Post by hollygirl on Jun 24, 2008 3:25:51 GMT 10
Chapter 110: Test
"Good morning Luka." Mariana says to her son, walking through the doorway half asleep still.
"Morning."
She watched her son hop up onto the counter, and walked over to him, placing her hand on his knee. Luka looked down at her smiling face and shrugged asking, "What?"
"My baby is graduating."
"Mama..." Luka groaned.
"I feel like just yesterday you were running down the beach.. splashing me in the Adriatic... and now here you are.. well over six feet.. a grown boy.. all ready to graduate.. and leave for home."
Home, Luka thought. Home. The beaches of the Adriatic.. the landscape.. the atmosphere.. just the feeling. The place he loved.. but was ripped from when he was just a small child. He had that chance to live there.. for a few years, or for forever. He loved Chicago too, though. It was his home. His second home. The place where he grew up.. and fell in love. And most importantly, the place where he met his love. Abby. Sometimes he was confused about how he loved her. She was his best friend and he loved her for that. But, he also loved her. The love that some people wait their whole life to find. She was going away to school as well.. not nearly as far as him, but far enough from Chicago. . Or that was the plan at least.
"What's on your mind Luka?" Mariana asked.
"What?"
"Something's bothering you.."
"No..-"
"Yes.. Now, tell me what it is."
He sighed. "I just don't know what to do.. that's all."
"Oh.. so you aren't sure either? dating.. friends with benefits.. nothing."
"What? No, that's not what I'm talking about.. Well, kinda.. I guess... You talked to Abby?"
"Well, what are you talking about?"
"You talked to Abby?" He asked again.
"Yes, I did. Answer my question."
"School.. I want to go to Zagreb.. I know I do.. I just don't know if I can... I don't know if I can leave her."
"I see.. well, if you don't go.. then what will you do?"
"I don't know.. go to school with her.."
"Luka.. you know what I think.. I think that you two love each other, yes.. but I think that maybe.. you should try to see other people for a little while.. Not that you guys together is bad.. It's great, and I love it. I love you, and I love Abby.. and nothing makes me more happy, then to see you two happy.. But maybe, you could see if other relationships would work out.. and if they don't.. then you know that you guys are meant for each other.. Like a test."
"Test our love?"
"Yes."
"So.. what you're saying is I should go to Croatia.. and she should go to Pennsylvania.. and we should be in other relationships.. and in the end, we'll see if we can't love anyone else.. because we are meant for each other?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying." Mariana took Luka's hand and squeezed it. "You want to be a doctor right?"
"Of course."
"And you want to go to Zagreb, right?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't work hard to get in to just back out of it, right?"
"... I guess."
"Luka.. My son.. I can't exactly tell you what to do about this.. I mean, I'm your mother.. but you know what's right for you.. and what you feel. I know you'll do what you think is right.. You're a smart boy.. You'll figure things out."
"We missed practice." Abby says, walking into the kitchen.
Luka looks over at the clock and then back at his mother. "Huh.. I guess we did."
"Good morning Luka." Mariana says to her son, walking through the doorway half asleep still.
"Morning."
She watched her son hop up onto the counter, and walked over to him, placing her hand on his knee. Luka looked down at her smiling face and shrugged asking, "What?"
"My baby is graduating."
"Mama..." Luka groaned.
"I feel like just yesterday you were running down the beach.. splashing me in the Adriatic... and now here you are.. well over six feet.. a grown boy.. all ready to graduate.. and leave for home."
Home, Luka thought. Home. The beaches of the Adriatic.. the landscape.. the atmosphere.. just the feeling. The place he loved.. but was ripped from when he was just a small child. He had that chance to live there.. for a few years, or for forever. He loved Chicago too, though. It was his home. His second home. The place where he grew up.. and fell in love. And most importantly, the place where he met his love. Abby. Sometimes he was confused about how he loved her. She was his best friend and he loved her for that. But, he also loved her. The love that some people wait their whole life to find. She was going away to school as well.. not nearly as far as him, but far enough from Chicago. . Or that was the plan at least.
"What's on your mind Luka?" Mariana asked.
"What?"
"Something's bothering you.."
"No..-"
"Yes.. Now, tell me what it is."
He sighed. "I just don't know what to do.. that's all."
"Oh.. so you aren't sure either? dating.. friends with benefits.. nothing."
"What? No, that's not what I'm talking about.. Well, kinda.. I guess... You talked to Abby?"
"Well, what are you talking about?"
"You talked to Abby?" He asked again.
"Yes, I did. Answer my question."
"School.. I want to go to Zagreb.. I know I do.. I just don't know if I can... I don't know if I can leave her."
"I see.. well, if you don't go.. then what will you do?"
"I don't know.. go to school with her.."
"Luka.. you know what I think.. I think that you two love each other, yes.. but I think that maybe.. you should try to see other people for a little while.. Not that you guys together is bad.. It's great, and I love it. I love you, and I love Abby.. and nothing makes me more happy, then to see you two happy.. But maybe, you could see if other relationships would work out.. and if they don't.. then you know that you guys are meant for each other.. Like a test."
"Test our love?"
"Yes."
"So.. what you're saying is I should go to Croatia.. and she should go to Pennsylvania.. and we should be in other relationships.. and in the end, we'll see if we can't love anyone else.. because we are meant for each other?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying." Mariana took Luka's hand and squeezed it. "You want to be a doctor right?"
"Of course."
"And you want to go to Zagreb, right?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't work hard to get in to just back out of it, right?"
"... I guess."
"Luka.. My son.. I can't exactly tell you what to do about this.. I mean, I'm your mother.. but you know what's right for you.. and what you feel. I know you'll do what you think is right.. You're a smart boy.. You'll figure things out."
"We missed practice." Abby says, walking into the kitchen.
Luka looks over at the clock and then back at his mother. "Huh.. I guess we did."