The First Step
[Levi Schuler x Laura Day Masterlist]
Pairing: Levi Schuler x Laura (F!MC) Book: Mother of the Year (post book) Rating/Warnings: General, Comfort/Fluff Word Count: ~1,000 A/N: This is for the prompt a kiss "in a rush of adrenaline" that @dr-colossal-pita requested. I hope you enjoy this.
Synopsis: Laura has made an important decision, now she just needs to wait for the news.
For so long, it had just been her and Lily.
Lily was (and still is) her entire world.
There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for her daughter.
Life hadn't been easy for them. It took everything she had to keep going. Some days, she didn't think they were going to make it. If it weren't for Lily, she might have given up, but that little girl—her smile, her wit, her brilliance—kept her going. Her own personal star brought to Earth.
But through it all, they persevered.
How far they'd come.
Lily was at a great school, kicking butt, if she could say. She had a steady job. Levi's music career had taken off. Lucas would be turning one in a few weeks. It was time for her to take a chance, something she had wanted but never dared dream she'd have the time and stability to finally choose something for herself.
She almost didn't tell anyone, but he was different. He had been there through so many heartbreaks, so many moments when she was at her lowest. He had been her partner in all they'd overcome together these past few years. Regardless of the answer she would receive today, he deserved to share this experience with her.
As the hours ticked past, time seemed to move slower as she paced the house, looking for things to tidy up, anything to distract her, keep her from checking her phone again, even though she knew she wouldn't get the decision for a little longer. Each time the device buzzed, her body tightened with anxious excitement, only for it to be an unrelated notification. She tapped her fingers on the counter, drumming an imaginary tune, trying to keep herself from going crazy with worry.
She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't lie; she wanted this. Her phone felt heavier with each passing moment.
"Anything?" Levi wrapped his arms around her as he returned home from the studio.
"Not yet," Laura sighed heavily, leaning back into his embrace. Resting her head on his shoulder, she tipped her head, kissing him softly. "It should be coming any minute now though. Thanks for rushing home."
"There's no place I'd rather be," he brushed another kiss on her forehead, holding her in his arms. She'd been there for him, helped him when he was ready to give up on his own dream, he'd do anything to help her now. "Can I get you anything?"
She shook her head, "Not unless you have a time machine." She held her phone out to him. Its screen dark, its body still, and its voice silent as they eyed it in anticipation.
The pair stayed in the moment, no need for them to talk or keep busy, having him with her was enough. No matter what the result, she was happy he was there.
And just like that, the phone buzzed, a notification popping up on the screen.
Laura couldn't stifle the squeal that broke into a cry that slipped through her lips. "I can't look." She squeezed her eyes shut, turning the phone away from her. All the fear and doubt she had let Guy convince her of came flooding back. "I can't do this. What was I thinking?" A silent tear pooled in the corner of her eye.
"Hey," Levi's soft voice pulled her back to him. "Don't say that. You are the strongest, most beautiful, talented, and deserving woman I know. If there is one thing I'm sure of, it's that you can do this. And if, for some reason, this email isn't the answer you were hoping for, that doesn't mean you should give up. You believed in me when all odds were against me, when I felt like throwing in the towel. You were there reminding me of who I am and all that I could be. You can do anything, Laura. Any nursing program would be damn lucky to have you."
His quiet confidence brought her strength and reminded her of how far she'd come to get here. She steadied her breathing, swallowing the lump in her throat before turning back to her phone. He was right, she could apply to another program, but Boston College had the best nursing program in Massachusetts and that's where she wanted to go. She measured each breath as she unlocked the device, opened her email, and took care to read the message.
"Dear Mrs. Laura Schuler,
Thank you for your interest in our program. It is with great pleasure that we offer you admission to the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College..."
She read it again and again, making sure she hadn't dreamed it, that the words really said she had done it.
Levi watched carefully, waiting to hear the news, but she stood in stunned silence. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Laura?"
She turned without hesitation, throwing her arms around his neck. Rocking up on her tiptoes, she kissed him again and again as adrenaline rushed through her. "I got in!" she breathed between hurried kisses. "I got in!!!!"
"Congratulations!!!!" He lifted her off the ground, twirling her in his embrace. "I knew you could do it! You can do anything!" He returned her kisses, matching her excited pace, both of them laughing between kisses as their joy filled their home.
"You are amazing," he marveled, as their pace slowed, the pair pulling apart to catch their breath.
Her gaze glistened with tears of joy that washed away any doubt that she was not good enough. She had done it. She was accepted into one of the top nursing programs in the country. It was only the first step, but it was one she had long to take. Her body relaxed, releasing the tension she had held onto for too long. It didn't matter where she started, only where she was going.
For so long, it had been her and Lily.
But now... now, she had so much more. Her world was filled with love and support. Her dreams mattered. She mattered. And she had a future brighter than she could have ever imagined.
A/N2: I am so excited and grateful to everyone who has sent prompts/requests this week. Apparently, I can still write, I just needed some fun motivation and a week off work to decompress. I feel like my brain is actually working and I haven't felt like that in a long time. I'm not looking forward to going back, but I'm truly enjoying writing for fun, with no expectations or pressure.
Thank you to anyone who reads this and interacts with it. I haven't written these two in a year? maybe more? so it was nice to revisit them and finally write something of Laura's nursing storyline that I keep writing HC snippets for. (Laura eventually works at Olivia's Sunshine Pediatrics of Boston as her nurse. Malia is about a year older than Lucas. This takes place in somewhat current time with Olivia and Bryce's timeline. Olivia is thinking about her practice but doesn't really get going with opening it for another year or so since it comes about while she's pregnant with Makoa).
If you made it this far, thank you thank you thank you. You have all my love! <3