Catching up

 

Honestly, Valentina felt classes at the university weren't that much different from high school. OK, the lectures were longer and so were the days with traffic jams included. Sometimes, she wished she'd moved to the dorms, but then again her weekends were for Matty. 

They went to home football games or just stayed home for a movie. Nothing had changed. They were like two peas in a pod. It was a good happiness. They talked about their classes and who they knew. They were OK. 

Occasionally, she texted Dan her brother. Sometimes, he texted back, but not that often. But at least they kept in touch. She told Matty she was trying.

"That's all you can do," Matty had said. And perhaps it was her mantra. Even now as she walked across the campus with her heavy books she thought of that mantra, and then she noticed someone she thought she knew. Naturally, he was masked. It probably wasn't who she thought he was. But maybe he was Rosie's ex. 

Val's classes were over, anyway. She turned to follow him. Of course, she was certain he would think it weird, but she wanted to ask. After all, he went to the bookstore.

"Rosie's ex." She kept saying over and over until it hit her...Matty's brother.

"What are you doing here?" Valentina asked.

He turned to her as if he hadn't a clue who she was. She let half of her mask slip. He pulled down his mask and gave her a look. 

"Matty never said you were back," Val winced.

"Oh, he doesn't know," Sunny said.

"What?" Val didn't understand.

He wanted to buy her something to drink. They soon found a place to talk while sipping sweet lattes. Of course, he was taking his time.

"You know Matty?" He winced.

"Don't you two talk?" Val wasn't sure she should even be here talking to Matty's brother. Granted they were adopted siblings but Matty thought the world of his older brother who went to Chicago to study architecture. 

"Not that much," Sunny shrugged. He wasn't quite as tall as Val remembered and he seemed different. Maybe all she could think of was how tall Matty was.

"So..so you don't know about Rosie?" Val hated to be the bearer of bad news. 

"I know she's got her own place," he nodded. Sunny said he'd seen to it that she got her own place months ago.

"It was you who got her the tiny house?" Val winced hard, hardly thinking that would be a gift to give someone.

"I just helped. It wasn't all me," he said.

"Well, she isn't there all alone, you know," Val mentioned Rosie's boyfriend Chance.

"You and Robby were really good at finding someone for Rosie," Sunny nodded with a smile. "How is Robby these days?"

"I don't really know," Valentina told him. "We're step-siblings now. Our parents got married. It didn't sit too well with him. I guess he's still at San Marcus. He went back to Texas."

"Huh," Sunny said. "Guess, that's why I haven't seen him around."

"I'm with Matty now."

"Matty?" Sunny winced. "Aren't you a little too old for him?"

Valentina nursed her latte. Uncertain, if she even wanted to mention to Matty that she'd seen his brother on campus.