Oliver was destined for the Ivy League. He was top of the class, captain of the debate team, and came from one of the wealthiest families in town. Success was his birthright.
Valerie was a straight-A student too, but she was quiet. She came from a blue-collar family. Her world was books and quiet evenings at home. She was ordinary.
Everyone assumed Oliver would end up with the prom queen or a senator’s daughter.
To his credit, Oliver was never arrogant. He was kind to everyone, a genuinely good guy who just happened to have it all.
Everything changed the summer after graduation. Tragedy struck both of them, leveling the playing field in the cruelest way possible.
Within weeks of each other, they both lost parents. Valerie’s father died after a long battle with cancer. Oliver lost both parents in a car accident on the interstate.
The whole senior class showed up for Oliver’s parents’ funeral. It was a sea of black suits and awkward condolences.
Oliver stood by the gravesite, looking hollowed out. Friends patted his back, but he didn’t react. He was in shock.
Valerie, whose grief for her father was still raw, walked up to him. She didn’t say a generic “I’m sorry.” She just hugged him and wept. Her tears seemed to break through his numbness.
Grief was the foundation of their bond. In those dark months, they were the only ones who understood each other’s pain.
Oliver scrapped his Ivy League plans. He wasn’t ready to leave. He enrolled in the state university nearby, needing to stay grounded.
Valerie went to the same school for accounting. They were inseparable.
