your spaghetti Bolognese."
"Good answer," Margaret teased. Then her tone softened. "How's the campus? And your first class?"
"It's beautiful, Mom. Like, really beautiful. The architecture, the gardens—it's all so dreamy. And the class was good. A bit overwhelming, but that's normal, right?"
"Of course. It'll take time to adjust. Just remember, you've earned this, Lily. You belong there."
Her mother's encouragement made her chest tighten with emotion. "Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that."
---
As Lily left the canteen and made her way back to her dorm, she kept the conversation going. She told Margaret about meeting Sofia, her mysterious roommate, and navigating through her first day on campus. She left out the part about Nico Giovanni—there were some details best kept to herself.
"You sound so grown up," Margaret said, her voice tinged with pride. "I can't believe my little girl is halfway across the world, chasing her dreams."
"I'm still your little girl," Lily said, smiling softly.
They talked about home—how Jamie had aced his math test, how their dad had fixed the leaky kitchen sink, and how quiet the house felt without her. As Lily approached her dorm building, she felt a pang of homesickness.
"I miss you guys," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We miss you too, sweetheart. But this is your time to shine. And we're just a phone call away, okay?"
"Okay," Lily said, taking a deep breath as she entered the building and headed up the stairs to her room.
---
By the time she reached her door, the call had ended, and the familiar silence of the dorm greeted her. She stepped inside, set her bag down, and flopped onto the bed. Her body was tired, but her mind was racing—flashes of the day playing over and over in her head.
As she stared at the ceiling, she thought about everything her mom had said. She knew this journey wouldn't always be easy, but she also knew she wasn't alone. Her family was with her every step of the way, even from thousands of miles away.
For now, she just needed to take things one day at a time.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a notification popped up. She checked and saw it was from the group chat, from Nico. she quickly opened to see a write up about them having a seminar tomorrow morning.