Jake sat on the edge of his bed, his phone still in his hand, screen glowing from the message Raelene had just sent.

“I GOT IN!!! SAN DIEGO STATE BABY!! 🐾❤️”

He could almost hear her voice in the text—excited, breathless, probably jumping up and down in her room with that bright, unstoppable smile he loved more than anything. He stared at the message for a long second, his heart tugging in two completely different directions.

She did it. She really did it.

And she deserved it—every bit of it. She’d worked hard, stayed focused, wrote those long essays and stayed up studying for tests even when she wanted to crash. Jake had been there through it all. The stress. The waiting. The “what if I don’t get in?” moments.

And now, the answer had come. She was going to San Diego State University.

The problem was… that meant she’d be leaving.

An hour or two away might not sound like much to most people, but to Jake—who was used to seeing her almost every day, who felt like his whole world was wrapped in the rhythm of their shared routines in L.A.—it felt like a hundred miles too far.

Later that day, they met up at a quiet park near her house. She ran toward him, eyes sparkling, arms flinging around his neck.

“I did it, Jake!” she said, voice muffled against his hoodie. “I actually got in.”

He held her tight, smiling into her hair. “I know. I’m so proud of you, Rae.”

She pulled back to look at him, her expression glowing… then softening. “But you’re a little quiet.”

Jake chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just… processing. I am happy for you. Like, insanely happy. You’re gonna crush it there.”

“But…?” she asked gently.

“But I’m gonna miss you,” he admitted. “A lot. It’s gonna be weird not seeing you all the time. No more random late-night In-N-Out runs. No surprise visits. No falling asleep on FaceTime—well, not as easy, anyway.”

Raelene smiled sadly and took his hand. “I know. It’s gonna be different. But it’s not goodbye. It’s just… a new chapter.”

Jake nodded slowly. “I guess I just have to get used to loving you from a little farther away.”

She leaned her forehead against his. “And I’ll love you just the same from there. Maybe even more. San Diego’s not that far. And besides—now you’ve got a reason to visit me all the time.”

He smirked. “Only if your dorm has snacks.”

“Done,” she said, laughing through the emotion.